NEW PERSPECTIVES

The Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund provides gifts at Christmas for underprivileged children — age newborn to 12. For the second year, CPRS Toronto members played the role of elves.  “It was a great experience,” said Antonietta Mirabelli who delivered gifts in Etobicoke.

“Last year we delivered gifts to children in Toronto.  This year members delivered gift boxes in Etobicoke and Mississauga as well,” said  CPRS Toronto president, Maryjane Martin, APR.

How are the children chosen?  “Each fall, more than 100 different social and community service agencies that have registered with our program, submit applications on behalf of families, to The Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund,” said Barbara Mrozek Director, Toronto Star Charities and Philanthropy.  “Each child receives a colourful gift box containing a warm shirt, hat, mittens, socks, small toy, book, candy and dental hygiene items.”

This year, over 45,000 children will receive gift boxes.

Santa Fund: Diane Begin, Maryjane Martin and Lois Marsh pick up their boxes for delivery.

Santa Fund: Antonietta Mirabelli delivered gifts in Etobicoke.

Santa Fund: Amanda Gun-Munro and Nichole Legate at the depot picking up their gift boxes.

A number of CPRS Toronto members were recognized for excellence in Public Relations at the 2013 Canadian Public Relations Society’s National Awards Gala held in June in Gatineau, Quebec. A total of 36 Awards of Excellence were awarded to the best public relations and communications management team from across Canada.

The Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding achievement in a comprehensive public relations project or programs. Toronto teams won medals in all categories:

Gold:

• Community Relations: Argyle Communications
• Media Relations (Agency): GolinHarris Canada
• Issues/Crisis Management: De Beers Canada
• Multi-Media: Toronto Hydro Corporation
• Electronic and Social Media: Paradigm Public Relations
• Writing: Paradigm Public Relations

Silver:

• Marketing Communications: Thornley Fallis Communications
• Media Relations (Agency): Argyle Communications
• Government Relations: Brown & Cohen
• Special Events: Toronto Port Authority
• Multi-Media: Thornley Fallis Communications
• Print: Toronto Hydro Corporation
• Electronic and Social Media: Edelman Canada
• Issues/Crisis Management: ACJ Communications and Kennedy Jones and Sweeney Inc.

Bronze:

• Marketing Communications: Paradigm Public Relations
• Media Relations (Non-Agency): Rogers Media
• Internal Communications: Toronto Hydro Corporation
• Special Events: NATIONAL Public Relations Ltd.
• Multi-Media: Babble On Communications Inc.
• Electronic and Social Media: Edelman Canada

“We’ve been told by our members that a valued benefit of CPRS membership is the opportunity for peer recognition,” said National Awards Presiding Office Robyn Quinn, APR, FCPRS. “Each year we receive entries that reflect how much our own public relations roles are evolving and each year we see evidence of how our members deliver strategic and successful public relations projects and campaigns across the country. Our annual awards celebration demonstrates true peer recognition for work well done.”

Congratulations to all nominated and award winning members!

Media Relations Agency Gold – GolinHarris and McDonalds Canada (CNW Group/Canadian Public Relations Society)

“Our Food, Your Questions”

 The ‘Our food, your questions’ campaign enable Canadians to ask McDonald’s any question they liked and McDonald’s vowed to answer every single one. A platform for people to ask questions was created in order to get people engaged. Consumers asked questions through Facebook and Twitter, so when McDonald’s answered, all followers saw the question and the response. As a result of the campaign, people’s perceptions of McDonald’s food quality improved with 46 per cent now thinking the food is good quality, compared to 30 per cent prior to the campaign.

Thelma Hatzis (left) and Christina Basil

Multi-Media Gold – Toronto Hydro Corporation (CNW Group/Canadian Public Relations Society)

“Grow your Mo’ for Movember Campaign at Toronto Hydro”

In 2012, Toronto Hydro employees showed their support for prostate cancer and men’s mental health by participating in the popular moustache campaign, Movember. The Community Involvement team launched a social media contest to raise awareness about Movember. Twelve Hydro vehicles were outfitted with giant moustaches and Twitter followers were asked to spot the moustache and tweet a picture for a chance to win a prize.

From left: Leilly Shafaee, Daniel Tisch APR, FCPRS and Brendan Agnew-Iler

Community Relations Gold – Argyle Communications (CNW Group/Canadian Public Relations Society)

“30% Off Ontario Tuition: A Student Engagement Program”

 The campaign was designed to make students aware they could be eligible for a tuition break under a program by the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities. A trained team of current students and recent graduates were used to intercept and educate students about the offer. By focusing on “student-to-student” communications, finding creative ways to pre-qualify students and pairing live on-campus with online socialization, the team made face-to-face contact with 29,000 students on 47 campuses in just three weeks, resulting in a 27.5 per cent increase in applications for the rebate.

