NEW PERSPECTIVES

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Freebies for your family weekend from @RyersonU
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Sheldon Levy, CEO at Ryerson University invited the community to come experience the Ryerson campus at the 20th Annual CEO Awards luncheon.

Here are a couple free things to do while you’re there:

Also be sure to checkout

And if you had any doubt about why today’s Ryerson is so great, check this video out.

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National conference reminder: Save $400 by Feb. 18
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This June, join us in Ottawa to help Change the Conversation! CPRS Members – register by February 18th and save $400 off full conference delegate pricing for Conversations 2013.

More than 20 keynote presentations and workshop sessions over three days will help frame the conversation around communications.

Confirmed speakers include: Heath Applebaum ABC, MCM, Brent Barootes, Ira Basen, Danielle Côté, ARP, Terry Fallis, Richard Fournier, ARP, Daniel Granger ARP, FSCRP, Caroline Kealey, Amelia Kennedy, Trish Krause, APR, Sean Lewis, Fraser Likely APR, FCPRS, Derek Lothian, Kevin McCann, Brenda Sweeney, APR, Evan Solomon, Daniel Tisch APR, FCPRS, Martin Waxman, APR and Howard Williamson.

 

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President’s message: Sunshine in February
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There’s a long, uphill bridge that takes you from the green (end) of the 14th hole to the tee box (beginning) of the 15th hole. When you are walking, you really feel it in your legs and back especially on a hot day.  You’ve already walked 14 holes worth of turf which is about 5 km pulling this bag that’s getting heavier and heavier despite the fact that you keep emptying it of golf balls (see last month’s message!).

But you keep going because you love this game, and you know you’ll be sad when the 18th hole (the last hole) has come and gone. Plus, ahead of you lies the 15th…a Par 5 that doglegs left and has water around the hole. But you can par this one without too much skill or sweat and attempting that energizes you enough to continue plodding uphill till you reach the tee box.

Isn’t that the way it is with us at this time of year?  Winter has settled into the city of Toronto. Enthusiasts of warmer temperatures and brighter days hope that the season is more behind us than in front, yet we are reminded that February 1 is only half way through the season of winter. So, we look for things to keep us going like that great 15th hole.

CPRS Toronto has a great event on February 26th that is like the bright sun in a dreary season. Daniel Tisch, APR, FCPRS is presenting. Tisch is chair of the Global Alliance for Public Relations & Communication Management.  Chair of the Global Alliance!  A CPRS Toronto member and chair of the Global Alliance! How cool is that for us!

The Global Alliance is a confederation of the world’s major communications industry associations.  Dan is also a Fellow of the Canadian Public Relations Society, and CEO of Argyle Communications, one of Canada’s premier independent public relations firms.

I heard Dan speak at the CPRS national conference and on other occasions. (By the way, Early Bird Registration for this year’s conference in Ottawa ends February 15th so make sure you register before the deadline!)

Anyway, going back to hearing Dan speak on previous occasions, it’s kind of awesome (awesome in the real sense of the word) how CPRS members like all of us share similar needs and goals of so many other PR professionals around the world.  The Alliance centers its work on unifying the public relations profession, raising professional standards all over the world, sharing knowledge for the benefit of its members and being the global voice for public relations in the public interest.

In November, Dan attended the 7th World PR Forum in Melbourne, the Alliance’s biennial event…a chance to learn from top communicators on every continent, and also from leaders of businesses, governments and civil society from around the globe.  Delegates debated the “Melbourne Mandate for Global Communication”, a new universal statement on the emerging areas of value that public relations and communication management bring to organizations, and to society.

On February 26, join us at the Globe Bistro to find out first hand from Dan if you are practising to the full scope of the new Melbourne Mandate for Public Relations and how these ideas – and ideals — can enhance your practice, counsel your clients and guide your professional development.

I trust this will be a very satisfying Par score for you – write down a 5 on the scorecard and move to the 16th completely energized.  Dan is a very engaging speaker.

I hope you can make it, and also hope to see you there!

 

 

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CEO reshapes downtown core; recognized for leadership
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by Natasha Radlovic

Ryerson University is going through many changes both internally and externally. The CPRS CEO Award ceremony, held on January 30, honoured Sheldon Levy, the president and Vice Chancellor of Ryerson University, as the man leading all these changes.

