The Voice

Former president of IABC Ottawa and host Sherrilynne Starkie caught up with Caroline Kealey, principal of Ingenium Communications, to chat about Caroline’s recent Gold Quill award at the IABC World Conference in New Orleans. Ingenium Communications is a boutique firm here in Ottawa, specializing in strategic communications, change management, and training. Caroline Kealey shares with Sherrilynne Starkie on how to build an award-winning communications plan, from the beginning to the end and where her communications career has brought her today.

An episode on podcasting - how meta, we know! The popularity of podcasts is on the rise - in Canada and around the world. People love them for their intimate nature, the convenience of listening to a good story - any time, any place. But podcasting isn't for everyone, and nobody knows this better than Neil Morrison, founding producer of CBC Radio's The Current. Over the course of fifteen years in radio, Neil led several high-profile CBC Radio programs including, The House, As It Happens and The Current. Neil shares with Tina Barton what his time with the CBC taught him about podcasting and storytelling, what makes or breaks a story (or a guest!), and where his journey has brought him today.

On October 22, 2014 shots rang out downtown Ottawa, killing Corporal Nathan Cirillo as he stood guard at the National War Memorial. This unthinkable act devastated and sparked fear in citizens’ minds, causing a frenzy of conversations and rumours. Where did the assailant flee and where was he headed? Was there also an active shooter at the Rideau Centre? As these very questions and numerous other claims flooded the Internet, Ottawa Police Service (OPS) had already undertaken a number of crisis communications measures, with public safety as its number one priority. Anat Cohn, corporate communications specialist at Ottawa Police Service, recently sat down with our producer Ashlea McGrath at MARCOM Professional Development Annual Forum to discuss her experience in crisis communications on that tragic day in 2014, and the vital role social media played in helping OPS communicate with the public at such a crucial moment.

Ursula Gobel, Associate Vice-President, Future Challenges, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) was a seasoned and successful communicator with many achievements under her belt. Then she decided to change her career’s strategic orientation. Along the way she learned many lessons and had numerous insights. As a result of her experiences, she contends that a career in communications offers the knowledge and skills for the jobs of the future. Recently Ottawa IABC members were treated to a talk with Ursula over dinner about her career path and how the experience and skills developed in communications can help you in other potential strategic positions. So that a wider audience might benefit from this conversation, host Angela Prokopiak, caught up with Ursula to recapture some of the highlights from that evening. If you are thinking about spreading your wings and moving beyond the communications world, take advantage of Ursula’s words of wisdom. But, caution communicators: After listening to this podcast, you might end up with the sneaking suspicion that the person most responsible for stopping you from making your next career move is looking back at you in the mirror. Join the conversation! Connect with host Angela Prokopiak and IABC Ottawa. Leave a comment or question below, and please rate the show on iTunes! This episode was produced by Angela Prokopiak, and Ashlea McGrath of Thornley Fallis Communications.

With more than 85,000 charities competing for people’s hearts and purse strings in Canada, cutting through the noise to seize people’s attention is increasingly tough for charities, especially with the rise of crowdfunding platforms that now allow anyone to make a direct appeal. United Way Ottawa knew they had to try something different, an approach that would meet people where they were - on mobile devices, on the move, or looking for fun – with an experience that delivered value to them personally, while being non-intrusive in the call to assist others. These two new strategies from United Way Ottawa deliver experiences that make the issues relatable, educational and spur users to engage – but only if desired – all the while being enjoyable to navigate. What’s also interesting about this new direction is that the appeal to donate is secondary. The focus with the Small Change App is to help the user learn to budget better and save more money, while Make the Month, somewhat of a pick-your-path game, helps people to understand the decisions and conditions people living in poverty go through – a “walk a mile in their shoes” revelation. It’s a new approach for United Way to the age-old question of how to move people to care. Brendan Mullen, Director of Product Marketing for United way, talks host Tina Barton through these two new products being trialed in the Ottawa market.

