The photos Woods and his current girlfriend, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, released to the media last month weren’t just a public confirmation of their long-rumoured relationship. They were a thoroughly planned and well-timed public relations ploy….Each photo prominently features the Nike swoosh on Woods’ shirt, while the Under Armour logo on Vonn’s shirt is either hidden or partially obscured by her hair. “It gets people talking about the [Nike] brand in the face of competition from Under Armour and [equipment manufacturer] Taylor Made,” said Vijay Setlur, who teaches sports marketing at York’s Schulich School of Business, in the Toronto Star April 10. “It’s also a chance to show other sponsors [Woods] is on the rise and they should align themselves with him. It’s an effort to portray a reformed image.” Read full story.
Personal branding assignment becomes online hit
An MBA student at York’s Schulich School of Business has seen his marketing homework go viral, reported Marketing magazine April 10. Cary Walkin, a 25-year-old chartered accountant who has spent his fair share of time working in Excel, has created a role-playing adventure game playable in Excel spreadsheets. Since being posted online, it has been downloaded half a million times and has received worldwide coverage from the BBC, Gizmodo and the Sydney Morning Herald. Read full story.
Interlibrary loans constrained by licences for e-books
Electronic books, for all of their convenience and versatility, are threatening to put an end to a longstanding and cherished tradition at academic libraries: interlibrary loans.…Even if the terms of a licence allow for interlibrary loans, technical considerations can make it difficult. “We don’t have any mechanism to supply an e-book to somebody outside of our community,” said Mary Lehane, manager of the resource-sharing department at York University Libraries, in University Affairs April 10. The University, she said, would have to give outside borrowers access credentials and a login to view its electronic holdings. “That’s the catch. How do you do that in a secure way?” Read full story.
What Canadians Think topic of next Canadian Club dinner
Canadian Club of Halton Peel will host “What Canadians Think” Thursday, April 25, reported the Oakville Beaver April 10. Ray King, adjunct professor of marketing at York University and Ipsos Reid senior vice-president and global financial services team leader, will speak at a dinner at the Oakville Conference Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Rd. With more than 25 years of consulting experience, Kong is responsible for Ipsos Reid projects in the financial services sector, dealing with customer experience, brand, operational improvement and strategy. Read full story.
Eric Peterson, Menaka Thakkar honoured with Governor General’s Performing Arts Award
Menaka Thakkar, founder of the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, will receive a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement at a ceremony in Ottawa on May 31 and June 1….When her brother, a professor at York University, invited her to visit, Thakkar said she only intended to stay three months. “Three months passed like anything. My curiosity got me here and I made Canada my home,” said Thakkar in the Toronto Star April 10….In additional to founding her dance school, Thakkar taught workshops at York University and travelled from coast to coast teaching Indian dance in small and large émigré communities. Read full story.