LeapZone Strategies for Massive Success » Brand Heroes http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog Learn easy-to-implement, proven strategies to increase Efficiency, Brand Equity & Profitability via Proven Branding and Business Growth Strategies for Massive Success. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:07:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Isabelle Mercier Turcotte of LeapZone Strategies is a successful and innovative business brand catalyst with a sole purpose to inspire and empower people to raise the bar. \\\"Momentum Generator\\\" is her middle name and she has a relentless passion for helping entrepreneurs and business leaders clarify, articulate and reach their goals. Her momentum-generating audio podcast series “RISE” is full of expert advice, tips, tools, insights and experiences, designed to help you continually make the small shifts required to build momentum and increase your brand equity. Whether you are stuck in a rut, want to take your brand to the next level, or simply want to become more efficient and productive, these quick and easy-to-use audio podcasts offer a simple way to learn, be inspired and empowered, and continuously connect with ideas that will help you raise the bar on your business and yourself. Isabelle Mercier Turcotte no Isabelle Mercier Turcotte rise@leapzonestrategies.com rise@leapzonestrategies.com (Isabelle Mercier Turcotte) 2007-2009 LeapZone Strategies Momentum Generating Podcast Series Momentum Generating, Rise, LeapZone Strategies, Raise the bar, brand catalyst, tips for entrepreneurs, brand building, branding, profitability, LeapZone Strategies for Massive Success » Brand Heroes http://www.out-smarts.com/iTunes_Rise_300x300_rgb.gif http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/category/brand-heroes/ Brand Hero: TokBox http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2010/04/18/brand-hero-tokbox/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2010/04/18/brand-hero-tokbox/#comments Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:15:35 +0000 Isabelle Mercier http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=3053

Everyone that knows me, knows that I am always looking for simple and powerful new solutions to help me save time and better my communication with everyone in my life. Well, I recently stumbled upon TokBox.  Hallelujah! The people at TokBox Inc got it! They believe in the power of face-to-face communication. Which is why they came up with the simplest, most engaging way for you to connect face-to-face with up to twenty of your colleagues, customers or friends at once. The kicker? It’s FREE! (and more reliable than Skype Video)

Visit www.tokbox.com to see for yourself. It’s easy! All you need is an internet connection and a webcam. No expensive equipment required. Video chatting with up to 20 people at your fingertips! As I said, the service is FREE and you pay only for the premium features you want to use like: scheduling a chat, inviting audience members to participate…etc…

Start using TokBox today and discover the ease and the power of face-to-face communication.

P.S. No more excuses for missing daily huddles!

]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2010/04/18/brand-hero-tokbox/feed/ 2 Brand Hero_Travellers Deck http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2010/01/25/brand-hero_travellers-deck/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2010/01/25/brand-hero_travellers-deck/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:47:25 +0000 Margarita Romano http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=2604 The fabulous team at Travellers Deck are a passionate and well-travelled group of Vancouverites committed to bringing you honest and independent reviews on the hidden gems of Vancouver. Their mission is simple; to provide an honest opinion that no one can pay to be a part of! From vintage boutiques to haute couture – from the humble hamburger stand to stunning gastro temples, they give you the best of the best – all in a handy deck of cards!

Travellers_Deck
Complete with exclusive discounts for each and every one of the selected venues, this little deck is a nifty gift idea for a local friend, or visiting family from out of town. Better yet, what are you waiting for? Shuffle, pick a card, and go!

Follow @travellersdeck on Twitter!

]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2010/01/25/brand-hero_travellers-deck/feed/ 0 Brand Hero_Blo Blow Dry Bar http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/10/27/hero-of-the-month_blo-blow-dry-bar/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/10/27/hero-of-the-month_blo-blow-dry-bar/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:20:57 +0000 Margarita Romano http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=2442 Blo’s concept is simple. For around 30 dollars and in about 30 minutes, you have a blow out style. No cuts, no color, just WASH. BLOW. GO. And that is precisely what makes this styling blow dry bar a hit with several locations in Vancouver and Toronto. As a brand they deliver on their promise and that is key.

The other area they are extremely crafty in is marketing. If there is a term where the word “Blo” fits, they are using it. And not just the obvious too. For their blog, just the simple addition of a hyphen gives them the best blog name ever: BLO-G. They are consistent with their messaging, know their target market, and aren’t afraid to use the boldness of their main brand identity color – hot pink!

