2011 portfolio - writing samples

8/7/2019 2011 Portfolio - Writing Samples

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Not everyone is born a writer and you dont haveto be to start a blog.

As a business owner, you are the expert and youknow everything you need toknow about your business, yourcustomers and the industry andthats more than enough to getyou started.

Heres how the popular bloggersdo it.

1. Read before you write

The most important step beforestarting a blog is to read other blogs that are rele-vant to your business. This will guide you in termsof the type of content you want to create and it willgive you an idea of what your customers are read-ing.

Aside from reading other blogs, its a good idea tobegin to comment on some of these blogs to startgetting your name out there and to position your-self as a knowledgeable source in your industry.Resources like All Top and Technorati are avail-able to help you find blogs that speak to your in-dustry.

2. Write & Share

Now that you know what you will be writing about,you can begin to outline any number of subjects

that you would like to cover over the comingweeks or months.

Keeping an editorial calendar of what you willwrite about and when is an effective means ofkeeping you on a consistent schedule so you al-ways have content to share with your readers.

If you are linked to social networks like Facebooand Twitter, this is a good place to share youblogs with fans and followers and they can sharwith their networks easily.

3. Engage

The buck does not stop witsharing your blog. Engaginreaders in the conversation anresponding their comments the cherry-on-top of effectivblogging. Invite your fans anfollowers to read and share thecomments and thoughts on youblog and be sure to respon

(where necessary) in a timely fashion.

As you have read, blogging entails more than juwriting and you dont need to be a strong writer tdo it. Always start with your ear to the ground tbe aware of what is being said and what the is

sues and challenges are and speak to those topics that matter most to your audience.

Once your readers start becoming engaged wityour blog and your business, then you will be weon your way!

Sandra Gabriel is Chief Relationship Officer aGabriel PR, a boutique PR firm in Toronto. Yocan follow her on twitter @CafeGabriel or viswww.gabrielpr.cafor more info.

Editors note: For free blogging applicationcomplete with tutorials and tools, go twww.blogger.com and www.wordpress.org

Newsletter - Spring 2011 - Page 6

EXPERT ADVICE: HOW TO START A SMALL BUSINESS BLOG


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A survey conducted by Regus found that 60% percent

of medium-sized Canadian companies and 34% per-

cent of small companies won new customers through

social media. So how did they do it and how can you

do the same?

Start a dialogue with your Facebook fans and Twitter

followers to connect with your cus-

tomers and collect feedback. So-

cial media is also effective in

monitoring the competition to see

what you can do differently or bet-

ter.

Blogging is the new arena to

share with and learn from your

customers. Share tips and best

practices that will benefit them and

allow them to comment. You can also use your blog

to promote any sales and promotions you have going

on.Cosmopawlitain Pet Boutique + Spahas a blog

that features their latest sales and promotions as well

as FAQs on how to choose food for your pets and

training your cat to become accustomed to a harness

or leash.

Canadabusiness.ca offers these tips on getting

started with social media:

Develop a strategy - How often do you plan to up-

date your blog or profile? How will you share it with

customers? Will you allow comments? Are you

prepared to respond to comments or questions

posted by the public?

Define your target audience and offer content tai-

lored to their interests.

Keep your account active and

update it regularly.

Improve your content based on

customer feedback.

Familiarize yourself with privacy

and computer security issues.

Use humour, be kind and pro-

fessional, and share about more than just your

work to create a connection with your customers.

The most important thing to remember about social

media is that its not always about selling, in the

words of social media mastermind Brian Solis, its

about listening, learning and sharing.

Sandra Gabriel is Chief Relationship Officer at Gabriel PR,

a boutique PR firm in Toronto. You can follow her on twitter

@CafeGabriel or visitwww.gabrielpr.cafor more info.

Newsletter- Fall 2010 - Page 4

A FREE PROMOTION JUST FOR MEMBERS

THE WATERFRONT EXPERIENCE WE CARD, is an exciting

new discount card program for participating retailers in the area.

You provide the details of the offer and we will post the info to our website.

Your initial offer must be valid to December 31, 2010 and you will have the

opportunity to revise the details on our website periodically. Please go to

www.waterfrontbia.com to review and complete the participation form.

LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE BUSINESSES
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HRReporterC A N A D I A N

THE NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT www.hrreporter.comPublished by Carswell, a Thomson Reuters business

OCTOBER 20, 2008

BY SANDRA GABRIEL

Corporations enter intomergers and acquisi-

tions in an effort to

grow the company, ac-

quire clients or increase profits.

While M&As may result in

greater market share for these

companies, its important to be

aware of the employees per-

spective.

M&As can be a time of con-

fusion and uncertainty for

workers, reducing employee

morale and threatening the suc-

cess of the M&A.

Potentially dangerous

things could be happening that

youre unaware of, not antici-

pating, or even ignoring on the

employee level, says Dan

Stockdale, author of Helping

Employees Through a Merger or

Acquisition.

Build achange management team

The change management

team should include manage-

ment from multiple levels

across all functions in the com-

pany. Some of the most impor-

tant members of the team will

be from HR and communica-

tions. If the company is large

and multi-faceted, each depart-

ment head or supervisor should

be on the team.

