World events of the past few months have been extraordinary on every level. Even though we've only passed the one-month mark of 2009, already it's gearing up to be an invigorating and challenging year. In these times, we believe our readers and users will turn increasingly to us for quality information, news, and thoughtful analysis.

At The Globe, we are working on a number of changes and improvements, soon to be introduced. In spring, you will see a major enhancement of our finance web sites. We are also augmenting our newly launched Books website with more interactive and new features.

Did you know that we have over 100 special reports currently scheduled for 2009, each focused on one specific topic? Positioning your brand in a complementary special report will allow you to capitalize on the target audience for the featured subject. Make sure to have a look at our 2009 Newspaper and Magazines Special Reports Calendars on GlobeLink.

This year also marks a milestone. Report on Business magazine, Canada's most read business magazine, is celebrating its 25th Anniversary in July. The Globe brand encompasses one of the most comprehensive portfolio of high-quality magazines in Canada and ROB is a core holding. With more than 1.3 million readers, it has chronicled Canada's corporate and business sector with unparalleled depth and insight.

And, we are delighted to once again provide an exclusive opportunity for young advertising practitioners to get a chance to compete in Cannes through The Globe and Mail Young Lions Competition. It's been ten years since Canada has had a winner in the annual Cannes Young Lions competition and we think it's time to take home the gold! I encourage young practitioners across Canada to submit their applications for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their country on a global scale. Additional details are below and in our Young Lions section in Media Central.

We have much to do in 2009 but we're off to a great start and look forward to keeping you updated on our progress.

All the best. Enjoy this issue of Dispatch.

Andrew Saunders
Vice-President, Advertising Sales
The Globe and Mail / Report on Business magazine / globeandmail.com

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The Career Activist: Searching For a "Socially Responsible" Employer
Fed up with working for an employer whose values don't mesh with yours? You could be in for a pleasant change. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is gaining credence in the workplace. Imagine choosing your next employer based on how well they contribute to society!
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The Sandbox: RIP Innovation
"Synergy." "Impactful." "Web 2.0." Plenty of buzzwords have worn out their welcome (and "impactful" isn't even a word). According to BusinessWeek's Bruce Nussbaum, "innovation" is also passé. The key concept for 2009, he says, is "transformation."
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Everyone's a Guru: Mark Healy - "The Client is Always Right, Except When They Are Wrong..."
Mark Healy brings ten years of marketing and leadership experience to Torque Customer Strategy. Having worked with global companies and smaller privately held firms in verticals ranging from telecom to media and healthcare, Mark's most recent experience lies in brand re-builds, international market assessments and strategic repositioning.
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Beyond The Numbers: Study Challenges Perceptions of Internet Users
True or false: Teens are the fastest-growing users of the Internet. Next question, also true or false: Gen Yers are more likely than members of other age groups to bank online.
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The Sandbox: Does Google Enable DIY Trend Forecasting?
Not so long ago, trend forecasting was a lucrative business. Now, any Joe with an Internet connection can use Google to predict consumer preferences. Or can he?
Read More

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The Globe and Mail is looking for Canada's best young creative teams to compete for their country in the annual Cannes Young Lions Competition.

As Canada's Official Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival Representative, The Globe provides an exclusive opportunity for young advertising practitioners. It's important for Young Lions to be aware that the only way to have a chance to qualify to compete in Cannes is through The Globe and Mail Young Lions Competition.

The Globe and Mail Young Lions Competition is open to advertising creatives, planners/buyers and students aged 28 or under (born after June 27, 1980). Entrants can compete in one of four categories: print, cyber, media and film. The winning teams from each category win an all expense paid trip to compete in Cannes Young Lions.

Review all of the competition details, and register between now and March 13 to assure your place in the competition.

Need some inspiration? Young Lions who want to check out the competition can see the work of last year's 2008 Globe Young Lions winners and the 2008 Cannes Young Lions entries and winners.

The Globe and Mail is running a series of screenings of The 2008 Cannes Lions Winners Reel, featuring two hours of the best commercials in the World. The next public screenings will be held on February 20-24, at The Bloor Cinema Theatre in Toronto. The Cannes Film Winners Reel screenings is a Toronto tradition dating back to the 1970's when the popular restaurant "The Groaning Board", introduced the novel idea of combining food and film in a dining establishment. It created a cult classic, still enjoyed by marketing and advertising aficionados in local theatres every year. For more information about this screening and more, please visit The Cannes Reel Screenings on Globelink.ca.

