Outside The Cube News

Outdoor Enthusiast thinks Outside the Cube

echo — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:13:27 GMT

OTC is excited to announce the addition of Martha Taylor as Director of Operations. She will work from the head office in Whitehorse.

“Martha is an invaluable addition to our team. Her experience in sport and tourism is perfectly aligned with OTC’s focus and brand,” stated Dee Enright, President and CEO. “Her commitment to excellence and attention to detail along with her great sense of humor makes her a perfect fit.”

Martha joins OTC with an impressive background in tourism, sport and recreation management, including 11 years operating Uncommon Journeys Ltd., a Yukon tour company that gained international recognition for it’s dogsledding, hiking and canoeing adventures.

She owned Uncommon Journeys with her husband Rod Taylor until the pair decided to retire the business this past fall.

Prior to that, Martha put her problem solving skills to good use as Sport Manager for the 2000 Arctic Winter Games, which were held in Whitehorse. Her duties included everything from transportation and security logistics to organizing sports equipment.

She also has extensive experience as manger of operations and as a wilderness guide for with Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions. She has guided trips in Yukon, NWT and Alaska.

"The work that OTC does is exciting and challenging, Dee and her team are talented and fun – I am thrilled to be joining this dynamic environment,” said Martha.

Martha completed a diploma in Outdoor Recreation Management at Capilano College and also holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario.

She will officially start at OTC’s Whitehorse office at the beginning of February.

OTC Gets in Arctic Winter Games Spirit

echo — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:55:19 GMT

Outside the Cube was recently awarded the RFP to design and print programs for the 2012 Arctic Winter Games, which will be held in Whitehorse March 4th to 10th.

Partnering with local company Arctic Star Printing on the project, OTC’s job will cover the Volunteer Handbook, Participant Handbook, Security Handbook, Spectator Guide, Opening and Closing Ceremonies Handouts.

OTC has extensive experience with design and printing projects, including the 2011 Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada souvenir publication and the annual Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race Media Guide.

Already an Official Sponsor of the 2012 Games, OTC is also assisting with the unique AWG Mining & Resources Youth Expo, which is scheduled for March 9th and 10th at Yukon College.

Global Award-Winner Joins Outside the Cube

echo — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:32:02 GMT

Outside the Cube is excited to announce an expansion of the expertise we offer to our clients with the addition of our newest team member, globally-experienced award-winning producer and entrepreneur Scott W. Westerlaken, in the role of Director – Client and New Business Development.

With over 25 years of experience in media, sales and marketing and a specialty in television, film, video and social media, Scott has a proven track record and a wealth of commensurate technical experience in Canada and abroad.

During that time, he has been internationally recognized with dozens of awards in business, communications and filmmaking in Toronto, London, New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles. He has also been published in a variety of international magazines, newspapers and websites along with writing a successful blog on marketing and communications.

Formally trained at the acclaimed Sheridan College Media Department, he has worked with numerous advertising and filmmaking professionals in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Paris, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, St. John’s and Halifax.

“I am excited about the opportunity to join the OTC team. Their commitment to excellence, the model they have built and their work has an excellent reputation,” stated Westerlaken. “Plus – I get to move to Yukon, work with new clients, a new team and new challenges while hopefully maintaining my ties to the East Coast – what could be better!”

“Scott and I worked together when I was based in Halifax. For our clients, he brings a new skill set in-house, valuable combination of hands-on technical knowledge and high-level strategic experience that leads to unique and creative solutions,” said OTC President and CEO Dee Enright. “He has the ability to maintain focus on the big picture and offer a wide range of solutions appropriate to the client’s message and budget. We’re looking forward to having Scott join the Cube!”

Scott will be re-locating from Nova Scotia in early December to work at Outside the Cube’s Whitehorse office.

OTC lures Kennedy out of retirement, adds digital expert in NWT

echo — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:31:10 GMT

Outside the Cube is excited to announce the addition of well-known Yukoner Anne Kennedy to our team, as well as David Watson in our newest market, the Northwest Territories.

