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Where Are They Now? CPRS ACE Award Winner Student Public Relations Plan of the Year
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Stephanie Murphy was a member of the dedicated student team from Centennial College that won the #CPRSACE Student Public Relations Communications Plan of the Year. At the 2016 CPRS Toronto ACE Awards Gala, her team won for the Civic Action/Project Fusion campaign titled “Know the Signs” which focused on educating and building awareness around mental health in the workplace.

 

With the upcoming 2017 ACE Awards Gala just around the corner on May, 2nd, PRS interviewed Stephanie one year later to reflect on her CPRS achievements and see what she’s been up to since her big win.

 

  1. What’s been the most rewarding part of winning the CPRS ACE Student Public Relations Plan of the Year?

Overall, it was very humbling and nice to get recognition. My team and I worked hard all year for the campaign so it felt wonderful to be invited to the gala and to be included within the PR community. The Canadian Red Cross team was proud I got to be a part of it too.

 

  1. Where are you working now?

I was a Canadian Red Cross intern from April to May 2016 and after that I was hired on as a coordinator. I’ve been working on the communications and public engagement team ever since. I love it!

 

  1. What’s your day-to-day role?

Part of my time is spent supporting the Ontario communications team on a variety of tasks including media monitoring, design, research and writing, among other things. I also work on a partnership the Canadian Red Cross has with Global Affairs Canada to raise awareness about humanitarian work we do internationally. This involves organizing speaker events, finding opportunities for public engagement, and working on our annual Faces of Humanity campaign.. It’s a great learning environment because no two days are alike.

 

  1. Has your path in PR changed from what you wanted when you were a student or freshly graduated?

I originally thought an agency would be a good place to start, as I thought it would offer a variety of learning opportunities, but I’ve always been more passionate about non-profit organizations. When I was a student, the Canadian Red Cross internship opportunity came my way and it seemed like a great chance to dive into the non-profit sphere.

  1. What’s your advice to current PR students aspiring to win the award?

I suggest that if you’re interested you should push yourself to apply. It’s a great chance to receive more exposure in the PR community and to network with other PR professionals at the awards ceremony. Ask yourself, ‘Why not?’ You have nothing to lose!

 

  1. Looking back what is one takeaway from the award you would like current students to know? Is there one piece of advice you would like to give them?

The ACE Awards offered me a great networking opportunity right at the beginning of my career. I valued the experience of submitting for the award as well because it helped me build my professional portfolio.

 

  1. What skills did you harness when you worked on the campaign that you use everyday at work?

Team work is an essential PR skill that is a part of almost everything I’ve worked on so far in my career. It’s so important to learn how to be a respectful, accountable and helpful team player.

 

JOIN US AT THE 2017 CPRS ACE AWARDS GALA ON MAY 2nd AT THE ARCADIAN COURT. TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE.

 

Written by Alessandra Manieri, Ryerson University graduate and public relations postgraduate from Humber College. Currently working as a PR Coordinator at Strategic Objectives.

 

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Passport to PR with Strut Entertainment, Citizen Relations and Liquid Communications
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About Passport to PR

Organized by the CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee, this event offers students the opportunity to visit PR offices, speak to members of their team and get answers to all the burning questions they have about the industry.

In groups of 15, students visit three public relations offices throughout downtown Toronto. As part of Group G, students visited Strut Entertainment, Citizen Relations and Liquid Communications. Here is attendee Samiha Fariha’s recap of the day.

Location #1: Strut Entertainment

After battling the morning rush on the TTC, I arrived unscathed at the trendy office of Strut Entertainment. Strut was kind enough to provide us with a morning breakfast of water, coffee, muffins and cakes.

The morning session at Strut started off with Samantha, the founder of the agency, telling us about her day-to-day responsibilities and a history of how Strut came to be. Three pieces of Samantha’s advice that really resonated with me were:

1. Pay attention to office culture, it’s more important than you think.

  1. Watch your social footprint.
  2. Never stop learning.

Location #2: Citizen Relations  

After our morning session with Strut, few of us in Group G with our group leader Mary took the streetcar to our second session at Citizen Relations.

