Communicating in the COVID-19 pandemic is a blend of applying best crisis communications practices and learning as you go. I am working with several organizations serving vulnerable populations, including seniors. It’s the most challenging, heartbreaking and rewarding work of my career. It’s hard to communicate with people who are worried about their own safety and well-being, or even employees who are afraid of coming to work. Finding the right tone is essential to building

Don't get stuck in the traditional media hole! Yes, coverage in the New York Times or Wall Street Journal is very important, but there are plenty of nontraditional media outlets available to reach your target audiences. Nontraditional channels are important to pitch too! Look into smaller outlets like blogs, podcasts and YouTube to gain interviews. Need some help putting together a winning media list and pitch? Contact us today to learn more about how we can help share yo

DYK that consistent brand presentation increases revenue up to 23%? To do this, you need brand positioning statements! A positioning statement is: description of a product or service target market description of how the product or service fills a particular need of the target market It's meant to be used as an internal tool to align marketing efforts with brand and value propositions. Contact us today to learn how we can help position your brand and organization for success

Let’s talk about how a strategic marketing communications plan directly supports organizational priorities and business goals. A communications strategy is at the heart of all communications activities. It aligns your goals and objectives to your various tactics and deliberately defines the scope of work, key messages and evaluation metrics to fuel your organization’s performance. Effective communications doesn’t happen by accident or through a shotgun “bigger is better” appr

Here's our roundup of our recently secured media coverage. From podcasts, to TV, to radio, to print - we ensure our clients' stories are told across all media channels with local, national and global reach. Check back each week to see new coverage we've secured: Bethany Riverview Grand Opening Calgary Herald - September 18, 2018 CBC News - September 18, 2018 Global News Calgary - September 18, 2018 Intercare's Southwood Care Centre CTV News - June 30, 2018 Immigrant Access Fu

Are your media pitches missing the mark? Download my free Tips for a Winning Media Pitch guide to help write that "perfect" pitch. This comprehensive guide takes you step-by-step through the writing process and ensures you're equipped with all the information you need to write that attention-grabbing pitch. Do you know your organization needs to improve its media relations strategy but you don't know where to start? Contact us today and we can chat about strategy options cu

It's not always easy securing front page media coverage, but with an incredible client like the Immigrant Access Fund (IAF), often stories just tell themselves! Check out our front page coverage of IAF's innovative loan program featured in The Star Metro Calgary and The Homestretch. #mediarelations #printmedia #publicrelations #news #newspapers #calgary #yyc #yycnews #publicrelationsagency #communications #consultant #nonprofit

One of the best ways to gain followers on Instagram is to have a consistent account “look” to help build your brand. With over 500 million active monthly users on Instagram, successfully tapping into this unique brand exposure takes more than just a few pretty photos of your morning latte art. It stems from your brand identity and must always support your brand’s key messages. According to Curalate, there are in fact some secrets as to what visually works best on Instagram: L

It’s no secret non-profits have to do a lot with a little, stretching those communication dollars to the max. I’ve been challenged to help build brands for charities with very few resources. For years, it was all about raising awareness and funds through PR efforts and inexpensive grassroots marketing until the world of social media opened up infinite new possibilities to engage and excite donors, media, volunteers and supporters. Now many non-profits are actively recruiting

A strong and well-defined personal brand is key to professional success. In our increasingly digital world this is becoming an accepted fact, but a number of misconceptions about the purpose and method of developing a personal brand still exist. I'm setting the record straight on three such personal branding myths. 1. Personal Branding Is Fake There’s a misconception that spending time and energy crafting your personal brand is essentially the same as constructing an image –

Journalists are trained and experienced in writing stories. By writing your release following the accepted, common style (e.g. CP Style), you make it easier for reporters to “run with the story”. Given how lean and mean newsrooms are running, a well-written release helps journalists do their jobs which is win-win for everyone - especially your clients! Follow these writing tips to ensure your releases read as newsworthy: Write in News Format - The Inverted Pyramid News storie

While social media has altered how traditional media operates, by making multimedia and web-based content a necessity, the basic principles of media relations remain. Different mediums have different needs and deadlines When looking to approach the media to get your story or message out, it’s important to target the most appropriate medium – and to do so according to their specific timeframes. Here’s a quick breakdown of the interests and deadlines for print, TV, radio and on

Much has been said about the relationship between PR pros and journalists – historically, some of the commonly used adjectives included: tense, suspicious, tenuous and strained. And while the PR/media relationship has changed a lot over the years, there is still room for improvement. As a PR pro there are ways you can make working with the media a painless experience. PR pros need journalists – and vice versa One of the biggest things for PR pros to remember when working wit