The original 1968 Hot Wheels^®  “Custom Camaro” was one of the first 16 Hot Wheels^® ever produced – known to some as the “Sweet 16” – and celebrated the then-newfound partnership between Hot Wheels^® and GM Chevrolet. The car was a 1:64-scale toy that used a Spectraflame^® metallic finish, and the Concept emulates the iconic look with its chrome-style metallic-green finish created by putting a tinted topcoat over a shiny base.

Beginning today, the real-life sized replica of the1:64 toy model will bring car enthusiast who grew up playing with it one step closer to making their dreams of driving one a reality.  And, it doesn’t stop with the Concept, the memories continue with the creation of the Hot Wheels^® toy model.  For some enthusiasts, this could mean a new addition to their collection…

Deemed a “must grab item for collectors,” Hot Wheels^® has also created a limited edition model of the Concept car enclosed in a plastic case.  The car is not for sale, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your hands on one!

Canadian International Auto Show patrons will have the chance to vie for the hot collectors item both at the Hot Wheels^® Auto Show booth and on Twitter.  TrojanOne and the Hot Wheels^® brand ambassadors will be facilitating the competition onsite, and encourage all to participate.  If you’re interested in driving away with your very own replica Chevrolet Camaro^®, here’s how:

• Tweet a picture of the Camaro^® @HotWheelsCanada using hashtag #HWCamaro
• Spend $35 on Hot Wheels^® products at participating Toys “R” Us locations

The auto show unveiling coincides with the launch of the updated Hot Wheels^® Live website.  Newly refreshed, the site will continue to be the Canadian online resource for all things wheels.

See you at the 2012 Canadian International Auto Show!

Not to be confused, Canadian Tire will still offer its iconic paper currency for those who just can’t let it go. But customer research shows that while some Canadians continue to cherish the iconic paper bills, many want a more convenient and electronic option for redeeming their Canadian Tire Money. With the use of the electronic rewards card and key chain fob, Canadian Tire will be able to track purchases and preferences, a feat impossible with the paper money, helping Canadian Tire to market products to specific customers.

“Eighty per cent of Canadians visit a Canadian Tire store each year. We value our customers’ loyalty and the Canadian Tire ‘Money’ Advantage program gives us one more way that we can be loyal to them. It offers program members the convenience, assortment and high value of one of the best loyalty programs in the country,” said Rob Shields, senior vice president, marketing, Canadian Tire. “Members will now be able to take home that kitchen appliance, BBQ, snowblower or thousands of other products even faster with our Canadian Tire ‘Money’ Advantage program.”

Further reinforcing Canadian Tire’s commitment to local communities across Canada, the Canadian Tire ‘Money’ Advantage program will offer qualifying community organizations a powerful fundraising tool to help support their efforts. This multi-faceted program means that any Canadian Tire ‘Money’ Advantage points earned on the new loyalty card can be donated to a participating community group and then be redeemed for eligible products in Canadian Tire stores.

Canadian Tire is bringing people to community by offering this unique way of ‘spending’ Canadian Tire Money in a socially responsible way.
Rewards earned can be redeemed for over 90,000 products at the Canadian Tire stores, or can be put towards a donation to an eligible community group, including Canadian Tire Jumpstart.

In designing the program, Canadian Tire sought the input of consumers as well as industry experts, including engaging a leading North American customer loyalty firm to review 10 of the most comparable and well-known customer loyalty programs in Canada. According to the study, the Canadian Tire ‘Money’ Advantage program will rank among the top two in Canada for loyalty programs. Canadian Tire will use the pilot period to gather firsthand customer feedback on the program.

Make new friends,
But keep the old.
One is Silver,
The other Gold.

I have tried to live most of my life and my career this way. Like any principle, it’s easier said than done. But it’s probably the most valuable one I have professionally.

As a businessperson, I have only one asset. My network. I can’t program websites, cure diseases, or fly planes. Yet!

What I do is pretty simple. I help people do their jobs better. If I do that, then I usually am rewarded with more business.

But lately I have been struggling with a unique dilemma. It really came to light when I had to make an important decision about a key supplier recently. Usually I am not involved in those decisions, but in this case two employees wanted me to make the final call. Because it was sensitive.

