I wanted to pop on to give everyone a few sneak peaks into our new office space, which the self-proclaimed “Tannery Boys” are hard at work on. First things first, we have walls and doors in all their right places. Excellent. While Laura and I were there the Boys were busy installing the wiring and getting us fully connected. A great next step! After that it’s a lot of finishing work: patching, painting, and of course eventually people.

As you first step in, you’ll see that we’ve set up (or will have!) a cozy cafe area. When we’re settled in you’ll have to come up for a coffee or tea!

Behind our new friend Pete here you can see Sustainable Waterloo Region’s green wall is nearly complete. Because we’re on the same side of the Tannery we thankfully still get loads of natural light, and I don’t doubt SWR will be kept energized with the fantastic energy. As you can probably guess, we’re going keep our signature blue focus wall so it will still feel like home.

We’re completely thrilled about this upcoming move: it’s great to share the creative juices on a task that’s a bit different from our usual projects, and having a need to visit with the Sustainable Waterloo crew is always a plus!

We’ll have more updates as things progress so stay tuned for more pictures.

The day started with grade 11 & 12 students visiting from the Kitchener-Waterloo region Communitech for a tour, panel discussion and for a taste of what work-life in the local tech industry is like. Arranged by Jeremy Reed, Program Manager at Communitech, the discussion panel included many of our Tannery neighbours including former tinyHippos/current RIM employees Gord Tanner, Dan Silivestri, and PJ Lowe (of NomNom Treats) and of course Karl. Heather Sinclair, CEO of Creative Enterprise Initiative and Yuriy Blokhin of Kik also shared their insights into what steps the students could take to make their dream job a reality. Most of the panel had their ‘eureka!’ moment when they were in the later stages of high school, which I’m sure will serve as inspiration to the current students.

“Roads, Where we’re going, we don’t need roads…” and so starts the second installment of the greatest movie trilogy of all time. All I need mention are the words Delorean, 88 miles per hour, Hoverboard, Marty Mcfly, Clock Tower, Flux Capacitor & you know exactly what I’m talking about. (If you don’t, then you need to go here & buy the trilogy and probably grew up watching ‘Saved By the Bell – The New Class’ and don’t remember Zack Morris’ phone either).

My love affair with this particular set of movies started when I first sat on my knees and watched that stainless steel DMC Delorean slide down the ramps of Dr. Lathrop Emmett Brown’s truck (nb. ‘Lathrop Emmett’ = Time Portal spelled backwards) at Twin Pines Mall. Never before seen to a little English kid, this began an interest in movies, cars, Nikes (Check out these limited edition Nike “Mcfly” Hyperdunks) & completely explains why I prefer Pepsi over Coca-Cola.

In the beginning, we pressed record on our VCR, allowing us to look at movies or tv shows from different angles each time we sat in front of the screen. This allowed us to notice something that may have passed us by before, but still made up the overall experience.  Because of this, product placement is such a valuable tool and fundraising component of the entertainment industry.

Product Placement

Some people call it influencer marketing, others call it product placement, and if the job is done correctly, you shouldn’t even notice it at all.

While researching this blog post (if that’s what you call it) I found that instances of product placement could be found in movies dating from the nineteenth century. Popular culture attributes the first instance of modern product placement to E.T, where Reese’s Pieces were the food of choice for the little brown alien. M&Ms (approached first) turned the offer down & sales of Reese’s Pieces went up astronomically.

Some product placement is shameless in its greed need to be seen, as is Morgan Spurlock’s 2011 documentary The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (brought to you by Pom) (2011). There are organizations that take product placement to new heights, however others, no matter how subtle they try to do it, do a pretty bad job – as websites like http://worstproductplacement.com/ can demonstrate (they have a Top 10, of which Back to the Future 2′s placement of a Texaco Gas Station, ranks #3).

Back to Back to the Future….

The film’s product placement department had made a deal with the California Raisin Board, accepting $50k to place a raisins reference in the BTTF1. Since raisins do not photograph well, the placement was on a bench advertisement, upon which Red (a vagrant bum) was seen sleeping when Marty returns from 1955. ”When the California Raisin Board saw it,” says Bob Gale (producer), “they were livid” and the money was refunded.

