MEMBERS BLOG

March feels like a fitting time to talk about renewal and momentum, two themes that resonate strongly in communications today. For this month’s In Conversation With blog series, we connected with Tanya Bevington, Chief Communications Officer at IKEA Canada. With more than two decades of experience spanning public affairs, brand positioning, and strategic communications, Tanya has seen firsthand how the role of PR has evolved from a support function to a strategic leadership driver. As a member of the Canadian management team, she brings a business-first perspective to communications, ensuring reputation, culture, and strategy move in lockstep.

We spoke with Tanya about the growing importance of purpose-led storytelling, the central role of trust in brand building, and why communications must be clearly connected to measurable business outcomes. From navigating change at the leadership table to embracing AI thoughtfully and strengthening employee engagement, here is what she had to share.

How has your role as a PR practitioner evolved in recent years?

I’ve seen a tremendous amount of change over my 25-year career in communications, especially in the last decade. The biggest shift has been seeing communications evolve from more of a support function to a true strategic partner that actively shapes business direction and outcomes. More organizations are recognizing that communications should be at the leadership table – shaping decisions, guiding strategy, and helping the business navigate change and complexity.

In my role at IKEA Canada, I sit on the management team, which allows me to view communications through the lens of the entire business. That 360° view ensures our work isn’t just about messaging, but about connecting communications to business goals, culture, customer experience, and long-term brand building.

That said, PR/communications can no longer rely on media impressions alone. We need data and insights that clearly connect our work to business outcomes — whether that’s through sales, visitation, engagement, or sentiment. Demonstrating impact through measurable KPIs has become essential.

What major shifts have you seen in the PR profession, and how are they shaping your work today?

A major shift I’ve seen is the growing importance of a brand or company communicating its purpose and values, as people increasingly choose to shop with, or work for brands that align with their own personal values. At IKEA, being a purpose-led organization is core to who we are, and we’ve found that telling those stories authentically helps differentiate us and build deeper emotional connection. This has meant moving beyond traditional PR to more impactful storytelling, using our own channels to share richer, more emotive stories, empowering our coworkers as brand ambassadors, and partnering with creators and content platforms to extend our reach. Brands today have more control over their narrative than ever before, and we’re leaning into that in a meaningful and intentional way.

Trust has become one of the most valuable assets any brand can hold, and it must be continuously earned. For us, trust is both operational, reflected in whether we deliver on our promises and meet customer expectations, and societal, rooted in the positive contributions we make to our communities and the world. While trust enables organizations to navigate challenges more effectively, it can also be fragile and takes time to rebuild, which is why so much of our work is focused on nurturing transparency, integrity, and accountability so that IKEA remains a loved and trusted brand.

Looking ahead, what trends or changes do you think will define the role of PR practitioners in the future?

AI is clearly transforming how we work. While authenticity must remain at the heart of communication, AI can help streamline tactical tasks, surface insights, and create efficiencies — freeing communicators to focus on strategy, creativity, and judgment. The opportunity now is to leverage AI in a responsible way, that adds value, while preserving the human voice of a company’s brand.

Another area where I see a growing need, and often a gap, is internal communication and employee engagement. Companies increasingly recognize that engaged employees create better customer experiences, build stronger loyalty, and drive higher performance. As the nature of work continues to evolve, effective internal communication must be personalized, accessible across both digital and physical environments, relevant to multiple generations, and clearly aligned with an organization’s strategy. It’s an area that many organizations are now investing in more deeply, understanding that strong employee connection is essential to overall business success.

What is your biggest piece of advice for PR practitioners moving forward?

Choose work that sparks your passion. PR requires creativity, energy, and a deep commitment to the stories you tell, and it’s much easier to bring your best when you believe in what you’re doing. As a busy, working mother of three, I’m intentional about spending my time in a place where I’m growing, inspired, and contributing to something meaningful. That alignment has been key to both my success and my fulfillment.

About CPRS Toronto’s In Conversation With blog series

Once a month, the In Conversation With series spotlights voices from across the communications field, featuring leaders and rising professionals who share their perspectives on industry trends, the future of the profession, and their own career journeys. These conversations aim to inspire, inform, and highlight the diverse experiences shaping the future of public relations.

If you would like to share your story or nominate a colleague, please contact us at communications@cprstoronto.com.

