MEMBERS BLOG

Submitted with credits to Business Wire Content Team  (CPRS Toronto Sponsor)

From Business Wire’s 60th anniversary to 2022 public relations predictions, we produced a strong library of blog content last year. Look back at our most popular pieces from the last three months of 2021, which include tips for writing and editing news releases, pitching, brainstorming and collaboration, and event publicity.  

Each blog post offers guidance and valuable insights to help you plan and execute your communications or publicity strategies this year. 

Read them all here – and don’t miss our 60 Tips and Trade Show Publicity guides.

Written By: Jennifer Smith, Student Representative, Humber College

 Last week, CPRS Toronto’s Student Steering Committee (SSC) hosted its signature bi-annual event, Passport to PR. During the three-day event, students from across Canada got the valuable opportunity to hear from and connect with seasoned PR professionals from within the industry. 

The event was divided thematically with each day dedicated to learning about a distinct area of PR. Students had the chance to get an up-close and personal look at a day in the lives of our guest speakers, making the event exciting and engaging.

Day One: Influencer Relations

On day one, we had the pleasure of hosting speakers from Veritas Communications, Faulhauber Communications, Shine Talent Group,  North Strategic and MSL Group. 

“What was particularly great about taking this thematic approach is our speakers took the time to bring their unique body of experiences and knowledge to their presentations which left our attendees with a full picture of each respective umbrella of PR,” said Luxshana Sivaneswaran, President of the Student Steering Committee.

They discussed the importance of strong relationships between PR pros and influencers, and the value that influencer marketing has to offer in today’s world. Highlights from day one included an in-depth discussion about the importance of strategy when collaborating with influencers, building trust and fostering the influencer-agency relationship for the long term. Do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when communicating with influencers were also touched upon.

Influencer Sarah Nicole Landry (@birdspapaya) also joined the conversation and provided a unique perspective on how influencers can benefit from channeling authenticity when publicly representing brands, and creating content that aligns with who they truly are. 

Day Two: Consumer PR

Day two was all about agency life, as APEX PR, Ruckus Digital, Edelman, Craft, and 1Milk2Sugars gave us a peek into successful consumer PR campaigns that were celebrated for their highly engaging and truly out-of-the-box ideas. Our guest speakers talked about the agency-client dynamic, and how truly listening to clients and understanding their needs can help create meaningful content that resonates with their consumers.

Various topics of discussion included the benefits of working in an agency, the significance of a client’s media training, and how to strategically design and deliver effective key messages for represented brands.

 Day Three: Government Relations

Town of Milton, Proof Strategies, Addictions & Mental Health Ontario, and Earnscliffe Strategies walked us through the many facets of government relations and why it’s an essential and exciting space in PR. It was an eye-opening event for students, as guest speakers busted common myths surrounding the government relations industry in the media landscape. 

We came to learn that working in the industry challenges you to sharpen your PR skill-set and offers great work-life balance. Government relations allows you to see the changes you make in real-time, and helps explore many different avenues of PR.

The CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee would like to thank our guest speakers and students for attending the event and receiving it so warmly. We hope that students found some valuable PR gems to carry with them on their professional journey!

If you attended Passport to PR, we want to hear from you! Please take a moment to fill out our survey for a chance to win tickets to our Spring edition of Passport to PR.

Follow our socials @CPRSstudents on Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, to hear more about upcoming events, guest speakers, industry information and contests.

By Sneha Lohtia, Student Representative, University of Guelph-Humber

Mark your calendars, your favourite event is back! CPRS Toronto’s Student Steering Committee is excited to host the much anticipated bi-annual Passport to PR event next week – and this time we’re switching things up a bit.  

We are going virtual for the second consecutive year and attendees can expect exclusive insight into the PR industry from the best the city has to offer. However, the SSC is taking a bit of a different approach.

