Account Planning Group of Canada - APG Canada’s Post

When Creative Worlds Collide: A Story of Cross-Border Collaboration…,🎶 Collaboration has always fascinated me—how different perspectives and experiences combine to create something entirely new. As someone who works in IT, I've seen firsthand how diverse viewpoints drive innovation. Today, I'm excited to share a personal project that embodies this spirit of creative collaboration. Over the past few years, I've been part of Junk Ruse, a unique musical partnership that bridges Washington, DC and Guadalajara, Mexico. Our latest album, Todos a la Vez (releasing January 30th), explores an intriguing premise: What if the Beatles reunited for an MTV special on January 30th, 1982, sharing the stage with Blondie, ELO, Harry Nilsson, Elvis Costello, and the B-52s? This alternate history moment extends from a love of the Beatles' famous rooftop concert of January 30th, 1969. What began as a short story evolved into a full album of "covers" from this imagined concert—but the real story here is about collaboration. Every element—from music and vocals to artwork and video—was created through partnership with talented artists in 🇲🇽Mexico, especially my main collaborator Joe Romero in Guadalajara. As head songwriter and producer, I've witnessed how creativity flourishes when cultures and perspectives align. The lessons learned here parallel my experience in IT: the best solutions emerge when we bring together diverse viewpoints, embrace trust, and rally around a shared vision. Whether managing tech projects or producing music, success lies in fostering meaningful connections across borders and disciplines. For my fellow IT professionals who nurture creative pursuits: how do you balance technical expertise with artistic passion? I'd love to hear your stories of collaboration across unexpected boundaries. [Feel free to listen to Todos a la Vez on all streaming platforms starting TODAY January 30th https://lnkd.in/eHu22kNp #CreativeIT #CrossBorderCollaboration #TechAndCreativity #InnovationManagement #DigitalTransformation

Arts as a business and how to go about it.

When you launch a new service, product, brand, or radio show, you need to drive interest. The way the team at Global launched the new #CapitalBreakfast show is certainly a great benchmark for that. There is a lot US Radio can learn about how to do this from the UK and Australia. #productlaunch #newservice #marketingexcellence

Creativity begins...."with allowing IT to announce itself without forcing it into something". Suspending it (resolving the focus) as long as you can to allow it to fully unfold (my words). The essential being of the world grasped as a whole, that wants to announce itself through us, thats what I make up. Chewing on that one! How does this resonate for you? Wondering how this applies to our workspace? To innovation? Dwelling, allowing for liminal time, for non focused being...at least not result-, or solution oriented, quick fixes? https://lnkd.in/e4HZFQKX

For the fourth year running, The Year Explained is back - Vox Media's deep dive into what’s shaping 2025, from AI skepticism to Cinema comebacks and a growing obsession with touching actual grass. 🌱 This year’s findings? People are craving real-world experiences more than ever: ✅ 67% want more tactile, hands-on activities ✅ 62% hope to strengthen close friendships ✅ 58% of Gen Z plans to go to the cinema more often ✅ 75% expect an AI-generated photo scandal And when it comes to travel, expect more bucket-list adventures - solar eclipses, scenic train rides, and even pet-friendly holidays. 🐶 With insights from across Vox Media, plus fresh consumer data, we built this to spark ideas for brands, partners, and creators. Take a look, pull a stat, and let’s talk: What trend stands out the most? https://lnkd.in/enDtEXEz #2025Trends #TheYearExplained #MarketingInsights #VoxMedia #International

All Talk, No Action: The Frustration of an Artist 🎭 As an artist, I can’t help but feel frustrated. Endless meetings, forums, and “strategic discussions” about empowering the creative industry—but who’s in the room? Certainly not us. It’s just a bunch of suited businesspeople, discussing our challenges without ever hearing from those of us who live them. They talk big, they allocate funds, but the resources rarely trickle down to where they’re needed most. When was the last time a forum allowed artists to actually deliver their problems firsthand? Which institutions are keeping the promises they made? True creative entrepreneurs—those who’ve walked this road for years—are sidelined because they don’t “know someone.” Instead, the same old faces hog the table, while we’re left out in the cold. While stakeholders discuss our future, we artists are out here struggling with the same old challenges—limited resources, lack of funding, and minimal exposure. It’s exhausting to hear promises while the infrastructure we desperately need remains nonexistent, and opportunities remain locked behind closed doors. Creativity is action, not politics. We need tools, platforms, and access—not another glossy panel. Let’s stop talking about empowering artists and start investing in us. Because, honestly, all talk and no play is killing the spirit of the creative industry. To my fellow creatives: Keep pushing. Let’s demand more because we deserve more. Our art, our voices, and our solutions matter. #ArtistsMatter #DoMore #RepresentationMatters #CreativeVoices #ArtistsMatter

