Agency life can be busy, busy, busy. Whether it’s navigating through a perfect storm of conflicting deadlines, keeping up with emails on the road or just juggling everyday tasks, we do it because we love it and take true satisfaction in serving our clients and delivering exceptional work.

Everyone has their own means of recharging their batteries to keep themselves at their best. One of my favourite escapes in wintertime is to head to the mountains and put on a pair of skis. Whether it’s exploring cross-country or pointing them downhill, skiing is my outlet to help re-balance and bring mental clarity to a sometimes chaotic world.

There’s something to be said about intrepidly discovering a new trail with friends, or the odd but amazing silence accompanied by turning your skis through pristine, untouched snow. My favourite places to venture are the ski towns of Fernie and Kimberley, which are cozily enveloped by the mountains in southeastern British Columbia. I feel almost instantly rejuvenated when I drive into those welcoming, friendly towns.

Sure, I may face the harsh elements of winter and return to the office on Monday morning with aching legs and wind-chapped skin, but the challenges I take on the mountain help me at work, too. Conquering those black diamond runs give me the confidence to face any double black diamond day at work. As Calgary poet Keith Worthington says in his poem Nakiska, “Carve another turn.  Life is simple when all I do is carve another turn.” How very true.

-PW

Paula Worthington is the Account Director at Brookline. She loves the variety of work at Brookline, and in her spare time, she’s also an occasional freelance writer and photographer. She believes that a good adventure is always just a plane or car ride away.

As we move into 2012, I know where the closest Starbucks is and even the closest Tim Horton’s (don’t ask) but the same basic questions still apply. What are the new trends we need to be ahead of? What companies are in need of PR services? And of course, how do we maintain excellent service for our current roster of clients? The years may change but the excitement is constantly there. In fact, I am just as excited, if not more, to find out what lies ahead for Brookline. There is always a new and interesting project that makes its way through the agency’s doors and that is what keeps it fun and challenging.

The agency was established on four pillars: fresh, creative, solid and professional. Simple, clear and attainable values. We work with these pillars each and every day and the team at Brookline exudes these values in all that we do. It is because of these organizational values that Brookline not only survives but thrives in the public relations industry and we are proud to say we are one of Canada’s leading boutique agencies.

During the years I have been asked many times what motto speaks to my passion and love for public relations. “Love what you do.” I wouldn’t have it any other way. ^sm

Shauna MacDonald is Principal and Founder of Brookline Public Relations. When she announced she was opening her own firm, the constant response was, “It’s about time!” If Shauna was not in public relations she would be a rock star.

The event was a great pre-cursor to the tournament, which officially started a few days later. It was great to see such an enthusiastic crowd to show their support and passion for Canada’s favourite game.

The dance mob practices their moves pre-show.

All smiles after the big event!

- PW

1. As a PR consultant, you are a spokesperson for the organizations you represent.

In PR we strive to achieve our clients’ goals, whether increasing media coverage, the execution of a seamless event, or effective communication within an organization. While we are working to realize these goals, we approach vendors, industry peers and members of the media on behalf of our clients. Putting a professional foot forward is important because it reflects not only on you, but your employer and your clients.  

2. Customer service is all about making the customer happy, and so is PR.

A typical day at Brookline can consist of monitoring client mentions in traditional and social media outlets, identifying industry-specific, timely issues, and crafting any number of strategic communication pieces. That’s not to say we don’t do more than that.  From cleaning lobster tanks, to lying on a shopping mall floor for measuring purposes, PR pros always do what it takes to get the job done.

3. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

PR is an industry that is based on relationships. Whether you’re interacting with colleagues, media, suppliers or clients, it helps to be nice. While the customer may “always be right,” you’re more likely to change their mind and prove your point with a smile.

The skills above are things that I continually strive to do when tackling any PR project. What do you think?

^sg

Paul Brandt sings to the crowd during the inaugural performance of “I Was There”.

With a 20 foot tall Team Canada jersey hanging from the ceiling, Puckster the mascot, and enthusiastic fans on three levels of the CORE, Paul performed “I Was There,” to an excited crowd for the first time exactly 40 days before the puck drops at the 2012 World Juniors.

“I Was There” is a hockey anthem that represents the passion and pride Canadians feel about our sport, and encompasses hockey memories from 5 a.m. practices to learning to skate as a 25-year-old Assistant Account Specialist (not naming any names.) Net  proceeds from all downloads of the song “I Was There” will be received by the Hockey Canada Foundation for their nationwide support of hockey for underprivileged kids. “I Was There” is available for download at www.paulbrandt.com and www.hockeycanada.ca/2012juniors and will be available on iTunes in mid-December.

