When you’re a 20-something, what’s the first and the last thing you do? You check your Facebook or you tweet. When you want to buy a pair of jeans and you want to ask your friends’ opinions, you post a picture on Instagram with a #needyourhelp! And who needs to go to a store when Amazon is only a click away right? Social Media and E-Commerce have permeated your personal and social lives. Nowadays, to keep up with the rest of the world, you have to have a smart phone, a tablet and at least 3 social media accounts. Your thought process can now be summarized into: Click. Like. Share. Repeat. Information in an instant !
The coolest thing about Social Media and online stores is the ease by which you send and receive information. The idea that you can connect to a friend in Asia, check out the latest happenings in Europe, and buy the outfit you’ve been eyeing for on discount via Amazon still fascinates many. Not only does the connection happen in real-time, it is also extremely convenient for the hyperactive, multitasking yuppie. Who would’ve thought that you can talk to someone halfway around the world while riding the train? Or that now, you can buy everything you need online while working out. Literally, the world is at your fingertips.
What about Design my Home?
If social media transformed the way you connect with the world, then mobile technology is revolutionize the way you see and experience it. With its public launch in February 2015, everyone is expected to rock the new Art Plus Home Virtual app and two words are sure to be immensely popular: “Share and Buy” This new breakthrough promises to merge the real, the virtual, and the social. Indeed, the possibilities are endless. Two fields that can definitely benefit from this innovation are art and design, particularly for the home. As more and more young professionals climb the ladders of success, you find yourselves located in a condo or in an apartment at the heart of the city. And in the name of individuality, almost all of you are heavily involved in truly making your homes a place to call your own. “I’m a minimalist guy. I like a lot of black and white pieces,” shared Alex, a young accountant. “I’ve always had a penchant for quirky furniture and eclectic painting, both of which are very hard to find by the way,” explains Jessica, a law graduate.
Here lies the conundrum. In as much as you newly-empowered breed want to go all out to design your homes, you simply don’t have the time. “Designing your own place is a completely different animal. It’s almost a full-time job,” says Ashley. She went on further, “It’s almost like a cat and mouse game. You go to an art gallery to find a good painting. Then you have to go to another store for the drapes. Then you go look for a nice coffee table. They’re a perfect match in your head but after you install them in the living room, they just look horrible.” Dary Rees, an artist and a designer herself, knew exactly what Ashley meant.
“Designing your home takes a lot of imagination. All the time, you have to close your eyes and visualize how every art piece, every furniture, and every drape will come together. That’s not easy. But it should be.” Then idea struck! Bringing together a team of people, Dary went to work. After months of development, the Art Plus Home virtual app was born. “With the Art Plus Home app, you can shop, visualize, and buy for your home in your own time and at your own convenience. You get to choose anything you like from the online gallery, superimpose them together in your space, and see how it looks – all in a matter of minutes. You can even share the design to friends! If you like the design, you can buy them right then and there. If not, you can start all over,” explains Dary. This is perfect for the Gen Y who is always on the go. You can design and buy for your home on the way to work, after a Yoga session, or even before you go to bed. The Art Plus Home app is also ideal if you’re on the look out for the latest in art and design. Check-out gallery openings, up and coming artists, or simply browse what’s hot (and not) so you have something to talk to with your date.. The Art Plus Home app is available in Android and in iOS.
Generation Y is a new breed. You’re motivated to succeed, you’re proud of your individuality, you’re always mobile, and you’re extremely connected to the world around you. With such a personality, you’re a perfect match for the Art Plus Home app! www.ArtPlusHome.com and download the free app at any app store.
The importance of communicating ideas, information
What you are presently reading is my premier communications platform—a column I’ve had the good fortune to pen on a weekly basis as an elected representative since 1995. You can’t beat a column for being able to express in detail your thoughts, the thoughts of those you represent, and the government’s latest initiatives. I get plenty of interesting feedback on my articles from readers, and that informs both my communications and my understanding of the “wishes of the people.” Print continues to put me in the hands of my readership, now and for years to come.
For decades, we have seen extensive coverage from local papers including the Simcoe Reformer, Port Dover Maple Leaf, Delhi News Record, Haldimand Press, and the Grand River Sachem.
Beyond print, some communication forms simply identify where I happen to be working. For example, if you were at this winter’s Port Rowan Fish and Game Show, the Caledonia Christmas Parade, or the Kettle Campaign at the Port Dover No Frills, you would have seen one of my vehicles adorned with the familiar ‘Toby Barrett’ magnets. Constituents have told me that they appreciate seeing one of my trucks, tractors, or cars throughout the riding as a key indicator that I am out there, showing up, and listening.
Speaking of listening, radio has always been a key component of my communication strategy. In a riding where the car is king, there is a substantial mobile audience (as well as those at home or at work) who want to hear from me. It’s a reminder that I am there for them. Certainly MyFM Simcoe 98.9 and Caledonia 92.9 “The Grand” come to mind.
Overwhelmingly, much of my communication lies with showing up at events at Queen’s Park and in the riding, and the tremendous number of contacts made with my offices.
On the electronic front, I’ve maintained a website—www.toby.barrett.com—since the late 1990s. It’s a conduit to contact information, petitions, surveys, photos, news releases and columns, and links to government agencies. Many constituents often “drop by” to see what’s going on or to connect.
When it comes to using social media, I try to give the young and the not-so-young a run for their money. With my ubiquitous iPhone, I’m constantly putting out ideas, information, and photos on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to broadcast the latest from Queen’s Park or our beautiful part of the province.
Find me, friend me, follow me at Toby Barrett on Facebook, @TobyBarrettHN on Twitter, and tobybarrettmpp or tobybarrettHN on Instagram.
I find social media is barely fast enough to keep up with the speed of Premier Ford’s daily agenda, which is quickly making Ontario open for business and open for jobs. And it also allows me to showcase, as I encounter them, Haldimand-Norfolk’s natural grandeur, interesting people and places, and key issues of health care, phragmites, farming, education, gas prices, pipelines, oil refinery jobs, steel, and manufacturing. Like most social media enthusiasts, I get a nice share of likes and even the odd troll—who would have thought a politician would attract trolls?!
Seriously though, as it evolves, people’s use of social and other media will continue to play a major role in my communication plans and I’m always looking to “up my game” to disseminate and receive ideas and information.
Toby Barrett is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk