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Here's to 8 amazing years! (1)

ruckus Digital Turns 8!

Eight years ago today, Ruckus Digital was born! To celebrate, here are eight fun facts that you might not know about ruckus.

1. Ruckus’ first client was outdoor power tool manufacturer Husqvarna. We are lucky enough to still work with Husqvarna today – in fact, you may have seen our recent award win [link] with them!

2. ruckus Digital’s first employee was Gary Edgar, who now works for RBC as Director, Enterprise Social Media.

3. Why “ruckus”? Managing Partner Linda Andross explains “we wanted a name that felt like it looked!  A name that had a bit of cheek and attitude and personality.” We think it perfectly sums up the people on our team and the work we do.

4. ruckus was a finalist for CPRS Toronto’s Best in Show the last two years in a row, and the winner for 2020.

5. It was also twice named IABC/Toronto Boutique Agency of the Year. Not bad for an eight-year-old!

6. APEX and ruckus Digital both made the Globe & Mail ROB Top 400 Fastest Growing Companies in 2019, coming in at #272.

7. ruckus Digital launched its original “ruckus Makers” series and has hosted more than 10 events with companies like Twitter, Snapchat, Google/YouTube, as well as some incredible influencers such as Amanda Muse and industry guests like Hannah Sung.

8. ruckus Digital has earned over 30 national awards for clients such as Walmart, DoorDash, Husqvarna, Planet Fitness, RE/MAX, and RSA insurance.

Ruckus has grown and changed throughout the years, but the thing that remains is a dedicated team that loves what they do. We are so grateful for eight years of making a ruckus with you!

Continue Reading “ruckus Digital Turns 8!”
Maline Headshot - square

Meet Maline, Helvetica fan and ruckus Digital’s new Creative Designer and Strategist

We sat down for a virtual chat with our new Creative Designer and Strategist, Maline, to chat about their career journey and personal passions. 

How has your past work or volunteer experience helped you in your current position?

I have had a wide range of jobs from multimedia design to curation to teaching. This has kept me flexible and always willing to learn new skills, as well as introducing me to a variety of people from different backgrounds!

What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

Professionally, I am passionate about facilitating open communication through branding and design. Assisting people and companies with expressing themselves visually is very important to me since I am a visual learner. Personally, I am passionate about equity, rights for all, and critically deconstructing pop media.

What moment or accomplishment in your career are you most proud of?

In my career, I am most proud of the branding and design for social media that I did for previous clients. It was very satisfying to be able to follow the results that came from our efforts, and to learn from the people who engaged with the content!

Is there something you hope to achieve while at APEX/ruckus?

While in this role I hope to learn more about how the different branches of PR work together as a unified structure to communicate messages and how design fits into that structure. I’m excited to learn from such a friendly and skilled team!

Three interesting facts about yourself.

1. I moved to Canada in late 2019, so I’m still learning about all the different neighbourhoods of the GTA.

2. In my spare time, I like to garden, cook, and draw.

3. I am a loyal Helvetica fan – I blame the Helvetica documentary for this.

To learn more about how APEX PR or ruckus Digital can help build your brand or tell your brand story email, us at Bigger@apexpr.com

Continue Reading “Meet Maline, Helvetica fan and ruckus Digital’s new Creative Designer and Strategist”
Jelena - headshot

From shutterbug to the Sims: Meet Jelena, ruckus Digital’s Creator & Writer

We sat down for a virtual chat with our new Digital Content Creator & Writer, Jelena to chat about her career journey and personal passions. 

How has your past work or volunteer experience helped you in your current position?

I’m a communications professional, creative visionary, and shutterbug. Over the years, I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to work in organizations where I’ve been able to execute different marketing initiatives and translate brand stories. As someone with both a communications and design background, I’m a firm believer that good marketing is based on a clear message that co-exists with beautiful design. Ultimately, creating material that resonates with people in a world littered with distraction. 

