Toronto «

Posts tagged Toronto

A brand new PR energi…

June 2, 2010 · Filed under Posts · Tagged agency, agency/client, business, Canada, Carol Levine, communications, energi PR, Esther Buchsbaum, Martin Waxman, montreal, Palette PR, PR, social media, Toronto, working

Are you ready? I’ve got some really exciting Palette news.

On July 1 Palette PR, the agency I co-founded with Louise Armstrong, is merging with Communications MECA to form a brand new agency – energi PR – we’re calling it Canada’s PR and digital/social media powerhouse.

And we are jumping up and down thrilled!

Today we told staff and clients. We’re posting a news release on our respective sites and on our new site – which really is ‘under construction’ till early July. And tomorrow morning, we’re live on the wire.

So what does this mean? All Palette and MECA staff is coming to the new company and everyone will have more opportunities to work on new projects and take on fresh challenges. We’ll be an independent, national and bilingual agency with offices in Toronto and Montreal. Palette will be move into MECA’s Toronto office. And I’m really looking forward to getting to know and working with all my new colleagues.

We’re specializing in PR, social media/digital and corporate communications and building traditional and new PR/social media into our agency right from the start so we’ll be able to seamlessly integrate the two. I’m going to be the Toronto managing partner and will lead the firm’s digital practice.

I’ve known my other two managing partners, Esther Buchsbaum and Carol Levine, a long time through Counselors Academy, CCPRF and from working together on projects. I have long admired Communications MECA, the firm they created, their approach and industry leadership. They’re smart, talented and have a lot of business savvy and most important, the fit is right!

I have one other piece of news and that is Louise is stepping away from the business to spend more time with her kids and on her writing. This is something Louise has been thinking about for a long time. We built Palette together and I want to wish her all the best. I’m going to miss working with her! And, if she wants, there will always be a place for Louise at energi.

To everyone who helped and supported Palette over the years, including staff, all our wonderful clients, our industry partners and friends I want to thank you! I hope you’ll all come along for our energi-filled ride (OK, I’ll try to keep the puns to a minimum). We’ve got lots of amazing plans!

Watch for more news leading up to July 1 and beyond.

I’d love to hear from you, but may be a bit difficult to reach on Wed and Thu – I’m teaching a two-day social media for business course at McMaster from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

And please bear with me as I update all my social network profiles. That may take a little time…

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New Toronto in Old City Hall

February 16, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged books, Toronto

I first met Bobby Rotenberg around the time he launched T.O. magazine, an upstart, edgy city publication I had the pleasure of writing for, a long time ago. Since then, I’ve bumped into him from time to time and reconnected when we found out our kids go to the same school.

He mentioned that he’d written a novel (his first), slated to come out in early March 2009 and offered to send me a copy.

So when Old City Hall arrived, I read it right away. The book is a stylish, witty page-turner. Crime fiction that centre’s on Canada’s best known, craggy talk radio host. It starts when Kevin (I want to say Peter) Brace confesses to murdering his wife in their luxury condo, and then says nothing more. With its sharp twists and turns, you’re taken on an investigative journey that surprises and entertains. The characters play against stereotype – Jewish homicide officer, lawyer turned cop, new Canadian crown attorney – and offer a new perspective on the formerly bland and conservative safe haven Toronto used to be.

The prose is stylish, the dialogue fresh and the cast are a quirky and believable mix of the people you’d see living and working in Toronto today; a reflection of our coming-into-its-own metropolis.

Bobby has combined his love of T.O. (i.e. the magazine) with his work as a criminal lawyer to offer both a superb story, and a wry commentary on the city and its foibles; its inner workings; what makes it tick.

And that is an extra gift.

Look for Old City Hall in March at your local bookseller or online here.

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In the dark

January 28, 2009 · Filed under Posts · Tagged blogging, Martin Waxman, media, Toronto, Twitter

Just under two weeks ago, there was a power outage in Toronto that left about 250,000 residents without heat or electricity on one of the coldest days of the year (-19C).

I was one of those folks in the dark.

