Voice from the PR Maven

Rave: My first Mac

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:57:00 +0000

I was working in the secretarial pool at Cadillac Fairview in the 80s working supporting a few executives. I used to smoke at my desk, drink black tea and type endless boring letters on my IBM Selectric typewriter. I became used to liquid paper, correction tape and re-dos all day long. I once typed a long formal letter, sent it to my boss for his signature. He hated how he signed the letter and had me re-do the entire bloody thing because of his sloppy penmanship! No computers, no files, not even a floppy... all hard copies. Ugh.

One day all of us girls each got a new typewriter. Ah yes, the Olivetti part typewriter, part computer wonder! It looked like a typewriter but had a small green bar/screen at the top where you could edit one sentence at a time before you committed it to paper. Character by character, line by line, you could see what you wrote, before it printed. What a technological marvel. Imagine, being able to correct an entire line before sending it to print. I was in heaven.

Still within CF, I applied for a marketing position at the Toronto Eaton Centre (a client of mine today!) and I got the use of another trusty Olivetti machine. One day, the boss said I was going to be a guinea pig for a new kind of computer they were introducing to the marketing department, an Apple Macintosh. A what? Whatever. In comes a tech guy carrying the cutest little beige computer with a periscope like screen. It was my first Apple Macintosh.

He plunked it down, plugged it in, handed me a funny looking instrument with a button on it (a mouse) and told me to watch the screen. There it was, the computer screen lit up … and ta dah! … a smiley face! On my computer, something smiled at me. How adorable. This is a sophisticated computer?

Well, you can imagine how overjoyed I was to see this little b/w screen, with folders, files and a trash can all at the touch of a mouse. So intuitive, so easy. Where has this been all my life. I had software programs like MacWrite, MacPaint, FileMaker, and a cool desktop publishing program called Ready Set Go! OMG. That coupled with my LaserWriter (a printer), I was the desktop publishing princess of the Eaton Centre. I couldn’t write for shit, but boy, did my stuff look professional.

A year later, I found myself at a PR agency in Canada, NATIONAL, working alongside my first boss and wonderful mentor, Ed Gould. He gave me a Mac SE as my desktop computer and again, found myself blissfully happy. While I had no idea what the heck PR was, I got to type, create and express myself on the best platform the world had ever seen.

A few months later, the agency landed the coveted Apple account, and because I was so passionate about the technology (and begged for several days), I got to work on the business. Not only that, but I had the privilege to travel several times to the Mecca of all trade shows, MacWorld at the Moscone Center in San Fran. It was as if the universe and stars were aligned just for me. For the five years I worked on the business I met both Sculley and Spindler, who were incredible leaders. It would have been something to have met Jobs himself.

When I left National in 1993, I asked my boss if I could keep the Macintosh Classic II he loaned me to work from home with. He said sure, it was a relic anyways and it was ready for landfill.

Last week I went hunting for that relic in the bowels of my basement. I found it. In a box, taped up, neglected, dusty complete with a dead spider on the mouse. I plunked it down, plugged it in and waited for the magic to happen. It did, my Mac lit up and smiled at me as if I never left it alone. No landfill for you…..

Thank you Steve. For that Mac, for your genius, for that smile.

The world smiles at you. >

Rave: Partners

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:35:00 +0000

Today I pitched a piece of business in the tourism area with two other marketing partners on the team. All I can say is "you can't boil the ocean” ... which is why you work with great partners in other marketing disciplines.

What I love about PR is the lens in which we see the world of a brand. It may be limited, but it’s precise and exacting. I don’t buy media. I don’t create logos. I don’t write tag lines. And.... you know what? I don’t want to. There are agencies of all shapes and sizes that can do this. They know what GRPs are, how to achieve eyeball numbers and how to reach buying audiences. There are brand and creative agencies who weave creative narratives in one line or two. Or even without words. I’m always in awe of these guys.

However. What PR agencies do ... now get ready ad and brand agencies ... you cannot even attempt.

Our discipline is a mystery to most. Difficult at most times..We combine a blend of science, skill and luck. Oh, and throw in a little witchcraft and a strong tailwind.

Today was all about collaboration. Each marketing partner bringing a best practice expertise to the client with a sense of a team approach. I absolutely love being part of a pitch where I’m the third wheel.

We had fun, we were smart and provided a solid team approach. We may have had three logos up on the board, but we acted like one voice.

Hope the prospect thought so too!

RAVE: Stress: It doesn't exist

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:12:00 +0000

Now who on earth would ever rave about stress? Me, that’s who.

Like any other entrepreneur you can never leave the office behind -- you can’t go on vacation and not think of a client, an employee or the future of the firm. Your head can bust wide open if you try and solve the little gnarly problems of the day at 3 a.m. I’ve tried it, nothing gets resolved and you’re meaner than a snake the next day. Thank goodness for Advil NightTime.

The albatross of work will always be there, and stress is the grip. It’s how we handle the day to day roadblocks, curves and twists of daily work or home life, that will either create an atmosphere of anxiety or bliss.

An acquaintance of mine, Gina Mollicone Long, who has written a great self help book and is a wonderful motivational speaker, asked me once to pick up stress and hand it to her. I told her I couldn’t do that, it was impossible to hold. And she replied “you can’t hold stress, because it doesn’t exist.” Stress only occurs when reacting to a situation.

Best thing I ever heard. (that and “your table is ready ..”)