Top-level and mid-level

management must be directly

involved in and assume respon-

sibility for communications up,

down and across the organiza-

tion, says Deborah Barrett, au-

thor of Change Communica-tion: Using Strategic Employee

Communication to Facilitate

Major Change.

Develop a plan

The change management

team should develop a strategy

of how and through whom in-

formation should be filtered to

employees. The following ques-

tions should be addressed:

Who are you communicating

to?

What are you communicating?

Where will communications

take place (face-to-face, through

e-mail, voice mail, meetings,

conferences, webcasts, person-

al letters)?

When will you communicate?

Why are you communicating?

The plan should clearly out-

line who will be the key con-

tacts for information in each de-

partment and where more

information will be available for

employees, such as the compa-

nys intranet or newsletters.

The team should also create a

strategy to measure how effec-

tive the plan is and make ad-

justments and improvements as

needed. The team may also

wish to appoint opinion lead-

ers, an employee in each de-

partment who has influence

over other employees and who

will assist the department head

with easing employee anxiety.

Communicate, communicate,communicate

Think of uncertainty as theenemy. If employees are uncer-

tain, they cannot and will not

perform to their fullest poten-

tial. It is important to foster on-

going, consistent communica-

tions before, during and after

an M&A to avoid uncertainty,

maintain employee commit-

ment and help employees

through the process.

A 1998 report by Hewitt As-

sociates, Mergers, Acquisitions

and Joint Ventures: Critical HR

Success Factors, found commu-

nicating with employees early,

often and honestly is consid-

ered essential for M&A success,

with 57 per cent of organiza-

tions surveyed identifying em-

ployee communication as a crit-

ical contributing factor to the

success of the transaction.

In her book, Barrett high-

lights five primary goals for ef-

fective employee communica-

tion during major change:

Ensure clear and consistent

messages to educate employ-

ees in the company vision,

strategic goals, and what the

change means to them.

Motivate employee support for

the companys new direction.

Encourage higher performance

and discretionary effort.

Limit misunderstandings and

rumors that may damage pro-

ductivity.

Align employees behind the

companys strategic and over-

all performance goals.

Employers need to be hon

est, open and upfront about theentire process and the resulting

fallout. Even though the news

wont always be good, employ

ees will appreciate the honesty

But employers shouldnt do

all the talking. Acquiring feed

back from employees through

surveys, focus groups, one-on

one meetings or a comments

section on the M&A page of the

companys intranet can help

employees feel theyre being lis

tened to.

Be sure to stay well in

formed of the thoughts, ideas

challenges and concerns of the

employees. This will enable the

change management team to

better construct messages tha

respond to employee needs.

Recognize the efforts of those

who go above and beyond the

call of duty before and during

times of change. Recognizing

and rewarding excellence in the

workplace will motivate employ

ees and keep them committed to

improving their performance

even during uncertain times.

Sandra Gabriel is president and

CEO of SG PR Consulting in

Toronto, a firm offering

consulting and

communications services to

businesses and entrepreneurs in

the Greater Toronto Area. She

can be contacted at

sandrangabriel@

hotmail.com.

Surviving the M&AOpen, honest communication even if the news is bad goes along way in helping employees through mergers and acquisitions

Copyright Canadian HR Reporter, October 20, 2008, by permission of Carswell, Toronto, Ontario, 1-800-387-5164. Web site: www.hrreporter.com


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PR or Perish:Why your Business Cant Survive without Public Relations

If I was down to my last dollar, Id spend it on public relations.

- Bill Gates, Microsoft Founder

The key to a successful business is through

your relationships. And I welcome anybody

who wishes to challenge that claim. Dr. P.M.

Forni says "The quality of our lives depends

on the quality of our relationships. But thequality of our relationships depends upon our

relational skills;" relational skills that are not

only learned but come naturally to your PR

consultant. Your stakeholders (the people you

sell your products and services to, your employees, investors, the media and so on)

are all people that you want to support your business. Every business is operational

through its stakeholders and it's important to know where your relationship stands

with each of them. Your public relations department has tremendous relational skills

and is responsible for creating and maintaining these relationships and developing

new ones along the way.

The truth is that you're not perfect. Many businesses start by offering products or

services that appear to be a good idea, yet they do not fill a need. One of the first

things your PR department or consultant can work with you on is how to make your

business valuable to your target audience. Through careful research and analysis,

your PR consultant can identify the needs in your market and tailor your product or

service to meet those needs. They can also develop your brand identity to one that

your target audience can identify with and believe in. The same applies for larger

corporations that are possibly looking to expand into new markets. Even if your

product or service does not align with the needs of a new market, there is always a

creative way to make opposites attract.

And who will stand by your side and speak for you during times of crisis? You PR

department of course. In fact, crisis communications is a specialty of the PR

function. It's important to remember that if you practice effective PR before a crisis

can take place, the crisis may have little to no effect on your business. When

stakeholders know you and believe in you and the promise of your brand, it builds a

loyalty that is not easily broken. This loyalty (strengthened through the relationships

that you build and cultivate) will fight half the battle for you during a crisis. The other

half is fought by how you react and respond...all of which is advised by your PR

department.