Anne brings over 35 years of experience in communications and public relations. Most recently she retired from her position as Director of Communications for Northwestel, where she led a team responsible for public and media relations, community investment, employee communications and community TV.

Her work with Northwestel also fed her passion for travel, giving her the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the North, from Qikiqtarjuaq, NU to Beaver Creek, YT and over 90 communities in between.

“It is great to have Anne on board,” stated OTC President and CEO Dee Enright. “We have worked with her in a number of capacities over the past few years and her energy and enthusiasm are big drawing cards. Her experience and qualifications are second to none and she fits perfectly with the Cube!”

With an extensive background in software development and digital marketing, as well as years working directly with the public in various tourism related jobs, David will work for OTC out of Yellowknife.

“When David came to spend a few days with us in Whitehorse we knew he was destined to get the role of digital guru,” said Enright. “With the Pan North work we are doing he is perfectly positioned to support the team. His knowledge, account management skills and personality already impress clients and his fellow Cubers.”

“Both of these additions will add to the depth of expertise available to our clients,” added Enright.

Recently named the Agency of Record for Yukon Tourism, OTC’s clients also include the Pan North Marketing Consortium, Latitude Wireless, Chukka Caribbean Adventures, The Glebe BIA, Yukon Wild, the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race and the 2012 Women’s World Fastpitch Championships.

Facebook tip: Geo-targeting your posts

alastair — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 GMT

When managing a Facebook page you have to make sure your posts are relevant to your fans, or you run the risk of posts not appearing in people's news streams. If you're not in the news stream, your effectively invisible. One way to keep people up-to-date without running the risk of being filtered out is to geographically target your posts.

There are two ways to geographically target, or geo-target, your Facebook page posts: by region (country and city) or by language. Targeting to a region is a great way to offer deals or promotions that would only be applicable to an audience in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton for example. You can also post in multiple languages and ensure only people who speak German will see the German posts.

Here's how to do it:

Log into Facebook and select a page that you administer. Keep in mind you cannot geo-target your personal Facebook posts.
Write your post and click the 'Public' drop down to select 'Customize'
It'll open a dialogue box that looks like the one below. Select the country and it'll give you the option to refine the area to only show in a particular city. You can also select a language to target. You can select a geographical region and/or language. You could target all English speakers in Paris for example.
And there you have it. This post will only appear to people in Frankfurt Germany.

Tourism Yukon Chooses OTC as Agency of Record

echo — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:45:48 GMT

For the first time in six years a local agency, Outside the Cube, has been chosen as the Tourism Yukon marketing AOR.

Headquartered in Whitehorse, Yukon, Outside the Cube has offices in Vancouver and Toronto. A boutique firm that has refused to adopt the traditional agency model, OTC sources the best specialists for each project and client. For the tourism account this included: Key Gordon Communications, a creative agency in Toronto; Tartan Communications, tourism media relations specialists from Victoria; Jungle Media of Halifax; Leaf Solutions of Whitehorse; Patric Chausse of Reactive in Whitehorse; FCV, a digital firm from Vancouver; and Panther Constructors of Vancouver.

“It’s time,” said Dee Enright, President and CEO of Outside the Cube. “The traditional agency model means that you are restricted to using the talent that you have in house – that is the reality – you have salaries to pay and overheads to cover. Using our model you get the right strategic direction, sound business analysis and then you source the right specialists for the particular project or campaign. That means we treat the clients money as if it were our own. Nothing determines what elements are included except sound research, industry expertise, experience and proven ROI. Well, that and a little risk taking!”

The team went through a rigorous tendering process that included a number of phases and competition from across Canada, with big name firms vying for the account. The last phase was a presentation at 2:00 pm to address a business problem faxed to the proponents at 9:00 am the same morning. In the five-hour time period allotted, OTC and team members managed to: come up with a solution; interview key industry stakeholders for their view of the solution, its viability and likelihood of success; produce a video of the input; incorporate it into the revised strategy; secure one of two promotional partners presented; develop draft creative; and develop a high level implementation plan.

To create impact with the selection committee in a drab board room, a wall tent was erected, outdoor gear placed around the room representing the activities available in Yukon and true Northern snacks made by local catering companies supplied.