But we are faced with stressful situations each and every day. Ruthless demanding clients, cranky journalists on deadlines, traffic jams, leaving the red sock in your load of whites ... you get the picture.

Gina tells me that the easiest and most beneficial way to react to stress is to breathe. Deep gut breathing for at least a few minutes. Six counts breathing in – six counts out. We are by nature shallow breathers (people who do yoga, know this better than anyone) and by simply getting oxygen to our brain creates a better balance in our system, release tension and ability to think more clearly. There are countless articles on breathing techniques on the internet, but I found the 6 count in and out method works perfectly. Try it next time you are in a stressful situation. Don’t react. Close your eyes breathe deep in and out. You’ll be surprised at the emotional stability that sets in and the clarity of thought by which to handle the situation.

By the way, closing your eyes and breathing doesn’t work when you get cut off on the 401!

Stress. Bring it on.

Coming Soon ... Rant or Rave

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 20:32:00 +0000

Bless me blogosphere, for I have sinned, it’s been nearly seven months since my last post. What is my penance?

Ok gang, I confess – I have been remarkably absent from blogging. And it’s weird; I keep running into people who ask me, when are you going to blog again? Stop already. I’m on it ...
Sorry folks, I can’t use the excuse, “I’m busy” cuz, we all are, and some of the busiest people get a lot done in a day, including writing a blog post. And I’m not without opinions and ideas either. I could have had a field day writing about a terrible RFP experience earlier this year, the ego-maniac prospect I met a month ago who wants to take on Google and Apple with a $5K retainer, or the employee who quit on me just days before she was launching a major client initiative. Nice eh?

But no, I will save those dark tales and more in a new feature on my blog called Rant or Rave Friday. Each Friday I will either Rant or Rave about a topic near and dear to me. I will try and post every Friday. Promise.

Check out this Friday’s post ... it will be a RAVE on stress.

Now, where’s that rosary?

Boot Camp for PR agency pros

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:13:00 +0000

Now here's a nifty little PR program being driven by the Canadian Council of Public Relations Firms called the PR Agency Bootcamp being held on one day Friday January 28th, 2011. It's an all day program designed for PR professionals to hone their skills and understanding of the new world and role of PR.

I do like some of the sessions, I think the first one at 8:30 a.m. sounds like the best with a client panel discussion. Right now, no clients are listed, but I'm sure the organizers will pull out some heavy hitters. There is a session on Presenting with Impact run by Edelman, which I'm sure will be great, but I would have brought in RogenSi to deliver that. We have taken all our presenation training from RogenSi and I think they are the absolute best in the business. They've helped us close business time and time again.

I think there are some valuable sessions and insights that young PR practitioners will take away from this day so I would sign up now as I hear space is running out.

I hope the CCPRF run another one of these events, but perhaps with more clients and outside experts giving us old PR dogs some new tricks!!

The Legends are Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:11:00 +0000

The Marketing Hall of Legends just announced the 2011 inductees. The gala event takes place next year, April 14th at Roy Thomson Hall. The MHOL was conceived in 2004 by Mandrake and the Toronto Chapter of the AMA.

My firm has been involved with the MHOL for a number of years and this year we will once again be conducting media relations around the announcement and the gala event. This year I personally lent my support to the MHOL judging panel.... I can tell you first hand, not an easy task with so many qualified and outstanding marketing professionals in Canada. But the list of inductees is impressive and sooooooo truly Canadian. I am so proud to have been part of making this selection. See all the inductees here.

The gala format will have a new twist: a two-tiered format. So if you want the full enchilada .... sit down VIP dinner (no enchiladas will be served!), networking event, gala and after party you need to fork out $495 a ticket. (total deal and you get up close and personal with the legends). Second tier is at $225. For that you still get fed (buffet), networking, gala and after party. A great price point if you don’t want the swish sit down dinner part. And oh ya .... alcohol is included. For tickets please call 416 922-5600 ext. 255.

I am urging the PR community to get behind this event and come out and support the MHOL and the honourees. I’d like to see way more PR folks support these kinds of events and be part of the larger marketing community. Last year, there were only a handful of PR agency professionals in attendance. Too bad, because the event was outstanding. If you didn’t make it out last year, you missed inductee, the legendary Geoffrey Roche, pay tribute to his wife with a full –on gospel choir! The highlight of the evening for sure!

Congrats to all the inductees and see you on the 14th.

An Afternoon of Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:52:00 +0000

I take my daughter Rachel to piano lessons every Saturday. For more than a year she has never complained and looks forward to each session. When I picked her up after her lesson this past Saturday, she had the saddest look on her face. Pouting and close to tears she told me she wanted to quit. That it was “too hard” and “I just can’t read the notes.” I felt terrible for her. I pulled out the best Mommy Pep-Talk 101 speech and tried to encourage her to stick with it. That the further she goes, the more challenges she will face. That nothing comes easy and with time and practice she will master the piano. She wasn’t convinced and was “going to think about it.”

The next day I attended a very special Holiday High Tea fundraiser for amateur Canadian athletes put on by my friend and client Jane Roos, who has raised more money for Canadian athletes outside of the COC. She is a powerhouse of a woman and runs the Canadian Athletes Now Fund. I took Rachel with me. She really didn’t want to go to a “grown up” event but the mention of Canadian athletes showing their medals was enough to entice my nine year old .. and the idea of eating “itsy bitsy sandwiches” sounded interesting too!

