Monthly Archives :

January 2017

The sexiness of PR

150 150 Danielle Kelly, APR

Diane Bégin, APR
ruckus Digital / APEX Public Relations

If public relations would have remained what it was say 15 years ago, I would have eventually have become bored and likely would have changed careers.

The tools available today have given us the opportunity to connect directly with our audiences, no matter how niche – and for that I’m grateful, because that’s what made me stay.

Human connection is the sexy part of public relations.

PR now gives us the opportunity for real two-way connection, as opposed to the primarily broadcast, or one-way model that previously existed for decades. And it can give us a taste of what an individual is about.

My own career in public relations started around 1997 when I was working for a small business association, which was heavily weighted in government relations as a lobbyist.

By 2004 (the same year Facebook was founded), while working full-time, I began my graduate studies, which is around the time when I felt a reawakening for the profession.

I became familiar with the Toronto School of Communication.

In particular, Marshall McLuhan’s 1964 “pioneering study in media theory” Understanding Media felt very real.

“With the arrival of electric technology, man has extended, or set outside himself, a live model of the central nervous system itself.” Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media: The Extensions Of Man

Edmonton-born, Winnipeg-raised and as an adult, Toronto-based, McLuhan became a cultural icon between the 50s-70s.

The Playboy Interview, a Laugh-In bit with Goldie Hawn called “Marshall McLuhan, Whatcha Doing?, and a cameo in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall with Diane Keaton are some of the outcomes of how dramatic of an influence McLuhan had on society at the time.

He died in 1980, but in the mid-2000s, the National Film Board – recognizing the timelessness of his thinking – released McLuhan’s Wake.

Consider the many things McLuhan said and how they continue to resonate today. Also keep in mind, a number of people at the time thought he was crazy.

“We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us.”

“In this electronic age we see ourselves being translated more and more into the form of information, moving toward the technological extension of consciousness.”

“A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding.”

“The new electronic independence re-creates the world in the image of a global village.”

“As technology advances, it reverses the characteristics of every situation again and again. The age of automation is going to be the age of ‘do it yourself.’”

“The more the data banks record about each one of us, the less we exist.”

“Innumerable confusions and a feeling of despair invariably emerge in periods of great technological and cultural transition.”

“The photograph reverses the purpose of travel, which until now had been to encounter the strange and unfamiliar.”

“Obsolescence never meant the end of anything, it’s just the beginning.”

The magic in Mcluhan’s thinking is essentially pattern recognition of the effects of all forms of media on individuals.

He realized that humans are always just humans – no matter the time period they’re in, or the media available.

The ability to be able to connect directly – and increasingly in more meaningful ways – with the “extensions of man” that we know today as social media, was the shift that I needed to realize that PR was where I continue to want to be.

 

 

ACE AWARDS – GET RECOGNIZED!

150 150 Admin

As public relations practitioners, we build relationships so we can invoke change – to affect outputs, outcomes and business results.  According to Hon and Grunig (1999)1: Outputs are usually the immediate results of a particular PR program, often in the form of media coverage, awareness and exposure;   Outcomes: measure whether target audience groups actually received, paid attention to, understood and retained the messages; Business results are commonly recognized as effects that make a direct contribution toward the organization’s goals and objectives.

One go-to tactic is media relations – measuring output success with volume, key message placement, share of voice and tonality. What about the results that are not covered by mainstream media – that are targeted to smaller audiences or issues we want to remain out of the headlines?

We want to recognize your hard work in these areas.  Apply for an Ace Award.
•    Employee Engagement / Internal Communications Campaign of the Year
Purpose: Recognizes exemplary employee engagement and/or internal communication programs that improved employee-management relations, strengthened employee communities and/or successfully administered change management.

•    Investor / Financial Relations Campaign of the Year Purpose: Recognizes outstanding communications work targeted toward investors, shareholders and other financial audiences.

•    Crisis or Issues Management Campaign of the Year Purpose: Recognizes effective crisis and/or issues management work through the use of strategic public relations.

1.    http://www.instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/Guidelines_Measuring_Relationships.pdf

President’s Message: 2017 YOU’VE ARRIVED – THANK GOODNESS!

150 150 Admin

The year of the Fire Rooster is upon us and since it only comes every 60 years, let’s make our mark! Efficient hard work filled with integrity is the key to meeting goals and achieving success this year1.  We are looking forward to another successful year at CPRS Toronto, with an enthusiastic team on the Board of Directors working on some exciting projects.

 

The 2017 ACE Awards have been announced and the deadline will be here before you know it, so get started and submit your awe-inspiring campaigns and be recognized by your peers.  Want to display your hard work at Illuminate 2017? The Jan. 30 deadline to be part of the 2017 Research program in Kelowna, is a few weeks away.

 

We will also have a robust calendar of professional development events, so stay tuned for more details in the coming months!

#CPRSproud

Cheers,

Danielle Kelly, APR

Erica Silver, APR, MA

Co-Presidents, CPRS Toronto

 

  1. http://www.sunsigns.org/chinese-horoscope-2017/

THE ACE AWARDS IS FAST APPROACHING!

150 150 Admin

2016 was a doozy! But a lot of hard work was accomplished, so why not reflect on your past achievements and celebrate with an Ace Award!  Display your hard work and strategic success with your peers – a room of industry pros and innovators!

The annual ACE Awards recognize communications excellence in the public relations industry. It’s not too late to apply, though the deadline is fast approaching.

Get started on your entry today and be sure to make that early bird deadline on February 3. Also, don’t forget to mark May 2nd in your busy agendas for this year’s gala!

More information on eligibility, submission requirements and campaign entry categories is available on the CPRS Toronto website.

