Every child should live free from violence and abuse.

Last year, more than 27,000 children received services from Ontario’s Children Aid Societies for protection from suspected child abuse and neglect. Child abuse remains a concern in Ontario because too many children suffer from physical, emotional and sexual abuse and lack of proper care. Too many families are coping with stressful life situations and challenges affecting their ability to provide a safe, secure home for their children.

That is why The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, are launching a public education campaign on
October 1st: Child Abuse Prevention Month in Ontario. 

During the October campaign, the public is reminded that kids shouldn’t have to live with abuse because everyone has a responsibility to act when they see or hear that a child is suffering from abuse or neglect.

To learn more about child abuse and neglect, how to spot the subtle signs, and about what happens when you call your local CAS, visit: www.useyourvoice.ca

Read more on how you can help…

Watch out for the Child Abuse Prevention Campaign across a variety of touch-points throughout the Province, including Transit, Digital Outdoor, Cinema, Online, Television CC and Radio.

With the pilot episode shot in Toronto and approximately $10 million dollars invested on the pilot alone, Fox’s ‘Fringe’ has the financial backing for it to be television’s next big hit.  Fox and JJ Abrams look to take advantage of what most critics are calling a soft Fall season for new shows premiering this Fall.

The pilot was never released by Fox/JJ Abrams with fear that it would leak onto the web.  However, we got the opportunity to view the pilot here at PHD.  The pilot was suspenseful and kept you entertained, if I could explain it to those whom have not seen the pilot, I would describe ‘Fringe’ as “X-Files meets Lost”.  I think J.J Abrams and the folks at Fox only hope Fringe can become half the cult hit that X-Files was…

Only time will tell.

Here are 2 articles/perspectives from today’s Toronto Sun and Toronto Star…. 

From left, John Noble, Anna Torv, Jasika Nicole and Vancouver expat Joshua Jackson are on the trail of a biological terrorist threat in Fox drama Fringe.

Leaked on the Internet and popular with critics, Fox drama could be next cult phenomenon

See the entire Toronto Star  article at http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/Television/article/460219

See the Toronto Sun article at:

http://www.torontosun.com/Entertainment/Television/2008/07/15/6160466-sun.html

Gino Di Giulio

Phd

If you know who coined this phrase, write it in the comments.

We couldn’t have asked for a better day like Earth Day to launch Canada’s PHD Sustain initiative. 

  Taking Care of our PHD Village

In an effort to reduce our waste & benefit our environment, the following changes are already making a difference in the office:

· Milk & cream 1 litre bottles replaced their tiny plastic versions

· People have added reminders on their email signature “Please consider the environment before printing…etc.

· A switch to more discussion & 1 pager handouts vs large presentation decks

· Printing on both sides of the paper

· Recycling

· Limiting how many media kits are received from sales reps

· Correcting & updating address-lists so we don’t end up with an overflow of Media Week & Marketing Magazines

· Using the revolving door to go outside

· Asking about recycled paper when planning a flyer or DM piece

· Using “angels-advocate” at the office as a way to improve our team morale

· Calling your sales rep when an unnecessary polybag arrives

What else have you noticed?

What changes have you started to make in your home life or your office life?

The second annual Global Media Festival just wrapped up Tuesday night. It was 2 days of focus on the future of media. The organizers are C Squared the group behind Cream Magazine , which is dedicated to regularly celebrating the best of global media achievement. And although the organizers opted not to name this conference, for me the resounding theme was one of juxtaposition.

From the outset I was struck by the juxtaposition of a conference dedicated to the digital future of communications being held in the ancient city of Venice. There was plenty of juxtaposition of old and new. From featured speakers like advertising legend Sir John Hegarty to dot come millionaire and MySpace co-founder Brett Brewer… Venice was often a study in contradictions.

There was the juxtaposition of the shortage of natural and human resources and a healthy discussion about the industry need to address both. On Day 2, Peter Seligmann, the CEO of Conservation International addressed the conference on the issue of sustainability. He implored all of us in the communications business to use our considerable influence to make a difference. It was certainly a proud moment for PHD when the efforts behind PHD Sustain were recognized. I also learned that PHD has just recently entered into a pro bono relationship to work with Conservation International, which is great and inspiring news.

Other interesting juxtapositions that became apparent in Venice:

With the juxtaposition of the old mass communication model of one-to-many migrating quickly to become one-to-one (with the rise of social media and peer-to-peer communication) there was a very interesting observation that suggests … in the heyday of mass communication, brands used to tell stories to consumers. In the new digital age of communications, consumers will tell stories about brands.

There was the juxtaposition that Sir John Hegarty alluded to that revolves around experience. His thought for the new age is that we all come from a world where we learn and then do. He believes that we need to alter our behaviour for the new reality to “do and then learn”… and hey … who wants to argue with a man who has achieved knighthood?

There was also the juxtaposition of content and context. For years we have heard the mantra that “content is king”, but in an age where technology is enabling smart messaging to receptive audiences, we are quickly moving to an era where context is king. This is a major leadership challenge for us as media practitioners and there was certainly a resounding spirit of readiness from the media throng in attendance.

One final note on Venice … it was truly great to see PHD so dominant on the world media stage. Beyond the aforementioned sustainability initiatives, our ETNA planning interface was featured in one of the breakout sessions on Media Creativity, and our Global CEO, Mike Cooper, addressed the conference most eloquently on the future of the media business.

Like Venice once proved, it is quite possible for a culturally significant (albeit small) body to make a big and lasting impression on the world… we should all be very proud.

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