MEMBERS BLOG

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We Want You! Volunteer Today!
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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.

  • Admin
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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.

  • Admin
  • No Comments

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.

  • Danielle Kelly, APR
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Happy Holidays from Erica and Danielle!
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wintery-decorations

Erica and I would like to take the opportunity to wish you a safe and happy holiday season. We hope that you enjoy your time off in the company of good family and friends. As 2016 draws to a close (and all too quickly at that!) we are taking a moment to reflect upon the accomplishments of the past year, and to set an intention for the year ahead.

We are looking forward to another successful year at CPRS Toronto in 2017. We have an enthusiastic team on the Board of Directors working on some exciting projects – stay tuned for more details in the coming months!

If you have set an intention to mark 2017 as your year to get involved in your community, consider contributing your skills to CPRS Toronto. There are many opportunities – both big and small – to get involved. For more information you can reach out to Erica or myself, or send an email to volunteer@cprstoronto.com

Cheers,

Danielle Kelly, APR

Erica Silver, APR

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Event Recap: Content Strategy with Fifth Story
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On October 20th Fifth Story held14753654_1301984683169710_299966347841693953_o an open house for CPRS Toronto at Workhaus and through a dynamic presentation, shared insights for creating compelling video content, and the top tips brands need to know to create engagement.

By injecting humour and high end visuals, Fifth Story’s Shelley Middlebrook and Paul Abrams kept the room entertained as they counted down the rules of engagement that organizations must embrace if they are to cut through a cluttered marketplace, and engage their audiences.

Fifth Story tells us, with 110 trillion pieces of original content created every year, you’ve got 8 seconds to capture the attention of the consumer. Their solution? Add value through Emotional Storytelling.

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With a multi-platform focus, brands need to reach consumers on all channels with consistency and repetition, on earned, paid and owned media. But there is an opportunity to cater messages to specific channels and target and amplify key messages with appropriate and proven tactics. Using an integrated approach and compelling written words, audio and video, you can drive brand awareness and start the conversation.

For more great ideas and tips, check out @5FifthStory
http://fifthstory.com/en/

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Volunteer of the Year 2016
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Terrence Freeman, Volunteer of the Year 2016

 

We’re proud to recognize outstanding individuals and achievements each year with the CPRS Toronto Leadership Awards. CPRS Toronto congratulates Terrence Freeman, our 2016 recipient of the Leadership Award for ‘Volunteer of the Year’.

  • Danielle Kelly, APR
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Greetings from your 2016-17 Co-Presidents Erica and Danielle
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We are delighted to accept the position of Co-President for the upcoming two year term and are looking forward to continue and build upon the profile that our predecessors created for CPRS Toronto.

In the coming years we hope to strengthen the relationship with CPRS National that was reinforced by the WPRF conference and increase the transparency of the goals and objectives of the Board to our community. We will also continue the tradition of excellent professional development opportunities for practitioners, and draw on the experience of our industry to teach the next generation of communicators the incredible accomplishments of our field.

Sincerely,
Erica Silver, APR
Danielle Kelly, APR
  • Danielle Kelly, APR
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Sign Up Today for the CPRS Hamilton Ragan Event
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Advanced Writing & Brand Journalism

 

Who: Mark Ragan, CEO Ragan Communications, Inc.

When:  Tuesday, November 15 (8:00am – 4:30pm)

Where: Waterfront Banquet and Conference Centre, Hamilton

Cost: $345 (CPRS and IABC Members)

 

 

Mark Ragan, Publisher and CEO of Ragan Communications, Inc. will be leading CPRS and IABC members through a two-part workshop on Advanced Writing and Brand Journalism which will include successful Canadian PR experiences and case studies.

CPRS Hamilton is expecting over 100 practitioners from across Ontario to participate in this workshop. Register today!

 

Workshop Agenda

 

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. – Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Advanced Writing and Editing

12:00 p.m. – 1 p.m. – Lunch and Networking

1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.  – Brand Journalism

 

Session 1: Advanced Writing & Editing
Important messages get printed, streamed, e-mailed and Tweeted. Whether internal or external your audiences are reading, watching, listening-talking back. Even the bosses have discovered the power of storytelling! Your words, and how you present them, are more important than ever.

 

Session 2: Brand Journalism

 

Are you ready for brand journalism?

 

Brand journalism combines real reporting and lively storytelling (that’s the journalism), with your organization’s experts and experiences (that’s the branding). A few organizations have figured out a new way to tell their stories, using the tried-and-true methods of journalism to engage their audiences and boost their competitive advantage.

 

In this session, Mark Ragan will share the principles of brand journalism and show you how you can apply them to your own organization.

 

Mark Ragan (Bio)

mark-ragan

Mark Ragan is the Publisher and CEO of Ragan Communications, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of corporate communication information and training. For 15 years, Mark covered Congress, the White House and national political campaigns for Copley News Service, States News Service, New York Newsday, the San Diego Union-Tribune and Insight Magazine.