The Communicator’s Guide to Responsible AI Chatbot Deployment: 7 Key Considerations

By Tanvi Singhal

Businesses are increasingly experimenting with AI, with over 88 percent regularly using it in at least one business function. Salesforce estimates that 30% of customer service cases today are handled by AI, and predicts it to rise to over 50% by 2027.

In the near future, AI chatbots will likely become a necessity rather than a novelty. The chatbot would be the first point of interaction with the brand for more customers, serving as the company’s digital ambassador. Therefore, it is essential to acknowledge the critical role of marketing and communications in the successful deployment of an AI chatbot and to involve them as core team members from the very beginning.

Here are 7 things marketing and communications professionals need to pay attention to for the effective and responsible deployment of AI chatbots and for mitigating reputational risks.

1. Design a Detailed Personality

Just as with other brand assets, chatbots should reflect the brand’s colours, voice, and tone to maintain coherence and build trust. Building the chatbot’s personality with detailed guidelines specifying the tone of the responses (such as serious, witty, creative or precise), the words to use and those to filter out, the length of the responses, the use of emojis and slang, ensures its responses align with the brand’s values and business. Not doing this could lead to misalignment and even damage to the brand. For example, a cheerful and enthusiastic chatbot could work well for a vacation-planning agency but would be a disaster for a hospital’s appointment-booking chatbot. Financial businesses would want to avoid slang and emojis and keep responses precise.

2. Mitigate Anthropomorphism Risk

While we speak about assigning a personality to the bot for brand consistency, it is crucial to remember that the purpose of the chatbot is not to make users believe it is human, but to enable customers to use more natural, human language while seeking the information they need.

Humans naturally tend to anthropomorphize, that is, to assign human traits to non-human entities such as animals and even computers. Therefore, it is not enough for the business to avoid making the chatbot human-like. Steps should be taken proactively to mitigate the risk that the chatbot will be perceived as human, as this could raise serious ethical concerns and breach trust. These steps include:

• Avoid giving the chatbot a realistic human name or mascot that could mislead users. Depending on the purpose, some organizations might give their chatbots specific names while others might use clear identifiers like “Virtual Assist,” “Guide,” or “Support Bot.”
• Whenever the user initiates the chatbot, a clear and conspicuous message should be displayed that it is an AI-powered virtual assistant, to avoid misleading users into thinking they are speaking with a human.
• Some policy initiatives also recommend periodic reminders that the chatbot is non-human, which could be a good idea when prolonged conversations can be expected, stretching to several hours, especially when they involve emotional aspects or consequential decisions, or when the user is known to be a minor.

3. Rely on a Controlled Database

It is recommended to use RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), which means the chatbot relies solely on information provided by the enterprise and thus offers greater control over its content, grounding responses in the company’s own documentation. RAG significantly reduces “hallucinations,”  so the bot is less likely to fabricate information and can be configured to answer with ‘I don’t know’ when the required information is not available in the source database.

RAG is a safe framework for AI chatbots, but it requires consistent, regular updates to the source content. A practical approach could be to use the website as the source content, avoiding the need to update multiple sources and documents. Outdated information is worse than no information. Sharing outdated pricing, old policies, or discontinued services is a customer-service nightmare. Assign clear ownership for content maintenance and set regular review schedules.

4. Monitor and Optimize Continuously

AI chatbots need constant monitoring and refinement. This means regularly evaluating the most frequently asked questions and making them more accessible, for instance, by placing them as ready prompts in the chatbox. Custom responses for questions that might not have been anticipated earlier but are commonly asked have to be fed into the ‘brain’ of the bot regularly to increase its accuracy. This ongoing approach to monitoring, evaluation, and improvement ensures continuous refinement. Over time, the chatbot should become smarter and more helpful, but human supervision cannot be dispensed with.

5. Maintain Transparency and Trust

Disclose whether the conversation is being recorded and, if so, how the data would be used, for example, for training and improvement or for greater personalization for the customer. Give users the option to opt in or out of data collection and make those preferences easy to review and change. It is also important to work with legal and cybersecurity teams to ensure that chatbot’s data practices, such as how long conversations are stored, what data is collected, and who can access chat logs, comply with applicable regional laws and regulations, and align with your organization’s internal policies, while avoiding the collection of unnecessary or sensitive information.

