CODNL Launches New Logo

As a part of the UNs International Day for Persons with Disabilities celebrations on December 3, 2010 Newfoundland and Labrador's Coalition for Persons with Disabilities launched its new logo.  Working with Applecore Interactive, COD chose this as the new emblem for the work the organisation does in advocacy, education and support for persons with disabilities in this province.

The new logo is created out of two embracing semi-circles, completing a circle symbolic of two entities holding hands or connecting around a common purpose.  The heads overlap to form a single central core as a single focus and a common goal. 

The colours red and green are symbolic of "stop" and "go" with red representing the barriers faced by persons with disabilities and green representing the work of CODNL - the removal of these barriers.  This abstract representation also represents the abbreviated name for the organisation - COD.

Present to do the unveiling was the new logo was COD founder Nancy Lear, president Michelle Murdoch and assistant deputy minister in the Department Human Resources, Labour and Employment Lynn Vivian Brook.

President Michelle Murdoch spoke about the realities encountered by persons with various disabilities and in particular the role of public transport in the lives of individuals depending on it for their mobility.  Michelle also referred to her fondness of the Internet, a technology that has been a liberating force in the lives of many persons with disabilities.

The team at Applecore has been privileged to work with CODNL, as Applecore partner and co-founder Wilma Hartmann said at the unveiling.  The creative process starts with active listening to develop a deeper understanding.  In this case it has been an education of many misperceptions related to disabilities and the importance of public policies that protect and support the interests of persons with disabilities.

The unveiling of the logo was followed by the official launch of the new website and the cutting of a birthday cake in celebration of the 30th year of CODNLs existence.

The Value of a Cute Interface

Are we more likely to forgive technical glitches that ask forgiveness with a cute picture?

As Twitter struggles to deal with the explosion in activity, its "fail whale" frequently has to be the ambassador-peacemaker for overloaded technology.  This beloved whale has achieved near cult status and has appeared on clothing, in cake format, on mugs and carved into Halloween pumpkins.  An image search on Google showed these neat eternalizations of the whale:

It is clear that "cute" trumps "glitch" and more often techno brands use cutesy imagery to build brand support.  Just think about some of these.... can you name them?

How to Get More Comments on Your Posts

Below is a taste of an insightful article written by David Smith on how to get more comments on your Blog posts. The tips in this article can also be applied to FaceBook posts, achieving more retweets and followers, and many other social network tools and marketing efforts. Some of the highlights from the article are listed below, for the full article visit:

18 Types of Posts That Get More Comments

About the Author: David Smith works for Conversion Optimization Company Invesp and enjoys writing on SEO, landing pages, conversion rate optimization and affiliate marketing.

Are you tired of seeing no or very less comments on your blog posts? Do you feel sad when you find out that no one wants to spend his 2 minutes in leaving a comment on the post which took hours of your efforts? If the answer to above questions is Yes, then here is good news for you, on average more than 80% of blogs suffers from “No Comments” disease. And to help you in getting rid of it, we’ve compiled a list of 18 types of posts that always gets lot of comments.

Below are Applecores Favorite Tips From: 18 Types of Posts That Get More Comments

#3. Lists and Useful resources post – No other marking campaign can beat a useful and well researched list relevant to your niche in getting number of comments and links. Such lists can easily go viral and can help you in building a loyal following. Example – 30+ principles to a better landing page design.

 #6. Series of Posts – Series of posts have a great power to keep the readers engaged. Not only they help you in breaking longer posts in to short ones and explaining things in a better way, but also help you to build a loyal following for your blog. Example – Website Traffic Series at DailyBlogTips

#7. How-to Guide posts – Does your target audience is facing a common problem then write a detailed How-to guide on it covering solutions that can help them in solving their problems. Example – How to Blog: Blogging Tips for Beginners

#10. Humorous/Funny posts – Posts that can make your readers laugh can also force (in a good way) them to leave comments. Example – This is why I don’t clap along

#13. Ask a question post – Ask a question to your readers. Asking a question that readers are interested in answering can easily increase the number of comments by 2-3 times. Example – Ask the readers section at GetRichSlowly

#15. Real-time posts – Posts about hot trends and latest happenings that are taking place in the niche. Example – Thoughts on Google Instant (It is also an opinion post)

For the complete list visit The Blog Herald: 18 Types of Posts That Get More Comments

Uninvited Guest- Igor Pays a Visit to Applecore

The aftermath of Hurricane Igor can be seen across the capital city today, and although St. John's was not one of the hardest hit areas it's a grave reminder of the power of mother nature. The staff and neighbours of Applecore seen her wrath first hand when a large tree in the front of Applecore's parking lot entrance on Quidi Vidi Road in St. John's, came crashing down and brought a few unsuspecting power lines with it.

