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Stay in the know: 10 PR blogs to follow
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Author: Jessica Chong

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It can seem daunting wading through a sea of information. Being in the know in public relations requires staying updated on current industry trends and issues. Keep these blogs bookmarked for daily browsing and you’ll have some sure fire conversation starters at your disposal. From a student standpoint, these are ten sites I found to be useful and relevant resources throughout my postgraduate PR program.

 

1. PR Daily

PR Daily equips you with almost everything you need to know about the industry from news reporting to syndication. Enjoy and learn from PR blunders, analysis and witty commentary. Keep in mind, however, that PR Daily posts content about American and global brands and issues.

2. Spin Sucks 

Spin Sucks is a wealth of information on online reputation, creating content and staying ahead of the competition. It also disseminates sound information on SEO, entrepreneurship and other expert advice. All contributors, including founder Gini Dietrich, bring different talents and viewpoints forward. Spin Sucks provides case studies and shares ideas and thoughts concerning real-life outcomes.

3. Marketing Magazine

Marketing Magazine is a mix of branding, advertising and marketing, providing the best updates on campaigns generating conversations. When it comes to which brand chose an agency as PR agency of record, the online magazine has its finger on the pulse of breaking news in the industry. Marketing Magazine also has some great monthly columns from professionals like Martin Waxman.

4. Social Media Examiner

Learn about influencer engagement, LinkedIn productivity and social media marketing, just to name a few. What I like best is the high level of visual aesthetics behind each blog post. Each blog post features easy readability, using supportive graphics and real-life examples.

5. PR News

PR News is a great resource covering a diverse array of topics from CSR, employee relations, media training, crisis communications and more. Expect articles created by industry experts from how-to content to best practices. These articles are sure to complement communications theory and management courses you may be currently taking.

6. Social Media Today

Social Media Today produces concisely relevant #SMTShorts videos and columns from thought leaders. The site also highlights in a graphic-laden article what’s trending this week with ever-visual word clouds and charts galore.

7. APEX blog

APEX takes blogging to a personal level with series like Follow February and 5Qs that feature short interviews with movers and shakers in the industry, ranging from health, tech, beauty and everything in between. Practical opinion pieces on time management or the value of editorial content also show off their staff’s knowledge.

8. Strategic Objectives blog

SO blog posts are full of insight into the PR industry, especially with practical and actionable social media tips from SO co-president Deborah Weinstein. The posts are candid, timely and relevant, tying into recent events like the Superbowl and the Target Canada layoff.

9. TechCrunch

TechCrunch keeps you in the know on the latest tech news from wearable technology, the newest apps and startups. Its weekly roundups recount the best stories you don’t want to miss. You’ll find essential updates, especially with brands like Google and Microsoft, ensuring you stay in the loop for those upcoming networking events and informational interviews.

10. Edelman blog – Conversations

As the world’s largest public relations firm, Edelman brings a global perspective to its blog. Edelman’s #FollowTheFellow series gives students the chance to learn about working in another country and dealing with different markets. Pick the brain of the president and CEO, Richard Edelman, by reading his blog posts in the 6 A.M. section. Feel free to also browse the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer that paves the way for new business innovation.

What else would you add to the list?

  • Danielle Kelly, APR
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Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporation Act Coming Soon – CPRS By-Law Review Currently Underway
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Ontario’s new Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 will make it simpler to incorporate and provide not-for-profit corporations with up-to-date rules to run the organization. It will also ensure greater transparency and accountability.

When the Act comes into force, it will generally apply automatically to all Ontario not-for-profit corporations, including CPRS Toronto.

Existing not-for-profit corporations will have a three-year transition period once the Act comes into force to make any changes to their incorporation and other documents necessary to bring them into conformity with the Act.

Danielle Kelly, APR,  Secretary of the Board of Directors of CPRS Toronto, is performing a review of the By-laws to ensure that they will comply with the forthcoming ONCA legislation.

A draft of the By-laws will be posted here for member review shortly.

