public relations awards

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2016 CPRS ACE Award PR Campaign of the Year: Edelman for Ontario Association of Optometrists
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2016 CPRS ACE Award Creative Campaign of the Year: Narrative PR for Scotiabank
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2016 CPRS ACE Award Best in Show Contender: APEX PR for Polysporin
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2016 CPRS ACE Award Best in Show Contender: Narrative PR for Bacardi
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2016 CPRS ACE Award Best in Show Contender: APEX PR for Walmart Canada
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2016 CPRS ACE Award Best in Show Contender: Veritas for Stella Artois
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Passport to PR’s Shaw Media, Paradigm PR and FleishmanHillard Sessions
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Group A visits the Shaw Media, Paradigm PR and FleishmanHillard offices

Battling spring showers and Toronto traffic, we arrived unscathed and (fairly) dry at one of Toronto’s communications hot spots – Bloor Street. We were set to meet and explore three diverse and equally awesome communications and PR organizations: Shaw Media, Paradigm PR and FleishmanHillard.

We heard it all from the Shaw Media crew

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First up on the list, Shaw Media. Right from the start the team had our group laughing and well caffeinated. We learned that a day in the life of a Shaw Media communicator is always varied. From organizing media tours for Chopped Canada’s Brad Smith to establishing their talent as subject matter experts to sending Supergirl capes across the country, Shaw Media communicators are constantly on the move. The team also gave some great advice for any PR and communications student looking for their first internship.

“Be resourceful and people will remember you.” – Jacqui, Senior Publicist for Global

“Volunteer inside of your organization to meet new people and expand your professional network.” – April, Publicity Coordinator for Food Network Canada

As for the golden rule of media relations, Greg, Associate Publicist, told students to be “100 per cent reliable, 100 per cent of the time.”

Paradigm PR gives us a glimpse into agency life

Next up on our route, Paradigm PR, a creative consumer PR agency. After introductions and Timbits we saw a number of client case studies. A favourite was definitely the media relations for Toy “R” Us’ ‘Chief Play Officer’ (every child’s dream job).

Johnathon, an intern turned account coordinator, went on to describe the variety of accounts he gets to work on, and the challenges he faced when transitioning from school to work. Anticipating what’s next in agency life can be difficult, as you’re moving top speed (almost) all the time. He credits attention to detail and meeting last minute requests as a sure way to build great relationships inside and outside your agency.

The Paradigm PR team also stressed the importance of company culture fit. Do your research, ask for informational interviews and find out as much as you can about the dynamic, clients and day-to-day rhythm of the agency. When you know the company culture you’ll know if it’s the right place for you to thrive.

Johnathon’s parting words of wisdom, “Be hungry.”

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FleishmanHillard introduces us to the diversity of PR

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FleishmanHillard greeted the group with a number of faces from across different practices and various levels. From associate consultant to senior partner, the presentation was full of interesting insight into FleishmanHillard and the communications industry itself. The unanimous decision from the FleishmanHillard team, agency is the right place to “earn your chops”, build your professional network and gain exposure to many different elements of the industry.

We saw sizzle reels from consumer brands such as Uncle Ben’s Beginners, which leveraged influencer Logan Guleff (MasterChef Junior winner) to get more kids in the kitchen. We also learned about their work with Bayer, a healthcare company, for a completely different take on communications. The campaign was creative in building community around “Hemophilia Champions.” Without direct mention of the brand in any of the communications, it was all about relationship building between stakeholders.

One of the best pieces of advice we learned from FleishmanHillard: take a shot; initiative goes a long way.

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Until next year

Passport to PR was an amazing introduction into the very busy lives of PR and communications professionals. The candid conversations, exposures to real client work and bits of wisdoms from so many talented professionals were extremely valuable. If you get the chance to join a CPRS Passport to PR group, don’t hesitate. It’s a learning experience that you cannot find in any classroom at school.

To see more photos of the event and other locations click here: http://on.fb.me/1YRX3Pa 

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Written by Sarah Rogers, Centennial (Story Arts Centre) PR Post-Graduate Certificate Program student and representative on the Student Steering Committee

 

 

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Judging the ACE Awards, a researcher’s perspective
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Friday February 26 is the deadline to submit to this year’s ACE Awards and returning judge, Lisa Covens, vice president of communications and public affairs at Leger, discussed her marking style and approach to judging this year’s campaigns.