When the body of three-year-old Alan Kurdi washed up on a beach in September 2015, it sent the world into uproar about the tragic plight of Syrian refugees. Shortly afterwards, Canadians – and their newly elected government – responded by opening up their communities to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees. This presented both an opportunity for Canadians to lend support and a challenge for authorities in settling thousands of large and vulnerable families, many of whom didn’t speak English or French. In Ottawa, Louisa Taylor recognized both need and opportunity. Within three weeks she went from conception to launch with a new organization, Refugee 613. But not without many growing pains. In this episode, Louisa Taylor, Director of Refugee 613, discusses with host Tina Barton: How to build a team or organization in real time to respond to a critical need Essential communications infrastructure to put in place How to recruit and manage volunteers successfully Strategies for maximizing public awareness and engagement The question of an exit strategy Connect with {Rufugee613} at www.refugee613.ca and on Twitter. This episode was produced by Tina Barton, and Ashlea McGrath of Thornley Fallis Communications. Rate the show on iTunes!

Social selling leverages social media channels as a mechanism to know your existing customers better and to develop relationships with potential customers so you understand their needs and can offer more targeted solutions to support their business goals. While similar to a social media strategy, a social selling strategy focuses less on brand marketing (one-to-many) and more on relationship building (one-to-one). The philosophy is that doing right for the buyer will translate into increased customer satisfaction and higher revenue. Sales people are motivated by numbers, and nobody knows this better than long-time marketing consultant Kerry Mortimer, working with Air Canada to make social selling part of the daily practice for their global sales teams around the world. Kerry sits down with host Tina Barton to discuss social selling strategy, change management tactics, tools for performance measurement, and early results. Kerry Mortimer is ‎President of Mortimer Marketing Group and can be reached on LinkedIn and Twitter. Key questions: Why social selling and why now? Who are the key organizations and people to whom you can deliver value while meeting your objectives? Which channels are they on? What is your current social selling aptitude and how soon can you move the needle? (Self-assessat linkedin.com/sales/ssi) This episode was produced by Thornley Fallis Communications. Please rate the show on iTunes! Connect with @IABCOttawa and @TinaMBarton on Twitter. Resource links:linkedin.com/sales/ssi Social Selling: What it is and why it matters (zdnet.com) How smart people do social selling (business2community.com)Related episodes:Going Indie: How to Position Yourself and Build a Client Base (Part 2)

In this episode of The Voice, our host Gabriela Warrior Renaud chats with Bill Stewart, president and co-founder of terra20. They discuss terra20's vision for simplifying the sourcing of sustainable products. In their two stores in Ottawa, they have over 500 brands covering 18 different product departments. Since 2006, Bill, Steve and the terra20 team have been collecting data from their customers, or guests, to continue to build a concept that works. Bill chats about how terra20 started by talking to the conscious consumer, but then focused their energy on the other 67 per cent of Canadians: the mainstream consumer who is interested in sustainable living but does not have access to this knowledge. By building a modern and clean experience in proximity to a store like IKEA, they would increase their chance of success. Bill also discusses the importance of terra20's online presence not only to educate its audience, but to allow guests to purchase from the store. He discusses the importance of the website for data collection to track the path of engagement from newsletter click-throughs to online store basket purchases. Bill mentions that terra20 relies on word-of-mouth marketing, which works on a smaller budget and ensures the guest experience will be a positive one. From a clear brand guideline to its strict sourcing methods, it seems terra20 will continue to grow and succeed. Bill chats about future plans to build another location outside of Ottawa and other national expansion opportunities. You can learn more about terra20 via its website at terra20.com. Join the conversation! Connect with host @WarriorRenaud. Leave a comment or question below, and please rate the show on iTunes! This episode was produced by Thornley Fallis Communications.

In this episode of The Voice, host Tina Barton is joined by Shopify's Brennan Loh, Head of Business Development, and Courtney Symons, Partner Marketing Manager. Many companies pursue the hi-tech dream, but few see the success that Shopify has. Only a decade ago, the company was a modest e-commerce platform run by three guys selling snowboarding equipment. The company is now a major commerce player that serves more than 175,000 businesses in about 150 countries, employs over 800 people, and has produced $10 billion in total sales. They've scored big partner deals with Facebook, Twitter, Uber and most recently Amazon. And they have support and endorsements from major business players such as Richard Branson and Tim Ferris too. This episode is not just about breakout startup success, but how to create an environment where innovation can let loose, how to build successful partnerships from the ground up - even when starting from scratch - and how strategic content development provides the basis for everything. Joined by Brennan Loh, Head of Business Development, and Courtney Symons, Partner Marketing Manager, we cover Shopify's path to stretching "up market", and hear a preview of what's next. Join the conversation! Have ideas for future episodes? Connect with host Tina Barton on Twitter and LinkedIn. We love ratings! Your ratings tell us what you think, and help others to discover the show. Please listen to and rate the show on iTunes. The Voice podcast is sponsored and produced by Thornley Fallis.