Can't make a screening? Own a copy of The World's Best Commercials: Cannes Lions Film Winners 2008 by ordering online from The Globe and Mail. You'll find nearly four hours of winning entries in the Film category during last year's Cannes Lions and a total of 145 (5 of which are Canadian) of the world's most innovative, engaging and groundbreaking commercials on two DVDs.

And if you find yourself dreaming about the real event, why not consider going? Delegate registration for the 56th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival is now open.

Standing apart from the crowd is not always easy but The Globe and Mail's Marketing Solutions team, working with Lynette Whiley, Managing Director, Client Leadership of Mindshare delivered a Breakthrough winning solution for Amex. Lynette is the fourth in a client series of The Globe's trade marketing media campaign currently being featured.

American Express introduced the new Business Gold Rewards Card in the fall of 2008. They wanted a program that would deliver inspiration, instruction and analysis to small business owners and managers to help take them to the next level. And they did.

The Breakthrough campaign launched across Canada in October 2008 and continues to run today. It utilizes a wholly integrated mix of both in-paper and online editorial and advertising content in The Globe's Report on Business section, Report on [Small] Business Magazine, and a microsite linked to reportonbusiness.com. Reportonbusiness.com/breakthrough enjoyed more than 190,000 page views over the first three months of the campaign.

The first phase of the campaign was anchored by a Small Business Summit, which featured special guest Sir Richard Branson. This widely successful event, designed specifically for small and mid-sized business leaders, sold out within the first hour of being advertised and gave American Express the chance to enjoy significant "face time" with its key target audience. To reach a wider audience, a series of videos and articles associated with the Summit were then posted on the Breakthough microsite and users were able to submit questions to be answered by Sir Richard Branson.

Read the full Amex case study as well as the other case studies in the client series: The Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation, Infiniti and Cisco.

Globe and Mail Foreign Correspondent in Afghanistan, Graeme Smith, is the companion installment in the editorial series being featured by The Globe's trade marketing advertising campaign this month. Visit our editorial profiles section to read Graeme's personal essay as well as those of our other feature journalists.

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There are a many industry events in the coming months. Below are a few of the events scheduled for February and March. Check out our Fast Tracks section for complete listings and details.

BBM Canada - Staying Tuned
February 3: Toronto Marriott Eaton Centre Hotel, 525 Bay Street, Toronto, ON

CMA's ˝ day Mobile Marketing Conference
February 10: Atlantis at Ontario Place, 955 Lakeshore Boulevard West, Toronto, ON

IAB Canada: Intensive One-Day Course in Interactive Marketing and Online Advertising
February 23: The Park Hyatt Hotel, Toronto, ON
February 25: The Intercontinental Hotel, Montreal, QC

2009 Marketing Awards
February 13: Call for entries deadline.

MIXX Canada Spring 2009 Full-Day Conference Event
March 5: Carlu Theatre, 444 Yonge Street, 7th Floor, Toronto, ON

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The Brilliance of Braille
The 200th anniversary of Louis Braille's birth is being celebrated around the world this year. The raised dot code bearing his name was developed by Louis at age 15 and continues to be used by millions. Each Braille cell has one to six raised dots, which form different symbols. The average reading speed is 125 words per minute. Despite new technologies, Braille remains as essential as ever as a means of communication. According to the New Braille Press, a special milestone was celebrated when the Braille edition of Harry Potter and the Sacred Hallow was available to Braille readers the same day that sighted readers had their copies. It weighs 12 pounds.

Career Planning a Bigger Focus for 2009
A quarter of Canadians are contemplating a New Year's resolution related to their careers, according to a survey by Workopolis.com. This compares to a similar study in 2006, in which only 13 per cent of Canadians said they planned to make work-related resolutions. Driven by concerns about the economy and their own financial wellbeing in the coming year, Canadians are thinking proactively about their careers and their marketability for future job opportunities. Four-in-ten (41 per cent) said they would be more likely to seek out increased compensation in 2009.

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To share your comments, feedback and ideas, drop the editors a line at mediacentral@globelink.ca.