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PR or Perish: Why your Business Cant Survive without Public Relations P.2

The cultivation of your stakeholder relationships is managed through public relations

as well. Whether it's a customer appreciation day or prize giveaways, ongoing

communication with the media and being a source for them, a weekly or monthly

newsletter or a mail-out to say 'Thank-You for your support" is all part of the

relationship building strategy of your PR department. Public Relations recognizes

the importance of keeping in touch, showing gratitude and appreciation, keepingstakeholders updated so that, not only is your business top-of-mind with

stakeholders, but it let's them know that you care about this relationship and that

you are doing your part to keep it going.

As your business grows, there will surely be stories to tell. Stories about how you

got started, the challenges you've faced, major milestones and breakthroughs,

special guests or celebrities that have walked your office halls, employees who are

making a difference in their communities and more. This is another specialty of the

public relations function; to tell the stories that are relevant to your stakeholders.

This is how they get to know more about you as a business and see you for more

than the products and services that you offer. Adding that human element of story

telling can do wonders for growing and developing your stakeholder relationships.

Business relationships should be treated like any relationship. Before one enters a

relationship they should be clear about who they are and want they want. They

should then identify who they want a relationship with and why? What will be the

goals in the relationship? How will the relationship function? Do there need to be

any compromises (from either party) to make the relationship work? Communicate,

communicate, communicate and by all means check-in. Evaluate the relationship

as it goes to assure that mutual benefits are maintained and needs are being met

on both ends on an ongoing basis.

In sum, public relations is the personality and character of your business. It's the

part of your business that allows people to engage, interact and get to know and

like you. It's through your communications that people know anything about you or

your business and some good PR can build a solid reputation for your business

and help you to gain reputational capital. If you expect to have good business

relationships, you should expect to have good PR. Don't do business without it!


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DIY PR is as Safe as DIY Surgery

While I believe that Do-it-Yourslef PR (DIY PR)

is as safe and effective as DIY surgery, I think

I should still offer some guidelines to avoid

tarnishing the PR profession even further.

Already, we in the PR Profession are seen as

flacks and spin doctors when the truth is that

when PR is applied properly, you'll find that

there is so much more to it than the tools we

use to communicate i.e. media relations,

employee relations, social media, etc.

Let us first define this profession called public

relations. In it's long form, public relations is

the strategic management ofrelationships between an organization and its diverse publics, through the use ofcommunication, to achieve mutual understanding , realize organizationalgoals, and serve the public interest . (Flynn, Gregory & Valin, 2008). In simpleform (and this is derived by defining both "public" and "relations" separately) public

relations is the mutual dealings or connections or communications amongpersons or groups or a body of people sharing some common interest. So with

these definitions, let's make it clear that public relations is more than our dealings

with the media and writing press releases. The foundation of any PR plan is always

about who we want to build relationships with and how we are going to build that

relationship and what will the relationship look like or how will it function in the long-

term.

There's one more thing that should be made clear and that is the difference

between a publicist and a public relations professional. A publicist deals specifically

with the placement of stories in the media; they are also known as press agents

and work mainly with celebrities and entertainers whereas the public relations

professional is involved with the research , analysis, policy formation,programming , communications and feedback from numerous publics. Weoperate as advisers to clients or the senior management of an organization and we

are also technicians who produce and disseminate messages through multiple

mediums. (Public Relations Strategies & Tactics, Wilcox et. al. 2003).


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DIY PR is as Safe as DIY Surgery P.2

So now that we've made a few things clear, here are some things to keep in mind

when attempting to DIY PR:

Be careful about what you say In your attempt to be as transparent aspossible, one little slip could mean the beginning of your PR nightmare. Develop,

define and refine your message to avoid inconsistencies and to assure that yourmessage is properly reinforced. Once you define a message that both you and your

public can believe in, you should stick to it as much as possible; live it and breath it

and only step outside the box when your spontaneous thought can still be applied

in the same context of your message.

Give the media what THEY want Having a relationship with the media is morethan having them as a contact and telling them your story. Remember in PR, the

relationship has to be mutual, so don't think of it only in terms of what they can dofor you, but also think about what you can do for them. Provide them with as much

information as possible: photos, videos, quotes and comments, various sources to

support your story; you'll get even more points if you provide a source that does

not support your story, this way you are giving them all the angles and reducing the

amount of background checking that they have to do and it increases your

credibility with them. But of course, you want to make sure that you can give your

rebuttal to the non-supporting source, and the more you can be available as a

source to them, the better your chances of creating that mutually beneficial

relationship.

Do your research Don't use PR tools because they seem like a good idea, usethem because you know they will work. If your public or stakeholders consist of

over 65 retirees that spend 90% of their time on the road traveling, it's not likely thatyou will reach them through the multitude of social media vehicles available to us.

While social media offers the opportunity to reach hundreds and sometimes

thousands of people at one time (and for free), if your audience is not a part of

those forums, they will never see or hear your message, let alone respond to it. Get

to know the people you want to build a relationship with and find out how best to

communicate with them.Consider al l audiences I can't reinforce enough that PR is more than mediarelations and with this being said, you should think of all the groups in your

stakeholder network. That would include employees, government, industry, the

community, shareholders, clients/customers and more. This way, when you roll outyour PR plan, you not only know what you want to communicate, but you know

who you want to communicate with and because you've done your research, you

also know how to communicate with them and your message is consistent across

the board.