From my previous experiences at TD Securities and CivicAction—in two very different sectors—I’ve gained insight into how people and teams can come together with different approaches to tell their stories. I know my diverse background helps me find new ways to tell brand stories across digital platforms, and I’m excited to contribute to APEX and ruckus Digital’s mission to create meaningful connections between people and brands every day. I’m looking forward to working with a passionate team of people who have diverse backgrounds and can’t wait to gain a wealth of new knowledge and insight!

What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

I’ve always been creative at heart and had a passion for the stories of the people who surround us. This passion has influenced my love of communications and brand stories, which is why I do what I do today! I also love finding new ways to showcase these stories. Over the years I’ve done this through graphic design and photography. Most recently, I’ve been working with the team at TEDxToronto as Associate Creative Director to spread ideas. In my personal time, I use photography to capture people and places as they are—unapologetically themselves.

What moment or accomplishment in your career are you most proud of?

A recent moment I’m most proud of is the launch of the first-ever issue of #TPc Magazine; a Toronto-based publication created by the Toronto Photographers Collective that works to feature great talent found behind the lens. As Creative Director, I worked with this talented group to design a publication that shows off some beautiful photography and talent.

Is there something you hope to achieve while at APEX/ruckus?

Over the next few years, I look forward to finding new ways to amplify organizational stories and help businesses make a ruckus. I know that through working with a great team and clients, we’ll be able to create unique ways to stand above the noise and I can’t wait to be a part of that!

Three interesting facts about yourself.

  • I was born in South Africa.
  • I love flexing my architectural skills on the Sims.
  • I’m learning the art of 35mm film photography.

To learn more about how APEX PR or ruckus Digital can help build your brand or tell your brand story, Bigger@apexpr.com

Continue Reading “From shutterbug to the Sims: Meet Jelena, ruckus Digital’s Creator & Writer”
3

Meet our Digital & Social Coordinator, Arvind

 Our new Digital & Social Coordinator Arvind Bining tells us about herself and her path to public relations.

1. How has your past work or volunteer experience helped you in your current position?

My past experiences have led me down the path of all things social and digital— a field I’ve fallen in love with. My experience growing PR Ramp’s social media accounts since its launch, August 2020, allowed me to build the skills and confidence to create an online brand voice that resonated with our target audience. The knowledge I developed through my work with PR Ramp helped me obtain the opportunity to work on a much larger and already established social presence at the City of Mississauga’s Economic Development Office. I’m super excited to start the next phase of my career with ruckus digital and use what I’ve learned in my past experiences for the benefit of diverse clientele.

2. What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

Professionally, I’m most passionate about absorbing as much information as I can in navigating the social/digital landscape. Since I’m so early in my career my main priority is surrounding myself with lots of intelligent people I can learn from!

Personally, I’m passionate about varying interests usually around whatever I’m interested in learning at the time. One week I’m filming and editing cooking videos, the next I’m attending business webinars or watching a bunch of YouTube videos on how to film and edit product ads at home. I just really enjoy learning new things!

3. What moment or accomplishment in your career are you most proud of?

The first time I realized how much value my ideas actually had to offer was an accomplishment for me.

I was attending an entrepreneur webinar on building eCommerce businesses. It was near the beginning of the pandemic and I had signed up out of curiosity to see how businesses were adjusting. There was a brand in the webinar I thought was really cool that was struggling to figure out if there were any alternatives to having a pop-up shop to promote their clothing. I was a bit nervous at first, but I decided to directly message the founder about my idea to use TikTok for an at-home fashion show. She liked the idea and requested a marketing proposal that turned into a phone call.

 I didn’t end up getting the freelance gig, but it was a great lesson in understanding what I was capable of. It reinforced my confidence because someone was willing to take the time to listen to my ideas.

4. Is there something you hope to achieve while at APEX/ruckus?

My goal is to immerse myself in social/digital strategy while catering to the needs of diverse clients and continue to build my understanding of what career opportunities I can work towards.

5. Three interesting facts about yourself.

1) I was the last person in my friend group to adopt social media. My friend set up my first social media account, Facebook, which I barely used throughout high school and university. I never used Myspace.

