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January 2013

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Sheldon Levy of Ryerson University receives this year’s CEO Award of Excellence in Public Relations
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Toronto, ON – Sheldon Levy, president and vice chancellor, Ryerson University, is the 2012-13 recipient of the CPRS Toronto CEO Award of Excellence in Public Relations. This year marks the 20th time the award has been presented and the special celebration luncheon took place at Arcadian Court in Toronto.

During his distinguished career, Levy has been recognized for championing an entrepreneurial academic model including the recent international success of Ryerson’s Digital Media Zone and Centre for Urban Energy. He is dedicated to student success, distinctive academic programs and research, and advancing the university role as city-builder. He was awarded a BSc, MA, and Doctor of Laws honoris causa by York University, and lectured in computer science and mathematics.

“The Yonge and Dundas neighbourhood has a renewed sense of vibrancy thanks to Sheldon Levy’s leadership and vision for Ryerson University,” says CEO Award Chair Martin Waxman, APR. “Ryerson exemplifies the essence of Toronto with its diverse population, seamless integration of old and new and commitment to enhancing the urban landscape. And at the heart of that is Levy’s ability to communicate, inspire and engage the community at large to help bring it all to life.”

“This award is a reflection of the hard work, energy and passion of the entire Ryerson community,” says Levy. “Ryerson is filled with bright and talented young innovators and entrepreneurs and it’s a privilege to play whatever role I can in helping to tell their stories. I am truly honoured to accept this award on behalf of the students, faculty, staff and alumni of Ryerson.”

First created in 1991, the annual CEO Award of Excellence in Public Relations has recognized a chief executive officer who is committed to being an outstanding communicator and who clearly and consistently articulates the organization’s shared mission, vision and values with a broad range of stakeholders to achieve its business goals.
The selection committee for the CPRS Toronto Award is made up of past local and national CPRS presidents, all of whom are accredited Public Relations professionals.

CEO award recipients are:

  • Dr. Robert S. Bell, CEO of the University Health Network (2011-2012)
  • 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, Canadian Opera Company (2006-2007)
  • Michael Budman and Don Green, Co-founders, Roots Canada (2005-2006)
  • Wayne Sales, President and CEO, Canadian Tire (2004-2005)
  • Piers Handling, CEO, Toronto International Film Festival (2003-2004)
  • Julian Fantino, Police Chief, Toronto Police Service (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)

The Canadian Public Relations Society is a national professional organization focused on establishing and upholding educational and ethical standards in Public Relations. CPRS Toronto is one of the largest local societies with nearly 600 members. For more information, please visit the CPRS Toronto website.

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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

Michael Forbes
Director, Communications
Ryerson University
416-979-5000 ext. 4282
michael1.forbes@ryerson.ca

Special thanks to our sponsors 2012-13 CEO Award of Excellence in Public Relations.

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Archived presentation: Ups and Downs of PR with novelist @TerryFallis (27:27)
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Click the arrows in the bottom right corner to watch in full screen.

Award-winning Canadian novelist Terry Fallis presents his latest novel Up and Down.

Terry Fallis is the author of The Best Laid Plans and The High Road. In 1995, Terry co-founded Thornley Fallis with Joe Thornley, a full service communications consulting agency with offices in Ottawa and Toronto. Terry also used to co-host of the popular business podcast, Inside PR.

For more than 20 years, Terry has counseled corporate and government clients on various fronts including crisis communications, media relations, issues management, marketing communications, public opinion polling, public affairs and stakeholder relations. He has also written speeches for CEOs, cabinet ministers, and other community leaders.

Terry’s recent novel Up and Down was released in September 2012 and has since received notable media recognition across Canada and the United States.


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Terry Fallis rings in the New Year with CPRS Toronto
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R smith

 

 

 

By Robin Smith, Coordinator at NATIONAL Public Relations

 

Members can also listen to the full presentation in the members’ blog. (27:27)

Terry Fallis is a jack-of-all-trades. After 25 years in the business, he is the consummate communicator. He is co-founder of the Thornley Fallis consulting agency, former co-host of the popular Inside PR podcast, and a three-times published award-winning author. He joined the CPRS Toronto community on January 15 at the Albany Club to talk about his new book, Up and Down and to field questions about his experience in communications.

In a lighthearted and humourous presentation that showed off the articulate communication skills that have brought him so much success, Fallis opened up about his childhood love of aviation and space travel, a subject that he recently brought to life in his new comedic novel, Up and Down.

Up and Down follows the tumultuous tumble of a former politico into the world of public relations consulting. Thrown into the fire, David Stewart has to learn fast as he joins the ranks of Turner King, a fictional consulting firm located in the heart of Toronto. His task: revitalize the waning public interest in NASA and space travel. If that’s not hard enough, throw in cross-border tiffs, office politics, and a dash of bold personalities and the job just keeps getting harder.

