Recent Trigger Posts

Of the week

Shauna Luedtke — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:12:00 -0600

Once upon a time in a suburban park, there was a dragon who loved to eat people. A young girl unwisely woke the dragon, who quickly gave chase. History does not tell us if the girl escaped, but the photographer became lunch for the dragon.
@dougwalker, Trigger's managing director

The marketing opportunities of sharing

Ari Sanyal — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:14:26 -0600

Sometimes, when a powerful influencer talks positively about a trend, it indicates that trend may have gone mainstream. Such seems to be the case of the sharing economy, which the Economist recently covered in glowing terms.

If you’re not enthusiastically sharing yet, the sharing economy revolves around owning less stuff and, instead of buying something you hardly use, borrowing it within a peer...

Dispatches from CMANC

Celeste Herbert — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:40:11 -0600

The Canadian Marketing Association National Conference offered plenty of golden nuggets over its two days last week. Here are three of my favourites.

We’re at war with our business partners for the direct relationship with our customers.
This was an interesting point raised by Mitch Joel. For example, a customer purchases Beats by Dre headphones at Target. The POS directs them to like Target on F...

How being risk-averse is the biggest risk of all

Doug Walker — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:47:23 -0600

Last week, I had the pleasure of presenting at the Marketing Association for Credit Unions 2013 conference in Whistler, BC. While the main point of my presentation was to talk about how credit unions and social media are a perfect match, I dove a little deeper into what makes for successful content in the social space and the cultural barriers of the financial industry that prevent it.

What I re...

The Hire-5: Teresa Leung

Jordon Lawson — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:22:11 -0600

I’m a copywriter, so when I was given the task of interviewing our new hire, Teresa Leung, I immediately turned to the Internet and started doing some research. This is what the first page of Google and her Facebook page revealed: Teresa lives in Calgary and is an art director and graphic designer. She graduated from the Alberta College of Art + Design. We have three mutual friends.

Based on my ...

Kal Tire wins IABC Gold Quill Excellence Award

Kara Orr — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:18:37 -0600

Kal Tire’s 2012 winter campaign has been awarded an Excellence in this year’s International Association of Business Communicators Gold Quill Awards. The Gold Quill Awards celebrate excellence in strategic communication around the world — they look for work that demonstrates sound strategy, watertight execution and proven results. The award will be handed out June 24 in New York City.

Congratula...

Welcome to the Calgary Public Library Foundation

Eva Van Krugel — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:46:22 -0600

“The golden age of libraries is yet to come.”

This is the motto used to describe the way forward for the Calgary Public Library by Paul McIntyre Royston, the president and CEO of the Calgary Public Library Foundation. Also led by vice president Brent Buechler, the foundation is in place to help shape and promote an evolving library experience, set a new global standard on what the library offer...

The limits of innovation

Doug Walker — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:09:58 -0600

“Innovate or die” is the traditional rallying cry of the fast-growth entrepreneur. In the late ’90s, many industries, including book retailers and music publishers, were blindsided by fast-moving startups who took huge bites of their market share. Now we take for granted the dominating positions Amazon and Apple have in these categories.

In the wake of the dot-com crash in 2000, social media pow...

The Hire-5: Brittany Dusseldorp

Debs Dawson — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:50:26 -0600

The name Dusseldorp sounds very grand indeed. One might imagine its origins being in a 13th-century European palace. Brittany Dusseldorp – Trigger’s new account coordinator – lives up to the magnificent moniker she has inherited. For she’s very charming and elegant, yet smart, resourceful and energetic at the same time. I met with Brittany to find out more about the girl behind the name.

DD: I l...

One page. One ink. One goal.

Todd Blevins — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:55:34 -0600

One Show Design Silver Pencil

Thanks to the Calgary Zoo for being such an incredible client, and congratulations!

Calgary Zoo 2011 Annual Report
Creative Director: Todd Blevins
Associate Creative Director: Jonathan Herman
Designers: Shauna Luedtke, Brian Allen, Todd Blevins, Jonathan Herman
Copywriters: Jordon Lawson & Client
Account Manager: Jill Dewes
Production Manager: Cathy Hockenhull
Production: A...

Put a pin in it: Tips for suck-free writing

Lori Burwash — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:17:56 -0600

We’re in the business of communications. All of us. Whether you’re a copywriter working on web content or an account manager emailing a client, you’re judged by your communications. Sloppy writing can quickly damage an agency’s or client’s reputation … and cost thousands to fix. Here are a few tips for ensuring your writing is as strong and error-free as possible.

Forget what you learned in elem...

Calgary Zoo publishes world’s first annual report on Instagram

Jill Dewes — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:05:44 -0600

Annual reports can be lengthy tomes, and not exactly environmentally friendly. So what do you do when a conservation-led client like the Calgary Zoo briefs you on its annual report? In 2012, we bucked the trend by designing a black and white report that fit onto a single sheet of newsprint. This year, we went one step further with the world’s first annual report to be published on Instagram.

The...

Branding adrenaline

Doug Walker — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:55:11 -0600

Full disclosure: I have a complete brand boner for GoPro. I love the product and what the brand stands for. Whenever a new GoPro video comes out, it makes me want to lead a more exciting life.

For those unfamiliar, a GoPro Hero is a wearable point-of-view camera. You may see them stuck to ski helmets, downhill bikes, motorbikes, race cars or surfboards. The wide-angle high-definition footage a H...

The Anvils 2013 honour roll

Kristin Evans — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:06:15 -0600

Trigger had another good showing at the Anvil Awards this year, walking away with four heavy trophies under our arms, and a wide swath of merits. For the third year in a row, we came out on top for social media, this time for our Style-Off work with Chinook Centre. We also got top marks in the non-traditional, poster design and radio single categories.

Check out our wins below, and see the full ...

The Hire-5: Kara Orr

Jenn Melrose — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:22:34 -0600

Meet account manager Kara Orr, one of the most positive people I have the pleasure of knowing. A fashion design graduate, she’s known for bursting out in song. Here’s a bit more of what makes Kara Kara.

JM: We all know you love to sing. What's your all-time favourite karaoke song?

KO: My rendition of “Can’t Buy Me Love,” in the style of Michael Buble.

JM: The trigger you chose to put on the back ...

The brand currency of alternative currencies

Ari Sanyal — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:21:27 -0600

You’re young and strong, with the talent and ability to make a positive mark on the world. Unfortunately, the traditional economy, struggling to find its way back from the last recession, is unable to find you a platform to fulfill your dreams. While this scenario resulted in grinding poverty and mass migrations during the Great Depression, the positive spirit of today’s grassroots innovators i...

Big data: Why it isn’t a trend

Eva Van Krugel — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:18:24 -0600

Think about it. Data comes from our mobile behaviour, our Facebook exchanges, our searches, the documents we read, the videos we watch, the songs we listen to, the images we look at, the emails we write. It also comes from digital POS and call-tracking systems right through to RFID tagging in merchandise. Put it all together and they call it big data.

It’s like living in a glass house. Nothing i...

“The Winners Of The Design Competition”

Kristin Evans — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:41:20 -0600

A few months ago, we were included in Communication Arts 2012 Design Annual. While we were thrilled to be recognized for our work on the Calgary Zoo's 2011 annual report, it kind of felt like something was missing.

Make no mistake, the recognition and attention we received were nice and all, but accolades alone weren’t going to put hardware on the trophy shelves. We wanted something tangible.

Luc...

Make every day April Fools' Day

Shauna Luedtke — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:01:47 -0600

Everyone loves a good gag, especially when it comes to playing one on coworkers. And whether it's April Fools' Day or some random Wednesday weeks from now, any day is a great day to prank that guy in client services. That’s why we’ve created these gag desktops.

It’s simple: When a coworker leaves their desk, hop on their computer and bring up this post. If the computer’s a Mac, right-click your ...

The World’s Fastest Agency: Game-changer or gimmick?

Doug Walker — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:26:36 -0600

The concept: The World’s Fastest Agency will tweet a client an advertising concept in response to a 140-character brief in less than 24 hours for $999.

What we like about it
Some argue WFA is a stunt. Whether it is or isn’t, it’s one more example of an agency model that confronts the norm, like Victors & Spoils or Made Movement. While I don’t dare compare these established, respected agencies to ...

