Perhaps most notably, the blog has been re-branded as “BCAMA marketline”, complementing our already existing twice yearly print publication. The BCAMA marketline magazine draws upon thoughts and analysis from leading marketing and business visionaries, and our intention is to bring the same level of expertise and analysis online.

Content on the blog will be updated on a very regular basis. Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing a number of features, including:

• Guest posts from marketing experts.
• Contributions from BCAMA speakers
• Member profiles and features
• “Eye Candy”, highlighting innovative marketing concepts and campaigns

The BCAMA marketline blog will be all about community, as such we would appreciate your involvement!

We would love to hear your takes on any of the information presented, so please feel free to comment on the posts. Moreover, if there is a particular topic you are passionate about, and you are interested in contributing a post to the blog, please let me know.

Kind regards,

Eric

BCAMA Director of Social Media
ebuchegger@telus.net

1. What is your favourite style of Mo?

Per the attached style guide, my favourite Mo style is Undercover Brother.

2. What has been the most rewarding moment for you?

It’s when we hear about how Movember changed or saved a life. It’s when we receive e-mails from guys explaining how their Movember experience prompted them or their Dad to head to the Doctor and get screened for prostate cancer. Its building awareness of prostate cancer, creating knowledge and empowering men to take action. 



3. What do you hope attendees will remember most about your presentation?

How to manage and leverage a brand in new media like Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to learn more about the event and register.

Attendees at Tuesday’s presentation will also have a chance to win some very cool Movember prizes, including cuff links, t-shirts, and necklaces. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!

The BCAMA Pure Networking event on October 8 was appropriately named; it was PURE networking. There is something about meeting in person over drinks and tapas that can’t be replicated by a social networking website. I have since summed up the sold out event to colleagues and friends as networking on steroids. Wisely held at intimate and upscale Whineos at Granville and Nelson, the place was already hopping when the party officially kicked off at 6:00 PM.

As a newly returning member to the BCAMA, I am veteran volunteer of social business meetings however I have never attended a professional function even close to the Pure Networking event. It’s safe to say that 100% of the people I spoke with were having a great time and indicated they would come back again.

Trina Mousseau, Creative Account Specialist for Inventa, shared her thoughts, “What I love about BCAMA events is that they are very well organized and are always strongly supported by very high caliber professionals. This has been great!”

First time BCAMA event attendee and Marketing and Events Coordinator for Globe Foundation Randall Cook agreed, “I just wanted to see what it’s all about and it’s great! Our office is close by and it is really, really convenient.”

With over 100 A-Types in the same room, everyone had their game face on and the mood was extremely upbeat and friendly with lots of smiles and welcoming faces. There was a positive buzz throughout the packed room and it was clear that confidence and optimism in the local industry was very high.

“I love it,” said first time BCAMA participant Asmin Chen, MBA Candidate 2010 and President of the Art of Selling and Negotiation Club at UBC’s Sauder School of Business. “I’ve heard so much about these events. A lot of people recommend BCAMA events to students starting their career as a great place to meet professionals in the industry.”

Steve Kim, BCAMA board member and President of Boilingpoint Communications, knows the value of attending the Association’s events, “Networking events like these provide the opportunity to meet like-minded people in a friendly and fun environment.”

Ashish Gurung, CEO Nu Experience Design explained his company comes to BCAMA meetings to network with marketing people, “Our company doesn’t create the strategy, however we create the tools that marketers use to communicate their message and this is a great venue to reach those marketers.”

Returning BCAMA event participant and CEO for QuickMobile, Patrick Payne summed it up in two sentences, “I came last year and this is a great event. This is pure networking.”

In addition to agreeing on the networking aspect, the people I spoke with were also very happy with the value. Pure Networking was a fun and informal night out at a cool boutique lounge seeing old friends and making new ones. All for only 15 bucks and it included a free drink and a ton of delicious tapas.

I look forward to attending the next Pure Networking event in late November.

Rich can be reached at richp@constructioncreative.com

View his profile at: www.linkedin.com/in/richporayko

This month’s interview is with Martin Reed, the Director of Marketing and Creative Services at Central 1 Credit Union.

Martin Reed

How long have you been a BCAMA member? Three years What type of marketing do you employ? B2B and B2C marketing and communication. Have you attended any BCAMA events? If so, which ones? Breakfasts, speakers and the annual Marketer of the Year Gala

Have you used the network that BCAMA provides, for job searching or
business opportunities?

Not really – mostly educational and a bit of networking

What is unique about BCAMA?

The association provides good quality and value for marketers

What school did you attend and what degree did you achieve?

Bachelor of Commerce, Major Marketing (with Distinction) Concordia University, Montreal

Do you have a LinkedIn profile we can refer to for additional information?