OTC has also worked on several projects with Tourism Yukon in previous years, including the unprecedented marketing event known as Yukon Day. Yukon Day was hosted February 20, 2010 during the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, bringing more than 50 media members from nine different countries to the territory on a 16-hour whirlwind tour of all the best Yukon has to offer.

“We are committed to delivering for the department and the industry. These are our friends, neighbours and colleagues – we know they will hold us accountable,” said Enright.

OTC and Yukon Tourism officials have already begun laying out priorities for the coming months and are looking forward to yielding many positive results for the tourism industry.

We're hiring!

alastair — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:01:56 GMT

The Cube is growing and we're on the lookout for some smart talented people to work on fun projects. Oh, and the other staff are pretty entertaining too.

We're currently looking for a digital guru who knows the web and social media inside out, and can share the knowledge with staff and clients.

You can check out the full job description here. Don't delay sending in your resume and cover letter to jobs@outsidethecube.ca . We're going to hire as soon as we find a good match.

OTC boosts client base

echo — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:38:24 GMT

What do one of the Caribbean's largest tour operators and the Glebe in Ottawa have in common? Both are new clients for Outside the Cube!

OTC has worked with Chukka Caribbean Adventures on PR and Social Media for the past year. Recently, we partnered with Key Gordon – a creative agency in Toronto – and were thrilled to be chosen as the Agency of Record. OTC and Key Gordon team members are headed off to Jamaica to start a re branding process.

At the same time, OTC and Key Gordon also bid on a project to help Glebe BIA with their marketing efforts through the current road construction and beyond. Team members toured the area last week with board members and met with the staff at the BIA to garner some insight.

Pretty cool for a little independent based in the Yukon!

Canadian softball athletes ready to hit the field

echo — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:21:07 GMT

Softball Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team Final Selection Camp for the 2012 World Fastpitch Championships starts Thursday in Whitehorse.

Dozens of athletes will be in the Yukon capital competing for spots in advance of the 2012 Worlds, which will also be held in Whitehorse next July.

Camp participants will take part in several Intersquad games between June 30^th and July 5^th, as well as training sessions. The winner of the Intersquad games takes home the Yukon Cup.

All games will take place at the Pepsi Softball Centre and admission is free of charge.

This is a chance for Whitehorse residents to witness Canada’s future stars in action!

For a schedule of all Intersquad games, visit www.worldfastpitch2012.com. Or check out of the Facebook page: facebook.com/WomensWorldFastpitch2012.

Outside the Cube is assisting Softball Yukon with the organization of both this week's selection camp and the 2012 Women's World Fastpitch Championships. Our roles include media relations, web-site development and event planning, as well as overseeing all social media.

OTC rolls out welcome mat for squash delegates

echo — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:00:00 GMT

More than 20 squash executives from across the country will be in Whitehorse this week for the Squash Canada Annual General Meeting (AGM), and Outside the Cube is helping organize the festivities.

The AGM opens with registration on Thursday, June 9th and runs through Sunday, June 12th. Delegates include Squash Canada President Bob Wyma and Executive Director Danny Da Costa, as well as representatives from eight provinces and territories.

Squash Yukon Head Coach Eng Khoon Chua, as well as board member Lori Muir, will represent the host territory at the AGM.

“We are looking forward to celebrating the good work of our provincial partners and our organization during the past year at our upcoming AGM in Whitehorse,” said Squash Canada Executive Director Danny Da Costa. “The host committee has worked very hard to make this AGM memorable for all.”

While in Whitehorse, the delegates will also visit both the MacBride Museum and Yukon Transportation Museum for special events. MacBride will host a welcome reception on June 10th while the AGM banquet will be held at the Transportation Museum on June 11th.

“We are pleased to welcome our fellow squash enthusiasts to the territory,” said Squash Yukon President Chris Toleman. “I know Yukoners will extend their famous northern hospitality and help make this AGM a huge success.”

Many of the delegates are planning additional tours during the week and some have booked extra vacation days to take in all the sights Yukon has to offer.

