NEW PERSPECTIVES

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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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PR grads: Show employers your stuff; write the PR knowledge exam Jan. 26
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You can now bring tangible evidence of your knowledge and readiness for the workplace to future employers. Be part of the FIRST official cohort of students writing the Public Relations Knowledge (PRK)™ exam.

All exams in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Halifax will take place on Saturday, January 26.

In Toronto, students will be writing at 12:30 p.m. (Eastern time zone) at Humber College.

The last day to register is Friday, January 25 at noon EST. Only pre-registered applicants will be permitted to write the exam. Register with the PDF or Word form.

Any questions can be directed to Tracey Baker, Director of Education at CPRS National via email at tbaker@cprs.ca.

More info on the PRK exam

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Call for Nominations for 2013-2014 Board
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CPRS Toronto members interested in serving on the board for the 2013-14 term should contact Lois Marsh at 416-360-1988 or marshl@marsh-executive.com.

Participating on the board enables you to enhance your corporate governance skills, contribute to our profession in a meaningful way, and interact with and learn from your industry peers.   

The term starts after the Annual General Meeting in May. All members are invited to apply. Having an APR, more than five years of communications experience or being an active volunteer are assets. 

The deadline is February 17.

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‘Tweet’ or tweet’? Order new CP Caps and Spelling for chance to win
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CPRS members can win prize package by ordering new book or online subscription. 

Is it ‘Tweet’ or tweet’? ‘Zipline’ or ‘Zip line’? Have you ever been in doubt about any of the recent additions to the Canadian lexicon? The new 20th edition of Caps and Spelling released by the Canadian Press (sponsor) is the answer to such frequently arising questions. Containing over 200 pages covering a wide range of new 21st century words and references, the latest publication includes an alphabetical listing of commonly misspelled, hyphenated and compound words, abbreviations, proper names, internet terms, pop culture references and more.

A special prize package for ordering in January

The Canadian Press is offering CPRS Toronto members the chance to win a prize package including a briefcase/ laptop bag, USB stick and baseball cap worth over $150 when they order the new edition of Caps and Spelling. To enter the draw simply visit the Canadian Press website and order a hardcopy version for $20.95, or online subscription for under $6.25/ month. The last day to enter the draw is Friday, January 25, 2013 and the winner will be announced on January 29th, 2013. For quantities over ten ordered per organization, $2 can be saved per book. Orders can be placed online or by calling 1-800-434-7578.

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Setting the industry standard for press releases, newsletters, websites and all other communication channels, the new Caps and Spelling is an indispensable guide for every communications professional. The electronic version also enables keyword search listings, offers real time alerts of new words added, provides the ability to add notes and allows sharing a common electronic copy within a team to ensure consistency.

About the Canadian Press

The Canadian Press, with its French-language counterpart, La Presse Canadienne, has been keeping Canadians informed by telling people the story of their country for almost a century. Over 200 journalists produce and deliver award-winning stories, photos, graphics, audio, video and multimedia news around the clock and in real time to daily newspapers, and more than 500 radio and TV stations, relying on news coverage from The Canadian Press. In addition, the government, corporations, publishers and associations subscribe to the leading-edge news and information services offered by The Canadian Press for delivery of credible content to thousands of websites, magazines, elevator screens and wireless devices. For public relations and communications professionals, a complete suite of ad delivery, photography, photo distribution and news monitoring services are available at www.thecanadianpress.com.

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ACE Awards submissions reminder!
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By Natasha Nitsopoulos

Awwh, the feeling of a fresh new year. It’s time to set your goals higher and reach for the stars! Why not improve your professional status with an ACE Award? It’s not too late to apply, though the deadline is fast approaching.

The annual ACE Awards recognize communications excellence in the public relations industry. Winning an Award is a great way to display your hard work in front of an audience of industry pros, give you and your company a competitive edge and strengthen your strategic planning skills. Not to mention it’s a fabulous social event with all your friends and colleagues.

Get started on your entry today and be sure to make that early bird deadline on January 9. Also, don’t forget to pencil April 24 into your busy agendas for this year’s gala!

More information on eligibility, submission requirements and campaign entry categories is available on the CPRS Toronto website.

Important Dates and Deadlines:

Early Bird Entry Deadline: enter at a discounted rate by January 9, 2013

Entry Deadline: January 23, 2013

Leadership Awards Deadline: February 24, 2013

Enter at www.cprstoronto.com!

Questions? Tweet #CPRSACE or e-mail ace@cprstoronto.com

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