The room at the Park Hyatt was full and more than 20 athletes were in the room. Four female Canadian athletes took the stage to share their amazing stories of challenges and triumphs. They were Jayna Hefford, four time Olympic Gold Medalist in women’s hockey; Annamay Pierse, swimmer, who made her Olympic debut in Beijing this year and who currently holds the world record in the 200 meter breast stroke; Karen Cockburn, three time Olympic medalist in Trampoline and my favourite speaker of the day and finally, Tracy Cameron, the bubbly rower from Nova Scotia who won bronze at Beijing in lightweight doubles rowing.

One overriding message was clear .... The road to your end goal is not an easy one. Fraught with injuries, personal challenges, mental commitment and endurance limitations, these young women overcame huge obstacles to get to the Olympics. The athletes sheer determination to “go for gold” is unlike anything I could ever imagine. I don’t think I’ve approached an RFP with that much guts! I was truly inspired by their stories.

By the end of the afternoon, my daughter was enthralled with each speaker. She listened attentively and without missing a word. She took it all in and absorbed the messages. She found four real role-models.

We got to the car, and she didn’t say a thing. She just stared out the front windshield. After a few minutes she turned to me and said “Mom, I’ll be going to my piano lesson next Saturday.”

Mission accomplished. Thanks Jane ... for everything!

Annamay Pierse (swimmer) and Rachel

Karen Cockburn (tramploine) with Silver medal and Rachel

Founder of CanFund Jane Roos, Rachel and Moi!

All the amazing athletes in attendance yesterday!

Information Session at Maverick

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:14:00 +0000

We get a ton of requests monthly for information sessions from budding PR professionals who are seeking a career in PR. I wish we could accommodate all the requests (but work gets in the way), as I know how important it is to these young PR wannabes who need some guidance and some sage advice.

We don’t want to turn down these requests so we’ve decided to hold an “Open Mic” Information Session inside the Maverick Manor. The session is open to any recent public relations/corporate communications grads and current students. We are hosting the session the evening of November 9th at 6:00 p.m. We’ll have several Maverick professionals from various levels and practice areas on hand who can address all kinds of questions.

If you’re interested, please RSVP to Elana, at elanaz@maverickpr.com. We are almost full ... so let Elana know if you want to attend asap. We only have so many seats left.

Hope you see you out on the 9th and come armed with questions (and your resume!) – we hope to answer them all!

I just called, to say, I love you!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:48:00 +0000

I love stinkin’ rich people .... better still, I love them even more when they open their hearts and wallets to great causes.

This past Saturday night was no exception. The glitz and glam of Toronto’s high society were out in full force to benefit a charity that is near and dear to me, Villa Charities. I was there too, with my corporate table of great clients, and loving every minute of it.

The evening raised just over $1.3 million dollars and guests were treated to some of the finest food, decor, champagne and entertainment. Capping off the evening was a surprise performance by the legendary Stevie Wonder who played for almost 90 minutes. The audience went completely gaga over Stevie and I saw lots of folks tweeting immediately when he hit the stage. "Guess who is playing at the Venetian Ball!!?"

It was a magical evening indeed.

But these events don’t get pulled off without some talented, passionate individuals who work tirelessly for months orchestrating this grand affair. The two gentlemen I want to single out are James DiLuca and Steven Muzzo – two young entrepreneurs with big hearts, big wallets and an even bigger vision on how a charity event gets to the next level. They did just that – drawing the biggest attendance record with just over 2,300 people.

Hard to top that for next year!

Congrats to all those involved on a successful event and enjoy the pics below!

Co-Chairs: Steven Muzzo and James DiLuca (the Dynamic Duo!)

The Great One! Legendary Stevie (Wonderful) Wonder!

The gorgeous tables

That's me and my honey, Gerry Riddell

Why I don’t Tweet

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:46:00 +0000

I get asked quite often why I don’t Tweet or use Twitter. First off, our agency does use Twitter regularly and I am a huge fan of Twitter from a business perspective. I think businesses with something important to say or offer salient information quickly makes perfect sense to use Twitter. I easily see business applications for it, but that's it. From a personal use perspective, I see no significant value in the use of Twitter.

And I will give you my five reasons why:

1. My life it not that exciting to be Tweeting my daily random thoughts, routine, musings and happenings. Quite frankly, neither are most people who use Twitter. Sorry. But why in the name of sweet baby Jesus do you think people care about your life that much?

2. Keeping up with that much incessant noise and clutter is a colossal waste of time. We are bombarded with thousands of messages daily from all sorts of sources. Why do I need more meaningless distractions in my life?

3. Tweeting time is not billable. That one was easy!

4. Too much exposure is a bad thing. Frankly, I don’t need to let my competitors know what I am doing, where I am travelling to, or what I am working on. Loose tweets sink twits!

5. Finally ... I need to save my news and other shenanigans I’ve been up to with my dear friends when we lunch or get together over vino. Surely we need something to talk about. Yesterday, I met up with my three good friends at the Four Seasons Hotel for lunch where we spent a solid two hours catching up on all the latest gossip, our lives, kids, the Toronto Mayoral election and who we know who got a botched plastic surgery job.

Ahhhh .. you can’t get that kind of quality time on Twitter.

