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Call for submissions for CPRS Toronto 2013 ACE Awards
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By: Natasha Nitsopoulos

ATTENTION PR mavens!

Would you like to be the star of the hottest PR event of the year, while gaining industry recognition, raising your organization’s profile and being noticed by Toronto’s top public relations gurus?

Well, this is your chance to ‘shine bright like a diamond’ (as Rihanna would say) with a 2013 CPRS ACE Award!

Every year, CPRS Toronto recognizes communications excellence in public relations with the ACE Awards. Winning an Award is a great way to give you and your company a competitive edge in the industry and strengthen your strategic planning skills. Not to mention, you’ll be able to celebrate your success with all of your peers and colleagues at the chicest PR event in Toronto!

More information on eligibility, submission requirements and campaign entry categories is available on the CPRS Toronto website. So if this sounds like the opportunity you have been waiting for, then get ready to submit your campaign!

Save the date! Make sure you clear your schedules for this premier event that you don’t want to miss. The Gala will be held on April 24. More details to come.

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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Case study: Broad Reach Communications award for media relations over $50K
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By Liza Butcher

On April 26, 2012, the Canadian Public Relations Society Toronto (CPRS Toronto) congratulated the PR industry’s elite at the annual Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards gala.

The gala celebrated all of the winning campaigns, including Broad Reach Communications’ “Creating Eminence for Deloitte Canada by Leveraging its 2011 Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions” campaign, which won a prestigious ACE Award in the Best Use of Media Relations over $50K category.

I had the pleasure of talking with Andrea Lekushoff, President of Broad Reach, about the success of this campaign and the widespread eminence Broad Reach created for it.

Can you tell me about your winning campaign? What was the objective and why was it so successful?

In late 2010, Deloitte Canada (Deloitte) asked Broad Reach to develop and implement an English-language media relations campaign to secure widespread national, regional and trade/industry media coverage for its 2011 Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions report. We were also asked to generate a second wave of media coverage over a two-week period, during which TMT Predictions events were held across the country in St. John’s, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton.

The overarching goal of this campaign was to showcase the knowledge and expertise of Deloitte TMT leaders across the country by generating widespread media coverage for TMT Predictions among target audiences in national, regional and online stories. In doing so, Broad Reach ensured that all aspects of the communications plan positioned Deloitte’s TMT Predictions and spokespeople as the leaders in global and Canadian TMT Predictions.

The launch of this media relations campaign exceeded all goals, objectives and client expectations. An unprecedented volume and quality of media coverage was generated: over 128.5 million audience impressions were generated in 210 on-message stories, 95 per cent of which appeared in top-tier media. It wasn’t easy to improve on last year’s campaign, which was very successful at 92 million impressions, but we committed to delivering even better results this year. And we did.

In addition, at least five top-tier media stories were generated in each region (with most regions receiving between two to six times as many stories). All stories mentioned Deloitte in a very positive tone; 92 per cent of stories focused exclusively on TMT Predictions; the term TMT Predictions was included in 80 per cent of stories; the report’s co-author, Duncan Stewart, was featured in 60 per cent of stories; all 10 regional spokespeople participated in high-profile media interviews; and 26 media outlets attended road show events across the country.

How did winning an award contribute to the agency’s brand?

This campaign was among Broad Reach’s most successful media relations campaigns to date. A prestigious ACE Award positions us as a leading Toronto PR agency that produces outstanding work and delivers exceptional results. It is also rewarding to have some of our best work recognized by our peers.

What inspired you to submit this campaign for an award?

We knew that this campaign was among our most successful and, as a result, we wanted to honour the team that worked on it by submitting it for an award. We were also fortunate enough to win a CPRS National Award of Excellence and IABC/Toronto OVATION Award for this same campaign.

What were the challenges associated with submitting the campaign?

The only challenge was that it was time consuming, which is to be expected. However, the Broad Reach team rose to the occasion and it paid off in the end.

What were you sure to include in your binder?

We included a wide range of materials including: the research and rationale for our recommended approach; a series of quantifiable goals and objectives; our strategy, a list of target audiences; a description of the campaign theme; our media relations tactic; a wide range of media materials; spokesperson briefing documents; an MRP (Media Relations Rating Points) report of all media coverage generated; a high-level results report; and clips of both TV and radio coverage.

How did it feel to receive your award at the gala?

I’m thrilled that our team has won yet another prestigious PR award for Deloitte’s TMT Predictions. This award is a testament to our unique business model of only working with seasoned senior practitioners. It also demonstrates that when talented and experienced practitioners have the opportunity to work in a flexible and family-friendly work environment, they can produce outstanding results together.

