http://blog.totembrandstories.com Brand Stories Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:54:35 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 2011-12-19 19:54:35 [/caption]
Over the last four months, Totem has been working on the site, giving it a contemporary, stylish look and feel, and focusing more on the communications industry and what NABS is doing to help.

It includes more details on NABS’ programs, partners and how to get involved, in addition to downloadable videos telling the unique and personal stories of the people in our industry that NABS has helped.

Each page now includes quick links and an upcoming events sidebar, and it also incorporates social media, like a Twitter feed and links to Facebook and Youtube. NABS can even update the website themselves, including a weekly NABS ad auction.

"With times as tough as they are now, it's imperative that NABS reach out efficiently and effectively to people in need," said Cathy Whelan Molloy, Chair of NABS national Marketing & Communications committee.

The new website is one way Totem has given back to an organization that does so much for our industry. NABS is the only charitable organization in Canada that provides assistance to communications and related industry professionals who may need help due to illness, injury unemployment or financial difficulties. NABS services include financial assistance and a national toll-free HELPLINE (1-888-355-5548) for personal, career and financial counseling services.

Founded in 1984 and supported 100% by the industry, NABS has contributed more than $8 million to thousands of industry colleagues and their families. NABS has chapters in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, and provides services in all provinces across Canada.

Check out their new site at www.nabs.org
]]> http://blog.totembrandstories.com/2011-12-19-what-we-do-a-new-nabs-in-time-for-the-new-year 2011-12-16 21:15:48 Happy holidays, everyone!

]]> http://blog.totembrandstories.com/2011-12-16-what-we-do-totem-year-in-review 2011-12-05 21:46:16

Just before Thanksgiving, GEICONow magazine's Fall/Winter 2011 issue arrived in Geico customers’ mailboxes. It’s filled with helpful information and ideas on how to enjoy the best of life.

Last year, GEICONow won a Gold Magnum Opus for Best Insurance Magazine and we think this issue is yet another step forward. It would have been impossible to miss either of the bold covers, both fantastic expressions of the magazine's fun evolution.

Conscious that the book was arriving into a backdrop of challenging times, the editorial confronts spending and savings head-on within an informative info-graphic format.

On the lighter side, we offer up affordable gift-giving ideas in a colorful guide, discuss the importance of having a good laugh in your life, and encourage policyholders to embrace icy weather with a trip to Alaska.

As always, we also cover off practical ways GEICO is always there to help, whether it's the company's new car-buying service, their award-winning mobile apps, or their involvement in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.]]> http://blog.totembrandstories.com/2011-12-05-what-we-do-geiconows-fallwinter-2011 2011-12-01 21:20:16
Merriam-Webster defines luxury as: “a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort.” It is further qualified as a “sumptuous environment.”

This would support the notion that luxury is relative, though I don’t think Einstein weighed in on the subject. At Totem, we’ve certainly observed an evolving notion of luxury as a brand-able element of our clients’ products or offerings. From the subtle to the overt, the sublime to the ostentatious — luxury is perhaps more a state of mind than a tally of material goods.

In our work — please visit the Totem Luxury Portfolio Viewing Site — we’ve covered and contextualized just about every notion of luxury.

With Rouge, our print and digital program for P&G, is defined around the personal indulgence of a beauty makeover using P&G’s premium products — seemingly subtle gestures that can have a large impact on a consumer’s mindset.

In Acura Style magazine, we bring our luxury filter to bear in an automobile category filled with fierce competition, where the brand differentiation is decidedly not about sizzle and flash, but rather quiet confidence and unparalleled performance. And this truly helps set Acura apart.

The Reside magazine Totem published for Sotheby's International Realty targeted a consumer of rarefied wealth and accomplishment, practically unfathomable for most. And so, the pages of the magazine delivered highly refined, highly exclusive content designed to tantalize a consumer that is, understandably, rather difficult to impress.

