Browsing Tag

charity

Smile and Share

Noticed a lot of blue and white lately? It’s probably because The Hospital for Sick Children’s SickKids Foundation launched their ‘Doing the Happy’ campaign – a great way to jumpstart the joyful season that is summer.

The excitement surrounding the campaign validates Globe writer Simon Houpt’s observations about what made the KONY 2012 video go viral. “Everyone loves kids,” he wrote.

Influencer engagement has been all the rage for a few years now, but tapping recognizable Canadian media personalities provides a nationalistic undertone, which helps enlist support. Though I couldn’t help but notice a slant toward featuring broadcast journalists from Bell Media, it was refreshing to see actors such as Ashley Leggat, whom I hadn’t seen since Toronto’s production of Dirty Dancing.

Houpt also urged marketers not to underestimate people’s attention spans. I predict that the campaign’s combination of a fun premise, worthy cause and clean visuals will lead to many more views for their 4+ minute long video.

Doing the Happy isn’t the only neat thing SickKids is doing in the digital space. Cundari recently developed a fantastic iPhone app that engages young patients. Through gamification, the app encourages kids to fill out pain diaries and report which medications are working best.

[2025 Update: Removed campaign YouTube video and website links which are no longer available.]

May 12, 2012 by

Behind the Brand: Canadian Diabetes Association

It’s one thing to “Like” a brand on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

 It’s quite another to learn about who organizes those updates.

Name: Pilar Iglesias (@pilariglesias)

Position: Manager, Strategic Communications

Employer: Canadian Diabetes Association

Education: Anthropology, York University; Public Relations, Ryerson University

Favourite blog:

My favourite non-work related blog has to be Design Sponge. My secret obsession/hobby is design and furniture, so I’ve been visiting since its inception. I suppose it’s not so secret anymore… 😉

Favourite mobile app:

This one’s easy – Shazam. I use it constantly and thankfully was able to chuck my “Songs to buy” notepad document.

Professional role model:

This one is also easy-Gini Dietrich. I met Gini on Twitter a few years back and have been in awe ever since. Not only is she a social media maven, she’s the founder and chief executive officer of Arment Dietrich, Inc.—a Chicago-based PR firm, the author of a work-related blog I follow religiously, Spin Sucks (the 2010 and 2011 Readers Choice Blog of the Year), and she’s the co-author of the book Marketing in the Round: Multichannel Approaches in the Post-Social Media Era.

Wait, I’m not finished.

She also writes for Crain’s Chicago Business, AllBusiness, and Franchise Times, and participates in workshops, is a keynote speaker, one of the hosts of the podcast, Inside PR….and these are just some of the things she does.

All of this is in addition to being witty, lovely, helpful and just a complete pleasure. I don’t talk to her as much as I probably would like, but she is definitely a role model. Oh, and one more thing, she can cook! Honestly, when does she have the time?

Most memorable on the job experience at Canadian Diabetes Association:

I was writing an article for our health and wellness magazine, and interviewed a woman who received a pancreas-kidney transplant after suffering many diabetes-related complications. Her appreciation for life was so incredibly inspiring to me but, at the same time, frightening as well since I have type 1 diabetes myself. It made me think of my own journey with the disease and how I manage it, and what it means if I don’t manage it to the best of my ability. It’s a conversation and feeling I won’t forget.

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February 27, 2012 by

Rethink Breast Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Last year, non-profits employed social media to raise awareness by asking girls and women to update Facbook statuses and share where they like to leave their purse, which inevitably led to sexual innuendos, thanks to sentences such as “I like it on the floor.”

This year, rethink Breast Cancer has taken to YouTube to spread the message about the importance of check-ups and my, have they done an *ahem* charming and entertaining job at that.

October 29, 2011 by

Come Laugh, It’s For Charity!

