December 2014                        Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter View our videos on YouTube View our photos on flickr
 

At Your Fingertips

By Matt Quin, IABC London Chapter President

While presenting at the Fanshawe CCPR program recently, the conversation focused on the value of an IABC membership.  A major point of interest for the students is that of the resources available.  Have you checked them out?  If not, I encourage you to set aside time to explore.These resources aren't just relevant for students; any member will find a great deal of value in this ever-changing repository.

Here are just a few of the items available with the click of a mouse:


 
 Members Centre Online Libraryhttp://www.iabc.com/members/library/

 

This section is broken down into topics, leading you to the latest thoughts on what's affecting today's PR industry including:

 

�  Employee Communication

�  Public Relations

�  Strategy & Counsel

�  Marketing & Brand

�  Business Management

 

MORE.

Your Digital Performance at a Glance


 
Now more than ever, a company's digital presence and online marketing activities are increasingly vital tools in driving business and building your brand with consumers.  But things move fast and with no access to real-time digital data, it's akin to stumbling around in the dark. 

adHOME is very proud to announce the launch of their Digital Dashboard, providing the ability to keep track of your website metrics, social media stats and online advertising campaigns in one convenient place. 


 
The Digital Dashboard will connect a company with their most important metrics, pulling and displaying information from several sources such as Google Analytics, Google AdWords, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and even their email marketing platforms.

 

It's a one-stop hub that will communicate data across your organization instantly, making digital easy to understand. Stay on top of every aspect of your business in one simple, attractive and password-protected interface.

 

Contact adHOME today about creating a digital dashboard for your organization.

info@adhomecreative.com 519.672.9090 ext. 115

 

Track website visits, number of followers, content engagement, ad impressions, click throughs, 

ad conversions and MORE in one convenient place

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A PR Pro's Letter to Santa

By: Liisa Sheldrick, IABC London Chapter Past President 


 
Dear Santa,


 
I've been a very good PR Girl this year. I've measured my campaigns, and integrated digital and traditional tactics. I've grown my business and demonstrated return on investment.  I think I'm pretty confident in my place on your Nice List. So, here is my wish list for Christmas this year.


 
1. Spa Day at the Scandinave at Blue Mountain.

Event Coordinator and PR Executive listed as most stressful jobs by Forbes - I need to de-stress!

 

 2. Wine Club from Stratus Winery at Niagara-on-the-Lake.

For more frequent de-stressing, a good glass of wine at the end of the week works too.


 
3. Apple TV so I don't have keep up with the hit shows and can still binge watch on holiday.

It's great for small talk, but I'm usually too tired at the end of the night to take in any more media.


 
4. To track my fitness, a FitBit

I know I don't make it to the gym enough, but a PR career keeps me on the run, surely that counts too!


 
5. Touchscreen gloves, obviously.

My social media responsibilities are not just 24/7, but all four seasons too.

 

Thank you, Santa. Just a few simple gifts to get me through 2015. 
Image Source: IPhone Ad 4 Ad from Apple

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Member Celebration: November

IABC is recognized as the professional association of choice for communicators who aspire to excel in their chosen fields.  Our members represent a diverse range of professional experience, educational background and fields of expertise. 

Each member contributes to our community, offering support and working to elevate our profession. We sincerely appreciate your commitment to IABC!

 

Thank you to members who renewed their IABC membership:


 
Mario Circelli, Katrina Clarke, Tommasina Conte, Vanessa Dolishny, Catherine Fox

 

Congratulations to the following members with a recent membership anniversary*:


 
Catherine Finlayson - 33 years

Michele Lawton - 2 years

Sara Steers - 2 years

Tania Testa - 13 years

Debra Williams - 11 years

*2+ years IABC membership

 

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London Communicators Recognized at Silver Leaf

Last month the winners of the prestigious 2014 Silver Leaf Awards were announced, and included two winning entries from London, Ontario.  The national awards recognize outstanding work in communication management, and were announced by the Canadian Western and Eastern Regions of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

Fred DeVries, Diana Cunningham and Scott Woods from Western University collectively won the Award of Merit in the 'Publications' category.  Their entry was titled, Impact Western: Donor Publication at Western University. 


 
Fred DeVries also won an Award of Excellence in the 'Writing' category, for his entry titled, Impact Western: Donor Communications for Western University.

  

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The Secrets to Silver Leaf Success

An Interview with Fred DeVries: Silver Leaf Award Winner

Congratulations on your awards. 

Q. Why did you submit entries to the Silver Leaf Awards?

A. Prior to this year, I had never submitted an entry to either the Virtuoso or Silver Leaf Awards. After working for many years with organizations in B.C. and Ontario, I wanted to learn how to improve my work based on peer review. 


 

So I prepared the entries to see how fellow communicators would evaluate the strategic thinking, the planning and the creativity of my work at Western.  My entries focused on the 2013 editions of Impact Western, a publication aimed at informing and thanking major donors for their gifts to the university.

 

Q. What kind of feedback did you receive?

 

A. The evaluators for the Virtuoso Awards offered great insights about elaborating on the business need, objectives and challenges of producing Impact Western.  They also affirmed the tactical solution and creativity I brought to the project, while also asking questions about the evaluation and results. What they provided has been helpful as I apply their feedback to improving my current work.

 

I took the questions and recommendations of the Virtuoso judges into account - as well as feedback from two IABC London colleagues - as I revised the entries for the IABC Canada awards program. The Silver Leaf evaluators provided a great perspective on my work, suggesting clarification on some aspects of the audience research, and elaboration on the tactics, objectives and outcomes. All of their critical comments offered constructive and practical advice I can use for my ongoing projects.

 

Learning Is Not Limited to the Classroom 

T Joseph

  

By Jamie Gill and Laura Tyrrell


 
Tristan Joseph is the National Media & Communication Officer for The Sunshine Foundation of Canada.  Sunshine is a Canadian charity that fulfills dreams for children with severe physical disabilities with the goal of giving them a sense of confidence.


 
Joseph is responsible for conveying Sunshine's mission to a diverse audience through a variety of different communication vehicles.  Her projects are diverse as well, including communication planning, publication writing and design, and developing relationships with media from across the country.


 

She also supports internal departments by providing assets - anything from a compelling story to a great photo of a child living his or her dream.


 
"I love writing, planning and most importantly seeing a project succeed," says Joseph. 

 

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About Connect
Connect is the monthly newsletter of IABC London.
Feedback and news ideas are always welcome. Please contact Jamie Gill (jamiegill4@gmail.com).

Editor: Mary-Ellen Willard, maryellen@adHOMEcreative.com

About IABC
IABC London is a chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. We are a volunteer-run, non-profit organization that fosters business communication excellence in southwestern Ontario by providing professional development, recognition, accreditation and networking opportunities through a local, national and international network of communications professionals.