When the incident occurred, just after 10 on a Thursday evening, we found the flashlights, lit a few candles and tried to find out what happened.

First we turned to our community – looked outside to see if anyone else had lights, called a couple friends… We put a battery in a clock radio and tuned to 680 News only to hear (after weather and sports), what we already knew: power was out in a large section of western Toronto. And crews were on the scene.

Thank you very much. That didn’t answer any of my immediate questions like: when is MY power coming back?

I don’t know why I defaulted to old habits (the reluctant adopter in me), but it wasn’t till Friday at work when I thought to check Twitter. I did a few searches and uncovered the hashtag #darkTO, and there, found what I was looking for: an enormous outpouring of comments, thoughts and news – in real time.

There were tweets from people who got their power back; others from folks nearby who hadn’t; offers of office space for those in need of Wifi; updates from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC); requests from MSM media for interviews; and on and on.

It felt like I’d stumbled into the promised on-land. Yes, I had read how quickly Twitter spreads breaking news in real time, but it wasn’t till I experienced it first-hand that I truly grasped its scope.

However, something was missing. There was no local ‘authority’ to offer updates and tell us things were under control. And while Mayor Miller, the City and hydro held a traditional news conference, they seemed oblivious to the conversation taking place around them.

And that was a missed opportunity.

Of course, power was eventually restored (we got ours back nearly 24 hours later).

A little more than a week later, I noticed that Kevin Sacks, City of Toronto Director of Strategic Communications started posting on Twitter, @TorontoComms. Maybe the blackout triggered a lightbulb in City Hall. And that, I believe, is a very positive sign.

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We’re number four (and that’s reason to be proud)

October 21, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged Canada, Martin Waxman, media, Toronto

According to an article in the Toronto Star, our fair metropolis placed fourth in a global ranking of cities that offer people the best cultural experience, after London, Paris and New York. Pretty good company, I’d say.

And in the same piece, an A.T. Kearney study ranked us 10th in terms of what it calls ‘global cities’ (below Chicago and Seoul). Again, not too shabby.

Now, compare that with a recent Maclean’s magazine cover story ranking ‘smart’ Canadian cities, (i.e. those ‘rich in culture’, among other things), and Toronto didn’t do nearly as well – we only made it to the middle of the list. In fact, Barrie and Orillia placed higher.

Now, without meaning to impugn those communities, that’s a ridiculous result. And so Canadian. Slagging the leader while trying to be politely inclusive towards the rest of the country. The tall poppy syndrome rears its ugly head once more.

Frankly, I’m tired of it. Toronto’s the number one city in the country. Complain all you want, it’s a fact. And, rather than trying to apologize for what we are, we should celebrate.

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On the sidewalks of New York

August 22, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged New York, Toronto

I recently returned from a short New York vacation, the opposite of a cottage getaway: you leave to energize and come home to unwind.

And walking the streets (not like that) it seems like the best shows really are on Broadway – just not inside.

For instance…

It feels like there’s a version of everyone you know or could imagine wandering around NY. Just look around and you’ll notice them. The similarities in faces, hair and mannerisms. Call it N-Yapparitions.

The City’s sidewalks feature an entrepreneurial bizarre (sic). I saw a grizled old guy handily demonstrating the fine art of slicing and dicing vegetables with some sort of metallic gadget and he drew a crowd. If you’re good at something you can do that in Manhattan.

There’s an endless stream of people pouring out of every nook and cranny – day and night. And so many connections, however tenuous or fleeting. It’s exciting and surprising and shocking and chaotic and funny and fast, fast, fast. This is a real social network in action. NYC is like the urban template for online.

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My Air Canada mobile e-boarding pass

August 16, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged air canada, Toronto, Winnipeg

…was unscanable at security and the gate.

But they gave me the benefit of the doubt and let me through both times.

I kind of wish they hadn’t.

(Posted from my BB post-flight.)

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A Winnipeg intersection

June 23, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged Toronto, Winnipeg

Portage and Main? River and Osborne? Vaughan and Graham?

In the past few days I’ve had a couple of close encounters of the Winnipeg kind with the city of my birth.