Several Western students and their families from Toronto bundled up for a great night of comedy on Sunday to support hungry, underprivileged children. Thanks to the UWO chapter of Canadian Feed the Children, comics Arthur Simeon, Marty Adams, Jeff Leeson, Lars Classington, and host Al Val offered patrons plenty of reasons to laugh and forget about the shivering temperature outside, until Arthur joked about Canadian winters, that is.

Opening acts Jeff Leeson and Lars Classington, from late night comedy talk show London Tonight with Jeff Leeson, both enjoyed poking fun at the elderly. Jeff shared an amusing anecdote about a man who mistook a portable phone for a cell phone and brought it on a road trip, then acted out an old woman counting her change at a grocery store checkout. Lars entertained the crowd by sharing his “million dollar idea” for a new poutine diet, whereby cheese and gravy shall be added to every meal. The Poutine Zero diet is his solution to making weight loss a new year’s resolution.

Second City alum Marty Adams offered the most interactive performance, by asking audience members to write down pet peeves and things that annoy them. Chewing loudly is clearly something that gets on everyone’s nerves, but almost nothing compares to the frustration of watching someone text while you’re in the middle of a conversation. I’ve read books and heard songs about nut allergies, but I have never heard someone put such a hysterical twist on them before Marty. One can only imagine what Letterman would say in a top ten list about people like the girl in the front row who are allergic to fruit.

While Lars concluded his time on stage by conducting a symphony of sex noises, thus distinguishing who was shy in the audience, Arthur sure knew how to end the show. With his candid discussion about racist stereotypes, including a funny story about a late night on the TTC, among other tales about dating, living in Africa, and celebrating Christmas, Arthur ensured that it was a memorable evening for everyone at London Music Hall.

January 24, 2011 by

Concert Review: Arcade Fire

It sure has been a long time since I’ve enjoyed all the fun that Centreville has to offer. August 14th marked my first time back at Toronto Island in about ten years. It was also the first time I’ve seen patrons encouraged to support local eateries like Big Fat Burrito, rather than tempted to buy overpriced slices from Pizza Pizza. Despite the inconvenient wait for the ferry, the Island is a great venue for outdoor summer concerts. Surprisingly, I found the acoustics were better than I’ve heard at Molson Amphitheatre, so I anticipate that we’ll see many more popular headliners perform there in the future.

If you haven’t listened to Polaris Music Prize finalists The Sadies yet, please Google them ASAP; and the same goes for fellow opener Janelle Monae, who is simply incredible. While she was barely on my radar before this past weekend, Janelle has an unmistakable ability to demand attention, such as by standing on top of a speaker. After making a dramatic entrance covered in a black cape, Janelle was full of energy for her hour long set. She even impressed the talented Jully Black who tweeted that she is “dope”, and rightfully so. ‘Wondaland’ is a particularly catchy song, as was ‘Another Year Again’ by The Sadies.

Once the sun disappeared and Arcade Fire came on stage, they proved why their album has been #1 on the Billboard charts this month. Their ninety minute performance had the perfect combination of hits like ‘Keep the Car Running’ along with tracks from their new album The Suburbs, including my personal favourite, ‘Modern Man’. Lead singer Win Butler and his wife Régine Chassagne only spoke to the audience twice: first for the purpose of promoting their charitable work with Kanpe, an organization offering aid to people in Haiti, and then to thank Torontonians for their loyalty. Meanwhile, the band’s use of black and white clips from vintage films made for interesting multimedia displays without distracting fans from the eight musicians or their critically acclaimed lyrics.

While broadcasting a show live online was an innovative idea on their part, oohing and aahing along with thousands of other fans isn’t something you can do in front of a computer screen. When they first disappeared prior to their encore, the audience continued chanting to the tune of ‘Rebellion (Lies)’. Evidently, fans can’t seem to get enough of Arcade Fire, especially given that this was their third show in Toronto alone this summer. As the clock keeps ticking, one can only imagine what’s next for Arcade Fire, the band that never disappoints.

Originally published on Sympatico’s The Hook.

August 16, 2010 by