In Up and Down Fallis gives vivid detail to the quirks of agency life that many of us are familiar with, and shines a light on a business that is often misunderstood by members of the public. As he explained the craft of his writing, it became very clear how influential his experience in public relations is on the rest of his work.

Like any good practitioner would, Fallis injects elements of his own experience into his work as a novelist. He likes to make it clear, though, that while characters in his previous novels have dipped a toe into S&M, it’s tough to be in the agency business and not get whipped once or twice. Also, as a firm believer in planning, Fallis outlines his plot months before putting pen to paper. He credits having a clear and well-thought-out plan as being the key to a successful novel.

After explaining his methodical approach to writing, the conversation turned to Fallis’ experience as a practitioner, and he ended his time with very clear guidance for those looking to succeed.

“Pace, challenge and working with people smarter than myself. There lies the path to success.”

Terry reading  Terry and Vince

 

 

 

 

 

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ACE Awards recognizes the best digital communications campaigns with NEW category
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By Barbara Loureiro

The CPRS Toronto ACE Awards submission deadline is just around the corner. This year there’s a new category recognizing full digital campaigns: Best Digital Communications Campaign of the Year.

As digital strategies have become integral to many communications plans, CPRS Toronto strives to recognize the excellent digital campaigns created and executed over the past two years. This category recognizes campaigns that inform engage and/or monitor targeted online influencers and communities to reach specified communications goals.

If you have a campaign that qualifies, the submission requirements are as follows:

The executive summary must describe the campaign, following the RACE (Research, Analysis, Communication and Evaluation) formula and outline key variables within those headings. Keep in mind the executive summary is limited to two pages and a 10 point font, so keep it concise!

The rationale must explain how the campaign exemplifies the definition of public relations as defined by CPRS Toronto. The second component of the submission is limited to 250 words.

All submissions also must include a completed entry form and online payment through the CPRS Toronto website.

The entry deadline is January 23, 2013. Click here for more information on ACE Awards entry guidelines.

Successful submissions in the executive summary phase will be invited to the second round of judging. We’ll request a “big binder” with a detailed outline of the campaign and a copy of the final product on a USB stick. Those who have advanced to this next stage will be notified by the judging team in February.

Information on the Best Digital Communications Campaign of the Year and other categories can be found on the CPRS Toronto website. If you missed last Wednesday’s informative “Enhancing Your ACE Submission” webinar, you can WATCH HERE.

Tweeting about ACE? Use hashtag #CPRSACE

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How to “ace” your ACE awards submission: Five things you need to know
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By Miranda Germani

Whether you’re wanting to add another trophy to your shelf, or just testing the waters and are new to entering awards, there are five not-so-secret things that you must know to put together a stellar ACE Awards submission.

In the interactive and informative “Enhance Your CPRS Toronto ACE Award Submission” webinar held on January 16, host and ACE Awards Judging Co-chair, Dave Scholz shared the must-know tips to ensure your submission stands out from the crowd. For now, the focus is on the first stage submission – the executive summary and rationale. Click here for more information on ACE Entry Guidelines.

Must-know #1 – Know your deadlines. Sounds simple, but that’s the first hurdle to pass. The entry deadline is January 23, 2013 (i.e. next week, so get your skates on!).

Must-know #2 – Use RACE. A simple acronym, but it can make a world of difference to your submission. RACE stands for Research, Analysis, Communication, Evaluation and all of these aspects are important to your submission. Think about RACE all the way through your submission.

Must-know #3 – Be clear on your evaluation. Don’t assume the judges know what you’ve achieved – you must spell it out and tie your goals to the outcome.

Must-know #4 – Get acquainted with the new Best Digital Communications Campaign of the Year category. If you’ve done a fabulous digital campaign that successfully engaged your audiences and inspired online conversation and/or media coverage, we want to hear about it! This is your opportunity to shine.

NOTE: Digital components to other campaigns must still be included in those separate submissions.

Must-know #5 – The judges will keep your submission to themselves. All submissions are confidential. Nothing will be shared publicly. If CPRS Toronto ever wants to share something publicly, we’ll be in touch in advance.

Bonus must-know #6 – Having details such as budget, or at least a budget range, really helps the judges consider your submission in context.

Hopefully that helps pull back the curtain on what the judging team needs from you so that you can get one step closer to receiving an ACE Award in April. For more information about the ACE Awards, please visit the CPRS Toronto Website or contact ace@cprstoronto.com.

If you missed Wednesday’s webinar, you can WATCH HERE

Tweeting about ACE? Use hashtag #CPRSACE

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President’s message: Learn from leaders
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In golf, champions of the sport, leaders who have left their mark, give golfers at large inspiration to improve their own game.  We admire the skills of people like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Mike Weir, and Rory McIlroy for their contribution, and we even emulate them in their approach to play.  