The Walrus ponders performance

Lori Burwash — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:25:55 -0600

What do an Olympian, a musician, a science broadcaster, a Cree chief, a couple of suits, a writer and a conjuror have in common? As part of the 2012 High Performance Rodeo, they all came together for The Walrus Talks: Performance to explore the meanings and manifestations of “performance.” While each approached it from a different perspective – from cheating to magic to sport – their messages a...

The Hire-5: Farin Manji

Eva Van Krugel — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 09:47:40 -0700

When the announcement came that Farin was joining Trigger as an account coordinator, it included a peculiar attribute: she dislikes butterflies. In my interview with her, it would have been a pretty obvious place to go to ask why she dislikes these fluttering and often stunning “beings of nature.” But for all I know it’s a touchy subject, so I left it alone.

When I sat down with Farin, my first ...

Hippos and tigers and penguins, oh my!

Jill Dewes — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:51:03 -0700

Rick Mercer recently enjoyed an action-packed day at the Calgary Zoo, with the visit airing on the Rick Mercer Report on February 19. Whether Mercer is marvelling at a giraffe’s 18" tongue, feeling out a hippo’s lips or putting all the penguins to sleep, his dry, witty style reminds us just how much fun a day at the zoo can be.

Mercer – resplendent in a tuxedo with a special “fish pocket” – save...

“Cakes for Cuties” Valentine’s Day

Kristin Evans — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:54:26 -0700

Valentine’s Day is a pretty silly tradition. So much money spent on flowers that’ll die, chocolates that’ll make your pants tight, and bottles of wine that’ll leave you all hot-faced and headachy the next day.

We wanted to bring some meaning to Valentine’s Day this year – we wanted to make Trigger’s love count for something. We were inspired by our own Julie Bousfield, who is an animal lover and...

The Hire-5: Breana Baker

Andre Pierazzo — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:06:19 -0700

Breana is a budding talent on our Account Services team. An account coordinator extraordinaire, she has a lovable personality to boot. I sat down with her to ask her a few questions and get to know her better.

AP: What makes your personality so endearing, so magnetic?

BB: Oh I don’t know if I would say just that. However, I do know that I love to get to know people. I enjoy listening to their sto...

Calgary Zoo conservation cuteness

Jill Dewes — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:12:18 -0700

What’s cuter than eight king penguins going for a winter waddle? The fact that they’re doing it to raise money for their fellow penguins in the wild. That’s right – it’s the Cutest Charity Walk on the Planet, and it’s happening at the Calgary Zoo throughout February.

All money raised will help penguin conservation programs such as Penguin Lifelines, an Oxford University project that monitors thr...

Calling all hosers

Lori Burwash — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:55:32 -0700

Here at Trigger, we’re proudly Canadian, eh? So when it was time to think of an idea for our Christmas party, we put our toques together, cracked open a two-four and came up with a Trappers & Traders theme.

The invitation honours Canada and some stuff that makes Trigger Trigger. A Northwest Coast–inspired totem is made up of a few of our favourite things we use for work and play. Things like Pan...

The Hire-5: Naveed Arshad

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:23:46 -0700

Naveed Arshad, our intermediate accountant, has a quiet, respectful manner about him that’s a refreshing counterpoint to many of the more boisterous personalities at Trigger. Having a discussion with him is like sitting down for tea with an old friend. There is both a familiarity and formality that immediately puts one at ease. Naveed’s gentle prodding when a purchase order is filled out incorr...

The Hire-5: Celeste Herbert

Kristin Evans — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:56:57 -0700

Celeste is the best.* Read on and you’ll agree.

*Look. I tried writing this intro about two dozen times, and every time it ended up sounding like I have a crush on Celeste. So here are the facts about her, plain and simple: she’s an amazing account supervisor, she gets super excited about theme parties, she’s outdoorsy, she’s funny, she’s a bit of a nerd, she’s wonderfully positive, she loves Ch...

What's even better than 1.33 million visitors? 1.43 million visitors.

Jill Dewes — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:44:30 -0700

The Calgary Zoo recently broke its admission record – set way back in 1988 – of 1.33 million annual visitors. But the year’s not over yet, and the zoo is hoping to reach 1.43 million visitors by year’s end.

So tomorrow – December 8 – you can get into the zoo for only $1.43 between 9 am and 2 pm. Plus, members wearing their Get Spotted buttons will have a chance at even more prizes that day.

Your ...

Creativity for the greater good

Jordon Lawson — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:09:45 -0700

There’s been a significant tide within the advertising industry that’s shifting toward using our collective powers to create and communicate ideas that benefit humanity or drive social change. It’s a type of thinking being encouraged by some of the world’s top brands, award shows and philanthropists.

The best example is Cannes Chimera. Launched in May 2012 by the Cannes Lions International Festi...

Trigger’s 2012 Holiday/Apocalypse Advent Calendar

Kristin Evans — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:02:05 -0700

We know December might be nuts for most people. Social obligations, days spent at the mall...it can get pretty overwhelming. That’s why, this year, Trigger sent our clients Holiday Survival Kit advent calendars. Each day brings a new item that’ll make the holiday season a little merrier. For example, one day will reveal a pocket mirror for checking teeth after gorging on spinach dip at the offi...

The Hire-5: Kristin Evans

James Barry — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:15:22 -0700

Kristin Evans — Copywriter

Kristin is tha new triggur amployee who is a copiriter. She sits in tha corner and is like real enerjetic an happy all tha time an stuff. I think she's like works with werds or something but I mean how hard is that rite? We al no werds. Heers kwest-chuns.

JB: Hard alcohol and fireworks, Fruit Loops and Saturday morning cartoons or a glass of wine and a good book?

KE: Re...

The digital out-of-home explosion

Gemma Turner — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:43:59 -0700

Digital is the buzz word in the outdoor space. Established companies such as Pattison are replacing their billboards with digital technology, and many new digital OOH players emerge every month. Three years ago, when Astral launched its digital network in Vancouver, clients adopted a sit-and-wait approach to see who would use the technology first. Today, Astral’s units are sold out the majority...

We’re hiring … Digital project manager

Lori Burwash — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:37:28 -0700

We’re looking for a digital project manager to help us plan, create and deliver incredible interactive experiences for our clients. You’re a skilled project manager who understands the digital landscape. As comfortable with the technology as with schedules and budgets, you know how to get the job done on time and on budget.

For all the details, check out the official job description.

Sound like w...

The Pink Post-it project

Lori Burwash — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:13:47 -0600

“If you were a wrestler, what would your ring name be?” “What’s another use for phone booths?” “It’s 1932. What is your life like?” Triggerites recently responded to questions like these in agency-wide brainstorming sessions that encouraged us to loosen up, creatively speaking. We made a little video about it.

We're hiring … Proofreader

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:49:28 -0600

Trigger is looking for a proofreader who’s obsessed with quality control.

This is a hardcore proofreading position with minimal copy editing and writing. You will spend a good deal of your time proofreading lengthy financial and other regulatory material, though you will also be asked to proofread smaller marketing material. You must have a very keen eye for detail, an unwavering dedication to a...

FPO

Sharon Hagel — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:45:25 -0600

Sharon Hagel|Director of Finance|trigger|403.231-1633|1725 10 Ave SW #200

The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of or taking any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient...

We're hiring … Web developer

Meagan Lane — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:05:17 -0600

We’re looking for a mid- to senior-level web developer to help us execute and deliver ideas that trigger. While experience is important, we’re less interested in how many years you have under your belt than in your calibre of work and your personality. You’re the kind of person who, when you hear “It can’t be done,” considers it a personal challenge to get ’er done.

Check out the job description...

Baby's first

Lori Burwash — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:25:18 -0600

Account supervisor Sarah Gay is pregnant with her first child. She also loves wine. A lot. So when it came to Sarah’s baby gift, we knew it needed to involve wine. And lots of it.

The gift came in the form of 12 bottles of wine, each sporting a label commemorating baby’s milestones. Some are to be celebrated — like the first word or step — while others are more likely to drive a new mother to dr...