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DIY PR is as Safe as DIY Surgery P.3

Measure the outcomes and not just the outputs. It's great to be able to say thatyou had 1,000 new visitors to your website or that you handed out 100 brochures

and business cards in any given month, but did it change anything? Do your

stakeholders have a different attitude, opinion or behaviour towards you? Are more

people buying from you now than from your competition? Or have more people

begun to accept you as a leader in your industry? Do you realize the tremendouseffect that these outcomes could have on your overall market capitalization? It is as

important to know the outcomes of your PR plan as it is to know the outputs and

so processes should be put in place to assure the measurement and evaluation of

your PR efforts.

While I do not endorse DIY PR, most people are going to do it anyway. I only ask

that you do it properly and not just according to my guidelines, but any and all and

as much guidelines as possible. A PR plan based on what may seem like a good

idea (without any research) does not a PR plan make.


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The Investable Entrepreneur:How to make you and your business attractive to investors

If you are an entrepreneur looking for sources of fundingfor your business, you have surely heard about obtainingsmall business loans through your bank, applying for linesof credit, and possibly, asking for funding from family andfriends. There is, however, another popular source offinancial support: funding through investors.

According to the Angel Investment Network, a Canadianweb-based service that matches investors seekinginvestments with entrepreneurs seeking capital, Angelinvestors are currently investing over $3 billion in Canadianbusinesses each year. This number would be substantiallyhigher if these Angels were better able to find and review

new types of investment opportunities.

So how can one become better prepared to approach investors? What does it taketo be perceived as an investable entrepreneur? Black Ink spoke with Joanna

Trackthe president of Sweetspot.ca, Canadas first online, trend-spotting lifestyleguide of its kind. Starting with a newsletter in 2004, Sweetspot.ca has tripled itsrevenue since an investment from Rogers Communications Inc. made Joannassweet dreams come true!

BIM : What motivated you to create Sweetspot.ca?Joanna Track: The concept was inspired by a similar business in New York calledDailyCandy. I worked in advertising and transferred to New York where I wasintroduced to DailyCandy . . . I found that there was nothing like it in Toronto whenmoved back about six or seven years ago. I always knew I wanted to be my ownboss. I had a good base to take the leap and I ended up digging into my RSP toget it started.

BIM : How simple or difficult was it for you to get enough people on Sweetspot.ca?JT: There were 600 people the day I launched, and it was through friends andfriends of friends and we reached 10,000 a year later. Our first newsletter went outin June of 2004 and the first advertising sale of that year was in November. A lot ofit was viral, through bartering and partnering especially with marketing help.


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The Investable Entrepreneur: How to make you and your business attractive to investors P.2

BIM : When you start a small business, there are a number of challenges and smallwins along the way; what was the experience like for you when you first gotstarted?

JT: The challenges were big, the biggest being the month-to-month expenses andbeing able to pay them. But it takes money to make money. Everything costsmoney so [it summoned] bartering and good PR. I had to get creative on spendingeffectively. The wins are what kept me going. I started by sending emails to mycontacts and then it grew virally as I began getting calls from companies to getfeatured.

BIM : Tell us about the day when you got the call from Rogers.JT: Two years into it, I had been approached by other companies but it didnt workout or feel right and I was turned off by these big companies. When Rogers camealong I wasnt [initially] too excited; I had the confidence that I can do it on my own,

but partnering with Rogers could make it faster and easier.

BIM : In your online discussion with the Globe & Mail you said: I think the thing thatSweetspothas that attracted them, was a unique business model, with good profit

potential. But as they told me, they were buying into me, even more than the

company. I think I showed them that I had a good balance of creative ideas, and

strong, effective business skills. I think at times there are entrepreneurs out there

with fantastically creative business ideas, but have a challenge managing the day-

to-day business operations. I was able to showRogers I was good at both.

Tell us more about your personal brand and some of the inherent attitudes andbehaviours any business owner needs to make the business work?

JT: They were impressed with me. I remain very professional and at the end of theday its always business. Business cards and invoices are essential, even if its twopeople; and have all your financials organized and ready. Treat it the same way as ifyou were a large corporation. Rogers saw my confidence and organizational skills.Confidence comes from knowing your strengths or weaknesses. Know your stuff,or if you dont know, ask somebody.

BIM : How can an entrepreneur go about making themselves more attractive topotential investors?

JT: Have the confidence, looked polished and professional and not justaesthetically, but also in substance; keep your financials in order, have yourbusiness plan ready. The business plan gives you a starting place and you need tohave a vision and a revenue plan. In a few bullet points you can outline [your] vision,mission, how you operate, and how you make money.


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YES YOU CANgo digital:A look into Obamas digital campaign

On November 4, 2008 Senator Barack Obama was named

president-elect of the United States of America. While there

were many forces at play to help Obama win the election,

marketers will tell you that it was all due to his wide and robust

digital marketing campaign.

In fact, he has been Advertising Ages marketer of the year for

2008. President-elect Obama won the vote of hundreds of marketers, agency

heads and marketing-services vendors gathered at the Association of National

Advertisers annual conference.

According to a blog post on Triple O (short name for Obamas Online Operations)

he took advantage of most of new digital tools like facebook, Myspace, YouTube,

Flickr, Twitter, Digg, LinkedIn, Eventful, FaithBase, BlackPlanet, Eons, Glee,

MyBatanga, MiGente, AsianAve and Party Builder. All these tools had some sort of

fan page for Barack Obama and they were used for both fundraising and forgrowing a community.