In this episode of The Voice, our host Gabriela Warrior Renaud chats with Alexandra Badzak, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Ottawa Art Gallery. They discuss the Gallery’s Capital Campaign to build a new gallery and explore the profile building campaign that Alexandra led when she first became the Gallery’s CEO. Alexandra gives us a clear idea of the OAG’s goals to support, foster and promote the art that is produced in the city. They explore what makes Ottawa a unique place to create art and how the OAG is working to create connections to bring our art to our public. We also get practical tips from Alexandra about building the Gallery’s profile. We hear from her about what strategies were more successful than others in terms of attaining more engagement and reaching their marketing goals. Alexandra also share with us some insights on what we can expect from the new Gallery’s newer, bigger and smarter space. The dedicated city block will be complete in 2017-2018 and will feature not only larger exhibition spaces, but a wet lab for art making activities, a multipurpose room and cinema, among other exciting plans. You can keep up with the expansion project via ottawaartgallery.ca and artnow-artici.ca

This week, we're taking you to Calgary and turning it over to guest host Will Tigley, Vice-President of IABC Calgary, who brings us insights from the keynote speakers at the IABC Canada West Region Conference. Will discusses leadership strategy with Michelle Ray, leadership expert and founder of the Lead Yourself First Institute; and planning for the worst with Gerard Braud, crisis communications expert and former frontline global journalist (nowadays Gerard Braud Communications). How can you leverage a position of strength and captivate the attention and imagination of others? (Hint: Demonstrate that you understand their positions, perspectives and interests before you introduce your own suggestions). Are you prepared to fend off online haters attacking your brand? How will you represent and position your organization in a crisis? (No hints; listen to this episode!) Connect with host Tina Barton on Twitter and LinkedIn. We love ratings! Your ratings tell us what you think, and help others to discover the show. Please listen and rate the show on iTunes. The Voice podcast is sponsored and produced by Thornley Fallis.

This week on The Voice, our host Gabriela Warrior Renaud chats with Tim Schwab, Associate Professor for the Department of Communications Studies at Concordia University, about the Communications Studies program is structured, and what it offers students who are looking to start a career in Communications.

In this final (for now) episode in the mini-series, expert “indies” from Toronto and Newfoundland join host Tina Barton to discuss how to turn prospects into clients, formalize agreements, and establish prices and terms that satisfy both sides.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with Kerry Mortimer, president of Mortimer Marketing Group, and Ken Anderson, owner of Ken Anderson and Associates, exploring how to identify your unique value proposition, assess marketplace opportunities and find potential buyers, and partner with associates to expand your services.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton chats with Deborah Hinton, Partner at Hinton and Co., and Sohini Bhattacharya, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Allegoro Communications, about the ups and downs of going "indie", out-of-the gate factors to have in place, the importance of planning for lean times and how else to set yourself up for success.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton chats with Guy Laflamme, Head of “Ottawa 2017” Celebrations, as he shares key steps for planning a national-scale, multi-partner celebration, with tips for onboarding partners, ensuring community ownership, and leveraging the latest digital tools for user-generated, real-time content integration.

This week on The Voice, our host Gabriela Warrior Renaudchats with Lee Rose, Community Knowledge Exchange Director and CKX Summit Sherpa. They discuss how CKX has worked to build a platform for social change, giving individuals and communities the space and network to start shifting the system.

This week on The Voice, Simon Brault, Director & CEO, Canada Council for the Arts and Anil Dilawri, Managing Director at Save it Like Sully (executive presentation training and coaching), offer practical advice for delivering the best presentations, along with perspective from all three of The Voice’s co-hosts.