“In the past, Passport to PR brought students behind the curtains of Toronto’s leading PR agencies,” said Luxshana Sivaneswaran, President of the Student Steering Committee. 

For the first time ever, Passport to PR will host three industry-specific days where each day will solely feature speakers that specialize in their respective stream of PR. 

“Public relations is a growing industry. It feels as though every day a new role that didn’t even exist just a few years ago is created to meet new demands,” said Luxshana. “I believed it would be a missed opportunity if we didn’t highlight a broader variety of pathways for students… which is why I thought students would find it more valuable if we segmented our event thematically and brought different perspectives to each area.”               

Day One: January 25

Attendees can expect a day of influencer relations on Tuesday, where they will hear from the best in the biz including two agencies with a broad influencer portfolio and an influencer management agency!

• Veritas Communications
• Faulhaber Communications
• Shine Talent Group + Sarah Landry 
• North Strategic

Day Two: January 26

Wednesday will be dedicated to consumer public relations and will include an exciting line-up of Toronto’s top agencies; 

• APEX/Ruckus Digital
• Edelman
• Craft PR 
• 1Milk2Sugars

Day Three: January 27

The event will wrap up on Thursday with a day of government relations that will feature insightful conversations from government PR professionals who work in provincial, municipal and agency. 

• Town of Milton
• Proof Strategies
• Ministry of Transportation
• Earnscliffe Strategies

“The idea is, whichever themes we don’t feature this term, we will in March,” says Luxshana.

All three days are guaranteed to provide a behind-the-scenes look into what life as a PR pro is like and offer some amazing opportunities to connect with the city’s top practitioners! 

“Looking forward to meeting the next cohort of Toronto’s top public relations talent and future of our industry,” said Nina Kalos, EVP and General Manager of Veritas Communications.

Attendees can register for the event and purchase tickets here. 

The Student Steering Committee is also hosting an Instagram giveaway for one ticket to a day of your choosing to the event. Enter here.

Don’t forget to follow the SSC on Instagram and Twitter to stay updated on the event and all things CPRS!

Submitted with credits to Business Wire Content Team  (CPRS Toronto Sponsor)

We asked experts from 17 PR agencies for their 2022 communications predictions and trends from 2021 they think will continue this year. Many touched on the continued impact of the pandemic, hybrid work models, and the importance of keeping focus on DE&I efforts. Other insights included:

• The necessity of multimedia content
• The importance of integrating PR pros with other departments
• The increasing influence of AI and other technologies on communications strategies
• The growth of freelance journalism and news influencers
• The usefulness of campaign analytics
• The continuing commitment to employee communications

See what each of these experts had to say and how these predictions can influence your 2022 planning.

By Ravjeet Singh, Student Representative, Ryerson University 

We hope you’ve come back from the winter break relaxed, reset and recharged for the new year. Mark your calendars because the Student Steering Committee is kicking off 2022 with an exciting lineup of events just for you!

January 13 – #GetHired: how to build a knockout internship application

New year, new resume? Are you ready to embark on your quest for internships? January is typically when recruitment for summer opportunities begins. 

If you want to make sure your application makes it to the final round, join us on January 13th at 6 p.m. on Zoom to brush up on your application and hear from a panel of HR experts who will talk about all things resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles ahead of your internship quest. Make sure you register to secure your spot! 

January 25-27 – Passport to PR (P2PR)

Our much-awaited bi-annual P2PR event will take place from January 25th to January 27th on Zoom from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. During the three-day event, students will get a chance to learn about a variety of interesting areas in PR each day: 

• Day 1 (Jan 25): Influencer relations
• Day 2 (Jan 26): Consumer public relations 
• Day 3 (Jan 27): Government relations 

Experienced PR practitioners will join us for the event to discuss all things PR, including providing an inside scoop on what it’s like to work at some of Toronto’s most celebrated PR organizations. Spots fill up fast for this event, so grab your ticket before it’s too late! 

