The document discusses how writing styles have adapted to the digital age. For writing online, it is important to get straight to the point in the first few sentences due to short attention spans. Details and anecdotes work better in print where readers have more time. Both media require understanding the intended audience and how they consume information. The language of digital communication has also evolved, requiring communicators to learn new terms to effectively engage online audiences.

1. CONNECT
Communicator
THIS ISSUE
IN THE KNOW
CORPORATE MEMBER LUNCH & LEARNS
We are now offering lABC lunchtime presentations for GTA
corporate members. Close to a third of IABC/Toronto
members join through their organization, yet often as a result
of staff changes, IABC members within an organization have
limited knowledge of IABC and all that it has to offer. To
become acquainted (or re-acquainted) with the association,
organize a Lunch & Learn at your office for five or more
members. An IABC/Toronto Member Ambassador will stop
by to lead an informative presentation and discussion. To
sign up, drop Mary-Ellen Hynd, VP Membership an email
at toronto-membership@iabc.com .
ANNOUNCING IABC/TORONTO’S NEW
PROPOSED BOARD SLATE FOR 2014/2015
IABC/Toronto’s board is elected each year at its annual
general meeting. All current IABC/Toronto members are
invited to attend the meeting. Regular members are able
to vote on the new slate. The 2014/2015 board year runs
from July 1st, 2014 to June 30th, 2015.
Following a thorough review, the nomination committee
proposes the following slate for the various board positions:
GMAIL USERS – DON’T MISS OUT
ON IABC/TORONTO CONTENT
If you are a Gmail user, you may or may not have noticed the
change to Gmail’s new tabbed inbox feature. Some members
have found that this change has made finding emails from
IABC/Toronto difficult. If you are a Gmail user, there is a quick
and easy way to ensure your emails are easy to find. At the
top of you inbox, click on the promotions tab. If you see an
email in this tab from IABC/Toronto, left click and drag the
email to the primary tab. Once you drop the email into the
primary tab, a yellow box will appear asking if you want to
permanently place emails from this sender in the primary tab,
click yes! Voila! Your IABC/Toronto emails will once again be
at your fingertips. If you are having trouble, click here for a
website that shows each step of the process.
MY JUST ONE THING!
As I wrap up my year as president of IABC/Toronto,
I’m reflecting on a year of personal and profes-sional
discovery. When I took on this role, I knew
I would spend many sunny Sunday afternoons
taking care of chapter business on my laptop
instead of relaxing outside with my family. But
I also welcomed the challenge of trying to meet
the unique immediate needs of more than 1,600
members while also steering the organization
forward so it remains relevant and sustainable.
Each member of the IABC/Toronto chapter board
is a volunteer attempting to balance their IABC
commitment with jobs, studies and families, and
I want to acknowledge them for their support and
their contributions and dedication to their positions.
Last July, I asked each board member to identify
“one big thing” they hope to accomplish by the end
of their term. This may sound small but it’s usually
COMMUNICATOR GOES DIGITAL
THE NEXT CHAPTER OF IABC/TORONTO
As I type this, I reflect on the digital world we live in—one of
mass consumption and multi-tasking. We want to do more in
less time, from pretty much anywhere, whenever we please. As
communicators, we know that digital communications plays a
big role in connecting with our audiences. Whether we choose
the written word, video, podcast with visuals or social media,
it’s more than just the medium that matters.
Our content consumption is increasing due to the shift to online
publications. The way we read is changing—we are skimming. Our
memory grabs the important content (like fluorescent highlighters), as
we proceed to finish absorbing an article in 60 seconds. Shorter, denser
content is pleasurable—instant gratification in the digital age.
Some of us embrace online reading, while others may enjoy tangible
page-turning news. Contrary to what some may believe, I feel it’s
not just about the paper—it’s about boundaries. As someone with
experience in online publishing, I believe that printed publications
do in fact have a user experience—one of completion. I still like the
feeling of holding a book or magazine and turning the pages to
reach a new discovery.
Yes, I am a lover of print, but I also recognize the opportunities that
the online medium brings us. I’m excited to be a part of the inaugural
digital edition of Communicator! Why are we going online?
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE… THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME
WRITING FOR THE WEVB SW.RITING FOR PRINT
Writing for the web is unique. Your audience has their attention
pulled in a hundred directions—by their own choice. You have
about three seconds to capture their attention before they
move to the next tab in their browser. If you catch them for
more than 15 seconds, you're doing well. How do you write for
this audience?
Like any writing, you need to create content for the audience
you are trying to reach and the medium you are using. Good
web writing should be easy to digest, direct and engaging. The
journalist’s model of the inverted pyramid works well here—you’ll
capture more readers at the beginning of the page than at the end.
Text isn't your only tool on the web, so take advantage of the
medium and embed some diverse content: images, video,
infographics. Better yet, create this content together from the
beginning and you'll be ready to engage your audience across a
number of online channels. As with any type of writing, planning
beforehand will pay dividends when it’s time to hit “publish.”
Consider the many elements of the online experience. Your
writing on the web can be quoted in a blog, shared on Facebook.
Each of these channels has their own format and style. Preparing
tailor-made content for each channel, based on your original
writing, will open up new avenues and allow your message to
reach a broader audience.
Don't limit yourself to a simple web page. Have content call-outs
ready for Twitter, and make sure the headline is well under 140
characters, including your @ handle and “RT.” Have visual, image-based
content ready for Pinterest and likeable content for
Facebook. Consider the different users of each channel and
tailor your presentation accordingly.
Writing for the web doesn’t have to be a simple broadcast from
you to them. Online writing allows for two-way conversation,
whether via comments on your post or through social networks.
Engaging your audience directly will build relationships beyond
what your original writing could accomplish. The conversation
will be happening; it’s up to you to decide if you want to be a
part of it and where.
