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November 2011

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Archived webinar: Social Media Reality Check Findings (37:20)
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Dave Scholz, Executive Vice President, Leger Marketing and Carolyn McGill, President and CEO, CNW Group presented on Canadian consumer and PR practitioner social media use on October 27, 2011. Data includes results from 2009 & 2011, with a consumer statistics updated as of October 27, 2011. Follow @Dave_Scholz & @CarolynDavidson

Press play beneath the slides to hear the audio. The screen can be enlarged in the bottom right corner. (Slides in PDF)

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Archived webinar: National Membership Survey (28:07)
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David Scholz, Executive Vice President, Leger Marketing presented the results of the 2011 CPRS National membership survey including key insights on accreditation, social media use and salaries. The presentation took place on Sept. 20, 2011 at the CPRS Toronto board meeting. Follow @Dave_Scholz

Press play beneath the slides to hear the audio. The screen can be enlarged in the bottom right corner. (Slides in PDF)

View more webinars from CPRS Toronto

 

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Your guide to Google+
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By Joanna Nicholson @joannanicholson

After a three-month field trial period, Google+, the Web’s freshest social networking site, opened its doors to the public on Sept. 20.

You’ve likely heard the hype about Google+ (or G+), the new kid on the block that could be bigger, better and brighter than Facebook. Despite being in its infancy, Google+ had an estimated 25 million users in August. It’s also been fuelling a fierce competition with Facebook.

Why sign up?

At first glance, G+ seems to be a positive addition to the PR practitioner’s toolkit and users will likely find its intuitive feel a refreshing change from other social media tools. Why? Because it’s Google’s answer to all things social media—combining the elements we love about Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, FourSquare, etc. into one, easy-to-use tool. Additionally, Google+ aims to solve the ongoing struggle of awkward, clunky online interactions.

In a Google Blog post from June 28, Vic Gundotra, Senior Vice President, Engineering and a lead developer behind the project wrote: “Today, the connections between people increasingly happen online. Yet the subtlety and substance of real-world interactions are lost in the rigidness of our online tools. In this basic, human way online sharing is awkward. Even broken. And we aim to fix it.”

Whether you’re already using Google+ or are planning to join, here’s some terminology that will make you a G+ guru in no time.

Get organized

Circles are a core feature of Google+ and let you organize your contacts into different groups. This means that you can keep your close friends, family and professional networks separate. What’s more, Circles make it easy to share the information you want with who you want.

Having PR-specific Circles will keep you informed on your contacts’ latest happenings—whether they’re launching new products or sharing industry best practices. Google+ can also send you updates via email or text so you’ll always know what your professional Circles are up to. Networking is essential in the PR world and G+ is always one step ahead. The intuitive tool even suggests other G+ users you might know so you can continue to broaden your professional network.

Strike up a conversation

Sparks are based on the idea that interesting content “sparks” conversation. Consider Sparks a more social version of Google Reader and a personalized search engine that instantly delivers content you’d mostly likely find interesting.

For example, if you’re a social media junkie you can type “social media” in the search bar and read the latest about everything from Twitter to G+. Many PR pros track specific companies, brands, stories and events on a daily basis. Sparks can help keep on top of issues so you’re always up to speed on the latest developments.

If you find an interesting result in a Google search, simply click the +1 button to instantly endorse it to your contacts on G+. Think of it as a simpler version of Facebook’s “Like” function. The +1 button shares content with your Circles and keeps them in the loop about what you’re reading.

Google+ on the go

Google+ also attempts to minimize frustrations when using a mobile device—something everyone can relate to. G+’s mobile app instantly publishes your photos instead of having to manually upload them. All you have to do is personalize your privacy settings. With Huddles, you can communicate with your Circles on the go. This G+ feature is a faster, more sophisticated version of group texting. If you’re trying to arrange a meeting with multiple colleagues, it’s an ideal way to make plans.

Meetings made easier

You can also arrange meetings via Hangouts. In simple terms, Hangouts are group video chats that attempt to break the awkward barriers of online interactions. Google compares it to dropping by a friend’s house to visit. You can let friends know you’re available to catch up and see who joins the conversation. It’s a simple interface that works for up to ten people.

What’s next?

In a short time, G+ has revitalized online sharing and continues to improve social networking, keeping the user at the forefront. And, as it continues to grow, PR professionals will likely see the benefits of Google+ in personal and professional realms. Although Google+ does not yet have business profiles, they’re in development and are expected to be added later this year.

I would like to hear your feedback on Google+. Feel free to share your comments below.

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2011 CPRS Toronto annual Open House kicked off season Oct. 4
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By Giovana Chichito

Members, non-members, seasoned professionals and PR students were gathered, at the Toronto Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) annual open house event on October 4, 2011, at the Metropolitan Hotel, in downtown Toronto. More than 250 people had the opportunity to meet this year’s board of directors, learn about their portfolios and the great initiatives planned for the upcoming year.

Current president of CPRS Toronto Vincent Power introduced new board members including Diane Bégin, in charge of Internet and Member Communications, and Laurie Smith, responsible for the Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards. Bégin, who is a former member of CPRS Edmonton spoke of the new CPRS Toronto blog, open to the general public, and also about the ‘members only’ blog (not yet launched), that will have elements like archived webinars of past CPRS Toronto professional development sessions and useful case studies.

Laurie Smith expressed her excitement in becoming a board member and also talked about the ACE Awards, that each year “celebrates the best of Toronto public relations.” Entrants from corporate, agency, not-for-profit, government sectors and also individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the pursuit of bettering the profession must submit their entries by January 2012. The award ceremony will be held at the end of April.