Uprooted Tree Blocking Applecore Parking Lot Entrance- Parking Lot View

Uprooted Tree and Power Lines Blocking Applecore Parking Lot Entrance- Street View

Applecore was fortunate enough to escape with minimal disruption or damage and is back to business as normal. Unfortunately other businesses and residents in Igor's path didn't fair as well and the clean up continues. For more images of Igor's effects in Newfoundland click here. For YouTube videos of the flooding in St. John's click here.

Uprooted Tree- Applecore Parking Lot Entrance

About Igor

Hurricane Igor Made landfall in the province of Newfoundland late Monday night and lasted through Tuesday bringing strong winds and heavy rain. Rain accumulated up to 239 mm in the area of St. Lawrence, and in the area of Cape pine the winds reached 172 km/h. Just as an example of the magnitude of Igor's strength.

Extensive flooding, wind damage, and power outages were reported from all over the eastern half of Newfoundland Monday night and Tuesday as a result of hurricane Igor. Estimations for damage and suspected recovery times have not yet been determined, but it's for certain that Igor's path of destruction will take weeks if not months to repair.

For more information and unofficial storm totals on Hurricane Igor click here.

Make Your Website a Daily Destination

5 simple strategies to keep people coming back

The following article gives some great advice on how to increase and maintain traffic on your website. This article was written by Scott Steinberg, Columnist for Entrepreneur.com

Every small business loves the exposure, empathy and sense of community that having a website that's a daily destination for consumers can generate. But getting people to visit on a regular basis can be a challenge, especially if updates are infrequent or all you have to offer is the occasional monotone press release or product announcement.

Thankfully, building a website that's "sticky" enough to keep users engaged and coming back doesn't have to require investing thousands or reinventing yourself as the next online media empire. All it takes is a little elbow grease and personal touch, as indicated by the simple strategies below, each designed to send your homepage's daily number of visitors soaring:

Connect and Communicate: Make no bones about it: Blogging should be an essential part of any modern website. After all, a few clicks is literally all it takes to post updates in real-time around the clock, creating a steady stream of content that promises something new and exciting with every visit. Better still, professionals at all experience levels have the capability of readily doing it, and the practice also helps put a personal face on your organization, shining the spotlight on the individuals behind it. However, to really captivate an audience enough to keep them returning, take note: You'll also need to provide content that's dynamic, unique and offers measurable informational or entertainment value, plus speak in a language that all can understand. In short, the occasional pre-approved sound bite from the HR guy or gal won't cut it. Rather, you need to address audiences like you're having a normal conversation, and provide content with meaningful substance to the reader. Making-of articles, features detailing how to get more from your products, partner profiles, project diaries, step-by-step how-to guides, interviews with notable personalities or internal stakeholders: All present compelling ways to connect with audiences while also keeping them interested and informed, providing ample incentive to keep coming back.

Use Targeted Demonstrations: While special membership options, premium subscription packages and frequent buyer programs can all prove great incentives, services that you freely give away are often just as important as those that you reserve for more exclusive clients. Whether you're looking at offering complimentary computer virus scans by having users visit your homepage, providing a suite of free continuing education resources or simply hosting an archive of complementary, corporate-branded webinars on software engineering, realize: Providing helpful services or information at no charge that solve pressing, evergreen problems or answer important questions can all serve to generate a steady source of online traffic, and provide a ready supply of leads to upsell on premium services. Sometimes you have to give in order to get. It may seem counterintuitive, but ultimately, the practice makes a ready way to demonstrate your organization's capabilities to a potentially lucrative client base, while also giving them a taste of the benefits to be had by partnering on more advanced or long-term services.