Engagement and conversation are the key differences between
writing for the web and writing for print. In print, you send your
content out into the world and hope your calls to action eventually
take hold. In the web, the reaction is immediate and vocal.
Publishing your content is only the first step.
If you really want to get technical, let's talk search engine opti-mization
(SEO). Be aware of the latest SEO best practices before
you write, or at the very least, collaborate with someone who is.
Craft your work to help search engines, and your audience, find
you. Good SEO can help your writing be a beacon in the online
sea; bad SEO leaves your work in the fog.
As with other channels before it, planning ahead will provide
substantial benefits when writing for the web. In this case, not
only are there audience considerations, but also technical and
distribution factors to consider. Don’t be satisfied with another
top-10 list. Strategic planning will allow your web writing to
take full advantage of the medium, reach broader audiences,
start conversations and engage more people.
WRITING FOR PRINT
TOP
I recently read a story in the New York Times about research sug-gesting
that enhancing mental strength can be a good alternative
to medication when treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD). However, rather than going right into the study, the reporter
asked a series of decision-making questions to entice readers:
“Which will it be—the berries or the chocolate dessert? Homework
or the Xbox? Finish that memo, or roam Facebook?”
I think these choices illustrate key differences between writing
for print versus digital outlets.
Please let me backtrack first. You may think I got roped into covering
writing for the seemingly dying world of print media. After all, we’re
hearing about layoffs at newspapers like the Toronto Star and the
Globe and Mail, while the digital media realm is becoming even more
widespread. Many publications are going digital, organizations are
taking their newsletters online and phasing out paper copies (including
my own), and writers are publishing e-books like there’s no tomorrow.
But there’s still a place for print. In fact, an April 2011 Deloitte survey
found that 88 per cent of magazine readers in the UK still prefer to get
their news via print articles. While half of the respondents reported
owning a smartphone, 35 per cent of them still subscribed to at
least one magazine.
These statistics suggest that digital media isn’t threatening print; it’s
merely offering an additional outlet for users to consume content.
Anyway, I digress. Now, let’s get back to writing for print versus the
web. In the New York Times story, the reporter opted to hook readers
first before simply giving them the facts.
When it comes to print, you can get away with this more: enticing
your readers with anecdotes or colourful information before getting
to the point. But when you’re writing for web readers, who, as Tom
says, are being pulled in multiple directions and have dozens of tabs
open (while writing this, I had 12 tabs open), you need to get to the
point quicker.
Why? Jakob Nielsen, co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group, a user
experience agency in California, weighs in, explaining that “print
publications—from newspaper articles to marketing brochures—
contain linear content that's often consumed in a more relaxed
setting and manner than the solution-hunting behavior that character-izes
most high-value web use.” He refers to writing for print as “narrative
content”—enriched with stories and anecdotes, compared to the
web’s “actionable content”—your point, aligned with your reader’s
aims, without any enrichment.
Consider your audiences and how they may consume each medium.
A reader gleaning through a blog post likely has dozens of other
windows open as well. They may have gotten to the blog post
through search results (SEO is another reason why web writing
demands simple keywords) or from a tweet, while seeking specific
content—or actionable content. They scan the words as fast as
lightning.
However, if you’re reading a newspaper, magazine or newsletter,
you may be doing so over your morning cup of coffee or kicking
back, with more time and interest in reading more detailed content.
Your writing style should reflect this difference. When writing for
print, you can use longer form to engage readers with colourful
details, stories and anecdotes.
It's also important to keep in mind the limitations of both print and
online: navigation and scrolling for online, and space for print. And
Tom is right: with online comes other forms of content, such as videos
and infographics. But that doesn't necessarily mean online is better—it
just means that in print, you need to make your words count.
In a way, they’re two sides of the same coin: how best to communicate
to your stakeholders. Some may prefer the longer form of print,
while others may prefer the “actionable content” of digital media. So,
no matter which way you go, it always depends on your audiences—
who they are, what they prefer and how they consume content.
WDYMBT?
The Case of Digitization
Marshall McLuhan’s expression: “The medium is the message,” describes the symbiotic
relationship between the medium, its content and reception. Today, we understand technology
as an extension of our relationships, attitudes and behaviour. It doesn’t take an anthropologist to
note the ways in which our culture has evolved since McLuhan coined the renowned phrase in 1967.
Digitization has spilled over into how we speak (or perhaps choose not to) with one another.
Digital communications is fast and efficient. Our fast-paced viral culture of YouTube must-see
videos, and Facebook likes and shares has changed how we communicate with one another,
and our expectations of the flow of communication. University of Bangor professor David
Crystal told BBC News: “The internet is an amazing medium for languages. Language itself
changes slowly but the internet has [sped] up the process of those changes so you notice them
more quickly.”
Language and Syntax
Scrabble recently announced it will add ”geocache” to their players’ dictionary. The eight-letter
word comes nine years after the last update to the popular board game’s official dictionary.
Geocache, a high-tech scavenger hunt using GPS locators as clues to aid in the search of
treasures, outscored “zen” and “booyah” in a contest held by Scrabble on Facebook that
asked fans to vote on their favourite word.
Admittedly, I had not heard of the word and I believe it is safe to assume I am not alone.
No longer left to developers and tech geeks, communicators are expected to know the
meaning of cloud computing, botnets and application programming interfaces (APIs). When
interacting with our digital audience, there is a new glossary of terms strangely mimicking
the stuff of sci-fi movies. We are expected to understand abbreviations and acronyms that
have become the norm—IYKWIM.
The proliferation of “leetspeak”—in which some letters are replaced with numbers—also
borrowed from programming code, or “text speak” into mainstream communications cannot
be ignored. Former U.S. Republican presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been associated
with digital colloquialisms. The conservative leader used the supposedly less offensive “WTF”
in a television interview. And, in the 2010 4Chan court trial, lawyers struggled to make sense
of the litany of internet slang used to explain how a hacker had found his way into Palin’s
email account. It’s clear the lawyers needed a course in digital linguistics 101.