It is expected that the By-law review will be completed in Summer 2015, so that CPRS Toronto members may vote on the revised By-laws at the 2014 Annual General Meeting.

Additional information about ONCA is also available here: ONCA presentation slides – March 30 2015

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Danielle should you have any additional questions or comments.

  • Lois Marsh
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April 21: Panel Discussion: Paid media in public relations
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Panel Discussion: Paid media in public relations

Tuesday, April 21, 2015. 6 pm to 7:30 pm (networking reception from 6 pm – 6:30 pm, panel discussion and Q & A from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm), The Pilot, Stealth Lounge (2nd Floor, 22 Cumberland St., Toronto. Cost: $35 (member), $45 (non-member), $25 (student member), $30 (student non-member). Light appetizers, cash bar.

Paid media is changing the practice of public relations as the lines blur between marketing and PR. Hear from experts in this field as they discuss how to put together an effective paid media strategy for your budget. This panel will also cover how to measure the impact of your paid campaigns, how to develop an integrated strategy and future directions for this evolving area of practice.

Moderator:

Martin Waxman, President, Martin Waxman Communications

@martinwaxman

Panelists:

Yuri Machado, SVP Integrated Advertising and Strategy, Post Media

@yurimac

Josh Merchant, Ampifii, CTO

@joshmerchant

Laurie Smith, Senior Director of Strategic Communications, CNW

@lauriesmith

Saeed Zaman, Senior Account Director, Paid Media Lead, Edelman

REGISTER NOW

 

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Event post: Building Media Relationships
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Authors: Molly Campbell and Natalie D.

On Thursday, Feb. 12 CPRS Toronto’s Student Steering Committee (SSC) welcomed students to the fourth-annual Building Media Relationships event at the Pilot Tavern. A panel of journalists and PR professionals shared insights with attendees. The panel consisted of Jessica Gold, Shaw Media; Robin Smith, H+K Strategies; Heather MacGregor, LCBO; James Bradshaw, The Globe and Mail; Carolyn Jarvis, Global News; Josh Rubin, Toronto Star and Justine Lewkowicz, Newstalk 1010. CNW Group‘s Nadine Tousignant moderated the animated discussion.

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The biggest takeaway? “Just be a decent human being,” said Josh Rubin, followed with a laugh from the crowd. Rubin also outlined having a sense of humour, being respectful and valuing the other journalist’s time as being important, which received agreeing nods from the other panelists.

Media relations is taught in PR students’ coursework, but stepping out of the classroom safety net and doing the real thing is daunting. This event gave aspiring students the opportunity to find out what exactly makes news and how to navigate the media landscape.

When asked how newly graduated PR practitioners can avoid “annoying” journalists, every panelist quickly said they didn’t care about experience or age. What matters to them is the story, considering the audience, pitching an interesting angle, timeliness and relevance. The next most important thing is a practitioner’s attitude; being positive, respectful and doing research goes a long way.

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Here are some key tips from the pros:

1. Ask the right questions – Begin media relations campaigns by asking your client about the results they want, said Robin Smith.

2. No matter what realm you work in, always follow the news – Heather MacGregor suggests setting up Google Alerts and monitoring Cision.

3. Don’t burn bridges – “You’re only as good as the relationships you’ve built, as well as your last job,” said Jessica Gold. Be willing to apologize for mistakes.

4. Don’t be annoying – Justine Lewkowicz warned sending too many emails can put you in a journalist’s bad books.

5. Know your medium – Know “who you’re pitching and why you’re pitching,” said Carolyn Jarvis. For TV interviews, choose someone who reads well on TV. For radio interviews, choose someone with an enticing voice. For print stories, get the point and avoid overusing adjectives.

6. Be open to collaboration – Getting caught up trying to control every element of a story can “turn a collaboration into an adversarial relationship” said James Bradshaw. Let the journalist develop the story. Sometimes the end result may not be exactly what you had in mind, but often through collaboration an even better story can be told.

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Molly outlines some other Dos and Don’ts from the event:

Do make it personal. You stand out from the crowd when a journalists trusts you.