Five celebs I would love to have as clients

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:10:00 +0000

Recently a few celebs have been in the media a little more often than not ... not for their great works or deeds, but rather for indiscretions, DUIs, philandering and a lot of bad judgement!

If I could take on five celebs I liked to scrub down and rub the tarnish off, here is my wish list:

Tiger Woods: I know, I know ... isn’t 20 a little too excessive?!! But really, this guy is a PR dream come true for any makeover artist. First thing I would do, is stage the customary photo opp with the kids. Always a hit with the media and pulls at the heartstrings of even the most right-wing evangelical mother. Show him at the zoo, amusement park or having a family breakfast at Perkins. A visit to the Buddist Temple with mom is a good follow up story. Now all he has to do is win a major (or kick-ass at the Ryder Cup!) and figure out that putting. He'll be back on the leaderboard in no time.

Lindsay Lohan: Poor little Lilo. Here’s a train wreck begging for a transformation from a professional PR person. My action plan with this diva is to call a press conference pronto. She needs to beg forgiveness from family, friends and the public for her reckless behaviour. She needs to look sorry and shed a few tears a la crying preacher. Then I would beg Quentin Tarantino to put her in one of his films (he can resuscitate any failing career, ask John Travolta!) and you’ve got the come-back kid of the year. If Robert Downy Jr. can do it .... she can too. Just stay off the sauce kid.

Mel Gibson: In my opinion, this guy’s got more talent in his pinky finger than anyone in Hollywood including James Cameron. But why can’t this guy shut the hell up and keep his fists in his pocket. First order of business, he needs to be seen in public with squeaky clean women beyond reproach. Taylor Swift is a good start. Not to be dating her, but at a public dinner discussing his next film project. He needs to go on a few chat shows and work the couch. Namely The View, he can put Hasselbeck in her place, and I’d bet she’d enjoy it. If he wins the female audience back, we’ll all be asking “Oksana who?”

Kanye West: After his disturbing interruption on Taylor Swift during last year’s MTV awards, the guy has uttered a few insincere apologies, but has lost a young audience namely due to his unabashed arrogance and self indulgent music. I have only two words for Kanye that will make him a sure-fire hit with anyone under 16 ... Justin Bieber! Get that duet underway and the most powerful buying group in North America will put you squarely on top again. A photo shoot of you and Bieber on the cover of J-14, and you’ll never have to beg forgiveness again .. not your style anyways Kanye.

And lastly, for my PR miracle cure ...

President Obama: Now how could this man with such an impeccable pedigree make my list of celebs who need a PR makeover. But President or not, he is a bona-fide celebrity of supreme stature who makes TV appearances, followed by the press and whose every word in the public domain is documented and analyzed to the core. But he’s not scoring any points with the American public -- with little or no progress on the economy, a healthcare reform getting a lukewarm reception and foreign policy that no party is happy with ... Obama needs a defibrillator to get that approval rating back up. Well, everyone knows that behind every great man, there is a woman rolling her eyes. That’s right... Michelle get out there now .. faster than you can pump those arms! He needs your help. Go on the campaign trail, go on The View, Lopez Tonight, do stand up on SNL – look what that did for that Alaskan beauty queen ... but for God’s sake woman help your man out!! That’s what First Ladies are for. Make America forget their woes and have them fall in love with you!

Ok. Any takers?

A PR Legend

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:07:00 +0000

Hope you all get a chance to read PR Week’s special Career Guide supplement out this month. There is a lovely tribute to legendary PR veteran, Harold Burson of Burson Marstellar.

Many years ago when I was with Cohn & Wolfe (then a sister agency to Burson Marstellar) I had the unique opportunity to actually meet and talk with Mr. Burson. I was in Connecticut on a three day training session (the agency was well-known for internal education) and during one of the session breaks we had a special visit by Harold Burson. There was a sea of people crowding Mr. Burson in a scrum formation and I thought I would never get a foot into the conversation. I waited patiently, then got my turn. Here I was face to face with the master of PR, the “father of modern PR” and already a legend back then. What do I ask this accomplished man? The role of PR in the 21st century? Corporate citizenship? What makes a great leader? The secret to a solid client/agency working relationship? My mind was racing. But when I opened my mouth, all I could muster was, “So Mr. Burson, what makes you get out of bed in the morning?”

He smiled and chuckled then told me how much he just loved the business. Everything about the business interested him. The clients, the work, the people, staff. He was hard-pressed to say anything negative and he said he felt lucky and blessed at the same time to be doing something that gave him so much satisfaction. As he spoke there was such a quiet elegance about him. Dignified, classy, a real gentleman. Here’s a guy running the world’s largest PR agency and you’d think you were talking to your dad. I wish there were more leaders like him in the world (or at least in PR) that can inspire and lead with such grace and intellect. They don’t make them like that anymore ... sigh.

Before he left I managed to get one of the photographers snap a pic of us. I keep the photo on my desk to remind me I have a long, long way to go in this business ... and why the hell was I dyeing my hair red!!

Too Sexy for the Office?

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:46:00 +0000

Oh my sweet Lord! We are still debating about what is appropriate to wear in an office environment and how women have to “dress appropriately” and not be overly sexy as it distracts males. Really? Read today’s Globe and Mail and the story of Debrahlee Lorenzana who was allegedly fired for distracting her male co-workers who complained about her sexy attire. Citibank fired Ms. Lorenzana citing poor work performance, she contends it was because of her provocative clothes. You be the judge.