The team gave us a brief introduction about the corporate culture and philosophy of Citizen Relations followed by an in-depth look at how the agency approaches public relations and their work. It was interesting to learn that Citizen does not have a core area of focus, they aim to be a full-service agency that serves clients from a wide variety of industries.
Location #3: Liquid Communications

At Liquid Communications the team spoke to us about some of the clients the agency worked with, their experiences in the PR industry, advice on how to get invaluable hands on PR experience as well as some of the key differences between working in boutique agencies vs. large agencies. Time flew by and before we knew it, it was time to leave.

I really enjoyed my Passport to PR experience. The event provided me with the opportunity to learn about how PR agency life is like in both large and boutique agencies and make new contacts in the industry.

UntitledGroup G having a ball at Strut Entertainment

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Written by Samiha Fariha, a student in Humber College’s Post-graduate Public Relations Program.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samihafariha/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FarihaSamiha

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Passport to PR Winter Edition: A Post-Event Recap
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Having recently completed a successful event, Building Media Relations, at the upper deck of the Pilot Tavern, CPRS Toronto Students’ continued its journey across the PR industry.

On Thursday, Mar. 9, 2017, students travelled from schools across the area, including Centennial, Humber, Ryerson, Seneca and Sheridan, to attend the winter edition of Passport to PR.

These students were given the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes of PR practice, meeting top communications professionals from a diverse range of industries and organizations.

Students listened to in-depth presentations from these pros, getting to ask questions and learn the inside scoop on the PR world.

Some of the topics covered included transitioning from student to work life, the differences between agency and in-house, and the changing face of PR.

The students got the opportunity to select from one of seven groups. Some locations that opened their doors were Coca-Cola, Craft PR, Cohn & Wolfe, Ripley’s Aquarium, Edelman and Citizen Relations, among many more.

The group I led traversed Front Street, starting our morning at National PR before stopping by Metrolinx and ending our day at MLSE. The students had a blast and gained a great deal of insight from the communication teams at these three organizations.

We re-assembled as a big group, celebrating a great day in true student style, with a trip to Jack Astor’s. Students enjoyed food and drinks, making new friends and swapping stories from the day.

We’d love to hear about your experience at Passport to PR: Winter Edition!

What was one insight you gained from the event that you will take with you towards your future career?

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Written by: Maxim Naylor, a 1st year student in Humber College’s Bachelor of Public Relations program and student representative of the CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee.

Twitter: @maximnaylor

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maximnaylor/

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Building Media Relations: A Post-Event Recap
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inBy Maxim Naylor

On Wednesday, February 22nd on the upper deck of Cumberland Street’s iconic Pilot Tavern, the CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee hosted one of its annual events, Building Media Relations (BMR).

BMR brings together a panel of local media and PR pros to answer questions on creating and sustaining relationships with the press.

On the PR side of the panel, BMR featured Cole Douglas of APEX Public Relations, Jennifer McCarthy of Cohn & Wolfe, and Stuart Green of the TTC. On the media side were Hilary Hagerman of Yahoo Style, Steven Banks of ET Canada, & Rahul Gupta of Metroland Media, a panel full of character, knowledge, and an exchange of much industry humour.

Laurie Smith, VP Strategic Communications, Media and Audience Relations at CNW moderated the discussion. Although a difficult task keeping communications experts on one topic, Laurie guided the discussion flawlessly and with great wit.

The panel tackled a wide range of topics in the moderated question and answer session including blogger relations, influencer marketing, integrated content and professional communication with press members.

The floor was opened for students in attendance to ask questions, which sparked a great discussion on the changing nature of PR practice, client relationships and the role of press exclusives.

My favourite line of the night: “Know your brand, know who you are and stay true to that” – Steven Banks from ET Canada. Wise words!

The event was well-attended with students across different programs and schools, including Ryerson, Humber, Centennial and Seneca.

After the formal event had wrapped up, there was some time for networking. Students stayed, connecting with each other, as well as the panelists.

The event was a huge success from start to finish. We can’t wait for next year!

For those who attended, what was your favourite moment?

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Maxim Naylor is a 1st year student in Humber College’s Bachelor of Public Relations program and student representative of the CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee.