Emphasize Community Building: As social media insiders well know, creating a sense of community around your website is one of the most powerful tools for engaging and ultimately enthralling prospective fans. But doing so doesn't simply mean throwing up a sponsored message board then leaving it to stagnate, or e-mailing customers sporadic newsletter updates that regurgitate existing material easily found elsewhere. Rather, you have to not only encourage discussion and actively take part in conversations by dedicating internal time and resources, but also make customers feel as if they truly have a voice in the discussion by listening to their concerns, responding and sourcing feedback at every opportunity. Implementing programs that recognize and reward valued contributors is also vital, as is creating fan-based initiatives that allow community members to contribute and share ideas, concepts and creations of their own. Even simply giving enthusiasts the chance to submit designs for your next fundraiser's logo or arranging times where they can chat with top execs to provide input on upcoming ventures won't just engender goodwill. They'll also excite and empower a legion of amateur brand ambassadors--an essential source of free ongoing updates and constructive conversations, which will both attract users to and keep them enamored with your site.

Focus on Value: Exclusive specials, contests, promotions and timed discounts can all be powerful drivers of website traffic, especially in these cost-conscious times. By offering direct bargains and rebate programs on both an ongoing and sporadic basis through your online headquarters, you can keep customers' interest piqued, and generate additional sales. These marketing programs become even more valuable when coupled with Facebook, Twitter and other social marketing tools, which have the potential to help news spread like wildfire online. Just make sure that the only place such bargains can be found is on your homepage, and be consistent in terms of the pages to which you drive this traffic, to establish in shoppers' minds the importance of regularly checking a certain destination. Similarly, establishing relationships with key bloggers and members of the media can also help reinforce the message, as can a regular series of e-mail or newsletter updates designed to inform current and prospective buyers. Customers get to save on purchases while you benefit from enhanced publicity and heightened sales, creating a win-win situation for all.

Design for Mass Distribution: Sharing is good--even more so if you've got a message worth spreading and it winds up in front of millions of eyeballs. As such, you should be not only updating your website with unique pieces of content (surveys, research reports, custom editorial clips, guides to solving common problems, unique looks behind-the-scenes, etc.) designed to grab viewers' attention, but also making everything from blog posts to pictures, photos, PDF documents and videos shareable, embeddable and ready to be commented upon or re-tweeted via social media platforms. When it comes to corporate assets, the tendency--especially among hyper-competitive start-ups--is always to tightly hold and control. But often, the more powerful strategy is to design pieces of content with the specific idea in mind of seeding them throughout the user community, as it's a great way to build brand awareness. Beyond heightened exposure and additional media mentions, using your website to disseminate unique, specially branded pieces of content can also lead to improved search engine optimization results through a larger number of incoming links. And, more important still, generate heightened word of mouth surrounding your homepage, letting countless potential readers know exciting things are happening there on a regular basis.

For more business tips and advice visit Entrepreneur.com

A Wonderful Site for a Picnic

When Lighthouse Picnics in Ferryland launched their new website earlier this summer, it was just one more great thing added to the already wonderful experience.

Jill Curran,
'Lighthouse Picnics Keeper'

From Website to Picnic Site
Working with Jill Curran, the charming owner of Lighthouse Picnics, was invigorating and Applecore Interactive could not wait to get out to experience this outdoor delight personally.  The beautiful summer Sunday finally arrived!

A spectacular hour drive from St. John's wound through places like the Goulds, Bay Bulls, Tors Cove - all designed as an appetizer for what was waiting in Ferryland.  The drive meandered along the coast, blue skies above and white caps licking on pebbled shores.

Route 10 continues to Ferryland and at the Colony of Avalon archeological site which is well marked, we turned towards the lighthouse we spotted at the point. After parking the car, the 15 minute hike on a narrow gravel road to the site was rewarded greatly.

Ferryland Lighthouse

Lighthouse Picnics
Lighthouse picnics is housed in a quaint restored building right next to the lighthouse.  One the menu was a choice of 4 delicious sandwiches.  We were given a little naval flag as a marker and asked to wait in the vicinity - our food would find us.  All around the site picnickers with food baskets and blankets dotted the slopes overlooking the ocean.

Our basket arrived and we followed the trails in search of the perfect spot. Seafood salad sandwich with smoked salmon and avocado; curry chicken and mango salad sandwich; chocolate ganache cake; ginger cake and vanilla sauce, orzo salad and a mason jar with home made lemonade.  Drooling yet?

Lighthousepicnics.ca

Be Sure to Visit
Was Canadian Living wrong to name this the number one spot to picnic in Canada?  We think not!

