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Marketing Through Influencing: What You Need To Know To Make it Work
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I remember the first time I saw a paid partnership post in my Instagram feed. My first reaction was confusion: this is fair to the consumers, this is how it is supposed to be, but this will likely ruin everything for the brands and influencers. Who would want to buy this, now that they know it is paid for? Then I looked closer at the “product” – it was a new collection of a famous fashion brand – and I realized I liked the way the blogger styled the brand’s clothes. She wrote about the brand’s quality, their corporate social responsibility and even the creative way they attracted her into business partnership. I was still trying to stick to my initial cynical position while scrolling through the blogger’s feed.

I started following her a long time ago when she wasn’t paid for wearing a fashion piece… or maybe she was, and I just never got a chance to confirm it. So I asked myself one question: has her Instagram page changed, apart from that paid partnership label? The answer is “no”. I still liked her online persona. I clicked on the link in her bio and looked up the brand’s new collection.

Authenticity and honesty. That is what you are looking for in a modern influencer marketing approach. Even taking a legal aspect of disclosure policies aside, any influencer marketing professional should take into consideration an increased consumer skepticism and a shift to user generated content which gives more power to the consumer. A new digital era demands transparency. In a way it is a more honest, genuine version of advertising. However, it is such only if you follow the rule: treat your influencers as long-term partners, not one-time participants in a business transaction.

Making friends and building a network. You may be tired of hearing the word “network” again, but yes, networking is vital in any business, communications especially. This may come as a surprise, but influencers are also people and like to be treated as such. You should start by engaging with an influencer: like their posts, comment on them and share them. Spend some time on your research: find out what your influencer’s interests are, read up on his/her work and look up posts about them. Focus on finding a thing you share, and then pitch your influencer by mentioning your common interests. Just as any other pitch, it should be catching, intriguing − it should stand out. Remember, your ultimate goal is possibly converting your influencer into loyal brand ambassador. Only if you customize your approach and build meaningful relationships, will you get an authentic representation of your brand by an influencer. And their audience will instantly feel that.

Speaking about the audience. The single biggest mistake many brands make is considering only the influencers with big following, often ignoring the proven fact that a smaller but dedicated audience is more valuable for your brand’s goals. Fake followers issue aside, it is a matter of reaching out to your potential clients, not the general public.

To do that, identify influencers who are relevant specifically to your industry: think about your brand’s target audience and compare it to the audience of the influencers in your field.

One more tip would be considering the right channel to reach out to your target audience. Usually, influencers are present on the majority of digital media platforms to increase their online presence. However, there is always one platform which they prefer, which works best for them, and which gained them the popularity your brand needs. What you should do is evaluate which platform aligns more with your industry and best displays your content – then search for the right platform influencer. Typically, business influencers prefer Twitter, LinkedIn and blogs, while consumer, lifestyle and fashion influencers stick to Instagram, YouTube or Pinterest.

Influencer marketing is not as easy as it may seem at first. It requires a lot of preparation, monitoring and tracking, evaluation and measuring. Is it worth the hustle? Well, if you do it right, you end up increasing your brand awareness, building trust with your customers, growing your social media following and ultimately, increasing revenue and making more profit. Yes, it is very much worth the hustle!

By Iryna Zheliasko

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrynaZheliasko
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justcurious.blog/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iryna-zheliasko-279041134/

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AGM Recap
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On Wednesday September 27 members of CPRS Toronto gathered at the Mill Street Brewery for the 2017 Annual General Meeting.  In addition to a presentation by political commentator Scott Reid, CPRS Toronto Co-Presidents Erica Silver, MA, APR and Danielle Kelly, APR presented a year-end report.

Highlights of the report include:

  • Incredible member achievements from new APR, PRK exam participants and award winners
  • An overview of our financial position and our strategy to meet our financial obligations going forward
  • A review of our membership demographics
  • A recap of our PD, Education and Research activities from 2016-17

You can read the AGM Presidents Report 2017.