The Hire-5: James Barry

Delly Dyer — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 15:10:19 -0600

James Barry – Interactive Designer

Tasked with getting to know James Barry, our newest Triggerite and interactive designer extraordinaire, I spent his first week at Trigger attempting to scratch the surface. Turns out James Barry is not a man who enjoys being scratched by a big-haired woman he barely knows. But he is a man who brings a lot of knowledge and experience to Trigger’s interactive dep...

Think with Google: On Agile Creativity

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:37:31 -0600

A great feature from google think on how advertising agencies are adapting to the fast paced and ever evolving digital and online mediums.

More at http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/insights/featured/agile-creativity/

Canada.com readers confirm what we knew all along: Calgary Zoo is the best in Canada

Jill Dewes — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:45:26 -0600

Calgary Zoo voted best in Canada

The readers of popular site Canada.com have spoken. On August 9, they voted the Calgary Zoo Canada’s best zoo in the site’s daily poll.

The final choice was between the Toronto Zoo, with over 5,000 creatures, and the Calgary Zoo, with a mere 1,000 inhabitants. But quality trumped quantity, as the results clearly show:

Canada.com writer Mark Stachiew commented, “Per...

A to-do list app to rule them all

Jordon Lawson — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 13:00:32 -0600

Back in the day, I could run around doing things I probably shouldn’t have been doing while making most of my decisions by rolling a pair of dice.* Now, I’ve got a full-time job, wife and two kids and spend most of my time getting groceries, paying late fees at the library and trying to check off items on a never-ending to-do.

Which brings me to why I’m writing this blog post: to-do lists. If yo...

The Hire-5: Jill Yaehne

Brian Allen — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 08:35:17 -0600

Jill Yaehne comes to us from Rare Method. On top of being a stellar account supervisor, she knows lots of “stuff,” with a Bachelor of Commerce AND Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary. Jill has also worked on the other side of the Rockies. Her five-year stint in Vancouver equipped her with a unique, in-depth knowledge of rain. In her spare time, she volunteers for the Animal Rescue F...

Six ways to follow the Olympics online

Jill Dewes — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 13:20:19 -0600

The London Olympics are being touted as the most social Games yet. With more Olympic-related Tweets in the lead-up to London 2012 than during the entire 2008 Beijing Games, and over 9.66 million Twitter mentions of the Opening Ceremony alone, they’re certainly living up to the promise.

From apps to social media, there’s no shortage of ways to keep up-to-date on the Olympics. Here are our top six...

Chinook Centre’s chuckwagon arrives fashionably early

Jill Dewes — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 11:07:38 -0600

There was great excitement at the Centennial Calgary Stampede on July 10 as Roger Moore drove Chinook Centre’s “Stampede in Style” chuckwagon to victory in heat 2 of the day’s racing.

In the packed infield grandstand, our neighbours soon knew where we were from as I and more than 30 marketing, operations and security staff from Chinook Centre erupted into cheers at the sight of our little red wa...

Paper Plate Stampede Dress, designed by Kara Chomistek

Todd Blevins — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:59:55 -0600

In honour of the Calgary Stampede’s 100th birthday, Chinook Centre, Calgary’s go-to destination for fashion and home to the city’s largest Stampede pancake breakfast, wanted to show Calgarians that it is possible to Stampede in style. To help, Trigger commissioned local fashion designer and recent Chinook Style-off winner Kara Chomistek to design a western-inspired dress constructed entirely of...

The Hire-5: Dan Biggs

Todd Blevins — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:47:45 -0600

Dan Biggs - Interactive Strategist

Dan Biggs, also known by his alter ego, the Pikachu-loving Lucien Sanchez, recently joined us from Station X in Vancouver, bringing his expertise in the development and implementation of everything online with him. As a member of the Usability Professionals’ Association, Dan is an interactive strategist with a rare arsenal of user experience wizardry at his dis...

Welcome to the world, baby Felicity

Lori Burwash — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:05:18 -0600

As the Trigger family continues to grow, our employees are doing a pretty good job of expanding their own families. On May 28, associate creative director Jonathan Herman and his wife, Jackie, welcomed their first child, Felicity. Jonathan took a break from diaper duty to share his thoughts on fatherhood, sleep and clowns.

What's your greatest wish for Felicity?

Besides the obvious , I’d love it ...

The Hire-5: Lori Burwash

Jill Dewes — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:00:39 -0600

Lori Burwash – Content Writer/Proofreader

I have to admit, I have a total style-crush on Lori. Tall, willowy, with great hair and edgy dress sense, she looks like someone with hidden depths and a mysterious past – someone you’d like to have a wine with, or even a Pimms . So when I was asked to interview her I jumped at the chance. Doing my background research, Lori’s Twitter profile description ...

Proofreader

Meagan Lane — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:20:29 -0600

Trigger is looking for a proofreader who has an obsession for quality control. They must have a demonstrated ability to prioritize a high volume of work in a fast-paced environment.

The proofreader is responsible for checking all documents, from one-page ads to lengthy legal and financial reports, for completeness and correctness with regard to spelling, punctuation, and grammar. They also ensur...

Trigger tops Anvils
two years running

Debs Dawson — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:00:39 -0600

It was another great year for Trigger at the annual Ad Rodeo show, with us winning a total of 10 Anvils and 7 Merits. It was also great to see such a broad range of Trigger clients represented in most of the categories. You can see a full list of our Anvils and Merits below, and view the work from everyone who entered here.

Anvils:

Advertising Campaign: Tell Us Where You Want a Bin

Non-Traditiona...

Trigger webmail link & new site redirect.

Todd Blevins — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:40:23 -0600

Our old site has been taken down and in the short term until we develop a n=
ew site, we will be directing traffic to our blog. A link to our webmail is=
at the very bottom of the blog by the contact info. it's a "trgr" icon =96=
exactly the same as the one on our other site.

And while we are the topic of our blog, we would love to have more contribu=
tions to keep it current. Shawn, Doug and I ha...

Tom Foord Passing

Todd Blevins — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:00:00 -0600

It is with sincere condolences that we share the news that Tom Foord, one of the founders of Kal Tire, passed away on April 12 at his home in Vernon, B.C. He was 89.

Tom was known for being generous, hard working and influential, as well as humble and down to earth.

It was in 1953 that Tom started Kal Tire with partner Jim Lockhead. Under Tom's leadership, it grew from a single location into one ...

The Calgary Zoo’s “Conservative” Annual Report

Todd Blevins — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:45:30 -0600

The Calgary Zoo has always been a leader in animal and environmental conservation. So when they needed a design for their 2012 annual report, we decided to showcase the Zoo’s conservation efforts with a one page, one ink annual report printed on 100% post-consumer newsprint. And to help conserve design hours, two designers and two art directors collaborated on the layout.

Check out our “Making o...

Before Good Friday, there's Bad Thursday!

Jill Dewes — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:25:21 -0600

Every year Trigger has an all staff Easter Hunt, but this year was different. The Easter Bunny had been murdered and all in attendance were suspects. It was a Murder Mystery/Easter Hunt, complete with character costumes and the Trigger Bunny Police, also known as the Social Committee, leading the show.

Suspects were photographed and fingerprinted upon arrival and then sent out in a race to solve...

The 2012 Strategy Creative Report Card gives Trigger an A+

Jill Dewes — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:00:34 -0700

Each year, Strategy magazine releases lists of “Canada’s most creative creatives and innovative brands” based on results at various award shows, and this year, Trigger features at number 26 out of more than a hundred agencies.

That’s a pretty good result – and even better, we are one of highest ranked independent agency in all of Canada.

We are in good company near the top of the list, with heav...

Near Field Communication - an alternative to mass media?

Ari Sanyal — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:00:00 -0700

The Globe Advisor carried an interview with the head of Visa’s mobile product innovation last week, the interviewee talking passionately about the coming of Visa’s NFC payment technology to Canada.

Near Field Communication is nothing new of course. But this interview came on the heels of Visa certifying phones for secure NFC payment – just in time for some European countries to activate their r...

Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

Google — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:40:22 -0700

Is this email not displaying properly?
View it in your browser.

Dear Google user,

We're getting rid of over 60 differentprivacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that's alot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multipleproducts and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifullysimple and intuitive experience across Google.