Interestingly, and more strategically, the producers relied upon specific brands and logos to make the film more realistic. Robert Zemeckis commented that “In terms of creating the image of the past, one of the ways you create the past is through brand names. We made a conscious effort to find products that had a different logo in the past. It used to be in [movies of] the 60s or 70s, a car would pull into a gas station, and there would be no name on the gas station. That’s ridiculous. Somebody owns that gas station.” (Back to the Future DVD, Q&A with Dir. Zemeckis).

For the first film, businesses whose logos had been different in 1955 than in 1985 were actively researched and sought out. Although bids were made for Shell Oil and Coca-Cola to be seen in the film, the producers chose Texaco and Pepsi respectively, because their logos had been noticeably different in 1955. Zemeckis comments that “A Coke bottle in the 50s and a Coke bottle in the 80s were the same.” Likewise, in painting a picture of what 2015 might be like, the producers sought futuristic products in return for placement. For the third film, which took place in 1885 references to brand names were fewer, although not entirely non-existent.

Overall, product placement and brand names don’t necessarily make a movie, but the slight, seamless injection of  familiar brands do work towards dispelling our belief for the shortest moment, and bring us into the movie by using what the cleverest brands do best: form and evoke an emotional response, thus sharing the limelight and creating believability, brand awareness & influencer marketing.

This blog post was brought to you in part, by Apple Computers, Research in Motion (RIM) Blackberry, and Balzacs coffee,

Let me preface this post with a brief explanation of the term “Open Source” as kindly provided by webopedia:

(1) Generically, open source refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge, i.e., open. Open source code is typically created as a collaborative effort in which programmers improve upon the code and share the changes within the community. Open source sprouted in the technological community as a response to proprietary software owned by corporations.

Why do I think that Waterloo Region is open source? – well because if I change just a couple of aspects it still holds up:

“Open source code Waterloo Region is typically created as a collaborative effort in which programmers residents improve upon the code status-quo and share the changes within the community.”

Since arriving in this region, I have been amazed at the interwoven fabric that makes up our community; the connections that support, collaborate and add value to the communities in which we live & the content that is created as an ongoing by-product that starts the process again.

I see a constant re-investment of talent and local content that is truly a reflection of this unique community.

We attend events and occasions that instigate relationships, create conversations, spur our collective creative outlets which in turn creates more opportunities for continuing the cycle. Although I use events as an example, this same creative cycle is seen in business opportunities, entrepreneurialism, in person and internet community partnerships and membership driven organizations throughout the region.

One of the core characteristics of open source communities is the ever growing base of contributors that take a product which was perhaps once reserved for an elite few (due to proprietary knowledge or financial barriers), and then use this to spur an open version, which can be utilized by many and we see this reflected in our own region.

Every community – online or off – usually succeeds through the mix of its inhabitants and the relationships formed through its interactions & personalities; rulers, creators, heros, innocents, explorers, shit disturbers etc. and the result of this chemical dance.

In brand terms, one type of categorizing brands is to use The Pearson Archetypal System which proposes that you can put any brand into one (or a mix) of any 12 archetypes… In my opinion there are more, but it’s interesting to see which framework the “Personal Brands” in our community  fall into…but that’s another blog post!

Our particular region is surrounded and supported by a number of organizations, content creators and partners, who collaborate and share their skills and resources for the benefit of the community in which they reside. Through this careful balance of philanthropic content creation, an eco-system feed is created that is also profitable both financially and in terms of quality of life. Both of which are required to support a sustainable environment.

I could mention a few organizations and individuals that truly embrace this responsibility as well as point out the alternative, and the results they bring. However, we can see those organizations and decisions play out in any community.

So all I will say is – well done to those that are doing a great job! Those that aren’t – buck up – your community needs you to play well with others.

Simply by sharing what resources and skills we have in our community, we can reflect the technological principals & processes that we have created and are known for as a region, and re-apply them to our IRL (In Real Life) communities. Thus saving double handling, re-invention of the wheel and fostering a playground for creativity and support as a huge development team.

