This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with Jantine Van Kregten, Ottawa Tourism's director of communications. They discuss how to brand and define a city to multiple audiences. They also analyze Ottawa’s current tourism climate and what's being done to serve the Ottawa community.

Explore Ottawa Tourism:

Join the conversation!

Connect with guest @OttawaJantine and host @TinaMBarton. Connect with Ottawa Tourism @Ottawa_Tourism.

Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes.

The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with Jantine Van Kregten, Ottawa Tourism's director of communications. They discuss how to brand and define a city to multiple audiences. They also analyze Ottawa’s current tourism climate and what's being done to serve the Ottawa community.

Explore Ottawa Tourism:

Join the conversation!

Connect with guest @OttawaJantine and host @TinaMBarton. Connect with Ottawa Tourism @Ottawa_Tourism.

Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes.

The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Graham Machacek sits down with Gordon Smith, partner at Sway Digital. They discuss when and if marketers should use display advertising. 

In a press release, Gartner analysts predicted that mobile ad spending will reach $18 billion in 2014. This money is coming out of traditional budgets set aside for print and radio advertisements. In the podcast, Gordon shares his insights on the future of traditional advertising and whether it's ever better than digital options. 

For the "cheeky" park of the podcast, check out this video of the Pompeii Penis.

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Connect with guest Gordon Smith and host Graham Machacek on LinkedIn.

Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes.

The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton is joined via Skype byBruce MacDonald, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. They discuss branding and integrating national federations, based on the Big Brothers Big Sisters experience.

Associations are a big part of the Canadian fabric. In 2013, the Ottawa Business Journal reported that there were about 70 000 associations registered in Canada, with many headquartered in Ottawa to be close to the federal government. Bruce shares his insights on how Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada work to preserve unity within the association.

Join the conversation!

Connect with guest @bbbsc and host @TinaMBarton.

Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes.

The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with Mark Campbell, founding partner and CEO of VMG Cinematic, a Toronto-based digital agency that specializes in online video production and social media marketing. VMG Cinematic works with brands such as TD Bank, FedEx and Warner Bros., and organizations including Metrolinx, Waterfront Toronto and Real Estate Council of Ontario.

In this episode, Mark defines “social video” and provides some revealing statistics that highlight the importance of including video in your content strategy. He shares examples of effective content types, and offers tips for managing “go-viral” expectations. Best of all, he shares ways you can reduce your video production costs!

The episode concludes with Mark sharing his predictions for how video will continue to evolve. And remember, if you’re not creating video content for your brand, somebody else probably is…

Mark will be speaking about social video at MARCOM. (June 10 – 12 at the Ottawa Convention Centre. Register online).

Join the conversation!

Connect with guest @Mark_VMG and host @TinaMBarton.

This week on The Voice, we whisk you away to a night at the Excel Awards, where IABC Ottawa celebrates the outstanding communicators and creatives in our community. This year’s recipients hail from a variety Ottawa’s charities, agencies and learning institutes.

 Honorees include:

· Communicator of the Year: Mayor Jim Watson
· Master Communicator: Barb MacDonald
· Lifetime Achievement: Max Keeping
· Distinguished Service: Dyna Vink

Social media has turned communications on its head. In his acceptance speech, Mayor Watson addresses ‘that tweet’ of his that prompted 5,000 new followers(!), hundreds of retweets, as well as mentions on Buzzfeed, Reddit and the Huffington Post.

Kaleigh Maclaren pays tribute to Max Keeping for his lifetime of community-oriented communications. Barb MacDonald receives the IABC Master Communicator Award, the highest honour bestowed on an IABC member.

A special mention is deserved of Phil Gaudreau, Communications Officer for the “Algonquin College Spread the Net Student Challenge Campaign: 2012-2013”. Phil and team earned an Award of Excellence for their grassroots fundraising efforts that transpired into a $40,000 campaign to save lives in Africa.

There are also the unsung heroes – those who didn’t make it into this podcast episode – but you can learn more about their very deserving awards on our website.

Finally, in celebrating the year that was, we must take a moment to honour IABC Ottawa itself. Our local Board of hard-working volunteers won five Chapter Management Awards (Professional Development, Communications, Community Relations, Student Relations, and Membership Marketing), plus Large Chapter of the Year and International Chapter of the Year! IABC is represented in close to 80 countries, so this is no small feat! Congratulations to all Board members, recently-past and present.