Laura Ballantyne, CPRS Toronto representative for Students and Mentoring committee, called attention to the diverse crowd present at the open house, members and non-members who also came from places like Durham and Oshawa.

The need for volunteers was pointed out by many of the event’s speakers. “All of our activities are run solely by volunteers, so it’s very important to get out there. It’s a great way to network, to build your own portfolio and to contribute with the society in this profession,” said Heather Agnew, volunteer committee representative.

Click play below to view images courtesy of The Canadian Press.

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Dr. Robert S. Bell of University Health Network to receive 2012 CEO Award of Excellence in PR
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Toronto, Ontario – The Canadian Public Relations Society Toronto will present its 19th annual CEO Award of Excellence in Public Relations to celebrate the growing importance communications plays in Canadian organizations. This year’s recipient is Dr. Robert S. Bell, CEO of University Health Network, which includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

Dr. Bell is internationally recognized as an orthopaedic cancer surgeon, clinician-scientist, educator and healthcare executive who has worked in Canadian healthcare for more than 30 years. He is a creative leader who is committed to University Health Network’s vision of achieving global impact, while working collaboratively to improve the performance in the Ontario healthcare system.

During his distinguished career, Dr. Bell has achieved an impact on the treatment of bone and muscle cancer patients in Canada and abroad through basic and clinical science as well as educating Canadian and international surgeons. He has contributed to improvement in the Ontario health system in the areas of Critical Care, Emergency Departments, Neurosurgery, and hospital physician care.

This past year, he has led University Health Network (UHN) through integration with the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. The result of this process has been very positive and earned him the CPRS Toronto CEO Award of Excellence.

Mark your calendars and join us to commemorate this special occasion:

WHEN:  Tuesday, January 24th, 2012, 12 p.m.

WHERE:  Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Imperial Room

ADDRESS:  100 Front Street West, Toronto

TICKETS:  Contact Lois Marsh at 416-360-1988 or marshl@marsh-executive.com

The spirit of the CEO Award, first created in 1991, is to recognize communications excellence and to advocate that a successful CEO must be an excellent communicator who can express a clear mission and shared values with a broad range of stakeholders.

Past recipients of the Award include Mr. Jim Leech, CEO of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Robert Deluce of Porter Airlines, Galen G. Weston of Loblaw Companies, Frances Lankin of the United Way of Greater Toronto, Michael Budman and Don Green of Roots Canada, and Piers Handling of the Toronto International Film Festival.

The CPRS (Toronto) award is determined by a selection committee comprised of the society’s past presidents, all Accredited Public Relations practitioners, as well as some national past presidents. Members are encouraged to submit nominations throughout the year.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Martin Waxman, APR, Chair CPRS Toronto
CEO Award Committee 416-569-0501 martinwaxman@gmail.com

Gillian Howard, VP Public Affairs and Communications, University Health Network
416-340-4838 gillian.howard@uhn.on.ca

ABOUT THE CANADIAN PULIC RELATIONS SOCIETY TORONTO

CPRS is a national association representing the public relations profession through the establishment and maintenance of high professional, educational and ethical standards. CPRS Toronto is one of the largest member societies comprising more than 600 members. The CPRS Toronto CEO Award of Excellence in Public Relations is generously sponsored by Marketwire, one of Canada’s foremost news distribution and communications services companies. The advisory is also available on Marketwire.

CPRS Toronto CEO Award of Excellence Criteria

The successful candidate will have demonstrated significant achievement in all or most of the measures of excellence during the previous year:

  • Creating and delivering a vision that’s consistent with the goals and beliefs of the organization;
  • Active member of the public relations team, and involved in media relations employee communications, shareholder and stakeholder relations;
  • Fosters a climate which is sensitive to the needs and concerns of external publics;
  • Involved in organizations and charities in the community;
  • Has encouraged the development of a crisis communications plan and is familiar with it and/or has demonstrated excellence in handling an actual crisis;
  • Operates with the highest professional standards of integrity and ethics.

Past recipients of the CPRS CEO Award of Excellence include:

  • Mr. Jim Leech, CEO of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (2010-2011)
  • Robert Deluce, President and CEO, Porter Airlines (2009-2010)
  • Galen G. Weston, Executive Chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited (2008-2009)
  • Frances Lankin, President and CEO, United Way of Greater Toronto (2007-2008)
  • The late Richard Bradshaw, General Director of the Canadian Opera Company (2006-2007)
  • Michael Budman and Don Green, co-founders of Roots Canada (2005-2006)
  • Wayne Sales, President and CEO of Canadian Tire (2004-2005)
  • Piers Handling, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (2003-2004)
  • Julian Fantino, Chief of the Toronto Police Force (2002-2003)
  • Charles Baillie, Chair, TD Bank Financial Group (2001-2002)
  • Dominic D’Alessandro, President and CEO, Manulife Financial (2000-2001)
  • Bobbie Gaunt, President and CEO, Ford Motor Company of Canada (1999-2000)
  • Diane McGarry, President and CEO, Xerox Canada Inc. (1998-1999)
  • Allan Stark, President and CEO, American Express Company Canada (1997-1998)
  • George Cohon, President and CEO, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada (1996-1997)
  • John Cassaday, President and CEO, CTV (1995-1996)
  • David Bloom, President and CEO, Shoppers Drug Mart (1992-1993)
  • Peter H. Ellis, President and CEO, Sunnybrook Medical Centre (1991-1992)
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