February 15 – Ask the Interns

In February, we are bringing back the ‘Ask the Intern’ virtual chat event on popular demand, where you can ask a panel of interns all of your internship-related questions. Each intern will also be taking over our IG @cprsstudents for a day to show students a day in the life of a PR intern and interact and connect with you. More details to come. Stay tuned.

Throughout the year, SSC will be hosting exciting and engaging IG live events such as Trivia Tuesdays, Wellness Wednesdays and Instagram Story takeovers. Here, you will get a chance to interact with inspiring PR professionals and ask industry-related questions, so keep an eye out! 

We’d love to know what you want to see from the SSC in 2022. We’re conducting a short survey to inform our content strategy. Take 5 minutes to answer our questions and have a chance at winning a $25 VISA gift card.

Lastly, don’t forget to follow us @CPRSStudents on Twitter, Instagram and now TikTok to keep up with all things SSC and CPRS Toronto.

Written By: Luxshana Sivaneswaran, President, Student Steering Committee & Sneha Lohtia, Student Representative, University of Guelph-Humber

While this semester felt longer than usual, it also flew by in the blink of an eye. Many of us were probably counting down the days to when we can officially commence our winter break. 

Perhaps you’re someone who has all sorts of holiday traditions, social plans, and a growing list on Netflix slotted in your schedule ahead of you. Or, you could be someone who is thinking ahead to the winter semester. Between internships, and all those tasks that you told yourself you’d tackle in your time off, that brewing list is suddenly growing again. 

Everyone’s time off looks different. But as PR students, we at the Student Steering Committee argue the most effective breaks are those that strike a balance between getting the rest that you need, while keeping those creative juices flowing.

Here’s a list of five ways to relax, reset and recharge during the holidays:

1. Clean & declutter

Throw on a fun playlist or podcast and get to work. Cleaning and decluttering your physical space helps clear your mental space as well; it’s therapeutic and formalizes this ‘reset’. A great way for you to feel organized and at your best heading into the New Year!

2. Maintain a healthy sleep schedule

After all those all-nighters that were pulled, your bed probably looks VERY inviting. Catching-up on your sleep and maintaining a regular sleep routine will help ease the back to school transition in January. 

3. Set aside time for leisure

Now is the perfect time to enjoy all of the tasks and activities that you told yourself you’d get into once you had the time. Our Vice President, External, Sara Hopkinson, says that she has set a personal goal for herself to read at least two books during the break.

4. Learn a new skill or hobby

For those concerned with not being able to flex their creative muscle as much during their time off, challenging yourself to learn a new skill or hobby might be just what you need. Check out fun DIY projects that interest you, or LinkedIn Learning to learn a skill that you could add to your arsenal. 

5. Reflect and set goals

Journaling or writing about the past twelve months is a great way to reflect on your favourite (and not-so favourite) parts of the year. The reflection helps create a great foundation as you look to set new goals for yourself. Here are some writing prompts to get you started.

On behalf of the CRPS Toronto Student Steering Committee, we congratulate you on completing the Fall semester and hope that these tips help you truly relax, reset, and recharge during your break. 

We can’t wait to share our BIG plans for you in the New Year; in the meantime, don’t forget to follow us @CPRSStudents on Twitter, Instagram and most recently, Tik Tok (!!) to keep up with things SSC and CPRS Toronto!

Written By: Business Wire Content Team

As the year comes to an end, we look forward to spending more time with friends and family, giving thanks, and winding down. However, the news cycle doesn’t slow down. Many organizations are sharing announcements, year-end recaps, predictions for the new year, and more.

In our recent blog post, Business Wire’s Kathleen Meyer offers tips on how to effectively prepare your company’s end-of-year news, including:

• Researching ideal reporters to pitch 
• Being strategic about send time 
• Having a compelling, catchy headline 
• Being clear and concise 
• Sharing any relevant data 
• Formatting for easy readability 

Read the full post on Business Wire’s blog.