This week on The Voice, top executives from BevMo!, Macy’s, Oracle, Staples and Shop.org share their perspectives with our host Graham Machacek at National Retail Federation’s Big Show 2015 in NYC. Marketers won’t want to miss this candid reality check.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton speaks with Kelly Kubrick, Carl Neustaedter and Trace Cohen. Before speaking at the upcoming Digital Strategy Conference in Ottawa, the three guests share their experiences with the changing landscape of digital strategy and discuss producing content, targeting audiences and shifting tactics.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with Jantine Van Kregten, Ottawa Tourism's director of communications. They discuss how to brand and define a city to multiple audiences. They also analyze Ottawa’s current tourism climate and what's being done to serve the Ottawa community. Explore Ottawa Tourism: RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest Get a Third Night Free Mosaika Join the conversation! Connect with guest @OttawaJantine and host @TinaMBarton. Connect with Ottawa Tourism @Ottawa_Tourism. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Graham Machacek sits down with Gordon Smith, partner at Sway Digital. They discuss when and if marketers should use display advertising. In a press release, Gartner analysts predicted that mobile ad spending will reach $18 billion in 2014. This money is coming out of traditional budgets set aside for print and radio advertisements. In the podcast, Gordon shares his insights on the future of traditional advertising and whether it's ever better than digital options. For the "cheeky" park of the podcast, check out this video of the Pompeii Penis. Join the conversation! Connect with guest Gordon Smith and host Graham Machacek on LinkedIn. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton is joined via Skype byBruce MacDonald, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. They discuss branding and integrating national federations, based on the Big Brothers Big Sisters experience. Associations are a big part of the Canadian fabric. In 2013, the Ottawa Business Journal reported that there were about 70 000 associations registered in Canada, with many headquartered in Ottawa to be close to the federal government. Bruce shares his insights on how Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada work to preserve unity within the association. Join the conversation! Connect with guest @bbbsc and host @TinaMBarton. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with Mark Campbell, founding partner and CEO of VMG Cinematic, a Toronto-based digital agency that specializes in online video production and social media marketing. VMG Cinematic works with brands such as TD Bank, FedEx and Warner Bros., and organizations including Metrolinx, Waterfront Toronto and Real Estate Council of Ontario. In this episode, Mark defines “social video” and provides some revealing statistics that highlight the importance of including video in your content strategy. He shares examples of effective content types, and offers tips for managing “go-viral” expectations. Best of all, he shares ways you can reduce your video production costs! The episode concludes with Mark sharing his predictions for how video will continue to evolve. And remember, if you’re not creating video content for your brand, somebody else probably is… Mark will be speaking about social video at MARCOM. (June 10 – 12 at the Ottawa Convention Centre. Register online). Join the conversation! Connect with guest @Mark_VMG and host @TinaMBarton. <p style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height

This week on The Voice, we whisk you away to a night at the Excel Awards, where IABC Ottawa celebrates the outstanding communicators and creatives in our community. This year’s recipients hail from a variety Ottawa’s charities, agencies and learning institutes. Honorees include: · Communicator of the Year: Mayor Jim Watson· Master Communicator: Barb MacDonald· Lifetime Achievement: Max Keeping· Distinguished Service: Dyna Vink Social media has turned communications on its head. In his acceptance speech, Mayor Watson addresses ‘that tweet’ of his that prompted 5,000 new followers(!), hundreds of retweets, as well as mentions on Buzzfeed, Reddit and the Huffington Post. Kaleigh Maclaren pays tribute to Max Keeping for his lifetime of community-oriented communications. Barb MacDonald receives the IABC Master Communicator Award, the highest honour bestowed on an IABC member. A special mention is deserved of Phil Gaudreau, Communications Officer for the “Algonquin College Spread the Net Student Challenge Campaign: 2012-2013”. Phil and team earned an Award of Excellence for their grassroots fundraising efforts that transpired into a $40,000 campaign to save lives in Africa. There are also the unsung heroes – those who didn’t make it into this podcast episode – but you can learn more about their very deserving awards on our website. Finally, in celebrating the year that was, we must take a moment to honour IABC Ottawa itself. Our local Board of hard-working volunteers won five Chapter Management Awards (Professional Development, Communications, Community Relations, Student Relations, and Membership Marketing), plus Large Chapter of the Year and International Chapter of the Year! IABC is represented in close to 80 countries, so this is no small feat! Congratulations to all Board members, recently-past and present. Join the conversation! <p style="color: rgb(51,

