Browsing Tag

food

Watch Disney Movies Anywhere

Disney’s new cloud movie service inspired me to return to the happiest place on earth. Now that I’m back, I’m excited to watch my favourite animated movies – especially Mary Poppins. Let’s rewind a bit, #ThrowbackThursday style, to explain the correlation between Disney’s app and my trip.

My former colleagues at Blast Radius designed creative to advertise Disney’s new streaming service and as soon as I saw a preview, nostalgia got the best of me. A few weeks later, I went to Orlando to relax and enjoy Disney’s world-class entertainment. Staying at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort only made me more eager to watch Disney movies, so I’m excited to download Disney Movies Anywhere and tackle my to-watch list.

Disney Movies Anywhere is available to PC and Mac users through iTunes and its movie catalogue has over 400 titles. Working at Future Shop tempted me to buy Apple TV and I know that when I eventually splurge on it, Disney movies will look better than when I initially watched them on VHS sans flat-screen TV.

The launch of Disney Movies Anywhere was scheduled to coincide with the release of Frozen, which is nominated for best animated feature film at the Oscars. It was fun to see replicas of Disney’s Academy Awards at the Animation Studio and Gallery in Hollywood Studios and I hope they earn more statues this weekend.

It’s a polar vortex out there, so stay in on Sunday night and cheer for Frozen. In the meantime, check out Disney Movies Anywhere. Bonus points if you make Mickey-shaped cookies to snack on instead of popcorn.

February 27, 2014 by Sarah Prince

Happy New Year

One of my favourite sessions at CM1, Toronto’s first conference for community managers, was led by Ryan Ginsberg from Twitter Canada. His talk focused on how social content strategists can plan ahead for and respond to big moments. This includes holidays and unexpected pop culture spectacles like Miley Cyrus twerking at the VMAs.

Last year, I wrote about how Oreo mastered social media when they were quick to post about the Super Bowl blackout. Oreo’s Super Bowl post was brilliant because their team quickly produced an image with a few words that effectively made millions crave Oreo cookies.

Likeable branded content is simple. Even though digital teams can plan for holidays like New Year’s Eve months in advance, I think a minimalistic execution is optimal. Essentially all you need to do is be engaging and say something to the effect of “Happy Holidays!” with copy and visuals that are aligned with the brand. When businesses create holiday greetings with too many CTAs, they risk appearing obnoxious, as ADP Canada’s Elizabeth Williams observes.

3 brands that understand the power of brevity when celebrating the holidays are Sharpie, Ben and Jerry’s and Holt Renfrew. Look at their Instagram posts to see what I mean:

January 1, 2014 by Sarah Prince

How Gastropost Unites Food Lovers

After hearing speakers from Mondelez and Starbucks at QMAC, I started thinking about how fun it would be to promote food and drinks as your day job. Chris Tindal, co-founder of Postmedia Labs, does the next best thing; he oversees the operations of Gastropost.

Since Gastropost’s Toronto launch in May 2012, it has expanded to Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary, and it now has over 10,000 members. Recognizing its success, I was excited to hear Tindal speak about the content strategy behind Gastropost’s growth. Tindal explained that his team’s goal is to inspire people to love their city by encouraging community members to share their expertise.

Gastropost offers anyone with an internet connection and camera the opportunity to share pictures of food with a large audience. The main incentive to participate in Gastropost’s weekly missions is the chance to see your name and photo in National Post. Each mission has a different theme, such as holiday treats or Father’s Day BBQs. Some themes are created based on brand partnerships between Gastropost and CPG brands, such as Kraft.

Anyone can become a self-proclaimed foodie. Gastropost, however, differentiates amateur food photographers by featuring a selection of food lovers online and in the newspaper every week. 50 likes on your Facebook photo of a fancy appetizer doesn’t qualify as a claim to fame in the same way that being in the National Post does.

Gastropost proves that print newspapers still have value, authority and credibility. There’s no doubt about how exciting it is for a photo of your dinner to be featured in one of Canada’s most popular newspapers. Even though Gastropost doesn’t offer any monetary compensation, the personal validation members receive is evidently sufficient motivation to keep the #gastropost hashtag and community alive. “Every week we send people an email to do something and they do it,” said Tindal. How many email marketers can say that?

December 9, 2013 by Sarah Prince

This Place Is Like A Zoo

Sign

After having so much FOMO as a Western student, I’m on a mission to explore Toronto like a tourist in my own city. So far, I’ve gone to TIFF, Honest Ed’s, City Hall and The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and I’m just getting started!

One of my favourite tourist destinations is the Toronto Zoo and it’s nice to go back with a digital camera and reminisce about childhood memories. Without the temptation to buy stuffed animals and toys at every gift shop, there’s a lot more time to explore. If you don’t mind braving the cold, add this outing to your to-do list. It’s a beautiful place to see the leaves changing colour!

Elephant

I convinced my friend Sarah to go back with me so we could see the elephants before they were transported to California. Elephants have always been my favourite animal. Now that they’re no longer in Toronto, I want to return to African Lion Safari for another elephant ride!

We spent about six hours at the zoo and it went by fast. It was frustrating to see signs for seasonal attractions that are closed in the fall and winter, but there was still plenty to see. Aside from watching the elephants one last time, another highlight was the panda exhibit, which opened in the spring. The pandas are named Er Shun and Da Mao and they’re quite adorable.

Panda

November 2, 2013 by Sarah Prince

An Ode to Oreo

There’s a delightful quality to everything Oreo posts on social media. From the Super Bowl blackout to Father’s Day, Oreo creates content that seamlessly weaves in current events without ever seeming obnoxious or sales-y.

The photo they uploaded minutes after the Royal Baby’s sex was announced once again shows that Oreo’s a band who truly gets how to engage through social media marketing. Oreo is all about having milk and cookies. Therefore, placing milk, which is central to their creative, in a baby bottle in honour of the royal family isn’t a stretch. Instead, it’s cute and adds to the loveable quality of the brand and product that makes Oreo cookies a classic snack and childhood favourite.

July 23, 2013 by Sarah Prince

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