In the end, we dumped a strong supplier who had done good work for us, but had some hiccups on the last project, for another supplier who we have done a bit of work with but not tons. However, I have known one of the partners forever as he is a former client, and admittedly has become a bit of an “industry” friend.

As I made the final “call,” on who to go with, I commented to my staff: “Supplier X has really gone all-out on several pitches for us they haven’t won, while Supplier Y (the incumbent), hardly ever even touches base with me.” So feeling ignored, I went with the new supplier, which involves an old acquaintance.

Later that night a moment of panic set in. What if my own clients are feeling the same way about me? I have been so busy lately doing pitches, taking on new development tasks for our Partnership Marketing properties, and other things… I haven’t really been as engaged with my clients as I should.

I know they are being well taken care of by my staff, but still I am the (majority) owner of the agency and often the first relationship many of our clients held with us.

So I whipped out some of my Success Magazines and CD’s, a few Dale Carnegie books and a Tom Peters tome (The Little Big Things); and started searching for some inspiration, ideas and insights… to stay connected with my current clients.

Wow, I thought. I have a ton of lunches to book. Leaf games to schedule. Raptors games to attend (I can’t believe I missed Lin-sanity this week), coffees to sip and beers to savour.

Then I thought maybe I could send out a joke Valentine’s card to all my clients. Of course I still love you.

Hmm… maybe I could use my blog. Sort of a mass (but impersonal) group hug?

You may think, given the subject of these vowels, that is where I wound up. No it wasn’t. Instead I fished out the poem. Gave it a read. Promised myself I would read it once a day for 21 days and apply the basic principles of habit forming. If you think repeatedly about something, it will become habit.

Repeat as above!

Make new friends,

But keep the old.
One is silver,
The other is gold.

A circle is round,
It has no end.
That’s how long,
I will be your friend.

A fire burns bright,
It warms the heart.
We’ve been friends,
From the very start.

You have one hand,
I have the other.
Put them together,
We have each other.

Silver is precious,
Gold is too.
I am precious,
And so are you.

You help me,
And I’ll help you.
And together,
We will see it through.

The sky is blue,
The Earth is green.
I can help,
To keep it clean.

Across the land,
Across the sea.
Friends forever,
We will always be.

In 2012, the Canadian Sponsorship Forum invites you to tap into your passions, while joining an elite group of the industry’s most influential thought leaders and decision makers as we uncover the paradigm of sponsorship success.

Register before March 31, 2012 and receive two free nights accommodation at Le Westin Montréal.

“Working with School Sport Canada and Nike to bring the Nike High School Grand Prix to life has been an exciting process,” said Mark Harrison, President, TrojanOne. “When we came to Nike and School Sport Canada with the event, we could all immediately see that this was an unique way to bring high school athletes together. The Nike High School Grand Prix will be a premier, once-in-a-lifetime track and field experience for all participants that we hope will create lasting memories.”

Uniting high school athletes from across Canada in a celebration of sport, culture and team pride, the objective of this initiative is to inspire excellence in high school athletes, while bringing together students, coaches, teachers, families and friends to celebrate track and field as a sport. Student athletes will be immersed in an environment in which they can develop new skills, while making new friends and experiencing the pinnacle in Canadian track and field athletics.

With 200,000 high school track and field athletes across Canada, Nike High School Grand Prix will unite 312 high school-level athletes, representing 24 teams – 12 male and 12 female – from 12 provinces/territories.  It will consist of a 10-event track and field competition, including 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m race, 110m hurdles (boys), 100m hurdles (girls), long jump, high jump, shot put and the 4x100m cross provincial relay.

Although the competition itself will take place on May 12, the experience is one that will last the entire weekend with athletes participating in numerous social and educational events including seminars, keynote speakers and tours of Toronto, the hosting city.  The Nike High School Grand Prix competition will take place May 11 – 13, 2012 at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Centre.

Watch full media launch event here.

