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Articles by Éric
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Éric Blais shared thisIf real aliens have internet, this White House video will either baffle them completely or, if they're already among us like E.T. was, make them desperate to leave the planet and go home.
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Éric Blais shared thisMy column in today's Toronto Star Opinion section. I refer to Stephen R. Kelly, Consul General of the United States in Quebec in 1995, who said this in a recently released documentary about the 1995 referendum in Quebec. (The translation is mine): "And my job, for the State Department, was to know and, if possible, predict what was going to happen and what it would mean for the United States. So, for example, I wrote a report on if the 'yes' vote won, what would the armed forces of a free Quebec look like? Now, we had the bases at Bagotville and Valcartier, so obviously, there was equipment in Quebec that belonged to the federal government, but we still had Bombardier, we still had the tools to create a military. And my opinion was that they would be a potential partner for the United States. I didn't see any problem with that." Column: https://lnkd.in/eM3i6bqE 1995 Espoirs et trahisons doc: https://lnkd.in/e7xYdJMD Stephen R. Kelly Flavie Payette-Renouf Savoir média
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Éric Blais shared thisTim Hortons and TFW “The uncomfortable reality is that a lot of what's driving the discomfort for many isn't really about a hiring model. It's about the sense that the country itself is shifting and Tim Hortons happens to be the brand those anxieties get projected onto because no other chain carries the same symbolic weight. A Subway with identical staffing practices would generate a fraction of the outrage.” My take in today’s Toronto Star.
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Éric Blais shared thisRebranding, renaming and nicknaming A U.S. federal judge ruled that "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it." The judge also delivered a seminar on naming strategy. The defence insisted this wasn't a renaming at all, merely a harmless "secondary name." A nickname, basically. The judge didn't buy it: "That convenient reframing is too cute by half—and belied by the record." Then the judge did something more: He laid out the actual taxonomy of naming. A real renaming, he explained, isn't like flipping "Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection" to "Consumer Financial Protection Bureau", a clerical reshuffle. Nor like "Fannie Mae," which is simply what you get when you say the initials of the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) out loud. Bolting a whole new name onto the title and demoting Kennedy's to second place is neither. The kicker from the judge: "If that is not a renaming, what is?" https://lnkd.in/ejxXDbw7
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Éric Blais shared thisIt's now political: Quebec politicians fight for the right to have a Canadiens watch party in the Outaouais National Assembly passes unanimous motion after NHL blocked event at Gatineau arena https://lnkd.in/ePntBWunQuebec politicians fight for right to have Canadiens watch party in the Outaouais | CBC NewsQuebec politicians fight for right to have Canadiens watch party in the Outaouais | CBC News
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Éric Blais shared thisOf all the Ferrari owners the Wall Street Journal could have called for a quote on the new EV, it picked Luc Poirier, the Montreal real estate developer, TV personality, and tireless self-promoter. Forty Ferraris will get you a lot of things. Apparently one of them is being the Journal’s go-to guy on Ferraris. Another real estate developer and TV personality keeps saying the US doesn’t need anything from Canada. Turns out the Journal needed one. Assuming building his personal brand in the U.S. is part of the plan, now it’s time to get quoted on something other than his garage.
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Éric Blais shared thisClueless in Seoul? Starbucks Korea picked May 18, which is the anniversary of the Gwangju massacre, as “Tank Day,” to promote a tumbler it calls a tank, under the slogan “Thwack it on the table!” The phrase Koreans associate with the 1987 police cover-up of a student activist’s torture death. The CEO is fired and the chairman has bowed three times on television. Police are investigating. Five marketing employees are out. Three refused to hand over their phones. The company says there’s no evidence the team meant to mock the pro-democracy movement. That should be easy to prove by making the brief public. If this was the most catastrophic coincidence in the history of promotional calendars, themes, and naming, the paper trail will say so. If it wasn’t, it will say that too. And this time, the company that failed to understand the local context won’t be the American one.
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Éric Blais shared thisSome good news and a branding opportunity for Canada abroad. Bloomberg and the NYT’s reporting on Canada’s new LNG agreement with Germany signals something bigger than an energy deal, and early proof that Carney can land the kinds of strategic agreements he’s been promising. Canada’s opportunity may be to position itself not just as a commodity exporter, but as a trusted supplier in an unstable world. Matina Stevis-Gridneff Ian Austen Chantal Capistran With brand attributes such as reliable, democratic., resource-rich, and institutionally stable. Which makes me wonder whether it’s also time for Export Development Canada to evolve its positioning. Historically, EDC has positioned itself as a trade finance institution helping Canadian companies export abroad. But this moment may call for something larger, such as contributing to nation branding by helping position Canada itself as a trusted infrastructure for the global economy.
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Éric Blais shared thisAn empty promise from the Beer Store The Beer Store wants you to stop throwing away money and take back what's yours. Good luck finding a place to do it.
Experience & Education
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Headspace Marketing Inc.
View Éric’s full experience
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Volunteer Experience
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Board Member - Chair of the Planning & Performance Committee
Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Canada
- Present 6 years 7 months
Civil Rights and Social Action
YPI is growing connected, compassionate communities through our inclusive, multi-award winning approach to youth-led participatory grant making. By 2024 our goal is to grant $1M annually to charities decided by 40,000 engaged and empowered youth, and to connect 350,000 Canadian each year around caring for social causes in their communities.
Publications
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How the Conservatives could shake things up to expand their political appeal
CBC News
See publicationFederal Conservative Party faces a 'strategic inflection point' as its leadership race kicks off.
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2019 federal election campaign - Which advertising strategies were most effective?
CBC Power & Politics
See publicationHeadspace Marketing president Éric Blais does a postmortem with Vassy Kapelos on the political parties' campaign advertising strategies.
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The inevitable erosion of the Trudeau brand
The Message
See publicationEric Blais on when the selfies and quirky socks become too much, and what it means for other purpose driven brands.
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The BQ ad budget may be small, but the message is very clear
The Message
See publicationWith little paid advertising, the sovereigntist party is using media smarts to break through with Quebec voters.
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2019 federal election campaign - What should Canadians make of the party election slogans
CBC Power & Politics
See publicationHeadspace Marketing President Eric Blais on the parties' newly unveiled election campaign slogans.
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Liberals stand up in Quebec ad campaign
The Message
See publicationMessaging could provide Liberals a smart, strategic positioning in the province—if they stick with it, says Eric Blais.
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Best Advice from Eric Blais
The Message
See publication“Best Advice” is a recurring column on The Message, in which industry veterans Jack Neary and Kevin Spreekmeester—and some of their colleagues—dispense practical advice for people who are just entering the industry.
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When it comes to advertising, who governs the government?
The Message
See publicationThere’s an increasingly fine line between partisan and non-partisan government advertising, but who should draw it, and how?
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When the going gets tough, politics gets nasty
The Message
See publicationPrime Minister Justin Trudeau disavowed negative advertising in the last election, but ERIC BLAIS wonders if it will be possible to take the high road this time around.
Courses
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Institute of Corporate Directors and the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management Not-for-Profit Program
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Languages
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French
Native or bilingual proficiency
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English
Full professional proficiency
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