But what is troubling is the divide the new language creates. Those not in the know or offline,
especially those who may not have access to a steady stream of internet connection, are left
out of the conversation. Communicators must be cognizant of these concerns when choosing
to modernize their communications. Take for example a politician closer to home. In the
2011 federal election debate, the late NDP leader Jack Layton tooted “#fail,” in what was an
attempt to appeal to younger voters who were busily commentating on Twitter. This was
lost on many others.
So what is acceptable for professional communicators to use? Traditionally, we’ve been told to
stay away from jargon, since it alienates parts of our audience. But we can argue, “When you’re
online, act like you’re online. “For the sake of authenticity, communicators may need to brush up
on this new language to effectively reach, connect and engage with their online audience.
Do Away with Grammar?
Other than augmenting our vocabulary, we can also argue the use of grammar is diminishing.
Purists say digital communications may have bastardized our language, where slang is
acceptable even by the likes of Merriam-Webster (after five years). Online articles are littered
with typos when spellcheck is not employed, dashes replace commas and periods, and ideas are
condensed to the smallest number of words and sometimes just letters. Words are butchered,
merged or even replaced with symbols, like / and <3. Substitutions are commonly made by
millennials who urbanize words to make them kool. What’s more, fragments are preferred
and little punctuation is needed.
This less-is-more approach borrows a page from the short message service (SMS) standard
word count of 160 or Twitter’s 140-character limit. Opting for shorter sentences, simple
writing requires we cut out superfluous words, remove unnecessary articles and sacrifice
conjunctions for the sake of the reader’s attention. However, without syntax systems, we
further convolute our content and run the risk of losing more in translation. What we can
learn from technology is to prioritize content and edit before publishing. Brevity is king.
Presentation — KISS
We are all too familiar with this acronym. Keep it Simple Stupid is becoming more applicable.
Especially in our message-noisy environment, you don’t want yours to be considered junk.
To cut through the clutter, communicators must make their pieces stand out by using clear,
concise copy.
The Inverted Pyramid
Communicators should map out each aspect of their message with the most important
appearing at the top and subsequent paragraphs placed in descending order of importance.
The inverted pyramid, first established by Samuel Morse, creator of the telegraph, is used
by journalists and savvy writers to answer upfront the 5W questions in the first one or two
paragraphs. Ideally, readers can garner all they need to know in just a matter of seconds and,
if interested, read the supporting facts in the remaining paragraphs.
Since readers often hop from one website to another, it is crucial to capture the pertinent
information at the beginning. If you do a good enough job, you can reel them in to read the
rest of your article.
Other than providing structure, this style of writing adopts an active present tone, short
paragraphs with sentences of alternating lengths and one topic per paragraph. The most
important elements of a sentence are present at the beginning of the sentence or left to
the end—where readers with short attention spans will notice them.
Other Eye-Catching Tips
To keep readers on your page, create catchy headlines, photo captions, and subtitles. Use
other reader-friendly tools, including vibrant images, infographics, sidebars and callout
boxes to highlight portions of your article, which allows you to supplement your message
with other suggested features. Plus, a little white space never hurts.
Interactions
Engaging your audience requires more than using the right words and style; it should
provide a means for feedback.
The social media landscape has fostered an environment where people can immediately
self-publish, thereby empowering readers and giving them a voice to be heard. Keep this
in mind when you’re writing online. Know that for everything you say there is a consequence
and response. A responsible communicator is sensitive to his/her audience and provides an
outlet for readers to comment. This is essential. Strong persuasive communications include
a call to action that allows readers to react and respond.
Our message is no longer one-way; it’s a way of building a community around a common
interest. Make sure your communications reflect this crucial fact.
So with this thought in mind, what is your opinion? Is digital language a debasement
or an innovation?
With the latest advent of mobile
technologies, in the past eight
years, significant changes have
taken place, the most notable
being to our language and syntax,
presentation and interactions
BTW,
if you need some assistance
deciphering the code we now
call English, visit this website:
http://ow.ly/wNB1y
DIGITAL
FACTOIDS
In 2013, Kraft Foods brand
Jell-O highjacked the ubiquitous
hashtag #FML – transforming the
commonly used profane phrase
to stand for Fun My Life with an
online contest.
In Ukraine, computer slang has
developed quickly. Many online
users use Padronkavskiy Zhargon
aka Olbanian in which they spell
out words phonetically. Dulya,
which is like giving the finger,
refers to the Crtl, Alt, and Del
buttons on your keyboard. The
three-button move is reminiscent
of an old-fashioned Ukrainian
gesture of using two fingers and
a thumb.
In 1950, wireless referred to
radio. Now, we normally use it
to describe the communications
within any network of devices
without the need of wires or
cables—think your cell phone.
In Spanish, “jaja” loosely translates
into “haha.” Go on; try it next time
you’re talking to your pen pal
from Argentina.
WRITING FOR THE WEB
1
4
Here are the TOP 3
lessons I learned from this experience
(many of which go back to the basics
of media relations 101):
ACCOUNTING FOR
CHANGE
President:
Louise Armstrong
Immediate Past President:
Linda Andross, ABC
Executive Vice President:
Stephanie Engel, ABC
Vice President,
Accreditation & Standards:
Suzanna Cohen, ABC
Vice President, Association
Management & Finance:
Amanda Flude
Vice President, Awards:
Beverly Fairclough
Vice President, Marketing
& Sponsorship:
Brent Artemchuk
Vice President, Member:
Communications
Stephanie Engel, ABC
Vice President, Membership:
Mary-Ellen Hynd, MBA
Vice President, Networking
& Special Events:
Melissa Gibson
Vice President, Professional
Development:
Vanessa Demelo
Vice President, Social Media:
Scott Fry
Vice President,
Volunteer Services:
Lindsay Falt
You may not know it, but if you’re like most people, you’re probably reading this
article at around 200 words per minute. That’s the average speed that people
read, and it’s been that way pretty much since the invention of written language.