2) I stumbled into my role with PR Ramp while I was trying to improve my understanding of Twitter. I was intimidated by how noisy the platform seemed, but now I spend more time on Twitter than any other platform.

3) I used to be an extremely shy person and got anxious talking to new people. I’ve had to challenge myself over the years, but it’s paid off because people are often surprised when I tell them I was shy!

Continue Reading “Meet our Digital & Social Coordinator, Arvind”
EPUM_enX4AQ4GKt

READY TO RAISE A RUCKUS: MEET ELSPETH

Elspeth Baird is ruckus’ newest team member, joining our team as Group Director, Digital and Content. Elspeth’s role will focus on senior client counsel and leadership on all digital aspects, and she will also support new business growth.  Learn more about her below.

1. How has your previous work or volunteer experience helped you get to where you are today?

“Enrolling in a Bachelor of Public Relations program was a critical step in jumpstarting my career. It was a cooperative education program that included three work placements or internships. I was in a traditional PR function for my first placement and the other two were at an integrated marketing agency where I gained experience in both digital and social media and experiential marketing. I fell in love with that digital and social life, so I ended up going all-in soon after I graduated.”

2. What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

“I love how social media marketing requires both analytical and creative chops. Getting the numbers to confess their truth is one of the most exhilarating parts of the strategic planning process. Once you have that clean data-driven insight, the approach and the various touchpoints for a plan often become clear.

On my down time, I like to travel (especially to Scotland to revisit my family roots) and go to various live music shows across the city.”

3. What moment or accomplishment in your career are you most proud of?

“That’s like asking me to name my favourite child. However, all my career highlights do have a common thread and that’s when I’m working with a client partner that feels like an extension of the agency team and we try the ‘untried’ and succeed. There’s something inspiring about seeing the team’s collaboration and efforts garner great results.”

4. How do you stay up to date on industry trends and best practices?

“I have my favourite tech and social news sites which I browse through almost daily. Client reports also really help with shaping content best practices since there is so much power in knowing what performs well for various brands, platforms, and target audiences.”

5. Is there something you hope to achieve while at Apex?

“My goal is always to continually evolve with the fast-paced digital and social media landscape and work with the team to provide clients with the best possible innovative solutions. I also hope to be a mentor and be mentored by various team members.”

6. Three interesting facts about yourself.

  • “I bungee jumped off the original bungee jump of the world at Kawarau Bridge in New Zealand. I am in good company with many of the Lord of the Rings cast members doing the same.
  • I’m a Scot! Sort of… I am of Scottish heritage. My sister and I were the first to be born in Canada. 
  • I am distantly related to John Logie Baird who invented the TV.” 

Elspeth Baird is a Group Director at ruckus Digital

Need help with your social or digital strategy? Drop us a line.

Continue Reading “READY TO RAISE A RUCKUS: MEET ELSPETH”
Abby Radovski

Dear Abby, Tell Us About Yourself…

Abby Radovski joins ruckus as an account director, digital integration. Abby’s role will focus on senior client counsel and leadership on all digital aspects, and she will also support new business growth. Abby brings more than seven years of experience from numerous multi-national agencies, with a robust background in social media management, content creation and influencer relations.

1. How has your past work or volunteer experience helped you in your current position?

“I’ve been a member of Girl Guides of Canada for more than 20 years.  For the past decade, I’ve been a leader within the organization, mentoring girls of all ages to try new things, communicate effectively and believe in themselves.  My experiences as a guider have helped me hone my skills of group work, team leadership and exploring the unknown. The Girl Guides motto is to Be Prepared, and as a communicator, I can’t think of a better motto to apply to the PR world. While the media and digital landscapes constantly evolve, we research, anticipate, and prepare ourselves for the future. It also means I always have an extra phone charger, pen, paper, and band-aids in my purse.”

2. What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

“I’m a social butterfly by nature and this translates into my passion for all things social. If there is an event, festival or new social platform, I’m there! This passion is what drove me into becoming a dog and cider influencer. Managing two accounts, Instagram offered me the opportunity to flex my creativity, share photos and be part of an online community where I can be an over-enthusiastic dog mom and cider drinker. From a professional perspective, it also keeps me up to date on new features and what types of analytics are offered to influencers.”