OTC Supports Whitehorse Relay For Life!

echo — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 08:00:00 GMT

On June 4th the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life held it’s annual fundraiser and non-competitive event in Whitehorse, Yukon at Shipyards Park.

Hundreds of participants and volunteers raised thousands of dollars for cancer research and OTC was there to help make the event happen.

As a Gold Level Sponsor of the 2011 Whitehorse Relay – OTC chaired the Media Committee and provided an array of media and communications services to the event.

Pre event, OTC developed an advertising and communications plan, established a - Whitehorse Relay specific - social media presence with a Facebook page that saw several thousand post views leading up to and during the event, developed and distributed press releases and produced the event program.

During the event, OTC staff – Cubers – manned various support stations throughout the Relay and canvassed participants in an effort to gather data about the overall organization and delivery of the Whitehorse Relay.

The 12-hour, non-competitive event involved teams of up to 15 who took turns walking or running around the track to show their support towards the fight against cancer. The event opened with a Survivors’ Victory Lap, where cancer survivors walked an inspirational first lap. Luminaries were lit during a moving ceremony with their light paying tribute to loved ones and provided motivation and encouragement to participants.

OTC looks to support these types of community events and is excited to further enhance the partnership with the Whitehorse Relay For Life in the years to come.

Facebook.com/RelayForLifeWhitehorse

SHDIC garners Yukon Tourism Award of Excellence

echo — Wed, 11 May 2011 17:14:28 GMT

Outside the Cube (OTC) had a large presence in Dawson City this past weekend.

Not only did Cubers attend sessions and run a contest during TIA Yukon’s annual Spring Conference and AGM, we also played a role in the Yukon Tourism Awards of Excellence, presented at the conference gala.

Picking up the Marketing Innovation Award this year was Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada (SHDIC), a major event held in Whitehorse in February, which OTC helped organize.

While called hockey “day”, Whitehorse actually hosted activities for several days the week of February 12, 2011. The activities took place at several locations throughout Whitehorse and Dawson City.

The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) consisted of 35 committee chairs and planning volunteers. This team worked on all aspects of the event from media relations, venues, logistics, marketing, merchandising, supporters and organizing hockey games, clinics and activities. There were approximately 250 volunteers that helped run SHDIC.

SHDIC was a significant national public relations and awareness campaign. The benefits of hosting this event will serve both the tourism industry as a whole and tourism operators individually, with greater awareness of the Yukon tourism products among Canadians.

CBC coverage, social media and traditional media put Whitehorse on the map as a Canadian tourism destination and experience.

Meanwhile, one of OTC’s own was also recognized at the tourism conference.

Outside the Cube President & CEO Dee Enright, along with Rod Taylor and Mary Ann Ferguson, received the Yukon Tourism Ambassador Award.

Enright, Taylor and Ferguson have been heavily involved in the tourism industry for the past several years, sitting on the TIA Yukon Board of Directors.

They lead the three major project initiatives as part of the strategic plan for the industry (nodal development, land asset identification and a tourism business services analysis). They lead the way and took an Industry position during the Peel River Watershed Planning discussions.

Enright, Taylor and Ferguson also helped realize one of the most successful marketing initiatives ever undertaken in the Territory (possibly even the country), capitalizing on the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics to partner with Yukon Government and bring the largest ever media FAM to Yukon.

Two more join OTC creative fold

echo — Wed, 04 May 2011 10:00:38 GMT

Outside the Cube is excited to announce the addition of two new members to our team.

Based out of Whitehorse, Dennis Zimmerman will specialize in marketing, consulting with small businesses on utilizing social media and web technology to further business growth. Lorna Johnson joins OTC as Managing Director of our Toronto office bringing her extensive background in Direct Marketing and Project Management.

Dennis comes to the Cube with over 12 years of professional experience in the North. His Master's Degree research with a focus on community tourism planning brought him to the Western Arctic. He became an Economic Development Officer, ran a tour company and developed tourism plans for all the remote communities in the region.