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Case study: MAVERICK Public Relations and the People for Good campaign
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By Liza Butcher

On April 26, 2012 the Canadian Public Relations Society Toronto (CPRS Toronto) congratulated the PR industry’s elite at the annual Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards gala.

The ACE Awards gala was full of celebration for winning campaigns, including MAVERICK Public Relations’ People for Good campaign, which picked up a bronze ACE Award for Best Use of Media Relations in the Under $50K category.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Kirsten Walkom, Senior Consultant at MAVERICK Public Relations, to discover more about the success around the People for Good campaign and the ongoing buzz and excitement spreading throughout Canada.

Can you tell me about your winning campaign? What was the objective and why was it so successful?

Each year MAVERICK Public Relations works with a variety of probono clients, including People for Good, founded by Mark Sherman of Media Experts and Zak Mroueh of Zulu Alpha Kilo.

The People for Good campaign was launched through a multifaceted creative advertising program, beginning with interest-sparking advertisements and week-long whisper campaign targeting citizens and media in major Canadian cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montréal and Halifax.

MAVERICK Public Relations and the People for Good campaign chose extremely engaging, interactive messages and images, with the purpose of challenging Canadians to be nicer to one another. Some acts of kindness suggested were smiling at a stranger; giving up your seat on the subway, bus or streetcar; while on Facebook, just pick up the phone and give your friend a call; and cutting grass or shoveling snow for your neighbour.

The success of the People for Good campaign was tied directly to the media coverage and creative strategy of the campaign, including outdoor, interactive, print, guerrilla and online advertising, and the engagement, positivity and interest of Canadians to be kinder to one another.

Since the launch of the People for Good campaign, Kirsten has continuously been receiving inquiries about how individuals can start a People for Good campaign within their own towns, communities, schools and other public places.

How did winning an award contribute to the agency’s brand?

MAVERICK Public Relations has had a great year, not only winning a bronze ACE Award for Best Use of Media Relations in the Under $50K category, but also winning an ACE Award for Best Use of Special Events and the International Association of Business Communicator’s (IABC) Small Agency of the Year award.

The success of winning an ACE Award has had a positive impact on the agency’s brand. The awards have helped MAVERICK Public Relations in market differentiation and raising their company’s profile, leading to the growth of existing relationships, helping attract new business and positive acknowledgement by peers and the public relations industry.

What inspired you to submit?

MAVERICK Public Relations knew they had something interesting, unique, thought-provoking and engaging which was proven in their results. The results proved that by utilizing the creative possibilities of the advertising world, social change was possible.

What were the challenges associated with submitting an award?

The process of submitting an award was fairly straightforward and gave the team a great opportunity to reflect on the campaign and really pull all the work they did together into a cohesive submission.

The only challenge mentioned, as many in the industry can relate to, is time can be a scarce resource, however Kirsten and her team are passionate and dedicated to the People for Good campaign and made time to submit.

What were you sure to include in your binder?

MAVERICK Public Relations was sure to include coverage from all mediums, including social, digital, print, and broadcast. In addition, MAVERICK Public Relations included numerous key messages, planning and tactical documents, which confirmed their strategy and how their approach led to the successful results expected by their client.

Also including the binder was Media Relations Rating Points (MRP) reports to give the judges a clearer picture of how MAVERICK Public Relations met their objectives.

How did it feel to receive your award at the gala?

Receiving an ACE Award was exciting and pleasing for the whole agency and the campaign team. “It was like the academy awards,” said Kirsten.

What advice would you give to other entrants?

Take a chance and be positive. It is a time commitment, but is a lot of fun to reflect and celebrate the success of the work done.

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Thank you to our ACE Awards Sponsors!
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Ace Awards 2012 LogoBy Sybil Eastman

With the CPRS Toronto ACE Awards sold out and only days away, we are putting the finishing touches on the soon-to-be spectacular evening. As always, this celebration of communications excellence could not take place without the dedication and help of many.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our sponsors for their generosity and support both throughout the year and for this evening in particular. They have helped the gala become a great success and to grow larger every year.

So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you to:

AVW Tel-AV, a full-service audio visual resource rental company for corporate events, exhibit programs, trade shows and conventions of all sizes.

Business Wire, a global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.

Canadian Press, Canada’s trusted news leader, multimedia news agency and creator of our favourite book: CP Style.

Cision, a leader in public relations planning, media monitoring, reporting and communications analysis.

CNW Group, Canada’s leading newswire service specializing in media monitoring, photography and video services, translation, webcasting, conference call services, regulatory filling and measurement.