Text and mobile messaging were also a part of the grand marketing scheme. In his

article Obama epitomizes frontier of digital marketing: Ogilvys Lazarus at ad:tech,

Dan Butch says, Mr. Obama was the only candidate to effectively harness the

power of SMS and the mobile Web. Butch adds that Obamas use of mobile

contributed to tipping the election in Obamas favor.

Obamas digital campaign is exactly the type of thing that is touted at our ad:tech

events. For more than ten years, ad:tech has provided media, marketing and

technology professionals with the tools and techniques they need to succeed in achanging digital world. As the digitization of media continually redefines the

business of marketing, it is ad:techs mission to provide brand advertisers,

agencies, portals, online publishers and technology providers an unparalleled forum

one that supports the exchange of ideas, experiences, new practices, emerging

models and expert opinion.


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YES YOU CAN. . .Go Digital: A look into Obamas Digital Campaign P.2

Mike Amour, Chairman & CEO of Grey Global Group says, ad:tech is the most

inspiring digital marketing forum I've found. It's an efficient way of keeping current,

networking with premier practitioners and spawning ideas.

There couldnt be a more opportune time to implement a digital marketing

campaign. Tough economic conditions threaten to diffuse traditional marketingcampaigns, but, Becky Charles, author Marketing Digital Leagues 2008, says,

Digital remains a strong growth area and is propping up the media market.

According to the Internet Advertising Bureau, Internet ad spend grew 21% year on

year to reach 1.7bn in the first half of 2008. In value terms, online has grown by

2bn in three years and is forecast to hit 3.6bn this year.

In her keynote at ad:tech New York, Lazarus advised that we need to spend in new

ways, to engage people to share, to move, to motivate. Lazarus says, This is a

time of enormous creativity and possibilities, and we must lead our industry into the

digital future. If the next president of the United States can do it, so can we.


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KidStarter makes PCs Fun and Safe for Kids

New software allows young children to safely use any PC on their own, while giving parentscomplete control over the content their kids see. FREE 30-day trial available at KidStarter.com

Toronto, ON July 22, 2010 -- In recent studies conducted by Brilliant Software Inc., parents with

young children said they were concerned about their children's activities online, but didn't always

have the time to spend with their children on the computer.

KidStarter (www.kidstarter.com) takes care of these issues by giving children an easy-to-use

Windows Desktop environment that allows them to play and explore without getting into trouble.

KidStarter only gives kids access to their own safe and secure desktop, with all websites and

programs just one click away and pre-approved by their parents. The software also comes with a

built-in daily timer that allows parents to control how long their children spend on the computer each

day.

With KidStarter installed on the family laptop, I feel comfortable letting my 5 or 3-year-old play alone

on the computer. says Sean Snider, an IT manager. I am confident that they won't be able to get

into trouble or go to any sites that my wife and I don't approve of. One of the best features is that

there aren't any more fights to get them off the computer once their 30 minutes a day are up,

KidStarter takes care of it for us.

It saves valuable time for parents and they dont have to constantly watch over their kids, says

Greg Valiquette, VP Brilliant Software, makers of KidStarter. KidStarter keeps your children and

computer safe and you dont have to worry about them deleting files, downloading viruses and

visiting sites that they shouldnt.

Valiquette adds that, monitoring your childrens activities through KidStarter is one thing, but

parents should also talk to their kids about online safety and ensure that they have an ongoing

conversation with their kids.

Parents can download a FREE 30-day trial at www.KidStarter.com.

# # #

About Brilliant Software & KidStarter

KidStarter is the newest product in the Brilliant Software line of products. It gives children a safe,

easy-to-use environment where they can only use programs and websites that are parent approved!

With KidStarter, the parent is completely in control and can rest assured that their kids are safe

using the computer. A fully functional FREE 30-day trial is available at KidStarter.com. If you requirea longer reviewing period, please contact Brilliant Software for a complimentary software license key

at [email protected]

Brilliant Software is a software company driven by experienced professionals who create and deliver

high-quality software both independently and for large corporate clients. For more information, visit

www.BrilliantSoftware.ca

Conta ct : Greg Valiquette, VP, Marketing and Business Development

Brilliant Software Inc. | Tel: (416) 887-3908 | Email: [email protected]


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Verb Strategy Completes Revamp of CABJ Website(Toronto, ON) January, 18, 2011Verb Strategy & Creative (Verb), Toronto

marketing agency, recently completed the revamp of the website for the Canadian

Association of Black Journalists (CABJ).

We needed a website that visually communicated our

vision and satisfied the end-user experience with fresh

and up-to-date content and resources, said CABJ

president, Michelle Lynch. The new site needed to

serve as portal to the association and we needed a

way to allow for real-time member renewal andregistration, added Lynch.

Dean Lloyd, principal at Verb and project lead of the CABJ website revamp, notes

that the website needed more focus and direct call to action.

The purpose and messaging of the website was unclear and user benefits were

not apparent, says Lloyd. We wanted a contemporary design that offered a quick

glimpse of the wealth of information and resources available through the homepage

as well as control the amount of content that appeared on the homepage withoutbeing overwhelming.

The websites new user interface design allows

information to be displayed only when

requested by the user, making the website less

cluttered and more user-friendly.

Another key area of the website development

was the Content Management System (CMS)

that would allow the association leadership to

easily manage and update the content ondemand.

