MEMBERS BLOG

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CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee Profile: Terrence Freeman, Vice President, External
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Meet your 2015/2016 Student Steering Committee!

Stay tuned for more Student Steering Committee profile postings in the coming weeks.

Terrence

Terrence Freeman

Humber College, Bachelor of Public Relations, fourth-year

Hello!

My name is Terrence Freeman – I am currently a fourth-year student studying towards my bachelor of public relations degree at Humber College. I moved to Toronto about six years ago to pursue post-secondary education in a city full of opportunities. I am looking forward to the new experiences my role as VP, external will bring.

Where are you from?

Hamilton, Ontario

Do you have any other post-secondary education?

I studied sociology for one year at Ryerson University.

What are you most excited for this year?

This year, I am most excited about our fall Passport to PR event! Having participated in last year’s Passport to PR event, I am excited to help plan an event that is able to provide so much insight for students.

What event did you enjoy the most last year?

Last year I most enjoyed the Passport to PR event. I had the opportunity to tour and learn about PR at Sears Canada and the Eaton Chelsea. The PR teams at both organizations provided lots of great insight.

Have you interned anywhere?

In the beginning of my PR program I interned at a boutique lifestyle-focused PR agency. The summer after my second year I worked at a lifestyle agency called Rock-It Promotions, supporting the agency’s annual Tastemakers gifting lounge at TIFF. Finally, this past summer after my third-year of school, I completed an internship at Metro (the grocery chain).

What is your dream job?

My dream job would be communications director of an international corporate consumer packaged goods company like Procter and Gamble or PepsiCo.

What do you do outside of school?

Outside of school, I work part time at a restaurant and enjoy spending time with friends while catching up with them over dinner.

Tell us something unexpected about yourself:

I’m a twin!

 

Find Terrence on:

Twitter: @itsterrence

LinkedIn: ca.linkedin.com/in/terrenceGfreeman

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2014/2015 Student Steering Committee Highlights
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  • From 2013 to 2015 membership increased by 79 per cent.

President’s Message:

The Student Steering Committee is dedicated to the professional development of aspiring PR practitioners. We offer events and opportunities to help PR students build a network, enhance their communication skills and create a community of thriving PR professionals.
I want to thank last year’s executive team: Arden Bagni, Katie Fraser and Cole Douglas for their amazing contributions these past three years and I am looking forward to continuing the great work and opportunities SSC has to offer to PR students in the GTA.
Thank you to all the students who supported and participated during last year’s SSC events, and I invite the returning and new students entering the 2015/2016 school year to our upcoming events. I only have high hopes for this committee and the new executive team I am hoping to establish this summer. 
If you are interested in being a part of the executive team please email your resume to cprsstudents@gmail.com.
It is going to be a great year in public relations and I cannot wait to share it with all of you.
Charzie Abendanio
President, CPRS Student Steering Committee
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CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee

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New benefits for members!
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There are now more benefits to being a member of CPRS Toronto. In addition to our recent partnership with Perkopolis, members now can enjoy major discounts from UPS and Law Assist. For more information on member benefits, please see visit the Benefits and Services section of the national website.

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Accreditation deadline is December 1 — Make 2015 the year you receive your APR!
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APR accreditation is one many ways to demonstrate to peers, colleagues and clients your vast experience and in-depth knowledge and reaffirm your commitment to the profession and professional development.

The Toronto Society and National office provide a variety of resources to help candidates achieve their designation including online study guides and local mentoring. It’s a self-directed program, but you’re never in it alone.

The application process is easy:

– Fill out the application form

– Update your resume to demonstrate your experience in PR

– Submit a one-page work sample overview (And if you applied for an ACE award in the past three years, you’re already ahead of the game!)

Click here for more details.

If you have any questions or would like to chat more about if APR is right for you in 2015, please email Jilda Lazer, APR at jildajilda@hotmail.com.

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Internship post: energi PR
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Practice makes perfect

 

Charzie and part of the energi team on National Ice Cream Day

Charzie and part of the energi team on National Ice Cream Day

 

Author: Charzie Abendanio

This summer I had the opportunity to intern at energi PR, a mid-size agency with offices in Toronto and Montreal. During my internship I was able to learn under professionals with extensive backgrounds in healthcare, travel and consumer public relations.