]]> http://www.canadiansponsorshipforum.com/nike-high-school-grand-prix-the-ultimate-high-school-track-field-challenge/feed/ 0 http://www.canadiansponsorshipforum.com/montreal-canadians/ http://www.canadiansponsorshipforum.com/montreal-canadians/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:27:27 +0000 Mark Harrison http://www.canadiansponsorshipforum.com/?p=5023 It’s a bit of an oxymoron, but lunching with Andy Nulman  is a gas. If you don’t know Andy Nulman, he is the über-charismatic president of the Just for Laughs Festival. It’s his second stint with JFL, the first starting after he was fired as a journalist at 23 and then in 15 meteoric years rose to CEO of JFL. Then left to start Airborne Entertainment, sold it for $110 million, then bought it back for way less, and then returned to JFL in 2010. Wow… And what have YOU done in the last 20 years?

Last week, I jammed a whirlwind dose of Montréal into a 27-hour window. It’s amazing to me that despite the fact I go to the village formerly known as Hochelaga quite often, it never feels often enough. That’s good news for Porter, as I need to go back again soon. What I have realized is that it’s more than the charm of the city and the lure of its events that keeps me coming, but rather it’s the people that provide its spark.

Ironically, my Tour de New France started in Toronto at a Tourisme Montréal lunch hosted by mon ami, Patrick Dault. If you ever want to meet someone from the Old Port who is smooth, charming and as witty as he is handsome, then Patrick isn’t your guy. On the other hand, if you want to burst your sides laughing, get plugged into the who’s who of the city and have your hometown badly mispronounced and misspelled (true story: he once wrote me an email about “Orillia,” but spelled it “Aurelia!”), then he is your man.

Patrick and his colleagues were hosting some Anglos (okay, my words, not their’s at all!!!) at Brassaii … and sharing with us the spirit of their current campaign: “à la Montréal.”  I would actually sub-title it “sealed with a kiss!” There is a ton going on in Montréal these days including the opening of its own ice hotel, as well as the Fête des Neiges Festival. We had a chance to work with Fête des Neiges with a new event, the Intact Day on Skates, which we produced in conjunction with Speed Skating Canada. Hundreds of newbies got a chance to don the long blades and try out their strides.

Back to Patrick. Who is he and why is he getting such a blatant “plug” in my blog? This man is a connector. I am not sure if that is the correct Malcolm Gladwell term, but if you want to get plugged into Montréal, Patrick is the guy. So, I am sharing a wee competitive secret of mine. But I like PD, so go ahead.

My real tour started when I landed in the real Montréal later that same evening. There, I put myself in the hands of one of the country’s most creative experiential marketing minds, Jonathan Singer. On paper, you could suggest his firm, JSEM, is a competitor to mine. That would not be providing him the proper accolades! JSEM is a smart, smart shop. And I consider Jonathan a friend first, and a foe last! What I love about travelling, is hitting restaurants off the beaten path. It’s the local place, where your host gets the Cheers treatment. JS didn’t disappoint, taking me to Lucille’s Oyster Dive on Monkland Avenue in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce area of the city.

It’s the size of my office, but crammed with an after-work crowd that felt like they had all gone to kindergarten together. The perfect place for two aging men (JS is soon to be 40… but looks 30 – the prick) to talk about the fun and follies of managing agencies, clients, and staff, as well as discussing other industry characters! (You KNOW who you are!)

The Westin, the site of our 2012 Canadian Sponsorship Forum, put me up in a snazzy room in its new hotel. I love The Westin.  Its service levels are out of this world. The “frontside” check-in is a brilliant service move. If you don’t know what that is, you haven’t been to a Westin. (Now Viriginia, there were no sponsorship or referral dollars paid for this blog!)

Prior to my lunch with Monsieur Nulman and his confrere, Stephane Cherpit, at the Buonanotte, I had meetings with the Montréal Gazette, the Westin event staff and Astral Media.