We chose WordPress for the CMS as it is easy to use, search engine friendly, it

allows for multiple users and there is no issues with spamming, adds Lloyd. The

added value to the website and our service is the member management

component that provides the CABJ with a number of tools that is vital to their

growth plans.


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Verb Strategy Completes Revamp of CABJ Website P.2

The member management plugin is said to give the association the ability to create

free, trial or paid membership levels, content view is controlled depending on the

level of membership, the plugin integrates with shopping cart systems like PayPal

and the CABJ admin team can see a list of members, their registration status,

membership level and more.

We are so pleased with the finished website, says Lynch. Were looking forward

to the facilitated communication that well have with our members and the ensuing

growth as a result.

- 30 -

About VerbEstablished in 2001, Verb Strategy & Creative is a Toronto-based, marketing and

branding agency, serving clients in Canada and US. They show measurable return

on brand investment to clients by specializing in multicultural marketing and building

brands for small, medium and large companies and providing a range of strategic

and creative services.

www.verbiage.ca

About CABJThe Canadian Association of Black Journalists (CABJ) is a Canadian media industry

association whose vision over the last fourteen years has been dedicated towards

the diversifying the media through developing and mentoring students andprofessionals of various cultures and ethnicities, while increasing the number of

talented individuals in front line roles and decision making and management level

positions.

www.cabj.ca

Press contact:Sandra Gabriel

Chief Relationship Officer

Gabriel PR

(416) 907.2560

[email protected]


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Fitness Challenge to be launched in Toronto

(Toronto, ON) February 9, 2011Ayanna Lee-Rivears, Founder of SocaCizeFitness Inc., an exhilarating Caribbean workout, recently announced the upcominglaunch of the SocaCize Fitness Challenge; a 6-week work-out and meal planguaranteed to help participants lose 10lbs in less than 3 months.

Im so excited that were finally launching this program, says Lee-Rivears. Wevebeen planning this one for some time and were looking forward to working with the

participants to help them realize their weight loss goals.

Registration for the SocaCize Fitness Challenge will open at the end of February2011 and kicks off in Spring 2011. Participants will attend an info session regardingnutrition and also meet with an image consultant to get educated on how to dressfor the season in their new bodies.

The unique part about this program is the empowerment factor, adds Lee-Rivears. Aside from being a simple workout program with a meal plan, we want toeducate women on style and fashion as well as help them build self-confidence andself-esteem through the style and beauty advice offered with our image consultant.

Participants receive a SocaCize Fitness Challenge booklet with their workoutschedule, meal plan, recipes and area to record your measurements, post beforeand after pictures and an area to journal the journey through the challenge.Sponsors in beauty and fashion are also invited to submit their ads or coupons thatwill be included as part of the package.

The SocaCize Fitness Challenge comes not a moment too soon as the Heart &Stroke Foundation recently released a report on Canadians health which warns thatnine out of 10 Canadians are jeopardizing the quality and length of their lives.

We believe that if more Canadians engaged in a regular cardiovascular program,the threat of things like heart disease and certain cancers would be drasticallyreduced, comments Lee-Rivears. We highly recommend our SocaCize workoutsas they have the perfect combination of cardio, strength training and fun to getmore Canadians on the path to healthier lives.

The SocaCize Fitness Challenge will be offered in Downtown Toronto, Scarboroughand Brampton.

- 30


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New Fitness Challenge to be launched in Toronto P. 2

About SocaCizeEstablished in 2000 by Ayanna Lee-Rivears, Fitness and Dance Instructor,SocaCize is a creative blend of high/low African and Caribbean dance movementsperformed to Calypso, Soca, Zouk, Reggae and Dancehall music and drumming.

The exhilarating mode of the work-out also focuses on cardio, weight and strengthtraining and targets all age groups.Visit www.socacize.com for more information

Press contact: Sandra Gabriel, Chief Relationship OfficerGabriel PR | (416) 907.2560 | [email protected]


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10-08-10 [email protected]

416.907.2560 25 Sheppard Ave. West, Suite 300

Toronto, ON M2N 6S6

Date

PUTTING YOUR PR PLANBACK ON TRACK

WHOS

DRIVING

INYOUR

R.A.C.E.?
http://www.gabrielpr.ca/mailto:[email protected]://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistoryhttp://localhost/Users/Gabriel%20PR/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%252F%252Fwww.webwombat.com.au%252Fmotoring%252Fcar-images%252Fporsche-911-gt3-997-3-big.jpg.webhistorymailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.gabrielpr.ca/http://www.gabrielpr.ca/


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What is Public Relations?

Public Relations, for some time, has been perceived as a function dealing primarily with the mediaor media relations. Our theory is that one doesnt really get exposed to all the inner workings of aPR department, until it is pushed through the media. This is only a partial explanation as to why PR

is largely associated with media relations; but whatever the reason, we must not forget the brainsbehind the media relations outfit.

The Canadian Public Relations Society defines Public Relations as the strategic management ofrelationships between an organization and its diverse publics, through the use of communication,to achieve mutual understanding, realize organizational goals, and serve the public interest. (Flynn,Gregory & Valin, 2008).1 Therefore, a successful PR plan should not rest solely on earning anumber of media hits. The two key ingredients in any public relations initiative is, your public andthe relationship you have with them. Simple enough? Not quite; not for many.