By Janine Allen and Kate Morris

All good relationships are built on trust.

In the PR business, we value the currency of trust we hold inside the industry and on behalf of our clients. Our core job is to build and protect reputation. We assess data and establish credible information that profiles our clients as thought leaders. We connect with the most important stories of the day to provide expert insight and commentary. 

There is however one area of our day-to-day operations that is essential and so thoroughly trusted that we sometimes overlook its value: media relations. To us, traditional media is the gold standard of trustworthiness. In our Kaiser & Partners staff meetings and on our Slack channels, staff constantly exchange the news of the day; we follow journalists the way other people follow their friends on social. We have the utmost respect for the tireless work of Canadian journalists.   

In 2020, when the US elections were wrapping up and the pandemic was becoming a fixture in our lives, we decided to survey Canadians to understand how their trust and consumption of media – both traditional and social – might be shifting. Anecdotally, we were aware that current events had changed the way people were consuming media and getting information, but we wondered if there were also changes in their levels of trust towards it? With so much important news coming out of regional public health authorities and governments, we wanted to understand where people were getting pandemic-related information and whether they found it credible. 

The 2020 survey supported our assumptions. When faced with a generational blow like the pandemic, Canadians increasingly turned to broadcast, online newspapers and magazines for the facts and information that matters most. 

In our second annual survey this October, we found that while respondents indicated that they had returned to more traditional news sources, they remain skeptical of the credibility of those same outlets. 

Of the 1509 respondents, 25 per cent reported consuming more broadcast television news than before the pandemic, while 22 per cent reported that they are reading more online news from established daily newspapers and magazines than they were in 2019. Surprisingly, Canadians between 18 to 34 reported the highest increases (28 per cent) in consumption of established media. 

While year-over-year, trust in the credibility of all news sources declined, there were positive notes. Established news media (newspapers, online newspapers, broadcast news and radio) was still regarded as the most credible source of information (55 per cent) by respondents, followed by public health agencies (51 per cent) and government news (42 per cent). Public health agencies gained some reputation points with Canadians as 59 per cent consider content from these organizations to be more credible because of the pandemic. 

It comes as no surprise that social media platforms have a serious reputation problem. Our study shows data consistent with what has been reported on disinformation on social platforms, and it also shows that Canadians are becoming wise to it. Social media was reported as the least credible source of information by 73 per cent of respondents, while crowd-sourced platforms such as Reddit and Quora were the second least credible, at 45 per cent. 

Broken down by demographics, 78 per cent of Canadians aged 55 or older found social media less trustworthy than they had before the pandemic. Seventy-four per cent of those between 35 and 54 reported social media as less trustworthy as a result of the pandemic, while 66 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 reported a similar decrease in trust. The info-demic has affected public perceptions of media of all kinds, and that has not gone unnoticed by Canadians using social media.

Reputation is the currency of public relations. As advisors to our clients, we must hold ourselves to the highest standard of truth and information, facilitating our clients’ ability to share fact-based opinions and data-backed news with the public through trusted media sources. As we advise clients on communications strategies for the post-pandemic world, where new information and policy will likely continue to evolve more rapidly than before, we can now argue for the connection between credibility, reputation and trust in our tactics. Our survey shows that media relations is still the gold-standard for trust and credibility. Our profession, when held to the highest ethical standard, has a responsibility to facilitate the work of journalists by preserving that trust. 

-30- 

Janine Allen, president and partner at Kaiser & Partners, is a seasoned senior communications advisor for clients across all the agency’s industry sectors. As president, she also oversees and has responsibility for the overall operations and strategic direction for the agency.

Kate Morris is a recent graduate of the Centennial College corporate communications and public relations program and is the fall intern at Kaiser & Partners. She holds degrees from McGill, the University of Glasgow and Oxford University and has extensive experience working as a researcher, writer and editor.