Do meet with journalists outside deadlines to build trust over time.

Don’t use social media as a public forum to criticize journalists.

Don’t take it personally when a reporter doesn’t respond immediately. Media deadlines can vary from every hour to every 30 minutes.

Don’t be a jerk.

Do have phone etiquette. When calling, always ask, “are you busy right now?”

 

Natalie is a graduate from Seneca College’s Corporate Communications program.

Molly is a student representative on CPRS Toronto’s SSC.

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Internship post: energi PR
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Practice makes perfect

 

Charzie and part of the energi team on National Ice Cream Day

Charzie and part of the energi team on National Ice Cream Day

 

Author: Charzie Abendanio

This summer I had the opportunity to intern at energi PR, a mid-size agency with offices in Toronto and Montreal. During my internship I was able to learn under professionals with extensive backgrounds in healthcare, travel and consumer public relations.

My experience at energi was not out of the ordinary from what other interns go through. I exercised practical and writing skills being taught in classrooms today, such as pitching to the media, blog writing and developing content for social media platforms.

The basic and most important attributes every student should have and develop, in my opinion, aren’t always tangible, new or revolutionary. They are basic concepts that need to be worked on daily with an opportunity to continuously improve them. Knowing your way around the areas I’ve listed below helped me accomplish the tasks and assignments given to me at my internship. Once my internship came to an end, I can say apart from the practical skills, I also learned many life skills which I will continue to use in school and in my future public relations career.

 

Charzie and the energi team at the Toronto Food Truck Alley on King

Charzie and the energi team at the Toronto Food Truck Alley on King

 

1. Practice your researching skills

I’ll be the first to admit my researching skills aren’t the greatest and I have a difficult time navigating the Internet to find the right information. I believe this is due to how much information is out there to filter through. One way to develop this skill is to research your own interests and hobbies, teaching you how to determine what good information is versus the most helpful.

2. Practice asking questions

In an ever changing industry like public relations you need to have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. If you are not asking questions you aren’t learning. In the summer I head the word “deck” almost every day and didn’t know what it meant. When I finally asked and learned it means a PowerPoint slideshow I realized there are many nuances in public relations I will come across in my career and may not understand them until I put aside my insecurities and pride to ask.

3. Practice your interpersonal skills

Three months may not be a long time but it is long enough to leave a lasting impression. When I first arrived at energi I wanted to get through the three months by doing my work and completing what was expected from me. I never realized I would work with people I continue to speak with to this day. The ability to listen and following direction, and work well in a team is a reflection of your personality. This leads me to my last and most important point.

4. Practice being you

The person who knows you the most is you! Being honest with yourself helps you become self-aware and contributes to your confidence. My second week I was asked to stand in front of everyone in the boardroom to discuss where I see myself in the industry and what I expected to take from my time at energi. I was so nervous but it gave me the ability to evaluate exactly what kind of PR practitioner I want to be while considering the steps I need to reach my goal.

Take a moment to evaluate yourself and discover your strengths and weaknesses. It can be a process but it allows you to explore who you are and helps direct you to where you want to be.

Charzie Abendanio is CPRS Toronto’s Vice President on the Student Steering Committee. She is a third year student in Humber’s Bachelor of Public Relations program. Find her on:

Twitter: @charziecastillo
LinkedIn

**We are always looking for student submissions! If you would like to contribute to the new student blog, please email Arden at cprsstudents@gmail.com.

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Event post: Passport to PR (Fall Edition)
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CPRS Toronto’s Student Steering Committee kicked this year off with the always popular Passport to PR event. It was our most successful year ever, with over 105 students taking part, tickets selling out in three hours and the event’s hashtag #PassporttoPR trending on Twitter! A big thank you to all of our hosts and student participants in this year’s event. Check out some highlights below:

Group A: APEX Public Relations | Argyle Communications | Rogers Media

Passport to PR proved to be a success again this year as communications students hit the pavement to visit PR offices at some of Toronto’s top organizations. Though this popular event was only offered to lucky students able to secure a spot, the PR lessons learned during the event were shared through social media during the event and at the post-event tweetup.

