A Click-Free Week!

February 10, 2012 Uncategorized
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I was very lucky to have the opportunity to escape to sunny Florida last week. Oh the sun, the sand and the sound of the waves were ever so rejuvenating! Seven days of glory, sans any and all electronic devices.

That’s right. No email, no computer, no phone, no texts, no surfing, except for the surfers on the beach! I didn’t even check my FaceBook or feel compelled to post images on my wall to prove how much fun I was having.

How enlightening it was and I didn’t miss it one bit!

Back now this week, soul-southed, brain cleared. It’s made a difference, for sure. I feel so refreshed with that little Winter reprieve, now re-fueled, full of new ideas for the many new projects we’re working on! That Click-Free Week, did just the trick. You might want to try it sometime 🙂

~ Laura

Gift Cards a Win for Non-Profits!

December 15, 2011 Advertising / Design / ecommerce / Marketing / Web
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It’s funny how one idea leads into another. Being in the creative field, that’s often how it works. We brainstorm, research and throw ideas around all the time. Sometimes we begin leaning towards one direction, but then, more ideas come to mind that lead is into another. The end result is a culmination of all of our wacky, and at times, pretty clever thoughts and ideas.

That’s how we ended up with the idea of helping local community agencies.

While creating business Christmas gift certificates for our marketing services, we were going through the details on what could be done and how it should be redeemed, and all of a sudden, we realized that non-profits could use some help too.

And so, the birth of the gift card for non-profits came to fruition. While this is late in the season, we decided to go ahead anyway, with the aim of expanding the concept further in the future.

Then we thought, ‘Hey we would like to help too!’ Why not create a contest for the agency that receives the most donations in gift cards? We looked in our pocketbook and our production schedule and decided that we could donate $5000 worth of free services to the winner.

So, if you’re looking for a new idea for giving this Christmas, something that counts to make a difference in your community, you can now give the gift of professional marketing, consulting and creative campaigns to your favourite local charity or not-for-profit organization!

Contest closes January 31st, 2012. We hope you can participate, spread the word and we certainly also hope you like the idea. Wonder what we’ll think of next!

Gift Card for Marketing
Click here to check it out>

Jian Ghomeshi – Pop Culture

November 1, 2011 Uncategorized
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CBC Radio

I was invited to The Ambassador Hotel in Kingston last week to hear a speech about Pop Culture. Who better to do that than Jian Ghomeshi, radio host of Q, CBC’s national arts magazine show http://www.cbc.ca/qIt was a very interesting conversation about “new media”. Being in the communications field I found this to be very interesting! He mentioned that the “new world is new media”, as it always has been. Thinking back, twelve years ago Facebook, U-tube, Google and Twitter all did not exist. Change is everywhere around us and we cannot predict the future. There is an immediacy about Pop Culture that didn’t exist before, and today we are harnessing it for political and social change.

He spoke about the classroom in the Philippines he was visiting recently. He was given an opportunity to teach the children all averaging about 7 years old. Not only was the language barrier and issue, so was the socio-economic barriers that he was facing. Funny story is that after mentioning he was from Canada, one student at the back of the room said “Bieber”…..as in Justin Bieber…..and yes! …an instant connection was made. Where it seemed hopeless at first, Pop Culture allowed him to connect with these students from a very different world. Very cool.

Creativity in Education was a topic highlighted as well. Jian referenced that employers today are looking for renaissance people. “You are your own unique brand, follow your passions and don’t be afraid to be a unique and individual person…all of this drives your brand”. I found this to be very interesting as we apply this to branding philosophy at Engine. It is nice to see personal and professional lines blurred.

Jian finished with the importance of “the pause”. We live in a world where everything is moving at such a break-neck speed that it is time to slow down and listen. “Part of listening is the pause. Listen and let the person finish speaking. The most amazing things can happen”. Well said.

It’s that time of year!

October 18, 2011 Uncategorized
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Well, it’s that time of year! I was excited this morning when I received an e-newsletter from Pier 1 Imports for their annual Unicef Christmas card design contest for children. I make a point of buying these cards every year. Christmas is a special time for family, and we all want a safe world for children to live in. UNICEF is the leading charitable organization dedicated to just this main goal. Children are our future, and what a wonderful way of spreading the message of the tireless efforts of UNICEF. Download the entry form and add your child’s Christmas card design and they could be the next Unicef artist for 2011. Good luck to all!

Unicef Canada

What’s your Focus?

June 29, 2011 Art / photography
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Although technology seems to advance at a relentless pace, photography seems to be one of those mediums that (in my opinion) is resistant to change. I mean clearly digital photography is rapidly replacing film, but I think there will always be a place for it – just look at polaroid. There are effects that can be achieved with film and old film cameras that have so much character. That being said, digital has made everyone a photographer.

Now comes what could be the next step in the evolution of photography. These 2 photos are not 2 different shots with different settings  – they ARE the same photo. This is a new technology that allows you to adjust your focus after the photo has been taken.