It started Thursday evening at the Bachman Cummings concert. What a trip – down memory lane, that is. It was an amazing show. The songs, every one of them a solid hit, were brought to life by two 60-something rockers, in great shape and sounding as good as ever.

They seemed to be having a lot of fun with each other, musically and otherwise. In one case Burton Cummings introduced a song that Randy Bachman had written about Cummings when he didn’t like him all that much (Hey You). And Cummings’ keyboard acrobatics were a perfect complement to Bachman’s intensity-on-guitar.

The duo talked about starting out in Winnipeg and wore their civic pride on their sleeve, which of course made me proud by association.

Then Saturday, I went to see Guy Maddin’s hallucinogenic documentary, My Winnipeg. (Can someone please pass the Forks?) And while it was definitely his warped vision, it was only a neighbourhood away from mine.

I was particularly thrilled he showed the garbage dump that thee city turned into a toboggan hill (no kidding). That he ventured into the hallowed sixth floor halls of The Bay’s Paddlewheel eatery and featured tales of the Crinoline Court (ladies only) and Gentleman’s Gangway (Men, ladies with escorts) in all their cafeteria glory. That he crisscrossed the city’s back lanes.

After the movie, someone heard me mention the Paddlewheel and asked me to explain the Crinoline Court. I told her what it was and then she turned to her friend and said, by way of explanation, ‘Those people are from Winnipeg’.

All of a sudden I was transported back to the prairie landscape I left so long ago and felt both alienated and special, which is what being from Winnipeg was all about. And for a moment I missed the city’s wide boulevards, its endless sun and sky, its Salisbury and Pancake Houses and snow so cold it creaked like ancient floorboards when you walked home from school.

And I realized my brief reverie could be encapsulated in two musical moments I’d had in the past few days: Burton Cummings singing These Eyes live at the Molson Ampitheatre and a recording of The Bells sullen rendition of Rick Neufeld’s Moody Manitoba Morning.

I guess that’s the thing about your hometown. You pretty much know all the words.

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The odds are in…

April 19, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged gift blog, Toronto

Since April 2nd, I’ve supped my share of rim-rolling Tim Hortons‘ coffees, in hopes of coming up with…anything.

According to the rules and regulations on the Rrroll Up the Rim website, my best chances were getting a food prize. Odds: 1 in 9.

Here are my results:
- 34 coffees consumed (from about six locations)
- Two free coffees won
- Odds that a coffee I bought would be a winner: 1 in 17
(considerably lower than the posted rate)

No wonder I was mildly disappointed, despite having consumed a more-than-adequate supply of caffeine.

Will that put a damper on my participation for next year? I doubt it. It’s part of a Canadian rite of passage from winter to spring.

Besides, the pleasure is in the thrill and getting to the front of the line, I say.

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They started a joke…

April 8, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged jokes/puns, media, Toronto

With apologies to the Bee Gees, but this joke didn’t start ‘the whole world crying’. It was more like a frustrated sigh of bemusement.

It happened a week ago, on the stalwart CBC Radio interview show, ‘As It Happens’*. I was in my car and caught the middle of an item which purported to feature a representative of Canada’s mint. The gentleman was extolling the virtues of a new three-dollar coin – the threenie – that was going to replace the five dollar bill.

At first, I was incensed. How could they do this? What a typically bureaucratic, cost-saving move? (I admit I had forgotten it was April 1.)

I meant to blog about the situation that night but got busy. Later, when I did a search, I discovered it the whole thing was a lame joke.

Now first off, let me applaud CBC’s efforts at jocularity.

But second, I’d like to charge them with the heinous crime of attempted humour (without a license).

The premise of the joke was good. But oh, the delivery… It was too earnest and low-key; in other words it had the standard CBC tonality we Canadians are supposed to appreciate after we turn 40. That’s a right of passage, eh?

There was no signal of silly (i.e. a nearly hysterical bureaucrat), no frustration on the part of the interviewer, no absurd pronouncements, no delicious irony. In order to make people laugh, we need to sense a twinkle, a hint of mischief, a face full of pie. Otherwise, we miss the nuance.