Take a minute and peruse their website, or better yet, take 30 minutes and get yourself a “do” to spice things up…as they like to say, “You’re not cheating on your hairdresser!“

]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/10/27/hero-of-the-month_blo-blow-dry-bar/feed/ 0 Brand Hero_Headsets.com http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/09/08/hero-of-the-month_headsetscom/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/09/08/hero-of-the-month_headsetscom/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:30:40 +0000 Margarita Romano http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=847 Headsets.com is North America’s leading provider of office telephone headsets. Their motto is “Customer Love”, and it shows! Every encounter with a customer service rep is outstanding. As a consumer, you are treated with respect and prompt service; and you are made to feel like you have a partner in finding the best solution for your specific needs. We bought a cordless headset from headsets.com and had terrific service, support, and follow thru. They didn’t drop the ball once from selection, to purchase, to delivery, to installation.

If you have a need for a telephone headset, order online at www.headsets.com or call 1-800-HEADSETS.

You will not be disappointed!

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]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/09/08/hero-of-the-month_headsetscom/feed/ 2 Brand Hero_You Send It http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/08/04/hero-of-the-month_you-send-it/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/08/04/hero-of-the-month_you-send-it/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:30:30 +0000 Margarita Romano http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=858 YouSendIt is the No.1 digital delivery company serving business and individuals on the Web today. Their innovative service enables users to send, receive and track files, on-demand. YouSendIt provides a trusted, convenient and smart solution for transferring large files over the Internet, replacing the need for FTP transfers, overnight couriers and unreliable email attachments. It is so easy-to-use and can be integrated into your own email software. My email is set to prompt me to send via YouSendIt when I have a file over a certain size as an attachment.

You can sign up for a Lite account for Free, with a few limitations, one being files have to be under 100MB. Please see www.yousendit.com for more details. You won’t regret it!

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]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/08/04/hero-of-the-month_you-send-it/feed/ 0 Brand Hero_MyTradeFinder http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/07/27/hero-of-the-month_mytradefinder/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/07/27/hero-of-the-month_mytradefinder/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:42:05 +0000 Margarita Romano http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=2103 MyTradeFinder is a building trade lookup tool for home owners, designers, architects and building contractors wanting to locate trades; all centralized in one website for anyone interested to find and contact. They currently share listings in Vancouver and across British Columbia, and their goal is to grow the community across Canada with your contributions.

If you would like to suggest a trade to the MyTradeFinder community, simply complete a short form, add a review, and register on the site. Registration allows them to validate the information provided. Registration on the site allows you to centralize all the trades you have added so you can locate them easily for future reference. If you would like to add your business, you can do so free of charge with a basic listing.

Take a look and find good, reliable construction trades, quickly and easily.

]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/07/27/hero-of-the-month_mytradefinder/feed/ 0 Brand Hero_Jing http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/06/04/hero-of-the-month_jing/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/06/04/hero-of-the-month_jing/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:30:38 +0000 Margarita Romano http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=1731 Jing by Tech Smith is a free software that allows you to add visuals to your online conversations. Instead of writing a plain old email, use Jing to do screen captures of what you see, or better yet do a screencast where you can record what you are seeing and doing on screen, as well as narrate the whole process at the same time. Jing then provides you with a link that you can put into your email message…and you’ve just made email a heck of a lot more interesting!

We use it all the time and have found that it really connects us with our clients because Jing’s minimal feature set keeps the focus on instant sharing. Try it once, and you’ll be hooked…guaranteed!

What do we use Jing for?
We use Jing to send Visual eVoicemails,  to give client or supplier feedback, to present proposals, we even use it to sing Happy Birthday to clients, friends and family.