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson to celebrate his crowning as “Communicator of the Year” from IABC Ottawa, while getting to know “Jim”, his commitment to transparency in communications and politics, and his love for Ottawa. We’re also joined by the man behind the mayor, Press Secretary Ryan Kennery. This episode covers everything from how one should address the mayor, to whether social media helps or hinders connecting with the community. Jim also offers advice to other officials on how to respond to online/social media enquiries from the public in a timely fashion, especially as citizen engagement increases. Plus, Jim reveals the leader who most inspires him on the communications front, and discusses some of his own achievements that he takes most pride in. Ryan describes what it’s like to work alongside such a prolific, high-profile communicator, and offers insight into how communications functions within the walls of City Hall. The Communicator of the Year (COTY) Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of an Ottawa-based organizational leader who shows excellence in the field of communications. The recipient is a well-known figure in their community, a role model and a trusted mentor to their peers. IABC Ottawa celebrated Mayor Jim Watson and other award winners and its annual Excel Awards Gala on May 15. Join the conversation! Connect with guests @JimWatsonOttawa @rkennery and host @TinaMBarton. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on <a style="color: #d9531e; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1.5em;" href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-voice/id40

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with not one but three guests to discuss Ottawa’s upcoming conference MARCOM, headlined this year by international speaker Mitch Joel, the widely popular blogger and author of Ctrl, Alt, Delete. MARCOM organizer Claire Mills is joined by two speakers, Mike Kujawski and Adrian Ebsary, to reveal some of the content people can look forward to. Now in its 16th year, MARCOM is the only conference in Canada specially designed for public sector communicators and marketers. Mike gives a taste of new trends in social media and governance; how organizations are transforming internal structures, taking new approaches, and even creating new positions to enhance connectivity with their audience. (Mike also reveals the position he thinks vital to social media). Adrian wants to make data analysis accessible to everyone. He shares some of the tools he’ll be showing in his MARCOM session, intended to empower people with no coding experience to create stunning data visualizations. He also predicts the social media way of the future. Claire concludes by highlighting some of the other speakers and themes at MARCOM. Join the conversation!You can check out @marcomforum and connect with guests @clairemills @mikekujawski @AJEbsary and host @TinaMBarton. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. <p style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-hei