Is Hip-Hop Stuck in the Past? Speaker_02 drops truth bombs on the current state of hip-hop, urging for innovation and a rejection of stagnant trends. This insightful video challenges the industry's focus on sameness and champions fresh, creative sounds. #HipHopEvolution ##HipHopEvolution ##HipHopInnovation ##MusicIndustry ##NewHipHop ##FreshSounds ##CreativeMusic ##Speaker02 ##MusicRevolution ##HipHopCulture ##ChangeTheGame

One of the best things I heard at SXSW Sydney last week was in a conversation between Hamish Blake and Ben Shewry, founder and head chef of Attica. "People will pay to see others believe in themselves". The quote was attributed to journalist and rock critic Greil Marcus. Although, I've also seen it attributed to musician and songwriter Kim Gordon. Either way, the more I’ve sat with it the more it resonates. It’s not just about paying for a performance or experience. It’s about paying for belief, for conviction, for the raw energy that someone radiates when they are fully immersed in their craft. This holds true across the spectrum—whether it be on the sporting field, or in the kitchen of a favourite restaurant, or at a stage show or concert. But it also holds in a great novel, or album, or television show, podcast, or film. What we are really drawn to is the authenticity, the commitment, the self-belief that bleeds into these works. It’s about witnessing years of discipline, resilience, and grit come to life. Their belief, alongside every moment, every note, every word, every roar of the crowd, every victory and every loss, feeds into the creator's story. That’s what we are paying for, because, in some way, it reflects the belief we want to find in themselves. Every creation is an act of belief. And that belief is contagious. We get to buy into a piece of that person’s belief in themselves, in their ability to make something meaningful. And we get to walk away with the shared moments, memories, and stories. We want to see others believe in themselves because it reminds us that it’s possible to believe in ourselves. Whether we realise it or not, we’re paying for that feeling. And when it works, it’s worth every cent. Now, where is my copy of Daydream Nation?

Is Hip-Hop Stuck in the Past? Speaker_02 drops truth bombs on the current state of hip-hop, urging for innovation and a rejection of stagnant trends. This insightful video challenges the industry's focus on sameness and champions fresh, creative sounds. #HipHopEvolution ##HipHopEvolution ##HipHopInnovation ##MusicIndustry ##NewHipHop ##FreshSounds ##CreativeMusic ##Speaker02 ##MusicRevolution ##HipHopCulture ##ChangeTheGame

Follow up on the my last post 200 Participants, 400+ Artworks, and a Studio That Could Barely Hold the Madness! 🎨🔥 What started as a simple idea has now turned into an absolute beast—we just pulled off our biggest Art Carnival yet with 200 people packed into our tiny 1000 sq. ft. studio, creating over 400 artworks in a single day! Every time we run this event, we raise the bar, and this time we smashed it. The best part? Out of all the people conducting sessions, only two were professional artists—the rest were students and volunteers stepping up and running the show like pros. That’s the kind of community we’ve built at Art Beat, and it’s something we’re insanely proud of. For a small business, moments like these matter. We don’t have massive budgets. We don’t do big brand collabs. But what we do have is a killer format that works—people come in, experience the vibe, and many of them come back for more. This event isn’t just about art; it’s become a growth engine for us. This milestone is special, but we’re just getting started. Next time? Maybe we go bigger. Maybe we find new ways to make it even crazier. Either way, we’re loving every bit of this journey. Drop a 🔥 in the comments if you think we should push for 250 next time! #smallbusiness #art #marketing #ideasformarketing #sustainablebusiness #fractionalCMO