Only half of small businesses in Canada survive their first five years. Digital tools are critical to their success
Social media levels the playing field for Canadian small businesses and unlocks economic growth, says new research revealed Tuesday by Facebook Canada. The report, Empowered In The Digital Age: Leveling the Playing Field For Canadian Small Business, said only half of small businesses in Canada survive their first five years and accessible digital tools are…
Calgary-based airline WestJet has turned marketing and social media into an art form in recent years with its advertising campaigns that sometimes go viral. On Monday, the company launched its latest campaign focusing on its commitment of treating people like people. "We want the travelling public to know that as we become a global network…
Abagail Vanmerlin of Brand Theory talks about why encapsulating the culture, values and long-range vision of a company is so important
Abagail Vanmerlin is owner at Brand Theory Inc. What is Brand Theory and what does it do? Vanmerlin: We are a full-service creative agency specializing in the strategic branding of mid-to-large business-to-business organizations. By full service, I mean that we offer a suite of brand deliverables which can be anything from interactive and responsive website…
Francesca Moi of Empowering Events talks about building your following and being active and consistent on social media
Francesca Moi is CEO/director of Empowering Events. You describe yourself as the Meetup Queen. What does that mean and what do you do? Moi: Five years ago I wanted to grow my life-coaching business and I couldn’t find a way to get clients until I started a Meetup group and a Facebook group. Within three…
Good advertising works to capture attention, elicit emotion and get responses, but most advertisers don't know how to go about achieving those goals
Advertising can stimulate desire. Not that any advertising I ever participated in when I was single resulted in crowds of female admirers. However, working in the health food industry, I would often strive to create in my customers a desire for better health. My ads would try to kindle a response that would generate traffic…
James Teague talks about how OSINT Investigations provides individuals and organization with the information to make sound decisions
James Teague is president of OSINT Investigations, based in Calgary. What is OSINT Investigations and what does it do? Teague: OSINT Investigations is a full-service private investigation firm. Our office is located in Calgary, but we do investigations all across Alberta and into B.C. as well. We do everything from insurance investigations to infidelity to…
Democracy is not something that merely happens in the natural course of events. And it’s not an unsavoury meal you push away from
So begins the quadrennial Canadian season of sound with no substance, rhetoric with no relevance and promises with no perspective. In other words, dear reader, it’s election time. But wait, you cleverly elucidate, elections don’t manufacture vapid, gormless, pontificators; politicians are always with us, like potholes. Agreed: No, they don’t; and yes, they are. The…
Canada’s creative lobby may have turned its back on the world but that doesn’t mean Canadians are joining them in their quest to hide
Canada’s creative lobby may have turned its back on the world but that doesn’t mean Canadians are joining them in their quest to hide behind a big wall of regulations aimed at protecting them from foreigners. A recent study by Ryerson University’s Faculty of Communication and Design, entitled Watchtime Canada: How YouTube Connects Creators and…
Those who booed retiring Indianapolis Colt Andrew Luck should be ashamed of themselves. Athletes aren’t warriors created by central casting for our weekend enjoyment
Too many sports fans view athletes as robots designed to play games for their entertainment. They sit in the stands or on their sofas, a cold beer in their hands, and yell at injured players for being “too soft” and “not tough enough.” They think jocks should just “suck it up” and get on the…
If enough people band together, they can finance a new platform. This is a free and open market
Against the frenzy of inaccurate and manipulative information consistently roaring through social media sites, the companies that manage these sites – like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter – have been trying to combat misinformation. However, they always seem to be two steps behind. Initially, in an effort to keep up with the sheer volume of material,…
Social media levels the playing field for Canadian small businesses and unlocks economic growth, says new research revealed Tuesday by Facebook Canada. The report, Empowered In The Digital Age: Leveling the Playing Field For Canadian Small Business, said only half of small businesses in Canada survive their first five years and accessible digital tools are…