We believe this stuff matters, so p...

Director, Interactive Strategy

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:00:39 -0700

The Director, Interactive Strategy role is expected to apply a combination of research, business acumen, audience insight and strategic thinking to ensure our clients digital communications achieves its full potential. An effective strategic planner is an information omnivore, consuming and synthesizing knowledge from any source and then combining and presenting it in novel ways. The Digital St...

Gingerbread Rob!

Debs Dawson — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:05:20 -0700

Rob Derkitt's lovely wife Susan got into the holiday spirit with Trigger's advent calendar - and took up the December 10 creative challenge: "Decorate gingerbread men to look like your family." Rob is with R.J. Derkitt & Associates.

Time Spent or Volume of Visits?

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:00:36 -0700

Online ads are a funny thing. The amount of inventory available is only really limited by the busyness of the website. If pageviews top out at a million for a homepage over a month, then that's what's available to buy. Sure, there's tricks publishers play. Like splitting up articles over a few pages. More pages, more inventory. But by and large there are impressions to be bought and clicks to b...

We're hiring an Office Manager / Executive Assistant

Meagan Lane — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:15:29 -0700

Trigger would like to bring an Office Manager / Executive Assistant into our fold. This position is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the agency – from acting as the primary face of Trigger in our reception area, to building management and maintaining supplies. This position also includes assisting our President, including calendar management, meeting co-ordination, drafting of doc...

Canada Raises $36.6 million for Movember

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:25:21 -0700

This year Canadian Movember participants raised $36.6 million for Prostate Cancer Research.

We had a small team of moustaches here at Trigger. It was creepy and uncomfortable but well worth it.

Thanks to all the folks who supported us.

12 Days of Penguin Christmas for the Calgary Zoo

Todd Blevins — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:40:23 -0700

Just in time for Christmas, and more importantly the premiere of Happy Feet 2, the calgary zoo have launched a :30 sec cinema ad promoting the 2012 opening of Penguin Plunge. The stop-motion animation features 17 custom-knit penguins frolicking about in 12 festive dioramas. Stills for the animation were shot by Calgary photographer, Jean Perron. Big ups to Triggerites Elise Russell, Erin Belton...

The Trigger Idea Project

Todd Blevins — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:10:24 -0700

Triggerites Shauna Mae and Jonathan were tasked with the job of replacing the aging yet still very beautiful and wildly popular butterfly sculpture in the atrium of our reception area with something equally as inspired. Their idea? Ideas. 15,000 of them, on pink Post-it notes. Below is a video of a lunchtime brainstorming session conducted last week, in which a considerable amount of ideas came...

Halloween 2011

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:45:28 -0600

This year all the costumes started with T.

… For terrifying.

Print Production Artist

Debs Dawson — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:50:23 -0600

Facebook's Just Not That Into Us

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:35:21 -0600

Facebook with over 800 million users worldwide and commanding 16% of all time Americans spend online is starting to make all other forms of mass media seem well... niche. At the recent F8 conference, Mark Zuckerberg did his best Steve Jobs impression and revealed what to expect next from the world's most important waste of time. Below is a top line review of the biggest changes that have happen...

CA Typography Winner!

Debs Dawson — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:00:38 -0600

Some of Trigger’s beautiful work produced for Orchard Park mall in Kelowna, BC, has been chosen to appear in Communication Arts’ Typography Annual.

One of the miniboards produced for the “It’s Here” campaign was selected – the photography was shot by Dermot Cleary in a sleek and modern way, and then the “desired object” was replaced with elegant typography handcrafted by Jessica Hische.

The Typ...

Hooray for Hippos

Jill Dewes — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:30:34 -0600

October and November is Spotlight on Hippos at the Calgary Zoo. To celebrate, we are running a contest throughout October giving away hippo-tastic weekly prizes from admission to Zoo memberships to stuffed hippos.

The contest is run through an animated trivia quiz in Facebook, and you must ?Like? The Calgary Zoo page before you can play. It is being promoted digitally through Facebook, the Googl...

Print Production Artist

Karen Pera — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:30:28 -0600

Trigger is looking for a full-time intermediate/senior print production artist who can create flawless print-ready files without breaking a sweat.

A high proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite is a must and knowledge of Microsoft Office is an asset.

You are highly organized and able to work efficiently on multiple projects to meet tight deadlines. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of five y...

Better together.

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:50:24 -0600

As an industry, we often don't promote one another'saccomplishments. For whatever reason, many feel it's taboo to speakhighly of work you didn't produce. That's a shame because greatideas are being made real everywhere and it's damn inspiring. This onecomes from our friends at Ziba, who show that when you set ego's asideand collaborate, beautiful things happen. Bravo guys!

http://www.ziba.com/pe...

3 Days? 5 spots? Talk to Kal.

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:50:23 -0600

A few weeks ago the Trigger crew headed to Vancouver for 3 days of dawn-to-dusk- shooting for Kal Tire. This was a big event for us and the client – it was the first TV campaign that we’ve done for Kal Tire since winning the business last November, and it was the largest TV production in Kal Tire history. The stakes were high and we had a lot riding on the performance of a chosen few “non-actor...

Proofreader

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:20:29 -0600

Trigger is looking for a proofreader who has an obsession for quality control. They must have a demonstrated ability to prioritize a high volume of work in a fast-paced environment.

Account Manager

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:20:25 -0600

Trigger is looking for an account manager who is obsessed with excellence in customer care, organization and accuracy.

The ideal candidate is a mid-level account manager with 3-5 years experience working with financial reports or at a financial institution. Good working knowledge of Excel is required and knowledge of print production and/or French is an asset. You will work with a small team on ...

A day in the life at Chinook Centre

Jill Dewes — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:00:41 -0600

On Thursday 8 September, 18 photography students from the AlbertaCollege of Art & Design will descend on Chinook Centre to try anduncover what makes Calgary's largest mall run so smoothly.

Trigger and Chinook Centre are collaborating with instructor Greg Gerlaand the third year class at ACAD to capture a series of black and whitephotographs to showcase the inner workings of the mall - from marke...

Guerrilla Gorilla work proves popular with Zoo visitors

Jill Dewes — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:45:27 -0600

A fun and simple signage idea done as part of the 'Spotlight on Gorillas' promotion has visitors to the Calgary Zoo begging for more.

Creative team Brian Allen and Jordon Lawson were inspired by how human-like gorillas really are and decided to use this fact to poke some fun at other animals and encourage visitors to come by the gorilla enclosure.

Writing with his left hand on cardboard ripped fr...

A short hug is sometimes a good hug

Jill Dewes — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:35:23 -0600

What do bears, baseball and hugs have in common? Everyone going to tonight's Calgary Vipers game will soon find out.

From 6pm till 9pm tonight, Grizzles - the Calgary Zoo bear mascot - will be practicing his speed-hugging skills at the Vipers baseball game.

It's all in preparation for Saturday's Guinness World Records hug attempt at the Calgary Zoo – where Grizzles will try and get 8222 hugs betw...

We made the Judges flip

Jill Dewes — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:00:52 -0600

Well – another year, and another Stampede Breakfast done and dusted.

Saturday dawned grey and overcast and after rising at 5am, Team Trigger assembled at our grill at Chinook Centre - bleary-eyed but ready to grill.

A strong partnership with our neighbours Run Digital helped the time pass quickly and cooperation was the name of the game as we shared toppings and maybe a few drops of Baileys fo...

Electric Web

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:00:00 -0600

We’ve come a long way since the days of the Industrial Revolution and advent of mechanization. A time of capricious Luddites, upheaval, drastic change and small numbers of political/thought leaders forging the future.

Fast-forward to the atomic age and another hop-skip to our current age of mass information. Which, by contrast, has brought great change with less of the insanity . Each age spawns...

Get a free breakfast (and a bear hug!)

Jill Dewes — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 09:00:51 -0600

Tomorrow, 7 dedicated Triggerites will be up at the crack ofdawn to cook pancakes for thousands of people at the Chinook Centre StampedeBreakfast – the biggest breakfast in Calgary!