And if you plan your picnic on the slopes, start by checking Lighthouse Picnics in Ferryland on the web.

7 Steps to Measuring Your Brand’s Social Media Health

Written By: Maria Ogneva
Mashable

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should measure everything. Social media is very easily measured with various indicators like share of voice, reach, retweets, and comments. However, measuring without a clear objective in mind won’t bring you closer to success.

Nowadays, its not enough to have and execute a social media policy. You need to be able to gauge its success, measure it, and see that it remains healthy and vibrant.

Having already written about the differences between “monitoring” and “measuring” and how to properly conduct the former. Now, we turn to some best practices to help you measure your brand’s overall social media health, as well as the effectiveness of your various online initiatives.


Read on for the seven steps to getting the most out of your social media measurements.

1. Have a Goal

In order to properly measure your social media efforts, you need to know why you are engaging in social media in the first place. This objective will dictate not only what you do, but also how you measure what you do. Let’s take a look at some objectives and the corresponding metrics you’ll measure for each.

• If your goal is driving awareness, you will be looking at metrics like share of voice, reach, readership and engagement with content (measured in action vs. views).

• If you need to increase satisfaction through better support, you need to look at sentiment, satisfaction rates in surveys, speed of resolution and percent of queries resolved.

• If creating better products and doing market research is a goal, you need to focus on top market trends and satisfaction with various competitive products.

• If developing customer advocacy is a goal, you should be looking at who your advocates are, measuring their influence and reach and their engagement with your product and content.

All or none of the above could apply to your particular objective. It’s important to be specific about your purpose and to measure towards that end.

2. Get Your Departments on the Same Page

Social media is not a silo. You need to set up your organization for success by better aligning necessary departments to work as units towards a common goal. Understand what goals are important for each department, and set them up for success with strategies and metrics that make sense.

You will need to establish a process by which your departments can communicate and share the right metrics with the right people on demand. Will you create a dashboard that’s easily visible by every department or simply send email recaps? Will they be customized to match the interests of each department?
Can you export raw data and easily share charts and graphs?

3. Always Consider Context

Metrics without context are meaningless. If you know your share of social media conversation is 35%, what does that mean compared to your competitors’ shares or their change over time? Always look at metrics over time and inside of a competitive landscape.

4. Select Your Platform Wisely

Just like with monitoring, selecting the right tool for the job is the next step after figuring out your strategy. Here are some aspects you should consider when selecting a platform:

• Data – Which data do you need? Which channels are you going to measure?

• Reports – Identify how you want to share and present information. If you are going for a premium tool you should definitely be receiving embeddable and emailable charts and downloadable raw data. You can even automate delivery of reports and dashboards via email.

• Actionable insights – There’s a big difference between data and insights. Don’t forget the importance of an analyst within your organization, even if it’s a part-time effort of your social media specialist.

• Budget – Do you have a budget or can you only afford a free tool? Keep in mind that cheaper tools can sometimes be harder to use or come with less features. “Free” may cost you more time in the long run.

• Ease of use – If you have limited resources, your platform must be easy to use and allow you to get your job done quickly. Consider productivity-boosting alerts and workflow modules, automation and advanced analytics.

5. Conduct a Full Social Media Audit

Now that you have selected your platform, start by conducting a full social media “audit” with the specific metrics you are measuring. Note where you and your competitors are today and use this as a baseline against which you will measure at least once a month.

Conducting a social media audit can also help you monitor the current share of conversation of various players and channels. Through this process you can find where to listen for service issues and where you should be building relationships with thought leaders and influencers.

6. Dig Deeper in Your Channels

Start by measuring volume of conversation in aggregate, across all channels. You should also evaluate performance by channel, for yourself and for your competitors, to find which sections are performing well and to help give your numbers specific context.

A surface look at metric like share of voice, buzz and sentiment allows you to understand what’s happening during an identified period of time. However, to get the most out of your social media analysis, you need to dig deeper. If you discover a spike in negative sentiment or a spike in buzz for one of your competitors, you need to dig in and find out what’s driving it.

7. Do A/B testing

Do you have a couple of campaigns out there? Are you curious about the adoption of certain product features or what content is getting the best response? Social media measurement can help you conduct the right analysis to figure out what’s working and what isn’t. Similar to how you can test web traffic patterns against website copy changes, you can measure the public’s opinion of things you try.