Similarly, our work for Georgia's Sea Island was designed to build on the heritage and prestige of this resort and residence by telling the stories of its visitors, staff and owners. Part historical monograph and party glossy showcase, the Sea Island magazine was both a calling card for the property and an account of the goings-on that gave the island its considerable character.

Another refuge for the wealthy, The Cliffs Communities was born in 1991 in the Carolina Preserve, a unique swath of land that's full of mystique and history. Totem created Seasons magazine to capture the spirit and enthusiasm of the community, in lush photography and carefully crafted articles and profiles.

For most people, and indeed most of our clients, luxury is a little more accessible, a little more democratic. The Aeroplan promise is that anyone can achieve enough points to reward themselves with a personal indulgence, be it a trip, a fine meal at a top restaurant or a fun little décor item for the home.  And so we reflect this in Aeroplan Arrival, which comes to life as both a magazine and a website.

At Michael C. Fina, the New York City purveyor of fine housewares, jewelry and watches, their tremendous offering of brands and product means that there’s something for everyone. But in the exquisite catalogue we designed, we showcased the best of the best, because sometimes you just want to dream…

And if luxury wasn’t about dreams, it would lose its cachet, don’t you think?]]> http://blog.totembrandstories.com/2011-12-01-pov-musings-on-luxury 2011-11-23 17:05:46

MARKETING ACTIVATION:

View video about the new branding and visit the refreshed  Transcontinental website here: TC. Transcontinental.

MONTREAL, Nov. 23, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - To better reflect its evolution into a leading player in the new marketing communications landscape, Transcontinental today launched a new brand, logo and positioning: TC. Transcontinental, the Canadian leader in marketing activation. The new brand better reflects the company's comprehensive and integrated marketing communications offering, including print, media, digital, interactive and mobile. The new trademark will be known as TC. Transcontinental, and its two sectors as TC. Media and TC. Transcontinental Printing.

"As our customers' needs have evolved, so have we. What customers rightly expect is proactivity, creativity, innovation, strategy, customization and market intelligence. Our new brand launch is a logical milestone in the disciplined roll-out of the development plan we began implementing in 2008 to strengthen our core operations and build new marketing communications services," said François Olivier, President and CEO of TC. Transcontinental.

Beyond the truncation of the word Transcontinental, the 't' in the new 'tc'  stands for technology, while the 'c' represents community. In the chosen typography, the bold, upright 't' embodies confidence and solidity. The 'c', with its generous opening, signifies willingness to communicate.  The red dot from the former logo is transformed into a black one, which represents the digital economy as well as the point of contact between the company and its customers.  The logo is black or white, depending on context and usage.  Keeping the main typographic element devoid of color will allow the use of various colors to illustrate sub-brands.

"This is as much about change as it is about continuity. Printing, mixed with other platforms, is still the primary driver of marketing communications today. It remains the most efficient channel to drive traffic to the Internet; new media perform best when associated with printing. Our expertise in these areas provides our clients with the best of both worlds by smartly combining the proven and the upcoming," explained Mr. Olivier.

With a rich history of innovation, disciplined adaptation to changing customer needs, and its specialization in marketing activation, TC. Transcontinental is uniquely positioned in Canada to help customers attract, acquire and retain their target consumers.  Marketing activation is the method TC. Transcontinental uses to bring a brand message to life through a strategic, integrated campaign that leverages the full potential of a wide range of marketing communications tools in order to maximize results and provide the greatest return on customer marketing investment.

TC. Transcontinental's integrated offering includes strategic planning and creation, printing products, mobile applications and services, distribution services, interactive and digital products, content and media drivers, and database analytics.

For the past year, the company has worked with Cohesion Strategies, a Montreal-based consultancy specialized in brand strategy, and Bleublancrouge, a Montreal-based advertising and design agency, on the strategic assessment and redesign of the brand. As part of the process, TC. Transcontinental also updated and reaffirmed its core company values of innovation, respect, teamwork and performance.