6. Build in Safeguards for Sensitive Industries

If you’re deploying a chatbot for an organization handling sensitive information, such as a bank or a healthcare provider, explicitly warn users against sharing confidential data like account details, SIN numbers, passwords, or other confidential data in the chat. By training users not to share sensitive information in chat interfaces, you are also creating awareness for your customers that benefits them even beyond your platform.

7. Respect the Human Preference

Businesses should acknowledge that many users still prefer or need to speak with a human agent and respect their preference. Offer the option to connect with a human representative clearly and up front. Making users fight their way through multiple bot interactions before they can speak to a person will only lead to frustration and annoyance. Forcing everyone through the bot first might seem efficient, but it can alienate users and impact customer satisfaction.

The bottom line

A customer-facing chatbot represents the organization in thousands of daily interactions. Therefore, deploying an AI chatbot is a decision that requires heavy communications involvement to protect the brand image and reputation.

The technology will evolve, but organizations must not lose sight of the essence of an AI chatbot, which is, to make information retrieval faster and more accessible, not to replace human agents. Keep humans in the loop, maintain transparency, respect privacy, and trust user judgment when they say they need to “speak to a person”.

Tanvi Singhal is a communications and brand strategist with experience spanning the public sector, energy, infrastructure, cultural, and education domains. Her current focus is the responsible and effective use of AR, VR, and AI to drive engagement and innovation. A lifelong learner with an MBA from MICA, India, and a Master of Digital Media from Toronto Metropolitan University, she is driven by curiosity and creativity.

What PR Can Learn From TTC’s Line 5 Delays?

By Sanjeev Wignarajah

It feels familiar, doesn’t it? A glimmer of good news brings optimism to riders, only to shatter into a million pieces when something goes awry. The 25 stop, 19 kilometre transit line goes from Kennedy Station to the east and Mount Dennis to the west. The infamous TTC’s Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown LRT is the perfect PR case study of crisis communications and reputation recovery, social sentiment, transparency and trust-building, and stakeholder collaboration. PR professionals can learn from these lessons when a future transit line arrives in their city and what steps can be used to prevent it from happening.

Memes & Social Sentiment

Line 5 has become the receiving end of endless memes and jokes, albeit in conversation when said transit line is almost ready to open, which leads to a laugh riot or when an impossible idea like the Toronto Maple Leafs ending their Stanley Cup drought or NBA superstar LeBron James retiring from the NBA. That and the famous ‘We got [Insert something] before GTA VI.’ Jokes aside, it does bring awareness of how a transit project can be delayed for years with billions of dollars over budget and how businesses have been impacted by construction.

Crisis Management & Reputation Recovery

When something happens on Line 5:

• Technical issues
• Supply chain issues
• Small businesses shutting down because of construction
• Construction issues

It’s the job of a transit agency to answer the questions from the public and the media. In this case, hearing complaints from residents, riders, and business owners along Eglinton Avenue be it compensation from construction activity, traffic, and long. Metrolinx has received a lot of flack from these issues. Despite having provided updates on these issues when former CEO Phil Verster provided a three month update rather than a monthly update on the project. People do question whether the line will be open at some point.

Stakeholder Collaboration

For a project like the Eglinton Crosstown, which makes up businesses and residents along the route. What worked was putting notices on the project’s website to inform what work is needed in a certain neighbourhood for the duration of time, scope of work, and traffic impact and mitigation. It’s a lot of moving parts to create a new transit line that can make Torontonian’s lives a lot easier to travel seamlessly.

Transparency and Trust-Building

Transparency and trust-building are the key ingredients when it comes to building and expanding transit like Eglinton. What worked given the scope of the project is providing notices on the project’s website and on social media. What needs to be improved is transparency and trust-building. Earning back trust will take over time given the amount of delays the project faced.

Final Stop – Terminal Station

What PR professionals should takeaway from this:

• Be upfront to the public on why the line has been delayed
• Collaborate with construction consortiums on the project timeline and work with business owners on how the project
• Use social media to provide updates on the project from one section of the line to the next and so on and so forth
• Host town halls on the project update
• Inform the CEO and the team on the updates and provide a clear date when it is safe to open the line

Torontonians need transit expansion to serve more communities and to travel further, but it shouldn’t have to be hampered by delays at the expense of residents, business owners, and riders.