Remember to measure your general social media health comprehensively at least once a month and track responses to particular programs more frequently. Commit the right resources and choose your platforms wisely. Don’t be afraid to experiment and always measure!

Maria Ogneva is the Director of Social Media at Attensity, a social media engagement and voice-of-customer platform that helps the social enterprise serve and collaborate with the social customer. You can follow her on Twitter at @themaria or @attensity360, or find her musings on her personal blog and her company’s blog.

5 Tips for Aspiring Social Media Marketers

Are you a Social Media Master? It takes more than just knowing how to use tools such as Facebook, Twitter, or a Blog to be Social Media Savvy. Social Media Tools are complex, diverse, and can evolve quickly. Mashable has 5 great tips to get you started.

Erica Swallow from Mashable Writes,

Within the past few years, it seems that social media positions are popping up everywhere, in all types of organizations, from The New York Times, to Pizza Hut, and even in the White House. Businesses of all types are identifying the need to stay connected with their communities because they recognize the benefits.

Social media marketing is just a slice of the social media industry, but it’s a very important piece of the story. Businesses see social media as a platform for engaging with consumers and informing them of the latest company news and products. Marketers are blazing trails in the social media marketing sector, creating campaigns that are interactive, shareable and inclusive of the online community. For the most innovative of marketers, the focus isn’t on campaigns, but on letting consumers take the reigns in guiding a brand’s social presence.

For aspiring social media marketers, there are no strict rules for becoming successful. But we’ve gathered eight of the brightest minds in the social media industry to elaborate on five helpful tips for landing a job in social media marketing.

For the Five Tips for Aspiring Social Media Marketers visit: mashable.com

Applecore's Sea Kayak Adventures

(Left to Right) Adventure Tourism Guide Connor, Alicia Fudge, Trent Skanes, Laurie Butler, John Feltham, Curtis Au, Andrew Janes, Deborah Bourden, & Lisa Smart.

On  Wednesday July 21, 2010 Applecore took to the Sea for an Adventure to remember provided by Stan Cook Sea Kayak Adventures. Some of Cape Broyle's most spectacular scenery, creatures, and geological finds were a part of this amazing afternoon on the water. Starfish, 400 million year old rock formations, waterfalls, and stories of buried treasure were just a few of the highlights. This expedition will not be forgotten!

Stan Cook's knowledgeable and humorous Adventure Tourism Guides, Chris and Connor, gave the afternoon on the sea that extra special touch. We'd like to thank Stan Cook and his staff for a fantastic afternoon of adventure and exploration.

Stan Cook Sea Kayak Adventures is a family owned and operated business. Owner and head guide Stan Cook, a recently retired physical education instructor, has been professionally offering wilderness adventures since 1970. His top priority has always been safety and decades of wilderness travel has taught him a lot. For more information about tour packages visit www.wildnfld.ca

This Kayak expedition was a invigorating way to say, not good bye, but best wishes and farewell for now, to one of Applecore's team, Trent Skanes, who is pursuing a career in law.

Sea Urchins, Jelly Fish, Crabs, and More

Venturing Through Sea Crevasses

Stories of Cape Broyle & Buried Treasure

Catching the Mist, Refreshing Waterfalls

Adventure Tourism Guide Chris

Cliff Formations in Smugglers Cove

Crossing the Bay

Starfish

Team Work, Featuring a Crab

Rooms and Sites Come True

Rooms Come True is more than a furniture store. In fact, as their name suggests, it is about making dreams come true for parents of infants, little girls and boys, tweens and teens. Whether the dream centres around an animal kingdom, a sport or superhero, a princess or hues of pink, Rooms Come True provides the design elements and furniture to make it happen.

Owner of St. John's children's furniture store, Michelle Collins, says: "At Rooms Come True we want customers to relax, enjoy and walk away with great ideas for a room that they are excited to create and the products necessary to bring it all together



Michelle's vision for her store became the inspiration for her new website that Applecore is pleased to have created in collaboration with Michelle. The challenge was to create the same feeling of excitement, adventure, design and magic that a visitor to Michelle's store experiences. The website offers only a taste of the in-store experience where friendly and knowledgeable staff wait to listen, provide advice and ideas and help to create the perfect room for kids, from infant to teen.