The reason is mostly biological—there’s a limit to the speed at which our eyes
can comfortably scan across lines of text and still understand what we’re reading.
But what if I told you there’s an app that can help you read any text four to five
times faster than you do now—at speeds up to 1,000 words/minute—without
sacrificing comprehension? It sounds like something straight out of science
fiction, but it exists, and it really works.
The app is called Spritz and it takes advantage of years of research into the
science of how we read, allowing you to keep the retina of your eyes almost
motionless while it force-feeds you a steady stream of words one at a time.
Trying it for the first time (via their website) feels a bit like getting an upgrade
of RAM in your brain, and proves that we’re all capable of understanding written
language far faster than we’ve traditionally been able to take it in.
The key is in something they call the “optical recognition point” (ORP) of each
word, which is normally the centre point where our eyes naturally fixate on
first. The app highlights the ORP letter in red while the rest of the letters remain
white, and locates the ORP of each word in the exact same place on the screen.
This lets your eyes stay motionless without the inefficient side-to-side motions
that reduce reading speed.
So what’s the benefit of reading faster? I’m not convinced you’d want to read
a long novel at this breakneck speed, but its real power lies in its potential
applications on mobile devices and websites. It has the ability to turn us all into
superhuman readers capable of getting through more of the ever-growing
quantity of digital content that we wish we had more time to read carefully.
And it doesn’t stop there, we may soon see this technology implemented in
unexpected places like outdoor advertising, wearable devices, closed-captioning
of programs, and much more.
Spritz has yet to be released widely but it is poised to become an integral part
of mobile applications and electronic displays of all kinds in the coming years.
Their stated goal is to have 15 per cent of the world’s textual content read with
this method by 2016. Communicators from all backgrounds are well positioned to
take a leading role in the early adoption of this exciting new technology that has
the potential to change the way we interact with written language.
COMMUNICATOR
Stephanie Engel
Editor-in-Chief
Crystal Hopkins
Managing Editor
Louise Armstrong
President’s Message
Rachel Baldacchino
Writer
Eric Bergman
Writer
Tom Reidt
Writer
Samuel Dunsiger
Writer
Annette Martell, ABC, MC, IABC Fellow, Consulting Associate:
Tekara Organizational Effectiveness—focuses on helping
decision-makers solve organizational and communication
problems while building resilient and resourceful teams. When
working with these leaders, Annette draws on 25 years in
senior management and communication leadership. Those
highlights include: leading various corporate and organizational
communication teams; chairing IABC’s international board;
repeatedly judging with Gold Quill’s Blue Ribbon Panel; and,
serving on the Advisory Council of Global Alliance.
Folasadé Apanisile
Writer
Steve Didunyk
Writer
Erin Macfarlane
Writer
Annette Martell, ABC,
MC, IABC Fellow
Writer
Lisa Goller
Copy Editor
Janna Stam
Copy Editor
Dave Watt
Copy Editor
ABOUT
ANNETTE MARTELL
Advertising:
Brent Artemchuk
toronto-adsponsor@iabc.com
Graphic Design:
Fusion Design Group Inc.
416.516.6657 www.fusiondg.ca
brent@fusiondg.ca
IABC/Toronto
189 Queen Street East, Suite 1
Toronto, ON M5A 1S2
416.968.0264 toronto.iabc.com
IABC International
601 Montgomery Street, Suite 1900
San Francisco, CA 94111
1.800.776.4222 www.iabc.com
I’ll admit that I was a bit disappointed when we
didn’t get any pickup around our initial press
release, but sometimes, you achieve the best
results after you’ve put in the hard work. For me,
the time I spent tailoring my pitch and researching
new contacts was completely worth it once I
started seeing the coverage come in. While some
campaigns are easier to pitch than others, there’s
no denying that you’ll always have to put in the
hours and continuously re-evaluate your approach.
When it comes to reporters, keep following up with
those who you think might be interested in your
content and don’t give up until you’ve connected (or
been rejected). There’s a difference between being
persistent and obnoxious, and as long as you don’t
cross that line, you’re just doing your job.
We also often make the assumption that reporters
are too busy to hear our story ideas, but in reality,
that couldn’t be farther from the truth. With more
and more outlets turning to digital platforms,
compelling content is in higher demand than ever
before. Every journalist wants to publish a piece
with a click-worthy headline that will help boost
their readership, so think about how you can work
with them to make it happen. It’s a mutually-beneficial
relationship.
What’s the key takeaway from all of this? Media
relations is tough, and while the rise of digital
platforms has given us more opportunity as PR
professionals, it also has its own set of unique
challenges. There will always be new tricks to learn
and tools to use, but if you stick to the basics and
follow your instincts, you’re bound to be successful.
Above all, remember that you don’t have to be
superhuman to secure a big hit. What did I do to
get coverage on Mashable? Nothing complicated.
I stuck to the basics and let the content carry the
pitch. Sometimes that’s all there is to it.
Packaging
your content
the right way
can make all
the difference
Don’t
overcomplicate
your pitch
Persistence
is key
While it sometimes makes sense to share your
content with a reporter and mention a few possible
story themes, I was more successful when I picked
a specific angle and stuck with it. By creating a
catchy headline (’10 jobs you’ve never heard of,
but may soon’) and only including a one-sentence
description of our campaign, I was able to capture
the attention of the Lists Editor from Mashable as
well as the Careers Editor at Business Insider.
Although I knew this campaign would create news,
I never dreamed our content would be picked up
by these top-tier sites. The Mashable piece garnered
more than 23,000 social media shares alone and
drove significant traffic to our page.
