It's still a mad, mad world

It’s Sunday night and after a weekend of work, errands and relaxation, there’s no better way to wind down the week than watching an episode of Mad Men.

Earlier this week, I had the honour of being asked to provide quote for my friend Elissa Freeman’s article for Ragan’s PR Daily, “Lessons from Peggy Olson’s ‘lean-in’ moments”.

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Tip of the Week: Think beyond the blog

Welcome to the eighth in a series of tips to help bloggers build communities, find an audience and get the most out of working with brands.*

“Be prepared to offer your content ideas up for brand usage,” suggests Matthew Stradiotto, Co-founder, Matchstick, “today brands want to ‘co-create’ content with publishers. Think about how your content could live brand-side, and not JUST on your blog!”

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Rob Ford, Ron Burgundy has a message for you...

Tonight I was pleasantly surprised when the latest trailer for Anchorman 2 played before Star Trek Into Darkness. Ron Burgundy has a message for Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto. I hope he’ll listen and stop embarrassing the residents of our wonderful city.



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Social Media Goes to College at Social Capital Conference

Social Capital Conference is taking place in Ottawa May 31 and June 1. It’s an event I’ve always oogled over but never been able to attend due to a recurring scheduling conflict. Three times lucky they say because this year they moved it up a month. I’ll be there, not only as an attendee but also as a speaker. Diane Bégin, Susan Murphy, Martin Waxman and yours truly are presenting “Social Media Goes to College” – a panel discussion based on the session we tested out at PodCamp Toronto last February.

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Tip of the Week: Network

Welcome to the seventh in a series of tips to help bloggers build communities, find an audience and get the most out of working with brands.

In the early days of blogging and social media adoption, there was this idea that everyone publishing online and surfing the web was an anti-social nerd who hung out in his basement. Today we know nothing could be further from the truth as people connect with like-minded online friends, their desire to meet in real life grows. And as powerful as the web is for establishing relationships, nothing beats getting out from behind your screen and meeting people in person.

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Photo credit: Eden Spodek

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Calgary Zoo takes a big risk and produces 2012 annual report on Instagram

Calgary Zoo, Instagram and Annual Reports

What do these three things have in common? Not much until now. Believe it or not, the Calgary Zoo ditched a more traditional annual report format for their 2012 Annual Report and produced an Instagram-only version, including financial statements. Yes, you read that correctly. It looks like they posted the report over a four-day period with 55 photos, each one includes a detailed description.

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A Minute of Peace by C.C. Chapman

Like many people, I’ve been feeling kind of melancholy this week. I haven’t felt like blogging or sharing much content. It’s been a time of reflection. Moments ago, an email showed up in my inbox from C.C. Chapman with a link to a video called “A Minute of Peace”. Although C.C. lives outside of Boston, he shot the video in the White Mountains of New Hampshire yesterday. I hope you’ll find it comforting.

A Minute of Peace from C.C. Chapman on Vimeo.

Thanks C.C.!

What’s helped you deal with difficult news this week?

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Tip of the Week: Discovering new blogs

Welcome to the sixth in a series of tips to help bloggers build communities, find an audience and get the most out of working with brands.

One of the highlights of being part of the team of instructors for the Digital Strategy certificate program at U of Toronto SCS is the opportunity to meet with many interesting and talented students. Martin Waxman does a great job of summing up his experience with the class.

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Photo credit: kakisky

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Case Study: What’s in a (Yummy)Name?

How a rebranded company found its name by starting with a domain search

One thing you probably don’t know about me is that I’m a bit of a domain name geek hog. I own 24, most of which aren’t in current use. So, when I heard about how the newly rebranded Atom Agency (formerly known as Sequentia Environics and the consulting arm of Sequentia Communications Inc.) got its new name, not only did it appeal to my geeky side I thought it was also pretty darn smart. 

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Tip of the Week: How to create a sponsorship pitch like a pro

Welcome to the fifth in a series of tips to help bloggers build communities, find an audience and get the most out of working with brands.

As blogging and influencer relations evolve so does the acceptance of sponsored content. I’m still a big fan of earned media and that will never change. It’s value may diminish once money exchanges hands. However, I recognize the value of sponsored content when it makes sense for a brand and relationships are clearly disclosed.

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image credit: Xavier Calle

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