Written by: Scott Baradell, CEO, Idea Grove, in Collaboration with Business Wire (CPRS Toronto Sponsor)

Even the best writing needs editing. Drawing from his own experience as a journalist, PR executive, and agency owner, Scott Baradell, Idea Grove CEO, explains that the most important edits are those we make to our own work. 

Baradell advises communicators to take the time to carefully review their work before submitting for client and internal approval, and elaborates on the following nine tips to prepare your press release for newswire distribution:

• Set aside time for editing at the outset. 
• Give it a fresh read, from beginning to end. 
• Revisit the original assignment. 
• Scan for “weasel” words and buried ledes. 
• Review tone, voice and style. 
• Scrutinize the use of jargon. 
• Trim the superlatives.  
• Check your facts — all of them.  
• Give it a proofread — a human one. 

Check out the full blog here. 

Written by: Matt Yuyitung, Communications Coordinator, NeighbourLink North York & Outreach Manager, The Pigeon

Have you ever found yourself in a position where your media pitch just isn’t landing? You’ve worked so hard and you feel you have the perfect story but you keep striking out? Never fear – I’ve asked five different journalists from a range of Canadian publications to share their own advice to help you craft the perfect pitch. 

“The biggest thing that I look for from a publicist’s pitch is some level of familiarity with what I write about and what the publication covers. I know that if a publicist is pitching me, they’re probably pitching 50 other writers and editors (as they should), but any specific reference to my and Exclaim!‘s previously published stories shows me that I’m not just another stop on their PR blitz, but someone who they genuinely think will connect with their pitch. 

“Ideally, the pitch would summarize the key points of the story, offer some context and continuity for the publication and provide suggestions for secondary points that can pad out the story or that might fit with other content ideas. It’s great to know that there’s some level of flexibility for the story to fit the publication’s needs, rather than regurgitating the same key points that might lead us to publish the same story as another outlet. Most editors and writers are looking for some level of uniqueness to help us stand out, and any intel and guidance from the publicist that can help uncover an interesting, distinctive angle can really help determine whether or not to pursue a story — plus, it helps me build a relationship and a level of trust with a publicist for future stories. That particular technique has led to some long-lasting professional connections and even friendships!

“Common mistakes I’ve noticed include going to one of my colleagues after I’ve already passed on a pitch (spoiler alert: I always consult the other editors when turning a pitch down) or demanding a particular level of coverage (e.g. a cover story or major print feature), particularly when we don’t have a working relationship. And, of course, there are the little things, like getting the publication’s name, location and focus wrong; I try to be understanding when it’s clearly a cut-and-paste error (I get it, we’re only human), but if a publicist calls me Bob, that’s a really great way for me to completely ignore a pitch.”  

– Matt Bobkin, Features Editor, Exclaim! 

“I’d say first of all that PR folks should really understand someone’s beat before they pitch. If you pitch me a mental health related story but it’s about something in the U.S. or in B.C., I am likely going to ignore it. My mandate, as shown by my bio on our website, is clearly the GTA and/or mental health issues that affect Canadians broadly.

“Also, any pitches that are too niche without wide appeal or consequence for a huge number of people will usually get turned away. If you’re pitching me about a very niche fundraising project, chances are I will ignore it. But if the fundraising project is tied to a bigger issue that affects a large portion of the city for ‘X’ reason, then I’d be more inclined to follow-up.

“However, PR pitches that also make a point to say they’d put me in touch with someone with lived experience on ‘X’ issue tend to help a lot more and I’d be more likely to respond because you’ve helped me with one of the biggest challenges of writing stories: finding a face.”

– Nadine Yousif, Mental Health Reporter, The Toronto Star

“Develop a relationship. There are emails I will pay more attention to not because of what is in the subject, but because of who it is from. That relationship comes with experience. Show that you know not just their beat, but also their particular interests, writing style and deadlines. 