The killer duo of grills from Trigger and Run Digital is theplace to be if you like blueberry pancakes and whipped cream – and whodoesn’t? Look out for Elise, Michelle, Alex, Mariana, Lisa, Todd and Jillin our custo...

Our Own Scott King on Groupon in Alberta Venture

Meagan Lane — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:00:43 -0600

In the June 2011 issue of Alberta Venture, Scott King was featured as one of Calgary’s experts on online group coupon services.

According to Scott, be wary. Group coupons can work “much in the same way that contesting was in an older advertising model. It trains people to wait to be told to come in, rather than building that relationshipthat you need to have them come on their own volition.”

Rea...

Trigger's Scott King quoted in "Alberta Venture"

Meagan Lane — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:00:43 -0600

In the June 2011 issue of Alberta Venture, Scott King was featured as one of Calgary’s experts on online group coupon services.

Rea...

Yukon ho!

Jill Dewes — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:50:23 -0600

Four intrepid Triggerites spent two nights up in Whitehorsethis week, in an effort to win the Tourism Yukon pitch.

Larry, Ari, Todd and Jill set off on Air North on Mondayafternoon - with a brief stop in Edmonton along the way – and arrived inWhitehorse at around 5pm.

The views from the plane were amazing – lush and greenwith turquoise lakes and very few signs of civilisation.

Our friends from ...

Trigger visits MeshWest Conference

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:45:27 -0600

Earlier this month a couple of us triggerites hit the inaugural MeshWest Conference in Calgary and it was a very positive experience. I have attended several Mesh Conferences in Toronto and it was a pleasure to see it come out here. The organizers of the event kept mentioning how much the Calgary event felt like the first Mesh Conference back in 2006 ? I will try not to take that a a statement ...

Show me the monkey

Jill Dewes — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:35:23 -0600

Technically, Zola is a gorilla, not a monkey, but there's nothing technically wrong with his dance skills. The Calgary Zoo has successfully done one of the most difficult things in today's blasé marketplace – made a video that's gone viral.

Yep, the V word.

The video of Zola getting down to some funky beats in his enclosure was released onto YouTube on Friday 17 June, promoted to the Zoo's Fac...

Great Speakers at the CMA Conference 2011

Meagan Lane — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:35:23 -0600

Trigger attended the annual Canadian Marketing Associationconference at the end of May, and it was well worth it. We took away learningsranging from brainstorming techniques, to fascinating social media casestudies, to an endorsement for afternoon naps as a means to inspire creativity.We’re putting all of this new knowledge to work for Trigger and ourclients. Especially the naps ;)

The top speak...

Servus Credit Union Wins Big at the 2011 MACU

Eva Van Krugel — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:15:27 -0600

On June 1st, Servus Credit Union collected hardware fora job well done on Corporate Retail Marketing initiatives.

Servus was recognized for Achievement in Marketing Excellence at the annual Marketing Association for Credit Unions Conference and Gala inHalifax, Nova Scotia. Servus won three awards for results-driven workincluding:

AIME for Servus’ 2010Mortgage Campaign – Print Media Category
AIME f...

Crowd sourcing gets 1000 recycling bins placed on the streets of Alberta

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:55:24 -0600

Only 6 weeks into the campaign, the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation?s Place a Bin program has already reached a milestone of 1000 bin placement requests.

This integrated crowd sourcing initiative has empowered Albertans to help keep empty beverage containers out of provincial landfills, by having their say in where new recycling bins should be placed. Through the Place a Bin pro...

Chinook Centre goes ape for the Calgary Zoo

Jill Dewes — Wed, 11 May 2011 10:55:23 -0600

When Trigger needed a public place to display a 3rdbirthday card for the Calgary Zoo’s gorilla Yewande, we immediatelythought of Chinook Centre.

With the recent store openings of Tiffany & Co andVictoria’s Secret, Chinook is busier than ever before, and a great placeto target families.

The wonderful folks at Chinook Centre came to the party with a free display area on their main floor and even ne...

Graphic Artist

Karen Pera — Fri, 06 May 2011 14:30:28 -0600

Trigger is looking for a full-time production artist who can create flawless print-ready files without breaking a sweat. A high proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite is a must and knowledge of Microsoft Office is an asset. You are highly organized and able to work efficiently on multiple projects to meet tight deadlines. The ideal candidate will have experience building production files at an ad ...

Accounts Receivable

Mon, 02 May 2011 07:10:26 -0600

Accounts Receivable position open. Responsibilities include client invoicing, collections, tax reporting, and some administrative duties. Candidate will require strong communication skills with an ability to work under pressure in a deadline-oriented environment. Preference will be given to those who have experience in an agency environment with strong excel and project tracking systems.

Conta...

Trigger wins big at Ad Rodeo

Meagan Lane — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:40:30 -0600

Triggerhas had much to celebrate on the award-show front recently, including cleaningup at the Ad Rodeo Anvil Awards held in April. The Ad Rodeo is Calgary’scelebration of creative excellence, and judges are brought in from around NorthAmerica to evaluate the work. Two categories of awards are given out: Anvilsfor first place winners; and Merits for runners up. This year Trigger took homenine A...

In the news

Debs Dawson — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:30:32 -0700

Here are some of the latest news articles we find interesting:

E-Mail gets an instant makeover

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/technology/21email.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage

Internet set to overtake newspapers in ad earnings

http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Internet+overtake+newspapers+earnings/4006756/story.html

Foursquare updates location-sharing mobile service with comment, photo fe...

Christmas Countdown idea

Jill Dewes — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:30:32 -0700

Great little campaign for Positively Wellington Tourism inNew Zealand.

An online advent calendar with a new deal released each day,aimed at getting locals to spend more time downtown.

Each deal has a voucher associated with it that you can ‘like’on Facebook or share in other social media channels.

Delicious free goodness – and very, very measurable...

http://advent.wellingtonnz.com/

...

Out of Office AutoReply: New Overheard on Trigger Website

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:35:26 -0700

Hi there.

I'm out of the office on a client assignment for the week of December 13th, and have limited access to email.

If your matter is urgent please contact Scott Luedtke . Otherwise I will respond to you when I return on December 20th.

With bells on.

–Scott

"Don't Be A Tosser" wins Award of Excellence!

Meagan Lane — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 10:25:36 -0700

TheABCRC “Don’t Be A Tosser” campaign has won a Silver LeafAward of Excellence from the International Association of BusinessCommunicators. This is a national award, and the Tosser campaign went throughtwo tiers of judging to win this honour.

Thecompetition is based on a strategic approach to both communication strategy andcreative execution. Entrants had to demonstrate strategic planning align...

In the news

Debs Dawson — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 09:00:39 -0700

These are the news items that caught our attention this week:

Google close to buying Groupon: reports

http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Google+close+buying+Groupon+reports/3911553/story.html

Groupon's success inspires copycats

http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Groupon+success+inspires+copycats/3917265/story.html

Crowd-sourcing lets voters vet cities’ fiscal plans

http://www.theglobean...

Hand drawn ads promote handmade beer

Jill Dewes — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:45:32 -0700

In the news

Debs Dawson — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:45:28 -0700

Here's our weekly roundup of news articles we find interesting:

Who's afraid of free WiFi?

Santa going wireless this year

Netflix?s Move Onto the Web Stirs Rivalries

A financial wake-up call for women

Canadian boomers set to prove McCartney wrong: Survey

Poorly housed Canadians face same health problems as the homeless: Study

Consumers to 'sit on their wallets' this holiday season

Holiday shoppers read...

We Took Home 4 Media Innovation Awards

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:05:26 -0700

Scott Stewart, Director of Communications Planning at Trigger Communications,was on stage four times at Marketing Magazine's Media Innovation Awards heldrecently in Toronto.

From a record number of entries judged by an eclectic panel of major advertisers,media and advertising agency staff, Trigger received silver in outdooradvertising for Discount Car Truck Rentals and a bronze for the Calgary ...

Job: Account Manager

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:20:27 -0700

Trigger is looking for an account managerwho is obsessed with excellence in customer care, strategic thinking andcreating ideas that trigger - a great ping-pong serve would be considered abonus.

This idea person is a mid-level accountmanager with 3-5 years’ experience in the advertising agency world. Theywill lead day-to-day client relationships, be indispensible to their client,provide category...

