The Christmas Glow Partnership Pays Off

Partnerships can help bring new business and expand the types of clients that you attract. Even though I’m a sole proprietor, I’ve worked on projects with other professionals that were too big for one of us to do alone or ones where we brought different skills that enhanced the project for the client. I joined with Michele Newton and Roger Dundas to work on the Christmas Glow Barrie publicity account. The client reached out to Michele who is a prominent publicist in Barrie, Ontario, just north of Toronto. In order to increase the audience reach, which would include Greater Toronto Area residents, Michele brought Roger and I in on the campaign. That’s the first partnership. The event by itself is spectacular: greenhouses are turned into an indoor light festival, great for Instagram, Christmas photos and a picture perfect date night. Mixed with live performances, a Christmas market, Santa and unique interactive light displays, it wasn’t a difficult pitch to local media. But we wanted to make it bigger than that. The second partnership came with the connection of the other Christmas Glow events. There is one in Langley, B.C. (where it began last year) and one in Edmonton, AB (new this year). Now, this becomes a winter greenhouse trend that’s growing across Canada. Now it’s a national story and The Globe and Mail and CTV News Channel pick up the story, a half page spread in the Saturday Pursuits section and four minute interview with CTV anchor Angie Seth with Tamara Jansen -- her family came up with the Glow concept. Just because you are in business for yourself, it doesn’t mean you can’t work with others. Partnerships can be beneficial for your business and within your business. Big thinkers think BIG!!!  

CTV News Channel Anchor Angie Seth and Tamara Jansen, Co-creator of Christmas Glow (Dec. 8/18)

Globe and Mail feature published on Saturday December 8/18 - Pursuits Section