I also found that many outlets ended up publishing
the list of 10 jobs I provided them with. Although we
have many more up on our website, this reinforced
the reality that producers and editors often don’t
have time to check out all of your content. They
liked what I presented them with, and giving them
my top picks right off the bat made their job easier.
Many PR pros (including myself) are guilty of
rambling on and on in every email pitch we send.
We want to include every little detail that could
make it newsworthy, but in reality, this usually
decreases the odds it will be opened.
When I worked on refining my pitch for this
campaign, I wrote numerous drafts and kept cutting
back on the word count. In the end, I received
the best responses from the shortest and most
simplified emails I sent. Sometimes we feel like we
only have one shot to show reporters why our client
or company is worthy of coverage, but in the end,
longer emails only hinder our success. You can
always share additional details in a follow-up note.
It’s also important to have a strong call to action in
each pitch. What is your desired outcome? If you
want an interview with your spokesperson, make
sure that’s the focus of your request. Be clear and
remove all flowery language, as it often masks
the purpose of your outreach. For this project in
particular, I started my pitch with one sentence
that explained why my story idea was a fit for their
outlet. Be specific, and try to avoid using a generic
introduction such as, “I thought this might be a
fit for your readers.”If you say why, you’ll be
much more inclined to catch the attention of
a busy reporter.
1
2
3
ABOUT
ERIC BERGMAN
A long-time IABC member, Eric is a former president of
IABC/Toronto and former chair of IABC’s international
accreditation council. In his “other” life, he is the world’s
most experienced and credentialed media training
professional. He has been an IABC volunteer for nearly
25 years and he believes that judging award entries is one
of the most fulfilling professional development exercises
in which any communications professional can engage.
Eric holds a bachelor of professional arts in communication
studies, and a two-year diploma in advertising and public
relations. He is an accredited business communicator,
an accredited public relations practitioner, a master
communicator, and a member of the College of Fellows
of the Canadian Public Relations Society.
Where We Were
When I wrote my first article for Communicator a quarter century ago,
the world was a different place. My business partner and I were leasing a fax
machine for $167 per month. We had just purchased our first laser printer
for the bargain price of just over $6,000. Each of the desks in our office had
a state-of-the-art Macintosh Plus with a 3½-inch internal disk drive and an
external hard drive.
I had never made a cell phone call. When I telephoned my family in Alberta,
I did so after 11 p.m. because long-distance charges were prohibitively expensive.
I didn’t know what email was. I had never heard of the World Wide Web
or the Internet. And using a bulletin board as a communication tactic meant
index cards and stickpins.
I earned my designation as an Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) in
1991 and, as I prepared to meet that challenge, I began to understand that
strategic communication is about outcomes, not inputs.
The Strategic Advantage
The same applies today. Our business—our “profession”—is about strategically
influencing the attitudes, opinions and behaviours of specifically identifiable
audiences in ways that help our internal or external clients achieve their
business objectives.
The tools we use to achieve success have both multiplied and evolved (there
are some situations—a factory floor, for example—for which index cards
and stickpins are still an important communication tool), but the end result
should be exactly the same.
As I learned in PR school during the fall of 1980, there is no such thing as the
“general public.” And perhaps a couple of examples will help illustrate this point.
I have judged thousands of awards entries during the past 25 years. I
chaired Silver Leaf in 1992, and judged OVATION, Silver Leaf, Bronze Quill,
Silver Quill, Gold Quill entries and others over the years. I estimate I have
judged about 100 entries this year alone.
When I judge, the first thing I do is look at the objectives and results, then
put the entry into one of three categories: has a chance; doesn’t have a
chance but could benefit from good feedback; doesn’t have a clue.
Over the past few years, I have found Canadian media relations entries to be
increasingly frustrating. Why? Because I’ve found that many of our media
relations colleagues have become complacent with their objectives and
results, and simply rely on Media Relations Rating Points to determine whether
they were successful or not. Even worse, they have recently added unverifiable
numbers from Twitter and Facebook to the mix to boost their “success.”
Welcome to my middle category, at best.
Who Cares?
Personally and professionally, I don’t care how many gazillion impressions
you got or whether more or less of those impressions were considered
positive. Were you focused on the specific audience you were intending to
reach? Did that audience get the message? Did it evoke a response? Did it
influence their attitudes, opinions and/or behaviour?
In the early 1990s, Canadian Major-General Lewis MacKenzie was commanding
14,000 peacekeeping troops in Bosnia-Herzegovina. At times, when he wanted
to relay information to, or request support from the United Nations, he found it
was “much faster sending the message through the television than by tele-phone.”
He scheduled a news conference, and by the time he returned to his
command centre, a response from his UN superiors was waiting.
He didn’t care whether three billion people on the planet saw it. Did the
right people see it? Did they respond appropriately?
In another example from a few years ago, I counselled a New York-based
agency to accept an interview with a marketing e-zine in India. The goal was
to send a message to the head of the Mumbai-based agency with which the
New York-based agency was partnered.
The specific objective was to wake the partner up, get him to pick up the
phone, call New York, and say: “I get it. We should be generating better results.
How can we work together more effectively?”
Honestly, neither one of us cared whether any of the other 1.3 billion people
in India (or anyone else on the planet, for that matter) saw the article.
The result? A few hours after the article appeared, New York received a
phone call from Mumbai. The partnership was strengthened, better results
were achieved and they are still working together.
My Hope for the Future
If I’m asked to write a 25th-anniversary article for the online edition of
Communicator, my fervent hope is that the discussion here will not be
necessary among “professional” communicators.
My hope is that our colleagues will have evolved beyond counting how
many times key messages are repeated or included in an article, or guessing
at how many people might have been reached, and focus on using the right
tool to reach the right audience at the right moment to get the right response.