I feel this when I am playing the 14th hole on our PR course.  This is a relatively straight Par 4, but there are woods on the right and water on the left.  Big water!!  I should really take it easy on my drive, but I always tend to over-swing because I want to hit it far, and instead I hit it hard.  In golf, “far” and “hard” do not usually go hand in hand.  

So, I’ve lost a few in the water, and I’ve lost a few in the woods. Yet the fairway awaits straight in front of me if I would just take it easy.  Following my drive, as I head toward my ball to take my next shot, I think about the greats mentioned above, and know that they would manage this hole much better.  I could reduce my strokes by learning from the great leaders of the game.

I see a relation to our lives as PR professionals.  There’s much to learn from great leaders who use PR to advance the organizations they are representing. 

At CPRS Toronto, we hold an annual gathering honouring just that kind of inspiring leadership, the CEO Award in Public Relations luncheon.  This year it takes place on Wednesday, January 30th, at Arcadian Court.  

Most recent winners are Dr. Robert S. Bell (University Health Network), Jim Leech (Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan), Robert Deluce (Porter Airlines), Galen G Weston (Loblaw), Frances Lankin (United Way), Richard Bradshaw (Canadian Opera Company) and Roots co-founders Michael Budman and Don Green.  As you can see, various industries and disciplines are represented…all leaders from whom we can learn.  We acknowledge CPRS Toronto member Gordon McIvor Ph.D., APR, FCPRS who created this award in the early 1990s.  This year marks the 20th time we have presented this award.  Martin Waxman, APR is current Chair of the selection committee, and I thank him and his committee for their hard work this year.  

The award recipient for 2012 is Sheldon Levy, President and Vice Chancellor, Ryerson University and the Society is looking forward to honouring Mr. Levy at the special luncheon in his honour.  I hope you can participate and hear from someone who has demonstrated that a successful CEO must be an excellent communicator who can express a clear mission and shared values with a broad range of stakeholders.

We can look to people like Sheldon Levy and our past winners for inspiration…not only as great leaders who are great communicators, but also as to whom we may want to counsel those we help as PR professionals to consider as models.  Mike Eppel from 680 News will act as emcee of the event, and I think everyone can count on a stimulating afternoon.

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Enhance your ACE Award submission!
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logos_colour_low_res-01Back by popular demand, CPRS Toronto invites you to join us on Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 12 p.m. for an informative, free webinar on enhancing your ACE Awards submission, brought to you by CNW Group – the exclusive professional development sponsor for CPRS Toronto.

Dave Scholz, Executive Vice President at Leger Marketing and CPRS Toronto’s ACE Awards Judging Co-Chair, will pull back the curtain on the ACE Awards and share what the judging team will be looking for in a winning submission. The webinar will also provide insight in to changes made to the digital category.

To register for the webinar, visit:

http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=564540&s=1&k=EF7CD45C16009CBD8A6618A8C4A085E6

For more information about the ACE Awards, please visit the CPRS Toronto Website or contact ace@cprstoronto.com.

If you are unable to join us on Wednesday the webinar will be available in archive following the live event.

Tweeting about ACE? Use hashtag #CPRSACE!

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PR grads: Show employers your stuff; write the PR knowledge exam Jan. 26
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You can now bring tangible evidence of your knowledge and readiness for the workplace to future employers. Be part of the FIRST official cohort of students writing the Public Relations Knowledge (PRK)™ exam.

All exams in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Halifax will take place on Saturday, January 26.

In Toronto, students will be writing at 12:30 p.m. (Eastern time zone) at Humber College.

The last day to register is Friday, January 25 at noon EST. Only pre-registered applicants will be permitted to write the exam. Register with the PDF or Word form.

Any questions can be directed to Tracey Baker, Director of Education at CPRS National via email at tbaker@cprs.ca.

More info on the PRK exam

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Case Study: How Fleishman-Hillard Toronto won a prestigious ACE Award in the Best Use of Media Relations Under $50,000 Category
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Liza_photoBy Liza Butcher

On April 26, 2012 the Canadian Public Relations Society Toronto (CPRS Toronto) celebrated the PR industry’s elite at the annual Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards gala.

The ACE Awards gala was full of celebration for winning campaigns, where Fleishman-Hillard Toronto won a prestigious ACE Award in the Best Use of Media Relations Under $50,000 for “The National Garage Sale for Shelter” media relations campaign.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Teresa Cugliari, Associate Consultant at Fleishman-Hillard Toronto, to understand more about the success around the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation: The National Garage Sale for Shelter.

Can you tell me about your winning campaign? (What was the objective and why was it so successful?)

Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company to have its own charitable foundation, known as The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is Canada’s largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to supporting women’s shelters and ending violence against women and children. Each year, the Shelter Foundation hosts The National Garage Sale for Shelter – a one-day charitable garage sale which takes place in more than 120 communities across Canada. Royal LePage brokers and agents volunteer to host the garage sales, which are often held outside Royal LePage offices. One hundred per cent of the funds raised are distributed to local women’s shelters in each community.

To help raise awareness and drive participation in The National Garage Sale for Shelter, Fleishman-Hillard (FH) developed and executed a community relations strategy under $50,000 CDN. FH was engaged to support all communications activities around the event including research, planning, materials development and media relations. At the core of the strategy, Royal LePage brokers and agents who volunteered their time to participate in the event were identified as excellent community champions given their passion and dedication to supporting the cause.

While the media relations strategy called for FH to conduct national media relations, a plan was developed to empower Royal LePage volunteers to conduct their own local media relations to generate awareness and drive event participation in their communities. FH supported this strategy by developing media toolkits for all designated spokespeople consisting of local release templates, interview tips and other marketing materials for use in Royal LePage offices. In addition, FH held a media coaching session with all regional spokespeople via conference call where tips were shared to maximize local media coverage and community engagement while ensuring strong key message penetration.

What inspired you to submit for an ACE Award?

The FHteam felt that this campaign was worthy of an award submission since the media results and overall funds raised exceeded initial goals. Overall, the 2011 National Garage Sale for Shelter generated a total of 369 media stories – a 77 per cent increase over 2010’s total – and 35,833,867 media impressions, an 84 per cent increase over last year. FH was successful in generating coverage in national, major regional and local media outlets, with 21 per cent of all coverage appearing in Tier One outlets.The mix of media coverage shows that messaging developed for the Shelter Foundation resonated with both local communities and larger metropolitan areas alike.

The increased amount of media coverage for the 2011 National Garage Sale for Shelter also led to increased participation in the event, which resulted in a record-setting fundraising total. In 2011, The National Garage Sale for Shelter was successful in raising more than $417,000 for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation – a 32 per cent increase (and counting) over 2010’s fundraising total.

What are the benefits of winning an ACE Award?

Awards help set you apart from the competition. Not only do they build your agency’s reputation but they also help recognize the hard work put in by your colleagues. FH purchased additional copies of the award for each team member as well as our client. It’s a symbol of success as well as the memories of both the campaign and the gala ceremony. It was a very fun evening that we look forward to each year.

Winning the 2011 CPRS ACE Award for Royal LePage’s Shelter Foundation validated the great results we achieved throughout this campaign and also shows FH’s clients that we are willing to go above and beyond to get them the recognition they deserve.

Do you have any tips for others submitting for Award consideration.

Be sure to get a head start on the submission process and be mindful of submission deadlines. It can be somewhat of a challenge juggling client work as well as your agency’s marketing and promotional needs. Be sure to loop in team members to help with the process so you can submit a high quality award that reflects your team’s hard work.

Also, if you know you are working on an award-worthy campaign, start taking notes during the campaign for your submission. As time passes, you will find these notes invaluable since almost a full year can go by before you start pulling together your submission binder.

What did you make sure to include in your binder submission?

FH’s submission binder included a range of media materials (press releases, social media releases, media advisories, as well as the volunteer media outreach toolkit and interview best practices) and supporting metrics (MRP reports and coverage samples) that allowed the judges to get a better understanding of how the FH team met and exceeded our measurable objectives.

In addition, the FH team also included a sizzle reel highlighting national Tier One broadcast coverage secured with their key spokespeople throughout the campaign. This multimedia addition is a more personal touch that allows the judges to visualize the campaign and give a sense of depth to the quality and variety of coverage FH secured.

How did it feel to receive your award at the gala?

Receiving the award at the gala was extremely meaningful for both the FH team and our client, who was in attendance that evening as well. Lots of hard work and effort was put into the campaign and it was great to share this experience with fellow communications professionals.

Fleishman-Hillard Team Members: Sarah Louise Gardiner, Teresa Cugliari, Michael Gotzamanis

Royal LePage Shelter Foundation Team Members: Shanan Spencer-Brown, Tammy Gilmer, Royal LePage spokespeople

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Call for Nominations for 2013-2014 Board
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CPRS Toronto members interested in serving on the board for the 2013-14 term should contact Lois Marsh at 416-360-1988 or marshl@marsh-executive.com.

Participating on the board enables you to enhance your corporate governance skills, contribute to our profession in a meaningful way, and interact with and learn from your industry peers.   

The term starts after the Annual General Meeting in May. All members are invited to apply. Having an APR, more than five years of communications experience or being an active volunteer are assets. 

The deadline is February 17.

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