Since before the Fuller brush man appeared on the porch, marketing has been an outbound effort, pushing messages out to interrupt prospects. As the web and search grew up together the power migrated to the consumer. Today marketers are learning how to be found, how to understand where a prospect is in the sales process and how to bring him or her along with the right content at the right time in the right places. The process involves a complex interaction of social platforms, consent, conversation, engagement, relationships and trust. Just as the process itself is a marathon rather than a sprint, so too is the learning path. We offer a newcomer's guide to social media marketing and a weekly email Digest of breaking news and current views. Sign up at www.faceliftmarketing.ca

Site search, relocation, design, tender, client rep during build out, lease and license review and negotiation.

A highly innovative wine and spirits manufacturing (Canada/China), retail and export (US/Taiwan) company with demonstrated expertise in successful new product development and marketing.Revitalized a retail acquisition, doubling sales in 24 months, redesigning store formats and launching new partnerships in site developmentLaunched e-commerce division, developed and instituted promotion, tasting and event calendars and related programs to exceed aggressive gross margin targetsAccomplished improved customer service, reduced cost of supervision and chain-wide common practice through the creation of training and operations manuals. Collaborated in their maintenance to ensure the preservation of gains madeContributed to sustained margin growth through results-based compensation plans that communicated expectations to salaried and hourly employees.

Initially a wholly owned subsidiary of John Labatt Ltd. (Chateau Gai Wines) the company became a global producer of wines, operating Ontario's largest chain of winery retail stores. ● Piloted retail division through FTA impacts, significantly growing the store base in the face of the grandfathering of licenses● Coordinated complex change initiatives impacting on business culture and climate● Fashioned new product, packaging, marketing and site initiatives through negotiation with regulatory authorities, creatively expanding opportunity in a highly regulated industry● Researched customer profiles to match with trade area demographics for dramatic improvement in new site performance● Created new “A” store site options through partnering with grocery giant A&P to prototype and roll out free-standing wine store designs with minimal footprints, resulting in high-traffic/high sales additions to the chain● Negotiated lease and license agreements in shopping centres, strip malls and host environments across Ontario● Formulated capture rate model for accurately predicting new store sales potential in host environments. (Loblaw now uses this model in all 3rd party businesses)● Negotiated successive collective agreements (Brewery, Food and Soft Drink Workers, Local 304) with industry-leading results● Worked closely with union leadership to build and maintain beneficial labour relations and minimize grievance activity in 25 organized store units● Developed strategic and tactical business plans and forecast revenues and expenses by category, by store, by month, annually● Coached, mentored and provided leadership to more than 50 Store Managers through 4 District Managers, reporting directly, generating sales exceeding 20 million dollars annually

An explosive North American start-up in corporate and franchise cosmetics retailing, multiplying store count by 1500% in 24 months.Negotiated shopping centre space leases across North AmericaSold and supervised sole-location and master franchise agreements across CanadaPersonally opened, staffed and trained more than 100 staffing groups in 5 provinces and 10 states