Students were able to gain some valuable information by learning new media relations techniques from APEX PR, Argyle PR’s new video branding implementation for clients, and the strategy involved in Roger Media’s internal and risk management plans.

– Cole Douglas, Vice President External, Student Steering Committee

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Group B: Hill + Knowlton | Shaw Media | Paradigm PR

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It is my third year leading a group for Passport and every year I am so impressed by the quality of information provided by speakers, and by the insightful students so ready to learn!

We learned some interesting things as a group, from Hill + Knowlton explaining their diverse work setting and different departments, to Shaw Media’s take on publicity versus traditional public relations and Paradigm PR’s insight into how to make yourself stand out and hearing from a recent grad.

I also learned that your internship is the place to find love, as Carolyn Abbass slyly mentioned, “If you’re looking for a husband, I found mine during my internship.”

– Arden Bagni, President, Student Steering Committee

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Hosts enjoyed some yummy cupcakes from Desmond and Beatrice as a thank you from the committee!

 

Group C: Strut Entertainment | Ketchum | Edelman

During my time at the three locations, meeting people from Seneca College, Centential College and fellow Humber College students, I learned the following:

Forget everyone that says you can’t do it, because you can.
Creativity is intelligence having fun.
Dive into the deep end and find what you like.
Finally, show up as you, whether it be bold, curious or unique.

– Alexandra Zwicker-deSmit, Humber College PR Postgrad Certificate program student
@azwickss

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I haven’t stopped raving about how modern, swanky and inviting Edelman’s Toronto office is. It’s like the kind of dream office space you see in movies! If I had a chance to work at Edelman one day, I wouldn’t care if PR isn’t your typical “9 to 5” kind of job! Other than obsessing over that aspiration, I met a lot of students from Humber and Seneca College who set their sights on an agency environment too. The most important thing I learned was your personal brand and “fit” with the agency is more important than your repertoire of skills since most graduates come out with similar abilities. I would definitely do this event again and want to learn more about how corporate and agency PR differ.

– Anthony Ou, Centennial College CCPR postgraduate certificate program student
@OuAnthony

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Group D: TELUS | Metrolinx | LCBO

This was my first Passport to PR event and I was lucky enough to lead an exceptional group of 15 students. All locations offered an array of industry knowledge and experience. My only regret during the event is wishing I could have seen ALL 21 locations. The main theme that resonated with me is PR professionals do not follow one true path leading them to their careers. Students will need a combination of hard work, networking and a little bit of luck to end up where they want to be!

– Charzie Abendanio, Vice President, Student Steering Committee

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Passport is an excellent event providing an insider’s glimpse into corporate communications and public relations at three distinct companies. Each company provided a great overview of the range of opportunities available within corporate communications and PR. Gabriel Mederos, senior communications manager – social media at TELUS told us about the importance of social media and its integration in everything they do. Metolinx’s communications co-ordinators Natalie Tutunzis and Vindra Dhanraj gave a great presentation about internal and external strategic communications. The LCBO’s Heather MacGregor (media relations co-ordinator and communications consultant) and Bill Kennedy (executive director, corporate communications) discussed the importance of understanding and aligning with business goals. And yes, we did end up talking about our favourite drinks! I think the best part of the presentations was that they covered things we learn in class – the importance of research, setting measurable goals and knowing your audience. It is great to know the skills we are learning in the classroom will be applicable when we start our careers. Great job CPRS Student Steering Committee!

– Jess MacGregor, Centennial College CCPR postgraduate certificate program student

Students from as far as Conestoga came to enjoy the event!

Students from as far as Conestoga came to enjoy the event!

 

Group E: energi PR | NATIONAL Public Relations | North Strategic

NATIONAL is the place to be. After touring the stunning office and meeting Sarah Bannoff and Noor Marzook my heart is set on working in agency. The multitude of sectors including marketing and healthcare intrigued me and opened my eyes to the goodwill that can come from health-related PR.