Gone are the days when the university was referred to as “Ry High.” With new buildings and programs transforming both the academic and visual appearance of the school, Ryerson is becoming both a cultural and educational hub for downtown Toronto.

Through Levy’s leadership, Ryerson was a key player in revitalizing the Maple Leaf Gardens and further advancing the university’s role as a city builder.

Levy described his three fundamental features for the city-building strategy:

  1. Density
  2. People first and public transportation
  3. Design excellence

CPRS TORONTO 20TH ANNUAL CEO AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Through a “people first and public transportation” fundamental feature, he described that cars might be sacrificed as second priority. Although some people may not agree with this approach, he demonstrated that he is serious about his plan and that he stands by it.

With 23 million people walking past Ryerson every year, the university has taken on the responsibility for improving the Dundas/Yonge community.

In supporting the design excellence fundamental feature Levy said, “If you build ugly on Ryerson, not only will the university and the students suffer, but so will Toronto.”

Levy explained how his involvement in public relations and knowledge of communications helped to successfully deliver the message and solve issues that have come up in regards to the changes concerning the Ryerson neighborhood.

The CEO Award statue is a silhouette of two people conversing – symbolizing the art of communication.

Through an extremely inspiring and engaging speech, Levy demonstrated that he knows how to keep the audience listening by speaking in a tone that is laid-back but also informative and professional.

“We have built a new cultural street for Toronto, a new cultural street for Canada, and an important new destination,” ended Levy.

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the CPRS Toronto CEO Award of the Year award. 

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Melbourne Mandate offers new role and value for PR
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Defining an organization’s value, building a culture of listening and taking responsibility for communications for ourselves and our organizations are things we all do daily.  That’s why I’m looking forward to learning how the Melbourne Mandate will affect my role in organizational communication at Sony Canada.

On Feb. 26, Daniel Tisch, APR, FCPRS, Chair, Global Alliance for Public Relations & Communication Management, will present the new Melbourne Mandate for Public Relations to CPRS Toronto Members. It is the product of a year of consultation and deliberation by the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication 

At the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) in Melbourne, Australia, 800 delegates from 29 countries endorsed this bold new mandate for the role and value of PR, identifying three emerging areas of value for the profession:

  • The definition of an organization’s character and values;
  • The building of a culture of listening and engagement; and
  • The instilling of responsibility in both organizations and individuals, reconciling our distinct and potentially conflicting duties to our organizations, our profession, our society and our own consciences.

Daniel 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.

Daniel’s presentation will shed light on ideas raised during the WPRF, for example:

  1. Benchmark your organization: PR and communication professionals can use the concepts in the Mandate – and tools such as the ‘integrity index,’ which measures an organization’s adherence to its own stated values – to benchmark PR practices within their own organizations
  2. Talk with managers: The Mandate can be the basis for a discussion about the role of PR with senior executives and managers from other disciplines. The core question for exploration is whether the organization is using PR in a truly strategic way
  3. Plan professional development: PR and communication professionals can consider the individual skills and organizational capacities needed to implement the Mandate in their organizations – and incorporate them into professional and organizational development plans
  4. Advocate: The conference urged the world’s professional associations to officially endorse the Mandate and use it as an advocacy tool to make the case for public relations at the local, national and international levels

The Argyle Communications blog shares how other well-known PR thinkers have responded to the Melbourne Mandate, beyond 800 delegates who participated in the WPRF in November 2012.

Join us on Feb. 26 to discuss how the Melbourne Mandate can enhance your PR practice with CPRS Toronto Members – register here.

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Terry Fallis rings in the New Year with CPRS Toronto
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By Robin Smith, Coordinator at NATIONAL Public Relations

 

Members can also listen to the full presentation in the members’ blog. (27:27)

Terry Fallis is a jack-of-all-trades. After 25 years in the business, he is the consummate communicator. He is co-founder of the Thornley Fallis consulting agency, former co-host of the popular Inside PR podcast, and a three-times published award-winning author. He joined the CPRS Toronto community on January 15 at the Albany Club to talk about his new book, Up and Down and to field questions about his experience in communications.