Sanjeev Wignarajah is a freelance writer and photographer working with select clients and publications. He has a background in journalism and public relations from Centennial College.

Inside the Classroom: How Digital Learning Is Shaping the Next Generation of Communications Professionals

By Samiha Fariha

As Digital Learning Day returns on February 26, it offers a timely moment to reflect on how technology is reshaping not just how we work, but how we learn. For those entering the communications profession today, digital fluency is no longer a bonus skill — it’s foundational. From generative AI to data-driven insight, the tools shaping communications practice are evolving quickly, and classrooms are being challenged to evolve just as fast.

To mark the day, we connected with Andrea Tavchar, Ph.D., APR, Professor in Humber Polytechnic’s Bachelor of Public Relations program, whose work sits at the intersection of education, technology, and the future of the communications profession. Andrea is focused on helping students build strong foundational skills while thoughtfully integrating emerging tools into the learning experience.

We spoke with Andrea about how communications education is responding to generative AI, how data and social listening are changing the way audiences are understood, and why trust, ethics, and lifelong learning remain essential as the profession continues to evolve. From balancing technology with human judgment to preparing students for a rapidly changing industry, here is what she had to share.

From your vantage point in PR education, which emerging technologies are most reshaping the communications profession right now and how is the classroom keeping pace with those shifts?

Generative AI is impacting the practice of PR and, by extension, PR education. We know that the PR industry is embracing generative AI in a variety of ways, including improving productivity, predicting trends and risk detection, summarizing data and drafting content, for example. As a result, it’s important that those of us who teach PR are also incorporating the tools in classroom learning. This is complicated because it’s essential that we also teach core PR skills such as writing, content creation and research. The challenge is how to integrate generative AI in the learning without compromising key skill development.

One way that I have integrated AI into the PR learning process is by teaching students about effective prompt writing, having them generate an AI draft and then working on “humanizing” the content to reflect accurate information, cite reliable sources, add human/authentic anecdotes and insights and to write in a conversational tone. The students are then asked to reflect on the experience of using generative AI in the content creation process.

Other faculty are incorporating AI in other ways, often as a tool to edit content after it was written organically. An important skill we’re all teaching is critical thinking to ensure the gen AI content is free from bias, accurately cites sources and is timely and relevant. These are areas where gen AI can still improve. And these are also ways we can tell if students are overly reliant on gen AI outputs rather than their own research and writing skills.

As AI and automation become more embedded in communications work, what broader implications do you see for strategy, creativity, and ethical decision-making in PR?

When consulting my colleagues in industry, they confirm that generative AI is changing the way they work. They talk about using gen AI for productivity improvements, aiding in media monitoring and analysis, and summarizing data, among other things. They also share that gen AI aids in brainstorming and drafting content. However, the overwhelming message I’m also hearing is that the final draft of any content produced must sound human. And, the act of humanizing content is becoming an important skill, moving forward. A colleague of mine, Yvette Elliott, an AI marketing consultant (among many other things), has a useful checklist she shared with my students that recommends incorporating localized references, real-life anecdotes and conversational language into your writing.

From an ethical perspective, it’s important for AI to be used transparently, with PR practitioners expected to disclose any generative AI use. In the process, practitioners should also ensure that the tool maintains data privacy and avoids bias. Some useful tools include the CPRS and CIPR’s Ethics Guide to Artificial Intelligence in PR, which outlines a decision-making framework to assess ethical risks, including bias, misinformation and consent. Other good resources that I came across while studying for my APR last fall include Luttrell and Wallace’s Public Relations and the Rise of AI and the newest edition of David Meerman Scott’s The New Rules of Marketing and PR, which features a chapter on AI for marketing and PR.

In your experience, how has the rise of data, analytics, and social listening changed the way PR professionals should think about audience insight and engagement?

Since the inception of social networking sites in the mid-2000s, we have seen PR practitioners improving their ability to measure their communication outputs. K.D. Paine’s frequently quoted catchphrase – measure what matters – has guided practitioners to track social media analytics and listen to audience sentiment through online comments. And today, practitioners have elevated their expectations of online content performance, striving for online engagement and community building over vanity metrics. The result has been more targeted and personalized communication that is intended to gain stakeholder trust and improve brand reputation. Generative AI is further challenging practitioners who now need to create content for generative engine optimization, which means being findable for generative AI platforms.

