The streets of Toronto will be filled with youth volunteers, who will distribute more than half of the ribbons in Toronto alone.  Toronto’s CN Tower will be lit up in red, matching the ribbons in the city below.

Distribution of the remaining ribbons will be handled by high-school and university students in nearly every province across the country.

Red Ribbons are a message of support and memory for people affected by HIV/AIDS. They promote greater awareness of HIV/AIDS issues – and support the search for a cure.

The Red Ribbon Campaign® remains important and timely. “The number of Canadians living with HIV/AIDS is still growing – and a quarter of these people are unaware that they are HIV-positive,” stated Kerry Whiteside, Executive Director of CANFAR. “World AIDS Day and the Red Ribbon Campaign® encourage Canadians to be both informed and integral in finding a sustainable end to the AIDS pandemic.”

In Canada, 50 to 60 per cent of grade nine students wrongly believe there is a cure for AIDS. Statistics like these highlight that now, more than ever, CANFAR’s fundraising and educational initiatives are necessary for the health and well-being of Canadians.

MOBILE RED RIBBONS

For the first time ever, CANFAR has gone mobile! Mobile phone users are able to text RIBBON to 30333 to make a $5 donation to CANFAR, the donation will be added to the recipient’s phone bill. CANFAR is amongst the first charities in Canada to make use of this cutting-edge mobile giving technology.

YOUTH FOR A CURE

Volunteers from high schools across Toronto will be working under the “United Youth Initiative” banner in high-traffic areas throughout Toronto, as well as the Eaton Centre, Yorkdale Mall and the Scarborough Town Centre.  Meanwhile, high-schools, colleges, and universities across the country have planned World AIDS Day activities and ribbon distributions of their own.

“We’re very fortunate to have all these dedicated volunteers,” said Jenna Kellner, CANFAR’s National Programs Manager. “They are the key to spreading awareness among youth, which is so important to ending AIDS. Together, I’m confident that this generation has what it takes to push for a cure.”

The afternoon of December 1st will see representatives from CANFAR and Toronto City Hall hold a press conference to mark World AIDS Day.  Speakers will highlight the tremendous work of Canadian HIV/AIDS researchers, the urgent need for more HIV/AIDS education, and a call for support towards a cure.

ABOUT CANFAR

2009 marks CANFAR’s 22nd year of leading AIDS research in Canada. Founded in 1987, the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research raises awareness to generate funds for research into all aspects of HIV and AIDS.  The only organization in Canada that operates for the sole purpose of privately funding HIV/AIDS research, CANFAR finances AIDS researchers at educational, hospital and health facilities, research institutes, and established community service organizations across Canada.  To date, CANFAR has provided approximately $16 million to HIV/AIDS research projects.

Visit www.CANFAR.com for more information.

Organized by Free the Children, one of the largest non-profit networks of children helping children, We Day is a one-of-a-kind event that brings together some of world’s top social issue speakers and entertainers including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, anthropologist Jane Goodall, Nobel laureate Betty Williams, Free the Children founders Craig and Mark Kielburger, philanthropist W. Brett Wilson, actress Mia Farrow and singing sensations the Jonas Brothers.

We Day is designed to empower and inspire young people to change their communities both locally and globally. The unique event encourages youth to take a leadership role and be at the forefront of active global citizenship. This is the third consecutive year TELUS has sponsored We Day event which is truly aligned with our commitment to youth and our philosophy of giving back locally – otherwise known as ‘we give where we live.’

TELUS leveraged its technological infrastructure so that in-venue participants and online viewers could actively participate by sending in text messages of change throughout the day. Powered by MyThum Interactive, the students’ messages were displayed on the screens in each venue in near-real time and were simultaneously posted online at ctv.ca/weday.

Whether they’re at home flipping through the weekly insert or in store at a Best Buy location, the Product Information on Demand service gives consumers additional information about any Best Buy product simply by sending a text message. This services arms Best Buy consumers with information such as customer ratings from bestbuy.com thus enabling them to make educated shopping decisions.

By combining a simple call-to-action, an intuitive user-experience and a wealth of product information, this service is accessible to and useful for everyone from the most advanced to the most basic of mobile users.