About TC. Transcontinental

TC. Transcontinental creates marketing products and services that allow businesses to attract, reach and retain their target customers. The Corporation is the largest printer in Canada and the fourth-largest in North America. As the leading publisher of consumer magazines and French-language educational resources, and of community newspapers in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, it is also one of Canada's top media groups. TC. Transcontinental is also the leading door-to-door distributor of advertising material in Canada through its celebrated Publisac network in Quebec and Targeo in the rest of Canada. Thanks to a wide digital network of more than 1,000 websites, the company reaches over 13 million unique visitors per month in Canada. The company also offers interactive marketing products and services that use new communication platforms supported by marketing strategy and planning services, database analytics, pre-media, e-flyers, email marketing, custom communications and mobile solutions.

TC. Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.A, TCL.B, TCL.PR.D) has 10,000 employees in Canada and the United States, and reported revenues of C$2.1 billion in 2010. For more information about the corporation, please visit www.tc.tc]]> http://blog.totembrandstories.com/2011-11-23-new-brand-emphasizes-the-companys-integrated-offering-in-marketing-activation 2011-11-11 22:20:43 Food is what brings us together and it’s also one of the greatest gifts we can offer those gathered around our table. So in the spirit of giving, the holiday issue of Inspired guides readers through every celebration and entertaining occasion. We get back to basics with all the holiday classics: roast the perfect turkey (or three other stunning main dishes), step up your sides with veggies that shine, raise the bar with colourful signature cocktails and whip up sugary confections like Candy Cane Chocolate Whoopie Pies and Salted Caramel Nut Brittle.

For the lulls in your packed holiday schedule, we’ve organized our weeknight meals based on prep time — pull together a mussels main dish in 15 minutes or spend 30 on steak and sweet potatoes. And for a palate cleanser in the midst of this feeding frenzy, our Lighten Up story features four restorative recipes to help you find balance.

Our grand finale — or the brilliant beginning, depending on which side you’re on — is our flip book: a 13-page Holiday Planner packed with upscale yet effortless entertaining solutions, from cheeses and appetizers to boxed chocolates and desserts – all of them gifts to both the host and guests alike.

Find Inspired at your local Sobeys, Foodland or IGA, online at inspired.ca or download it onto your iPad from inspired.ca/apps.]]> http://blog.totembrandstories.com/2011-11-11-inspired-holiday-issue 2011-11-09 15:42:48 [/caption]

Here at Totem, we love online content. We really do. But we never forget about print, not just because our roots are based in magazines, but because we've always subscribed to the notion that print and digital can work together to deliver a complete user experience. Of course, there are times when a digital solution makes the most sense, but some recent studies looking at consumer behaviour with catalogues indicate that print still has an important role to play in the media mix.

Take the retail sector, for example. According to the Royal Mail Home Tracking Study, 45% of customers browse through catalogues before making a purchase online—and this is a growing trend. In 2005, 30% of people consulted a catalogue as well as the web; in 2009 that figure had risen to 43%. And a 2011 Econsultancy study found that 45% of U.S. consumers used a catalogue before making a purchase in store or online.

It’s a trend that top brands are clearly embracing, with no shortage of catalogues in our stores and on our doorsteps. Totem has taken that idea a step further for one of our newest publications, Show & Tell, a biannual magalogue that we produce for Aeroplan, Canada’s premier frequent flyer program. It showcases the wide variety of Aeroplan Rewards—from Callaway golf clubs to Swarovski jewellery and even hotel stays—in a great-looking editorial package. The big idea is to inspire members to use their Aeroplan Miles in new and interesting ways.



What better way to begin that thought process than with a glossy magazine, delivered direct to the member’s home? It’s easy to forget the power of something tangible, and in this case you can circle your favourite stuff, scribble notes, pass it along to your spouse. Show & Tell is designed to encourage this type of leisurely content consumption. Products are grouped into categories so members can weigh all the options and editorial stories show products in a lifestyle context. The print channel engages and inspires; when it’s time to visit aeroplan.com to redeem miles, a more functional content experience awaits.