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This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson to celebrate his crowning as “Communicator of the Year” from IABC Ottawa, while getting to know “Jim”, his commitment to transparency in communications and politics, and his love for Ottawa. We’re also joined by the man behind the mayor, Press Secretary Ryan Kennery.

This episode covers everything from how one should address the mayor, to whether social media helps or hinders connecting with the community. Jim also offers advice to other officials on how to respond to online/social media enquiries from the public in a timely fashion, especially as citizen engagement increases. Plus, Jim reveals the leader who most inspires him on the communications front, and discusses some of his own achievements that he takes most pride in.

Ryan describes what it’s like to work alongside such a prolific, high-profile communicator, and offers insight into how communications functions within the walls of City Hall.

The Communicator of the Year (COTY) Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of an Ottawa-based organizational leader who shows excellence in the field of communications. The recipient is a well-known figure in their community, a role model and a trusted mentor to their peers.

IABC Ottawa celebrated Mayor Jim Watson and other award winners and its annual Excel Awards Gala on May 15.

Join the conversation!

Connect with guests @JimWatsonOttawa @rkennery and host @TinaMBarton.

Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on 

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson to celebrate his crowning as “Communicator of the Year” from IABC Ottawa, while getting to know “Jim”, his commitment to transparency in communications and politics, and his love for Ottawa. We’re also joined by the man behind the mayor, Press Secretary Ryan Kennery.

This episode covers everything from how one should address the mayor, to whether social media helps or hinders connecting with the community. Jim also offers advice to other officials on how to respond to online/social media enquiries from the public in a timely fashion, especially as citizen engagement increases. Plus, Jim reveals the leader who most inspires him on the communications front, and discusses some of his own achievements that he takes most pride in.

Ryan describes what it’s like to work alongside such a prolific, high-profile communicator, and offers insight into how communications functions within the walls of City Hall.

The Communicator of the Year (COTY) Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of an Ottawa-based organizational leader who shows excellence in the field of communications. The recipient is a well-known figure in their community, a role model and a trusted mentor to their peers.

IABC Ottawa celebrated Mayor Jim Watson and other award winners and its annual Excel Awards Gala on May 15.

Join the conversation!

Connect with guests @JimWatsonOttawa @rkennery and host @TinaMBarton.

Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes.

The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with not one but three guests to discuss Ottawa’s upcoming conference MARCOM, headlined this year by international speaker Mitch Joel, the widely popular blogger and author of Ctrl, Alt, Delete. MARCOM organizer Claire Mills is joined by two speakers, Mike Kujawski and Adrian Ebsary, to reveal some of the content people can look forward to. Now in its 16th year, MARCOM is the only conference in Canada specially designed for public sector communicators and marketers.

Mike gives a taste of new trends in social media and governance; how organizations are transforming internal structures, taking new approaches, and even creating new positions to enhance connectivity with their audience.  (Mike also reveals the position he thinks vital to social media).

Adrian wants to make data analysis accessible to everyone. He shares some of the tools he’ll be showing in his MARCOM session, intended to empower people with no coding experience to create stunning data visualizations. He also predicts the social media way of the future.

Claire concludes by highlighting some of the other speakers and themes at MARCOM.

Join the conversation!
You can check out @marcomforum and connect with guests @clairemills @mikekujawski @AJEbsary and host @TinaMBarton.

Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes.

This week on The Voice, our host Tina Barton sits down with not one but three guests to discuss Ottawa’s upcoming conference MARCOM, headlined this year by international speaker Mitch Joel, the widely popular blogger and author of Ctrl, Alt, Delete. MARCOM organizer Claire Mills is joined by two speakers, Mike Kujawski and Adrian Ebsary, to reveal some of the content people can look forward to. Now in its 16th year, MARCOM is the only conference in Canada specially designed for public sector communicators and marketers.

Mike gives a taste of new trends in social media and governance; how organizations are transforming internal structures, taking new approaches, and even creating new positions to enhance connectivity with their audience.  (Mike also reveals the position he thinks vital to social media).

Adrian wants to make data analysis accessible to everyone. He shares some of the tools he’ll be showing in his MARCOM session, intended to empower people with no coding experience to create stunning data visualizations. He also predicts the social media way of the future.

Claire concludes by highlighting some of the other speakers and themes at MARCOM.

Join the conversation!
You can check out @marcomforum and connect with guests @clairemills @mikekujawski @AJEbsary and host @TinaMBarton.

Leave a comment or question below, or rate the show on iTunes.

The Voice is a MediaStyle production. We create strategic communications plans and killer content for web, radio and television.