In the news

Debs Dawson — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 08:54:18 -0700

At Trigger, we’re constantly monitoring the news for reports on consumer behaviour and trends. Here’s a roundup of recent articles we’ve been paying attention to:

Online viewers still loving regular TV, U.S. poll shows
http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Online+viewers+still+loving+regular+poll+shows/3829945/story.html

Vending machine uses facial recognition to recommend type of drink
http://ww...

Job: Interactive Designer

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 09:40:35 -0700

We’re looking for a designer who loves digital as much as we do. Someone who thinks about the user first.

The person we’re looking for has spent the past 3-5 years in a team environment beating back browser trouble and complaining about IE6. We’re certain this person has a blog where they can show us their know-how with mobile design, UX/IA and their thinking on modern web design.

When they’re no...

Job: Web Developer

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 09:40:43 -0700

We’re looking for someone who loves the deep dark places of the Internet. No – not those places.

This person has spent the past 5+ years in an agency bringing ideas to life on the web with PHP. They’re no stranger to the rapidly changing world of Interactive, and have probably played with developing for mobile devices.

Above all, we’re certain this person has a genuine passion for seeing their ha...

We Got Five Media Innovation Award Nominations

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:13:24 -0600

Recently, Marketing Daily published the shortlist for Canada’s upcoming Media Innovation Awards. We were delighted to see that of the nine categories we entered, Trigger is shortlisted in five. That’s a pretty good batting average, and puts us in company with the country’s biggest and baddest media agencies. Congratulations to Scott and Marissa for their clever work on the Zoo’s ‘Dinosaurs Aliv...

Buy Local

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 08:45:32 -0600

Whether or not your Halloween costume was a complete success or a horrible failure this year, it probably took a considerable amount of time to scour the internet, and then you had to pay for shipping and hope it would arrive in time. If you didn’t go the online route, it consisted of long tedious trips to multiple stores only to be disappointed in what you could find. On the other hand, you ma...

Shipping Container brillance

Natalie Faulkner — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:00:41 -0600

For some reason, I find the whole converting-shipping-containers-to-usable-space completely fascinating and brilliant. Could it be possible that a shipping container could be converted to a “portable branch” for Servus to bring the branch to more rural clients? My Trigger idea for the day.

If you have time, check out this article and do some Googling. It is really a great green idea and the resu...

A Successful Start to Orchard Park’s Back to Fresh Contest!!!

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:16:00 -0600

On August 9, 2010, Orchard Park Shopping Centre launched its Back to Fresh contest for the second year running.

The basics of the contest have remained the same since last year. Shoppers go online to generate a locker combination , and then go to the mall where they can try their luck at winning fabulous prizes.

However this year, one goal was to increase social media involvement, so we leverag...

In The News - July 22, 2010

Debs Dawson — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:30:00 -0600

TECHNOLOGY: Antenna woes fail to dent iPhone demand

Seeking to quell the fuss over reception on the new iPhone, Apple is applying a low-tech solution to a high-tech problem. The gadget-maker is hoping a $29 rubber and plastic case will put an end to the debate over the antenna on what Apple chief executive Steve Jobs calls "perhaps the best product we've ever made."

TECHNOLOGY: Netflix launche...

In The News - July 15, 2010

Debs Dawson — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:30:00 -0600

TECHNOLOGY: Canadians prefer paper bills: study

Online-savvy Canadians are comfortable paying bills on the Internet, but they don't want to read financial statements on a computer -- they like holding their bills in their hands. The reason is that most consumers "anticipate" a disagreement or mistake with their bill payments so they retain records as valid evidence.

TECHNOLOGY: Canadians avera...

Personal People Meter Results in Calgary

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:21:00 -0600

Who grew!?

JACK FM remains the number one station in market vs. Adults and Males 25-54, and grew nearly 1.4 share points in the March 10 release since R1-10 PPM reporting, to even attain the top spot vs. Females 25-54.

Q107 made some serious moves, increasing almost two full share points vs. R1-10 to attain T-3 with LITE 96 vs. Adults 25-54 and moving from 4th to 3rd ranked station with a 1.4 ...

Dinos Alive at the Calgary Zoo

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:34:00 -0700

Our long time client, the Calgary Zoo has a great new exhibit called Dinosaurs Alive happening now.

Some Triggerites made it out to the opening day and snapped some shots.

Mad Men Triggerites

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:41:00 -0700

Halloween this year we took a shorter walk and dressed as ad-people. Mad Men styled 60's ad people.

Back-to-Fresh Contest Wrap Up

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:18:00 -0600

For back to school promotion this year we helped our client Orchard Park set up a fun and engaging contest in the mall. The shoppers went online to generate a locker combination and then went down to the mall where they could try their luck at winning fabulous prizes.

Here's a few photos of the installation:

Brenda Talks Tigers on the Big Breakfast

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:18:00 -0600

Our very own Brenda Belcher talked tigers with the Big Breakfast.

Brenda Talks Tigers on the Big Breakfast from trigger communications on Vimeo.

Video: Social Media By The Numbers

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:40:00 -0600

Great video summarizing the power of social media for the modern corporate communications strategy.

Ice-Cream Thursday

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:43:00 -0600

Our Operations Director, Brenda Belcher brought in Marble Slab to cater us delicious ice-cream.

Tactics vs. Strategy

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:36:00 -0600

Seth Godin has a great post on the way we view tactics and strategy. We're certainly in agreement with his philosophy here at Trigger.

From Godin's blog:

Tactics are easy to outline, because we say, "I'm going to post this." If we post it, we succeed. Strategy is scary to outline, because we describe results, not actions, and that means opportunity for failure.

I recently heard our president say, ...

Behind the Scenes of CGA's New Campaign

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:41:00 -0600

From Associate Creative Director, Todd Blevins:

Burning the midnight oil for CGA Alberta, literally.

One of the best things about my job at Trigger: every day is different. In fact, aside from some of the more tedious routines, like time sheets and kitchen duty, being an advertising creative is probably one of the most random careers out there.

In the past 48 hours, I’ve gone from sitting at a d...

Bing On the Rise

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:53:00 -0600

We've been watching Microsoft's new search engine Bing since it's debut in June.

Bing has passed Yahoo! in almost all the site's Trigger monitors for traffic. In perspective that means it passed Yahoo! in about 60 days.

Today Microsoft and Yahoo! announced that Bing will power Yahoo!'s search.

Bing's got some interesting features. We like the preview pop-ups, mini site navigation, the way video a...

Best of Luck Wade!

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:49:00 -0600

Wade Harper, Scott Stewart and Brenda Belcher

Trigger sends congratulations to Wade Harper, who recently left the Calgary Zoo to join Travel Alberta.

Wade was Director of Sales & Marketing at the Zoo, and our team worked with him on marketing campaigns for six-and-a-half years.

We loved the fact that he truly respects the creative process, and also that he understood what our team was capable of....

Farewell Leanne Rutherford

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:07:00 -0600

Leanne Rutherford, one of our Account Managers, has decided to head back to school to complete her MBA.

Presumably she wishes to become our boss one day, of which she's very capable.

I'm glad I was nice to her while she was with us.

Farewell L2, we will miss you.

New radio tracking tool in place

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:09:00 -0600

Trigger is pleased about a new radio electronic measurement system that will prove invaluable for strategic media planning.

The Portable People Meter is being launched by BBM Canada in January 2010. With this new system, radio audiences can be measured anytime and anywhere. This will help both the radio stations and advertisers better understand their target audiences.

One of the great features...

Trigger Helps out at Chinook Centre Stampede Breakfast

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:41:00 -0600

Our team helped out Saturday at the Chinook Stampede breakfast. 65,000 meals served. Some of which had M&M pancakes.

Thanks to Todd Blevins, Saro "the mad" Ghazarian, Sara-Lynn Warwick, Joyce Van Zeumeren, Natalie Faulkner, Leanne "Spilly" MacKenzie, Mariana Aramburu, Debs Dawson and Cathy "C-Hawk" Hockenhull for slinging the city's finest grub.