Some of his accomplishments were to project manage the Government of Yukon's investment promotion work in China and develop miningyukon.com. He also won a Premier's Award of Excellence for Yukon's participation in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Zimmerman will work with the Cube on specific projects that require his expertise.

“Dennis has a great combination of private and public sector experience, and we can provide the flexibility he is looking for in his work life” stated Dee Enright, President and CEO of Outside the Cube. “He fits – the Cube culture is extremely important and we have worked with Dennis in the past as a client and a colleague. And let’s face it – he is a Skookum fisherman!”

Lorna worked with Enright as the southern agency lead on the award-winning “Look Up North” campaign to promote tourism and economic development for the three Territories. This multi-faceted national campaign consisted of PR, TV spots, print ads, newspaper and magazine FSIs, banner ads, microsites and a cross-promotional contest with CTV’s Canada AM.

Prior to joining OTC, Lorna provided proven strategic planning and program execution on multi-layered integrated marketing campaigns to industry leaders such as Royal Bank, Hydro One Networks, Bell Mobility and Unilever Canada.

“With our expansion into the Toronto market I was looking for someone to take the helm who I knew had the skill set but also, like Dennis, fit,” said Enright. “Our client base is expanding and they expect the same commitment to high quality products that are on time and on budget with a whole lot of fun thrown in no matter where they are located. I know Lorna can deliver – she handled me as a client with ease and humor and I am pretty demanding!”

OTC will be in Dawson and we're bringing prizes!

echo — Tue, 03 May 2011 13:07:04 GMT

OTC is on the road again this week, with several Cubers making their way to Dawson City for the annual TIA Yukon Spring Conference & AGM.

The three-day conference runs Thursday through Saturday. This year’s keynote speakers are Scott Stratten and Jon Caton. Stratten’s book Unmarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging became a national best seller before it was even released. Nicknamed Cowboy, Caton boasts clients such as Scarlett Johansson, Sarah McLachlan and the founder of Google.

OTC will once again be sponsoring the annual Yukon Tourism Awards of Excellence, which will be presented at the banquet in Dawson on Friday night. The awards allow the industry to recognize those people, places, organizations and events that have gone above and beyond to offer superior tourism experiences to travelers in Yukon.

Categories include: Marketing Innovation, Sustainability Leadership in Tourism, Creative Travel Media, Yukon Tourism Ambassador, Innovator of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year.

As usual, OTC will also be offering a contest for conference participants. This year’s contest will involve social media and, of course, incorporate tourism. Stay tuned for more details, but in the meantime, here’s a hint: bring your Thesaurus!

OTC helps Jamaica launch “One Mush”

alastair — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:25:41 GMT

The official Jamaican launch of “One Mush: Jamaica’s Dogsled Team” was a big success.

Well over 100 guests took in the event at Harmony Hall in St. Mary, Jamaica this past weekend, and Outside the Cube was on hand to make sure it all ran smoothly.

Guests were treated to a reading by musher Newton Marshall as well as book author John Firth. Team Founder Danny Melville spoke passionately about the accomplishments of Marshall and fellow Jamaica musher Damion Robb as well as the work of Shelley Kennedy, the teacher who has helped Marshall overcome his literacy challenges.

Kennedy volunteers her time to run a classroom for teens and adults who have not had the opportunity to learn to read. Through her volunteerism, support from Chukka Caribbean Adventures and various donations, a number of young men and women have attended the school, including Newton Marshall.

“One Mush: Jamaica’s Dogsled Team” is written by Yukon author John Firth. It recounts how the Jamaican Dogsled Team was established, including how legendary singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett came on board as one of the team’s major sponsors.

The book also tells the story of Jamaican Dogsled Musher Newton Marshall’s experiences with the team, from racing dogcarts in Jamaica to competing in such grueling dogsled races as the Yukon Quest in 2009 and the Iditarod in 2010. In 2010, Marshall became the first Caribbean musher in history to finish the 1100-mile Iditarod.

“One Mush: Jamaica’s Dogsled Team” sells for $24.95 and is available at amazon.com, jamaicadogsled.com and at Chukka Caribbean Adventures Gift Shops.