Online content without print is like a great meal without a great wine—they’re fine on their own, but put them together and both become so much more awesome. Getting the mix just right is the difference between a good brand and a great one.]]> http://blog.totembrandstories.com/2011-11-09-totem-buzz-showandtell-content 2011-11-08 20:49:13 The holidays are upon us. We’re giving CENTURY 21 Preferred Client Club members something to celebrate with the arrival of the November/December issue of At Home With CENTURY 21. We’ve filled the issue with all things festive, from outdoor lighting tips to a DVD gift guide (we included Mad Men, natch). Flip to the “Haute for the Holidays” special—there, readers can master the art of Draper-esque, old-school elegance for their next yuletide soiree.

(Holiday haters are covered, too—check out hot trends like statement armchairs and great rooms, or how to make a cool welcome mat or chic planter for your front door.)

All these great stories are what helps set CENTURY 21 apart in a crowded real estate market—with five issues (and our first year) under our belt and 300,000 copies in homes each issue, we’re off to an amazing start. Here’s to a happy holiday season, and a year filled with compelling content.]]> http://blog.totembrandstories.com/2011-11-08-what-we-do-the-novemberdecember-issue-of-at-home-with-century-21 2011-11-08 20:15:37
The Custom Content Council's Pearl Award winners were recognized last night in New York City, and Totem and Transcontinental were big winners! We took 13 awards — four of them Gold — in a wide variety of categories, from digital and social media, to art direction and design, to overall content in print and online.

We’re proud of this recognition of Totem’s commitment to the kind of quality content that demonstrates our expertise as marketing journalists. As well, these Pearl Awards affirm the success of our approach to maximizing the effectiveness of content across channels, using a variety of digital tools and techniques. The Gold award for Home Depot Garden Club recognizes our strong overall web design, and when combined with a nod for our integration of social media and community-building tactics, this speaks to our unique approach to content within a holistic user-centric environment.

With a Gold in Photography and Overall Design — for two of our print pieces, At Home with Century 21 and Acura Style, respectively — we’re extremely proud of our creative teams’ solid deployment of superior image-driven magazine techniques. And a Gold for Best Regular Department affirms the meticulous work our Century 21 editorial staff puts into designing and defining strong front-of-book devices that deliver both reader value and brand messaging.

We just love content and we love making it work for our clients!

Big congratulations to our creative teams. So much great work to be proud of.

GOLD

Digital: Best Overall Web Design >> Home Depot Garden Club

Best Use Of Photography >> At Home with Century 21

Best Overall Design >> Acura Style

Best Regular Department >> At Home with Century 21, Home Front

BRONZE

Best Overall Design >> Acura Style. Summer 2010

Best Cover >> Rouge Fall 2010

Best Use of Illustration >> GEICO NOW, Fraud Fighters

Best Tie-in with Corporate Marketing >> Foresters Annual Report 2011

Best Web Feature >> Aeroplan Arrival, Snapshots

Best Video >> Rubbermaid, Making Your Move

Best Use of Community/Social Media >> Home Depot Garden Club

Best Feature Article >> Aeroplan Arrival, Cape Town: The Unexpected City

Best Regular Department >> At Home with Century 21, Trend Report]]> http://blog.totembrandstories.com/2011-11-08-pearls 2011-11-07 21:47:43 [/caption]

Totem’s Acura Style magazine took a gold Eddie Award last week at the Folio Awards in NYC. Congratulations to the entire team, and to our client in California. Acura and Totem share a vision for a custom magazine that elevates the level of dialogue around branding to a more consumer-centric strategy. What the customer gets is a riveting, vital and gorgeous lifestyle package, not a sales pitch. Acura Style is no mere vehicle brochure repackaged with more words and pictures. No, the magazine puts the Acura experience into a lifestyle context for people who define themselves by more than their material possessions. The fact that Acura knows its customers so very well — and that its customers know themselves very well — allows us to create content that is free to explore, motivate, excite and surprise. It’s hard work, and it’s worth it. The occasional award helps.]]> http://blog.totembrandstories.com/2011-11-07-we-get-awards-acura-style-magazine-earns-a-gold-eddie