NEW PERSPECTIVES

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CPRS Toronto immediate opening for board position – ACE Chair
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One of the CPRS Toronto Board positions, the ACE Chair, is currently vacant and the Board is looking for a candidate to immediately fill the position.

ACE (Achievement in Communication Excellence) is a celebration of the highest calibre of communication programs in the Toronto area.  The awards are decided based upon submissions from the organizations that produced the original work following a stringent judging process and are distributed at a gala event held around the end of April every year.  The Chair of the ACE committee oversees and guides the team of dedicated individuals who conduct the submission and judging processes, as well as the preparation and execution of the gala.

CPRS Toronto members interested should provide their resume to Lois Marsh at 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.

All members are invited to apply. Having an APR, more than five years of communications experience or being an active volunteer are assets.

Please reply by November 30th.

ACE Summary

The ACE chair position requires a firm commitment until May and involves the following key tasks:

  • Coordinating a team of volunteers, coordinating roles and overseeing event progress including everything from judging to logistics
  • Attending regular board meetings, facilitating necessary approvals and updating other board members of the progress of the event
  • Managing the ACE Awards budget and volunteer team meetings

The time estimates provided below are estimates and may increase if issues arise. While there are lots of team meetings, the new chair should be aware that this role involves a lot of email correspondence, most of which takes place throughout the work day. Because of this, being accessible throughout the day is an asset.

September (~5 hours for the month)

  • Book venue
  • Begin recruiting volunteers

October (10 hours for the month)

  • Finalize team and begin monthly meetings
  • Finalize critical path with dates from committee
  • Start working on contracts for the program, trophies and AV requirements
  • Find judges to act as judging chairs
  • Marketing plan completed and approved by ACE chair
  • Approved updates made to entries package

November (10 hours for the month)

  • Begin recruiting for MC
  • Marketing for entries/event begins, continues until April
  • Theme selection
  • Ensure all sponsor requirements are in hand – ongoing management of sponsor’s needs

December (10 hours for the month)

  • Judging panel finalized (with 50 per cent APR)
  • Staging plan from AV company, theme for PowerPoint presentation

January (5-10 hours per week)

  • Entries deadline – deal with escalations from entries and judging team
  • First draft of program complete
  • PD event on how to write a good submission (if doing again this year)
  • Menus finalized for venue

February (5-10 hours per week)

  • Executive summary judging and related issues
  • Begin working on script and PowerPoint presentation
  • Event survey approvals

March (~10 hours per week)

  • Increase meeting frequency to every other week
  • Full submission and best of show judging takes place, must be on site for both events to deal with related issues
  • Media materials approved by board
  • Florist finalized
  • Media list complete
  • Trophies ordered
  • Finalize music selection

 April (~10 hours per week)

  • Program approved by board members
  • Script approved
  • Event takes place – day of issues management
  • Lots of last minute emails!May (~5 hours for the month)
  • Follow up media requests and photos
  • Regroup with team to determine what worked, what didn’t
  •  Reconcile budget and create wrap report for AGM
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President’s Message: Establish sound strategy
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The trick to the twelfth hole is to avoid the water on the left, avoid the out-of-bounds roadway on the right, land your tee shot on the right because the fairway slopes left big-time, and try not to lose your ball to the right of the green on your approach or you’ll be fighting chickens and roosters to get it back.

So much to keep in mind…how does one learn the skills to properly manage their way through a golf hole with so much to think about?  One needs to master course management.

The twelfth hole needs to be approached strategically…you have to have a sound strategy before you tee off, and then execute that strategy as you start to play the hole.

A Public Relations campaign can be like the 12th hole.  There is so much to keep in mind at one time, and one has to consider so many elements and keep so many things in balance all at one time.

A strategic approach to public relations helps practitioners manage public relations effectively from the start of a project to the end.

Where do we go to for help?  Golfers can take golf lessons, but where can we, in PR, go for help?

One of the most important tools of education we have at CPRS is the Accreditation program.  November is the last month to prepare your application for the 2013 Accreditation year.  If you’re a member of CPRS and have five years experience in the profession, you may be eligible to go for your APR designation in 2013.  Applications are due December 3rd.  I hope you will visit www.cprs.ca to get more information or contact our Co-chair of Accreditation, Kathleen Garrett at kathleen.m.garrett@gmail.com.