Visit Rooms Come True at 585 Torbay Road St. John's after visiting the Rooms Come True website, or call Rooms Come True at 709-722-7788.

Applecore Interactive is pleased to have collaborated with Rooms Come True on another successful web project.

Social Media Challenges- A List to Help You Overcome Them

Jeremiah Owyangn, Industry Analyst, Founding Partner for Altimeter Group, and Columnist for Forbes CMO Network writes:

Matrix: Challenges of the Social Technology Industry, July 2010 Edition

While the opportunities for social technologies to change the world, business, and our individual lives continue to unveil, it’s also key to focus in on the challenges that impact the industry. For many folks who have decided to invest in social technologies to improve their careers and business, it’s even more important to pay attention to these challenges.

First of all, have the right mindset. The savvy person will realize this isn’t a list of gripes, but instead an opportunity list. Leaders at vendors, agencies, or brands will see these list of challenges of problems to fix and monetize. If you’re in this space, you’ll want to send this list to your product teams, or strategy teams so they can think about how to solve many of these issues –or at a minimum,be prepared for it.

For the detailed list of social media challenges visit:

http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2010/07/05/matrix-challenges-of-the-social-technology-industry-july-2010-edition/?utm_source=feedburner

5 Key Trends of 2010: Half-Year Report for The Web

An interesting article on some trends that have developed thus far this year. Which trends are you following?

It's now a little over 6 months into 2010, so a good time to reflect on the highlights of the year so far. At the beginning of the year, we identified some key trends to track: (in alphabetical order) Augmented Reality, Internet of Things, Mobile, Real-Time Web, Structured Data.

Mobile and Real-Time Web have been particularly eventful in 2010. Augmented Reality and Internet of Things are both early stage trends, but have continued to edge towards the mainstream this year. The movement towards Structured Data has made significant progress in 2010, primarily thanks to RDFa and the adoption of that Semantic Web format by Facebook, Google and other big companies.

To read the full article 5 Key Trends of 2010: Half-Year Report for The Web on Read Write Web visit:

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/5_key_trends_of_2010_half-year_report_for_the_web.php?utm_source=feedburner

10 Lessons of Web Start Up

Be Narrow, Be Different, Be Casual...

Just a few of the ten lessons that Evan Williams, creator of Blogger and Twitter, gives on Web Start Up.

#1: Be Narrow
- Focus on the smallest possible problem you could solve that would potentially be useful. Most companies start out trying to do too many things, which makes life difficult and turns you into a me-too. Focusing on a small niche has so many advantages: With much less work, you can be the best at what you do. Small things, like a microscopic world, almost always turn out to be bigger than you think when you zoom in. You can much more easily position and market yourself when more focused. And when it comes to partnering, or being acquired, there's less chance for conflict. This is all so logical and, yet, there's a resistance to focusing. I think it comes from a fear of being trivial. Just remember: If you get to be #1 in your category, but your category is too small, then you can broaden your scope—and you can do so with leverage.



For all 10 great lessons to a Successful Web Start Up read the full article:

http://davidhieatt.typepad.com/doonethingwell/2010/01/10-lessons-of-a-web-start-up.html

Hitting the High Notes

“For me, Lady Cove Women’s Choir celebrates the joys of sisterhood. Our music-making is the truest expression of respect, trust, friendship and joy!” This quote from one of the members of one of Newfoundland and Labrador's finest cultural products, the Lady Cove Women's Choir, captures the essence of what this young choir is about.

In its just over six years of existence, the choir's achievements are astounding. Its international and national accomplishments are a testament to the spirit behind the work of this group of very talented women.

Applecore is privileged to have worked with the choir in developing its brand new web site. Choral music comes alive through the "Featured Track Listing" on the front page. Twitter, Facebook and RSS connections ensure that every web viewer can easily slot into the choir's online community.

E-commerce has been integrated into the site - support and even buy the Lady Cove Specialty Teas online. A members' only section allows choir members to share information such as sheet music and documentation. Applecore is always happy to rub a bit of its "green" onto its projects!

Thank you for wonderful project collaboration - don't miss the Choir's two upcoming performances - RhythmSong on May 8 2010, and SummerSong on June 5 2010.

Sponsors and Partners

The Kids Eat Smart Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is a provincial organization that ensures that children attend school well-nourished and ready to learn. Its breakfast clubs across the province are supported by more than 4,000 volunteers.

