Twitter kudos

Posted on June 17, 2011 by bryan

Recently we had the occasion to stay overnight in Toronto and decided to treat ourselves to a boutique hotel. One of Bryan’s longtime Twitter chums works on Mercer Street in the Entertainment District and is a fan of the Hotel Le Germain across the street. Even with a small online discount, it was still a splurge, but definitely worth it.

The Le Germain is unusually situated in an industrial-looking building, surrounded by parking lots, Second City, and the clubs at which legions of indistinguishable suburbanites queue. One doesn’t stay at the Le Germain for the neighbourhood ambiance; rather, for its location and as a destination itself.

The hotel is not so much an oasis from its surroundings as a commentary in contrast. The interior design is modern, simple, effortlessly consistent, and the service is ever so sharp.

Along with other local leaders like the Drake, the Le Germain excels at social media, which is to say that they actually pay attention to what folks say about them online. It seems so obvious, but most hotel chains lack the personal social media touch. By contrast, the Le Germain keeps up with mentions, sends out courteous replies, and (for us, anyway) was kind enough to provide a very tasty and stylish plates of goodies as a “thank you” for our Twitter kudos.

Good for them. Word-of-mouth led us to the Le Germain in the first place, after all.

It does seem that the most effective social media is done by chains or independents that are small enough to focus effectively on quality. Our Le Germain experience is similar to Bryan’s tweeting about books at Nicholas Hoare and getting gracious, real-time feedback from the store’s account. All customer service, online or not, is about making people feel a little bit special.

It’s almost effortless, and it might lead to blog posts just like this.

 

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A New-World Classic

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Rene

Bryan Rogers of Keint-he Winery and Vineyards approached me with the idea of doing an ad based on the 1930 Grant Wood painting, “American Gothic.” His concept played off the concept of the traditional practices put into the creation of their wines. I adored the concept and soon we were brainstorming how to recreate the masterpiece and other, related ads that could follow in the campaign.

On an early morning in June the pieces came together as so often they do in the collaborative spirit of the County. Working with photographer Marc Polidoro I recruited the necessary ingredients – the first, look-a-likes. Friend/actor/federal Green Party candidate Pat Larkin fit the role of stoic farmer beautifully and was up for the challenge. As for his dour wife, I turned to my muse, the gorgeous Tammy Thomson (Tammy has graced the cover of our Visitors Guide three years in a row).

Of course, the models’ costumes were the top visual priority, so I called the Lori Farrington of local theater troupe the Marysburgh Mummers, who came through with near perfect replicas of the garb in the original painting. One key accessory we didn’t have was Pat’s specs, so I put a call-out on Facebook for “Harry Potter glasses” and Picton optometrist Dr. Billi Jayne Campbell Prinzen quickly replied, having a strikingly similar pair.

Location was the last piece of the puzzle, filled in by Cynthia Peters of From the Farm Cooking School, who offered her historic home as a back-drop. That, and the bottle of wine, for which Bryan had to race back to the winery.

The second ad in the series is a take on “Whistler’s Mother,” in which Tammy graciously offered to model again and was able to pull off this sullen recreation in the winery’s own tasting areas. Visitors to Keint-He that day had no idea what they were getting into! The shoots were fun, beautiful, and true to the standards of the Keint-He brand. Below is a video of some outtakes from the day.

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Gorgeous things, gracious interiors, gratifying results

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Rene

I met Gilles Charette at a Creative Minds networking event in the fall at which he first approached me to submit a proposal on his business venture. I was very impressed by his approach; months before even finding a location for his shop, Gilles was interviewing creatives for pricing to finish his business plan. In my experience, though arduous and time-consuming, a business plan is key to success. Gilles knew what he was doing, plus the guy has impeccable taste – and not just because he hired me; look at the stunning furnishings in the attached photo. Oh to have an eye for all things “g” – gorgeous, gracious, gratifying…

Gilles’ enterprise is G3 Living – an oasis of good taste on Picton’s Elizabeth Street. Defining the brand with a simple, elegant statement suitable for Gilles’ shop involved collaboration, research and creation of a bold logo, business card, tag, signage and website, www.g3living.com.

