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Microsoft

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 Band: Familiar Strangers

After studying at different Canadian universities, Ryan Peters, Josh Gladstone and Daniel Draper are reuniting to perform old favourites at an acoustic show. To call Sunday night a reunion would be an understatement because some of their high school friends haven’t seen each other in over four years. The low-key concert (promoted through a Facebook event) will offer a chance for Familiar Strangers’ fans to reconnect over drinks at an uptown bar in Toronto.

In honour of #FlashbackFriday, here are some exclusive insights about Familiar Strangers’ music and the band’s aspirations. Consider this a commercial-free digital spin-off of E! True Hollywood Story and enjoy.

Ryan (piano and vocals) plans to become a teacher, so he’s studying education at U of T and Daniel (guitar) is travelling for eight months before moving to Calgary for a consulting job. Meanwhile, Josh (guitar, cello, recorder and oboe) is a Project Specialist in Bell’s rotational program for new graduates.

Ryan Peters (2011)

Daniel Draper (2011)

Daniel Draper & Josh Gladstone (2006)

Growing up, they enjoyed playing music at summer camp. “We wrote a couple Familiar Strangers songs by the campfire,” explains Josh. Likewise, Daniel’s counsellors influenced his taste in music and they introduced him to some of the tracks he plays on repeat today.

In high school, they liked listening to Billy Joel, Dave Matthews Band and John Mayer. Back in the day, Daniel sent Ryan music via MSN Messenger, but now that’s merely something they’re nostalgic about. Ryan mainly listens to Top 40 and show tunes, “as nerdy as that makes me.” Josh discovers new music through streaming apps like 8tracks, as well as satellite radio. If you subscribe to SiriusXM, Josh recommends listening to The Pulse and The Blend. He’s also a huge fan of Mumford and Sons. “Opening for Mumford and Sons in front of a big crowd at the Molson Amphitheatre is the dream.”

If their dreams come true, then Familiar Strangers’ music will be featured on primetime TV. Ryan believes their “music would take any HBO show to the next level.” If a Game of Thrones producer includes their music in an upcoming episode, “it would be the greatest thing ever,” adds Josh.

January 17, 2014 by Sarah Prince

Drinking Tea With Carly Rae Jepsen

This was my reaction when I found out DAVIDsTEA was hosting a meet and greet with Carly Rae Jepsen.

Today wasn’t any ordinary #MusicMonday. Today was the first time I woke up early to be one of the first people at Yorkdale. Today I met Carly Rae Jepsen, the woman behind the hit single Call Me Maybe!

I arrived ten minutes before the tea shop opened and was the first fan to receive a wristband. Once I talked to the staff about what to expect when Carly arrived, it was time to shop. It’s interesting to walk around a mall on a weekday morning. There’s no crowds, noise or garbage. I picked up my friend’s birthday gift at the newly renovated Hudson’s Bay, did some window shopping and then went to the food court for lunch. I love ordering salads from Chipotle Mexican Grill, even though they’re a bit too spicy.

After a quick visit to Indigo, I joined the line of about 30 fans. I was surprised that DAVIDsTEA didn’t play any of Carly’s music while we waited. In fact, I deliberately didn’t listen to her music before the event because I expected to hear it on repeat during the meet and greet. Nevertheless, fans seemed to be entertained by Microsoft retail employees dancing and playing Xbox. When was the last time you saw employees have a mini dance party during store hours?

I think this was the most laidback celebrity autograph signing I’ve ever attended. Nobody made a big deal when Carly entered the store, except for a few moms who told their daughters to go up to the store window for a closer look. No applause, no ruckus, just smiles all around.

January 13, 2014 by Sarah Prince

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.

January 31, 2013 by Sarah Prince

iPhone Transition and Recommended Apps

After my last exam of the semester, I took the earliest train to Toronto the next morning, eager to finally pick up a new phone. Though my excitement was interrupted by a transportation-related delay, the shopping experience that followed was unlike any other. I finally got to browse though Yorkdale’s new extension, including Canada’s first Microsoft store, which was great because I’m a PC.

Photo Source: Mashable

Buying a black 16 GB iPhone 5, which’ll be protected by a black OtterBox Defender, was a fantastic way to start my winter break. The case is so mightily thick that my friends have been teasing me about how the phone looks, but having peace of mind makes it worthwhile. During the initial activation of my phone, it was immediately apparent that using it is as intuitive as people say. Once my contacts were transferred from my BlackBerry Tour 9630 (3 years old, with a trackwheel!), I could proudly call myself an iPhone owner.

I’ve had a lot of fun downloading and testing out apps. Here’s a list of 20 apps I recommend, sorted categorically:

Social Networking & Photo: Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Skype

Entertainment & Music: Flixster (w/ Rotten Tomatoes), GetGlue, Cineplex, Shazam, IMDB

December 30, 2012 by Sarah Prince

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