We look forward to serving you again next year.  If you ever have any questions or comments, please reach out to us at president@cprstoronto.com

  • Danielle Kelly, APR
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Remembering Krys Potapczyk
Danielle Kelly, APR

This post is written with great sadness. As many of you may now be aware, CPRS Toronto is mourning the loss of Krys Potapczky, APR, FCPRS. Krys was an active member of CPRS, having most recently been Chair of the Accreditation  in 2016.

Krys lost a hard-fought battle with cancer in late-June, 2017.  The CPRS Toronto Board of Directors has made a donation in Krys’s name for the Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation. I never want to speak for anyone in times like these, but I am sure many of you share the same sense of shock. Krys and cancer were two things I would never associated together.

Krys is most fondly remembered by many for her tenacious spirit and drive for excellence in the practice of public relations. Her  most recent group of students recall her as an impressive woman who was tremendously supportive with both her time and advice

To me, Krys will always be an inspiration. There are not many of us in the public service with an APR, so I always knew I could rely on Krys to be a cheerleader and mentor for me as I tried (and yes, continue to try) to execute ethical and high-quality communications counsel in the public service.

Krys and I shared a very special moment during the WPRF forum last year. She was at my side, and was my witness, when Tracy Moore stopped me and asked me where I got my dress for he Comm Prix  Communications Awards Gala. I still get a kick of out of that story to this day, and feel cool by association!

She was so proud. She took this photo of us together and emailed it to me with this simple phrase and subject line: “US….don’t we look beautiful”.

Yes, yes we do Krys. Your beauty, grace, poise, and drive during your cancer journey is something beautiful to be admired. In your honour I hope to maintain your passion, and commitment to life and the pursuit of excellence in communications and public relations.

Thank you, my beautiful friend.

 

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June Co-Presidents’ Message
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Though it has begun as cloudy and rainy, Spring has brought with it some incredible accomplishments and successes from our CPRS Toronto members.

We want to raise our glasses to all the recipients of this year’s ACE Awards.  It was an evening filled with friends, networking and laughter, and a wonderful celebration of success and outstanding achievement in the field of public relations. We’d like to again thank our ACE chair, our judges, the Board and our army of volunteers, who made the night such a success.

With the CPRS National summit wrapping up last week, we are thinking of all the enlightening topics presented by the speakers and panelists.  “Illuminate” covered such important aspects of our jobs: building trust, strategic storytelling, meaningful engagement and transparent communication, with the opportunity to review how to successfully implement these facets in the field.  We were delighted to see such a strong representation from Toronto, and know we house some of the best in the business.

We also celebrated incredible achievements in professional growth with the celebration of this year’s PRKs, APRs, College of Fellows and Award of Attainment recipients.

Wholehearted congratulations to Brooke Kelly and Carolina Salcedo for completing their PRK and Caitlin Coull, APR; Kim Daynard, APR;Ruth Fernandes, PMP, APR; Nate Habermeyer, APR; Audrey Ready-Holt, APR; and, Bryant Sullivan, APR on their APR designation. As well, we congratulate Sheldon Rose, BPR, APR, FCPRS on his induction into the College of Fellows and our recipient of this year’s Lois Marsh Award, Carol Panasiuk, MBA, APR, FCPRS LM on her 2017 CPRS Award of Attainment.

Congratulations to all CPRS Toronto members for continuing to distinguish yourselves and highlight excellence in the practice of PR. You all make us #CPRSproud!