Infomart, Canada’s largest provider of news and broadcast media monitoring, financial and corporate data.

Leger Marketing, the largest Canadian-owned polling, research and strategic marketing firm, with offices across Canada and the United States.

Marketwire, which provides customized communications solutions, targeted coverage across all media and measurement services.

News Canada, a leading provider of ready-to-use, timely, credible, newsworthy and copyright-free news content for editors, broadcasters, web and video content providers.

See you on Thursday night! And remember, are you tweeting about the gala? Use the hashtag #CPRSACE!

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CPRS Toronto Leadership Awards – Deadline Extended!
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The deadline to submit nominations for the CPRS Toronto Leadership Awards has been extended! You now have until March 23, 2012 at 5:00 pm to submit nominations.

The CPRS Toronto Leadership Awards recognizes individuals who have achieved excellence in their careers or made significant contributions to the field of public relations. Nominate a student, your boss, a colleague or CPRS Toronto volunteer today!

Please submit Leadership Award nominations to ace@cprstoronto.com.

The Leadership Awards will be presented at the ACE Awards Gala on Thursday, April 26, 2012. Winners will be notified in advance.

Leadership Award Categories

CPRS Toronto Public Relations Student of the Year

Individuals may enter themselves, or be nominated by others. This award will be presented to a CPRS Toronto full or part-time student graduating this year who has a solid academic record and has demonstrated interest in professional development. The award is designed to attract, encourage and reward future talent. The winning entrant will be awarded one-year student membership as well as entry into five selected CPRS Toronto professional development and networking events.

Entry requirements:

  • Résumé (maximum two pages)
  • A one-page endorsement from a nominator (faculty, fellow student or mentor)

CPRS Toronto Young Public Relations Professional of the Year (Under 30 years of age)

An individual may enter themselves, or be nominated by others. This award is open to a public relations professional (under 30 years on March 23, 2012) who has been in the industry for less than three years (i.e., since March 23, 2009) who has made significant achievements in his or her career.

Entry requirements:

  • Nomination from employer(s) detailing nominee’s career history and professional qualifications (maximum 2 pages)
  • A 250-word statement from the nominator outlining why this individual should be awarded this special recognition. Judges will look for evidence of outstanding achievement in supporting clients and/or senior-level staff, development of public relations strategy, business savvy, creativity, knowledge of public relations tactics, and contributions to business objectives and to the overall profession of public relations

CPRS Toronto Public Relations Professional of the Year

An individual may enter themselves, or be nominated by others. The award recognizes outstanding personal achievement within the public relations industry over their career, with particular focus on their successes over the past year.

Entry requirements:

  • Résumé (maximum two pages)
  • A 250-word statement from the nominator outlining why this individual should be awarded this special recognition
  • Two reference letters from past or present clients or employers

CPRS Toronto Mentor of the Year Award

Candidates must be nominated by someone other than themselves for the award. The award recognizes a volunteer who has served as a mentor to public relations professionals or students in the year of 2011/2012.

Entry requirements:

  • A brief description (maximum one page) that outlines the nominee’s volunteer involvement as a mentor within and outside CPRS (Toronto) and explains why this nominee should be honoured with this special recognition
  • Names and testimonials from individuals mentored by the volunteer
  • Résumé (maximum two pages)

CPRS Toronto Volunteer of the Year Award

Candidates must be nominated by someone other than themselves for the award. The award recognizes a volunteer within CPRS Toronto during the previous year (2011/2012) year.

Entry requirements:

  • A brief, one-page outline of the nominee’s volunteer/committee involvement in CPRS Toronto that explains why this nominee should be honoured with this award
  • List of the CPRS Toronto committees for which this volunteer provided assistance
  • Résumé (maximum two pages)

Please submit Leadership Award nominations to ace@cprstoronto.com.

Questions? Contact the ACE Awards team at cprs.ace.awards@gmail.com or tweet to us @CPRSToronto.

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What’s the Secret to APEX PR’s ACE Success?
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By Parm Chohan

Executing a successful public relations campaign can be quite challenging.  Summarizing months of planning, brainstorming and program results all into an Executive Summary – and then in to a concise binder’s worth of details for an award – can be just as difficult.

APEX PR managed to pull off both with their “UPS Peak Season 2011” campaign, winner of a Gold 2011 CPRS Toronto ACE Award for Best Use of Media Relations.

I had a chance to chat with Erik Bauer, Consultant at APEX, to learn about and experience the journey that APEX and UPS Canada embarked upon, delivering exceptional program results and an award-winning submission.

Can you tell me about your winning campaign? What was the objective and why was it so successful?