Yes: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/5/445/787

Interview conducted by Camilla Crawfurd, BCAMA Member Appreciation Manager. If you would like to be featured in Member Spotlight, please contact us at bcama.membership@gmail.com.

BC Hydro’s marketing success is truly a story for the ages!

There’s still time to get in on early bird pricing, so don’t delay. For all the details, click here.

But like all good business people, marketers also understand the power of networking. We all know it takes only one good relationship to open opportunities for sales or advance one’s career, but finding the time to network can be extremely tough. So at times, you have to make the best use of your time and work the floor to meet as many people as possible.

At the  BCAMA AGM, we had our first Speed Networking event. Patricia Wu, our director of Special Events kindly passed along some tips from the event. They make for great pointers for anyone looking to speed network or, at the very least, refresh themselves on some basics.

10 Tips For Speed Networking Success

1. Have the right tools

Bring lots of business cards, a pen and the right mindset (smile, make eye contact, and remember a firm handshake)

2. Think about your goals

Be prepared to have one or two. Are you looking to hire? Looking for general contacts in the marketing industry? Are you promoting your business?

Make it easy for someone to help you. The more concise you are in the descriptions of yourself and your goals, the better your odds for success.

3. Know short statements about yourself

Just like elevator pitches, it pays to prepare a few lines about yourself and your business/company/service. Think about what you are looking for and how you can benefit others as well.

4. Practice the art of the business card

Always have yours ready to give out. After meeting someone, read the business card of the person while chatting. This shows interest and helps you to remember his/her name. Take the time to write a brief note while the other person is talking. And try to separate yours from the ones you receive.

5. Help others and get leads yourself

Goodwill goes a long way. After meeting someone, if you see an opportunity to help them with their goals, please do. Chances are the favour will be returned. It might not be tomorrow, but you might benefit in the months to come.

6. Make time after an event

You might only have enough time to chat for a few minutes, so ask people to talk in greater detail after initial introductions. This opens more time to meet more people and sets up a quick next step in nurturing a business relationship.

7. Don’t miss potential synergy

Always think about future endeavors. Be direct and propose a date and time.

8. Follow up

It’s easy to brush it off, but take the time to send a thank you email to initiate additional communication. If relevant, think about inviting new contacts into your social media networks like LinkedIn.

9. Be professional and courteous

No brainer here. This isn’t speed dating, so remember to keep your level of professionalism high.

10. Have fun and be yourself

Networking is about making a connection, so have fun and your positive vibes will be infectious.

So if you have the need for speed, remember some of the points above as they will go a long way to helping you achieve your goals.

They are:

Excellence in Brand Creativity: Red Bull Canada, Vancouver | Sid Lee

Television Campaign: Silver – BC Dairy Foundation | DDB Canada, Vancouver

Television Single Product: Silver & Bronze – BC Dairy Foundation | DDB Canada, Vancouver

Cinema: Silver – Vancouver International Film Festival | TBWA\Vancouver, Bronze x 2 – BC Dairy Foundation | DDB Canada, Vancouver

Other Broadcast: Silver – DDB Canada/Tribal Vancouver

Radio Single: Silver – Mr. Lube | Rethink, Bronze – BCAA | Rethink, Bronze – BC Lions | Rethink

Magazine Campaign: Bronze – Dose.ca | Rethink

Business Press Single: Silver – The Canadian Press | Rethink, Bronze – Tribal DDB Vancouver | DDB Canada, Vancouver

Newspaper Campaign: Bronze – BC Lottery Corporation | TBWA\Vancouver

Newspaper Single: Bronze – BCAA | Rethink, Bronze -Wagstaffe Autobody | Rethink, Bronze – BC Lottery Corporation | TBWA\Vancouver

Non-Traditional Advertising Campaign: Gold – Keys Please | Rethink

Non-Traditional Advertising Single: Silver & Bronze – Science World | Rethink

Andy Rodgers Award For Public Service: Silver – The Looking Glass Foundation | DDB Canada, Vancouver

Public Service Print/Out Of Home Single Or Campaign: Silver & Bronze – Offsetters | Rethink

Public Service Radio Single Or Campaign: Silver – Emergency Communications for Southwest BC | TBWA\Vancouver, Silver & Bronze – Special Olympics Canada | Grey Canada, Bronze – The Looking Glass Foundation | DDB Canada, Vancouver

Public Service Television Sing Or Campaign: Bronze – Alberta’s Libraries | Rethink

Craft Awards: Performance – Mr. Lube | Rethink, Art Direction – BC Dairy Foundation | DDB Canada

For more information, please visit www.marketingmag.ca.

Also, with so much talent in our midst, we look forward to highlighting our talent at our annual Marketer of the Year event set for later this year.

It’s no secret that Microsoft wanted to increase its position in the online search world. Just think back to last year’s Yahoo! drama. So, it should come as no surprise that they moved forward with their own online property.

