Browsing Tag

CTV

Behind The Brand: Best Buy

Name: Elliott Chun

Position: Communications Manager

Education: Visual Arts and Sociology, Western University; Public Relations, Humber College

Professional role model: Richard Branson. He’s a tremendous leader, showman and will one day take us up to space.

Favourite Best Buy purchase: My Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone. I never leave home without it and would certainly be lost without it.

In 140 characters or less, what is your favourite part of your job?

Working with an extremely talented group of people, publicizing everything Best Buy, including our vendors, community work and services.

What are your daily responsibilities as a Communications Manager?

I’m constantly discovering creative ways with my teams to promote and story-tell the fantastic things Best Buy is achieving in Canada. I also protect our brand and build campaigns to engage media and customers while identifying and building a community of advocates.

What are the perks of working at Best Buy?

There are too many to list! First off, the biggest perk is working with incredible people. I genuinely enjoy working regularly with a talented group of people. This includes the gifted team at our head offices in Burnaby, our stores, agency and vendor partners and our senior leadership teams. Secondly, as a guy who naturally loves tech and uses it to simplify and enhance my life, the staff discount comes in handy. Additionally, when I’m at the head office, I always appreciate having access to the subsidized, modern gym, as well as the B.C. trails, which are liberating when heading out on an after-work run. Lastly, the food services in our common areas at the head office and regional offices are a nice perk too.

April 23, 2015 by Sarah Prince

As Seen On TV: The Social

I don’t need an excuse to apply for tickets for a live taping of The Social. Now that they’re in season two, I decided to go back. On my way to the taping, I stopped at Starbucks across the street from the studio. I was delighted to see Jess Allen in line. I spotted her immediately and she was very friendly.

Chloe Bent, The Social’s audience coordinator was as friendly as I remembered. She ensured that everyone was excited to join the live audience and encouraged us to cheer by telling us that the biggest fans would receive gift bags with makeup products. One fan was visiting from San Francisco, so she took home a special prize. According to Chloe, the easiest way to look good on TV is to simply nod and smile, without looking like a cheerleader.

February 7, 2015 by Sarah Prince

Listen To Lainey Gossip

In every Behind The Brand interview, I enquire about professional role models. At the moment, I’d say mine is Elaine Lui AKA Lainey. Every profile of her that I read reiterates that she’s a hardworking media personality who successfully juggles several jobs in the entertainment industry.

After meeting Lainey at a taping of The Social, I was excited to see her again at Indigo. Lainey’s new book Listen To The Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows Best, What’s A Daughter To Do? A Memoir (Sort Of) is a tribute to her mother, who raised her around a Mah Jong table and inspired her to become a professional gossiper.

May 4, 2014 by Sarah Prince

Sharing Secrets With Jessi Cruickshank

I don’t have many beauty secrets, but I will let you virtually eavesdrop on conversations with TV personality Jessi Cruickshank at Bioré’s event. Jessi and Dan were to MTV what Regis and Kelly were to ABC, so when I was invited to hear Jessi reveal how she becomes camera ready I was psyched.

The theme and hashtag of the evening was #TheCharcoalSecret because charcoal is a key ingredient in Bioré’s new products. The event was just a few days after her infamous Rob Ford interview in LA and Jessi gracefully transitioned from talking about politics to Hollywood and skincare.

Jessi hosted her own mini ceremony to reveal her craziest interview experiences:

Best Actor: Tom Cruise

Did you know he has his own mystic tanner? Hopefully they’re not the same person responsible for so many A-list stars with orange skin at the Academy Awards. Regardless, Jessi was overwhelmed by the size of his entourage, which she says includes assistants for his assistants.

Worst Actor: Kristen Stewart

To put it mildly, “she was very unpleasant.” Unfortunately for Jessi, Twilight fans were so aghast by their televised interview that they sent death threats and complaint letters to MTV.

Most High Maintenance: Mariah Carey

Mariah’s publicist insisted on a standing interview so Mariah would look thinner. OK, no big deal. Once on set, Jessi was introduced to Mariah’s personal lighting director and when she arrived, the publicist said, “I’m going to receive Mariah,” speaking about the diva as if she’s royalty. Looking back, Jessi says that now “I feel like we go back to when we were babies with pacifiers.”

March 9, 2014 by Sarah Prince

Live From Queen West… It’s The Social!

I’ve been eager to attend a live taping of CTV’s The Social since it premiered in September. The Social is like a younger version of The View with a stronger interactive component, as viewers’ social media engagement is integral to the series.

The Social takes the second screen experience to a new level because it’s filmed live and selected Twitter and Facebook posts are displayed onscreen. Offering opinionated viewers an opportunity to gain exposure on national television is definitely a better incentive to follow the show’s social media accounts than simply for the sake of entering contests or seeing behind the scenes photos.

Interestingly, the invitation to live tweet the show is extended to audience members as well, so I think Bell Media should install a mobile charging station in the audience waiting area. That would be a cost-effective way to ensure more fans can post on social media with the show’s hashtag. If iPhone chargers were available, then I would’ve taken more pictures and tweeted more commentary. Nevertheless, I preserved my battery as much as possible and was able to take photos with the hosts after the cameras stopped rolling.

I was so excited to see Wednesday’s special guest Jessica Alba that I didn’t care what brought her to Toronto. The fact that Jessica booked interviews with Canadian media outlets to promote her new line of eco-friendly baby products rather than a new movie didn’t matter. Plus, I’m certainly not complaining about getting a free copy of Jessica’s book, The Honest Life.

October 10, 2013 by Sarah Prince

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