“I think it is always a great idea to have real people ready to interview. Journalists always strive to include the voices of real human beings with lived experiences or who are otherwise affected by whatever news they are writing about, but sometimes the pace of daily news can make finding those people a challenge.”

– Joanna Smith, Ottawa Bureau Chief, The Canadian Press

“Do your research! I’m sure this seems obvious, but I get a lot of pitches addressed to a name entirely different from my own, or that pitch a Calgary-based story despite the fact I moved to Toronto months ago, or that don’t even bother with a name and address me as ‘Dear newsroom.’

“With some exceptions I would hazard a guess that most reporters aren’t interested in pitches about a singular company, product, launch, etc. What I mean is this: A pitch about a cannabis company opening a new store in Toronto is not something I would write about, unless there was something really significant about that store opening. What I would write about — and did write about — is the fact that Toronto is getting a TON of new cannabis stores recently. If a PR person had pitched me that story, and offered their client, a new cannabis store, to interview, that would have been a yes. In other words, I’m looking for a story, not an announcement. I’m not here to do free advertising for the sake of writing an article,     . 

“Similar to the above, I’m not a fan of pitches that offer up an interview with someone — say an industry expert, or a company CEO — about a topic, but without an actual story attached. If something happens in the news and one of those people is well-qualified to comment on that event, then that pitch becomes very timely. I often add those people to a list of expert sources available for comment. But without a news hook, it’s probably not happening — unless you’re offering up someone uber-famous and hard to get. 

“It’s great when PR pitches reference a previous story of yours to explain why they’re pitching you a story. It’s not great when that story is from when you had a different job. For example, I used to report on Calgary. Now, I report on business — national, with a Toronto focus. So if a PR pitch begins with a reference to a story I wrote before I got this new job, I doubt it’s going to be successful. It’s not difficult to find a journalist’s current job and location, we usually keep that on Twitter. 

“I don’t like getting pitches on platforms other than my work email. I’m talking mostly Twitter and LinkedIn, as I haven’t received pitches on other platforms (though I do occasionally receive them to my personal email, which I do not recommend!). If I get a pitch on Twitter or LinkedIn, and it sounds interesting, I’ll ask the person to email me.”

– Rosa Saba, Business Reporter, The Toronto Star

“I receive hundreds of PR pitches a day and, from my personal experience, I feel that I can say most reporters/journalists out there are not looking to write content that sounds advertorial (there is a whole niche of writers who DO write advertorial content, but that’s a different ballgame). 

“So, if you’re writing me a pitch, I want to know WHY your product/event/company matters to my audience at this exact moment in time and space. I don’t want a pitch that is just telling me something is launching because I can’t write that — it would read like a paid advertisement. But, if you create a narrative of how your story fits into the larger picture and why we need to know about it in today’s world, that’s great. 

“For example, if you’re pitching a new flavour of cookies and you send me an email saying ‘Hey! On Monday, ‘X’ Cookies are launching!’ I will pretty much instantly delete that because there’s no real way for me to easily spin that into a relevant news story without doing a ton of work on it. 

“However, if you’re pitching me the same product, but you do your research and crafted a strategic angle like the owners of the companies has a really captivating life story and you lead with that, or maybe Toronto is currently experiencing a chocolate chip shortage, but this cookie company defeated all odds then, you’ve successfully set up the writer with a pre-crafted newsworthy narrative.

“And last but certainly not least, include quotes, photos — anything that creates a narrative!”

– Abby Neufeld, Digital Journalist, CTV      

In a nutshell: build relationships, know who you’re pitching, provide high-res photos and sources – and most importantly help the journalist understand what makes your story idea so compelling. This is your opportunity to really sell why your story deserves attention, so make sure you make it count!

If you’d like to read more on working with media, we encourage you to check out some past CPRS Toronto blog pieces below and follow us on social media for regular industry updates.

• How to write the right quote for your press releases
• Tips for securing top earned media coverage despite the changes in the media landscape