Torstar Corporation has entered into a partnership with Curiocity Group Inc., one of Canada’s leading digital audiences. The partnership is the latest in a series of innovative Torstar initiatives designed to meet the needs of advertisers by providing relevant and engaging hyper-local content that appeals to fast-growing digital-first audiences. Torstar will partner with Curiocity on its sales and marketing initiatives as well as assume a minority ownership of the firm. 

Founded in 2017 by Mark Montanini and Lisa Briscoe, the Calgary-based Curiocity operates hyper-local websites and social media accounts in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Seattle, Washington (https://curiocity.com/). The company specializes in social-first publishing, off-screen events and marketing. Curiocity presents its audience with the most relevant local food, experiences, news, deals and adventures, helping them get the most out of their city. Curiocity currently reaches nearly 2.5 million people daily across their various hyper-local Instagram and Facebook channels, with its websites attracting an average of 750,000 additional monthly visitors. Curiocity uses photos, video and written content with a hyper-local focus to deliver audiences that want to know what to do, where to go and when things are happening in their city and that are attractive to large and small brands.

The Kit Collab team will be responsible to drive ad revenue into Curiocity by leveraging the Torstar sales force.

TEAM DESCRIPTION:

The Kit Collab is an in-house integrated marketing and sales team. It consists of employees who are strictly focused on increasing revenue from both traditional and integrated media opportunities in the lifestyle category. The Kit Collab team will bridge Torstar’s sales agencies and clients with Curiocity’s content team to create the most innovative, collaborative, integrated and authentic opportunities possible. The Kit Collab is nimble and dynamic—a modern team for modern client needs.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Curiocity Collab Specialist is a verticalized sales and marketing specialist assigned to cover lifestyle brands. The Collab Specialist ideates and oversees team client proposals and presentations—from ideation, to mock ups, to copy, to content plan. The Collab Specialist works directly with the Collab Director and helps to serve all of the Torstar sales agencies through solution support in meetings and proposal prep. In addition, the Collab Specialist manages their own client list to provide multi-platform solutions to PRs and client-directs.

LIASON FOR CURIOCITY & TORSTAR:

1. Internal liaison with Torstar sales

• Introduces Curiocity
• Identifies pitch opportunities
• Creates pitches
• Attends sales calls as the Client facing Curiocity expert for Torstar named accounts
• Provides detailed sales support & information
• Assists in closing the sale

2. Internal liaison with Curiocity

• Biweekly call reports and client updates
• Ensures that what we are pitching can be fulfilled by Curiocity
• Hands over sale details to Curiocity for execution
• Stays in the process to ensure that we are delivering to the client as promised
• Can attend a weekly Curiocity sales team update meeting
• Tracks sales, pipeline, reporting

3. COPYWRITING: developing all Collab copy, including but not limited to:

• Materials: media pieces, 1-pagers
• Proposals: presentation copy

4. IDEA GENERATION: working with the Collab Director and Curiocity to determine:  

• Integrated Targets: suggesting and proposing products and brands which would be a good fit for upcoming projects
• Custom projects: brainstorming 360-degree programs with the Collab team
• Market needs: be eyes and ears of what’s ahead in the market for new product launches, new campaigns and what brands are looking for

5. PARTNERSHIP PITCHING: working with a set group of clients, PRs and new prospects to pitch them custom content solutions for the Curiocity vertical:

• Multi-branded collaborations
• Direct partnerships
• Event partnerships
• Content experiences
• Influencer programs   

QUALIFICATIONS:

All candidates must be passionate about our city, travel, dining, lifestyle and all it has to offer. He/she/they must have a background in and thorough understanding of multi-platform media. He/she/they must understand media-needs, brand needs and how to bridge them to optimize ROI. Maintaining positive internal and external relationships is a must. He/she must be creatively inclined while being strategic and analytical. Excellent communication skills—email, phone, in-person—is key.

• University degree or diploma in communications-based discipline;
• 3+ years of experience as a writer or publicist;  
• Intermediate knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite, with focus on Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Intermediate knowledge of InDesign is a plus

We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however, only those individuals selected for next steps will be contacted.

Torstar Group of Companies is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Torstar is committed to ensuring employment opportunity to qualified applicants without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status or disability or any other factor protected by law.

Torstar Group of Companies is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free recruitment process ensuring equal access to employment opportunities for candidates, including persons with disabilities. In compliance with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Ontario Human Rights Code we will endeavour to provide accommodation to persons with disabilities in the recruitment process upon request. If you are selected for an interview and you require accommodation due to a disability during the recruitment process, please notify the hiring manager upon scheduling your interview of your requirements.