My Personal Brand Plan - A Fit New You

My personal brand is all about fitness and nutrition tips and excercises that are geared towards people looking to 'get fit'. My brand will be communicated through twitter, a new blog (not just this one) and Linkedin.

A Fit New You:

Andrew Bartucci’s Personal Brand Plan

View more presentations from Andrew Bartucci.

I hope you enjoy! Feedback is always welcome.

An Overview of Social Media Effects

Having studied communications in university and learning the theories of Marshall McLuhan, I’ve learned that when communicating any message, the medium is just as important as the actual message. As we digest media products it is apparent that the message and the medium work together to shape the effects of the message; we understand the limitations and freedoms a particular medium warrants. Whether you’re reading a blog post or newspaper article, the messages, even if they are the same, have different effects. We attribute a certain bias and pre-understanding of each medium before we actually read the message and thus, the medium shapes the message. And further, as McLuhan states, “the medium IS the message.”

An overview of social media effects

In McLuhan’s Tetrad of Media Effects, McLuhan divides a medium’s effect into four categories; Enhancement (figure), Obsolescence (ground), Retrieval (figure) and Reversal (ground). “Figure” refers to the medium and “ground” refers to the medium’s context.
Just like any other medium, social media as a medium produces a certain effect when examining the message.

Examining McLuhan’s Tetrad of Media Effects on Social Media

Enhancement (figure): What the medium amplifies or intensifies.
Social Media intensifies a two-way flow of communication. For example, when reading a blog, a reader can leave a comment on the blog and can even offer their own opinion on the content with a blog of their own.

Obsolescence (ground): What the medium drives out of prominence.
Social Media reduces the prominence of one-way flows of communication. Newspaper articles, books and videos are meant to be passively digested. These mediums do not offer a means to communicate back to the original medium. Social Media overcomes this short-fall of traditional medium forms as it welcomes a discussion and a variance of opinion.

Retrieval (figure): What the medium recovers which was previously lost.Social Media makes conversation and debate achievable. People no longer are passive consumers of media products but rather are now media producers themselves.

Reversal (ground): What the medium does when pushed to its limits.
Prominent Social Media figures become the newsmakers of today. Social Media has the ability to become a credible news source for readers everywhere. Also, now more than ever, media outlets (newspapers, magazines etc.) are offering means for readers to communicate back to them. Online newspapers now offer discussion forums and comment boxes so that readers can voice their opinions on a particular matter. This reality has been produced by Social Media’s prominence in our society.
 
In the end, Social Media has moved our mediated society forward as we no longer need to passively consume media products; we can talk back and engage in the discussion, effectively becoming media producers. Simply put, Social Media enables us to have a voice when in the past we had to sit idle and simply accept a medium’s message.

3 reasons why Canada will win men’s hockey gold

Okay, I know, we choked against the States and almost blew it against the Swiss. But fear not, there is still a lot of hockey left. As it sits right now, nobody has won the gold and everyone is playing in elimination games. We have every opportunity to win... and we will for 3 reasons.

1. An extra game

If we had beaten the States we would have received a direct pass to the quarter-finals. Big woop, one less game to be played against a weak opponent. But losing to the States was the best thing that could have happened. Team Canada, made up of superstars, haven’t meshed yet and it’s only a matter of time until they find their chemistry together. This one extra game, against Germany, offers us more time to come together and find some much needed chemistry. We will wallop Germany and gain back our confidence before playing a tough Russia squad. Practice makes perfect.

2. Adios Marty Brodeur

Sure, Brodeur is the best goalie to ever play but he is past his prime and the game against the states proved this. After giving up 4 relatively weak goals, it was apparent that he isn’t our number 1 goalie. We were scared to admit that Brodeur is old and tired but this loss made it easier to recognize this. His past accolades are great and all, but they won’t help us now. Luongo is now the undisputed number 1 goalie and he can now focus on winning us a gold. Again, losing so badly to the States was the best thing that could have happened for us as it answered our goalie question.