This week on The Voice, our host Graham Machecek sits down with Doug Michaelides, Vice President and Practice Leader, Sales and Marketing at Stratford Managers. They chat about one of Doug’s most recent blog posts: Marketers – It’s Hip to be Square! They discuss the benefits of diversifying your experience as a marketer. To Doug, the ideal marketing executive has experience in four areas: 1. Product or Solution Marketing (market identification and requirements, value propositions, business cases, etc.)2. Communications (marcoms, PR, AR, IR, social media, etc.)3. Commercial Marketing (distribution, channels and pricing, etc.)4. Demand Generation (campaigns, lead generation, etc.) For something fun, here’s the official video for the Huey Lewis and The News song “Hip To Be Square”: http://youtu.be/LB5YkmjalDg Join the conversation!You can connect with guest at [email protected] and host Graham on LinkedIn. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with Adam Smith, Vice President of Communications and Marketing at United Way Ottawa. They chat about the ways in which United Way Ottawa is rethinking fundraising and allowing communities to feel closer to the cause they’re fighting for. Join the conversation!You can connect with guest [email protected] and host @TinaMBarton. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice our host Tina Barton sits down with Erin Gee, chief organizer of Ottawa’s TEDxElginSt event this past weekend: Rethink. Rebuild. Erin shares some insights on how to host a TEDx event and talks about best practices when it comes to event planning in general. She begins by describing what makes TEDx events different from most conferences, so listeners can consider “why TEDx?” (or why not, as the case may be—there are strict requirements, as Tina and Erin discuss). Erin gives listeners an overview of the steps to take to host your own TEDx Talk, and shares some of her lessons learned for boosting community engagement to help shape event success. Erin isn’t the first, or the last, to host TEDx Talks in Ottawa, there are currently several groups, including: TEDx Carleton,Rideau Canal, UOttawa and Gatineau. If you missed last weekend’s event, you can watch the live stream here: http://new.livestream.com/tedx/events/2852288 Join the conversation!You can connect with guest @erin_gee and host @TinaMBarton. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice our host Tina Barton sits down with Nadine Sisk, Vice-president, communications and member services at CropLife Canada, about pesticides, plant biotechnology, and how to communicate the unpopular and commonly misunderstood. CropLife Canada is the trade association that represents Canada’s plant science industry. Nadine discusses how today’s society is disconnected from the farm, explains how plant biotechnology helps farmers, and shares ways in which farmers are increasingly using social media and digital content to educate consumers and close the gap. Join the conversation!You can connect with guest @NadineSisk and host @TinaMBarton. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice our host Tina Barton sits down with Jim Sterne, Founder of the eMetrics Summit and Chairman of the Digital Analytics Association after his talk at the IABC event The Evolution of Communication, which happened last Thursday. Jim reviews how delivering marketing messages has changed over time, how marketers must adjust their budget distribution to accommodate the shift from one-to-many communication to many-to-many communication, and how analytics have become part of the corporate communications lexicon. He also discusses measuring the value of the Internet as a medium for creating and strengthening customer relationships. Tina ends the conversation by sharing with listeners her latest discovery: Jim Sterne’s rendition of I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General as Modern Data Analyst. We ended the episode with a sample of this song, here is the full video. Join the conversation! You can connect with guest @jimsterne and host @TinaMBarton. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice our host Tina Barton sits down with Tim Powers, Vice-Chairman at Summa Strategies and Managing Partner at Abacus Data. Tim shines a light on the sometimes mysterious world of government relations. He shares insights on the present world of GR and how it has evolved. Responsible for understanding the market and educating their clients on the relationships that matter to them, he also predicts the future of government relations; how they will grow to fill the knowledge gap between organizations and the government affairs that affect them. Join the conversation! You can connect with guest @powerstim and host @TinaMBarton. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with David Venn, Communications Manager at Community Foundations of Canada. David shares the behind the scenes story surrounding the creation of this innovative project and the unique communications strategies needed for engaging a nationwide network. David starts by describing how the campaign started: with a nationwide talent search dubbed “Community Idol”. He chats about the open audition process where participants from across the country submitted entries to YouTube. 2 winners were chosen to be part of the a national ad filmed in Toronto. If you’d like more information about the campaign, here are some examples mentioned during the episode:- Click here for the 7 Community Idol finalists- Here is the English Nation TV ad: Community Makes You. You Make Your Community.- Here is the French National TV ad: Votre communauté vous façonne. Vous façonnez votre communauté.- For more information about the project itself, visit communityfoundations.ca Join the conversation!You can connect with guest @davidjvenn and host @TinaMBarton.Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Graham Machacek sits down with Richard Stiennon, founder of IT-Harvest. Richard shares with us some insights on interacting with analyst firms and discusses some opportunities for how to increase influence. We’ll define key concepts such as the “magic quadrant” then dig into effective ways for targeting the right analysts. Richard then treats us to some examples of organizations who have successfully utilized their reach and influence. If you’d like more information about the different resources available, here are some examples mentioned during the episode:- You can join Richard’s lecture course on Udemy through Analyst Influence- You can also get your copy of Richard’s book UP and to the RIGHT Join the conversation!You can connect with guest via email at [email protected] and host @grahamxperience.Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Graham Machacek sits down with Lynne Perrault, Director of Electronic Commerce Enforcement at the CRTC and Shaun Brown, partner with nNovation LLP. Lynne and Shaun discuss how marketers can properly deliver their messaging in compliance with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation. They start by defining concepts such as spam as well as “express consent” then go on dig into ways in which communicators can market to their networks. They also touch on the penalties for violating laws and the things you can do to avoid it. This topic is fairly complex, if you’d like more information about the different resources available, here are some examples mentioned during the episode:- General information about CASL can be found at fight spam.gc.ca- Resources from nNovation LLP, like PrivacyScan and the Canadian e-Marketing Law blog- Check out Shaun Brown’s book A Complete Guide to e-Marketing under Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation- And for some giggles, here is the clip from Monty Python mentioned by Graham at the beginning of the episode Join the conversation!You can connect with guests via email at [email protected] or [email protected] and host @grahamxperience. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Alex Reid sits down with Ann Fuller, Director of Public Relations at CHEO and Daniela Crivianu-Gaita, Vice-President and Chief Information Officer at SickKids. Ann and Daniela both spoke at the Public Sector Social Media Conference in Ottawa in November. They both shared how they used social media in their hospitals to improve the healthcare service. By using tools like YouTube, Facebook and mobile apps, healthcare professionals could give families the information they need to understand and monitor their condition and connect with their peers. Not only does this make medical information more accessible, but it helps our healthcare professionals focus on giving families the best and most effective care. If you’d like more information about the different resources available, here are some examples mentioned during the episode: - The innovative work at SickKids, including the online crowdsourcing tool, WiKidea. - The successful app myIBD Join the conversation! You can connect with guests @AnnFuller, Daniela via sickkids.ca and host @TechAlly. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the episode on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Alex Reid sits down with the Chief Information Officer at the City of Edmonton, Chris Moore. Chris spoke at the Public Sector Social Media Conference in Ottawa in November. He shared his organization’s experiences with change as well as the need to address issues around culture and innovation. In this episode, Chris shares examples of his innovative social media work and what he’s accomplished at the municipal level. He gives examples of how Edmonton uses social networks and open data to create change. If you’d like more information about the city’s work, here are some resources mentioned during the episode: - The City of Edmonton Open Data Catalogue - Ideas that came out of the contest Apps4Edmonton Join the conversation! You can connect with guest @_Chris_Moore and host @TechAlly. Leave a comment or question below, or rate the episode on iTunes. The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Graham Machacek sits down with Lawrence Byrd, who is an independent strategist and consultant, and Mark Lindsay, President at Ottawa Product Management Association. In this episode, Lawrence and Mark give us insights on Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) and how it is shaping the way we will communicate. With this new technology, we can move away from stand-alone linear campaigns to start orchestrating cross-channel interactions and create personalized experiences. So what's the role of WebRTC in today's marketing landscape? Listen to get the full story on this open source project. If you'd like more information about WebRTC, here are some resources mentioned during the episode: - Discussed at Forbes, a look at Forrester’s study “The Rise of Marketing Orchestration”. - As examples, Lawrence mentions organizations like TokBox and RingDNA You can connect with Lawrence @LawrenceByrd, with Mark at m​[email protected] and our host @grahamxperience. The Voice is produced at MediaStyle. Creating strategic plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with the Director of Corporate Communications at Skate Canada, Barb MacDonald. Barb has established an international reputation for managing media relations and operations for major sporting events. In this episode, Barb gets to share her views on communications accreditation, and how it has benefited her fruitful career. Tina also gets to congratulate Barb on her recent award as Master Communicator and discuss the process of submitting for awards. Barb is currently busy planning for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and the 100th anniversary of the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. You can connect with Barb @barbmacd and our host @TinaMBarton. The Voice is produced at MediaStyle. Creating strategic plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