In a few short hours, I learned about the Festival Western de St-Tite, which includes professional rodeos, country music and dancing! It’s voted “Best Outdoor Rodeo in North America” and brings over 450,000 visitors every September.  I also met fireball Danick Archambault from Astral, who is going to be a speaker for us at this year’s Canadian Sponsorship Forum. Meeting with Nadia Orobello, the sponsorship manager for the Gazette, was awesome as she shared with me the good news that the newspaper is now a digital-first business – so now I can read it with ease on my iPad during all these travels. After talks of all this media, I realized that we needed to meet with Info Presse, a news portal in French.  I also learned how newspapers are now activating B2B sponsorships to drive their business, and I heard first-hand about the marketing power of Astral’s Teen Idol property, known as MixMania in Québec. MixMania is an artistic adventure camp lasting a period of nine weeks, from March 24-May 27, 2012.  Broadcast on TV by VRAK, this show has no eliminations and the eight finalists continue together for the entire duration of the show, giving these chosen teens the chance of a lifetime! In addition to all this, Astral’s VRAK TV, in partnership with Yoplait’s YOP, Rogers and Just Dance 2, host the KARV Awards. Known as the “anti.gala” of the year, it’s opposite to other award shows with quirky twists like in 2007 when the stars arrived to a green carpet, following the evenings theme: the environment.

My weekend also led me to hear about the great things that Simon Cazelais from Bleu Blanc Rouge is up to, including work with Lafleur for its 100^th anniversary, as well as work on the series Hawaii 5-0 on Series+, where the steamy campaign could be found on billboards and the radio.

Then, I sat down with Andy and Stephane and things hit warp speed. Impossible?

Nulman re-writes the book when it comes to fascinating. I hope he doesn’t mind my little dose of hero worship. It’s just rarer than rare to meet someone who has a sharp business mind, is unbelievably creative and writes in his spare time to relax. I often think I have the magic for the Forum (yes I am boasting) inside of me. But sharing our draft agenda with Andy makes me feel like I was organizing a lemonade stand with sour lemons. Placed in his hands, the Forum started flying on a magical plane, so much higher than I could ever dream of.

Ideation and brainstorming are fun, but there are two fundamental business reminders I took from this session, which I will share. They aren’t rocket science but they are crucial. #1 is old but relevant in this area of email relationships, Skype meetings, and tweeted feedback: Get on a plane and see people. You get more done and more value created in an hour face-to-face than a mega KB’s could ever generate. #2 is newer but not new: Content is king. I have always looked at my events like Disney World. Just yesterday at our Nike High School Grand Prix media launch, I reminded one of my teammates that once the event starts he is a character for our guests… in fact, I said you are Mickey Mouse – in a good way! But Andy has taken my perspective on our Forum beyond being an amusement ride, and positioned it as an all-encompassing entertainment experience. There are planned activities that are on the agenda. There are also planned activities that are not on the agenda, so they appear spontaneous. (Yes we can be that contrived). The unplanned activities truly are spontaneous, unless you consider the fact the circumstances were tilted to create some action.

All of us are in the content business. Your next business lunch is not a meeting. It’s a performance. It’s a show. And it should be a laugh!

The introduction of the Junior Skills™ Qualifying Events competition brought 41 finalists from across Canada to compete in Ottawa on the Rideau Canal during the 2012 NHL® All-Star Celebration, held on January 28 and 29.  Competitors were divided into six groups, with representation from every province across Canada. Awards were given to a male and female from each of the Novice, Atom and Peewee divisions. The Junior Skills™ champions were recognized on center ice during the Molson Canadian NHL® All-Star Skills Competition.

In partnership with the National Hockey League®, Canadian Tire carried out a Canada-wide Event Tour, inviting youth ages 7-12 to compete in the Canadian Tire NHL Junior Skills™ Qualifying Events. With support from Canadian Tire Hockey School and integrated marketing agency TrojanOne, XMC, High Road Communications and North Strategic, the tour brought together more than 2,500 competitors, with only the strongest contenders selected to compete in the National Championships.

Contenders were selected based on performance in four challenge areas: fastest skating, shooting accuracy, puck control and passing accuracy.  In addition to earning the opportunity to compete for the title of Canada’s most skilled youth hockey player, the 41 finalists received passes to the Molson Canadian NHL® All-Star Skills Competition and the Tim Hortons NHL® All-Star Game.