3. What moment or accomplishment in your career are you most proud of?

“There are many milestones that I look back upon proudly. The first time I landed a media hit, introducing social media into a workplace and winning my first Silverleaf award all come to mind. That being said, it’s the relationships I’ve built over the past decade that I’m most proud of. From my classmates at Seneca’s corporate communications program, to individuals I interned with when I first entered the public relations world. Relationships are a key aspect of public relations both traditionally and digitally and I’m very proud to have maintained mine with people from all over the world.”

4. How do you stay up to date on industry trends and best practices?

“There are a variety of ways to stay up to date on industry trends. I subscribe to newsletters, attend conferences and conduct social media audits for my clients on a regular basis. However, I think the best way to keep your finger on the pulse is to actively use the tools and platforms and try the updates as they happen.”

5. Three interesting facts about yourself.

  • “I previously lived in Madrid, Spain for three years. During my time there I partook in all Spanish festivals from La Tomatina to Carnaval.
  • I initially studied criminology in university before switching to a double major in anthropology and sociology in my third year.
  • I’m a dog mom to a large Cane Corso rescue named Knight who I frequently dress up for holidays.”

Check out our other blogs and podcasts

Continue Reading “Dear Abby, Tell Us About Yourself…”
APEX ruckus promotions

APEX adds senior practitioner to consumer integration team and promotes four across PR and digital groups

TORONTO – August 1, 2019 – Building on a record award-winning year and a number of new business wins, APEX and ruckus Digital are expanding their teams and promoting within.

Emma Bray joins APEX as an account director, consumer integration. Emma’s role will focus on senior client counsel and leadership, and she will also support new business growth. Emma brings more than 8 years of experience from numerous multi-national agencies, with a robust background in retail, consumer technology and CPGs, focused on brands such as Mattel, P&G, Toyota and PayPal.

APEX PR also promoted two of its staff: Danielle Scott to account manager and Lindsey Soper to senior consultant. ruckus Digital saw the promotions of Kathryn Boland to account director and Amanda Carreiro to senior digital content manager. The team at ruckus Digital was also recently recognized as IABC Toronto’s Boutique Agency of the Year.

“The addition of Emma enhances the strength of our incredibly talented consumer team and delivers on our client promise of one-stop integrated expertise,” says Linda Andross, co-managing partner, ruckus Digital and APEX Public Relations. “The promotions of Amanda, Lindsey and Katie continue to showcase our commitment to internal team growth and promotion. Together, the combined experience of this group will greatly benefit our clients, particularly those, as outlined in our CMO Lab research, that recognize that brand and organizational reputation have become increasingly important in the past few years.”

About CMO Lab and The Pivot podcast
To better understand the evolving role of the CMO and the emerging risks, challenges and opportunities facing marketers and brands, APEX Public Relations, ruckus Digital and Maru/Blue came together to launch CMO Lab, a proprietary research-driven project to equip senior-level marketers with the actionable insights they need to help their organizations succeed in a disrupted environment.

In addition to the CMO Lab’s quantitative and qualitative research, first-hand insights from senior marketers highlighting how they are responding to change are available in The Pivot podcast. Additional details are available at: cmolab.ca

About APEX Public Relations and ruckus Digital
A fiercely independent agency duo, APEX Public Relations and ruckus Digital (our agency within an agency) are comprised of experienced, smart, unconventionally minded creative communicators. The foundation of our success is our unwavering passion for our people, our purpose and our clients. In that order. The priority we put on our people allows us to consistently attract and retain a collective of diverse story makers, storytellers, strategists, data scientists, writers, filmmakers and social media experts. Our impressive track record with powerhouse brands and companies stems from our highly effective staff, but also our innate ability to adapt and respond to the constant evolution of the communications industry. We perpetually innovate and re-imagine ensuring the best possible result for our clients. Our sweet spot lives at the intersection of people, brands and technology. And our life’s work is dedicated to partnering with innovative companies in consumer brand marketing, technology, corporate, B2B and issues/reputation management sectors to tell their stories, engage their audiences and drive their business.