Important Dates and Deadlines:

2017 Key Dates

  • February 03, 2017 – Early Bird Submission Deadline
  • February 24, 2017 – Full Submission Deadline
  • February 27, 2017 – Leadership Award Submission Deadline
  • May 2, 2017 – ACE Awards Gala

Enter at www.cprstoronto.com!

Questions? e-mail ace@cprstoronto.com

We Want You! Volunteer Today!

150 150 Admin

Giving to others makes you healthier and happier – but it can also bring you valuable learning experiences, enhance skill sets and provide an opportunity to try something new.

Don’t get a chance to test your writing chops in your job – why not volunteer to write a blog post?

Or maybe you aren’t getting enough field experience – how about helping out at one of our events?

Or maybe you are ready to take your career to the next level – why not volunteer for the Board?

There are many diverse opportunities to help out CPRS Toronto, while making a contribution to your industry.

For more information and to be considered for future opportunities, please fill in the survey.

We Want You! Volunteer Today!

150 150 Admin

Giving to others makes you healthier and happier – but it can also bring you valuable learning experiences, enhance skill sets and provide an opportunity to try something new.

Don’t get a chance to test your writing chops in your job – why not volunteer to write a blog post?

Or maybe you aren’t getting enough field experience – how about helping out at one of our events?

Or maybe you are ready to take your career to the next level – why not volunteer for the Board?

There are many diverse opportunities to help out CPRS Toronto, while making a contribution to your industry.

For more information and to be considered for future opportunities, please fill in the survey.

We Want You! Volunteer Today!

150 150 Admin

Giving to others makes you healthier and happier – but it can also bring you valuable learning experiences, enhance skill sets and provide an opportunity to try something new.

Don’t get a chance to test your writing chops in your job – why not volunteer to write a blog post?

Or maybe you aren’t getting enough field experience – how about helping out at one of our events?

Or maybe you are ready to take your career to the next level – why not volunteer for the Board?

There are many diverse opportunities to help out CPRS Toronto, while making a contribution to your industry.

For more information and to be considered for future opportunities, please fill in the survey.

How the Trump Presidency Could Impact Canada

686 385 Admin

white-house

By now, most of us are familiar with Donald Trump’s bold, in-your-face campaign to “Make America Great Again.” While Trump seems to have toned down his approach since winning the Presidential election, it’s a certainty that Canadian relations with our southern neighbour are about to change. After all, the President-elect was accurately predicted by an episode of “The Simpsons” 16 years ago.

One of the most shocking moments for me (of which there were many during Trump’s campaign), was when a 2012 tweet from Trump’s twitter account came to the surface, where he stated that “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” The incoming president has openly denied climate change, and his policies could not be more different than that of his predecessor, President Obama. They could also not be more different than that of Justin Trudeau.

Trump has promised to scrap Obama’s Clean Power Plan, a policy implemented last summer to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He’s even mentioned cancelling the Paris Accord, a global climate change agreement signed last year. Meanwhile, in Canada, Trudeau is pushing forward with a controversial carbon tax to be implemented by 2018, as well as the phasing out of coal power by 2030.

Another environmental policy that will likely be on Trump’s chopping block is the North American Climate, Clean Energy, and Environment Partnership, an agreement made by Obama, Trudeau, and Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto in 2016. A key goal of this partnership is to generate at least 50% of power from clean sources by 2025, which is again, the opposite of Trump’s environmental agenda. Given that Trump threatened to build a wall across America’s border with Mexico, he won’t be staying in the partnership just for friendship.

If Trump does pull the U.S. out of the environmental partnership with Canada and Mexico, the policy won’t crumble apart though. Canada and Mexico still have a strong relationship, evidenced by the recent lift on Visas for Mexicans entering Canada, and the Mexican government ending a ban on the import of Canadian beef. The two countries will remain aligned, but without participation of the United States, the ambitious clean energy goal of the partnership will not be reached by 2025.

While reaching the goals made at the North American summit are dependent on the participation of the USA, Trudeau’s aggressive climate change policies within Canada may help combat some of the setbacks Trump implements. Despite widespread criticism of the carbon tax, Trudeau is moving forward with it. Alberta’s premier Notley initially vowed to reject the tax, unless Trudeau approved more pipelines. Hard hit by a slumping oil industry, Alberta was right to demand something in return for their support.

Earlier this week, Trudeau approved two pipeline projects, gaining support for his carbon tax from Notley. This was a smart move for the Prime Minister, because being the oil producing province, Alberta is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the country. While it remains to be seen what the effects are from the carbon tax, without Alberta’s support, it’s unlikely the tax would have a positive impact on the Canadian environment.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Trump is a coal supporter, and his promises to bring jobs back to the industry helped him gain the support of those in the declining coal industry. According to a 2015 study, over 50,000 jobs in the coal industry were lost between 2008-2012, providing the President-elect with a strong base of voters to support his platform. The planned increase of U.S. coal production is concerning for the air quality of Canadian border towns, specifically those in Ontario and Alberta, as coal production in the U.S. is highest in bordering states with these provinces. It’s doubtful that Trump can rebuild the industry to what it once was. Demand for U.S. coal worldwide has declined significantly, with exports decreasing by 23% in 2015. With the decrease in demand, the coal industry will not be the savior of American jobs that Trump had promised.

While Trump may set Canada back on its emissions reductions goals, Canada will continue to move forward with its environmental agenda. Despite criticism of Trudeau’s policies, the timing could not be better for taking a strong stance on protecting the environment. In combination with a strong global alignment for climate change action, the environment in Canada should not be negatively impacted by the new president.

Amy Hayman

Amy is a Commerce graduate working in the insurance industry, and is currently studying Public Relations in Toronto.