“A company called Lytro has just launched with $50 million in funding and, unlike Color, the technology is pretty mind-blowing. It’s designing a camera that may be the next giant leap in the evolution of photography — a consumer camera that shoots photos that can be refocused at any time. Instead of capturing a single plane of light like traditional cameras do, Lytro’s light-field camera will use a special sensor to capture the color, intensity, and vector direction of the rays of light (data that’s lost with traditional cameras).”

See the rest of the article and more examples here.

What do you think? Is it as revolutionary as they claim?

Broken Design?

June 24, 2011 Uncategorized
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I came upon this design today at Looks Like Good Design.

At first it brought a grin to my face. Pretty clever packaging… Then as I thought about it – as cool as the aesthetic is, what would be involved in producing this?

Maybe that is the point. Maybe it is worth it to distress the cardboard and to add the tape, and to stick on the “broken” typography…

Ironically, perhaps it is the added care that has to go into creating the packaging that sets it apart. I like it, I just wonder if the expense justifies the concept. What do you think?

Listening to Your Competition

June 21, 2011 Advertising / ecommerce / Marketing / Technology
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Do you ever feel like everywhere you look, competitors are saying the exact same things in their advertising? There are merits to knowing what your competition is doing, in any industry it is crucial to know what is out there and make sure that you are offering a competitive product or service at competitive rates. What most people do not realize is that focusing too much on your competition can actually cripple your businesses and accomplish the opposite of what you are trying to do.

What happens all too often, especially in smaller cities, is that people have a tendency to copy. I’m not saying that they go out there with the intention of mimicking, but they become so focused on what others are doing that they forget to innovate.

I was reminded of this concept when I went to the store to compare tablets, the iPad 2, Blackberry Playbook and others. What became apparent the more I looked and researched was that Apple was focused on their business, on being the best they could be. While it seems everyone else is simply try to keep up with competition.

Makes me wonder, what could we accomplish if everyone stopped trying to be like everyone else, and just focused on being the best they could be. Now that gives you something to market!

April showers bring PR Disasters?

May 12, 2011 Marketing / Public Relations / Social Media / Web
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Spring is a time of birth, renewal and PR crises it seems. Sony, Facebook, and a NHL player, agents and broadcaster are in the midst of protecting their image.

First up: Sony Debacle (here too)
Sony has been dealing with hackers stealing their users’ information. Sony has terribly managed the situation. It took them a week to notify their customers of a breach (7 days too late) and two weeks for the CEO to apologize (13 days too late).

Second:
Aside from debacles, a great article on how to use social media within your corporation: Implementing Social Media in Business

Thirdly:
Sean Avery, his agent, and an NHL sportscaster (now fired) get embroiled in the same-sex marriage debate. Twitter can cause controversy quickly, and lose you your job. Always think before you Tweet!

And to round things up:
Facebook pays a PR company to send bad news and reports about Google to bloggers. Too bad the agencies forgot to tell the bloggers that they were working for Google… oops!

Great Campaigns Produce Great Results

April 26, 2011 Advertising / Marketing / Public Relations / Social Media / Television
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As a fan of the Song of Ice and Fire series of books by George R. R. Martin, I have been watching the development and promotion of the new TV series: Game of Thrones, with a keen eye.

HBO’s promotional campaign is great example of a successful integrated marketing campaign. From seizing the throne, to free bicycle throne rides events and then integrating it with a Facebook, blog and Twitter campaign, HBO had a great promotional campaign.

 

They placed giant throne replicas around major cities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Then, people got their picture taken which were then posted on Facebook and Twitter as “seizing the throne.”

This strategy is great for many reasons. First, giant thrones in a major public area will create attention and buzz from traditional media and word-of-mouth. Second, posting the pictures on Facebook gets people to spread the word to family and friends which further promotes the new TV show. Third, people will then post and talk about these events occurring (such as this blog!)

These promotions were highly successful judging by the 4.2 million viewers who tuned into the first episode.

Although HBO had a large budget, they used it efficiently. By showing these events across all possible mediums, they used their dollars wisely. Make sure you do the same when planning and promoting your events.

Brand that Facebook Page!

April 20, 2011 Design / ecommerce / Social Media / Web
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Recently I read an article from Techipedia about “Building the Perfect Facebook Page for 2011.” This article breaks down and simplifies the page layout. It is a great resource for companies, small businesses and not-for-profits.

Normally, the a page looks like an extension of Facebook with your logo on it; however, customizing your page will easily create brand awareness and continuity. Many people realize the importance of a great looking website, but underestimate the importance of a great looking fan page.

Having an underwhelming fan page will get you an underwhelming response. Companies such as Pepsi, Red Bull, and McDonald’s realize the potential opportunity and have created a page that is consistent with their image and looks fantastic.

Creating a branded, stylistic Facebook page will entice customers to check out your company. You will get your message out, not Facebook’s. Talk with us today and we can help your brand successfully use Facebook Pages.

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