Jason goes the distance

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:41:00 -0600

Trigger Account Supervisor Jason Morton ran the HSBC Calgary Marathon in an impressive 3:16:55 – qualifying him for Boston in 2010.

Jason placed 66 out of 1,040. It was his sixth full-marathon, and Jason shaved off almost 46 minutes from when he ran in Calgary in 2008.

All the hard training Jason put in clearly paid off, for he said he felt good and recovered quickly enough to go to the Lilac ...

Open Letter to Ad Rodeo

Fri, 01 May 2009 09:17:00 -0600

To the board of directors,

This letter is about the representation of interactive work at the show. We feel that while the traditional end of our craft is well represented, interactive is not. There is one category to cover the entire gamut of possible interactive executions and the credits in the submission process do not reflect the team members required to make them.

We think interactive could...

BBM Rankings for Calgary Radio Stations

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:57:00 -0600

BBM has provided its latest rankings for Calgary’s top radio stations, as listened to by the 24-54 age group.

VIBE 98.5 has the highest share of reportable hours/tuned – 11.4% – up by 5% over the past three months.
LITE 96 is now ranked #2 in this age group.
CJAY 92 ranks #3.
JACK FM ranks #4.
Country 105 ranks #5.

The overall trending shows rock formats as a category have fallen a total five points ...

Trigger Says Farewell to IE6

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:58:00 -0600

As of April 1st we'll no longer be including the cost of development and testing in Internet Explorer 6.

I look at the stats from site's we've done since I arrived in August of last year and I see a steady trend downword for use of IE6. Now with IE8 on the shelf that puts IE6 two versions behind the mainstream.

This isn't a decision we come to lightly. A large portion of our clients still use IE6...

Koalas are here!

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:21:00 -0700

Here are a few photos from this morning's koala exhibit grand opening at the Calgary zoo.

Custom PF Flyers Auction - Urban Youthworx

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:55:00 -0700

Our very own Shauna Luedtke placed a pair of custom painted PF Flyers Shoes up for auction with Urban Youthworx. A portion of proceeds going to charity. Shauna sold her unique shoes on December 4th to some lucky pedestrian.

Check out more of Shauna's work over at her site.

Farewell Rebecca & Sandra

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:37:00 -0700

Trigger said goodbye to two friends last week. Rebecca Molina and Sandra Haniak. Good luck you two, we wish you all the best!

Little Gerry - Forbes' new friend - Boardroom

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:39:00 -0700

Little Gerry - Forbes' new friend - Boardroom from Scott on Vimeo.

Cinco de Trigger

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:00:00 -0700

Some photos from the Cinco de Trigger party. Congratulations on 5 years, Triggerites!

A shining beacon in the early morning

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:12:00 -0600

Trigger's new sign, illuminated in the early morn'.

Triggerites go the extra mile

Debs Dawson — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:10:00 -0600

Congratulations go to Diane Iwanchuk, Jason Morton and Cathy Hockenhull for showing their mettle in some challenging runs.

Diane – one of our graphic artists – set a goal of completing a half-marathon to celebrate her half-century year. And she did better than that – she ran two in as many weeks.

At the Okanagan International, in Kelowna, Diane came in at 1:54:54 – and 14th out of 114 for her gen...

So long Dave...

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:40:00 -0600

Last night Trigger said goodbye to one of the best writers in the biz. David Delibato is headed back home to tDot, and we made sure we sent him home proper. Shauna made him some custom Slip-Offs for the for the road. Here are some pics from a night at the Wildwood.

Trigger Ping Pong

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:51:00 -0600

Trigger's first annual ping pong tournament had Patrick Doyle pitted against Brent Mulligan. It was a close match, but Brent was victorious.

Media Blast: September 2008

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:40:00 -0600

Welcome to our 4th Edition of the Trigger Media Blast!
This month we are highlighting Online Marketing and its ability to effectively target your audience plus track & measure campaign results ensuring good ROI.

There are many ways to target your audience online. Based on your objectives we can use multiple targeting approaches including:

Internet Protocol Address - uniquely assigned to a particul...

Trigger employee featured in Sneaker Freaker Magazine

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:19:00 -0600

Our very own Shauna Luedtke was featured in an article for popular shoe magazine and website Sneaker Freaker.

Cool Beans?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:28:00 -0600

Cut Copy live at Richards on Richards = cool beans.

The internet presents: Bats like to party.

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:35:00 -0600

Hot damn. Those little guys have some crazy ears. I wonder if they’ve been using them to listen to Cut Copy’s new album “In Ghost Colours”? Most of them appear to be smiling so I’d assume they have been.

“How do I get down with smiling bats with big weird ears?”
Configure your computer machine to visit the following website address:

www.myspace.com/cutcopy

Namaste.

K.C.

CGA Guerilla Marketing Ideas Come to LIFE!!

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:24:00 -0700

It is great as an agency when you are privilaged with clients that appreciate innovative creative work. We approached our client Certified General Accountants with a guerilla marketing idea that would appeal to their target audience within Calgary, providing an innovative and different way of reaching their demographic. Along with our media partner and our creative team, elevator door wraps we...

Congratulations Wade Harper!

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:15:00 -0700

All of us at Trigger would would like to give a big CONGRATULATIONS to Wade Harper for being named the Director of Sales and Marketing at the Calgary Zoo. Wade is a great client, a tremendous person, and his passion for the Zoo is unparalleled.

So from all of us at Trigger - well done and much deserved!

Zoo boss plots a bright future for people, wildlife

David Parker
Calgary Herald
Tuesday, January ...

Go Trigger Production Team!

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:57:00 -0700

I wanted to thank our awesome production team for staying late Friday December 21st. When most people were sneaking out early, they were here until the end! We had a ton of things that needed to go out that day so that all of us could take time off over the holidays. The studio worked very hard and stayed very late to get it all done so I wanted to thank Kathi, Jeff, Sarah and Cathi. It's much ...

November Trend Report

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:25:00 -0700

Trendwatching.com has issued their November trend report with some surprising but a bit depressing trends on: GENERATION Z , BLANDASTIC , ECOFATIGUE , PET PASSE and TURQUOISE TRIUMPH .

HUMAN TETRIS!

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:43:00 -0600

Halarious video on the human tetris game, take a peek!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84_QL1kEmH4

Give a man a fish, and feed him for a day. Give a man an exacto knife…

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:09:00 -0600

I recently had the privilege of seeing at firsthand one of the greatest examples of customer service. As a Calgarian who has been living in this marvellous city for over 7 years, I have seen how our community has become accustomed to poor service – it’s simply expected . Whether you’re getting attitude from a server in a restaurant, ignored at a clothing store or ripped off from your local mech...

Playing with all the marbles

LERB — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:10:00 -0600

The 27 Marbles Briefing:

Strategy: Shamelessly exploit 27 Marbles clients for personal and professional gain
Objective: Make the girls rich
Tone of voice: Indulgent, adulatory, thrilled beyond words
Core Idea: 27 Marbles is worth every penny
Deliverable: 1-2 testimonials extolling the virtues of training with 27 Marbles. Can be between 2-4 sentences

The Trigger Endorsement:

Trigger Communications & ...

Piggy is a flying success!!!

Debs Dawson — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:01:00 -0600

A little piggy named Curly is capturing hearts in the Calgary market. Pigsback.com's cute mascot has been getting squeals of delight everywhere he's made an appearance.

Check out this City TV news bulletin.

Trigger has been getting great feedback on Pigsback.com. Here's a review from Calgarian Stacy Johnston:

I'm totally addicted to Pigsback.com. I check every day for new contests to enter and new...

Triggerites helping in the community

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:57:00 -0600

As part of her duties volunteering as Stage Manager with StoryBook Theatre, studio graphic artist Kathy Macovichuk takes The Emperor's New Clothes to the Alberta Children's Hopital for an evening of laughs and fun for the kids. It was a rewarding evening for both cast and crew.

Creative Agencies

Debs Dawson — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:39:00 -0600

Trigger was highlighted in the October 2007 issue of Strategy magazine as one of Canada's leading creative agencies. Others featured were Bos, Grip and TAXI in Toronto, as well as Extreme Group in Halifax.