Twitter: @maximnaylor
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maximnaylor/

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Event Recap: Passport to PR
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Three valuable tips I learned from Passport to PR

Passport to PR is one of the CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee’s most highly anticipated events of the year. Students are given the opportunity to visit three agencies or organizations in the downtown core and learn from their PR teams. The group I led visited an interesting mix of two agencies and an international organization: Strategic Objectives, Coca-Cola and Pilot PMR.

Here are the top three tips I learned from PR pros during the November 2016 edition of the event.

 

  1. Internship interviews require a lot of preparation.

The team at Strategic Objectives recommended researching as much as you can about any organization you’re interested in working with in the future. Take the time to read about their current and past work, get familiar with their social media accounts and read up on the key players on their team. They also stressed that confidence is very important. You need to know exactly how you want to present yourself and what key messages you want to communicate.

 

  1. Keep a “roll up your sleeves” attitude at work.

Next on our agenda was Coca Cola. When asked how students can make themselves stand out during internships or volunteer opportunities, both agreed that it was to make sure you have a “roll up your sleeves” attitude at all times. It’s an asset to have a positive attitude and to always be prepared for any job your boss or co-worker hands to you. They emphasized that this crucial characteristic will allow you to challenge yourself and grow as a person.

 

  1. Get as much experience as you can.

Last but not least, our group visited the offices of Pilot PMR. There we learned the importance of getting as much experience in the PR industry as you possibly can, in order to find out what you do and don’t want for your career. Although most volunteer opportunities are not compensated, they are a great way to earn on-the-job experience when you’re new to the PR industry.

 

On the whole, Passport to PR was an immensely rewarding experience. The lessons I learned from the PR pros were invaluable and will help me as I strive to become the best PR professional I can be.

 

The Student Steering Committee’s next edition of Passport to PR will be taking place on Thursday, March 9, 2017. I hope to see you there!

 

About the author:

Mary Aloia is in her second year of Humber College’s Bachelor of Public Relations program and currently serves as the CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee’s Vice President of Internal.

Twitter: @maryaloia

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Where are they now?
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Featuring Charzie Abendanio, Account Coordinator at APEX Public Relations Inc. and past President of the CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee 2015-2016

 
What did you enjoy most about being on the SSC? 

What I looked forward to the most when being part of the SSC team was the opportunity to meet students from across the GTA during the class talks at the beginning of the school year. I was able to visit classrooms in Seneca, Humber, Centennial, Loyalist and Ryerson.

During the class presentations, I shared my knowledge, advice and passion for the public relations industry, which I continue to do today.

 
Where do you work now and what do you do? 

Today, I am an account coordinator at APEX PR supporting clients from across the corporate and consumer sectors. However, the journey I took to find myself where I am today was a whirlwind but also an experience I am very grateful for.

I initially interned at several Toronto PR agencies, which included energi PR, Weber Shandwick and Edelman. At the end of last summer I was offered an opportunity by APEX PR to work for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on the Recovery Task Force in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

My main responsibility on the Task Force was to support the Public Information Officer and communications department as the community of Wood Buffalo was going through recovery after facing the largest Wildfire in Canadian history.

 
How do you think CPRS Toronto helped advance your career or get you ready for your current position?

Every relationship I developed throughout my time with the SSC and at my internships was imperative to the opportunities that came my way.

The PR community is small and the connections we make are as important as interviews. My advice for PR students is: treat every interaction you have with a communications professional as an opportunity to learn about them and a chance to help guide your own career path. The opportunities that come from that will be endless and you can find the best position that aligns with your passion and goals.

Twitter: @charziecastillo

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charzieabendanio

 

 

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Where are they now?
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Featuring Erika Manassis, Seneca College Student Representative, CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee

What did you enjoy most about being on the SSC?

Being on the SSC gave me the opportunity to not only attend student events throughout the year, but to help plan them. I enjoyed acting as liaison between my peers at Seneca College, and my fellow committee members, because it meant I could help make sure that the interests of my classmates were reflected in our SSC events. This made occasions like Passport to PR, and PR 360 much more relatable and applicable to students. It felt great to have a hand in that experience!

As a member of the SSC I was also introduced to non-student members of CPRS Toronto, many of whom I keep in touch with today. The opportunity to mingle with and learn from professionals in the field was invaluable to me as a student trying to find my place in this industry.