3. Talent

Crosby, Nash, Iginla, Pronger, Heatley, Toews, Getzlaf, etc. etc. etc. the list goes on and on. Our players are the best in the world. They are too talented to roll-over and lose. Sure, the Russians have Ovechkin, Malkin and several other stars, but they lack the depth of the Canadians. The States are riding a high and it’s only a matter of time before their energy runs out and they find it hard to compete with the world’s best players. Face it, the States have a couple solid players but lack a much needed powerful core. They will perish, quickly. The Czechs, Swedes and Finns are all good, but again lack the depth and grit to win it all. Canada has the depth.

Just wait, in a week we’ll have our gold.

Oh and FYI, our record in the opening round is 1-1-1... the same record we had in the 2002 opening round (1-1-1) and we won gold that year.

Top 5 ways to spend Valentine's Day with a loved one

It’s almost here, Valentine’s Day, the one day that you have to show your love for that special someone. So how do you do it?
You can buy roses?... nah, been done.
You can go to the movies? .... nope, too many loud kissers.
You can make dinner? .... forget it, you can’t cook and you’d poison her.

But fear not, there are a few ways to show your love the right way.

Here are the best 5 ways to spend Valentine’s Day with a loved one... for you at least.

1. A Sporting Event

Sure, as soon as you tell her that you both are going to a Leafs or Raptors game she will roll her eyes, or much worse, hit you. You’ll probably think “dam, I deserved that!” but no you don’t deserve that because taking her to a sporting event is the most romantic thing you can ever do.
3 words friends, “Jumbo Tron”. Yes, all you have to do is pay a hundred bucks or so to get a sweet “I love you (insert name here)” message plastered on the big screen. Tell her beforehand that you have a surprise for her on the screen and BAM! She’s excited for the game.
Can you say win win?! She’ll be glued to the Jumbo Tron the whole time, leaving you to enjoy the game in peace. Perfect.



(omit all that marry me business)

2. The Car

Why is the car a great place to spend Valentine’s Day? It’s simple. The best part of being in a car is the ability to optimize Drive- throughs. Yes, a drive-through offers so much joy to everyone involved in the sinful act. You get to eat, she gets to eat. Perfect. But don’t skimp, forget the McValue meals and spring for something more classy... like A&W or Arbys. Then when your belly is full, drive to a lakeside parking lot because that’s romantic and you get to digest in peace.

3. Staples Business Depot

What’s the second sappiest, most heart-warming movie of all time? The Notebook. And what does Staples specialize in? You guessed it, Notebooks! All you have to do is say “honey, I think it’s time we started our own notebook story.” Her heart will melt and all you have to do is spend $7.99 on a frilly notebook. Oh, and in the checkout line, say, “Ally, I will always be your Noah.”
Cue... babbling brook. Boom. You win.



(you = left.... her = right)

4. The Couch and a Seal CD

Why attempt to say the most perfect sweet and heart-felt words when Seal has already done that for you. Face it, you’ll say something stupid and she’ll be upset. So don’t reinvent the wheel. Let Seal serenade her all night long while you catch a few Z’s on the couch. Or even better, turn the TV on and watch the game... on mute of course – you wouldn’t want to be rude.
She’ll be so touched by Seal’s sweetest songs that she won’t even realize that you haven’t really done anything for Valentine’s Day. But I warn you, she will want to cuddle after this, so try to be accommodating... at least until Sportscenter starts at 11.

5. The threshold between two towns

Have you ever seen the number 1 sap movie of all time, “A Walk to Remember?” Probably not, but she definitely has. And there is a grade-A sap scene in the movie that she will never forget. Shane West takes his love, Mandy Moore, to a threshold between two towns before she dies. Stupid right? Read on... and when she asks “why did you take me here?” He cooly responds, “you always wanted to be in two places at once.” .... splash.... cue water works for every woman who has ever lived.
SO all you have to do is re-enact this scene. She will be so swelled up with emotion that she won’t even know that you haven’t spent any money or time on this Valentine’s Day. Boom. Easy. You win times a million.



(If you combined all the Maple trees in the world and melted them in a pot, you would still have less sap than this film)

These all may be unconventional but isn’t unconventional the root-word for spontaneous?! Yes, yes it is. And girls love spontaneity.

Happy V-Day.