Danielle and Erica

 

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No Such Thing as Generic Influence
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On February 28, 2017 Boyd Neil moderated a CPRS Toronto panel discussion entitled Navigating the Social Influencer Sphere. Check out his thoughts on the discussion on his personal blog 

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Staying ahead of the curve
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With the public relations profession currently confronted with the need for profound change and adaptation, CPRS members are sure to find value in a speech by CPRS Toronto Board of Director and Chair of Education, Heath Applebaum.  Applebaum delivered a keynote address to students and faculty in the McMaster University, Master of Communications Management program that sparked rich discussion.
Applebaum shared his insights into the necessary evolution of public relations to help organizations to successfully navigate these risky waters.  Among his many ideas, he suggests why successful organizations will be those that are most willing to listen, anticipate and adapt to disruptive changes and cultivate authentic relationships. He adds that in these volatile economic times, and digitally influenced world, reputations are proving to be more valuable and vulnerable than ever, but must be built from the inside out.
Applebaum is a global-award-winning communicator and the President of Echo Communications, a leading reputation management consulting firm based in Toronto.  He is also a highly respected Public Relations Professor at the University of Guelph-Humber with 20 years of diverse corporate, agency, consulting and non-profit communications experience.
To view excerpts from this captivating speech that were  published in the Journal of Professional Communication, click here:  https://mulpress.mcmaster.ca/jpc/article/view/3096/2675
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Tips on Navigating the Social Influencer Sphere
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C5ynS5AU0AA9x9x By Rosita Chakardan

As PR professionals, we are constantly striving to communicate our brand’s message in a meaningful and impactful way to engage our audience. So when I received an invitation from CPRS to hear their panel of experts speak about the growing significance of social influencers, I jumped at the opportunity to learn more.

Tackling a number of key considerations when selecting an influencer, the savvy panelists touched on some key points that I think act as a good tactical guide.

Know the Power of Influencers

Influencers are individuals who have tremendous clout on social media and blogs with niche interests and topics. Having said this, the influencer does not necessarily have any expertise in their niche, but rather a passion that resonates with their audience. They establish a large following by communicating through blogs, videos, photos, and posts on social media.

Find the Right Match for Your Brand

The key in driving awareness, and most importantly generating action, is to ensure that your brand is matched with the right influencer. For instance, a food blogger writing about how fantastic a national brand’s sports equipment is, would seem misaligned. The blogger’s audience tunes in because they want to consume content related to food … not sports equipment.  The product is not relevant to the influencer’s niche. Selecting an influencer who aligns with your brand’s interests and values are the key to targeting the right audience.

Remember that Authenticity Rules!

It just makes sense! Today’s audience is bombarded with so much content that they’ve developed a discerning eye for artificial information. This is very similar to the latter point of selecting an influencer who fits your brand. A great way to achieve this is by creating a ‘top 10’ list of influencers who create content related to your brand’s focus. In order to determine which of the top 10 is the best fit, dig deeper by observing their tone, messaging and style.  Ask whom they have partnered with in the past, and what resulted of the partnership.

Give Your Influencer Creative Freedom

Once you’ve successfully recruited an influencer, how much creative leeway should they have? Well, you selected the influencer for their storytelling and ability to connect with their audience, which in turn is your target audience.  Give them creative freedom but ensure that you clearly communicate your brand’s objective, key messages and tone. If you have picked the right fit, the influencer will seamlessly advocate on your behalf with content that is on brand.

The same values that PR professionals should adhere to in every aspect of our profession also apply when collaborating with social influencers: transparency, meaningful storytelling, and authentic content. To ensure best practice, check out disclosure guidelines regarding paid promotions when working with social influencers.

With millions of influencers to choose from, it’s a whole new world to navigate. Remember the golden rule, ‘quality over quantity’, to make the biggest splash.

 

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ACE Award Judging – An Interview With Vincent Power
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ACE Award Judging – An Interview With Vincent Power
LinkedInV Power Casual photo SM
@VincentPower

What is your approach when judging the ACE Award submissions?

I look to be told a story, a story whose framework is based on the RACE formula (Research, Analysis, Communication and Evaluation). The story may have a preamble (a paragraph or so that serves as an overview of the entire project) but there should be an introduction (research and part of the analysis), there should be a body (part of the analysis and communication plan), and there should be a conclusion (evaluation). The introduction should flow into the body and the body should flow into the conclusion, each part informing and linking to the next part.