 From left: Ashley Brown, Tom Ormsby and Annie Stavridis

Crisis/Issues Management Gold – De Beers Canada (CNW Group/Canadian Public Relations Society)

“Winter Road Blockade”

A two-week illegal blockade threatened the transportation of critical material to a remote mine in Northern Ontario. The De Beers team successfully helped the company navigate through the issue and its individual agendas. Faced with a media outlet appearing determined to undermine all De Beers messages and engagement the team created a wider strategic conversation in the media and with key stakeholders. The conversation focused on facts and the team managed to sustain this level of conversation through the successful conclusion of the winter road program and legal proceedings.

Jean Valin APR, FCPRS LM (left) and Daniel Tisch APR, FCPRS accept the 2013 Award of Attainment during the 2013 CPRS National Awards Gala on June 11 (CNW Group/Canadian Public Relations Society)

The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) recognized Daniel Tisch APR, FCPRS and Jean Valin APR, FCPRS LM with the 2013 CPRS Award of Attainment, at the 2013 CPRS National Awards Gala on June 11. Tisch and Valin were recognized for their outstanding achievement and service in the public relations industry.

“It has been a privilege to lead the Global Alliance for the last two years, and to join professionals and academics from around the world in building a global consensus on the value of communication to organizations – and to society,” said Tisch. “Thinking of our professional journey calls to mind an African proverb: if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

The Award of Attainment recognizes exceptional involvement in the public relations profession and candidates are nominated by peers.

“There is no greater honour than being recognized by one’s peers,” Tisch said (upon being named to the CPRS College of Fellows 2010). “I feel very fortunate to have worked with clients and colleagues who believe in the highest standards of ethics and professionalism – and in the critical connection between public relations and the public interest.”

A CPRS Toronto Life Member, Tisch is widely known as an international public relations practitioner, speaker, writer and industry leader. He is the Chair of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, the confederation of the  world’s major communications industry associations, a Fellow of the Canadian Public Relations Society and CEO of Argyle Communications, one of Canada’s premier independent public relations firms.

Communications experts share their latest strategies with Cision on how to tackle today’s PR and marketing challenges – http://blog.ca.cision.com/opinion/prtrends/

The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) named Barbara Sheffield APR, FCPRS LM, Vice-President, PR/Media Connection, the winner of the 2013 CPRS Lamp of Service at the national conference on June 10 in Gatineau, Québec. Sheffield was recognized for her dedicated service to CPRS during her more than 40 years as a public relations professional.

“My thanks to those I have worked with over the years for this wonderful recognition. I have always said that it is one thing to hold a membership in an organization and quite another to be a member. Contribution of time and talent should be on every member’s agenda and I encourage all members to become engaged in demonstrating professionalism to advance the profession,” said Sheffield.

The CPRS Lamp of Service is awarded to a CPRS member whose personal activities and/or leadership and dedication have resulted in the advancement of the Society.
A CPRS Toronto member since 1975 and appointed Life Member of the Toronto Society in 2006, Sheffield’s major focus and commitment within CPRS was public relations education and training. She served on CPRS Toronto’s education committee in 1979 and began to explore opportunities to develop curriculum that would benefit the growing profession. She was CPRS Toronto’s chair of professional development from 1981-82.

After serving as CPRS Toronto President (1982-84), Sheffield went on to become CPRS National President in 1990-91. Currently she is the Executive Director of the Communications and Public Relations Foundation.

Are you interested in volunteering for CPRS Toronto?

When I was a public relations student, Barbara Sheffield, APR, CPRS Fellow, and Life Member, visited our class and talked about CPRS Toronto — a professional organization that was working hard to enhance the reputation of the industry I had just decided to enter. In her short presentation she inspired me by showing me a clear career path: joining CPRS, continuing my professional development and, after five years in the field, achieving accreditation in public relations. Needless to say, I joined CPRS Toronto immediately and went to my first event feeling both nervousness and excitement.

I have been a Public Relations practitioner my entire career and have attended many events and conferences hosted by various organizations over the years, but I still remember my first CPRS Toronto event.

What struck me was the sense of community in the room and a genuine interest of members in supporting one another. Years later, I learned my involvement and accreditation by CPRS was a factor in my acceptance to graduate school in the US – this community extends past our borders.

For many students and new members, our annual Open House was their first CPRS Toronto event providing an opportunity for them, as well as long-time members, to meet this year’s board at PJ O’Brien pub. I don’t know if it was the luck of the Irish, but the event sold out days before and by all accounts, people had fun networking and hearing about our plans for the coming programming year.

Thanks to our volunteers Sarah MacKinnon and Chi Chi Egbo, our intern Sarah MacKenzie Smith, and our Secretariat Lois Marsh for helping to plan the Open House and to Sears Canada for their generous donation of the evening’s door prize. This was our first networking event of the season – look forward to more in the coming months.

As a member of CPRS Toronto you have made an investment in your career. Take advantage of all that we offer, some of which is highlighted in this newsletter. And with all investments, the more you put into it the higher the returns. You have a role in your experience with this organization. Don’t sit on the sidelines. I encourage you to get involved.