The holidays are a busy time, especially in the world of transportation and logistics. In the month leading up to Christmas, UPS sees a 60 per cent volume increase in its normal daily delivery volume. UPS knew that in order to maximize business efficiency and provide stellar customer service during this demanding period it would have to develop a communications strategy to inform customers about peak season forecasts, packing tips and pertinent shipping deadlines.

UPS approached APEX to develop a public relations campaign to educate Canadians about the many potential complications associated with holiday shipping and thus ensure that more packages were delivered in time for the holidays.  APEX implemented a strategy that targeted consumer and online media, with images and messages of how to properly package gifts. The intent was to cut through holiday media clutter by showing how to give, rather than what to give.  Tactics included creating and distributing a VNR that allowed UPS to overcome challenges associated with media interview facilitation; a driver ride-along opportunity in mid-sized markets, and national media relations.

The success of the campaign was tied directly to the resulting coverage, which represented a nearly 200 per cent rise in reach from the previous year.  Furthermore, UPS’ key messages were prevalent in all the coverage, which allowed the brand to ensure that its target audience was informed and educated about all of its peak season offerings.

How did winning an award contribute to the agency’s brand?

The public relations industry is tremendously competitive. Now, more than ever, it is crucial for businesses to receive recognition for their outstanding achievements in order to distinguish themselves from competitors.

At APEX we pride ourselves on developing innovative communications campaigns that are based on sound strategic planning. More than anything, winning the 2011 CPRS ACE Award validated our strategic thinking and the stellar results that we achieve for our clients. It also helped to differentiate our business offerings from those of our competitors while at the same time building our reputation in the industry.

Finally, the award validated the hard work and dedication of the team that developed and executed this campaign. Although we all strive to achieve the best results possible for our clients, the truth is that sometimes we need to be recognized for our hard work!  This award was particularly significant because the judging committee consisted of a group of diverse and experienced fellow communicators. Being recognized by a group of peers made the award that much more meaningful.

What inspired you to submit?

First, it is important to note that not every campaign is worthy of an award submission; the process is lengthy and costly and therefore needs to be looked at like any other business decision. Every year APEX strategically considers its most successful campaigns in an effort to determine which ones warrant an application. The 2011 UPS Peak Season Campaign was a particularly strong candidate for an award submission for a number of reasons. Most importantly, the results of the campaign exceeded all of its goals, most notably in the quality of the coverage, all of which was positive and included UPS’ key messages. The coverage secured represented a 200 per cent increase from the previous year.

What were the challenges associated with submitting an award?

Anyone who has worked in the industry knows that time is a scarce resource. It can be difficult to balance the necessary demands of priority client work and addressing our own agency’s promotional and marketing needs. Luckily, we have a team of dedicated practitioners who – year after year – ensure that deadlines are met and that the submissions reflect the quality of work that we produce.

What were you sure to include in your binder?

Our supporting material included coverage from all mediums: digital, social, broadcast, and print.  We were also sure to include MRP reports and other supporting metrics that allowed the judges to get a better understanding of how we met and exceeded our measurable objectives.  In addition, we included a number of key messaging and planning documents that demonstrated our strategy and how our approach led to the results our client expected.  Lastly, we included a number of additional assets that we leveraged throughout the campaign, including digital b-roll, images, news releases, and other media materials.

How did it feel to receive your award at the gala?

Receiving the award at the gala was extremely meaningful for all of the team members involved.  As mentioned earlier, there is nothing quite like being recognized for your success by a group of your peers.  Accepting the award in front of a room full of seasoned communicators meant a great deal to the team; all of whom had put months of hard work and effort into the campaign. Furthermore, it was also great to share the experience with our client, who was in attendance that evening as well.

What advice would you give to other entrants?

The most important part of any award submission is ensuring that you are offering a full and accurate glimpse into the success of a campaign. Sound strategic planning is the foundation of any successful communications campaign, so be sure to illustrate how you developed tactics that were informed by a strong strategy. Lastly, ensure that you include measurable objectives, coupled with results that can be quantifiably analyzed by the judging committee.  Most importantly, be proud of the work you do and seek out the recognition you deserve!

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Where is my ACE Submission?
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By Nicole Laoutaris

You spent hours perfecting your entry for the CPRS 2012 ACE Awards and you made darn sure you got your submission in before the deadline, but what the heck happened to it?

If you’ve ever been riddled with such wonder about where your submission goes after you hit the send button, then read on to assuage your curiosity!

The journey of your ACE submission starts and ends with the judging panel. This panel – a group of more than 20 experienced communications professionals, many of them accredited – engages in a methodical process for both the executive summary and full submission stages.