Since CuteGecko Canada washed up on the shore of the Grand River 3 years ago (in April…), we have fallen in love with the amazing mix of Arts & Culture, Technology & Design, Agriculture & Business, and everything else that makes this region such an amazing place to live. It’s because of that environment and mix, that we have felt that it’s such an amazing place to work and start a business.

During this reasonably short time, we’ve seen many changes – in everything from the city that we work, to the types of clients that have formed relationships with… and we love it all!

CuteGecko has grown up quite a bit, with relationships and strategic partnerships that have been put in place to really solidify the offering that we we have been able to offer our clients. We now cater to companies in our region that are vital in the export of products and services used all around the world, as well as being responsible for the legislations that impact our daily lives. We are very proud to play our role in the shaping of these identities.

Throughout all of this transformation, our core principals haven’t changed. In fact, our successes are due to them. We love our community, and our reputation is built on making others look great, we form ongoing strong relationships with our clients and only ever take on a project where we know we’ll do an awesome job.

Through the development of our business, you may have seen us launch brandtannery earlier this year (Launch Event held at the Miele Gallery at The Tannery). Brandtannery is an initiative that hopes to stir people to re-own and “Take back their Brand”. The team is made of some highly accomplished and talented individuals with a proven track record and lots of recognition brought from their respective areas of speciality: Brand Strategy & Development, Advertising & Marketing as well as Social Media & Design Implementation.

In Waterloo Region, we are very fortunate to punch way above our weight in terms of talent and resources. We still see contracts and projects that would be of benefit to keep here in the region, rather than be worked on and developed elsewhere. With that in mind, we have hopes to unite teams in the same or complementary industries (design, marketing, communications, etc.) to collaborate on contracts and keep them here, in their home.

We are very happy with the continued growth and plan for brandtannery and are extremely busy with our increasing presence in academic, business & technology areas (not to mention Golf, courtesy of Center of Gravity Golf… we will keep you updated of  that company and its success).

Back to CuteGecko Inc.

Just as every plumber has a leaky tap, or mechanic a faulty car, we spend all our time working on client projects and giving them all of the care and attention that each one deserves. As business development, it’s about time that we looked at some of our internal capacity and strategically grew as a reflection of our amazing eco-system here in Waterloo Region.

The Team

You are already well acquainted with  Amy Vandenberg & Myself (As well as Stephen Hardwick (Aussie Office) & Darren Renton (UK Office)), and may have even seen the announcement of great new designer Laura Radulescu a few weeks ago. If you haven’t heard of these skilled & hard-working people, it’s because our social media presence hasn’t lately been what it once was, which is why we’ve now got the very lovely and talented Laura Bacigalupo on board to keep us up to date and consistently hitting our online targets. We decided it’s time to practice what we preach, and now have someone in the role of communications to keep us on top!
Welcome Lauras!

With the CuteGecko team combined with the crazily adept brandtannery team of Beth Cotter, Lori Kalbfleisch & Julia Rosien, it’s about time we put us all in the same room (with some breathing space!)

Time for a new office

As you will have seen from visits to the office, committee meetings, the occasional event or just from reading blogs right here, we spend an incredible amount of time in the office. In this time, we have made our selves quite at home and become emotionally attached to our little space, but the time has come for us to grow. In the very near future, CuteGecko and talent powerhouse tenant Sustainable Waterloo Region (Mike Morrice is a genius) will be moving one level down in the Tannery to the 3rd floor, with some much nicer features, twice the space, more windows, HVAC, a little kitchen and meeting rooms – all very exciting!

Construction of the new space has begun, we’ve signed off on the floorplan, new leases have been signed, and we’re sticking around here for another 5 years at least. Get ready to see lots of new things happening (pics to follow i’m sure).

I just want to sign this one off by saying Thank You to everyone we’ve worked with so far on the ongoing CuteGecko journey! We love this region & plan on adding value where ever possible. We couldn’t have done it without the support and environment that our community provides, so we all thank you very much.

artwork by the talented woody woodfield

If you walk by our door and hear someone say “Laura…” and two voices respond, I promise there’s no echo. The CuteGecko team has added another member to their core group and I am very honoured to introduce myself and, as an added benefit, you won’t have to remember a new name!