Before stepping up as a judge, Lisa would attend the ACE Awards to support the clients who used Leger and the research they conducted for the award winning campaigns. When the opportunity came up to be one of the esteemed ACE judges, Lisa took it and started doing something she had never done before.

Lisa shared with us her strategy to marking submissions and to help prepare this year’s hopeful campaigns. Here are some highlights from her interview:

On her judging approach

“My focus will be on the RACE formula.” Research and evaluation jump at her the most.

On what makes a campaign stand out

“Today, campaigns are now so integrated – videos and visuals – which allow people to be very inclusive in their submission. Not only is the winning campaign sharp, but there’s something special about them. It is supported with research, includes creativity, success was measured and explained and overall well-executed.”

On the importance of submitting to the ACE Awards

As a returning judge for the third year in a row, Lisa listed why it is important to submit to recognitions awards such as CPRS Toronto’s ACE Awards:

  • Keeps public relations professionals on top of their game throughout the year
  • This isn’t done in market research so this a an opportunity worth taking advantage of
  • Provides a good reflection on the campaign – when summarizing a submission it makes you think of the campaign from beginning to end
  • Outline and learn from the issues encountered
  • And of course, recognition is always a good thing

On one piece advice for this year’s submissions

“It’s a shame when we mark a submission and it’s so creative and clear but misses a part of the requirements. Doing that will take you out of the running for the gold.”

TIP: Ask someone, who was not part of the campaign, to review the guideline and checklist. Ensure all the components are included because anything can be overlooked and the missing section will be marked with a zero.

On what she is looking forward too

“One aspect of the ACE Awards I really enjoy is the Best In Show judging day. That day, candidates are on top on their game. You get to witness great presenters and great speakers. I take away so much and I even receive insight on how to be a better presenter. It is such an inspiring night.”

One last thing: “Keep up the great work!”

 

Follow Lisa Covens on Twitter: @lisacovens

 

Submission deadline is this Friday February 26. Submit your campaigns here.

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Written by Charzie Abendanio, Humber College BPR Student and CPRS Toronto’s Student Steering Committee President

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APEX PR’s Jennifer Stein on the importance of celebrating success
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Last year, APEX Public Relations & Walmart Canada took home the ACE Award for Best Creative for the innovation and creativity behind their “Back-To-School with Walmart” campaign. We sat down with Jennifer Stein, vice president of APEX Public Relations, to look back on the award-winning campaign and the importance of celebrating success.

  1. What inspired you to launch Back-To-School with Walmart?

The inspiration started with the Snack Report. In our research we found out people were talking about lunch and dinner solutions, but not snack solutions. When I think about kids I think of them trading snacks on the school ground. Kids have snack envy, and that really set the tone for what we did.

  1. Why do you think the campaign was so successful in the end?

We really touched on a nerve on something that was applicable. We had a hypothesis, we did a survey to prove the hypothesis and the hypothesis was true.

It wasn’t just 50 per cent of moms, it was 85 per cent of moms that have this problem, and we knew we needed to provide this solution for them. We worked with a recipe developer to create fun recipes that would resonate with everyone. The content was amazing and when you have amazing content the media is more apt to pick it up.

  1. You have your finger on the pulse with key industry trends. How important is it to know your audience?

Not only do you need to know your target audience, you need to know what their habits are. How much time they’re spending shopping, how much time they’re spending watching TV, online and listening to the radio so that they can really be targeted, otherwise your message isn’t getting to them.

  1. Was an ACE Award priority during the campaign, or was it after it ended that you decided to submit?

After. Even though we knew we really blew it out of the water with media impressions, we didn’t know until a couple of months later when all the sales data came in that we helped drive sales and in-store foot traffic. It’s not until you get that insight that you know you have a winner.

  1. Back-To-School with Walmart was completed and your client was satisfied. Why submit to the ACE Awards?

I think it’s a nice way to congratulate the team. Awards can be tedious, but everyone squeals when you get an e-mail and it tells you you’ve won an award. It’s a feel-good ending to a campaign and something you can show the client, too, that it was an award-winning success.