And of course – I’ll always be grateful for having met my fellow SSC members through this committee! Though we came from different personal and professional backgrounds, and now work in various fields, it’s nice to know that I have a support system of 15 amazing individuals close by!

Where do you work now, and what do you do?

In April 2016 I joined the team at Cohn & Wolfe Toronto as an Intern. In mid-July I took on the position of an Account Coordinator.

As an Account Coordinator I have a wide variety of responsibilities. From media monitoring, to developing coverage reports, to communicating with bloggers, to pitching stories to media outlets across the country. Every day is different. Most of the portfolios I work on are consumer products, which allows our team to have a lot of fun with story angles, creative pitch notes and media events.

One aspect of my job that I most enjoy is developing relationships with Canadian journalists.  It can be difficult to get to know journalists over email, so I continue to attend CPRS Toronto events each month, where the focus is often on how to communicate with members of the media. At work, I develop these relationships by making phone calls instead of emails to journalists when possible, and doing my best to know what a journalist typically looks for in a story idea.

How do you think CPRS Toronto helped advance your career or get you ready for your current position?

Volunteering with CPRS gave me “real world” PR experience while I was still a student. Continuing to volunteer now that I work at a PR agency offers many opportunities to continue to learn from industry colleagues, and experts in the field. Since joining CPRS Toronto as a student member in September 2015, it has been nothing but a beneficial personal and professional experience!

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LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/erikamanassis

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Where are they now?
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Featuring Terrence Freeman, Vice President, External, CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee

What did you enjoy most about being on the SSC?

What I liked most about being on the SSC was having significant responsibility on the experiences and events we were creating for Toronto PR students.  As an executive member on the committee, I took part in making the decisions that would affect students’ CPRS Toronto experience, which also helped me grow professionally.

Where do you work now and what do you do?

During the summer, previous to my last year in Humber College’s bachelor of public relations program, I completed a public relations internship with Metro Ontario. Working client-side in a corporate marketing department allowed me to not only develop real-world industry experience, but also explore my interest in other aspects of marketing in addition to PR.

As I came closer to finishing my degree, I was offered a marketing coordinator job at Metro Ontario – and gladly accepted! While working on the more “traditional” marketing side of the industry I have continued to learn a vast amount of knowledge. I’ve also found that I have been able to transition much of my public relations skills to communicating to customers in other ways that the marketing aspect requires.

In my current position, I focus on everything “in-store” related. This includes communicating a variety of important messages to customers using multiple marketing elements including audio, signage and creative.

Although I originally had planned a career in public relations for myself, I am happy that my career path has steered into the broader world of marketing – a side of the industry that allows me to utilize the communications skills I learned in school and learn new skills I hope to apply throughout the rest of my career.

How do you think CPRS helped advance your career or get you ready for your current position?

Not only did my position on CPRS Toronto provide me with unique “real world” experience, but it also allowed me to meet and learn directly from top professionals in public relations industry.

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Twitter: @itsterrence

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/terrencegfreeman

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Informational interviews: three reasons why you should go to one
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Informational interviews are less stressful than job interviews and offer practical career advice outside the classroom. Instead of reading a company’s “About” page I have found it more effective to reach out to someone I admire and pick their brain to accelerate my career search.

After researching professionals on LinkedIn, I came across Humber PR alumna and former TVO public relations manager Kathy Saliba. I was eager to meet with her and our second degree connection was kind enough to introduce us.

I learned a lot from our coffee chat and she offered relevant industry advice. Here are three reasons why I recommend going on informational interviews:

1) Gain insight from industry professionals.

It’s a great opportunity to ask specific questions about their personal experience, which you won’t get from an online search engine.

Kathy’s advice:

  • Be open-minded. Opportunities can open up where you least expect them.
  • Be a sponge. Absorb as much information as you can. Make the most of every experience.
  • The learning process is never ending. Keep searching for opportunities to grow. Take advantage of the professional development and training courses offered online, at work or through professional organizations such as the CPRS Toronto Society.

