The Globe and Mail put the sheer courage of the Olympic downhill skiers in perspective on the weekend with their illustration of the Sochi downhill course. They showed the top of the mountain at 1,075 metres and compared it to the CN Tower far below at the 553 metre mark!

During the Olympics we experience moments that inspire and motivate us. We see athletes pushing the limits of their courage and endurance, teams coming together in the final moments to win deciding games and athletes performing while enduring incredible pain.

These stories inspire us to challenge ourselves to be the best we can be and to challenge ourselves to face risks. For many, those risks involve trying something new – taking on a new challenge at work or seeking new opportunities outside our comfort zone.

These moments also remind us that it took years of training for these athletes to even get to the Olympics let alone “own the podium.” We too must look well in advance and plan for our futures. We are here to help you plan for your success. Join us on March 5 for our career planning workshop with Roxanne Crammer, Partner and Career Coach at CCC Academy and watch your career soar.

Mary Jane

On every commercial aircraft, before take-off, the crew reviews the safety measures passengers need to take in the case of an emergency or sudden turbulence.

This year will feature the Olympic Games in Sochi, the World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, the Scottish independence referendum, the pullout of troops from Afghanistan and numerous national elections throughout the world.  Add the uncertainty of extreme weather, economic shifts and other unplanned events and 2014 may be a very turbulent year.

Will you be prepared for both the opportunities and challenges the year presents?

To help you, CPRS has planned a number of professional development programs to increase your crisis communications skills, build your analytical and evaluation abilities, and strategically plan for the future.

We have also revised our mentoring program (join us on Wednesday, January 29 to learn more) and are planning a career management workshop to help you succeed.

And finally, we host the ACE Awards providing you the opportunity for you to showcase your expertise (submissions are due Friday, January 31).

I hope you will take advantage of all that CPRS has to offer this year.  If you have any questions or suggestions regarding our programs, please contact me at president@cprstoronto.com.

Maryjane

This article was written by Tory Nash, ACE Awards Marketing Volunteer and public relations student at Humber College.

The January 31^st submission deadline for the 2014 ACE Awards is fast approaching.  While everyone is working hard to perfect submissions, this home stretch of the entry process is a great time to illuminate some of the lesser known campaign entry categories.

As per usual, the media relations, special events and digital communications categories are expected to see a high volume of submissions.  The accomplishments in these categories are very important and deserve praise.  However, we know that Canadian public relations practitioners are doing great work across all campaign categories.  Let’s take a look at some of these lesser known “forgotten categories”:

• Employee Engagement/Internal Communications Campaign of the Year
  This category is designed to recognize outstanding employee engagement and/or internal communication programs that improved employee-management relations, strengthened employee communities and/or successfully administered change management.  We know you’ve already done the work, now let it shine!
• Community Relations Campaign of the Year
  This category recognizes community campaigns focused on local projects, public meetings, special interest group program(s) or ongoing community programs designed to either establish mutually satisfactory relationships or shift community opinions.  Don’t be afraid to show off the impact you’ve made in your communities.
• Government Relations/Public Affairs Campaign of the Year
  When some people hear about government relations or public affairs, their eyes tend to glaze over.  However, this is one of the ACE Awards’ most exciting categories.  This category is designed to highlight the most effective use of government relations or public affairs that changed or enlisted public opinion to influence government policy or regulations.

These categories are a great venue to let your work shine.  Regardless of what project you submit, remember that all entries must be submitted by 5 p.m. on January 31, 2014.

For a full listing of the campaign entry categories, please click here.

For entry guidelines and submission requirements, please click here.

Last minute 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!

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!

Prepared By: Michael Ronchka

News Canada:

News Canada produces and distributes branded content on behalf of clients who seek to engage their customers with compelling, original content across paid, earned and owned media channels. A comprehensive campaign spanning multiple platforms from print, television and radio to digital can be distributed directly to the editorial decision-makers at media outlets of all sizes. Clients use News Canada to tell stories, helping to cut through the noise and deliver key messages to target audiences.

The Client:

Piller’s Fine Foods; a Canadian purveyor of premium deli meats and sausage since 1957.

The Challenge:

How to generate awareness about the company’s line of allergen-free deli meats, called Piller’s Simply Free®, and its benefits. The objective was to engage consumers so they not only tried the products once, but continued to buy them.

Strategy:

News Canada helped Piller’s develop a national, bilingual content marketing campaign, which leveraged converging media across multiple platforms. The campaign drove awareness through a combination of television, online and social media engagement. The centerpiece of the campaign was a segment on the Fall 2013 episode of For Your Life, News Canada’s television show featuring lifestyle-related stories. The show’s storytelling format successfully engaged television audiences with a short segment demonstrating how Piller’s new product line helps families prepare quick, nutritious, allergen-free meals.

Results to date:

“Multiple touch points of TV, radio, print, online and social exposure allowed us to amplify our messages nationally. News Canada’s For Your Life program captured our audience’s attention through entertaining video storytelling”, says Rita Weigel, Director of Marketing at Piller’s Fine Foods. The show aired on Food Network, HGTV, Slice, Showcase, CHCH and CHEK, reaching Piller’s target audience and generating awareness. National, local and specialized radio stations as well as newspapers and magazines across Canada picked up on the accompanying written and audio news release, resulting in over 35 million media impressions, almost triple News Canada’s guarantee. Articles appeared in outlets such as the Toronto Sun and Vancouver 24 hrs. The campaign also received over 8,000 views on Youtube, and Piller’s web traffic increased by 13 per cent, with 33 per cent new visitors.

Post sponsored by News Canada