DARREN YADA
digital strategist @ rethink canada
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life
Earning a double major in marketing and finance from UBC’s Sauder School of Business, Darren left school with a proficiency for marketing widgets, building spreadsheets, and how not to tie a tie. On the foundation of these three skills, he landed a job within the Artist Management division of the Nettwerk Music Group, Canada’s largest independent record label.
Two years later, as Nettwerk's financial analyst, Darren had a front row seat watching ‘digital’ destroy 'traditional' revenues. Being positive by nature, Darren vowed to save the music industry by developing a skill set that would allow him to capitalize on the digital paradigm shift. After work, he hit the 'books' (screen), enrolling in web analytics and web development classes at UBC and BCIT, respectively.
Climbing the corporate ladder, Darren was shaken off by Nettwerk’s CEO, who recruited him to help with his dream of revolutionizing yoga studios in the way Whole Foods had with organic grocery stores. As the sole employee, Darren turned an idea into a start-up, and eventually, Canada’s premium yoga studio operator, YYoga, was born.
With baby YYoga up and walking, Darren returned to Nettwerk and was rewarded with the role of director of web strategy. For the following two and a half years, he oversaw the digital strategy of Nettwerk’s top clients: Avril Lavigne, Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan, and the resurrected Lilith Fair music festival. However, a stagnant industry led Darren to give up the dream of saving the biz and in 2010 he eagerly joined the progressive Rethink team as a digital strategist.
Offline, Darren can often be found sweating on a field, court, rink or diamond.
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Info
- Digital Strategist at Rethink CommunicationsMarketing and Advertising | Vancouver, Canada Area, CAExperience
- May 2010 - PresentDigital Strategist / Rethink Communications
- Jan 2010 - May 2010Director of Digital Strategy & Marketing / Lilith Fair
- Oct 2008 - May 2010Director of Web Strategy / Nettwerk Music Group
- Aug 2006 - Oct 2008Financial Analyst / Nettwerk Music Group
- Dec 2006 - Jan 2008Director of Business Development / YYoga
- Jun 2004 - Aug 2006Artist Management / Nettwerk Music Group
Education- The University of British ColumbiaBComm in Finance, Marketing
- Wirtschaftsuniversität WienStudy Abroad
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Posts
In 2011 RFID is going to drastically increase the ability to document one’s experiences while greatly deceasing the actual time spent having to document experience. Great execution here.
A great overview on all the different questions agencies ask.
Great read on the evolution of advertising models
Full article from Made by Many here: http://madebymany.com/blog/my-talk-on-future-advertising-models-at-the-apa
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highlight here:
The networked media model. This diagram is really a crude approximation of something much more complex: communities of customers becoming value producers in their own right, creating content, making recommendations, providing thousands of small services to each other. There’s an opportunity for brands to harness that power by adding services to products and creating communities of interest around social objects.
unpredictable audiences demand real time ‘story building’ …great insights from fast company
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Tweets
- champions league final looking a lot like playoff hockey. d-men blocking everything. #noshootinglanes
- moving boulders. #mothersday http://t.co/mLmOK4R3
- never thought I'd enjoy my own cooking. thank you @eatlocalnatural for making THIS happen #cooklocal http://t.co/KMa5RzUR
- @NobleGentlemen try this roomie http://t.co/tLQMA75Z
- bieksallent RT @bell_mobility: Last minute roster change on today's #PlayoffPlea. @kbieksa3 is stepping into the lineup. What a team player!
- Hey @Bell_Mobility, I've got my rec game tonight. Rather be watching the pros than the joes. Get me out of this. Please? #PlayoffPlea
- really curious what sami pahlsson is thinking right here http://t.co/G3TEjGtW
- awesomeness RT @_justinli: @rethinkcanada Realizer app nominated for Experimental & Innovation Webby http://t.co/fpNBJSob
- @erin_ireland entered! loving the spotlight you're casting on #cooklocal.
- @griffinthomson it's just uncanny how much @therobhayes looks like the Al Leiter. especially in this pic: http://t.co/ulL4qQh3
- @therobhayes Al Leiter and Jimmy Key?
- @paintedrocklaur glad you enjoyed the chat lauren. i got the sense you're game to get going. best of luck to you in making it happen!
- @cushwakevan you're very welcome. judging by the group's comments & questions you're ahead of the curve. best of luck in making it happen!
- @misskelt my pleasure kelly. the @CushWakeVan team are a friendly bunch ...really appreciated the patience with the IT probs ;)
- @kylenorthshore great to see you again kyle. i believe it was whistler hockey school '93? that sound right?
- @TheRobHayes hmmm... what if i add 'join the conversation' somewhere? does that make it good?
- #BEEЯOCLOCK BEEЯGOGGLES http://t.co/EOKjb89l
- @itstodie4 I think I saw you in line at the HP party.
- Thank you @DovSeidman for taking the time to answer my question at the airport. Your points on scaling values over products really resonated
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