Year after year, the Canadian Sponsorship Forum strives to provide its delegates with unforgettable memories and extraordinary experiences. This year is no exception. As if our insightful and inspiring conference line-up, unrivalled networking events and world-renowned Just For Laughs Festival, weren’t enough to keep you busy, we’ve done a little digging to bring you a list of some of the city’s must sees and do’s. Come early or extend your stay. Just make sure you join us at the 2012 Canadian Sponsorship Forum and experience first hand what all the buzz is about. Register today!

An Old City Stroll

Vieux-Montréal is a great place to start your Montréal adventure.  Deemed one of the most beautiful, well-preserved old towns in North America, it is a perfect example of why this city is so unique.  While there, enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride, or stop in at the many shops that line this historic walking area.

Must-see Museums

If museums are your favourite place to pass the time, then the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts is sure to please.  One of Canada’s most famous museums, it hosts a vast collection of international contemporary pieces, as well as Canadian exhibits.

For the history buff in you, the Canadian Railway Museum is a popular attraction.  It boasts having more than 150 locomotives, cars and railway vehicles.

Another great museum is the Pointe-a-Calliere Archeological Museum, founded to mark Montréal’s 350^th birthday.  This museum and its site are intricately linked, showing evidence of more than 1,000 years of human activity.  On display are architectural remains, a sizeable archaeology museum and hundreds of artifacts.

Attractions

Montréal is nothing short of stunning, and its attractions play a huge role in building this city’s cultural capital.  One of the top listed places to visit in Montréal is Notre-Dame Basilica.  Built in 1565, it is one of Montréal’s oldest Catholic churches and is famous for its detailed interior design.

St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal is another must-see on your visit to Montréal.  It is one of the largest shrines dedicated to Saint Joseph in the world, and includes a votive chapel containing 10,000 lights and votive candles, as well as its own museum.

The locals refer to it as “the mountain,” and Mount Royal is sure to give you a different perspective of Montréal.  At 764 feet, Mount Royal provides a breathtaking view of the city.

A Montréal Bite

A trip to La Belle Province would not be complete without indulging in a deliciously, authentic poutine.  Made up of hot, crispy, French fries, piled high with a mountain of salty cheese curds and drenched in rich, brown gravy, this mouth-watering indulgence couldn’t be more so enjoyed, then in its native birthplace . Some of the top-rated places in Montréal to enjoy one, include:

• Maamm Bold
• La Banquise
• Patati Patata

Both Intact Insurance Day on Skates events will include different speed skating-related activities, such as speed skating clinics led by professional speed skaters, open skating sessions (rental skates will be provided free of charge), demonstrations by local SSC Club athletes, hot chocolate vouchers and other great giveaways.

The Montréal event – happening this weekend, February 4 and 5 – will take place in Montréal’s Parc Jean Drapeau. The event will occur alongside the annual Fête des Neiges – an outdoors winter festival that incorporates a variety of activities, such as tube slide, zip-line and ice hockey.

On February 11 and 12, Intact Insurance Day on Skates glides into Toronto at the Natrel Rink at Harbourfront Centre. The event will include appearances and autograph sessions by Olympic speed skaters Kristina Groves and Catriona LeMay Doan, and former Toronto Maple Leafs player Darcy Tucker. Other highlights include giveaways, displays of the Olympic torch and medals, photo opportunities and a VIP area for Intact Insurance brokers and employees.

Following the event launches in Montréal and Toronto, the Intact Insurance Day on Skates program is expected to expand across the country in the coming years.

Just kidding!

Nevertheless, “NHL” All-Star Weekend does rock in countless ways. You may not understand unless you’ve had a chance to be part of more than just the game. The NHL has taken this weekend and elevated it to a major, major, major league marketing extravaganza.

Whether it be the Scotiabank NHL Fan Fair, or the Energizer Lithium Lounge at Saturday night’s party hosted at the Molson Canadian Hockey House, there is something for young and old.

The weekend brought over 400 media to Ottawa, from which the event was broadcasted in 150 countries. But it also brought more than just media. Over 7,000 rooms were booked in local hotels. The city looked great, and this weekend truly was an all-star debut for Ottawa – yielding an economic gain of over $30 million.  And, I think it’s fair to say that it’s left not only me, but also all the other fans, with doting memories of Ottawa’s All-Star weekend.