The Public Relations plan vs. The Communications Plan

Our definition of the public relations plan is the overarching umbrella plan on how you willbuild and sustain YOUR public relationships over the long-term and focuses on measuringoutcomes i.e. public attitude, perception and behaviour. The communications plan drillsdown a little further and gets more specific about the particular types of communicationsyou will employ to engage YOUR public and focuses on measuring outputs i.e. the

number of presentations delivered, the number of sales calls made, social media metrics,website analytics and more.

The goal for a PR plan, for example, would be to begin to build a relationship with a

particular stakeholder group or to improve client relations, investor relations or social mediarelations whereas a communications plan goal would be to attract more attention to thewebsite or to create an e-newsletter that will create sales leads.

You public relations plan will embody a communications plan to build and sustain YOURpublic relationships over time.

Who are YOUR public?

YOUR public consists of: clients or customers, employees, investors, the media, social mediagroups, the government and more. Effective public relations requires that you get to know youraudience; know their needs; know what media they read, listen to or watch; know what they thinkabout you; know what they expect from you; know how to communicate with them, what movesthem to action and causes them to turn away, thus making YOUR public the driver in yourR.A.C.E.


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YOUR public map

Source: Gabriel PR, 2010

R.A.C.E.???

R.A.C.E. is an acronym used in PR (similar to the 4Ps of Marketing) to lay-out the foundation of thePR plan: Research & Analysis, Communication and Evaluation. Following these four steps willenable you to create an effective PR plan for your business and produce extraordinary results.

How is the relationship with YOUR public?

In public relations, the emphasis is on the relationship. Keeping an ear to the ground (listening) andmonitoring public attitudes, opinions and behaviour is the guide to creating your public relationsplan. Dr. Margaret Wheatley, organizational consultant and management professor says, throughrelationships, information is created and transformed, the organizations identity expands to include

more stakeholders, and the enterprise becomes even wiser. Dr. Gina Hernez-Broome and Dr.Richard L. Hughes at the Center for Creative Leadership agree that, relationships amongcustomers and suppliers, individuals and the organization will make or break us in the networkedeconomy.

If you want to measure the status of your relationships, we recommend building a RelationshipMeasurement Process (RMP) that allows you to continuously collect and monitor feedback fromYOUR public on an ongoing basis, so you are prepared to respond to any issues that may arise.


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Relationship Measurement Process (RMP)

Source: Gabriel PR, 2010

Research & Analysis: dont start planning without it!

We live in an information society with a wealth of information at our fingertips2 which means thattheres a lot of information right under our noses, without having to spend the majority of your PRbudget on research. Feedback from YOUR public can be collected through a number of mediums:case logs from customer service and sales calls, emails, interviews, focus groups, your websiteand those of your competitors and industry associations, your twitter and facebook accounts,google searches, media coverage, the employee suggestion box and the list goes on.

Wherever you get your information, its important to know where you are coming from, before youcan map out where you want to go. Ask yourself: Where are we now? and begin to take the

steps to look into what messages youve been communicating and what kind of response youhave been getting to those messages.

In their book, Using Research in Public Relations 3, professors Glen Broom and David Dozier say,research is the controlled, objective and systematic gathering of information for the purpose ofdescribing and understanding.

Broom and Dozier quote Blair C. Jackson, a former PR executive from Rogers & Cowan, Inc.saying:


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The most compelling reason for using research is to make sure that yourprogram is the best it can bethat what you are doing is as right on as itcan be. You will be confident that you are addressing the right audience,that you are using the right messages and that you are focusing on theright perceptions or attitudes. Evaluation research will tell you whether or

not it works.4

The Research & Analysis Process

1. Identify a research problem

What is the problem you are trying to solve? Have sales been too low in this quarter? Are you notseeing as many visitors to your website? What group on your public map does this problem applyto?

2. Research design

Where and how will you find the information? In your research design, you should be open togetting your information from any combination of sources: Google searches, literature/bookreviews, focus groups, surveys, twitter and facebook.

3. Develop research strategy

Your strategy will include the goals, objectives, timeline and budget available to carry out theresearch. This is where you will also identify the individuals on the research team including theresearch project manager.

4. Generate data

Now you are ready to carry out your research strategy and generate the data necessary todetermine a solution to your problem.

5. Analyze data

This is where you will take a look at the data and identify any glaring statistics or correlations. Forexample, you might find that there was quite a bit of negative feedback on one of your productswhich resulted in lower sales or that 15% of those who did not buy your product last quarter, alsolost their jobs. What an amazing opportunity to build a relationship as you can now create apromotion to have a sale on your products or create a direct mail campaign to send coupons or

gift cards to those families who cant afford your product for the time-being.

6. Produce report

Lastly, put together a report that will outline your finding and recommendations to solve theproblem which gets the ball rolling on your communications plan.


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Research methods and tools

The most commonly used methods of research today are surveys, focus groups and textualanalysis. Tools like Survey Monkey and Poll Daddy are popular in conducting survey research.Focus groups can include anywhere from 3 to 10 people and are usually carried out in a

boardroom setting. Refreshments can be provided and focus group participants are normally paidbetween $50 to over $100 depending on how much of their time is used. Textual analysis is simplyreading books, articles or essays. Databases like Lexis Nexis and Factiva are used to find articlesrelating to specific industries or categories.