Also in attendance was Jim Peplinksi, Co-Chair of the 2012 World Junior Championships who spoke at the event, and members of O2 The Dance Company who formed a hockey mob that danced their way through the crowd during Paul’s inaugural performance.

Jim Peplinski and Paul Brandt wave to hockey and country music fans at the CORE.

Brookline was excited to plan and execute logistics for the event, implement a collaborative social media outreach strategy with the World Juniors and Paul Brandt, and manage media relations for the song’s debut. Don’t forget to share your “I Was There” moments with us on Twitter using the #IWasThere hashtag.

The Brookline team.

-SG (Assistant Account Specialist)

 The day of the Lunch and Learn finally arrived; armed with our resumes and a ton of questions my roommate (Stina) and I headed downtown to meet the team. To begin the afternoon Mallory and Alisha looked over our resumes and told us how they could be improved. We received great advice about how to appear desireable to potential employers, and had the chance to pick their brains about how they landed jobs at Brookline. Next the rest of the team joined us to tell us more about what Brookline does and how agency life works.

During lunch Stina and I got the chance to ask what types of projects Brookline has done in the past, and we heard about their wide variety of clients. Shauna told us how Brookline came to be, and everyone told us about the journey that led them to Brookline. They all have different backgrounds and education, which is why I feel they are so innovative. Hearing things from their unique perspectives broadened my understanding about what is required of someone working in PR. They told us about building strong business contacts, gaining experience, and getting the most out of our schooling. Presently Brookline is in the midst of organizing a Hockey Canada and World Juniors Championships event where Paul Brandt will sing his new theme song for the 2012 World Juniors, and Stina and I will both be volunteering. Planning this is just one of many very cool things that they do, and we are both looking forward to getting involved in this, and hopefully other, Brookline projects.

This experience showed me that PR is the right field for me; I am looking forward to applying Brookline’s advice to my education and job search. I would strongly encourage anyone interested in PR to try and meet people like Shauna and the Brookline team because my afternoon in their office was worth every second.

If I’m Doing my Job Right, The Public Shouldn’t Know who I am
Reanne Andersen
3^rd year BA Communications, Management and Society Minor-University of Calgary

There is no worse feeling than being embarrassed in front of a huge group of people… Especially when you know it was preventable. When I watch the news I see stories about companies making publicity mistakes or verbal blunders that result in embarrassment and plummeting stock. A lot of these stories seem to be blown out of proportion due to a lack of control over the flow of information between the company and the media. Poor management of a situation can result in a reputable company turning into the joke of the year (BP Oil, anyone?); someone who knows how to keep their client happy, however, can stop a seemingly disastrous story from ever reaching the news at all.

The influence that public relations can have over current events is huge; PR professionals are in control of what becomes news at all. If a situation occurs that could appear negative to the public, a company must make a decision. Should a press conference be called? Should the situation be kept under wraps? What is the best way to maintain the company’s reputation? If the right decision is made then the issue at hand will be resolved without making it onto the evening news. The idea behind hiring someone in PR is that they will help maintain your privacy and reputation.

When spokespeople do an effective job of calming their customers and stakeholders the story rarely makes headlines. This means that we do not hear about the people who work in PR unless they screw up. So if a company has not been ridiculed by the media, you can thank whoever is in charge of their public relations. If you know who they are, that is.

We love that people are interested in reading our blog, and learning more about Brookline and our clients and projects. We strive to be a credible and entertaining source for industry knowledge. When we originally started the blog in 2006, there wasn’t the option for readers to comment. So when we renovated the website in March 2010, we decided as a team that we wanted to hear our readers’ feedback and the decision was made to open up comments to the masses.

The response has been, well, less than overwhelming.

So consider this an official invite to give us your opinions, rebuttals, challenges, kudos – you name it. If you have a question for the team, would like more details on a project we worked on or an event we managed, please do not hesitate to comment on any of the blogs written by any of Brookline’s team members.

We’d love to hear from you!

RH

The public has been exposed to such behaviour in cases like former President Bill Clinton, Enron, BP, Maple Leaf Foods, Hurricane Katrina, etc.

Effective crisis communications can be challenging, but getting prepared in advance can help minimize or alleviate damage. The slower the response during a crisis, the more damage is incurred.