For me personally, the past, present and future of hockey collided at center ice.

It began with me meeting Willie O’Ree, the first black hockey player in the NHL. A friend introduced him to me at the hotel bar, and when we made eye contact, my epidermal layer froze. You must understand that as a black goalie growing up in Orillia, who was told by opposing players and coaches they would chop me up into hockey pucks or skin me and make me hockey tape, I was well aware of O’Ree’s status as the sport’s Jackie Robinson. So, while he played less than fifty NHL games, he was in my mind, a pioneer. Indeed it was 13 years after his last NHL game in 1961, before another black player cracked the league’s rosters.

Mr. O’Ree played in the minors until he was 43, even winning a scoring title at the age of 39 before he retired from the game. Today at 76, he is a living Energizer Bunny, travelling from his San Diego home for 15 days every month to do promotional and motivational appearances.

Mr. O’Ree: you were an inspiration when I was a kid, but even more so now!

The past continued to haunt me – in a good way – when I ran into Johnny Bower. “Mr. Bower,” I exclaimed. “You were my goalie coach at Haliburton Hockey Haven 35 years ago!”

Bower remembered coaching there, our goalies-only dining table and some of his co-coaches. Alas, he didn’t quite remember me. Strange, given I thought I was pretty good at the poke check he taught me!

Bower told me that at 87, the secret to his healthy lifestyle is being married to the sweetest woman in the world. Sage advice for all of us searching for the fountain of youth.

The present and the future became intertwined on my bus ride to the NHL Skills Competition. Our bus was beyond full, so I ended up sharing my row with a father and son from P.E.I. The dad, who like so many Canadian men, doubled as his son’s hockey coach, and this was a particularly proud weekend because his son had qualified for the Canadian Tire NHL Junior Skills National Championship.

It was the Canadian Tire NHL Junior Skills National Championship that gathered 1,500 youth ages 7-12 in a nation-wide competition with the ultimate prize: NHL All-Star hockey treatment.  The final 41 qualifiers were sent to Ottawa, where they competed based on performances in four challenge areas: fastest skating, shooting accuracy, puck control and passing accuracy. Though there were only six championship spots, all 41 qualifiers were awarded passes to the Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game.  The ultimate prize, however, was the announcement of the finalists on NHL ice, in front of NHL stars and a jam-packed stadium.

If the youngster from P.E.I. hadn’t qualified on the basis of his hockey skills, he would have been a shoo-in had there been a charisma category! This lad was entertaining, articulate, energetic and way too funny. After congratulating him on participating and hearing his dad rave about the way they had been treated by the NHL and Canadian Tire, I had to confess to them that CTC was my client.

That generated a lot of discussion about what I did for a living and then led to Junior grilling everyone in sight about what they did for a living. Our section of the bus was filled with the sports marketing mafia of sponsors, agencies and other properties, so there was a lot to chew on for him. He didn’t spare anyone or any topic. Besides titles and roles, he also wanted to know how old the “lady” from Scotiabank was.

Presently, Junior advised us that his dad is a chef! Pops asked him why he brought that up, and corrected him that he was a cook at a local hospital. Junior was undeterred, but confessed he spoke up because everyone else was “dropping their titles!”

I asked Junior how his weekend was going. He loved his free stick from Sherwood. He was disappointed his team back home won without him. He treasured his new NHL mini-stick. He was bummed he couldn’t use it in the hotel hallways. He loved the new friend he met at the airport.  He was disappointed he didn’t win the Junior Skills competition. He liked the bus ride to the Scotiabank Place arena and talking to the nice-looking man next to his dad. Since he was referring to me, I asked if he needed glasses. That was a mistake; this kid could out trash talk me any day!

As I wrap this blog up, I daydream of the youngster I met, or any of the Junior Skills kids, who have put their experiences to paper as well. They are the future, but already being celebrated in the present, and the memories they will one day share when they reach my age – a reflection of the past – will be even more special.