Every year, we spend millions of dollars on pharmaceuticals but most of us don't really know or understand how prescription and over the counter medications are marketed. Host Danny Starr talks with Dennis Sakalauskas about how this fascinating industry works from the approval of drugs to the governing bodies that approve every piece of marketing material developed. Learn more about Dennis and his firm DPS Original at dpsoriginal.com and on Twitter @DPSoriginal

Tina Barton chats with Julien Smith, triple-time New York Times best-selling author, blogger, opening keynote speaker at the 2013 MarCom conference, and CEO of stealth startup company, Breather. Known for breaking the ‘rules’ and taking pride in doing so, Julien’s work is all about doing what’s necessary to stand out, being #1 in your category, and being comfortable with it. Julien’s ideas are particularly poignant for the marketing/communications industry, a profession based on perceptions, where it can be particularly difficult to “not give a f@ck!” and “flinch forward” as Julien champions.

Alex Reid sat down with some of the winners at the IABC Ottawa Excel Awards to explore what it takes to be a communicator today. The roster of interviewees includes: Helene Campbell (2:25): What it took as a communicator to turn her Be an Organ Donor Twitter campaign into an international Give to Live movement. Kristine Simpson (9:30): How the Impaired Speed Skating Association is using a powerful communications strategy to educate the public about why it should be a sanctioned sport in the Paralympic Games. Tony Lyons (14:40): How he drew attention to the important information in CIRA's Factbook through visual storytelling.