With trust under pressure and disinformation becoming more sophisticated, how can technology be used responsibly to strengthen transparency and authenticity in communications?

What I’m reading and hearing from practitioners today points to the need for organizations to focus on both owned and earned content creation. Producing high quality owned content versus vs large quantities of content can build a pipeline of useful, accurate and reliable content that can be scraped by generative AI platforms. Ideally, this ensures that the gen AI results spotlight the organization in a positive way. I’m also learning that we’re seeing a move from SEO to GEO (or generative engine optimization), which encourages us, among other things, to get third-party endorsements for our content (which is valued by the gen AI platforms). This is obviously easier said than done – and it will be interesting to see if the strategies practitioners employ to accomplish this vary from the traditional news releases and influencer partnerships. The bottom line is that businesses themselves need to ensure that quality content exists to strengthen transparency and reinforce authenticity of their brands.

How do you see collaboration between academia and industry evolving as digital tools and platforms continue to change at a rapid pace?

Through the process of studying for my APR last fall, I realized how much the PR industry values communication theory. CPRS’s APR process showed me that practitioners are expected to embrace theoretical frameworks as learning tools, which inevitably contributes to the greater development of PR as a profession, making it a more strategic practice. In turn, it also equips practitioners to be lifelong learners, and better prepared to face rapidly changing technologies.

In turn, I’ve witnessed how much industry values the academic perspective through their support of our PR students. Industry recognizes the importance of PR training in the knowledge and skills required to be a successful practitioner in the PR profession. Theoretical knowledge can lead to higher levels of strategic thinking through effective research and critical analysis. Understanding theory is important to widen options in professional careers. The industry support we see on our student thesis nights speaks to the degree to which academic background enriches the practice of PR.

Looking ahead, what mindset or capabilities will be most critical for communications professionals navigating the next wave of digital transformation?

As long as practitioners embrace life-long learning they’ll be set for success. Whether that means taking a course, signing up for a webinar, reading a blog or subscribing to a Substack newsletter, practitioners need to keep up with the pace of change. Edelman’s Trust Barometer does a great job providing an annual pulse check to the industry, and many practitioners contribute to the collective learning through insightful LinkedIn posts (for example). I think it’s important to be intentional in your learning – find time in your week or month to follow opinion leaders in your sector and keep in touch with colleagues. Attending the annual CPRS conference can be another way to stay up to speed. Staying current is key and that’s something we teach our students. Another way to be of service is to volunteer as a guest speaker or client in one of our classes. It’s a priceless experience for the students and is a good way to keep you on your toes!

Samiha Fariha is the current Communications Chair on CPRS Toronto’s Board, a Senior Associate at Golin’s Toronto office, and a professor in The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Toronto Metropolitan University. She brings a strong focus on media relations, content strategy, and digital communications, informed by her experience in both agency and academic settings.

The PR Playbook for the 98th Academy Awards

By Sanjeev Wignarajah

The 98th Academy Award nominations were announced a week ago and Sinners leads the all-time record with 16 nominations. Last year’s Oscars was one of the strongest. We need to look at how studios leverage marketing campaigns for their respective films to be nominated from the film festival circuit to awards season and what PR firms can learn from them to create campaigns that are unique in their own right.

PESO Model

The PESO Model® is a communications framework created by Gini Dietrich and shared with the industry via Creative Commons. Learn more about the model on the Spin Sucks blog: https://spinsucks.com/communication/peso-model/.

 Earned Media – Festival Buzz

Much of the 10 nominated films for Best Picture at the 98th Academy Awards received Oscar buzz thanks to the press and the Academy Motion Picture of Arts and Sciences voting committee. These reviews perk up interest for Film Twitter, film insiders, and movie goers that see the film at a film festival. Both Letterboxd and Film Twitter go hand in hand as each film gets glowing reviews from the community, which translates to word of mouth and a reason to go see it on the big screen. The same can be said for independent journalists who cover movies.