My hope is that as a profession, we will be laser focused on outcomes,
not inputs, and anyone who speaks otherwise will be immediately stereo-typed
by all of us into my third category: Doesn’t have a clue.
When I was asked to write an article for the
inaugural online edition of IABC/Toronto’s
Communicator, I had a couple of reactions.
First, I was flattered. It’s always an honour
to be part of a new tradition.
Second, I was hit by a wave of nostalgia. I
wrote my first article for Communicator
almost exactly 25 years ago, shortly after I
arrived in Toronto. It was my first volunteer
role with IABC, and it was the start of what
has been a wonderful “volunteer career” at
the local, national and international levels.
Third, I began thinking about how far we’ve
come and how, even though the means of
reaching audiences has changed dramatically,
the fundamentals of effective, strategic
communication haven’t changed at all.
When he headed up PwC’s Canadian operation, Kevin Dancey, FCPA, FCA, saw first-hand
how easily change can build into bewilderment. “I said organizing 400-plus partners
was like herding cats,” he reflects. “That was nothing compared to unifying Canada’s
accounting profession which has 40 governing bodies and three designations.”
Dancey is president and CEO of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA
Canada), the national body created to support unification of Canada’s three accounting
designations. For more than three years, Dancey has been at the forefront of efforts to bring
the profession together under the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.
Currently, all of the country’s 40 legacy accounting bodies (Chartered Accountant, Certified
Management Accountant and Certified General Accountant) have either merged under the
CPA banner or are in unification discussions.
The national CPA body was established in January 2013 by the Canadian Institute of
Chartered Accountants (CICA) and The Society of Management Accountants of Canada
(CMA Canada) and became operational in April the same year. As part of the unification
effort, CPA Canada and the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada (CGA-Canada)
have now agreed to integrate their operations later this year.
Once full unification has been achieved, there will be more than 185,000 Canadian CPAs.
What’s staggering about this Canadian success story is its complexity. Think Canada. Add in
Bermuda. Add three bodies in each province, all bound by their provincial laws and regulations.
Add three national headquarters in Toronto, Mississauga and Burnaby. In total, 40 different
governing bodies – each complete with its own staff, more than 500 elected board leaders,
offices, facilities, standards, examinations and many different educational programs.
Secrets of this Success Story
Given the complex nature, the bottom line results are impressive. “With 36 votes now under
our belt, we’re 36 and 0,” said Dancey.
This unification attempt wasn’t Canada’s first. “[It] was tried many times before and failed,”
he outlined. “People asked ‘what are the chances that you’re going to fail?’ If history is any
example, I said, it’s going to fail.” What was different this time? “We purposely adopted an
altered approach than past unification attempts. It wasn’t ‘I’ll lead. Let’s go and follow me,’”
he explained. “It required working with all these different bodies ; helping, supporting and
moving each along in the same direction. The pacing was key.”
Another asset this time was strategic communication. “There was lots of communication.
Previously, discussions were often behind closed doors,” he noted. “This time we went out
with a position paper saying, ‘we think this could be a good idea. Lots of issues are going
on. What do you think?’”
“When it came to CPA Canada helping the profession lead the change, sometimes your foot
was on the accelerator, other times, on the brake,” explained Dancey. “It all depended on
where the provinces stood .” Because the profession is provincially regulated, legislative
approval is required by each provincial government and the national body could not get
out too far ahead or afford to lag behind.
Outlining the business case was the starting point and that process began in 2011. “The case
for unification was interesting,” he continued. “For the profession, it made lots of sense—one
voice, impact of globalization, efficiency,” he said. “For individual members, unification didn’t
mean as much. That took time to figure out; with some detours along the way that made it
less than a linear route.”
Once articulated, the vision for change became invaluable currency. “As a business case, we
had our key points nailed down,” he said. “And, we kept going back to those key messages.”
The guiding principles were key at the initial stages of this unification effort and continue
to serve as guideposts even today. While the logic behind the business case for unification was
compelling, answering members’ questions of “what’s in it for me?” needed more consideration.
“Naturally, there was some resistance,” recalls Dancey.
Key Success Factors
What helped heighten the urgency to act was referencing external market forces.
Several international accounting designations are looking to extend their global reach
and accounting standards are converging globally. In this environment, the leadership
recognized the need for a strengthened Canadian profession, achieved with a unified
Canadian designation and one that is regulated in Canada.
In addition, as business becomes more global, their service providers—including professional
accountants—are forced to shift their perspective. As borders have become less relevant
for business, so too have they become less relevant for professionals.
Connecting Through Dialogue
“Our strategy included outside stakeholder corroboration,” Dancey said. “We went to
Canadian leaders and influencers from government, the governance community,
directors, regulators and investors asking them ‘is unification the right thing for the
profession?’ They said it made sense. It was important to have key stakeholders, other
than CPA Canada, saying that this was the right thing to do.
“In representing the profession, as CPA Canada does, a major consideration is that you’re
dealing with so many different stakeholders,” stressed Dancey. “That might mean you’re
communicating with members, with government, with regulators, investors or directors,
with international standard setters, the public at large or the business community. Your
messages need to be consistent and aligned, and they need to resonate with each segment.”
Clear and effective communications were a must if unification was to be achieved. “Most
problems come from a failure to communicate with misinformation swirling around,” Dancey
emphasized. “In our case, there was the challenge of keeping communications aligned with
the many different bodies involved in the process.”
He added: “It is important to ensure Canadian professional accountants continue, both indi-vidually
and collectively, to be recognized as among the best in the world. Taking action to
strengthen our profession benefits Canadians, businesses and our economy over the long term.”
Strength in Numbers
To deliver on this, a new certification program built on the best of the three legacy
designation education programs was launched. It is an accounting designation but it also is
a business credential. “The goal is to create a platform for any individual who wants a career
in business,” says Dancey. “They will understand business, have the right interpersonal skills
but they also will understand the numbers—they won’t be afraid of the numbers.”