Sponsorship as a Way to Give Back

Kids Eat Smart is only one of the causes Applecore Interactive has actively supported over the past decade. "Sponsorship is one of the most rewarding promotional partnerships any business can experience," says C.O.O. Wilma Hartmann. "It is a way to give back to a community and to make a difference to those causes that are important to us."

Being a Part of Successful Growth

In the early 2000's Applecore worked with the Kids Eat Smart Foundation in its rebranding which now flourishes in the hands of the organization's own staff. Watching the organization grow and support more than 200 breakfast clubs today is great reward to any sponsor and partner.

Camaraderie Amongst Sponsors

The Foundation keenly recognizes the value of its sponsors and partners - something every business looks for when it chooses to partner. The camaraderie amongst Kids Eat Smart donors bridges the divide between business rivals - recognition of a great cause taps into the very best in corporate spirit. Says Wilma, "It has been a privilege to rub shoulders with the some of the region's greatest corporations in unified support of a great cause."

Our Other Partnerships

Applecore's current sponsorships also includes the 2010 Juno Awards Ruckus on the Edge, the Health Care Foundation, Prof. TA Loeffler's 2010 Everest expedition and the Applecore Women's Hockey team (whose favourite place is the top of the women's recreational league!)

De-stress Online with StressChat.ca

Every day thousands of employees, managers, customer service representatives, health care workers and emergency response professionals are faced with work-related stress that over time creates mental and physical illnesses.

Ontario stress counsellor Heidi Cowie realized that there is a big need to provide help in a different way. She decided it was time to act and started Stress Chat, a web-based counselling service available through online appointments and through live online chat. Stress Chat offers individual counselling as well as corporate programs. Clients are in control through making appointments online or through anonymous online chat in the case of an emergency. Stress Chat has a group of qualified and experienced stress counsellors on staff - an individual is paired with the most suitable counsellor after an initial online assessment.

Applecore is pleased to have partnered with Heidi to create her new website. Considering the health impact of unmanaged stress, this web-based service can prove to be invaluable to you and your work place. It is available when needed, offers help and is anonymous.

If you are considering personal counselling or a corporate program for your organization, visit stresschat.ca.

Countdown to the Big Ruckus

One big Ruckus is about to hit the Rock - a week long music fest with Canada's best and most popular musicians rocking it out in a grand finale on 18 April with the 2010 Juno Awards.

Applecore recently launched the new website, Ruckus on the Edge, for Juno Week.

But today no website is happy alone. To round out the effort, we also created a social media strategy with its own Facebook page (join more than 1700 other fans!), a Flickr photo stream (the pictures you see there is nothing compared to what is about to be added!), YouTube video channel (the party has already started!) and a Twitter stream (you got to stay up to date with the action!)

Canada's top musicians are coming to St. John's for the Junos - and so is a crowd of other people... see the week's schedule on the site. If you're one of the unlucky ones, don't feel left out - join the action online.

TA Loeffler and Flat Stanley visit Applecore

Applecore's team was delighted to have adventurer and Everest climber, TA Loeffler, visit on Friday. She brought with her a special guest: Flat Stanley, who will be climbing with her in March this year in an attempt to summit Mount Everest - a first for Flat Stanley.

Flat Stanley is a flat character that travels all over the globe and writes about his travels and collects photographs as part of an education initiative on behalf of K-12 students. A school in Corner Brook, Newfoundland approached TA with a request to take Flat Stanley with her on her arduous training schedule and on the expedition planned to start at the end of March.

Applecore has been sponsoring professor in Outdoor Recreation, TA Loeffler on expeditions to 6 of the world's 7 tallest peaks and our flag will travel with TA once more on her second attempt to summit Everest.

TA's inspiring message to our team on Friday again asked the question of what our individual and collective Everests are. She shared her lessons from high places - wisdom collected about holding the vision of the the peak while taking the steps - with Applecore's team who has been supporting her marketing and PR online and offline since 2005. Visit TA's website for more photographs and information.

TA Loeffler and the Applecore flag at the summit of Mount Elbrus in Russia, Europe's highest peak.

Summit of Kilimanjaro 2008, highest peak in Africa.

Ojos de Salado, Chile, highest peak in South America.

Not a flag this time, but an apple that mysteriously disappeared from our board room - on the summit of Aconcagua in Argentina.