What is the greatest tip you can give to all those who will submit their campaign?

Try to evenly spread your story among the four components of RACE, or at least be substantial with each component. The Communication plan and its execution can arguably constitute the largest percentage of the overall story, but the research and analysis portions are often short changed and submissions should ensure that each component is given its due.

Last year’s ACE Awards had shown many amazing PR campaigns, in your opinion what will make a campaign stand out this year?

To even be selected as a winner, a sound Executive Summary based on the RACE formula is the most important contributor to being considered. Once a submission demonstrates that, then innovation and creativity will usually drive one submission higher than the other. Although we like to see submitted campaigns be successful ones, a winning campaign may not have achieved all its goals, however a sound execution plan that is innovative and creative can still achieve a finalist rating.

What would you say would be the biggest challenge when judging this year’s ACE Awards?

In a word, time. Judges may review more than a dozen entries over the course of a day. Because we want to give equal time, effort and attention to those we judge late in the day vs. those we judge earlier, judges look to see everything there is to know about the campaign within the two-page executive summary. No matter how fabulous the support material included may be, it will not help an executive summary that is deficient in effectively communicating the campaign to a judging committee using the RACE formula. That said, the supporting material is often useful in helping to have a better understanding of the tools described in the executive summary, but the executive summary should be able to stand on its own.

In your opinion what makes the ACE Awards unique and why should we encourage PR professionals to submit their campaigns?

The ACE Awards approach success from a professional perspective. The need to address the four components of the RACE formula means that entrants must use senior-level thinking in the development of their submission, and the result is that their entry receives a fairer, objective evaluation which hopefully minimizes subjectivity based on undefined criteria.

What are you looking forward to most when judging this year’s ACE Awards and why?

Judges look forward to learning about great campaigns, how they were planned, executed and implemented. It’s so much fun to see what different applicants experience in their efforts to bring a campaign to full fruition. What we do recognize is how much hard work goes into successful campaigns, how much public and media reaction plays a role in promoting a brand or program or initiative, and we appreciate the incredible effort that it takes to produce just one submission. Good luck to all candidates for 2017!

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Where are they now?
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Featuring Charzie Abendanio, Account Coordinator at APEX Public Relations Inc. and past President of the CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee 2015-2016

 
What did you enjoy most about being on the SSC? 

What I looked forward to the most when being part of the SSC team was the opportunity to meet students from across the GTA during the class talks at the beginning of the school year. I was able to visit classrooms in Seneca, Humber, Centennial, Loyalist and Ryerson.

During the class presentations, I shared my knowledge, advice and passion for the public relations industry, which I continue to do today.

 
Where do you work now and what do you do? 

Today, I am an account coordinator at APEX PR supporting clients from across the corporate and consumer sectors. However, the journey I took to find myself where I am today was a whirlwind but also an experience I am very grateful for.

I initially interned at several Toronto PR agencies, which included energi PR, Weber Shandwick and Edelman. At the end of last summer I was offered an opportunity by APEX PR to work for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on the Recovery Task Force in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

My main responsibility on the Task Force was to support the Public Information Officer and communications department as the community of Wood Buffalo was going through recovery after facing the largest Wildfire in Canadian history.

 
How do you think CPRS Toronto helped advance your career or get you ready for your current position?

Every relationship I developed throughout my time with the SSC and at my internships was imperative to the opportunities that came my way.

The PR community is small and the connections we make are as important as interviews. My advice for PR students is: treat every interaction you have with a communications professional as an opportunity to learn about them and a chance to help guide your own career path. The opportunities that come from that will be endless and you can find the best position that aligns with your passion and goals.

Twitter: @charziecastillo

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charzieabendanio

 

 

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