I found the Accreditation program to be a great learning experience in approaching PR from a strategic point of view.  It drove home, for me, the difference between tactics and execution (very necessary work) and planning strategy (the well-researched plan to determine what tactics and execution are needed).

As I look back, I see how fortunate I was to be a member of CPRS Toronto while I was obtaining my APR because I was able to participate in a Study Group.  With our substantial member base, Toronto normally has a handful of people looking to get their Accreditation in any given year, so, as candidates, we are not normally going through the APR process on our own.  Those numbers provide us the opportunity to form Study Groups with candidates like us.  The Study Group meant I could share the workload with my colleagues, get clarification, talk about the exam material and learn about experiences I would not have otherwise been exposed to.

I encourage you to complete the application process if getting your APR designation is something you’ve been considering.  I wrestled with whether the year I finally committed to Accreditation (Class of 2006) was right from a timing point of view with the pressures of my job at the time.  It was a busy year, and I considered putting it off again.  Now, as I look back, I realize subsequent years were even busier, so glad I did it when I did.

Just like golf where one can continue with their current game and be overwhelmed by that tricky 12th hole, or take lessons in course management and learn to master it, Accreditation is there for us to pursue, and we just need the determination to say Yes…this is my year!

There’s still time to get in on the 2013 program if you are interested.  Become an APR and take your career to a new level.

 

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Social media advice from a bro
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Now that it’s Movember, you might be wondering how to weave some social media magic of your own.

For the strategy behind the success of the Movember social movement in Canada, check out CPRS Toronto’s archived PD event.

More PD on file.

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Tweet highlights from Passport to PR
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Wonder what happens at the yearly CPRS Toronto students Passport to PR event? Wonder no longer. See 28 highlight tweets from today’s event in this Storify. CPRS Toronto would like to thank all of the students and our gracious hosts for today’s event!

  • Lois Marsh
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President’s message: Make your choice
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What is it about that 11th hole on our PR golf course!  It’s a long Par 5, and it’s straight.  From the teebox, it looks like there’s nothing to worry about so you just swing your best straight shot off the tee.  As you walk towards the spot where your ball landed, you can now see that just before the green, there’s a creek that runs across the fairway bounded by tall reeds.  

This is decision time. 

There are two basic choices to consider as you take your second shot.  You can go for the green in two shots if you feel like you can clear the creek.  This will allow you to get on or near the hole in two shots (your original tee shot and the one you are about to make).  This means that you have the potential to take just two more strokes including your putts to get the ball into the hole.  If successful, you could score a 4 and birdie the hole.  Even a par score of 5 would be a good result.  Of course if you don’t clear the creek and land in it, then you have to take a penalty stroke and that’s not good.  This will mean extra strokes (bad in golf) plus…you likely lost a ball in the process.

Alternatively, rather than going for the green in two shots, you can “lay up”, which means that instead of taking your second shot over the creek, you can make a shorter shot and land just before the creek. Now you avoid trouble altogether. You can follow that up with a short shot that will easily clear the creek and land on the green. You may not make a birdie, but you could still make par, and, in the process, you removed the risk of losing your ball in the creek and really adding to your stroke count. 

Two choices that allow you to weigh risk vs. reward.    

We all face decisions like this in our day to day work. The important thing is this: once you’ve made a decision on an action, commit to it and execute it to the best of your ability. 

I hope our experienced practitioners will make the decision to volunteer as a mentor for someone new to the profession. Having been a mentor myself a couple of times, I found it to be a worthwhile experience for myself.  I learned from the protégé assigned to me, and I hope the feeling was mutual. 

I think sometimes mentoring can be viewed as one-way…mentor imparting information to protégé. Certainly, that is the purest intent of the relationship.  Experienced practitioners have so much to offer…insight, guidance, connecting, listening, reassurance, encouragement, feedback…the list goes on.  That said, it’s fascinating how much experienced practitioners can gain from the relationship.  

Another bonus about the mentorship program is how flexible it is from a scheduling and timing point of view. So many of our time commitments in our roles in public relations are determined by someone else. Finally!…we can make a schedule that suits both mentor and protégé and we get to determine the timing. How cool is that! 

