Jobs I know in Vancouver

In the last few days I’ve been sent a number of jobs from folks I know. Since I’m not looking for a job (though I’m always looking for work!), I thought I’d post them to see if anyone else can connect the seekers and the sought.

SXIP Indentity is looking to fill 2 developer positions: Firefox Developer and Web Developer. Here’s the snippet of skills they’re looking for:

• You have a proven track record in developing software.
• You thrive on solving difficult problems and want to have an impact through the delivery of cutting-edge technologies.
• Your extensive programming experience will leave you well-positioned to thrive in our high-velocity, creative and passionate environment.
• For the Firefox Developer: you’ve already got experience in Firefox add-ons, XUL, JavaScript and the usual web technologies.
• For the Web Developer: you’ll need to be experienced and skilled in web technologies (CSS, XHTML, Perl, PHP and JavaScript) and multiple operating systems (FreeBSD, OS X and Windows).
• Full job listings and to take action, check out SXIP careers.

A video game company is looking for a strong Product Manager with a background in mass-market consumer products who also knows software. En plus, that individual will have these responsibilities:

• supervise development of consumer qualitative research (focus groups, product reviews)
• work with development team to define product positioning, feature sets and licensing applications
• work with the Marketing Director to develop and execute the Franchise Marketing Plan, which includes product positioning, target market identification and analysis, volume forecasting, budgeting, category & competitive analysis and pricing analysis
• provide expertise and knowledge to studio producers and developers and influence development of concepts and features
• develop relationships with key licensors and retailers for advertising, promotions and packaging
• present at quarterly sales meetings
• Take action on this one by getting in contact with me and I’ll pass you the right contact information.

Lastly and most loosely, if anyone is involved in software channel management marketing let me know. I have people I know looking to hire in the new year. Same goes for a general accountant and a communications specialist for a non-profit.

Posted by James Sherrett | Email to a Friend

Filed under: • Work • Clients • News
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Monique Trottier joins Work Industries

I’m tickled to announce that Monique Trottier will be joining Work Industries on a full-time basis in mid-January, 2007. A new year brings new beginnings!

Monique is a web marketing superstar of the highest order and I feel flattered that she’s joined Work Industries.

Monique expands the expertise available from Work Industries - podcasting, web media relations, web contests, writing, editing and video production - and the experience drawn from delivering leading projects in the past.

Monique also balances our orientation. She’s a creative generalist with strong ties to the publishing and media industries. She’s a strategic operative with a great feel for what works. She’s a shrewd tactician who delivers over and over again.

When faced with the chance to add employee number two to Work industries, I faced a simple decision. What do you say when the best person you could imagine joining you agrees to join you? I think you do the only sensible thing: oh boy, you’re hired!

Welcome aboard, Monique.

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Filed under: • News • Personal
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Megan Cole interviews James Sherrett for Raincity podcast

On Thursday morning this past week I met up with Megan Cole, Agent 99, of Raincity Studios to do an audio interview / Raincity podcast. Megan did a great job as interviewer and I come across as somewhat coherent.

Megan posted the interview today in all its wholesome goodness. Some highlights include:

• The skinny on Work Industries.
• A perspective on what makes Vancouver a great place to be working on technology projects.
• The sound of milk being steam for a short period in the background.
• Why I love and hate Winnipeg at once.
• Megan tells her fishing story.
• Hear me say, ‘...oh, that’s a beauty.’
• How to cook turkeys and how many turkeys you can cook in a year.

Perhaps you’d like to Listen now! - Streaming from the Raincity website or download the file and listen on your own time (about 20 minutes of good times, MP3 format).

Posted by James Sherrett | Email to a Friend

Filed under: • News • Personal
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Report: U.K. leads world in Internet advertising

When I read the headline I did a double take - Britain leads the way in online advertising: 40% annual growth dwarfs the rate in U.S. market, where television reigns.

Really?

The conventional wisdom is that the U.K. lags the U.S. by about 18 to 12 months in adopting web technologies (Canada exists about on par with the U.K. or +/- 6 months). Now they’ve leapfrogged North America to lead in embracing Internet advertising? WTF indeed.

Online advertising is racing ahead in Britain, growing at a roughly 40 percent annual rate, and it is expected to account for as much as 14 percent of overall advertising spending this year, according to media buying agencies.

That is the highest level in the world, and more than double the U.S. percentage.

...

“Every pound withdrawn from traditional media either to be saved or spent online, where supply is in handsome surplus, exerts more deflationary pressure on the total market,” Group M said in a recent report on the British ad market. “And if online proves more productive, advertisers have the option of investing less.”

That, combined with the group at Next Wednesdays creating killer conversations about where the whole networked media / technology / creativity / advertising mess is headed, and I’m thinking about visiting across the pond. Maybe in the spring.

I’m posting the article above to illustrate slow, fearful and laggard Canadian business are with regard to Internet advertising. We’re behind and falling further back; purposefully, with great consideration and trepidation, with a ton of humming and hawing and not nearly enough half measures.

Why?

Canada has one of the highest penetration rates for broadband Internet in the world. Our advertising audiences are both local and national. We’re well wired and open to using the web to connect, shop, communicate, etc. Why do Canadian businesses refuse to invest in the web?

Some thoughts on that very question tomorrow…

Posted by James Sherrett | Email to a Friend

Filed under: • Services • Web Strategy • Web Marketing
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A load of marketing

Just in case you thought that the ideas behind the shifting control of marketing were intangible, conceptual or abstract, please consider the Weighty Marketing Matters ‘06 post from the Church of the Customer blog.

Between November 20 and December 22 Ben McConnell is collecting and weighing the ‘unwanted, unsolicited catalogs our household receives during the holiday season.’ Ben clarifies in the comments that it’s not catalogues he’s against, it’s the crap that he doesn’t want that he hates.

And his blog provides him a venue to communicate and illustrate his point, which he does very well. He takes the purveyors of the catalogues to task for their crap practice. Last year he collected 14 pounds of unwanted catalogues.

That’s 14 pounds of wasted paper, ink and glue, not to mention the additional cost of the labour to produce the catalogues and the cost to the world around us to no longer have the trees killed to make the catalogues. For something unwanted, something that works against its purpose by actually associating a negative emotion with the retailers.

People pay attention to these things. In the past they paid attention to them in isolation, or in small, personal groups. Now on the web the whole world can see them, not just today but into the future. Every person has as much shot of contributing to the perception of a company as any other, including those working for the company.

So what’s a company to do? Get active. Engage with its customers. ‘Fess up and speak in a human voice. Solicit input, provide feedback and treat the world humanely. Hiding won’t change anything.

Want to know more about how your organization can work with the shifting control of marketing? Get in touch and start the conversation.

Posted by James Sherrett | Email to a Friend

Filed under: • Services • Web Strategy • Web Marketing
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