2) Their knowledge of the industry can help you choose your path:

I was interested in learning about the differences between working in a large firm, boutique agency and corporate setting. Since Kathy had experience in all three she was able to shed some light on the subject.

Kathy suggested trying different work environments throughout your career to determine your preferred lifestyle and sector.

Informational Interviews

3) Helpful career tips

Kathy generously shared advice on how to succeed in job interviews:

  • Read the company’s press releases and conduct a media audit to become more informed about the employer’s latest projects.
  • In case of any questions about media relations, research media outlets tailored to the company’s clients or products. It’s a good habit to form a media list filled with specific traditional media, online bloggers and influencers.
  • Research the person you are interviewing on LinkedIn to see if you have any shared connections or experiences you can bring up in the interview.

I encourage students and recent graduates to go on informational interviews if they want to build their confidence and learn more about their future. The more you go on and the more interview practice you obtain, the more prepared you will be to navigate your PR career.

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By: Alessandra Manieri, Post-Graduate Public Relations Humber College

 

 

 

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Six tips to building media relationships
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On Thursday, February 11 the CPRS Toronto’s Student Steering Committee (SSC) hosted their fifth-annual Building Media Relationships event at The Pilot in downtown Toronto.

Every year, a panel of media and public relations professionals share their insights and key advice with attendees.

This year’s panel included: Lindsey Coulter, Weber Shandwick; Shawn Rusich, Butter PR; Kelsey Rutherford, High Road Communications; Arti Patel, Huffington Post Canada; Jennifer Weatherhead Harrington, Travel & Style Magazine; and Kathleen Newman-Bremang, The Social. CNW Group‘s Laurie Smith moderated the lively panel discussion.

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Here are the top six takeaways from the event:

  1. Do your research.

Before you reach out and pitch to a journalist, know what they write about and what beat they cover. Questions to consider include: Do they create content for my target demographic? Is this the best medium?

“It is important to really understand how they write and why they write.” – Arti Patel

  1. Be personal.

Craft each email pitch to be personal and tailor the story to align with the journalist’s beat. This proves you are proactive and clued into their needs.

“If the email has a generic “hi” then I won’t even read it.” – Kathleen Newman-Bremang

Pro Tip: Kelsey suggested keeping notes about a reporter’s likes and dislikes for future use. For example, whether they prefer email or phone pitches.

  1. Stand Out.

Laurie Smith shared the interesting statistic that PR professionals outweigh journalists 4-1. This means reporters are constantly being bombarded by pitches. To make your pitch stand out, write a very tailored and catchy subject line. Simplify the reporter’s job by putting ‘the ask’ in the subject line.

“The art of writing a subject line is important. Tailor it to get their attention.” – Jennifer Weatherhead Harrington

  1. Be Respectful

Every good media relationship is based on courtesy and respect. The panelists agreed that it is unprofessional to pitch through personal social media.

On the topic of questions public relations practitioners should never ask the media, these were some of their pet peeves:

“Don’t ask if you can have creative control. We respect what you are promoting, but you also need to let us do our job.” – Kathleen Newman-Bremang

“Don’t ask who my demographic is. Your research should have already told you who they are” – Jennifer Weatherhead Harrington

  1. Be resourceful.

During the pitching process, make the journalist’s job easier by providing them with the right content that works best for the outlet.

Bloggers: Provide them with samples of the product so they can test it and reflect on her own experience.

Online news: Send pictures, infographics and social media content that aren’t too branded to be published.

Broadcast television: Provide video content of the guest or spokesperson as well as any related promotional materials.

Pro Tip: if your client will be interviewed on TV, the segment producer needs to see for themselves if they will look good and interview well, hence videos.

  1. Stay informed.

With the world of social media and the emergence of influencers and the media landscape changing rapidly, it’s important to keep up with the latest trends.

“The landscape is changing, but it’s forcing us to be more innovative.” – Kelsey Rutherford

There is so much to learn within the ever-evolving world of public relations, but two aspects prevail: good manners and preparation.

Committee

More quotes and learning insights can be found on the SSC’s Twitter handle: @CPRSStudents

Check out more photos from the event on our Facebook page: Facebook/CPRSTorontoStudents

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Written by: Alessandra Manieri student in Humber College’s Public Relations Post-Graduate Program.

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