Compass Creative

17/09/2021

Happy early birthday to Jay, our fearless leader!
Celebrated at our team lunch today with cake, butter tarts, pizza and some beautiful weather on the back deck at our new place.
(This post wasn't written by Jay, don't worry 😉)

31/08/2021

Are you a seasoned writer with a track record of clever copy, outside-the-box thinking, and a keen understanding of brand strategy and positioning?

In this role, you will be responsible for shaping the verbal identity of our clients’ brands and contributing ideas to brand naming and visual identity. Candidates must understand the difference between short-form & long-form copy and have the ability to execute both well.

In short, you:
- Know business.
- Know branding.
- Love words.
- Value clarity.
- Get results.

In addition to writing core statements, brand stories, key messages, elevator pitches and taglines for a wide variety of clients, the Brand Messaging Strategist will also lead story workshops and facilitate team discussions and brainstorming sessions.

Ideally, the Messaging Strategist will also be responsible for writing website content for most of Compass’s clients and contribute to Compass’s content strategy and thought leadership.

Candidates must manage a mix of multiple client relationships and projects at once and write compelling copy that converts.

Ideal candidates will be able to…
- Conduct research, explain their findings and craft strategies.
- Write clear, concise brand positioning language.
- Confidently present ideas to internal teams and clients.
- Take, understand and give creative direction.
- Ask questions — good questions, bad questions, stupid questions.
- Work closely with designers, developers, account managers, clients.
- Write, edit, proofread.
- Independently develop your skillset and industry knowledge.
- Write website copy.

What we’d like to see…
- Previous study of psychology, journalism, marketing, or have just become an expert through the school of hard knocks — doesn’t really matter how you got here, so long as you can walk the talk… and write!
- Keen understanding of brand strategy or consumer behaviour/psychology.
- 3+ years of working experience at an agency in a strategic writing capacity.
- A proven track record of writing brand stories, positioning statements, and website copy.
- Experience in developing content for demand gen or social engagement.

31/08/2021

Compass Creative is searching for an experienced graphic designer to join our team.

Candidates will have several years of experience in a creative agency or in-house art department and will bring a fresh, clean design aesthetic to an informal, friendly, creative office environment. As well as mad design chops and interpersonal skills, ideal candidates will have an understanding of marketing, social media, web development, photography and video.

Our mission is to redeem the stories we tell in the marketplace. We value Truth, Beauty and Business Results!

We work with some awesome companies and help them understand who they are (truthfully), what they do (exactly), who they do it for (specifically) and why it matters (really). We help our clients discover their unique story. Then we help them "dress the part" and connect with their audiences in more meaningful ways.

If you’re a senior-level designer, if you love brand design, think in both words and pictures, and have what it takes to create memorable brands & enjoyable user experiences on the web and in other media… well… we want to hear from you.

Hours will typically be 8:00–5:00 but are flexible.

Position title: Graphic Designer

Reports to: VP of Marketing

Main Tasks
This position is responsible for excellent and accurate design to bring our clients’ brands to life in print and digital mediums. This position is hands-on and requires creativity and craftsmanship.

You should be able to:

- Follow creative briefs, brand manuals and style guides
- Rapidly articulate visual concepts and ideas through sketching
- Work closely with writers, developers and account managers
- Translate designs into web-friendly prototypes
- Juggle multiple projects at various stages of completion
- Take and understand creative direction
- Ask good questions
- Go with the flow — because sometimes things don't go as planned

Other Duties
- Conduct research
- Develop concepts and ideas
- Communicate with printers, stock houses and other vendors
- Prep files for print, collect files for output
- Manage files
- Review proofs for accuracy and quality control
- Manipulate, colour correct and modify images
- Design for web
- Program websites (not necessary but definitely an asset!)
- Design and deploy HTML emails

Skills
Here's what we think it will take:

- Several years of B2B and B2C experience
- Mastery of the Adobe Creative Suite
- Knowledge of HTML, CSS and web standards
- Experience with responsive web design
- Analytical skills
- Creative ideas
- Verbal and written communication skills
- Experience with photography and editing (stills and video) is an asset

05/03/2021

Say hi to Sarah, our new project coordinator! 👋

If you’re a client, you may have already met Sarah as she schedules your projects and makes sure everything stays on track.

Sarah has a unique set of skills developed over several busy years at World Vision Canada. She created their first cross-functional agile team and took a leading role in design-thinking workshops.

Outside of work, Sarah is very involved in her community and church and loves hiking and playing soccer. Ask her what she does on the weekend, and she might tell you about a new way she’s found to make her household more sustainable and environmentally-friendly!

She and her husband Cam live in Hamilton and love craft beer, creating fun cocktails and cooking amazing meals at home. She says, “you only have so many meals in a day, gotta make 'em count!” Ain’t that the truth.

Since you’ve made it this far we’ll tell you how to pronounce Sarah and Cam’s last name. It’s Far-ka-sen. Got it?

Meet more of our team 👉 compasscreative.ca/about

04/03/2021

Meet Tryan, our new graphic designer! 🖌️

The first thing you’ll notice about Tryan will be one of two things: his snappy style or his unique first name.

Born and raised in the Big Smoke (that’s Toronto for you non-locals), Tryan has had an impressive career so far. With a graphic design degree from Emily Carr University of Art & Design in Vancouver, his experience has taken him through the inner workings of several world-class agencies.

What drew him to Compass was the small, more intimate team, along with the quality of work that was being created. These qualities combined with our mission felt like a perfect match!

When he’s not working, you can find Tryan skateboarding, watching movies with his family or cooking at home. He also runs a non-profit skateboard publication with a friend. (And no, Avril Lavigne didn’t write “Sk8er Boi” about him. We asked.)

See our whole team at compasscreative.ca/about

26/01/2021

We're moving!

Compass Creative's new home is a retired, two-storey farmhouse with an abundance of character in Grimsby, Ontario. A five-minute drive from our current office in Stoney Creek.

We'll be open for business at our new location by Monday, February 1, 2021.

Our new home is at 251 Murray Street in Grimsby.

29/12/2020

As the year comes to a close, we're celebrating 15 years of business.

15 years of many things, but the one we've become particularly known for is helping our clients "dress the part" with bold, vibrant and professional brand identities.

23/12/2020

Jason shares his thoughts on “the year no one saw coming” alongside our year-end video.

Sending a heartfelt "thank you!" to our clients, vendors, families and friends from our team this holiday season!

Reflecting on a year that didn’t turn out as planned (and which quickly overstayed its welcome)

23/12/2020

Watch our year-end video now!

2020 was a year no one saw coming, which makes all of the design and writing our clients entrusted us with this year that much more special.

Thank you — our team is grateful!

See more of our work at compasscreative.ca/work

15/12/2020

Spring Creek quail eggs are an exciting and delicious alternative to chicken eggs!

We’re pumped to finally give this small farm in St. Anns, Ontario the fun story it deserved.

Big things are happening at Spring Creek Quail Farms. You should check it out!

11/12/2020

During our 15 years of helping landscapers and contractors grow their businesses we've heard a lot of complaints when it comes to branding and marketing.

“I’m not an expert in marketing.”
“I don’t know where to start.”
“I’ve wasted a lot of money on marketing already!”

�To silence these complaints once and for all, we created a FREE online course.

Start our five-part course and finally get the tools and knowledge you need to improve your brand, grow your business, and make more effective decisions about your marketing. And did we mention it’s FREE?

Sign up now at

An online marketing course designed for landscapers and contractors. Learn five key skills that will help you take charge of your brand and grow your business.