In a lighthearted and humourous presentation that showed off the articulate communication skills that have brought him so much success, Fallis opened up about his childhood love of aviation and space travel, a subject that he recently brought to life in his new comedic novel, Up and Down.

Up and Down follows the tumultuous tumble of a former politico into the world of public relations consulting. Thrown into the fire, David Stewart has to learn fast as he joins the ranks of Turner King, a fictional consulting firm located in the heart of Toronto. His task: revitalize the waning public interest in NASA and space travel. If that’s not hard enough, throw in cross-border tiffs, office politics, and a dash of bold personalities and the job just keeps getting harder.

In Up and Down Fallis gives vivid detail to the quirks of agency life that many of us are familiar with, and shines a light on a business that is often misunderstood by members of the public. As he explained the craft of his writing, it became very clear how influential his experience in public relations is on the rest of his work.

Like any good practitioner would, Fallis injects elements of his own experience into his work as a novelist. He likes to make it clear, though, that while characters in his previous novels have dipped a toe into S&M, it’s tough to be in the agency business and not get whipped once or twice. Also, as a firm believer in planning, Fallis outlines his plot months before putting pen to paper. He credits having a clear and well-thought-out plan as being the key to a successful novel.

After explaining his methodical approach to writing, the conversation turned to Fallis’ experience as a practitioner, and he ended his time with very clear guidance for those looking to succeed.

“Pace, challenge and working with people smarter than myself. There lies the path to success.”

Terry reading  Terry and Vince

 

 

 

 

 

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ACE Awards recognizes the best digital communications campaigns with NEW category
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By Barbara Loureiro

The CPRS Toronto ACE Awards submission deadline is just around the corner. This year there’s a new category recognizing full digital campaigns: Best Digital Communications Campaign of the Year.

As digital strategies have become integral to many communications plans, CPRS Toronto strives to recognize the excellent digital campaigns created and executed over the past two years. This category recognizes campaigns that inform engage and/or monitor targeted online influencers and communities to reach specified communications goals.

If you have a campaign that qualifies, the submission requirements are as follows:

The executive summary must describe the campaign, following the RACE (Research, Analysis, Communication and Evaluation) formula and outline key variables within those headings. Keep in mind the executive summary is limited to two pages and a 10 point font, so keep it concise!

The rationale must explain how the campaign exemplifies the definition of public relations as defined by CPRS Toronto. The second component of the submission is limited to 250 words.

All submissions also must include a completed entry form and online payment through the CPRS Toronto website.

The entry deadline is January 23, 2013. Click here for more information on ACE Awards entry guidelines.

Successful submissions in the executive summary phase will be invited to the second round of judging. We’ll request a “big binder” with a detailed outline of the campaign and a copy of the final product on a USB stick. Those who have advanced to this next stage will be notified by the judging team in February.

Information on the Best Digital Communications Campaign of the Year and other categories can be found on the CPRS Toronto website. If you missed last Wednesday’s informative “Enhancing Your ACE Submission” webinar, you can WATCH HERE.

Tweeting about ACE? Use hashtag #CPRSACE

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How to “ace” your ACE awards submission: Five things you need to know
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By Miranda Germani

Whether you’re wanting to add another trophy to your shelf, or just testing the waters and are new to entering awards, there are five not-so-secret things that you must know to put together a stellar ACE Awards submission.

In the interactive and informative “Enhance Your CPRS Toronto ACE Award Submission” webinar held on January 16, host and ACE Awards Judging Co-chair, Dave Scholz shared the must-know tips to ensure your submission stands out from the crowd. For now, the focus is on the first stage submission – the executive summary and rationale. Click here for more information on ACE Entry Guidelines.

Must-know #1 – Know your deadlines. Sounds simple, but that’s the first hurdle to pass. The entry deadline is January 23, 2013 (i.e. next week, so get your skates on!).

Must-know #2 – Use RACE. A simple acronym, but it can make a world of difference to your submission. RACE stands for Research, Analysis, Communication, Evaluation and all of these aspects are important to your submission. Think about RACE all the way through your submission.

Must-know #3 – Be clear on your evaluation. Don’t assume the judges know what you’ve achieved – you must spell it out and tie your goals to the outcome.