Where the story really irritates me are these so called puritan “business etiquette experts” who are quoted in the article. A Ms. Blake and Ms. Linda Allan have views on women’s business dress that come straight out of the civil war era. According to these two women, we ladies should be buying clothes two sizes bigger, no high heels and not show any skin. Yes, I like looking like a schoolmarm at the office. Let’s throw in a dirndl skirt and Amish shoes too. Watch me get clients looking like that.

Let’s get real people. Offices have dress code policies to follow (we do here at Maverick) and both men and women should just use common sense when getting dressed for the office. Too much cleavage, too much leg, too much make up ...too much chest hair showing .... too much anything .... is no good.

Now how come men never seem to make these articles? It’s always women who get attacked and outed for the way they dress. Over the past 20 years I’ve worked with a ton of men who could use some “dress for success” advice. A few of the men I’ve worked with have had all kinds of attire infractions. Like the guy who used to come to work in a wool cap? It looked like he had gerbils living in his head. The guy who wore the same dingy corduroy beige pants to the office, I’m sure when he took them off at night, they stood up. I had a senior guy whose shirts had frayed cuffs and collars... was he waiting for the last fibres to just fall off his back before he splurged for a new K-Mart shirt? My simple advice for men ... no sandals, no khakis, no spandex, invest in deodorant, wash your hair daily, shine your shoes, pop a breath mint once in awhile and always keep a dress jacket in your office in case of important meetings that just suddenly come up.

When men look dishevelled or unkept, the remarks are always, “Oh, he’s got his own style.” “He likes looking that way.” “He’s the nutty professor around here.” Women ... we get attacked and frowned upon, or worse, get fired. A double-standard I can’t stand and don’t put up with.

Let’s get over this dress code stuff and get back to work ... or back to shopping ..... whatever.

Just like family to me

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:37:00 +0000

Besides running a high octane office I go to every day, I also love the hands-on PR work I do for clients. One in particular, is Miele Canada. Miele is the world's most foremost innovative, high-end appliance company which is all still family owned. Yes, there really is a Mr. Miele. But you can call him Dr. I had the ultimate pleasure of working alongside the marketing team at Miele Canada to help usher in the latest little marvel to the Miele vacuum family, the S2. This little gem can really suck and is light weight and cool looking too.

Our launch plans started way back in December. We kicked off the PR activities in April with a trip to Milan, Italy for Eurocucina, with two designers, five media, two clients, one ad exec and a very nervous PR person ... me! And then it was off to Germany for an exclusive tour of the Miele factory and head office. That’s where it got a little sticky and the trip got side-lined mid-way due to a lovely little volcano in Iceland, that no one can pronounce, spewing ash and all sorts of nonsense. We managed to get to Germany from Milan in the coolest bistro bus I’ve ever seen. We went through the Swiss Alps, lago di Como (no sightings of Clooney..), St. Moritz, Zurich then Frankfurt to catch our plane home. Hats off to my client, Jan Heck, president of Miele Canada who got us out of sooooo much trouble on that junket!

Last week, we had the honor of hosting Dr. Markus Miele for two-days of media and designer events. See pics below. There wasn’t a minute to spare in his schedule and we jam-packed it with interviews, launch events and special dinners. All for a little vacuum!

I want to say thanks to my wonderful team at Maverick who pulled off a great campaign and to my client, the Miele team, it really does feel like we're part of your family.

The wonderful Miele Canada team. Just like family to me!

Dr. Markus Miele demostrating the latest little powerhouse the S2 vacuum for Global TV.

Designer evening at the St. Lawrence Market Kitchen. Great turnout!

That's Jan Heck (left), president of Miele Canada and fourth-generation Managing Director and Co-Proprietor Dr. Markus Miele (right).

Jumbo sized Miele vacuum ... And the baby too!

Will you be our next PR intern this summer?

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:42:00 +0000

Well, it’s back!

The second annual search for our next intern is underway with the Maverick Idol Contest and anyone can enter!

We had a great time doing this last year, and ended up with a terrific intern who is now a full-time employee.

The winner of the contest gets a PAID (that’s right: PAID!), twelve-week internship starting May 31st, 2010. The intern will work on a variety of accounts across our three practice areas and will gain valuable experience in media monitoring, writing and social media. It’s a great opportunity for anyone seeking a fast-paced, fun environment in the communications field.

The details of the competition can be found here. Auditions will be in front of a panel of MAVERICK employees on May 12th (don’t worry – it won’t be in front of the other applicants!).

Those who make it past the first round will be invited to stay for lunch. The second round will be finished by 3:00 p.m., and the panel will decide on the winner by 4:00 p.m.

It’s easy, fast and painless and you could end up with a terrific gig at Maverick. How awesome is that?

See you on May 12th!

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse ...

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:48:00 +0000

There is a legendary tale that the great Jackie Gleason never liked rehearsing. He would show up just before going live on air for The Honeymooners, and when he didn’t know a line, he could simply ad lib – even after a few cocktails! Well, if it’s true, he was truly gifted and well beyond the definition of genius.

I, for one, am a big believer in rehearsing for everything and being meticulously well prepared. Especially so when pitching for new business. Those who have worked with me know I’m a stickler for rehearsal and I build in loads of practise time before a pitch. The week an employee remarked, “Oh, Julie, I don’t need rehearsal. I’ll just wing it” was the week her short career at MAVERICK ended.

