Humber College Archives - Hot On The Street

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

Behind the Brand: Aroma Espresso Bar

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

It’s quite another to learn about who schmoozes with espresso lovers online daily.

Name: Daniel Davidzon (@thedanield)

Position: Social Media Consultant

Employer: Aroma Espresso Bar

Education: English, York University; Public Relations, Humber College

Favourite blog: Too many to mention. Is Twitter a blog?

Favourite mobile app: Twitter – it keeps me connected to news and ideas from dozens of industries and areas, all day every day.

Professional role model: I keep track of what the top professionals in my industry are doing, and try to adopt their best practices to fit within my roles and responsibilities. My father always told me the little things can make the biggest difference, so I try to pay attention to detail, make connections, and do my job the right way.

In 140 characters or less, what makes Aroma the best option for Canadian coffee aficionados?

Besides our freshly-brewed coffee? The wide scope of healthy and made-to-order menu items available, the customer service, and chocolates!

Which menu items do you recommend for first-time Aroma customers?

If you’re a coffee lover, obviously grab an espresso. The hot chocolate is among the best in Toronto, steamed milk over chocolate pralines. Our Sweet Potato Lentil salad has a devoted following, and people swear by the Grilled Halumi sandwich. Our alfajores melt in your mouth, and of course, save room for the complimentary chocolate!

As Aroma continues expanding internationally, how does Aroma maintain a consistent online presence?

As of now, there are several Twitter and Facebook accounts associated with the various Aroma Espresso Bar locations around the world. Speaking on behalf of Canada, Toronto is the only city with an Aroma Espresso Bar (actually, 10 as of this writing and two more a mere weeks away from opening). We consolidated all our GTA locations under one common social media umbrella to facilitate reaching all our customers in a timely manner, as well as to maintain consistency across all locations.

We strive to post a few tweets a day, and a few Facebook posts a week. The most important use for social media in our case is the ability to talk directly to our customers. We try to acknowledge everyone who mentions us online, whether positive or negative. If you’ve taken the time to visit our location and tell us or your friends about it, we want to thank you personally. It’s the least we can do.

September 13, 2012 by Sarah Prince