The CPA program began in the fall of 2013 in the western provinces and will expand to the
rest of Canada this fall. The first Common Final Examination will take place in the fall of 2015.
Emerging challenges are making sure that students and the academic and business communities
understand this new program and the benefits it offers along with strong promotion of the
CPA brand.
In 2013, Canadians started to see, hear and learn more about the new CPA designation.
“We created a totally new brand for CPA ,” Dancey said. “That involved determining the
value proposition for the new designation, creating a logo and visual identity, and launching
a complete branding program including stakeholder outreach and a national advertising
campaign. All elements were designed to build awareness so that, ultimately, the person
in the street associates a CPA with Canada’s accounting profession.”
Canada’s accounting landscape is under-going
significant change. Advancing this
massive transformation from an interesting
idea, to a proposed project, fleshing out
guiding principles, gaining momentum
and, finally, success is a remarkable
achievement. What are the keys to suc-cessfully
leading such an historical change?
Dancey quickly lists off:
> Benefit from lessons learned – “Know
your history. Learn from your mistakes.
Make sure that you know what’s worked
or hasn’t worked before.”
> Consistent, compelling communication
– “Keep communicating. Keep listening.
Tweak your tactics and know that the
pace may need to change.“
> Make a clear, concise case – “From a
business case, have your points nailed
down. For us, those were: impact of
globalization, efficiency, one voice,
more effective… and, we kept going
back to those key messages.”
> Stick to a sustaining strategy –
“We always upheld the principles
supporting the way we’d do unification:
respect member rights, proportional
representation, etc… you’d find those
very principles right in the formal
Unification Framework document
released in January 2012. When we
got down in the weeds, we always
came back to “does it respect these
principles?”
> Be vigilant about voicing the vision
– “There’s got to be rigour and integrity
to the communication. It needs to hold
together over time.”
A real risk when readying for change is
giving in to the temptation of fast-tracking
preparations, consultations and planning.
As Dancey and the rest of Canada’s
accounting profession knows, making
that investment and involving others
is invaluable.
“Selling a long-term vision is never easy,”
said Dancey. “From the outset, proponents
of unification understood what success
would entail: Building and consistently
communicating a high-level vision that
was also firmly rooted in such practical
benefits as efficiency, brand strength,
competitiveness and global clout.”
ABOUT
TOM REIDT
Tom Reidt is a communications professional and writer
working at KPMG.
ABOUT
FOLASADÉ
APANISILE
Folasadé Apanisile is the Marketing & Communications
Manager for a professional services firm in mid-town
Toronto where she manages the brand’s reputation, PR,
community relations and internal communications. She
is also the Awareness & Recognition Coordinator at StartUp
Canada—a national grassroots movement whose mission
is raise the profile and spirit of entrepreneurism.
ARE YOU READY TO
UPGRADE
YOUR READING SPEED?
NEW APP LETS ANYONE READ 4 – 5X
FASTER, NO TRAINING REQUIRED
IABC/TORONTO BOARD 2013 – 2014
Please note: Articles in Communicator reflect the opinions of the writers
and experts invited to comment but not necessarily those of IABC/Toronto.
Send an email to toronto-memcomm@iabc.com
We love getting ideas for articles and look forward to
hearing from you.
Interested in
writing for
Communicator?
First, it’s cost effective; second, it reduces our carbon footprint and
lastly, it allows IABC/Toronto the ability to share what matters to you
(our members) in the digital space in a timely manner.
The web is being taken by storm with the exponential growth of mobile
apps, the deployment of M2M services and the explosion of video on
multiple platforms. Digital communications is rocking the planet. So
while we’re rocking, let’s touch on what’s going on in our industry.
In this issue, we’ll explore how the world of online publishing and
digital communications impacts our role as communicators. You’ll
hear from IABC/Toronto peers about: transitions occurring in public
relations; writing for the web vs. print; the root and consistency of
communications; the art of pitching; an innovative reading app;
accounting for change (CPA Canada) interview, and highlights about
the World Conference and IABC/Toronto’s 2014 AGM.
Thank you for joining us for IABC/Toronto’s first online issue of
Communicator. We welcome your feedback. After all, we are here
for you, our members. So get comfortable, in a sunny spot, and listen
to the voices of your peers as you soak up an abundance of digital
communications.
EDITOR’S MESSAGE
something that is over and above the already full role
description so accomplishing the “one big thing” is
a big deal.
This year, my “one big thing” was moving our printed
and mailed newsletter to a fully digital format and,
with the help of our Member Communications
VP Stephanie Engel and her fabulous team of
volunteers, we have made it happen.
I hope you enjoy our new format and remind you
that we’ve only just begun. This is a product that will
continue to evolve over the next couple of years so
please share your feedback on what we can do to
meet your needs.
Thank you for your membership and your support
over the past year.
Sincerely,
Louise Armstrong
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
ENGAGE, TRANSFORM, INSPIRE
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2014 IABC
WORLD CONFERENCE
Do you know kids born after 2007? Do you have any idea what
their future looks like? Futurist Mike Walsh says you don’t. Is
the organization of today ready for them? Do current management
models fit their future needs? Probably not. That’s why we need
dual-horizon thinking where we take care of today and plan
for the future. Check out the trailer for Mike’s 21st century
speech here and his blog post on dual-horizon thinking.
Martin Waxman’s social media barometer was chock-full of
data and stats you can use right now to improve your business.
Can’t convince the C-suite to become more social? Martin’s
insights will help you make a persuasive case. 93 per cent of
our online experience begins with a search and three quarters
of us don’t go past the first page. Do you come up on the first
page? Martin shows us why you needs to and what you can
do about it.