Must-know #4 – Get acquainted with the new Best Digital Communications Campaign of the Year category. If you’ve done a fabulous digital campaign that successfully engaged your audiences and inspired online conversation and/or media coverage, we want to hear about it! This is your opportunity to shine.

NOTE: Digital components to other campaigns must still be included in those separate submissions.

Must-know #5 – The judges will keep your submission to themselves. All submissions are confidential. Nothing will be shared publicly. If CPRS Toronto ever wants to share something publicly, we’ll be in touch in advance.

Bonus must-know #6 – Having details such as budget, or at least a budget range, really helps the judges consider your submission in context.

Hopefully that helps pull back the curtain on what the judging team needs from you so that you can get one step closer to receiving an ACE Award in April. For more information about the ACE Awards, please visit the CPRS Toronto Website or contact ace@cprstoronto.com.

If you missed Wednesday’s webinar, you can WATCH HERE

Tweeting about ACE? Use hashtag #CPRSACE

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President’s message: Learn from leaders
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In golf, champions of the sport, leaders who have left their mark, give golfers at large inspiration to improve their own game.  We admire the skills of people like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Mike Weir, and Rory McIlroy for their contribution, and we even emulate them in their approach to play.  

I feel this when I am playing the 14th hole on our PR course.  This is a relatively straight Par 4, but there are woods on the right and water on the left.  Big water!!  I should really take it easy on my drive, but I always tend to over-swing because I want to hit it far, and instead I hit it hard.  In golf, “far” and “hard” do not usually go hand in hand.  

So, I’ve lost a few in the water, and I’ve lost a few in the woods. Yet the fairway awaits straight in front of me if I would just take it easy.  Following my drive, as I head toward my ball to take my next shot, I think about the greats mentioned above, and know that they would manage this hole much better.  I could reduce my strokes by learning from the great leaders of the game.

I see a relation to our lives as PR professionals.  There’s much to learn from great leaders who use PR to advance the organizations they are representing. 

At CPRS Toronto, we hold an annual gathering honouring just that kind of inspiring leadership, the CEO Award in Public Relations luncheon.  This year it takes place on Wednesday, January 30th, at Arcadian Court.  

Most recent winners are Dr. Robert S. Bell (University Health Network), Jim Leech (Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan), Robert Deluce (Porter Airlines), Galen G Weston (Loblaw), Frances Lankin (United Way), Richard Bradshaw (Canadian Opera Company) and Roots co-founders Michael Budman and Don Green.  As you can see, various industries and disciplines are represented…all leaders from whom we can learn.  We acknowledge CPRS Toronto member Gordon McIvor Ph.D., APR, FCPRS who created this award in the early 1990s.  This year marks the 20th time we have presented this award.  Martin Waxman, APR is current Chair of the selection committee, and I thank him and his committee for their hard work this year.  

The award recipient for 2012 is Sheldon Levy, President and Vice Chancellor, Ryerson University and the Society is looking forward to honouring Mr. Levy at the special luncheon in his honour.  I hope you can participate and hear from someone who has demonstrated that a successful CEO must be an excellent communicator who can express a clear mission and shared values with a broad range of stakeholders.

We can look to people like Sheldon Levy and our past winners for inspiration…not only as great leaders who are great communicators, but also as to whom we may want to counsel those we help as PR professionals to consider as models.  Mike Eppel from 680 News will act as emcee of the event, and I think everyone can count on a stimulating afternoon.

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Enhance your ACE Award submission!
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logos_colour_low_res-01Back by popular demand, CPRS Toronto invites you to join us on Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 12 p.m. for an informative, free webinar on enhancing your ACE Awards submission, brought to you by CNW Group – the exclusive professional development sponsor for CPRS Toronto.

Dave Scholz, Executive Vice President at Leger Marketing and CPRS Toronto’s ACE Awards Judging Co-Chair, will pull back the curtain on the ACE Awards and share what the judging team will be looking for in a winning submission. The webinar will also provide insight in to changes made to the digital category.

To register for the webinar, visit:

http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=564540&s=1&k=EF7CD45C16009CBD8A6618A8C4A085E6

For more information about the ACE Awards, please visit the CPRS Toronto Website or contact ace@cprstoronto.com.

If you are unable to join us on Wednesday the webinar will be available in archive following the live event.

Tweeting about ACE? Use hashtag #CPRSACE!

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