Rehearsals are key to nailing down any presentation and mastering the flow. This becomes even more important when more than two people are presenting. Content may be king, but the ace in hole is all in the delivery. Knowing the content on your slides is one thing, but it’s critical to rehearse all aspects of the pitch.

Here are some key areas where you will find a rehearsal will greatly improve your live pitch and odds at winning the biz:

-- Practice your introductions, because it’s amazing how many people say the wrong things about themselves in front of a client or discuss non-relevant experience
-- Rehearse transitions between presenters
-- Practice answering anticipated questions
-- Go over finer details like budgets and timelines
-- Pepper presentations with client examples and analogies, and practise those examples aloud and at what point you will use them
-- Rehearse jokes ... yup, nothing is ad libbed in a presentation
-- Run through videos at least 10 times before a pitch, and if there is narrative around them practice that, too
-- Do at least one full dry run of a presentation in front of other employees to get timing and rhythm down;
-- Practice standing, sitting and walk-ins
-- If you are presenting in the client’s boardroom, get the dimensions beforehand so you know exactly where to position yourselves
-- Finally, rehearse the close and how you are going to ask for the business!

Back to blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:29:00 +0000

I’ve been struggling lately over my blog. It’s been dormant for a while and, quite frankly, it was intentional. There are a million and one things I could blog about, but I want to stay somewhat focused from a PR perspective.

The worst part of blogging is once you start, you really shouldn’t stop, especially when you get so much grief from friends who complain about your long absence from your last blog post.

I’ll let the theme of this blog post centre around getting that first PR internship position. I truly understand how important getting a foot in the door is because it can be a life altering meeting. Believe me, I’ve been there and I’m still grateful to this day that Edward Gould at NATIONAL PR took a chance on me 22 years ago. Thank you, Ed!

When you get a shot in front of a senior decision maker and you’re applying for that one internship position, here are a few pointers from a gal who has been there done that.

1. Do some research on the person interviewing you and the company. Check out their LinkedIn profile, read their blog/twitter posts, do an in-depth Google search on the company, and look for news about the company. Pretend you are cramming for a test. During the interview, pull a “Brian Linehan” kind of question – he was the best interviewer ever and totally shocked celebrities with his breakthrough questions. If you don’t know who he was, ask someone over 40.

2. Look great! Yup, I still believe you need to dress the part. Shoes, hair, makeup, nails – pay attention to the little details. The person interviewing you is not just sizing you up as an intern, but actually thinking, “Could I put this person in front of a client?”

3. When you get asked why you want the job, be really creative, insightful and profound. Comment on the company’s culture being a great fit or the kind of contribution you’d like to make. Make a direct correlation between you and the company.

4. A few don’ts: Don’t fidget, don’t check your mobile device, don’t take a phone call, don’t talk too much, don’t play with your hair and don’t ask stupid questions. Easy stuff.

5. Lastly. Ask when a decision will be made and follow up quickly with something creative. You need to stand out after the interview. Look like you want the job. It’s ok to be a little aggressive. You’ll look hungry. Just remember your ABCs: Always Be Closing... until you hear those three dreaded words, “No, thank-you.”

Good luck!

Canadian Marketing Awards: My Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Friday night I attended the Canadian Marketing Awards at the Westin Harbor Castle. It was my first time attending this show, and it definitely won’t be my last!

It was a fabulous evening that celebrated spectacular work in Canada from various marketing disciplines like traditional advertising, digital, promotions and of course a few PR campaigns made the list.

The big winner was DDB Toronto for their work on Subaru—you know the ads with those loveable, hunky, Sumo wrestlers! Go Big or Go Home! And they did go home, with tons of awards. It was the Ben Hur of the evening. DDB were up on the podium seven times – sweeping category after category and then finishing with the top overall award of the night. I had the pleasure of having drinks with the DDB team and the Subaru client just prior to the show and their wins couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of guys! Thanks to Prez David Leonard for buying me all those very expensive cocktails! Next one is on me.

Other highlights of the evening included big wins for John Street and their War Child campaign; McDonald’s Free Coffee campaign; Rethink’s Coast Capital Savings; TAXI II for Mini (nice going Lance!) and my pals at Doner Canada for their win on MAZDA3 “33 Keys” – that was a proud moment for Maverick too as our little agency helped spread the word on that campaign. Nice work Dave! Get Strategy Magazine that will run down the bronze, silver and gold award winners in full.

However, the best part of the evening for me was connecting with all the ad agency folks I have done business with in the past and continue to. The blessing of the evening was the fact that I didn’t run into any smarmy PR folks .. so refreshing to mingle with creative and agency heads who don’t speak to you like their on a message track.

I ran into my friend, Geoffrey Roche (his agency won an award for their work on ALS, a very moving, compelling spot); Aldo Cundari who was a major sponsor of the show and took home some hardware too for work with the LCBO; the dynamic duo Bill Sharpe and Tom Blackmore, the most sincerest and funniest guys in the biz and finally met Mitch Joel of Twist Image very cool guy, he looks just like his blog photo. But making my highlight reel complete is when I ran into Tony Chapman of Capital C. The guy is truly one of Canada’s most creative guys and knows the value of PR for his own brand, even better than Lavoie. So I see him, and I say “Hi.” I get the blank stare, he has no clue who I am, and I don’t blame him. He probably knows like a million people and I have one of those forgettable faces. So I’m like, “Remember me? Julie from Maverick.” Ahhhh, the fog lifts, he puts two and two together. “Ya right, how are you? You’re independent right? We should do some business together.” Yeah, I’ve been waiting over a year. So call me already! By the way Tony, nice skinny tie you were wearing, you pulled that look off.