Three basic steps outlined below are great starting points for any organization that is looking to be more prepared if and when a crisis strikes.

Crisis: Any situation that is threatening or could threaten to harm people or property, seriously interrupt business, damage reputation or negatively impact share value.

1.     Have a Plan:

It is essential for businesses to have a crisis communications plan.  Once a sound plan has been created and finalized it is important for the plan to be circulated to all key personnel.

This plan should act as a key document during the crisis. It should be well organized and available in both a hard and soft copy for ease of use. It should include such key items as:

- Communications flow chart – This chart should detail the flow of communications during a time of crisis.

- Key contact list – This contact list should be at the beginning of the plan, and NEEDS to be updated regularly to ensure accuracy.

- Key messaging – This section should illustrate corporate key messages.

 2.     Identify and Train Key Spokespeople:

It is essential that proper media training take place for individuals in organizations who are likely to face stakeholders and media during a crisis.  Media training will prepare key spokespeople to confidently respond to media and stakeholders during the time of crisis and avoid potential media blunders.

Effective media spokesperson training, coupled with a comprehensive crisis communications plan can allow any company to assertively manage any crisis thrown their way.

3.     Practice makes Perfect:

After an effective crisis communication plan is in place, and key spokespeople have been media trained, a great next step is performing a mock crisis scenario. This exercise will prove to be invaluable for any organization, especially for key spokespeople.

The mock scenario should be executed as if a real crisis is taking place. It should allow for the following:

- The crisis communication plan to be implemented to the fullest extent possible. Key spokespeople to practise their media training

- Following the mock scenario, a complete debrief outlining key observations and feedback can allow for future improvements and better preparedness.

There is no doubt about it, crises are stressful events. But being prepared can help to ease this stress and mitigate potential damages.

JM

The YWCA of Calgary was proud to announce October 13, 2011 as Women’s Homelessness Awareness Day as part of Homeless Awareness Week, focusing on women’s experiences with homelessness.

As a part of the day, the YWCA of Calgary in partnership with the University of Calgary, released a 64-page photovoice research report, “A Place to Rest,” that outlined seven key recommendations for housing and homeless services for women in Calgary.

The YWCA of Calgary also showcased its clothesline project – a powerful display of t-shirts illustrated by women with statements describing what they would like others to know about women and homelessness.

Special guest speaker Catriona Le Day Doan came out to show her support and two previously homeless women who participated in the research report were on-site to share their personal stories of transitional housing.

Brookline worked closely with the YWCA of Calgary and members of the media to ensure the event was a success and to help bring awareness and attention around this important issue.

RH

1.    Is the social media tool you are using targeting your audience?  If your audience is not active on the platform you choose or if you do not know how to reach them, take the time to research. Disseminating information is only effective if there is someone on the other end to receive it.

2.    Can you keep your accounts up- to- date? While it may be helpful to have your information distributed across various networks, if that information is inaccurate or not timely, you are only doing yourself a disservice. Social media applications can be a quick and easy way to find relevant information, so take the time to ensure the information you are transmitting is accurate.

3.    Is someone able to actively monitor your accounts? Creating a presence on social media is a commitment. Before you decide to sign up, consider if you have the resources to actively monitor your accounts. Anyone can post misinformation on page or tag you in something that may be detrimental to your business. It is your responsibility to monitor how your accounts are being portrayed to the general public.

4.    Are you engaging with your audience?  The organizations that benefit the most from social media are those that listen and engage. Is it definitely worthwhile to have a presence on social media but almost just as important to listen and respond to those who can directly impact your business. Use your social media tools to find out what is being said about your organization, what your audience is talking about, and interact with those who may be of interest.  The organizations that can create a dialogue with their followers often have a better chance of getting their message across.

5.    What you put out there stays out there. With the upcoming launch of Facebook Timeline (the newest Facebook feature that shares photos, posts, and events from the very first day you sign up) we are once again reminded that what you write about one day will definitely catch up to you the next. So be mindful of what you post, and ask yourself if in a couple of years from now, would your business stand behind that tweet, post, photo, blog, or video?

6.    Can you measure the effectiveness? Remember that social media is a tool and just like any other business tool it is important to measure if it is working for you. Platforms such as Facebook regularly provide users with weekly account updates. Take the time to review these reports or create a system that can measure your efficiency. Consistently monitoring your progress updates will let you know just how effective your social media presence is.

AS