Ask the Experts

Bruce Lacerte, BA, MGDC: President / Senior Brand Strategist, BrandHardware Corporation

"If you aren't true to yourself, how can you be true to your customers?" That is BrandHardware's mantra and raison d'être. We help our customers discover exactly who they are so that they can be more true to their customers, and by extension, ultimately more profitable and successful.

At BrandHardware, we create strategic communication solutions that satisfy your business objectives. We do so by focussing our efforts internally on who our customers truly are, and only then migrating that into a presence that makes sense to itself and their customers. Your brand is the essence, the voice, the personality of who you are and what you are presenting to today’s global marketplace. Make it strategic, creative, compelling, thought-provoking and your company or organization will realize competitive advantage. If you can be true to who you are, all else will follow, you will experience increased sales, profit margins, market share, stock performance, competitive advantage, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty.

Our executive has been providing senior-level brand and marketing communications strategy along with award-winning creative for over 15 years. We have branded organizations in the small-to-medium size (SMB) and enterprise business space, as well as start-up companies who acknowledged the need up-front to have a strong recognized brand. We are also very proud to have helped ION in the creation and implementation of their brand.

To learn more, please visit their website at www.brandhardware.com or email them directly at: info@brandhardware.com

Ken Hurd: Art Director, Critical Mass

"I’ve been a designer for what seems like a really long time, but turns out to only be about 9 years. Depending on who you ask, nine years of experience might indicate a seasoned creative veteran, or a wet-behind-the-ears rookie. I like to think I’m still somewhere in between seasoned enough to have a trick or two up my sleeve, but fresh enough to realize that I’m constantly learning, developing, and evolving as a designer. Initially trained as a print designer, I’ve really managed to fall in love with ‘the intertubes’ and embrace what they have to offer… There are many creative constraints it imposes, but creativity isn’t just in the design - it’s in making the design work. In the past I’ve spent time as creative director of a small interactive firm in Edmonton after which I struck out on my own into the full-time freelance realm. Currently I’m working at Critical Mass, a critically acclaimed international interactive agency in Calgary AB. These various adventures have provided me the opportunity to really take a step back and analyze projects from the ground up, for clients large and small. Really evaluating the clients’ fundamental business needs and then, either work with programmers and designers to mold custom solutions, or build them myself. Stick around, read some articles, or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you."

Glenn Walker: Partner, Tiko Digital

Glenn is the co-owner of Tiko Digital Limited. Some of Glenn’s notable projects include: development of several end to end internet marketing campaigns for large and small, the development of enterprise scale lead management software handling millions of dollars in transactions a year and the management of 1MM plus e-mail marketing campaigns to over one million individuals achieving significant returns on marketing dollars spent. It should also be noted that he is now a certified Google Adwords Professional. He definitely is the man to talk to if you want to make Google work better for your business. His magic will help get you as close as you possibly can to the top of the rankings.

Marty Cender: Specification and Marketing Manager, Coast Paper

Passionate about Paper! A fitting description for Marty Cender the Specification/Marketing Manager for Coast Paper’s Western Canadian divisions. Marty has worked for Coast Paper for 23 years in Mill Order Sales, Specification Sales, Printer Sales and as Specification/Marketing Manager. Prior to Coast Paper she worked as a Production Manager in a printshop. If you have a question about paper and how it prints ask Marty.

Blaine MacMillan: General Manager, Cowan Graphics

For over 60 years, Cowan has operated one of Canada’s largest screen and digital printing plants. They have grown the business from providing corporate images such as decals, signage and promotional banners to a full production screen and digital print environment producing large-format graphics for billboards, transit shelter advertisements, fleet signage, wall murals, vehicle murals, scrim, banners, directional signage and point of purchase display fascias.

"With the best equipment available and over 100 dedicated team members we will produce what you want, when you want it. We manufacture quality digital and screen printed products in any format or size to provide the "Graphics Solutions" for all your imaging needs."

Daryl Blanchett: President, Blanchett Neon

Since 1947, first and foremost, Blanchett Neon has been committed to manufacturing signage that will stand the test of time. Every sign is one of a kind and they can meet your exacting corporate standards, or help you create your own image. The leading edge of creativity, technology and manufacturing process come together in their production department. No matter how ambitious your vision is, you can be sure they'll find the best way to build it. They know they’re building more than just your sign, they’re building your legacy.

Randy Kayfish: Pre-media/IT Manager, ION Print Solutions

Randy heads the production front-end at ION. He is continually re-inventing the way jobs are processes at ION. He is always looking at new ways to streamline the production process making your jobs run faster, more efficiently, with even greater accuracy. He is an expert in our JDF / PDF workflow, color management, print on-demand, digital capabilities, and web-to-print. He is up on the leading advances in print technologies and is always eager to implement something new and innovative. He is an integral part in ION retaining its technological advantage.

Bob Clague: General Manager, ION Print Solutions

Bob possesses over 25 years of experience in the print industry. If you ever wanted to push the frontier of print and try something radically new, Bob would be the person to ask. He has seen everything and done everything.