Communications specialist and social media expert, I am CuteGecko’s gab guru and will have a very active role in helping facilitate avenues of discussion, inspiration and engagement with our community. In the upcoming months you will see my regular blog posts on our home page, as well as newsletters coming to an inbox near you. I will also be the voice behind our Twitter feed and Facebook page, so I look forward to hearing all of your comments and suggestions for content!

New to the design and advertising industries, I have recently completed an M.A. in Communication and Cultures, a joint venture with Ryerson and York Universities in Toronto. Following my degree completion I worked with a major North American bank, which helped me realize my dream job characteristics: creative, personable, relevant to school and personal passions, and of course an element (or two?) of fun. The luck of the Irish was with me when I met Karl and Amy at the Kitchener Farmer’s Market, and a few months later here I am introducing myself to you!

Time away from work almost always involves my year-old chocolate lab, continued efforts to keep my herbs and veggies alive, discovering delicious new recipes (either baked goodies or veggie mains), travel, and volunteering with Kitchener-Waterloo’s Adult 55+ Computer Mentoring program.

As I get settled into my new role here at the Tannery, I look forward to bringing you the latest and greatest from CuteGecko including our upcoming move (don’t worry, we’re not leaving the Tannery!), fresh events, and exciting projects. Please feel free to leave a comment below, on our Twitter feed, Facebook page or email (info@cutegecko.ca). Our blogs are designed with our readers in mind and strive to cover topics that are engaging, topical and informative. If there is something you would like to see covered I would love to hear from you! Check back often for those new posts and pictures of our new digs and I look forward to hearing your comments as we get to know each other.

My name is Laura Radulescu. I’m a junior designer and I’m fortunate enough to be the newest member of the CuteGecko team. I’m currently new to the industry and freshly graduated from college. My core belief is that one of the most important things a company could ever invest in is a solid, well built brand. I also have a great interest in helping companies present their services and products in the best way possible to their prospective clients through professional design services.

A bit of background about myself from a career standpoint; I attended Conestoga College’s Graphic Design program and graduated in April 2011 with an advanced diploma. The school only accepts about 30 design students every year out of a potential 500 applicants through a portfolio interview process. Conestoga runs their design program differently from other colleges due to the small class sizes.

What do I do best? Although my main focus throughout my educational career has been graphic design, my strength lies in illustration. Although I do excel in realism created in traditional media, my specialty is vector. I’ve included some of my favourite work in this post.

Some of you might ask, what is a vector? A vector is a file format that doesn’t use pixels. It’s composed of a series of mathematical points that create an image. The benefits to using a vector file for print are that no matter how large you resize your file it will never distort of pixelate and will always look crisp on the screen no matter how close you zoom in due to a function called anti-alias which keeps your lines looking smooth.

I’d like to wrap everything up by saying that I really look forward to working with some fantastic people in our community and that my goal here at CuteGecko is to provide the best possible design services for clients. Feel free to stop by the office in the Tannry and introduce yourself! I keep hearing that the CuteGeckos get to talk to lots of amazing people in the community – I’d like to meet you too.

A new visual arts initiative spearheaded by WalterFedy opened this week. The 60-year-old architecture, engineering, and construction firm will serve as an exhibition host to present four arts-related shows per year.

This first iteration, running from October 26 to January 18, features works by eleven local artists and stems from the theme of the Breithaupt Block, a former industrial space which is currently being transformed into a 34,000 square foot office space.

If you haven’t seen it yet on TV, the following is our commercial:

You’ll be able to follow the link to our interview by clicking on our photo on Libro.ca…
or you could watch it here:

Hope you enjoy!!

Libro is a people-based credit union. After all, what you choose to do with your money is a very personal decision. It fits together very nicely – real people helping real people make the most of their money.

We became Libro owners shortly after we brought our company to Canada and have found this decision paying off in spades.  Not only is Libro incredibly community conscious (much like ourselves) but we also appreciate a friendly and familiar service unlike any other bank.  We were approached a few months ago with the opportunity to have a commercial made about our lives and company and how libro has impacted both.
We took a few grainy behind-the-scenes photos to share… but you’ll have to wait until early October to see the final version on TV and online!

Later, we took a trip to London to do some voice-overs for the commercial.  When you see the 1 minute masterpiece, this will make more sense!