A Conversation with Marcus Troy

Marcus Troy is a multi-faceted creative hailing from Montreal, QC Canada. He creates digital brand experiences through his blog Marcustroy.com, originally founded in 2008. Marcus has worked with an esteemed roster of clients on multiple creative projects, including The Project Show, Converse, Nike, Sebago, Levi’s and Nylon Magazine, just to name a few.

Canada offers a blogger… a lot of opportunity to grow for a number of reasons. For one I don’t think that Canadians have fully embraced the blogging community like other parts of the world, so it’s the right opportunity to come in and make a name as a blogger. Secondly I think it’s taking awhile for Canadian brands, companies and people to appreciate homegrown bloggers so maybe that’s another opportunity to create a new perception. I am very happy being a Canadian blogger.

Formulating marketing strategies… has to be the most rewarding part of this game. Being able to create brand experiences with brands that I love and appreciate has to be one of my favorite things to do. I like pushing the limits of creativity, I also want to experiment a bit and see what works and what doesn’t. It is a pretty stressful part of my life, but I love the challenge and seeing the results.

Social media has produced… a great platform for young creatives to explore, share ideas and thoughts without breaking the bank. Social media has also produced a lot of egos, storytellers and liars. I guess it is a double-edge sword. I’ve learned through social media that people believe what you tell them. I like to look at the positive side of social media, I’ve been able to connect with strangers who have now become really good friends and we continue to create and produce great things together.

Working with a corporate company… teaches you a few things. 1. You get to learn the game on someone else’s dime. 2. Allows you the budget and the resources to make extraordinary things happen. 3. Teaches you what not to do when you decide to be your own boss. 4. Teaches you essential components of the business world and gives you valuable lessons to put into practice. 5. Teaches you the basic disciplines of work life. Some of the most successful people that I know have worked with corporate companies first before they became great on their own. I would also add that working with a corporate company in your own capacity also has its rewards. I enjoy collaborating with corporate companies and giving them a taste of my world!

Streetwear has evolved… for all the wrong reasons. Don’t get me wrong I am all for evolution and progression, I just believe that streetwear has evolved prematurely. I think the growth of the blogs and the access to information can be attributed to that premature growth. It has forced some of these streetwear companies to grown up too fast and alienate their core consumers. Everyday there is a new kid who turns 15 and he can’t relate Yves Saint Laurent, Rick Owens, Damir Doma and brands of that nature. He just wants to wear crazy logo T-shirts, kicks and his baseball cap.

Distinguishing confidence and arrogance… is probably the hardest thing to do. A thing like Twitter has made it really easy for people to reveal an exaggerated sense of their own importance. A confident person doesn’t have to retweet every single compliment they receive or brag about every important meeting they just left or how exciting the future is going to be for them. I think it is really about what people choose to do with that voice. “Bad boys move in silence” always remains true.

Web publications… are now the new standard and everyone seems to have one. The game is getting very saturated, so only a few will be able to separate themselves from the rest. I am very interested in seeing where it will go. I love the creativity of the new set of web publications that have been hitting the web in the past years; they are creating new ways for us to digest information.

The importance of collaborations… is to showcase the creativity of two or more parties. It really gives you an idea of the power of two brands. When a collaboration is done properly you get the best of two worlds. Unfortunately some brands are giving the wonderful idea of collaborating a bad rap because they choose to collaborate with everyone. As a brand you want to be very careful with who you collaborate with, you want to keep it special.

Progression on any front… is the key to life. Never be afraid to progress, a lot of people are afraid to progress from fear of what their peers may think. I think progression is the only way we get to experience new opportunities and a better life.