My experience at energi was not out of the ordinary from what other interns go through. I exercised practical and writing skills being taught in classrooms today, such as pitching to the media, blog writing and developing content for social media platforms.

The basic and most important attributes every student should have and develop, in my opinion, aren’t always tangible, new or revolutionary. They are basic concepts that need to be worked on daily with an opportunity to continuously improve them. Knowing your way around the areas I’ve listed below helped me accomplish the tasks and assignments given to me at my internship. Once my internship came to an end, I can say apart from the practical skills, I also learned many life skills which I will continue to use in school and in my future public relations career.

 

Charzie and the energi team at the Toronto Food Truck Alley on King

Charzie and the energi team at the Toronto Food Truck Alley on King

 

1. Practice your researching skills

I’ll be the first to admit my researching skills aren’t the greatest and I have a difficult time navigating the Internet to find the right information. I believe this is due to how much information is out there to filter through. One way to develop this skill is to research your own interests and hobbies, teaching you how to determine what good information is versus the most helpful.

2. Practice asking questions

In an ever changing industry like public relations you need to have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. If you are not asking questions you aren’t learning. In the summer I head the word “deck” almost every day and didn’t know what it meant. When I finally asked and learned it means a PowerPoint slideshow I realized there are many nuances in public relations I will come across in my career and may not understand them until I put aside my insecurities and pride to ask.

3. Practice your interpersonal skills

Three months may not be a long time but it is long enough to leave a lasting impression. When I first arrived at energi I wanted to get through the three months by doing my work and completing what was expected from me. I never realized I would work with people I continue to speak with to this day. The ability to listen and following direction, and work well in a team is a reflection of your personality. This leads me to my last and most important point.

4. Practice being you

The person who knows you the most is you! Being honest with yourself helps you become self-aware and contributes to your confidence. My second week I was asked to stand in front of everyone in the boardroom to discuss where I see myself in the industry and what I expected to take from my time at energi. I was so nervous but it gave me the ability to evaluate exactly what kind of PR practitioner I want to be while considering the steps I need to reach my goal.

Take a moment to evaluate yourself and discover your strengths and weaknesses. It can be a process but it allows you to explore who you are and helps direct you to where you want to be.

Charzie Abendanio is CPRS Toronto’s Vice President on the Student Steering Committee. She is a third year student in Humber’s Bachelor of Public Relations program. Find her on:

Twitter: @charziecastillo
LinkedIn

**We are always looking for student submissions! If you would like to contribute to the new student blog, please email Arden at cprsstudents@gmail.com.

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Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)
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The CAnti-Spam-canadaanadian Anti-Spam Legislation will come into force on July 1, 2014. How will this impact your business email communications and what do you need to do to be ready? Ensure you and your organization are compliant.
The webinar is given by Lorianne Weston, LL.B., B.C.L., Director of Accreditation and Education at the CPRS National Office. This is an expanded version of the presentation given at the ASCEND National Summit in Banff, AB.

This webinar will be archived for online viewing here.

 

 

 

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The Global Generally Accepted Practices (GAP) VIII study
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The Global Generally Accepted Practices (GAP) VIII study: 

Participate in an International Public Relations Survey

 

 COMPLETE THE SURVEY NOW!

 

Mount Saint Vincent University, in partnership with The Canadian Public Relations Society, is inviting you to participate in the Canadian arm of the Global Generally Accepted Practices (GAP) VIII study. You have been invited to complete this online survey because you are a senior level Public Relations practitioner located in Canada. The survey is funded by a research grant from The Communications + Public Relations Foundation.

The Global Generally Accepted Practices (GAP) VIII study runs every two years in the United States and is conducted by University of Southern California Annenberg Strategic Communication. This year USC has joined with Academic Partners in five countries to develop a global version of the survey. This survey is also being conducted in Brazil, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the USA.

The GAP VIII study:

  •  Provides the industry with practical information useful for PR practitioners to better manage the communication functions in their organizations.
  • Identifies best practices against which they can benchmark their own organizations.
  • Pinpoints trends to be aware of as they plan for tomorrow.