  1. Do you think it’s important to submit to recognition awards like ACE?

Yes, often in our industry we do a campaign, we wrap and then we’re on to the next. We don’t take the time to sit back and relish how amazing the campaign was because this industry is so fast and furious. This allows us to take a step back and reflect. Not enough people do.

  1. Why do you think APEX won last year?

We had amazing content, content that was backed by research. And the campaign helped drive sales and at the end of the day, that’s what’s most important.

  1. What advice do you have for those PR campaigns being submitted this year?

If you have a sales stat, always use a sales stat to show your success. Or stakeholder analysis. The more you can dig deep into that the better your awards submission will be.

  1. When you found out you were competing for the highest ACE Award, how did you prepare for the Best in Show judging?

We treated it like a new business pitch to a panel of 12 people we didn’t know. We put together a presentation, we vetted it and then we rehearsed. We rehearsed three to four times as a group.

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Written by Bianca Jimeno, Post-Graduate Student, Humber College

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CPRS Toronto Student Steering Committee Profile: Humber
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Get to know our 2015/2016 student representatives from Humber College’s three public relations programs.

Tomiko 

Tomiko Stanton

Humber College, Advanced Diploma in Public Relations

Hi Everyone! My name is Tomiko Stanton and I’m representing the Humber College Public Relations Advanced Diploma program. This is my first year in both the Public Relations program and working with CPRS. After obtaining a first-hand experience in working in the entertainment industry, I decided that Public Relations was the career that intrigued my interest the most.

What are you most excited for this year?

As a student representative this year, I am looking forward to networking with future PR professionals. I’ve also met a lot of great PR students at Humber College, and I’m very excited to get them involved in the upcoming events.

What do you do outside of school?

Outside of school, I’m a part-time employee at TOPSHOP/ TOPMAN. You’ll also find me on a stage in the city either singing, or modeling for a company clothing line. I love writing songs, reading books and cooking.

Tell us something unexpected about yourself:

Before I started school last month, I was working at G98.7 FM as the administrative/promotions assistant. I was an intern for 8 months before I was promoted to a full time position.

Connect with Tomiko:

Twitter: @_TomikoStanton

LinkedIn: ca.linkedin.com/pub/tomiko-stanton/71/589/7b9

 

 

Bianca

Bianca Jimeno
Humber College, Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Relations

Hi fellow CPRS members, my name is Bianca. I’m a new face to the industry as a Humber post-grad PR student. After working in the news industry for five years, I left to pursue a career in public relations. Why? Because at the most basic level, I live to tell stories. I love to learn about people. PR opens a whole world to me.

What are you most excited for this year?

I’m most excited to try new things, maybe even fail at a couple things. Sometimes that’s the best way to learn. That way I can find out my strengths and weaknesses and work on them. I like a challenge so I’m up for anything and down for everything.

What do you do outside of school?

Crunch through the fall leaves with my dog Toast. Try out a new recipe. Catch a movie. Take a nap. Borrow a book. Daydream. Drink coffee. Whistle. Make jokes. Look at things. Ask questions.

Tell us something unexpected about yourself:

I potty-trained myself when I was 2 years old (I was in California during a heatwave and it was simply too hot to wear a diaper). I think this speaks to my ability to put on my big girl panties and adapt to my environment.

Connect with Bianca:

Twitter: @bjjimeno

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

 

 

Ferdinand

Ferdinand Ngo
Humber College, Bachelor of Public Relations

My name is Ferdinand Ngo and I am the SSC section representative for the Bachelor of Public Relations program at Humber College.  This is my second year being involved with CPRS as a section rep (I was a section rep in 2013/2014) and it’s such an amazing opportunity.

What are you most excited for this year?

I’m excited to connect with all the future PR professionals all across the GTA and also doing Passport to PR again in the winter. I love that event!

What do you do outside of school?

For the past year, I’ve been volunteering with Pride Toronto, handling their digital and social media. We trended (both in Toronto and Canada) several times this past festival, which was an excellent experience.

Aside from that, I love exploring the city and going out to get food in different neighbourhoods.

Tell us something unexpected about yourself:

I collect semi-precious stones.

Connect with Ferdinand:

Twitter: @ferdinandngo

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


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We’ll be introducing the rest of our student representatives right here on the blog in the new week, so stay tuned!

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