This agency captures professionalism and fun, after all, life is a balancing act. The motto “work hard, play hard” at NATIONAL is a motto they live by, especially with a bar located on the main floor. Thanks for the tour and you will absolutely be getting my resume.

– Sinead McElhinney, Humber College PR Postgrad Certificate program student
@SineadLifestyle

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Who knew bathroom products could be so intriguing? Noor Marzook, senior consultant, marketing communications at NATIONAL Public Relations convinced me that with a creative, hard working team, anything is possible!

Before Passport to PR, I never thought about going into marketing communications. After sitting in NATIONAL’s presentation, I discovered how diverse agency is. There are endless opportunities for growth and experience. Noor talked about Kohler‘s marketing campaign, which promoted the launch of their new products. Her passion about her work has motivated me to learn more about her work and responsibilities.

Thanks to Passport to PR, I can look forward to connecting with her in the future.

– Lauren Mueller, Humber College PR Postgrad Certificate program student
@lauren_mmueller

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Group F: Pilot PMR | Corus Entertainment | Strategic Objectives

If I could give one piece of advice to all PR students it would be to attend CPRS Toronto’s Passport to PR event. It will teach you things you cannot learn in the classroom and give you a real, in-depth look into what it is like to work in PR. Even though your mind might be set on a certain path, Passport can open your eyes to a new world within public relations. Many of my group members were not even considering working at an agency but after hearing our speakers at Strategic Objectives, it is now their first choice!

– Matthew Palmer, Student Representative, Student Steering Committee

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Coming from Centennial College, Passport to PR was a great opportunity to meet PR students from other schools, connect with more people and build my network! My group leader, Matt was super organized and made the event lots of fun! It was exciting to learn more about the industry. As I’m only in first year, I haven’t had the chance to experience first hand what public relations does in the real world. The biggest thing I learned when visiting these three amazing places was the difference between corporate and agency. Initially I was planning on staying away from agency employment, but Strategic Objectives changed my mind and I know I wasn’t the only one in group F who started to warm up to the idea of an agency!

– Kate Perkins, First year student in Centennial College’s Bachelor of PR Management program

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Group G: Veritas | TIFF | TD Canada Trust

My favourite stop of the day was Veritas. From the second we walked in, you could feel the cool vibe of the agency. The boardroom was all set up for us, with music playing and breakfast and coffee. Sue Kuruvilla, Ashley Therriault, and Lena Hesse shared their varied experiences in a very genuine way. I loved learning about Veritas’ unique take on public relations, “Influencing the Influencers,” and the new Growth & Innovation lab. My brain was left spinning with excitement as we walked out the door, but one thought came to the forefront, “Wow, I would just love to work there.”

– Carolyn Gooderham, Seneca College Corporate Communications Certificate program student
@cggooderham

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I was lucky enough to visit three very different PR atmospheres during my time at Passport to PR. Ranging from the small boutique agency of Pilot PMR, to corporate communications and publicity at Corus Entertainment and ending with the award-winning Strategic Objectives. Each stop had motivating and inspiring advice for newcomers to the world of PR, but a few choice quotes resonated with me, and I will be carrying them throughout my career.

“Don’t work in isolation. Collaborating makes you smarter.”
“Don’t be distracted by shiny objects, and the next big thing.”
“Your job is to dream big, and do it differently.”
“Challenge yourself, and stay news hungry.”

Passport to PR opened up the doors to a world of possibilities, and reassured me that mentors are waiting, and wanting to help us succeed once we step out into the PR world. Thank you CPRS for such an amazing event.

– Brittney Newstead, Humber College PR Postgrad Certificate program student
@brittstead

Oh, and don’t forget to tune into our tweetup at the end of every Passport to PR event, or you may end up sad like Anthony:

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Check out some more photos from the event below.

*Photo credit: Peter May

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Student Steering Committee Profile: Charzie Abendanio, Vice President
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Meet your 2014/2015 Student Steering Committee!

