Let’s talk about Graeme

Graeme is a born and raised Haligonian. No – this is not a person from a Star Trek planetoid who will likely die two-thirds of the way through the episode – but rather a person from Halifax, a city on Canada’s east coast. He worked through high school and college as a DJ at assorted small radio stations, nightclubs and roller skating rinks. Therefore, he knows all the words to the full 15 minute version of Rapper’s Delight by the Sugarhill Gang. Ask him – he’ll perform it for you. He also can rarely be stumped at obscure 70’s and 80’s music trivia.

He has spent twenty-five years in marketing strategy and advertising at various Canadian ad agencies; as a director of marketing in both Canadian and global retail firms; and as a consultant in retail marketing strategy. As a former purchaser of advertising creative, Graeme has an deep understanding of the creative process and an innate ability to understand the intent of copy and therefore quickly “gets” how a writer would intend his or her copy to be read.

Graeme is presently a member of the sessional faculty at OCAD University in Toronto, and has taught a variety of courses on the subjects of retail strategy and branding, marketing research and presentation skills to third and fourth year students.

He lives in Hamilton, Canada with his partner; and travels (used to, pre-COVID) frequently to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. His two daughters are continually frustrated by his attempts at humour and at his trying to appear “cool” to their friends.