A few of my favourite things…

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The conference is only two weeks away which means it’s time to tout our host city.

Someone once said that the difference between Toronto and Vancouver was that Vancouver’s beauty is in your face while Toronto’s is hidden and a delight to discover.

While it’s true that Vancouver’s beauty is right in front of you from the moment you arrive, the city has many gems worth discovering.

Here are some of my favourites. Read the rest of this entry »

Work-Life balance – a shift that poses communication challenges

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Recently, I attended a facilitation session for a business organization, which had an immediate need to fill a leadership position for delivery of programs and services.

While reviewing the tentative job description, the session attendees soon became divided over a proposed unpaid vacation benefit intended to draw greater numbers of qualified applicants. There were those who saw it as a meaningful perk, while others cautioned against it because of its potential to be abused. For the latter, it was a cut-and-dry situation. There was already paid vacation built in to the position – what was the organizational benefit of offering more? Read the rest of this entry »

Should marketing report to communications?

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proactive vs reactiveThe question was posed to me:  “Why should marketing report to communications?”

As a recent grad, the realm of public relations is quite new to me. Therefore my response is based on theory, but I think going back to basics might be the best way to answer this question. Read the rest of this entry »

Live tweeting; bird–brained or brilliant?

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My name is Doug, and I’m a tweetaholic.

At conferences and events I’ll pull out my BlackBerry, sneak out a hashtag, and start live tweeting the event. When my table mates look askance on this breach of protocol, I smile sweetly; “Just taking notes” I say – not checking e-mail.

I wasn’t always this way. Read the rest of this entry »

A Communicator’s Tool Belt: Revisiting the Basics

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From time to time, I have wondered about the role of the media, e.g., radio, TV, newspapers, in delivering today’s “public relations” message. Has this role changed? Do they still represent viable links between professional communicators and their target audiences? Read the rest of this entry »