Shared Media – Social Media Reactions

Long before social media when a movie was great, people would tell their friends and family about it. Flash forward to now, a review can be in the form of a tweet or a YouTube video. Platforms like Letterboxd have changed the way the film industry used to be, not just a digital film diary but as a way to connect with other cinephiles while logging their film reviews. Independent content creators and podcasters specializing in movies would gain access to red carpet interviews and press junkets to interview the cast and crew about the movie.

The key takeaway…social media clippings and online news articles are your new best friend.

Spotlight Strategy

Studios go into the drawing board on how they will campaign a few of their films once the festival circuit is over. Instead of the traditional billboard campaign of years past and somewhat of a full on magazine spread. Studios would allocate a certain budget to spend on the Oscar campaign through different platforms.

The key takeaway is to utilize social media platforms and analytics to track the progression of the campaign from paid media to shared media.

And The Oscar Goes To…

What PR agencies and firms can learn from this is to craft a campaign that is unique and meaningful that ties into their client and to form a story around the message. As social media evolves into content driven with influencers collaborating with brands forming a story around a particular product. Agencies are going through the social media route not only to share their campaign with their respective client. In the post-strike Oscar era where small, independent studios like A24 and NEON Rated are thriving in their filmography winning awards as well as Netflix making ground and big studios like Warner Bros. That is absolute cinema.

Sanjeev Wignarajah is a freelance writer and photographer working with select clients and publications. He has a background in journalism and public relations from Centennial College.    

How to Be Successful in Job Interviews

By Brandon Kish

How am I going to get this job? How am I going to succeed in the interview? These are common questions many people ask, including me. It is perfectly natural to be nervous before a job interview because it is unpredictable what can happen. However, the important thing is to be prepared. There is a lot that needs to take place before interview day. The better prepared you are, the less nervous and more successful you will be.

Here are some tips to succeed in your next job interview:

1. Research Yourself

Think of going into the interview as an audition. You want to show them why you are better than the other candidates. Think about your skills and what you offer that is different from others. Know about your strengths and weaknesses. This shows that you are in tune with yourself and not trying to project perfection. Be able to give clear examples of both; this demonstrates that you understand yourself.

Your personality is something very attractive about you. Be sure to explain why you are interested in this position and industry.

2. Have Questions Prepared

Once the interviewers have asked their questions, you are most likely going to be asked if you have any. Never say that you don’t. That immediately looks like you are not interested in the position. One is not enough, and you don’t want too many. You should have about three questions written down. Think from their perspective too. Would you rather hire someone who keeps showing interest, or someone who just wants to get out of there as fast as possible? They want someone who they feel will be best for their organization’s future success.

Here are some examples:

1. What would a typical working day be like?
2. Who will the new employee be reporting to?
3. What immediate projects or tasks would I be working on?

To practice, anticipate the questions that they may ask you. Research online commonly asked questions about the job position you’re applying for. Preparing your answers will help calm your nerves and give you more control over your answers.

3. Practice

You’re acting. Your big role is to go into that interview and demonstrate that you are the best choice for the job.

Search online for common questions that are asked for your position in job interviews. Then you can even look online for answers for those jobs. Be sure to tailor the answers to your own skills, experience, and the job posting itself.

You want to sound positive but also calm. Your lines do not have to be 100 percent rehearsed. There will potentially be unexpected questions in the interview. Think of it like professional sports. Teams practice before a game, but nothing is like being put into the battle. It is unpredictable, but being prepared will reduce your chances of something negative happening.

4. Plan Your Transportation

You probably hear it all the time: “Don’t be late.” But really, please, don’t be late. That automatically reduces your chances to a minimum of getting the job. Be sure to arrive early. You should perform a dry run; drive, get a ride, or take transportation, etc., to the location at approximately the same time as the interview. This way you know what to expect. You should arrive early to demonstrate that you respect the interviewer’s time and that you are professional. Check for parking and alternative parking locations. You don’t want to show up and become late.

5. Body Language

Slouched shoulders, no smile, and a quiet voice. Wow, it sounds like that person is about to jump for joy. They are so excited for their interview. Not. Remember it like you’re playing a character. You get what you put out. You want to demonstrate to the interviewer and organization that you are happy about potentially working with them. It is important to have open palms and appear receptive. Show those pearly whites as well by smiling. Make them feel good in your presence. The last thing they want is someone who doesn’t bring a positive attitude to the workplace. Remember, they are trying to find someone who, yes, does a good job, but also contributes to the team setting in a professional but positive manner. Keep those arms uncrossed and absolutely no fidgeting. Those show a sense of nervousness or fright. Keep that posture good, as this portrays confidence. If you slouch in your chair, then you’re going to look uninterested and unmotivated.