Trigger Featured in Applied Arts Magazine

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:42:00 -0600

TRIGGER COMMUNICATIONS & DESIGN, CALGARY: Trigger was born when it took over Parallel Strategies in 2003. Since then is has refocused its areas of specialty and client base to create a winning integrated marketing and communications company.

Prairie Boom Towns

Judging by its modernist lines and spacious Macintosh workstations, WAX partnership bears all the hallmarks of a top contemporary advertis...

Orchard Park wins top Canadian honours

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:39:00 -0600

I received this email today from our client at Orchard Park:

We won! Last night, the Make Space campaign was recognized with the top
Canadian award for marketing in the shopping centre industry, the Maple
Leaf. Congratulations to Trigger!Orchard Park also won a Maple Leaf for the New Wing's design. So we were two for two last night and I believe the only center last night to win two Maple Leafs. N...

Talk Like A Pirate Day

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:57:00 -0600

Ahoy Mateys,

September 19 t'was International Talk Like a Pirate Day and Trigger came on board with festivities to make an old salty seadog proud. From treasure hunts to treasure cakes, we spent the hour of noon regaling fellow pirates with tales of ribaldry and adventure, over tankards of grog. Yarrrrrr - good, clean fun. Next year t'will be even better now that Triggerites have had a taste of ...

Pie Photo Contest Update

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:46:00 -0600

Community Savings wrapped up their Summer Pie Photo contest with over 200 entries from members on their vacations. Photos were taken around the world, and displayed on Flickr.com so that members could see all of the entries. The idea was something Trigger developed as a fun alternative to doing just a summer branding campaign and the results show that Community Savings members have no problem t...

Shauna's Shoes on Ellen

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:16:00 -0600

Just before starting here at Trigger, Shauna Luedtke got her 15 seconds of fame on The Ellen Show and in The Calgary Herald for her custom designed shoes she sent to Ellen for her Mother's Day Show. We're glad to have her on board and know you will be hearing more about her in the future.

Pie Photo Contest

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:52:00 -0600

Trigger Communications helped put together a Summer Holiday Photo Contest for Community Savings. People are asked to submit a photo of themselves holding a piece of pie while on their holiday. The promotion ties in with their profit sharing theme "Everyone gets a piece of the pie" and runs all summer long. More updates and photos to come. The official contest information can be found here. We'r...

It's getting hot in here...

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:09:00 -0600

Rebecca sent this to me a while ago, such a cool idea. Check 'er out.

KC

Wallpapers.....so hot right now

Tue, 29 May 2007 09:43:00 -0600

Geeks United!

Mon, 28 May 2007 13:07:00 -0600

Sharole - don't worry about being a numbers geek. I am one too.

I would like to use a quote stolen from one of our clients..."Geek is the new black!"

My Fav Industry Quote

Fri, 18 May 2007 10:59:00 -0600

"Safe advertising in the riskiest advertising you can do ."
- Bill Bernbach

Lost and Found on the Web.

Fri, 18 May 2007 09:56:00 -0600

Yesterday Mhairi from our media department and I attended a presentation by Epiar sponsored by MRIA . The topic was the importance of Search Engine Optimization of your website. It was extremely interesting, especially given the stats that there are over 60 billion websites on the net and over 1.8 new users every week logging on. With so many new users and so many sites, people are relying heav...

Crusin' on the open road (or on a full ski hill... whatever!).

Tue, 15 May 2007 15:08:00 -0600

Recently, a few brave souls from the agency ventured one very early morning to Sunshine Village to attempt what was to be a first for all of us. Yes, our Snowbike virginity was soon to be taken away from us on a beautiful Rocky Mountain Day. Even though we were all very tired from the previous nights festivities - we had warm sausage n' egg mcmuffins in our bellies and courageous smiles on our ...

Me in a nutshell (or a widget, I guess)

Tue, 15 May 2007 11:23:00 -0600

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

PB&J

Mon, 14 May 2007 10:42:00 -0600

Went to check out Peter, Bjorn and John on Fri. night with fellow Trigger employees Sharole and Todd. It was a really good show. Most of the stuff they played was from"Writer's Block" but it was nice to hear some of their older stuff as well. I was stoked on the slower version of "Amsterdam". They gave the kids what they wanted and played "Young Folks" about half way through the set. Unfortuna...

Who I am!

Fri, 11 May 2007 14:55:00 -0600

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

ShelDogs ID

Thu, 10 May 2007 09:45:00 -0600

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

What is your trigger?

Wed, 09 May 2007 21:45:00 -0600

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

This is neat, you can create your own "visual DNA" http://dna.imagini.net

Try it and post yours using the "widget" feature

RRRRRADIO

Wed, 09 May 2007 10:41:00 -0600

So, I’m hoping by now most people are aware of the three new radio stations that have launched in our Calgary market. Early speculation would indicate that they are the talk of the town and are giving some of the long standing stations a run for their money.

First to launch was X92.9 on New Years day playing new rock hits. This station seems to be a hit with Men 18-34 as it shot straight into t...

Guerilla Marketing- 'Rip-Away' - Innovative Wild Postings that Encourage Consumers to "Take Home an Poster

Tue, 08 May 2007 14:42:00 -0600

Great Guerilla Example

Mon, 07 May 2007 14:49:00 -0600

Recent Trigger Posts

Of the week

The marketing opportunities of sharing

Dispatches from CMANC

How being risk-averse is the biggest risk of all

The Hire-5: Teresa Leung

Kal Tire wins IABC Gold Quill Excellence Award

Welcome to the Calgary Public Library Foundation

The limits of innovation

The Hire-5: Brittany Dusseldorp

One page. One ink. One goal.

Put a pin in it: Tips for suck-free writing

Calgary Zoo publishes world’s first annual report on Instagram

Branding adrenaline

The Anvils 2013 honour roll

The Hire-5: Kara Orr

The brand currency of alternative currencies

Big data: Why it isn’t a trend

“The Winners Of The Design Competition”

Make every day April Fools' Day

The World’s Fastest Agency: Game-changer or gimmick?

The Walrus ponders performance

The Hire-5: Farin Manji

Hippos and tigers and penguins, oh my!

“Cakes for Cuties” Valentine’s Day

The Hire-5: Breana Baker

Calgary Zoo conservation cuteness

Calling all hosers

The Hire-5: Naveed Arshad

The Hire-5: Celeste Herbert

What's even better than 1.33 million visitors? 1.43 million visitors.

Creativity for the greater good

Trigger’s 2012 Holiday/Apocalypse Advent Calendar

The Hire-5: Kristin Evans

The digital out-of-home explosion

We’re hiring … Digital project manager

The Pink Post-it project

We're hiring … Proofreader

FPO

We're hiring … Web developer

Baby's first

The Hire-5: James Barry

Think with Google: On Agile Creativity

Canada.com readers confirm what we knew all along: Calgary Zoo is the best in Canada

A to-do list app to rule them all

The Hire-5: Jill Yaehne

Six ways to follow the Olympics online

From apps to social media, there’s no shortage of ways to keep up-to-date on the Olympics. Here are our top six...

Chinook Centre’s chuckwagon arrives fashionably early

Paper Plate Stampede Dress, designed by Kara Chomistek

The Hire-5: Dan Biggs

Dan Biggs - Interactive Strategist

Welcome to the world, baby Felicity

The Hire-5: Lori Burwash

Lori Burwash – Content Writer/Proofreader

Proofreader

Trigger tops Anvils two years running

Trigger webmail link & new site redirect.

Tom Foord Passing

The Calgary Zoo’s “Conservative” Annual Report

Before Good Friday, there's Bad Thursday!

The 2012 Strategy Creative Report Card gives Trigger an A+

Near Field Communication - an alternative to mass media?

Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

Director, Interactive Strategy

Gingerbread Rob!

Time Spent or Volume of Visits?

We're hiring an Office Manager / Executive Assistant

Canada Raises $36.6 million for Movember

12 Days of Penguin Christmas for the Calgary Zoo

The Trigger Idea Project

Halloween 2011

Print Production Artist

Facebook's Just Not That Into Us

CA Typography Winner!

Hooray for Hippos

Print Production Artist

Better together.

3 Days? 5 spots? Talk to Kal.

Proofreader

Trigger tops Anvils
two years running