Each Best Buy product’s six-digit SKU acts as a unique keyword identifier on Best Buy shortcode 332211. When a user texts in a valid SKU, the system automatically returns a response message containing the product name, the customer review count, the customer rating and a link to the product page URL on Best Buy’s mobile website, http://m.bestbuy.com.

While the user experience is simple and straight-forward, behind the scenes the system dynamically returns results by leveraging online user ratings. As Best Buy adds new products to its inventory, each new product SKU will automatically function as a keyword for this service.

The Product Information on Demand service leverages Best Buy’s wide breadth of product data and consumer reviews and uses Best Buy’s largest promotional vehicle – the weekly insert – to bring useful information to consumers in a simple and concise manner. Rather than attempting to aggressively market a particular program to consumers via the mobile device, the Product Information on Demand service lets the products speak for themselves and helps consumers make the most informed decisions about their purchases.

Description: About MyThum Interactive

MyThum Interactive is a leading North American mobile media company, helping brands and broadcasters to build a direct relationship with consumers through their mobile phone. Since 2002, MyThum has powered over a thousand mobile initiatives using a comprehensive toolkit that includes text & multimedia messaging, interactive television, downloadable content mobile web development and interactive voice response. Our list of customers include market leaders as CanWest, Molson, Warner Music, Universal Music, CTV, MTV and CBC to name a few.

Job Description and Responsibilities

MyThum is looking for an New Business Account Executive to join our growing Sales and Business Development team. You will be a key player in the growth of our organization, as you work hard to meet and exceed the needs of a diverse array of clients. This multi-faceted role is well-suited for an organized self-starter who is excited about the possibilities that the mobile platform holds for consumers and wants to work with some of the most innovative marketers across North America. Key responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to the following:

• Primary Focus on Hunting for Sales, Developing and Closing New Accounts
• Establish trust and build loyalty with key influencers and decision-makers to build solid, lasting professional relationships with assigned account(s)
• Establish and achieve revenue and profitability objective(s) with all assigned accounts to ensure growth and profitability
• Interface with accounts (both direct and with their agencies) and third-party suppliers, including frequent face-to-face meetings and/or conference calls, to build on relationship, maintain strong understanding of ongoing business needs and changing marketing strategies
• Develop strong understanding and appreciation for assigned accounts’ business, including analysis of business objectives and gaps in order to identify and build on new revenue opportunities that exist within different segments of their organization
• Develop and leverage both an understanding and comfort for mobile technology and services, such that you possess the intelligence and creativity to develop and recommend effective mobile solutions that best meet the needs and objectives of your assigned accounts
• Liaise with MyThum Technology team to offer comprehensive mobile marketing solutions that meet the diverse needs of all key stakeholders at client-level
• Work with Client Services team to coordinate launch of client campaigns
• Oversee the development and presentation of daily, monthly, and quarterly reporting to clients and responding to any questions or feedback that results from reporting
• Maintain current knowledge of competitive and industry activity to capitalize on market trends
  Attend conferences and trade shows, including major industry events across North America

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree and 3+years client service and/or relationship management experience
• Previous experience in wireless technology a key asset, experience in media and/or at a Canadian marketing agency also beneficial
• Main Strength required is Selling and Closing New Business – strong customer-service orientation
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple tasks for multiple clients
• Skilled interpersonal communicator with excellent verbal and written communication skills; the ability to synthesize top-line technical detail and its implication on the client’s marketing campaign is considered a strong asset
• Strong comfort level with technology and solutions selling – strong willingness to understand and embrace new technology on an on-going basis and above-average comfort level speaking to technical contacts within organizations
• Creativity-Orientation – be able to think on your feet and make connections between campaigns, clients, and market trends, seeking out answers to clients’ diverse industry and technology questions, and collaborating with MyThum Sales and Technology Teams to bring new insights and campaign strategies to clients
• Team player, but comfortable working independently – must be able to bring your best ideas to client meetings and internal brain-storming sessions, but also to work independently and with minimal supervision
• Thorough familiarity with Microsoft Office applications and Internet

Please respond with your Resume, Covering Letter, Salary expectations and current earnings by the above deadline via email (recruiting@mythum.com).
Interviews will be held downtown Toronto.
Please be advised that due to the high volume of applicants for this role unsuccessful or applicants that have submitted incomplete applications will not be contacted.