I have to give a special shout out to two people who literally saved my night. As a last minute ticket buyer, I was relegated to the backwoods table – you know the one, the sorry ass singles table where they forget to put the centerpiece, no wait staff and you are up in a corner with dim lighting talking to a guy selling post cards. Well, David Engel of Innovative Graphics (a client of ours) and marketing maven Mona Goldstein come and whisk me away from purgatory and placed me at their very prominent table holding centre court. That was sweet! Thank you sooooo much!

'Cuz in the words of the immortal Patrick Swayze … “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.”

To next year. I’m buying my ticket early!

You know you are getting old when ...

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:44:00 +0000

(Julie Rusciolelli and Don Novello (Father Guido Sarducci at the Venetian Ball gala)

Last Friday night I had the pleasure of attending the Venetian Ball, Toronto’s grandest event in support of Villa Charities and the wonderful work they do in the Italian community. This is also a client and I also sit on a yearlong organizing committee in order to mount this extravaganza.

And even in a recession we managed to raise more than $1 million dollars for the charity and we had well over 1,500 guests (that’s up from 800 a year ago).

When identifying for talent for the evening, it’s a long and arduous process of fit, availability and of course .... price!

This year we blew it out of the park with two incredible Italian-American talents who treated us to humour and song with Father Guido Sarducci (played by Don Novello) taking the stage first and then singing sensation, Frankie Valli. Both created a considerable buzz amongst the guests, with Frankie Valli performing a sizzling set for one hour that got people up dancing instead of scarfing down truffles at the sweet tables! (I went for the cheese station myself!)

But you know you’re getting old when you enthusiastically tell your “younger” employees that Father Guido Sarducci is coming up for this! And the collective response is “Father who?” So then you go into the whole bit on SNL -- the Mother Theresa skit, the “bill from the Last Brunch” ... still no reaction. My stock answer to those blank stares is .. “go YouTube him.” Gotta love YouTube. Sarducci’s best stand up is the Five Minute University bit. A classic.

Thank god Jersey Boys was playing in Toronto, otherwise I would have been going into the third chorus of Sherry Baby at the office to get some reaction to Frankie Valli.

Lord, bring me some grey hairs to the firm .....

Those two little words

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:12:00 +0000

The greatest lesson I learned in the PR business was about 15 years ago.

I busted my hump for a client, stayed up nights fretting over a launch event, did the “pride swallowing siege” thing with media, and became a living nightmare around friends and family as I prepped for this project.

Naturally (ahem), the launch was beyond brilliant: coverage galore, flawlessly executed, on time, on budget .. yadda, yadda, yadda ...

I was expecting just one thing from the client: a thank you, some recognition, a verbal token of appreciation.

I got bupkis.

The next day I hightailed it into my boss’ office where I unleashed a 10-minute soliloquy of “Don’t they know how hard I’ve worked on this?” and “Didn’t the client see the effort?” and, of course, “Why was I not thanked for my efforts?” and on and on I ranted.

She looked at me and didn’t bat an eye and said, “The client pays us and keeps us on retainer month after month. That’s how they thank you for the work you do.”

Blimey! I always hated it when she was right.

The client didn’t need to thank me. As I quickly learned, they did so by their commitment to the agency and entrusting us with their brand. And, in turn, it was my job to continuously deliver results.

That was 15 years ago, and to this very day I never expect to be thanked for the work we do. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to hear those two little words of praise. When it does come our way, it’s a great a bonus of recognition and makes us all feel warm and fuzzy inside. But today I remind my staff not to get all hot and bothered if a client doesn’t express thanks after every initiative. When it happens, relish it, bask in it, but move on to the next thing ... ‘cuz our clients have moved on, too.

The late great Bette Davis once said that if studio heads would have thanked her just once for a performance, she would have worked harder and may have even took less money – that’s how much she craved that verbal recognition.

I agree ... well, maybe not on the less money part.

TIFF: Stargazing at La Bruschetta

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:51:00 +0000

I love when TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) rolls around. We work a few blocks away from all the action and like every year, I pop into Yorkville hoping to catch a glimpse of the rich and famous ... but I never do!

Well, for you stargazers, you don't have to go to snooty Yorkville to get a glimpse of your favourite star. Nope, just head on over to my friend’s restaurant in Little Italy on St. Clair Avenue West called La Bruschetta. This incredible family-owned Italian eatery (which celebrates 30 years in the business next month) not only serves up the best pasta and veal dishes on the planet – but serves them to celebrities each year during TIFF.

Last night the Piantoni family were honoured to have hosted Warner Brothers and movie star hunkie Matt Damon at their restaurant last night.

In the picture are owners, Benny, Anna and Franca.

Everyone had a marvellous time and the food was spectacular!

Too bad my friend Silvia forgot my invite in the mail – well, at least I got this photo!

Back to work baby mama

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Congratulations! You’ve had a baby. Oh, the joys of parenthood are just too many to list. You’ve had a year off, watched junior grow, watched your baby take that first gulp of pablum, changed hundreds of diapers, lay awake nights waiting for the next wail for feeding time, and marvelled at her little toes and hands are wondered how you ever created such a breathtaking human being.