Donna Papacosta describes content marketing as the creation
and sharing of information that’s valuable to your prospects
and customers. To make it effective, it needs to be all about
them, the customer, not you, the company. Effective content
marketing can improve your SEO, position you as a thought
leader and help generate leads. Donna’s free report has tips
on repackaging content you already have, creating new share-able
content and creating an editorial calendar. Check out all
of Donna’s world conference slides here .
Feisty speaker Cindy Gallop had audiences fired up in her
keynote, Redesigning the business of advertising. Fearlessly
uncompromising in her approach to change, Cindy consults
only with brands which are ready to totally reinvent how they
talk to customers. As she says, “I like to blow shit up. I’m the
Michael Bay of business. In a panel discussion on gender
equality, Cindy proclaimed “Women in business don’t need
mentors. They need champions.” For inspiration, check out
her project, If We Ran the World , which aims to change
the world, one microaction at a time.
IABC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
On June 24, 2014, IABC/Toronto members celebrated
an exceptional year of accomplishments at the Annual
General Meeting. The AGM kicked off with a presentation
from Amanda Flude, VP Association Management and
Finance, who explained that all the Board’s portfolios are
tracking well and the association is in fair financial position.
IABC/Toronto outgoing president Louise Armstrong then
shared highlights of the year, such as finding effective
solutions to overcome IT issues with CareerLine and the
efforts made to provide members with quality professional
development, networking events, and engagement
through social media activities. She also highlighted the
success of the OVATION Awards which had over 240 sub-missions
and over 600 tweets about the event, and the
excellent work of the IABC International Conference task
force for organizing hospitality events for the conference.
Louise introduced the incoming IABC/Toronto 2014/2015
president Stephanie Engel, ABC, who shared her ideas to
add value for members through engaging professional
development, fun networking events, informative content,
and transparent communication.
Later, IABC/Toronto member Dan Tisch presented a Comm
Prix Award to member Theomary Karamanis. Dan, who is
also the Immediate Past Chair of the Global Alliance for
Public Relations and Communications explained that this
year, the Alliance invited members of its partner organizations
to submit their local awards entries to its Comm Prix program.
To close the AGM, Lindsay Falt presented Linda Andross,
ABC, and President APEX PR with the Mentor of the
Year award. Following the AGM, volunteers were shown
appreciation for their dedication and hard work during
the Volunteer Appreciation Night.
President’s Message
Editor’s Message
The More Things
Change… The More
They Stay the Same
Writing for Web vs.
Writing for Print
WDYMBT?
Hacking the Code
Are you Ready to Upgrade
Your Reading speed?
The Art of Pitching
in the Digital Age
Accounting for Change
Highlights from the 2014
IABC World Conference
IABC Annual
General Meeting
ABOUT
CRYSTAL HOPKINS
Crystal is a writer, managing editor and social media consultant at IABC/Toronto.
She’s a freelance communications strategist and an honours graduate from Humber
College’s PR Advanced Diploma program. She actively supports literacy @TDSB
and children’s wellness at her community daycare centre as a member of the
Board of Directors.
As any PR professional knows too well, pitching media sometimes feels
like an uphill battle. Reporters these days are strapped for time, have
limited resources and just don’t feel like picking up their phones anymore
(did they ever?)
While the rise of digital has changed the way we pitch the media, there are
still many tried and tested ways to reach reporters with your news. Quite
often, you can still secure top-tier coverage by returning to the basics and
sending a simple, targeted and informative pitch via email.
Take my recent experience as an example. Earlier this spring, I had the
opportunity to handle media relations for an exciting campaign at work. My
company, CST Consultants , created a digital job fair for the year 2030
and partnered with more than 40 Canadian thought leaders to imagine what
their industries might look like in 10 – 15 years. The idea was to get parents
and students excited about the job possibilities that lie ahead. With more than
100 job descriptions and articles up on the website, we knew we had some
great content on our hands. The question was—how to pitch it to the media?
In the days leading up to our launch, we finalized our press release and prepped
our media lists. But when the big day arrived, there were crickets. We generated
some initial interest, but many reporters simply just didn’t see it as “news.”
So it was back to the drawing board. Although I’m in the early stages of my
career, I have enough experience to know when content just isn’t working,
and this wasn’t one of those cases. My gut told me that our campaign had legs
and we could easily get these job descriptions into the hands of influencers.
Then it hit me—why don’t I curate a list of some of the top job descriptions
from our website and make them the focus of my pitch? I picked 10 of my
favourites and created a list, complete with links. As soon as I re-packaged
the pitch, I was flooded with calls and interview requests. I connected with
many of the top publications across the country and even secured hits on
Mashable and Business Insider by reaching out to their editors via email.
There was no crazy recipe for success: just quality content and a clear, simple
pitch. That’s it.
THE
Art of Pitching
IN THE DIGITAL AGE
NOT GETTING EYEBALLS
ON YOUR PITCH?
TIME TO RE-EXAMINE THE BASIC
PRINCIPLES OF MEDIA RELATIONS
ABOUT
SAMUEL DUNSIGER
Samuel Dunsiger is a freelance writer and communications professional. He
has written for a variety of print and web outlets, and currently serves as the
interim communications specialist at VHA Home HealthCare.
HACKING THE CODE
UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATIONS
IN THE DIGITAL SPACE
2
3
ABOUT
STEVE DIDUNYK
Steve Didunyk is a professional communicator and digital
strategist with 15 years’ experience in internal communications,
research, and sales. He currently volunteers as IABC/Toronto’s
social media specialist for the sponsorship portfolio, and is
completing a Digital Strategy certificate at U of T this July.
ABOUT
ERIN MACFARLANE
Erin MacFarlane is a communications
and social media professional currently
working at CST Consultants. Based in
Toronto, she is passionate about writing
and keeping up with the latest content
marketing and digital trends.
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JUNE/JULY 2014