Want to see?
Here are a few samples of how we use Jing on a weekly basis:

To provide Instructions for our LeapTools:
Click here for the Brand Wheel Simple Jing Instructions

To share concepts and methodologies with our clients:
Click here for the 3 Personalities of an entrepreneur

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]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/06/04/hero-of-the-month_jing/feed/ 0 Brand Hero_Animoto http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/04/28/leapzone-folio-video/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/04/28/leapzone-folio-video/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:00:30 +0000 Isabelle Mercier http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=1420 OK…this is not only cool…but it’s damn practical. Animoto Productions is a bunch of techies and film/tv producers who decided to lock themselves in a room together and nerd out. Animoto is a web application that automatically generates professionally produced videos using their own patent-pending technology and high-end motion design. Each video is a fully customized orchestration of user-selected images and music. Produced on a widescreen format, Animoto videos have the visual energy of a music video and the emotional impact of a movie trailer.

Want to see what we’ve been able to do in 5 minutes flat? Click here.

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]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/04/28/leapzone-folio-video/feed/ 0 Brand Hero_Cupcakes http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/04/16/hero-of-the-month_cupcakes/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/04/16/hero-of-the-month_cupcakes/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:00:26 +0000 Margarita Romano http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=835 One word. Heaven. Cupcakes is a Vancouver based company that lives to celebrate life, everyday! Fresh, and oh-sooooooo-good, their cupcakes take you right back to when all you had to worry about was when you were gonna get out and play already. The brand identity of this company is as delicious as their product. Playful, colorful and appetizing; from their menu, to website, to their actual stores, the brand is visually consistent and executed magnificently. It definitely delivers on their promise to keep life light, fresh, simple and fun.

Order online at www.cupcakesonline.com or visit one of their three locations. If you have even an eighth of a sweet tooth, you will NOT regret trying these out!

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]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/04/16/hero-of-the-month_cupcakes/feed/ 0 Brand Hero_Goldfish Pacific Kitchen http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/03/11/hero-of-the-month_goldfish-pacific-kitchen/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/03/11/hero-of-the-month_goldfish-pacific-kitchen/#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:00:15 +0000 Margarita Romano http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=827 Even though the West Coast cooking with Pacific Rim flavours is exquisite, and the interior boasts of inviting warmth and comfort, these are not the most impressive features of the Goldfish brand.

What really marked us before, during and after our experience was the exceptional and consistent service the Goldfish team provided. An authentic and devoted server that makes you feel like the only table in the room, the request for feedback at the end of your meal with the prompt delivery of a gift certificate as a thank you, and the cherry on the sundae…a handwritten card from our server received at our home thanking us for having visited, and even detailing certain discussions of the evening.

Check this one out, it’s worth it!
www.goldfishkitchen.com

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]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/03/11/hero-of-the-month_goldfish-pacific-kitchen/feed/ 0 Brand Hero_Big Stock Photo http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/02/27/hero-of-the-month_big-stock-photo/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/02/27/hero-of-the-month_big-stock-photo/#comments Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:00:59 +0000 Margarita Romano http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=1077 Big Stock Photo provides an alternative to high-priced stock photography, in addition to providing photographers with a marketplace to sell their work. With digital photography gone mainstream, and so many people armed with cameras of high enough quality to shoot great photos, Big Stock Photo elaborated on the idea of making these photos available, at a low price, while paying the photographers a commission for each photo sold.

Of course, this site does not replace the custom-quality of hiring a professional photographer, or the standard of excellence of higher end stock photography sites that represent qualified, professional photographers only, but it does create a supportive community for photographers and designers to share creativity, and encourage each other’s growth.

]]> http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/02/27/hero-of-the-month_big-stock-photo/feed/ 0 Brand Hero_Yaletown Dentistry http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/02/04/hero-of-the-month_yaletown-dentistry/ http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/2009/02/04/hero-of-the-month_yaletown-dentistry/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:00:35 +0000 Margarita Romano http://www.leapzonestrategies.com/blog/?p=830 OK…I know what you’re thinking. Dentists?!? How much of a hero can they really be? Well, the people at Yaletown Dentistry may just change your mind.

As soon as you step into their office, the experience is anything but clinical. Based in Yaletown of course, they have truly played off of the funky heritage vibe with a space that isn’t afraid to use colour and texture. The staff follows through with expert, helpful service and great feedback integration, asking if there is anything they could have done better or differently to enhance your experience (a very useful opportunity to have at the dentist!). As a new patient you receive a welcome letter to celebrate your arrival and like their service, the equipment is top notch.

If you are searching to raise the bar on your dentist experience, include Yaletown Dentistry on your radar!
www.yaletowndentistry.com

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