Sure, there are more recognized names on our list, with more years of service to the marketing industry, and bigger brands on their resumes. But how many of them have overcome the challenge of being a Canadian small-business marketer in order to be considered a creative genius by clients, praised as one of Canada's best community builders and experiential marketers, referred to as "exactly who you want representing your company," and be called up to evangelize Web 2.0 tools at South By Southwest Interactive?
Saul Colt is an accomplished marketing professional with more than a decade of diverse experience. He currently heads up the marketing department at Zoocasa.com, a Canada-based search engine for home buyers, and was also the first international employee to be hired by Zipcar Inc., now the world's largest car sharing company. Prior to Zoocasa, Saul led the "magic" department at FreshBooks -- the online invoicing, time tracking, and expense tracking service for freelancers and service-based professionals.
[Saul] brought startup FreshBooks to prominence far beyond its target audience of small business owners... by pioneering best practices with emerging communications channels like Twitter. A respected presenter, he's an inspiration to many business owners and marketers around the world."
- David Berkowitz
- Director of Emerging Media and Client Strategy, 360i
But Colt's true calling seems to be in proselytizing the value of social media and community building in the marketing process. His engaging, informative presentations at events such as South By Southwest Interactive and Mediabistro.com's Social Media Panel remind marketers that "there's never been a more important time than now to invest in your relationships." And his unassuming presence and speaking style belie his website's assertion that he is "the smartest man in the world." But with more than 3,000 followers on Twitter, including Crayon's Greg Verdino, WOMMA's Andy Sernovitz, and 360i's David Berkowitz, there might be more than a few marketers who agree with the designation.
Follow Saul on Twitter at @saulcolt.
