He launched AUX magazine for Blue Ant and revived Budweiser’s music program at Mosaic. Now he’s helping build Google’s reputation with marketers across the country.
The best piece of professional advice Michael Joffe ever received came from Blue Ant Media CEO Raja Khanna, who told him early in his career: “Be someone people want to work with.”
Several years later, Joffe’s professional accomplishments—particularly his knack for creating and launching new products—have enabled the new-media executive to live up to Khanna’s advice.
In April, Joffe joined Google Canada in a newly created brand-activation role. His three-person North American team is responsible for representing Google’s brand business—essentially its non-search business with YouTube at its core—to internal and external sales teams, brands and agencies.
His appointment comes after productive stints with Blue Ant Media and consumer marketing agency Mosaic, where he was instrumental in creating new properties including the former’s AUX Magazine—a digital offshoot of the music-oriented TV service that subsequently won several awards.
He also helped construct Blue Ant’s first branded content programs with clients including Scion and Bacardi, and was instrumental in helping the company secure new media funding from groups including the Bell Fund, Ontario Media Development Corporation and the Canadian Media Fund. In 2012, Blue Ant was named Marketing’s Media Player of the Year.
That was followed by a role as associate creative director, strategy and ideation, at Mosaic, where one of his key accomplishments was helping build Budweiser’s long-dormant Canadian music program from the ground up. It culminated with the creation of Budweiser Music House, a content engine and platform for emerging bands that launched at this year’s NXNE festival.
“In the short time I’ve been doing this, I have gravitated toward opportunities that allow me to build something new,” says Joffe, who says he caught the bug for building while studying at Ryerson University’s School of Radio Television Arts (now the School of Media). “I don’t think there’s anything more exciting.”
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