Tag Archives: ing direct

social media

Simple social media and experiential integration

You don’t have to spend lots of money, sell your first born or mortgage your house to have an integrated campaign.

ING DIRECT Canada’s latest initiative, #ChequeIn, is a testament to that.

Their mobile app allows you to deposit your cheque by taking a picture of it. (The process is secure.)  To support this announcement, ING has (among other things) undertaken an integrated social media and experiential campaign.

Street teams are going across major centres in Canada with a massive vanity cheque to promote the new digital product. As they’re explaining to people the new program they are also letting people know about the $20,000 worth of cash rewards the company id offering to support the campaign.

All someone has to do is take a picture of the cheque and upload it to Instagram and/or Twitter including the #hashtag: #ChequeIn. (Note: Imagine what the recent Lexus/Instagram campaign could have looked like? OK. Off that soapbox.)

social media strategy

This is how a simple, cost-effective and interesting integrated social media campaign should look like: The street team is out promoting the program; those who want to participate further can snap a shot with a chance at winning some of that $20,000; and ING get a HUGE spike in both mentions and exposure.

Bravo Team Orange!

digital media, social media

Walk Off The Earth at ING Cafe Toronto

Social media innovator, in the Canadian banking sector, ING Direct Canada today officially launched their newest campaign aimed at helping Canadians save their money.

Finding its home on YouTube, the campaign also features Canadian indie stars, Walk Off The Earth.

Earlier this evening, Walk Off The Earth visited the ING Direct Cafe at 221 Yonge St in Toronto to unveil their latest video (sponsored by ING Direct) which is a version of Madonna’s Material Girl. They also stayed to answer a few questions and take some photos.

I took a moment to record some of the event. Here is the unedited version of that recording:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPDoGSTwtac?rel=0&w=640&h=360]

digital media, social media

thirdoceanTV – in conversation with Jaime Stein

The following interview first appeared on the thirdocean website. thirdocean is a boutique social media and digital communications agency that I am partner with.  I also have the privilege of being the host of  program called thirdoceanTV.

This year’s first guest is Jaime Stein of ING.  Jaime currently leads the social media strategy for ING DIRECT here in Canada. Prior to that he was the Canadian Football League’s head of digital and social media where he was in charge of content strategy for CFL.ca.  Jaime also launched the CFL’s involvement in social media.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=424rS2CWqu4?rel=0]

You can follow Jaime Stein on Twitter and on his website.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and stay up to date with our conversations with North America’s leaders in Social Media and Digital Communications. Follow us on Twitter @wearethirdocean, and Like us on Facebook.

social media

Happy Birthday ING DIRECT Toronto Cafe

Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the ING DIRECT Toronto Cafe. I count myself as one of the few lucky friends/tenants who has been there since the first day.

Over  year ago ING DIRECT Canada’s Peter Aceto stood on the Cafe’s makeshift stage welcoming everybody to the Cafe. A year later I witnessed Melissa lead her team in a fun Happy Birthday dance!

In between these two events I have had the privilege of helping to move our thirdocean team to what today we affectionately call home.  This downtown space has helped our team grow and mature. We look forward to continuing to grow our business with our friends at @OrangeYYZ and #NetworkOrange.

Happy Birthday friends!

digital media, social media, twitter

#SaveInTheCity Video Campaign

There’s an interesting video campaign happening in Toronto right now called #SaveInTheCity. Sponsored by ING Direct (the bank here in Canada famous for their “Save Your Money” commercials) and being hosted and powered by My City Lives, this video campaign aims to inform Torontonians on the many local places people can save money.

If you know me, then you know why I LOVE this campaign:

  1. I love to save money!
  2. I love the folks at My City Lives!
  3. I love Toronto

All the details about this campaign can be found HERE.

And if you want to vote for me in this campaign consider “Liking” THIS VIDEO. It’s about my LOVE for the good boys and girls at The Work Republic (another great Toronto location!).

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4mrIrKNVt4&w=560&h=315]

digital media, social media, twitter

my #FollowFriday list for 2011

It’s finally here.

Twitter
Image via Wikipedia

The last unofficial workday of 2011.  So what better thing to do then continue something I started last year here.

Here is this year’s list of Tweeple (people on Twitter) who positively impacted my  life in one way or another (in no particular order). After reading this make sure to follow all these people. Your life will be better for it.