Stay tuned for our next series when we introduce our student representatives from PR programs around the GTA!

Charzie

Charzie Abendanio, Vice President
Humber College, Bachelor of Public Relations, Third Year

As the new vice president of the CPRS Toronto’s Student Steering Committee, I am thrilled to share my passion for PR and I am looking forward to working with my fellow executives to help bring PR students, from all over Toronto, to learn from one another and grow together as budding PR practitioners. I’ve been a member of CPRS since my first year at Humber and have also volunteered my time to the ACE Awards and the CEO Award of Excellence.

Where are you from?

I’ve grown up in Toronto and have fallen in love with this city. I can’t imagine where else I would live.

Do you have any other post-secondary education?

I started my post-secondary education at the University of Toronto and completed a full year of studying psychology, philosophy and poetry. I will always have a passion for the arts but I stepped back from school for several years and stumbled upon the world of PR and have never looked back.

What are you most excited for this year?

I’m honestly excited for everything. I was able to attend the Building Media Relations event last year and admired the ability that the SSC has to unite PR students together. I can’t wait to do the same this year in all our events.

Have you interned anywhere?

As the last semester was approaching in my second year I really wanted to have an internship to gain some experience. I landed an internship at energi PR, a mid-size agency located downtown. It was a great experience which gave me the opportunity to learn from individuals in the industry and I think everyone should try to get one even if it’s not required.

What is your dream job?

My dream job would be to work for a car brand such as Honda. I think it would be amazing to contribute to such an industry that the whole world recognizes.

What do you do outside of school?

Besides school and volunteering for CPRS, I have a part time job which I balance with doing yoga and spending time with my six year old Yorkie named Yuki. (She is probably the cutest Yorkie in the world! Check out my Instagram @charziecastillo to see for yourself!)

Tell us something random about yourself

I’ve owned about 11 cars in the last six years so you can say I’m a bit of a car enthusiast, and I love being a spectator during the Honda Indy and local track events in Ontario.

Find me on:

Twitter: @charziecastillo
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/charzieabendanio

 

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Melbourne (Mel) James celebrates a golden anniversary
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Melbourne V. James, APR National President CPRS 1974-1975

Melbourne V. James, APR, FCPRS(H), LM
National President CPRS 1974-1975

This year, Mel James APR, FCPRS(H), LM, celebrates  his 50th year as a member of CPRS Toronto.   Over the years, James has been recognized for his dedicated service, leadership and ingenuity.

“Membership in the Canadian Public Relations Society has been a rewarding experience, one of sharing expertise with any number of fellow practitioners from coast to coast that are far too numerous to mention here. But like any organization one joins, the real benefits only accrue to those who actively participate,” said James in a CPRS biography (http://www.cprs.ca/foundation/jack_yocom/melbourne_james.aspx).

An Honorary Member, College of Fellows (2001) and Life Member since 1989, James also served as National President from 1974-1975 and, our very own CPRS Toronto President from 1969-1970.

“Mel James has been an inspiration to countless public relations professionals,” said Maryjane Martin, APR, President of CPRS Toronto. “Everyone at CPRS Toronto has benefited from Mel’s 50 years of selfless service.”

 

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Exclusive offer: Special rate for Marketing magazine
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Open to all CPRS Toronto members:

1 year subscription (18 issues) $35; a savings of $100 or almost 75% off the cover price and 48% off the
current subscription rate.To take advantage of this offer, please visit www.marketingmag.ca/cprs-offer or contact Safiya Bulbulia at (416) 764 1620.

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CPRS Members on the Move…
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News Canada, a national leader in content marketing solutions, recently announced the promotion of Jennifer Cruxton to Manager, Business Development, MPR®, and Meliane Etien to Account Manager, MPR®. (MRP® is the industry standard in earned media measurement.  Congratulations Jenny and Meliane!

We want to hear from you! Share news about your new position with your CPRS Toronto colleagues. Please contact Lois Marsh at marshl@marsh-executive.com
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