#CIMC2015 kicks off into top gear!

Today’s sessions were packed with sound bytes and takeaways. (And who didn’t love that awesome welcome from Squamish Nation and the mid-afternoon stretch session that @DaiManuel led us in!)

Here are a few of our Jelly favourites from today!

• Tania Venn from 1-800-GOT-JUNK: there’s nothing more inspiring than a success story of humble beginnings, especially when the idea is formed behind the counter of a McDonalds. Brian Scudamore got the idea for a junk removal company after seeing a truck drive by and thinking maybe he could do it better. With an effective story and a creative PR team, he went from McDonalds to $175 million dollars in revenue. CRAZY.

• Grow your business with blogs: the panel included @tokyorickyaka Daddy Blogger, @Miss604, and @shesavalleymom. Some interesting trends we picked up from these professional bloggers included:
  • Branding should come first, and readership second
  • You should promote each blog post at least 3 times on Social Media
  • Posts should always be 300+ words but 500-800 is optimal

• Storytelling: From Telus to Run For Water: Peg Peters’ enthusiasm and passion was contagious in the room as he captivated us with his storytelling. His key point: media has changed significantly with the power of digital and anyone can get their story in the hands of their readers. Remember, an effective story is captivating, memorable, and inspiring. A master storyteller himself, Peg shared from his heart to prove to us how effective storytelling really is. Easily one of the top sessions of the day!

• Emily Wexler’s Case Studies: Emily hit us with a huge amount of case studies on how the digital sphere has changed how we interact with brands. Our favourite example was Nivea Sun Kids. They combined print and digital engagement to create a fully immersive marketing experience by using print ads that interact with wrist bands and your mobile phone. Never again will parents lose their children!

Tomorrow, we are expecting another killer set of sessions and we are stoked to see you back at @QuestUniCanada bright and early.

Stay tuned! And keep tweeting #CIMC2015!

By Brittany Klassen