TecHKnow

“Behavioural Targeting” – good strategy or invasion of privacy?

2008-04-30T21:09:00Z

By: Emilija Businskas In a recent New York Times article , Adam Cohen refers to a 1993 New Yorker cartoon where a dog, sitting in front of his PC tells another dog “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” As we all know, the Internet doesn’t actually provide you with anonymity. In fact, each one of us has our own “online personality” complete with a detailed history of what websites we’ve visited, ads we’ve clicked on and the items we’ve googled. For years technology companies have been tracking...(read more)

Congratulations on your graduation – now what?

2008-04-28T13:50:00Z

By: Monta Johnson It’s getting to be that time of year. Exams are underway and, for many, there’s the added stress of finding a job after graduation – particularly with a recession looming. If you’re thinking about a career in communications but are unsure about what direction to head next, here are some tips that might help. 1. Research, read and absorb. Learn as much as you can about different aspects of communications: agency, corporate, not-for-profit, government and so on, and figure out which...(read more)

Agency life and our culture

2008-03-06T19:34:00Z

By: Ian Barr I recently presented to a group of people who were interested in learning about agency life and potentially working for H&K Toronto, something that I love discussing. I’ve been speaking at these information sessions once a month for a few years now, and I never get tired of engaging conversations about H&K's culture. Here are just a few things I've come to appreciate over the 7+ years I've worked here: The people: We're like a giant family that values each others' opinion and...(read more)

Agency vs. Client: The big question

2008-02-20T03:04:00Z

By: Mary Warner It is the big question that most practitioners ask themselves before getting into the PR business: should I go client side or agency side? Obviously it is a personal choice but I feel that I have something to add to the conversation having done both. Take my opinion for what it’s worth and I would love for this blog to start a conversation about other’s experiences with this same question so please, comment away! I had worked in non-profit for several years, dabbling in communications...(read more)

Do you leverage the brand or does the brand leverage you?

2008-02-05T20:32:00Z

By: Lena Beyer One of the most interesting brand building campaigns to come along in a while has to be Mark Lives In Ikea. In case you haven't heard of it yet, New York-based comedian Mark Malkoff decided to move into Ikea while his apartment was being fumigated. Yes, that’s right…live in Ikea. For one week Mark moved into a New Jersey Ikea, making friends with employees and filming his escapades, which included shopping cart races with the night security man Jarvis, conducting tours of his "apartment"...(read more)

CES 2008 – You say you want an “Evolution”?

2008-02-01T16:17:00Z

By: Carly Suppa Despite the ritual fanfare and steady rumour-mill gossip leading up to the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, the “big-wows” of yesteryear were curiously silent on the CE industry’s loudest stage. CES, arguably the largest consumer trade show in North America, has traditionally been the launch pad for the consumer technology industry’s most fantastical toys (think Wii, Zoon and 100-plus inches of LCD and Plasma heaven), and its stage has played host to industry icons such as Bill Gates,...(read more)

One Vote For Technology

2008-01-30T20:19:00Z

By: Lindsay Noronha In 1902 with the intro of the first air conditioner by Willis Haviland Carrier , the landscape of the developed world changed dramatically. Before air conditioning was made available for home use, the view outside your kitchen window was very different. You would see families congregating on their front porches and the lawns of friends while pitchers of lemonade were passed around. Kids would run through the sprinklers and the sound of laughter was contagious. In his paper, Abandoned...(read more)

Harry Lamin’s War

2008-01-18T21:36:00Z

By: Monta Johnson Ninety years ago, Private Harry Lamin was an English soldier on active duty in Europe in World War One. He wrote often to his family back in England, sharing small details of life on the front lines. Many of those letters, especially those written to his brother Jack and sister Kate, survived. Now, thanks to a blog created by Pte Lamin’s grandson, Bill Lamin, readers all over the world are getting a chance to experience Harry Lamin’s war. To see it for yourself, visit here and be...(read more)

You, Them, All of Us

2008-01-14T18:11:00Z

By: Mary Keating It’s been a year since Time declared YOU as person of the year for 2006 for founding a digital democracy with Web 2.0. James Poniewozik came back in December with a retrospective column on that decision called The Year of Them . Seems professionals and corporations became as excited about Web 2.0 in 2007 as YOU have been for years. YOU haven’t gone away, but the profit seekers and wannabe opinion shapers are making their way to the party in record numbers. While purists might see...(read more)

A modern day book tour

2007-10-12T19:38:00Z

By: Mary Warner I should probably begin this blog and come clean that I am a HUGE Douglas Coupland fan. I love everything he does. With that being said, it is no surprise that I really like how he has decided to promote his new book. But I swear that I would love this promotional strategy even if it wasn’t Coupland. With that out of the way, a little background on the author. Douglas Coupland is Canadian. He rose to fame with Generation X and has been credited with coining the term. He has written...(read more)

Tune in: new radio listening behavioral data

2007-09-26T14:51:00Z

By: Ian Barr With an abundance of advancements in radio technology to enhance a listener's user experience, marketers everywhere are questioning who is listening via what medium, wondering how often they're tuning in and speculating that traditional AM/FM radio listeners are moving online. It's amazing when you think about the vast reach that radio has achieved and the available listening options. There's online (programming rebroadcast on the Internet or exclusive Web-only broadcasting), traditional...(read more)

Wanted: Posthumous PR Practitioner

2007-09-25T14:52:00Z

By: Lorraine Doherty “Do not speak ill of the dead.” 1 It is one of the few universal warnings passed down through generations able to span geographies, cultures and religions. But in today’s celebrity obsessed, image conscious reality, this once strong taboo is shifting from unspeakable status to front page fodder. Consider former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s attacks on deceased rival Pierre Elliott Trudeau (also a former PM). While Mulroney’s is entitled to his opinions, his comments smacked...(read more)

Cute and cuddly 2.0

2007-09-04T18:13:00Z

By: Monta Johnson I have been suddenly catapulted in to the world of Webkinz, and what a fascinating world it is. Webkinz manufacturer Ganz has this social networking thing figured out and they’re doing a better job than most of the grown-up versions I’ve seen. Here’s how it works: you buy a fluffy little stuffed animal; I paid $12.95 to buy Sammy for my youngster. Then you go to www.webkinz.com where you register – first name only, which is reassuring for parents – and you get an adoption certificate...(read more)

If you call, will I answer?

2007-07-13T00:12:00Z

By: Terra Pobuda How can you be reached? Communications preferences are at the heart of an article posted on NYTimes.com today. It is a fascinating piece and I encourage everyone to check it out . The article discusses the many ways in which people are choosing to communicate given the myriad devices we have at our disposal. The article also contends that these preferences are symptomatic of a “my way or the highway” trend that’s sweeping across society (the author’s Starbuck’s example is spot-on,...(read more)

One size does not fit all

2007-07-09T16:17:00Z

By: Suzanne Hicks Jeans are one of those things that are considered a staple in everyone’s wardrobe – kind of like that little black dress. Unfortunately the amount of options out there – skinny, boot cut, classic, loose fit,etc. - make it hard for some people to find a pair that fit properly. I came across a site called zafu.com . It asks you a bunch of questions to figure out the perfect jean for you from how jeans typically fit at the waist, styles you like and what you’re body type is. And my...(read more)