His shop is absolute perfection and is now a County must-see, and since Gilles has dotted his i’s and crossed his t’s with a dream, a goal, and ultimately a good business plan, the pieces have all fallen into place.

 

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From the eye of an intern

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Rene

On Tuesday, I was lucky to be part of this season’s photo shoot for Festival Players of Prince Edward County. I figured that it would be a great time and I wasn’t disappointed. After rounding up the troops, getting all our supplies and squeezing into our vehicles, we headed out from Picton under cloud-filled skies, hoping that the rain would hold off.

Our first stop was the County’s best-known feature, the beautiful Sandbanks. There’s nothing better than the Dunes in spring. After getting our models ready, we headed into the Dunes, where Rene Dick of Scout Creative and Michael Grills, our photographer for the day, had found a location.

Luckily, the damp atmosphere worked to our advantage, keeping the sand from getting out of control (and into everything) and giving us a nice dramatic backdrop for the photos. After all, when shooting outside, you have to work with what nature gives you!

With a chilly wind coming off the lake, our models, in clothing designed for more temperate weather, were wrapped up in blankets to ward off the chill. But despite the cold, they were troopers (Alex even went barefoot for the camera) and after some hiking up and down the dunes we had the shots we were looking for and we once again packed into our cars to head out to our second site.

Off we went to Fields on West Lake. If you’re not familiar with the facility, it boasts restored buildings from the mid-1800s, the barn having been converted into an event hall complete with stage and bar, and the main house and carriage house being converted into an inn and a guest house respectively.

Osterhout Henry Hall provided a great backdrop for the continuation of our photo shoot. With a truly rustic feel, it is reminiscent of times past – perfect for the shoot. Strong in character, with its unfinished walls and open beams, it allowed us some shelter from the elements.

After a tea break to warm up, it was back to the shoot. Being indoors allowed us to stage the photos more easily than at the dunes, and we snapped through the rest of the shots we needed with ease.

Of course, the day wouldn’t have run smoothly without everyone involved. Kelly Roblin of Kelly’s provided a costume for the lovely Alex. Sarah Phillips, creative director for Festival Players, coordinated costumes and props for the guys, and helped to pull everything together. Rene Dick, with his eye for art direction, made sure that we got all the shots that will be required for the season’s promotional pieces. And don’t forget the man with talent hiding behind the lens, Michael Grills.

But it wouldn’t have been possible without the generous donation of time by our fabulous models for the day. A big thank you goes out to Bryan Bondy, Alexandre Fida, and Alex Larkin, not only for donating your time, but also for braving the weather, looking fabulous, and making our day a success!

Festival Players is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year and I know that everyone at Scout is looking forward to the start of their season on June 28. The line-up for this season is Amelia: The Girl Who Wants to Fly, The Book of Esther, and The Ballad of Weedy Peetstraw. More information regarding their line-up for the upcoming season can be found on their website at festivalplayers.ca.

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Maple 2011 – A Sweet Winner

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Rene

This will be the 6th year I have headed out to to enjoy Prince Edward County’s first harvest. It is truly a great experience: pancake breakfasts, tractor rides, sugar bush visits, and, of course, enjoying the sweet sap of the maple tree. It doesn’t get anymore “County” than this.

For 2011 Scout has the honour of being cultural sponsor of the event. It is our 4th year working with Taste on the project and we couldn’t be more proud to be associated with this 10th-anniversary celebration. Watch for our work in the posters and the County Weekly News insert (including articles written by our own Bryan Bondy).

From humble beginnings, Maple has expanded every year and now includes extensive programming geared to families, foodies, music-lovers and much more – an event celebrating not only maple syrup and our agricultural heritage but also the imminent spring.

Congratulations to everyone associated with Maple, which has just been named as one of the Top 100 Festivals in Ontario for the third time. A great accomplishment to be sure, and Taste the County should be very proud as not only this event but Taste! A Celebration of Regional Cuisine has made it into the top 100.

Be sure to head into the County on March 26 and 27 to enjoy the festivities. www.mapleinthecounty.ca

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