Browsing Tag

interview

Behind the Brand: Fossil

It’s one thing to shop at Fossil and follow them on on Facebook or Twitter.

It’s quite another to learn more about the accessories brand from an insider.

Lori-2

Name: Lori Petteplace

Position: PR & Marketing Manager

Employer: Fossil

Education: Psychology, McMaster University

In 140 characters or less, describe your role at Fossil:

Out-of-box promoting and event planning to increase brand awareness, sales & desire of the brand while crediting 1 of our wholesale partners

How does Fossil foster creativity at the office?

Fossil has their finger on the creative pulse for their employees. We have an open and engaged idea environment, where ‘answers are in the room’ round-table discussions are common. We sincerely and actively pursue placing people in roles that suit their personality, creativity, talents, desires and ambitions.

Fossil works with many brands, but its partnership with Michael Kors seems to be the most well known. Why do you think Michael Kors watches are so highly coveted in particular?

Michael Kors has taken aspirational ‘Jet Set’ lifestyle and presented it to the fashion-conscious individual at attainable price points. Further, he provides a head-to-toe look emphasizing not only his apparel but also his finishing accessories – the statement watch, stacked jewellery, a handbag and footwear.

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May 15, 2013 by

Behind the Band: Two Hours Traffic

Two Hours Traffic

Some Western students may have missed Two Hours Traffic’s last local concert to attend Homecoming festivities instead. Thankfully, the Canadian band is returning to Call the Office on Tuesday to promote their new album Foolish Blood.

Their latest tour began at the end of February and recently included a stop in Texas for the SXSW festival. No matter where they perform, Liam Corcoran, lead vocalist for Two Hours Traffic, emphasizes he values his eastern Canadian heritage.

“The sound we have is kind of reminiscent of the Halifax pop sound,” Corcoran remarks. “I think between the way we write songs and the way we sound, I think we belong to a kind of family of bands that started out in Halifax. Also, [it seems] we must have an accent, although I don’t really notice it.”

Two Hours Traffic is content living in Prince Edward Island, but Corcoran has his eye on Toronto as his future home. Corcoran admits America’s song-writing capital Nashville, Tennessee is a particularly appealing alternative too.

“We have a lot of friends [in Toronto] and family as well. We know the city really well,” Corcoran says. “I’ve never seriously thought about anywhere other than Toronto, [but] I daydream about a few places.”

Recognizing concerts with major headliners are relatively rare in Canada’s remote areas like the Northwest Territories, Corcoran likes playing there because everyone truly appreciates the opportunity to see them play live.

The band’s catchy hit song “Jezebel” has been featured on many film and television soundtracks, including in episodes of popular teen shows like One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl. Eager to interact with fans that discovered them on such TV shows, Corcoran and his fellow band mates tend to hang around the merchandise table after concerts.

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March 15, 2013 by

Behind the Brand: Lenovo

It’s one thing to like an electronics brand on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

It’s quite another to learn about technology trends for the new year.

Name: John Swinimer (@jswinimer)

Position: PR & Communications Manager

Employer: Lenovo

Education: English, York University

Professional role model: John B. Challinor – Director of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé

Describe your favourite part of your job in 140 characters or less:

I’m a tech geek – what’s new and exciting for consumers. I enjoy communicating new ideas and stories. I value relationships with journalists.

How does Lenovo maintain top-of-mind awareness for Canadian consumers?

Lenovo works closely with top computer and electronics retailers to spread the news for consumers. Lenovo also has strong relationships with tech journalists who speak about Lenovo products to educate consumers about their purchases.

Favourite memory of attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas:

My favourite memory of CES is rekindling friendships with journalists and making new friends along the way. Bumping into Felicia Day was also pretty cool.

What is the most buzz-worthy product that debuted at CES 2013?

Not to sound too pretentious, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon table top PC received a lot of attention from journalists and critics at CES, and it won many awards.

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January 31, 2013 by

Behind the Books: Emily Liebert

Name: Emily Liebert

Best Known For: Facebook Fairytales (2010)

Education: B.A. English Language & Literature, Smith College

Current Employment and Projects: Author & TV Personality. Working on second book (first novel) and third book (second novel) set to publish by Penguin in September 2013 and September 2014 respectively. “Type A Mommy” Parenting Expert for GalTime.

Favorite Facebook feature: News Feed—including status updates and photos—I’m a total voyeur.

Professional role model: Jennifer Weiner—brilliant writer with a wicked sense of humor, who speaks her mind on behalf of Women’s Fiction authors (and she live tweets The Bachelor!)

What do you think motivates someone to share a positive story with Facebook? Gratitude

Describe how Facebook has changed your social life in 140 characters or less: It’s a blessing to be able to feel like I’m part of everyone’s lives even though we may not have time to chat on the phone or go to dinner.

How has Facebook helped you professionally? Facebook has been an invaluable asset. I’ve made countless connections which have translated into business achievements. And, through my Facebook fan page, I can share links to articles written about me, articles I write, significant videos, and important news.

Facebook Fairytales begins with an interview with none other than Mark Zuckerberg. How was that arranged?

I was very fortunate in the fact that Facebook agreed to support my book by sharing amazing stories that had been sent in to them by users and by granting me the interview with Mark for the foreword. I could spend a lifetime picking Mark’s brain, but—as you might imagine—he’s a busy guy. So it’s the kind of interview where you need to get in and get out quickly with the information you really need.

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October 27, 2012 by

Behind the Brand: Zellers

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

It’s quite another to learn about how Zellers uses social media while in Liquidation mode.

Name: Jennifer Zedic  

Position: Director of Marketing – In Store and Social Media

Employer: Zellers

Education: Fashion Marketing and Merchandising, Ryerson University

Favourite Zellers purchase: Pure by Alfred Sung knit scarf (I liked it so much I bought 5 different colours!)

Professional role model: Heather Reisman – Indigo: I love how she has taken the book store and made it a shopping experience and how she did not back away from technology when it threatens the business, but instead embraced it. She has built a strong and reliable brand and owns the market in Canada.

What makes Zellers a uniquely Canadian store?

History and memories only found in Canada make Zellers a uniquely Canadian store.  The fans’ comments from our Facebook page talk about their experience with Zellers growing up in Canadian communities and how the great Canadians who work at those stores made a difference in a lot of their lives.

How has the marketing department’s role and responsibilities changed since learning that Zellers stores will close?

The marketing team is focused on continuing to build great flyer deals that our customers are expecting. We have pulled away from other forms of marketing, such as TV, radio and specialty print but maintained our flyer program and invested heavily in social media. For our Liquidation stores, we are using an extensive amount of ROP’s in local markets to highlight the weekly deals to the customer.

How does Zellers decide which social media channels are worth the investment?

Social media strategy for us is to provide information to the community on what they want to hear about as it relates to Zellers.  We chose to invest in Facebook since it is the best way for us to communicate to our customer on a more personalized level and to the largest audience.

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October 17, 2012 by