Thank you for participating in this study.

The MSVU Department of Communication Studies and Department of Business and Tourism team.

 

 

 COMPLETE THE SURVEY

 

©2013 Canadian Public Relations Society
346 – 4195 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON M8X 1Y4
Tel: 416-239-7034 Fax: 416-239-1076 admin@cprs.ca, www.cprs.ca

 

 

 

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Ascend 2014 – CPRS National Summit
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Ascend 2014 – CPRS National Summit

Are you up for the climb? CPRS wants to help you reach your professional peak through the many engaging and insightful workshop presentations and keynote speeches. Confirmed keynote speakers include: Scott Stratten, President, Un-Marketing; Anna Kapiniari, Strategic Communications, Canadian Space Agency; Gabe Zichermann, CEO, Gamification.co. To view the complete lineup of keynotes and workshops click here.

Take advantage of the early bird savings and register by Friday, March 21st, 2014!

 

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Call for Nominations for 2014-2015 Board
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CPRS Toronto members interested in serving on the board for the 2014-15 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 18.

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ACE Award Submission Tips: Get the inside scoop!
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This article was written by Shamique Bowes, ACE Awards Marketing Volunteer and public relations student at Humber College.

Recognition from your peers and being established as an industry leader: these are only a few of the many advantages to receiving an ACE Award. In order to reap these benefits, you must be ready to put effort into every round of the ACE Awards process and differentiate your campaign submission among the competition.

So how are you going to make your campaign submission stand out?

Dave Scholz, Co-chair of the ACE Awards judging team and Chief Marketing Officer at Leger, offered us a few tips on how to differentiate your campaign submission amongst the competition.

ACE AWARDS RUBRIC

The first thing to do is get a copy of the rubric used to rate each submission. The rubric is split into four sections:

  • Research
  • Action
  • Communication
  • Evaluation

Besides ensuring you have each category covered, make sure guidelines and criteria for each category are met.  All categories are equally important and must be well thought out, but entrants must pay special attention to the Research and Evaluation sections of their submission.

The judges are looking for your campaign to be results driven and need two crucial questions to be answered:

  1. “Did your results achieve your organizational objectives?”
  2. “What behavioural, attitudinal or cognitive change was there?’

Clearly explaining the goal and objectives of your campaign, and giving proof that you achieved them will answer these questions and show the judges why you deserve an ACE Award!

THE SMALL THINGS MATTER

By correcting and re-tailoring the small things in your submission, your submission will be simple and concise. You are not only eliminating extra work for yourself but directing the Judges’ focus to the critical aspects of your project. Here are a few “small things” to consider:

  • State key points and assumptions of the campaign clearly
  • Make your submission well organized and easy to follow
  • Proofread!
  • Cut the jargon and write economically

It is crucial to keep in mind that the judges are looking for quality, so don’t focus on the bells and whistles.

 

BEST IN SHOW PRESENTATIONS

The last round, which consists of a presentation, must be given the same amount of effort as your submissions.  To ensure a successful presentation you need to practice, practice, practice! Make sure your presentation is ready to roll out smoothly and that everyone participating knows their cues.

Also, have someone who wasn’t involved in the project ask questions to shake out any wrinkles and prepare yourself for the judges’ inspection. Nothing is worse than getting caught out by an unexpected question!

Follow these tips and get the inside track on how to complete your ACE Award submission with flying colours. Even though the ACE Awards are just around the corner, it’s not too late to apply! The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2014 by 5 pm.

 

Download the ACE Awards Rubric here
Download the ACE Awards Categories listing here

 

Still have questions? On January 30 Dave Scholz will be taking over @CPRSToronto for an #ACEAwards cram session Q&A. Last-minute questions when you’re putting together your binder? Tweet us! More details to follow.

What: ACE Awards Twitter Q&A
When: January 30, 2014 – Time TBD
Who: Dave Scholz, Chief Marketing Officer, Leger & ACE Judging Co-Chair
Where: Twitter (Send questions to @CPRSToronto)

GOOD LUCK IN YOUR PREPARATION!

 

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