  1. @jpuopolo – Joseph has been a good friend and supporter of mine for a little while now. I first met him at freelancecampTO. Before we met he was just the dude who used Charlie Brown as his Twitter avatar. Today?  He’s my UFC buddy. He’s been kind enough to open his place up to host many a UFC PPV. And he’s also offered his stickers for our XConnectTO events.
  2. @manalsiddiqui – Who would have thought that meeting on a TTC Streetcar party would have netted me a good friend in Manal. Manal is one of the few people I know who spends so much of her energy and heart into making Toronto an even better place to live in.
  3. @salimavalji – We met briefly at MusicConnectTO and then again at a Mobile Monday event. Next thing you know I was heading up to Stratford with Salima for Canada 3.0. Salima is a bright young lady whose understanding of social media and digital marketing is second to none.  Knowing Salima this past year has helped me gain a better understanding of my own industry and business.
  4. @OrangeYYZ – ING DIRECT’s foray into co-working with their Network Orange space has been a success as far as I am concerned.  Our business, thirdocean, proudly calls the space at 221 Yonge home. Thanks to Melissa, Conrad and everyone here for making 2011 so special for us.
  5. @thehartley – Matt has come through for thirdocean like no other this year.  He has hosted 3 events for us this year: HashUpTO, FilmConnect and WebPalTO.  His tweets on #cdntech and baseball are always enlightening if not downright hilarious.  Thanks Matt.  We shall do more lunches/drinks this year.
  6. @hessiejones and @azimalibhai- I met Hessie through my friend Azim when they were both with Due North.  Today, they are both carving out their own path.  Azim is an independent consultant in the media space while Hessie is starting to kick butt with a new Toronto-based startup.  They have both introduced me to some amazing people.  Thanks!
  7. @TheWorkRepublic – Thank you very much Ray, Maurice and Milan for hosting me on many days.  It’s always a trip hanging with you guys during the day. TWR is the best place to work north of Bloor Street.
  8. @funkstop – Although an entire continent away, Rahim has continued to support and be an inspiration to me and my business.  The folks on the west coast are lucky to have a talented guy who wears his heart on his sleeve.

There’s probably a bunch of Tweeple that are not on this list that have impacted and continue to impact my life in a positive way.  This is an incomplete list.  I have also not included the many people not on Twitter who I interact with often whom I could not do without.  To everyone, thanks for making 2011 another amazing year!

If you’re not on Twitter, get on and follow me at @karimkanji.

digital media, social media, Toronto, twitter

my favourite co-working spaces in toronto

Almost a year ago I blogged about co-working spaces in Canada. On December 17, 2010 I wrote a piece titled “the (in)complete list of co-working spaces in Canada”.

The impetus of the previous co-working post was the desire to find a space to work from while at the same time being able to take advantage of other people working and building.  Listed below are three places that I’ve had the privilege of working out of:

BNOTIONS:

While not officially a co-working space, BNOTIONS has had a profound positive impact on the growth of thirdocean.  We spent 6 months calling the BNOTIONS office space our home.  We held our team meetings there and also met potential clients in their space.

The culture of BNOTIONS also positively influenced the culture of thirdocean.   Every time a guest exited the elevator on the 4th floor a loud round of applause greeted them.  The BNOTIONS office is also famous for their WWE DVD collection and superhero action figures.  Today, no matter where we work, all thirdocean visitors are greeted as long lost friends.

The Work Republic:

No matter what I say about TWR it will not be enough.  Located at the corner of Victoria Park and McNicol Avenue’s, TWR is only a 5 minute drive from my home.  This has allowed me to work out of a space while still being able to drive my son to his morning and afternoon classes.

This north-Toronto space is a welcomed and quiet reprieve from the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto.  On most days you can find Ray, Maurice and Milan listening to old school hip hop (Neil Young when I visit!), building mobile apps and making videos.

Need a space outside the city (yet still very accessible) centre to work from and bring your guests to? The Work Republic is the place for you.

Network Orange:

A slice of heaven in the middle of downtown Toronto, Network Orange is ING Direct’s contribution to Toronto’s startup and freelance community. Nestled at the corner of Yonge and Shuter, Network Orange offers our team a home 7 days a week.  Included in their package are a choice of 3 meeting rooms, wifi, coffee, a functional kitchen as well as ample desk space. Open 7 days a week, I have actually “opened” this space at 8am and left when it closed at 10pm.

Operating out of this space has also allowed us to meet with potential clients, clients and even our service partners.  More than any other space, Network Orange has helped our team at thirdocean grow from a young company looking for an identity to Canada’s community management and social media agency.

If you have a favourite co-working space please tell me about it in the comment section below.  If you want to receive this blog in your email, click on the “sign me up!” button on the right.