Continue Reading “APEX adds senior practitioner to consumer integration team and promotes four across PR and digital groups”
Ella&Nicole

Ruckus Digital Bolsters Staff Roster with Creative and SEO Hires

Ella Singleton and Nicole Pomeroy join ruckus to expand the agency’s integrated offering

 

TORONTO – November 29, 2018 – Delivering clients integrated thinking, strategy, execution and measurement is a promise APEX PR and its digital agency, ruckus, do not take lightly. The talent and effectiveness of its people are the foundation of this promise. ruckus is pleased to announce two hires that enhance its creative and digital offering. Ella Singleton joins as Director, Creative Strategies and Nicole Pomeroy joins as Senior Integrated Media Strategist.

Ella’s role will focus on senior creative counsel and leadership, and she will also support new business growth. Ella brings more than 15 years of experience in creative, design and agency roles with a diverse background in traditional advertising including TV and OOH, brand strategy development, digital marketing and public relations. She most recently worked at Colour, amplifying the firm’s cannabis credentials for Aurora Cannabis, as well at Proof Inc on brands such as Red Cross, SodaStream, Grand & Toy and Catelli.

Nicole adds bench strength to the firm’s strategy team, providing paid and earned digital expertise and counsel. Nicole brings experience in digital strategy, campaign execution, data analysis, influencer marketing and SEO optimization from her work on Realtor.ca, PWL Capital, Buffer Festival and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

“The addition of Ella and Nicole enhances the strength of our incredibly talented digital team and delivers on our client promise of one-stop integrated expertise,” says Linda Andross, co-managing partner, ruckus Digital and APEX Public Relations. “Their vast experience will greatly benefit our clients, particularly those who are seeking insights and engagement with a wider variety of stakeholders through a variety of creative and design amplifications.”

About APEX Public Relations and ruckus Digital

A fiercely independent agency duo, APEX Public Relations and ruckus Digital (our agency within an agency) are comprised of experienced, smart, unconventionally minded creative communicators. The foundation of our success is our unwavering passion for our people, our purpose and our clients. In that order. The priority we put on our people allows us to consistently attract and retain a collective of diverse story makers, storytellers, strategists, data scientists, writers, filmmakers and social media experts. Our impressive track record with powerhouse brands and companies stems from our highly effective staff, but also our innate ability to adapt and respond to the constant evolution of the communications industry. We perpetually innovate and re-imagine ensuring the best possible result for our clients. Our sweet spot lives at the intersection of people, brands and technology. And our life’s work is dedicated to partnering with innovative companies in consumer brand marketing, technology, corporate, B2B and issues/reputation management sectors to tell their stories, engage their audiences and drive their business.

For more on our story, visit us at www.apexpr.com and www.ruckusdigital.ca.

– 30 –

For more information:

Linda Andross at landross@apexpr.com   416-934-2117

 

Continue Reading “Ruckus Digital Bolsters Staff Roster with Creative and SEO Hires”
Digital tree

We’re growing – looking for a Director, Social Creative!

Director, Social Creative

Ruckus Digital is looking for a Director, Social Creative based in Toronto to be part of the creative and design team leading the concepting and the execution of best in class content for a number of major clients across a wide variety of segments, as well as new business initiatives.

The Director, Social Creative will exude a creative vision and strong point of view, working collaboratively with the creative team, concepting the best ideas, delivering top-notch execution. The Director, Social Creative will roll up their sleeves, function collaboratively in a fast-paced environment and constantly test, optimize and elevate the work created.

As well as being a strong conceptual creative, the Director, Social Creative will have a multi-faceted visual background and be able to ‘get’ the various client and ruckus Digital aesthetic and be able to integrate this into all branded content executions: photography, video, experiential, social assets.

The Director, Social Creative will work closely with the various inter-disciplinary teams at both ruckus Digital and APEX PR, our sister agency, have a great external creative contact list and know how to establish meaningful and fruitful working relationships with other teams.