Launched on May 28, 2009 (deployed worldwide on June 3), bing.com is dubbed as a ‘Decision Engine’, as opposed to a search engine. Interesting positioning indeed, and in some ways quite ingenious as it helps to focus on what users do online.

First, we surfed. Then, we searched. Now, we decide. Over the past few years, there have been numerous reports stating that users (consumers and business) use the Internet to research items so they can make more informed purchase decisions, whether online or in-store. I know I do this as well.

But, regardless of my thoughts on their positioning, it’s time to focus on the real questions at hand:

Does it really work better than the rest?

It’s still pretty early, but some prelim tests (very informal) performed by yours truly seems to suggest it’s results are comparable with Google and Yahoo!.

Will online users switch, or at least incorporate bing.com into their search mix?

Good question. I know in the past, I used to use a number engines in my quest for information, but lately, I’ve been using one. But understanding that bing.com focuses on four key vertical areas (making a purchase decision, planning a trip, researching a health condition or finding a local business), I might be inclined to try. Though I’m iffy on this right now.

The user experience seems to be similar to the others. But, they have included an additional navigation feature on the left side of each page that offers helpful search options for the user. Plus, each search result is categorized on the page so finding the right type of info is, I must say, easier.

Can marketers gain advantage using this tool over its established competitors?

Another good question. I can’t help but think of the saying, “If you build it, they will come.” Let’s face it, if people come, then marketers will incorporate bing.com into their search marketing and SEO (search engine optimization) mix. Without a doubt. Moreover, since it’s focused on purchase related decisions it certainly lends itself well to advertising efforts. In fact, there are already sponsored sites (akin to Google Adwords) at the top and sides of each results page.

But I must admit, although I checked out the back-end admin (adCenter) for marketers to use to manage their ads, I didn’t spend a lot of time playing around with it, let alone create a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ad campaign. Like its competitors, it was easy-to-use and offers the right type of intelligence we need to continually improve our work. They do offer case studies to review as well.

I’m always amazed at the incredible pace of change technology has brought to our marketing lives. Since I started using Yahoo! In the mid/late 90s, I’ve had the chance to see search engines, and marketing tactics using them, evolve over time. It’ll be interesting to see the type of response Microsoft’s entry will garner from the big players. At the end of the day, if we all can make one better decision a day, then it must have some value.

At this time, I would like to ask for your thoughts on bing.com. Will you use it? Do you like it better? Have you already created a campaign?

- editor

The major culprit for the overall decrease? MySpace. Due to a drop in recent traffic figures, eMarketer predicts revenue for MySpace to drop 15% this year to US$495 million compared to an estimated $585 million in 2008. However, there is some positive news out of this as Facebook is expected to increase its ad revenue to about US$230 million, a 9.5% over 2008.

So, what does this mean to marketers? Two things:

First, not all social networking sites are created equal. Investing in a social networking ad campaign requires careful planning on targeting the right audiences, which means putting in the time to carefully weigh out your options and prioritize your dollars. Basic marketing fundamentals, I know. But it’s easy to get caught up in the social media frenzy and target sites based on their overall member numbers without looking deeper at the quality and relevancy of their demographics in regard to your objectives.

Ask yourself, “Which site has the right members (demo + size) for our campaign?”; “Which site offers the right ad formats and placements to help deliver better results?”; “Are there case studies available (from the site itself or from customers)?”

Second, now that social networking has been the buzz for a few years, people are getting savvy in creating and delivering their messages. Everyone understands that social networking sites are based on creating and maintaining friendships. No arguing that point. But it’s a key one to remember. For like all friendships, they take time to develop and nurture. Which means that most marketers who are successfully leveraging these sites are putting in time and resources into building lasting, interactive relationships with members based on trust and two-way communication. Rather than relying on ads (which still work for various types of campaigns), marketers are including social media relations in their strategy* and allocating budgets for people (in-house or outsourced) to manage these activities.

Case in point, eMarketer mentions a survey by Forrester Research, which found that 54% of marketers plan to increase their investment in social media in 2009. So, although ad spending will decrease by 3% this year, marketers are still looking to increase their overall investment… interesting. This certainly highlights the importance of including social media relations initiatives, above and beyond ads, as part of your overall social networking strategy.

So, whether you’re new to social networking or a veteran looking to enhance your programs, keep in mind the old adage they say in the investment world, “the trend is your friend.” And in this case, invest in your ‘friends’ wisely.

* Through an informal survey amongst some colleagues, it’s interesting to note that there are mixed opinions on which strategy social media relations falls under: online marketing or public relations. Of course, diehards will support the notion that it’s in a league of its own… regardless, this raises an important issue of budgeting and resource allocation. Time will tell.

- editor