Perhaps CBC needs to tune into itself and adjust its blandwidth. And maybe then, the next time it starts a joke, the world might catch on and start laughing (or at least crack a smile).

And by the way, can someone please tell them they don’t need the cover of April Fool’s Day to be witty.

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(Not) leavin’ on a jet plane

March 31, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged New York, Toronto, Winnipeg

If you’ve been to New York recently and happened to be flying out via LaGuardia, you’ve probably experienced a delay.

Occasionally it’s short, often it can stretch in to a couple of hours or more.

And an advance call to your airline doesn’t always help diminish your terminal time.

Last summer, following a major rainstorm, a number of flights were cancelled and passengers on Air Canada were left to fend for themselves (mind you, if you have to be stranded overnight, Manhattan is the place to be).

One of the reasons for the delays is that there are more flights on smaller ‘regional’ jets than there used to be before 2001. Here’s an article that explains the situation.

So the next time you’re Leavin’ On a Jet Plane, instead of getting ‘hot under the collar’ as my Dad used to say, bring a book, a magazine, your ipod, some work, a DVD, then sit back, be patient and prepare to wait your turn.

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A-rain-ment

March 26, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged New York, Toronto, working

Last week I was fortunate enough to be in Manhattan for work.

And while Ontario’s TV ads may claim, ‘there’s no place like this…’, they really should be referring to New York City.

It happened to be raining on my second day, constant but not a major storm by any account.

However, just like an old-time dance number, out pop the umbrellas. Seemingly everyone has one. And those who don’t can easily make a purchase from a street vendor, who appears out of nowhere, as if on cue.

And talk about coordination. People in Mantattan know how to navigate the crowded streets under an umbrella without hitting anyone in the face. It’s practically a feat of acrobatic prowess. Who choreographs the City?

I, unfortunately, was not so adept at the movements. And not wanting to put a damper on anyone else, I gave up after a few blocks, opting instead to expose myself to the elements.

How very Toronto-esque of me, I thought.

Today, during our afternoon of wet snow, many people (myself included) were caught without umbrellas. Did the entrepreneurial vendors appear to cash in on inclemency? Did most of us pull an umbrella from our collective sleeves?

Not a chance.

We just wandered around, sopping, cold and grumbling all the way.

To me that’s the difference between Toronto and New York: They refuse to submit. We prefer to soak it all up.

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Rrroll up the odds

March 2, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged gift blog, Toronto

It may look and feel like winter outside, but I say forget groundhogs. Tim Hortons‘ annual ‘Rrroll Up the Rim to Win’ contest is my signal that springtime is nigh.

And I’m happy to report the promo is back, complete with the promise of wonderful and exciting prizes.

Now, I don’t expect anything major; a free cup of coffee is just fine.

This year, I’ve decided to figure out my odds. Throughout March, I’m going to track the number of coffees I buy and calculate my purchase-to-win stats. (So far it’s one in seven.)

Wish me luck…

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Blogging on the rails

January 22, 2008 · Filed under Posts · Tagged blogging, montreal, Toronto

Literally. I’m on a Via Rail train bound for Montreal and I wanted to see how easy it is to do an in-transit post. (Very easy.)

For most of the ride, the connection has been smooth, if a bit slow. And I’ve been able to download emails, and visit websites and blogs. In the past, I’ve had trouble working on Outlook and I’d get booted off the internet more frequently than not. But that was then (six months ago) and things seem to have improved.

For what it’s worth, I think Via is the ideal way to travel from Toronto to Montreal. The time involved is practically the same, it takes you from downtown to downtown, you get fed, watered and you can read, work, listen to music, talk. It’s a pleasant reminder of simpler times and virtually stress-free.

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« Previous entries

Posts tagged Toronto

New Toronto in Old City Hall

In the dark

We’re number four (and that’s reason to be proud)

On the sidewalks of New York

My Air Canada mobile e-boarding pass

A Winnipeg intersection

The odds are in…

They started a joke…

(Not) leavin’ on a jet plane

A-rain-ment

Rrroll up the odds

Blogging on the rails

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