6. After the Interview

Please remember that the interview doesn’t end when you leave the office. In fact, there are a few more details to keep in mind. First, remember the names of the people you were interviewed by, and if possible, get their email addresses. Later that day, you should send them a thank-you email. This displays professionalism and appreciation for the opportunity.

Your email should:

1. Be individualized to the interviewer. My gosh, please put the person’s name. Don’t put “Hiring Manager.” If you’re writing a birthday card to your in-law, you don’t write “Happy Birthday Father-in-Law”; you write their name.
2. Re-emphasize your interest in the position. Show them how you want to work for them. They want to see someone who would enjoy it, not someone passive about it.
3. Thank them. You wouldn’t believe how often people forget to do this and instead tell them that they are awaiting their call. This person took the time to interview you out of their busy schedule. Please say the words “Thank You” in the email.

You are going against other candidates for positions, so you want to demonstrate why you are the best choice. Nothing is guaranteed. You may have a great interview and not get the job. But you never know what can happen next. Companies sometimes are so pleased with an interview that they might let you know that they have you in mind for another position. I have had this even happen with me. It is better to have a job than to not have a job. Overall, this experience will also allow you to succeed in future interviews because it gives you great practice. Best of luck!

Brandon Kish is an author and administrative assistant in an employment services program. With a background in public relations and communications, he is passionate about helping people achieve their goals and believes in the power of staying positive.

Co-Presidents Message

Happy February. 2026 has been a cold one, hasn’t it? But as we count down the days until this cold frost dissipates, let’s also take time to celebrate this month. February is Black History Month. It should be a time for both reflection and celebration. On the one hand, let’s celebrate the incredible black communicators and journalists we work with every day. Let’s also remember that the playing field was not equal for them, making their accomplishments even more impressive.

Let’s also take time to reflect on our own anti-racism journey. At CPRS Toronto, we have a strict anti-racism policy, but we ask our members to go beyond simply adhering to policies. We all have much to learn. This is a time to listen, to learn, to ask difficult questions about our own conscious and unconscious biases. And, as communications professionals, let’s take time to ensure that our work challenges those biases and promotes a more equal, fair and humane world.

As we move through this month, we encourage you to stay curious, stay connected, and keep leaning into the conversations that matter with your teams, your clients, and each other. We are grateful to be part of such a thoughtful and engaged community, and we look forward to what we will continue to learn together this year.

Warmly,

Andrea Chrysanthou, APR & Erin Griffin

Co-Presidents, CPRS Toronto

CPRS Toronto: In conversation with Zandra Miljan

February is a great moment to pause and reflect on how the world of communications is evolving, from faster news cycles to higher expectations for trust and clarity. For this month’s In Conversation With blog series, we spoke with Zandra Miljan, Vice President at Crestview Strategy, about how the role of PR has expanded, what it takes to build trust under pressure, and why sound judgment remains at the heart of effective communications. With experience spanning journalism and strategic advising for leaders in high-stakes situations, Zandra brings a clear, disciplined perspective grounded in results, credibility, and long-term trust.

How has your role as a PR practitioner evolved in recent years?

My role has evolved from leading PR execution to owning how communications drives organizational outcomes.

Earlier in my career, I focused on the core disciplines of public relations: narrative development, media relations, and amplification across earned, owned, and paid channels. That foundation remains central to my work. What has changed is the context in which the work happens and the decisions it informs.

Today, I am accountable for ensuring communications is integrated into leadership decision-making from the outset. I advise executives on when to amplify, when to hold, and how to sequence communications so visibility strengthens credibility rather than undermining it. In an environment defined by constant scrutiny and compressed news cycles, amplification is not optional — but it must be deliberate, disciplined, and aligned with organizational readiness.

At this stage of my career, my role is to align strategic communications across operations, human resources, legal, and policy, and to build the frameworks that allow teams to execute consistently under pressure. That includes setting narrative direction, approving channel strategy, guiding spokespeople, and owning risk in high-stakes moments.