Stage 1: The Executive Summary Submission

This stage is really an initial screening and allows the judges to narrow down the sheer number of entries before the next, more cumbersome step of reviewing the “big binder” submissions. After you submit your executive summary, it is divided at random to be assessed by two independent judges. For this portion of the process, the judges have a few days to complete the evaluation.

Your final score is then determined by the average of those two evaluations. Once all the numbers are in, those who have met a threshold score of 70 per cent move on to the next round. There is no limit to the number of submissions that can be put through to the next stage.

Stage 2: The Full Submission – “The Big Binder”

The full submission stage is the time and place for you to provide all of the shining evidence of the success of your campaigns for the judges’ consideration. These submission are larger, longer and far more detailed; this is the Big Kahuna.

Imagine this: one room with piles upon piles of huge binders containing budgets, media clippings, photos, research summaries and a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears – figuratively, of course.

How many days must it take to evaluate these submissions? 10 days? eight days? It can’t be less than five days, right? Surprisingly, the full submission judging takes place in only a single day.

The judging panel meet all together and then are divided into teams with submissions divided equally amongst them. Everyone randomly selects binders for their team to tackle. At least two judges evaluate each binder and, once again, the average score between them determines the final success level.

Stage 3: Best in Show

Once the full submission scores are compiled, the four highest rated campaigns are judged yet again for two coveted prizes: Best Creative Campaign and Best Overall Campaign. Only the full submission scores are taken into account for Best in Show.

If your submission has risen above the rest, then you will be invited to present your work in person before the judges. This is your opportunity to compete against the other stand-out entries of the year by delivering one last pitch to highlight your campaign’s excellence for the judging panel.

That’s all, folks! Now that you know what goes on behind those judging doors, you can appreciate the daunting task the panel faces each year. Be sure to check out Preparing Your Ace Submission and Your ACE Submission: Round Two! for tips and tricks to make your submission stand out.

And what’s the best way to celebrate all of this hard work? By attending this year’s gala on Thursday, April 26, 2012! Be sure to save the date.

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Your CPRS ACE Award Submission: Round Two!
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By Robin Smith

CPRS Toronto’s ACE Award judges have been poring over your submissions these past few weeks, choosing the best of the bunch. Did you make the cut this year?

To help ease the daunting task of building your “big binder” submission, we sat down with David Scholz, Vice President at Leger Marketing and ACE Awards Judging Co-Chair, to ask him some questions. We talked with Dave about the greatest submissions he’s seen, the best way to get on a judge’s good side, and the easiest way to miss the mark altogether!

What separates the good and the great?

“Sometimes it’s about taking that same old campaign, and turning it on its ear,” explains David. For our ACE judges, the best way to stand out is creativity, plain and simple (pun intended). When you are looking through your submission, take a step back and look at your campaign. What made it different? How did you take something old, and make it new?

“Creativity doesn’t come from the submission,” says David, “It comes from the interpretation of the work you’ve done.” In your submission, you need to show the imagination that went into your plan. It’s this ingenuity that will make you a winner!

What makes reviewing a submission easier for you?

Research-Analyze-Communicate-Evaluate—Use RACE properly!

“Sit down with the RACE formula and make sure you’ve answered all aspects of it.” Sound simple? Let’s do a quick review.

Research: Show how you used research to explore the situation, your organization’s relationship to it, and the publics involved.

Analyze: This is the strategic element. Establish what the key issues of your campaign were, and explain your goals, objectives, and key messaging.

Communicate: How did you get your message across? What were the tactics you used to connect with target publics?

Evaluate: Most important, evaluate the execution of your campaign to
show your results! Evaluation is key to proving the effectiveness of your campaign.

The RACE formula is crucial to showing what your objectives were, and how well you achieved them. If the RACE components are easily laid out, it makes the judging process significantly easier for David and the other judges, meaning they spend more time appreciating your campaign, and less time trying to decipher it.

What is one way you see applicants blow the “big binder” submission?

For David, the devil is in the details, specifically your entry category. One of the most damning mistakes that he penalizes for can often be avoided simply by reviewing carefully.

“You may need to do some tweaking and fixing to make sure it is clear why a piece is in a certain category,” says David. Did you enter your social media campaign under “Best Use of Communication Tools”, when really it should be under “Best Digital Communications”? You might be in trouble. Wrongly categorizing your entry can skew the judge’s review of it, so be sure to review the ACE Award guidelines first.

As you can see, making your submission shine is all about going back to the basics of good public relations: be creative, plan carefully, and be detail oriented! Second round submissions are due March 9, so get cracking!

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