Critically, to be successful in this role, the Director, Social Creative will need to be a team player, have a creative vision, be passionate about social platforms/channels/formats and proud of the work and content delivered at each stage of the process: from concept to execution. The Director Social Creative will need to have endless ideas and positivity, a can-do attitude and believe that there is a creative solution for every problem thrown their way.

What you’ll do

  • You are the day to day social creative on the project, reporting to the VP and alongside a creative team.
  • You have strong social ideation and you are not afraid to roll up your sleeves and potentially shoot for Instagram (with a mobile device)
  • You ideate large-scale, multi-platform/multi-medium briefs (this means coming up with concepts for editorial, photo, video, social, experiential, etc.)
  • You always keep an eye on new trends, new technologies, new formats, updates on social channels and audience evolution to inspire and be inspired in your every-day creative work
  • You are on the lookout for social platform updates and can flag upfront any changes (20% rule on Paid Instagram, 20% rule on Facebook, …)
  • You ideate strong creative and social creative story concepts, making sure the creative ladders-up to and meets the larger brand strategy as well as the campaign strategy
  • You will oversee seamless scheduling process
  • You work simultaneously on several brands but treat each brand uniquely and create strong consistent stories/concepts for each.
  • You oversee the execution (under the guidance of the VP) of the small, medium to large, multi-disciplinary projects for the brand partner with an eye on unity and best in class aesthetic and storytelling. This includes commissioning all content, creating storyboards and visual treatments, art directing photo and video shoots, art directing experiential activations
  • Throughout a project’s lifecycle, you always make sure the creative and social output is executed to brief and meets with the objectives of the brand partner and tone of voice. You will fact-check the work that is delivered, sub-edit all written content and ensure excellency of creative outputs
  • You will look out for potential brand challenges and will come up with solutions to pre-empt those challenges
  • You help create meaningful relationships with partner brands, managing creative communication in pre-production, on set and in post-production. Ensuring that the partner brand needs and wishes are met, while being able to push back when/if needed in a very rationalized manner
  • You are a positive person, you are motivated and passionate about the work you do. You can think in the box and out of the box
  • You can create, refine and improve departmental and organizational processes that will better serve the client and improve business results
  • You understand in-flight optimization of content, always testing, learning and improving the work delivered
  • You have the ability to manage the budgets and interdisciplinary account teams on sizable pieces of business.

What you have

  • 8+ years of experience in public relations, advertising, social/digital media and/or marketing creating custom campaigns
  • You have a true passion for content creation across different mediums
  • Strong knowledge and passion of using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, etc
  • Excellent writer
  • Experience using social media platforms such as Tweetdeck, Facebook Analytics, Google Analytics
  • Strong creative conceptual and execution ability across digital, social, photo, video, experiential, campaign work
  • Open to sharing ideas and accepting constructive feedback.
  • Great performance record and client facing experience and confidence
  • True understanding of branded content strategy, creating and executing conceptual ideas that meet brand strategies and briefs
  • Experience with channel strategy and digital from a creative perspective
  • You will be line managed by an VP, but you will not be micromanaged. You will be expected to take full ownership of your work, be independent in delivering content, as well as own your decisions and be accountable for those

To be successful here you are

  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high volume team
  • You rise to the challenges, enjoy problem-solving in an ever-changing environment
  • You are always on the lookout to learn, be inspired by your team, to inspire them too
  • You react positively to constructive criticism, take it onboard and transform into a positive evolution for you
  • You are inspired to push boundaries, but you know how to respond to a brief and working within a budget and timeline
  • You adhere to a creative vision, and you are confident about communicating it internally and externally

We want to meet great people who are interested in working in a start-up environment where culture matters, and curiosity is valued.  Send your resume to: info@ruckusdigital.ca

 

ACCOMMODATIONS:

ruckus welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require accommodation to participate in this recruitment, please contact info@ruckusdigital.ca

Continue Reading “We’re growing – looking for a Director, Social Creative!”