The Communications Plan

Your communications plan will guide you as to what communications or communications activitiesneed to take place to achieve certain goals. Communications is not only about your messages andwhat you will say, but it includes where and how you will receive messages from YOUR public as

well as, what internal communications need to be altered to carry out this plan, or what advertisingor website changes do you need to make. Consider all aspects of communications at the stage,both internal and external.

Set S.M.A.R.T.objectives

Create a plan with objectives that are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic andTimely

Specific: What do you want to achieve specifically? Increase in sales, more facebook fans? Orreduce your carbon footprint?

Measurable: To make an objective measurable, you simply need to attach a number to it. Gain100 new customers, move 1,000 more units of product, add 200 more twitter followers.

Achievable: Are these objectives that you can achieve in the time required and with the budgetyou have available?

Realistic: Can you realistically achieve these objectives or are they far fetched?

Timely: By when will you achieve these objectives? In 6 months or 1 year?

Develop key Messages

Its important to set out some clear messages and statements in relation to your communicationsobjectives. Determining your messages before-hand will assure that you will always know what tosay and when to say it. These messages should also be made clear across all yourcommunications, whether its on your website, in a brochure, the employee intranet site or in apresentation.


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Whats your strategy?

Your strategy is a high-level overview of what your plan will be. A strategy for a business launchmight be to introduce the business to the local community by holding a launch event, continue to

meet prospective clients and promote the business in the 6 months following the launch and keepyour company top-of-mind through ongoing communications.

Tactics: communicate, communicate, communicate!

Tactics are a more detailed and fleshed-out plan of exactly how you will carry-out your strategy.Using the business launch example your tactics would include:

Launch Event

Identify potential customers in the local community

Create a mailing list of potential customers Create invites/e-vites announcing the launch Book venue for event

Collect gifts and prizes to give away Invite guest speakers Create form for post-event feedback

Ongoing Communications

Develop editorial plan of email marketing campaign email blast series

news and media releases blogs

Newsletter

Grow Customer Base

Identify and schedule to attend networking events Apply for public speaking opportunities

Team, Budget & Timeline

As with any business related plan, you need to determine the people on your team, your availablebudget and you need to map out a detailed timeline.

Team

Make sure you are using people who have strengths in each aspect of your plan. Your team mightconsist of a project manager to oversee the entire plan, a skilled copywriter/copyeditor for yourcommunications, a graphic designer to design your website or marketing materials and a socialmedia specialist to manage all your social media tools.


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Budget

What will it cost to roll out this plan? Consider costs for design, printing, distribution, the hourscontributed by your team, event venue, catering and audio-visual if necessary. Always add anadditional 10% to 15% to your budget for miscellaneous expenses. Your project manager controls

the budget and assures that it does not go over what is available.

Timeline

Setting deadlines and milestones is crucial to the success of your communications plan. Yourtimeline will help you keep track of where you are and what needs to be done on any given day,week or month. Milestones let you know when you have reached major points in your timeline.Booking a prominent speaker or acquiring all sponsorship dollars necessary would qualify as keymilestones in your plan. Your project manager will be responsible for making sure the team stayson track and short-term goals are achieved.

Evaluate

Just like your research, evaluation needs to be planned and analyzed. Its one thing togenerate monitoring reports, but what do these reports tell you about your company andthe way youre doing business?

Planning your evaluation means determining what youre going to measure and how. Yourevaluation tactics should also relate directly to your plan objectives. For example, if yourobjective was to increase website visits by 10% in one month, then you would plan togenerate a web analytics report and focus on unique visitors for the month.

What does it mean when you dont meet your objective? It means that whatever you set inyour plan to generate more website visitors did not work and that its time to return to thedrawing board. This is exactly what your evaluation is intended to do. The evaluationphase gives you a clear picture on what works and what does not work.

Conclusion

There is a great deal of emphasis on the importance of relationships and thecommunications that take place to create and build those relationships. It is equallyimportant to assure that you are speaking to each group in YOUR public map through the

mediums they prefer and using the language and messages that will have the greatestimpact on them.

Public Relations encompasses more than media relations. Public Relations considers allaudiences and uses any number of communications tools and strategies to create andbuild relationships. Where other functions of your business contribute to the bottom line,public relations takes a focus on people and goes beyond the bottom line.


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Communication Plan Template

Objective(s)

Key Messages

Strategy

Tactics


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Team

Budget

Item Cost Tax Total

Timeline

Tactic Month 1 Month 2 Month 3


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Evaluate


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Bibliography

1 Retrieved from http://www.cprs.ca/uploads/PR_Definition.pdfon July 29, 2009. The Canadian Public

Relations Society Inc., 2010

2 Frey, L.R. et al. (2000) Investigating Communication: An Introduction to Research Methods NeedhamHeights, MA, Allyn and Bacon

3 Broom, G. & Dozier, D. (1989) Using Research in Public Relations, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice Hall

4 Wilcox, D. L. et al. (2003) Public Relations Strategies and Tactics 7th edition, Boston, MA, Allyn and

Bacon
http://www.cprs.ca/uploads/PR_Definition.pdfhttp://www.cprs.ca/uploads/PR_Definition.pdfhttp://www.cprs.ca/uploads/PR_Definition.pdf

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