Reality sets in and it’s time to go back to work. Time to dip back into stockings, high heels and plastering on the war paint (I’m obviously speaking to women here, but if you’re a guy and this sounds like you, too, call me – we need to talk).

Integrating back into the work environment after cocooning with baby and family can be rough if you’ve been completely cut off from the mother-ship. You see, while you’ve been off at Gymboree classes, your office hasn’t stopped winning business and supporting clients. And this whole Twitter thing you’ve been hearing about? It’s very real and pervasive and you should have been tweeting on MAT leave!

So now you’re back and ready to take your rightful place back in the office as you should. But you’re not the same you! You’re a mom now and proud of it. You want to tell your co-workers, managers, clients, media, suppliers, the janitor, and anyone who comes within ear shot just how wonderful baby is and motherhood.

Well, I feel for you and have been exactly in that position. I love babies, baby stories, stories about how you had to leave a party due to baby’s mudslide incident on the back of the sleeper. I love baby pictures, mom stories, baby talk, cool new baby toys ... you name it, I can spend countless hours talking to you.

But guess what? Not everyone wants to hear about bambino. So, let me share with you my Top Five Baby pointers for being a Baby Mama at the office:

1. Don’t build a shrine to your baby with a collage of photos on your desk. A couple of choice photos makes for a nice display. Show the baby-in-the-bath pix only to your best friends.

2. When someone asks you how your weekend was, remember, a one-syllable answer is what is expected (fine, good, great ..etc.) Start in with a telethon of “let me tell you what junior is up to” and you may lose everyone at the first hello.

3. Don’t complain to your boss that you are very tired ‘cuz junior was teething all night so you didn’t manage to get any sleep. This is a big no-no. Never blame the kid for anything. You are Super Mom and that’s why there is Red Bull, eye concealer and, hopefully, a helpful husband or night nanny in the evenings.

4. Wash out your clothes with the dried spit-up milk on the shoulder before getting another wear out of it. The aroma of rancid milk wafting in the boardroom is a turn off. Your nose may be used to it, but others don’t want that whiff in the air.

5. And never, ever, ever discuss lactation issues, birthing horrors, stretch marks or stitches around men. Women who have been there can sympathize and often relish in a new mom's misery.

Hope this helps! Welcome back mom.

My blog is bloglining

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:58:00 +0000

There is flatlining when the heart monitor displays you are “sleeping with the fishes.” And then there is bloglining, when your blog goes flat from a lack of content being published.

Okay, I made up that word. But truthfully, a blog should have a constant pulse (a little beep) to keep readers aware that you’re not dead, that you’re serious about blogging and that you have an opinion to share.

When you've bloglined like me from a lack postings, you get calls from friends and family: “Why aren’t you blogging? Have you been sick or something?”

I really hate the “I’m too busy to blog” excuse. It shows a lack of commitment. No matter how good of a writer you are or how strong your desire is to blog, you must carve out time to do it. I admit that for the past few months I’ve been disenchanted a little bit about the whole blog thing. I mean, blogging is the first tool you think about in social media, but what’s so social about it? Most of the time you’re alone in front of a glowing screen pounding out a message for someone else to read. That’s being social? There's no one in sight! I also think the summer (or lack thereof in rainy Toronto) seemed to have put the entire city in a bad mood ... and I felt that I would probably rant too much on my blog as a way to cope with a lack of vitamin D.

But enough whining already, Rusciolelli. It’s time to go back to basics and re-energize my blog with fresh new, exciting content.

After all, I’m a broad with an attitude and 20-plus years in the biz to back me up. Lord knows I have something to say.

My blog hasn't flatlined... Looks like I just found the defibrillator!

Many voices at Maverick

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:29:00 +0000

For those who enjoy reading my blog, please make sure you also RSS the entire Maverick blog site by clicking here. I'll be posting blogs on this site as well ... You'll get a better sense of our agency, people and our POV -- a better experience for sure than just reading my discombobulated ramblings.

We’ve encouraged the entire Maverick staff to blog .. sounds crazy and dangerous doesn’t it? A totally green-field opportunity for our staff to express their thoughts and opinions and better still, no censorship on management’s part.

I’ve set only one ground rule: Don’t write anything stupid.

I should probably follow that rule once in awhile.

Happy reading …

Our facelift is complete

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rusciolelli) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Well, we could have gone for a shot of Botox up in the forehead and few band-aid solutions, but our web site needed a massive face-lift to get it where we wanted.

I’m so thrilled to announce that we went live with our new site this week! Check out the much new and improved Maverick web site. Hope you like it -- and would welcome your feedback. There’s a few more tweaks coming in the weeks ahead, but we’re really happy with this puppy. The site will be a lot more active and relevant than our old standard brochure-ware site.

I want to thank the wonderful folks at Igloo Software, a terrific Canadian software company that re-architected our site and gave us the tools and know-how to really develop a site worthy of being called “kick-ass.”

I also want to give a huge thanks to Dan Riley at Openminds (a Venture Communications company) for truly inspired creative. Dan, you not only have an open mind .... but you can read my mind most of the time! Hugs to you!

And of course, our very own SVP Stephen Rouse, who quarter-backed this non-billable, thankless initiative and who worked tirelessly to ensure this site finally got airlifted.

Hats off to everyone involved!