We constantly hear that organizations are struggling with the challenges of how to integrate digital technology across the entire organization. What was once the responsibility of digital marketing and communications professionals has become the responsibility of every functional area and yet there are very few resources, best practices or even case studies that focus on how we can integrate digital technology effectively. Kelly Kubrick, co-owner of dStrategy and Online Authority shares the Online Maturity Model that provides an easy grading system and comprehensive framework to help you understand your organizations progression through the stages of digital maturity. Learn more about Kelly and the Digital Maturity Model on the Digital Strategy Conference website: digitalstrategyconference.com

Sometimes we need to approach familiar concepts from a different angle in order to push our understanding forward. If you think about content marketing as "brand journalism" you might be able to come up with new and exciting ways to communicate your brand's story to your target audience. Host Danny Starr talks with veteran tech journalist and founder of Spark Media Solutions, David Spark about the concept of brand journalism and why it's so effective in connecting brands with influential people to create compelling content.

Apple's App Store and Google Play are the world's two mega marketplaces for mobile applications. Learn how to make software products stand out in these saturated superstores. Macadamian's Graham Machacek discusses top tips with Matt Palmer, chief marketing officer at AppClover, and Rob Woodbridge, mobile business consultant and host of UNTETHER.TV . Core concept: build your app marketing plan before you build you app.

Today’s podcast explores the art of storytelling, and how businesses could benefit from laying off the strategic throttle. Amber Naslund, a well known and respected writer and storyteller in the marketing sphere, explains how she makes time in her busy career write regularly, and shares some of the results she has seen from taking a more thoughtful approach to content creation. Amber also explains why it’s critical that businesses invest in their employees to develop their writing and storytelling talents. Important points worth your attention: 00:58 Amber introduces herself. 2:30 Amber explains her creative process and how she finds time in her busy career to think deeply about a subject and consistently craft beautiful content. 5:51 Amber shares some of the results she has seen from taking a more thoughtful approach to content creation. 7:12 It’s often challenging for businesses to navigate the creative process while adhering to business goals. Amber explains why she thinks companies overthink the storytelling ethos. 9:30 Many businesses lack the creative thinkers necessary to tell great stories. Amber explains why businesses must invest in their employees to develop their writing skills. 11:14 Amber explains how she ensures her content maintains relevancy with her audience. 12:15 How you can learn more about and connect with Amber.

Public speaking has moved out of the limelight in recent years as online marketing continues to gain prominence in the industry. The Conversation Agent, Valeria Maltoni, talks about the value of public speaking, how she uses public speaking to establish herself as an authority in her industry, and how you can get over your stage jitters and do it, too. Connect with Valeria and Alex on Twitter @ConversationAge and @TechAlly, respectively. Here are some important points worth your attention: 1:20: Valeria explains how she used public speaking to jumpstart her career and professional development. 2:42: The edge public speaking can give you over those who stick solely to online marketing efforts. 3:20: Valeria shares some of the benefits she has experienced from public speaking. 4:19: The benefits of going to an event rather than getting information solely online. 8:42: Valeria explains how to rise to a position of authority so people begin seeking you out to speak publicly. 9:47: Valeria explains how she landed her first gig. 10:40: The makings of great and terrible speeches. 14:40: On getting over stage fright. 17:35: How you can find Valeria online and book her to speak.

As many startup founders are painfully aware, marketing can be bloody expensive. So expensive that it often gets thrown to the back-burner as they focus on just getting their minimum viable products developed and out the door. Startup maven Tara Hunt offers marketing advice for startups on a shoestring based on her own experiences successfully launching Buyosphere and offers personal branding advice by explaining the rise of Miss Rogue. Time segments: 1:25: Tara introduces herself. 3:32: When marketing should be considered in the startup budget and how much attention it deserves when considering how much it takes to develop a product in the first place. 6:41: The merits and hazards of hiring a jack-of-all-trades marketer, hiring out to an agency, and founders trying to do marketing themselves. 10:37: Whether or not startup founders should buy into content marketing, and what kinds of content marketing they should do with limited budgets and company history. 15:10: “Well behaved women seldom make history.” - Tara explains what this quote means to the rise of her online personality Miss Rogue.

At the most basic level, great user experience (UX) design is about helping your customers accomplish their goals. Host Danny Starr and Jeff Parks discuss what you need to know about balancing the needs of your business and the needs of your customers in a way that really puts people before pixels. Whether you have already managed a UX design project or looking to get some ideas about how you should structure one, this episode of the voice is a great introduction to the fascinating world of UX design. Jeff Parks has over 15 years of experience in the field and is on the board of directors of Information Architecture Institute, a co-creater of the Follow the UX Leader training series and a co-owner of DIGIA UX.