I hope you will make a decision today to give some of your time and expertise to make a meaningful difference in the career development of our young professionals or those new to public relations.  

Believe me, it’s a much easier decision than determining whether you should go for the green in two or lay up. It’s also more fruitful and a lot less frustrating!  

For more information, please email: mentorship@cprstoronto.com

Vincent Power, APR

 

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2012 APEX Scholarship winner announced
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The Communications + Public Relations Foundation and APEX jointly announced the recipient of the 2012 APEX scholarship. Below is the news release, also posted on CNW on October 31, 2012. Congrats Cole!

TORONTO, Oct. 31, 2012 /CNW/ – Toronto resident Cole Douglas is the 2012 winner of the APEX Scholarship, established by APEX Public Relations in 2010/11 for launch in 2012. The scholarship assists a student in need of financial aid who has demonstrated high academic achievement following completion of the first year of a four-year public relations degree program at the Toronto-based Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. The scholarship offers $3,000 per year over a three-year period to the same student contingent upon academic achievement. It is offered on a three year cycle.

In his first year at Humber, Cole was a lead ambassador in the Recruitment Office at the College and served on the Student Board of Directors for the Humber Students’ Federation.

He has consulted on social media work with Hearth Place, a support centre for cancer patients and their families to assist the organization to better understand how to use social media tools and the use of monitoring analytics, which resulted in a Canadian Public Relations Society 2012 Silver ACE Student Award for campaign of the year.

This past summer, Cole was a communications intern for Humber’s Student Recruitment and Advising Office where he researched and developed a plan to engage students to share their first year experience with their high school, revised the College recruitment brochure and tour scripts, among other activities.

“The jury felt that Cole’s early involvement and interest in the public relations industry was inspiring and his community involvement and grade point average demonstrated the qualities we look for in a young practitioner,” said jury Chair Scott Bonikowsky, Vice President, Corporate, Public and Government Affairs, Tim Hortons Inc. “Cole is an outstanding scholarship candidate who will make a difference in public relations in Canada.”

“There are a number of talented students who have the potential to be leaders in our industry”, emphasized Pat McNamara, CEO, APEX Public Relations, “but might not have the financial resources to obtain the education they need. We hope this scholarship will help Cole in his pursuit of a public relations career, and look forward to supporting his progress.”

The Communications + Public Relations Foundation, manager of the scholarship, promotes the advancement of communications and public relations as vital functions in society, is dedicated to the public interest, and is committed to increasing public knowledge and awareness of the role of public relations in daily life. The Foundation accepts individual and corporate contributions towards research and educational initiatives nationwide.

“We are delighted to be working with both APEX and Humber College in establishing and managing this Scholarship,” said Dr.Gordon McIvor, chair of the Foundation, especially, when we can support leadership development in our industry”

APEX Public Relations is a high-performance, high energy, public relations firm with an unmatched track record of award-wining campaigns. Its clients include consumer brands, and corporations with a focus on financial and technology communications.

For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Executive Director, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, Suite 1515, 73 Widdicombe Hill Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, M9R 4B3, or phone 416 242-6146, or e-mail: foundation@prmediaconnection.com.

SOURCE: Communications + Public Relations Foundation

For further information:
Barbara Sheffield, APR, FCPRS
Executive Director
Communications + Public Relations Foundation
(416) 242-6146
foundation@prmediaconnection.com

Pat McNamara, APR, FCPRS
Chief Executive Officer
APEX
416 934-2120
pmcnamara@apexpr.com

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Coffee, conversation and the CPRS Collection
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With public relations ranked as the fourth most caffeinated profession, it was only fitting that Balzac’s Coffee played host to the October 20 “Coffee and Conversation” event, the first Marketing Communications and Education Committee event of the season.

The Saturday morning social brought CPRS members together for a hot cup of coffee, friendly conversation and an exclusive tour of the Toronto Reference Library’s CPRS Toronto Collection.

Led by librarian Peggy Keefe, members were treated to an introduction to the books and journals that make up the CPRS Toronto Collection. A true public relations resource centre, the third floor collection holds volumes dedicated to the foundation of the profession, communication strategies, integrating social media into campaigns and more.