Our Sponsors

 

CPRS Hamilton and Ragan Communications, Inc. thank our generous sponsors for making this event possible.

 

Gold

The McMaster-Syracuse Master of Communications Management (MCM) is Canada’s leading graduate program for communications executives, educators and entrepreneurs. Our curriculum combines core MBA and Strategic Communications, and our hybrid model allows you to apply your learning while you continue working.

Discover the MCM advantage today.

Contact: Sevigny@McMaster.ca
Bronze

Locomotion Communications & Public Relations

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PR and Influencers: On Transparency, Disclosure and Trust
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PR and Influencers: On Transparency, Disclosure and Trust

On September 28, 2016 the Canadian Public Relations Society (Toronto) kicked off its Annual General Meeting with a panel discussion titled, “PR and Influencers: On Transparency, Disclosure and Trust.” The panel included PR professionals and successful social media personalities offering their take on the importance of trust, and what it means to be an influencer.

With the rise of the social media influencer, it’s never been easier to reach an audience. Rather than relying on expensive celebrity endorsements, or extensive traditional media campaigns, brands can promote their products and services through social media-savvy individuals- with incredible results. For the public relations community however, this gives rise to a new challenge: how to build and maintain trust between influencers and their followers to the benefit of your client?

CPRS Toronto welcomed Jennifer Waxman Stallman of the popular Facebook goup, “Entertain Kids on a Dime,” Danielle Finestone of “TO Foodies,” and social media/digital marketing guru Sheldon Levine. The panel was moderated by former CPRS president and celebrated digital marketing expert, Martin Waxman.

During the discussion, the influencers shared their experiences using social media to build business. As a successful mom blogger, Jennifer Waxman Stallman highlighted the importance of trust among her clientele- mothers looking for entertainment, care, and products for their children through Facebook. “One woman posted an advertisement for necklaces she was selling around Christmas, and didn’t get a single response. I re-shared her post and she was fielding messages into the night,” she said. “I explained to her that they don’t think she’s a scam- it’s just I have their trust.”

Danielle Finestone launched TO Foodies through Instagram, and said she grew her following through a very grassroots approach: reposting, asking for tags, and posting and moderating the group herself. “Foodie culture in the city was focused on the high-end. We found a void and filled it, and we’ve maintained that reputation.”

With Advertising Standards Canada changing its disclosure laws next year, Sheldon reinforced the importance of full disclosure on the part of influencers when promoting free product from a brand. He also shared five tips for success for PR professionals working with influencers, which included creating a clear and realistic definition of success, and working together to create content.

Leandra Grant (leandrakgrant@gmail.com) is an independent blogger, PR writer and communications consultant who regularly works with Milestones Public Relations, Tuni Talks, and various publications.

 

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How to write better branded content
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Written by Diane Begin, CPRS Toronto Co-president

“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that he or she would be wise to develop a thick hide.” Harper Lee

Articles are a powerful tool in public relations for creating user-specific content, encouraging buzz and helping to manage the message.

That’s why author and journalist Jane Stokes offered tips at a recent Toronto Canadian Public Relations Society event, to make your branded editorial even stronger.

The approach seeks to match reporter tone through six characteristics:

  1. Cares that readers will trust the information
  2. Cares that readers receive solutions
  3. Remains neutral with the whole conversation; no persuading
  4. Interviews authorities to get opinions
  5. Does not care if audiences take any action
  6. Wants the audience to return

Ultimately, this is accomplished through the acronym Stokes refers to as “T.H.E.”

  • Build TRUST (Is every last word…Impartial? No selling, no cheerleading. Reliable? Sources given. Comfortable? Upbeat, welcoming, not preachy.)
  • Be HELPFUL (Does my wording…Promise solutions? Get straight to the point? Minimal small talk. Make the reader feel satisfied?)
  • Directly ENGAGE (Do all my words…Create a positive/helpful mood? Stimulate thought? Speak directly to the audience? Show empathy? Vary sentence structure, like posing a questions?)

Stokes offered the following headline with T.H.E. at work, to make it stronger.

Before
Top things Canadians love about travel reward programs

After
How to multiply the rewards of travelling

She also offered the following tips for headlines, leads and branding.

HEADLINE TIPS

  • Use the ‘reporter’ voice
  • No unnecessary words
  • Identify the topic exactly
  • Begin your headline with a present-tense verb

LEAD TIPS

  • Don’t repeat the headline
  • Hook the audience
  • Use the ‘reporter’ voice
  • Ask a question
  • Use quick, short sentences
  • No small talk
  • Never begin with boring word “Whether…”

BRANDING TIPS

  • Less is more: 1 brand mention is powerful; 2 exact name mentions are risky; 3 repeats of the brand name are a waste of time (a branded URL is also a brand mention)
  • Quoting an authority allows opinion in the article – a natural path to branding. Quotes give articles a credible Two-Voice quality:
    1. The Reporter Voice: Delivers the topic; guides the article
    2. The Authority Voice: Gives tips (quoted, or tip-list) based on expertise; delivers the branded information
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