My background in journalism continues to shape this approach. It grounds my judgment in how stories actually move and how quickly momentum builds once a narrative takes hold. As a result, my focus is on ensuring PR is not just visible, but effective — protecting reputation, mobilizing stakeholders, and reinforcing trust over the long term.

What major shifts have you seen in the PR profession, and how are they shaping your work today?

Over the past two decades, public relations has been reshaped by technology, platform fragmentation, and the speed at which information now travels. News cycles have compressed from days to minutes, audiences are decentralized, and stories increasingly break and evolve in real time across digital channels rather than through traditional media alone. As a result, PR practitioners are expected to operate with greater fluency across platforms, stronger data awareness, and faster decision-making — often with incomplete information.

What has shifted more meaningfully, however, is how trust is built and lost. Audiences are more skeptical, less patient, and far more willing to challenge inconsistencies between what organizations say and what they do. Credibility is no longer earned through polished messaging alone, but through visible alignment between words, actions, and leadership behavior.

This has elevated the importance of coherence across the entire communications ecosystem. Internal communications now play a defining role in reputation, as employees are often the first audience, the most credible validators, and, increasingly, the most influential amplifiers. When internal understanding lags external messaging, gaps are exposed quickly and publicly. As a result, PR has become as much about alignment and clarity as it is about storytelling — ensuring organizations communicate in ways that are consistent, authentic, and defensible across every audience they serve.

Another defining shift is the emergence of Artificial Intelligence as both a tool and a risk factor. While AI has increased efficiency in monitoring, analysis, and content development, it has also heightened concerns around authenticity, misinformation, and credibility. This has reinforced the importance of human judgment, ethical standards, and disciplined voice in public relations.

Together, these shifts have made the profession more dynamic and more consequential, underscoring the importance of public relations and strategic communications in helping organizations navigate speed, scrutiny, and trust.

Looking ahead, what trends or changes do you think will define the role of PR practitioners in the future?

The role of PR practitioners will continue to expand beyond communications delivery into judgment, integration, and leadership support — particularly as information environments become more complex and harder to navigate.

Advances in technology, including AI and automation, will further accelerate the pace of communications and increase efficiency across monitoring, analysis, and content development. At the same time, they will heighten expectations around accuracy, authenticity, and responsible use. This will place greater emphasis on human judgment — ensuring tools are used to inform decisions, not replace them, and that organizational voice remains clear, credible, and consistent.

Another defining change will be the continued convergence of internal and external communications. As employees, stakeholders, and the public increasingly experience information simultaneously, PR practitioners will need to ensure alignment across leadership decisions, culture, and messaging. The ability to integrate communications across functions — and to surface risk early — will become even more critical.

Finally, PR will continue to move further upstream. Practitioners will be expected not only to communicate decisions, but to help shape them by bringing stakeholder insight, foresight, and reputational awareness into leadership conversations earlier and more consistently.

Together, these trends point to a future where PR is defined less by volume and velocity, and more by clarity, coherence, and trust — reinforcing its role as an essential leadership function.

What is your biggest piece of advice for PR practitioners moving forward?

Invest as much in thoughtful and strategic judgment as you do in skills.

The tools, platforms, and tactics of public relations will continue to evolve, but sound judgment — knowing what matters, what doesn’t, and when to act — remains the most valuable asset a PR practitioner can develop. That judgment is built through curiosity, ethical grounding, and a willingness to understand the broader context in which communications live.

Equally important is the courage to be honest with clients and leaders. The most effective practitioners are not those who amplify the loudest, but those who can ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and help organizations communicate in ways that are credible, coherent, and aligned with their values.

As the profession continues to change, practitioners who pair technical fluency with integrity, restraint, and empathy will be best positioned to build trust — and to sustain it over time.

About CPRS Toronto’s In Conversation With blog series

Once a month, the In Conversation With series spotlights voices from across the communications field, featuring leaders and rising professionals who share their perspectives on industry trends, the future of the profession, and their own career journeys. These conversations aim to inspire, inform, and highlight the diverse experiences shaping the future of public relations.

If you would like to share your story or nominate a colleague, please contact us at communications@cprstoronto.com.