This vast collection is made possible by donations from CPRS Toronto and its members, with over $6,000 donated to date. These funds ensure the continuity and currency of the collection.

Though the books and periodicals of the CPRS Toronto Collection can only be referenced at the library, the newly renovated study areas beckon users to grab a book, a coffee (yes, you can maintain that caffeine fix in the library) and stay for awhile.

Also checkout a few pictures from the tour.

 

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New mandate speaks to our collective corporate social responsibility
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The three pillars of the Melbourne Mandate.

The world of PR will soon have a new mandate to shape the organizational role and responsibilities of public relations professionals. 

As part of the advance preparations, three working groups have been hard at work studying the issues and preparing the draft mandate for presentation and debate at World PR Forum 2012 in Melbourne, Australia.

  1. Organizational character
  2. Listening
  3. Responsibility

The new Melbourne Mandate picks up after the 2010 Stockholm Accords and is expected to be released later this month.

Watch this space for news that the final document is available and be among the first to share this guide to best practice with colleagues.

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Member appreciation event nets largest turnout in recent memory
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How to capture the energy of the 160 CPRS Toronto members who attended our season opener at the historic Enoch Turner Schoolhouse on September 27? Perhaps a few of your stories will do the trick.

CPRS Toronto hosted 160 Members at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse for it’s season opener on September 27, 2012.

In her follow-up note to the event, Carol Panasiuk, APR, LM, says that she appreciated the opportunity to get together with the senior practice group at our private reception, which took place just prior to the main event with all CPRS Toronto members. She found the reception to be a great opportunity to catch up with her peers and has suggested that CPRS Toronto get the senior practice group together a couple of times each year. We’re planning on it, Carol!

Bruce Stock, APR, FCPRS, dropped in on Kathleen Garrett, APR, and the APR study group that had hived themselves off for some exam preparations. He told our APR candidates of his experience as an Oral Examiner in the CPRS Accreditation Program several years ago, revealing that he and the other two examiners had given a perfect score to a candidate. Bruce wanted to impress upon our candidates that, a) it could be done, and b) the key was that the successful candidate was concise with her answers. This APR candidate had spoken succinctly and with purpose and when she was done, she was done. It was great to be in on this particular interaction that will hopefully serve as some inspiration for the CPRS Toronto candidates who are now into an extremely intense part of the accreditation process.

The members heard brief updates from their Board members, learning about our current priorities and numerous upcoming events. These Board reports generated great follow-up discussions with our members and sponsors. I spoke with Emmanuel Caisse with CEDROM-SNi on his way out, for example. He had already connected with our Board liaison to sponsors, Laurie Smith, and was deeply engaged in exploring ways to meet our members’ professional needs.

This event has also jump-started our member volunteer network once again, to the delight of Board members Parm Chohan, who is coordinating volunteer placements with the Board’s working committees, and Jenn Heyes, who heads up our student leadership team.

CPRS Toronto President Vincent Power, APR, had a lively chat with a group of student members who were amused when he told them to be sure to pull their weight in group assignments at school. Vincent advised the students that PR school stories travel far and wide and could ultimately affect their employment. Our new student members were shocked and somewhat horrified to hear this but soon realized that they could relate. According to the students, the time spent on group assignments is the hardest time to like your fellow PR students.

We also heard from members who were unable to attend. Perhaps my favourite exchange was with Andrew Clarke who sent his regrets but didn’t forgo his opportunity to network. Andrew asked us for some support to get in touch with members who, like him, are giving leadership to social media and community relations strategies. We have since offered Andrew some contacts to get started.

Judging by what you said, I think we were successful in providing an appropriate and meaningful networking opportunity for our members at this event. I hope we also adequately conveyed our appreciation for your continuing member support of CPRS Toronto.

The final word here goes out to CPRS Toronto members Amie Zimon, Jessica Delaney and Jenn Heyes who answered our call for volunteer support at this event. Given the number of members who attended, they certainly had their hands full in terms of handling the social graces while also helping to ease our new members into the CPRS family. You did a truly admirable job. Thank you.

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How will you stand out from other PR job candidates?
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Looking for answers about Toronto’s job market and want to better understand what local employers are looking read more

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