PR Delivered

Stella Lee and Brittany Wilson met on their first day of Humber’s PR certificate program over 10 years ago, interned with the same organization – a trampoline company - and continue to speak with each other on an almost daily basis. The other thing they have in common is that they both moved from PR to marketing roles. Stella is currently the marketing manager at AMD, a gaming and tech company and Brittany is at Tangerine, a financial services company, where she is currently the senior manager of brand management. 

Find out more about what motivated them to transition from PR to marketing roles - the challenges they faced as well as the opportunities they now enjoy. For any of you that have contemplated taking a role outside of your PR training - rest assured - you can definitely do it!

Did you know that as of January of this year, all websites must be accessible for persons with disabilities? This means that you need to be mindful of how you use fonts, images and emojis to ensure that people with visual or hearing impairments can access your content. In this episode of PR Delivered, Matisse Hamel-Nelis shares what it means to ensure accessibility in communications and how you can prepare yourself to be a leader in this space. In addition to her certifications in accessible communication, Matisse is currently the project manager, inclusive workspaces at the Canadian National Institute of the Blind and is a PR graduate from Durham College. According to Matisse, organizations are looking for communicators that can do PR and ensure that the work is fully accessible. Could this be you?

Is the press release dead? Not according to Daniel Torchia, executive director of Torchia Communications in Toronto. Danny suggests that the need for real-time, relevant and transparent content from our corporate neighbours, including organizations across sectors, makes the press release more important today than ever. Listen to PR Delivered Episode 20 – to hear about the press release as the anchor of a successful PESO strategy; the importance of CP Style; and the need for today’s PR practitioners to maintain a journalistic mindset in their writing. 

Diversity, equity and inclusion or D, E & I, has emerged as one of the most important PR industry themes for 2021. While the industry seems to agree that diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility issues be spotlighted, we need to understand how the industry plans to address these issues ongoing.

We spoke to Russell Baker - IABC/Toronto Chapter President and spokesperson at Toronto Hydro - to learn about IABC's D, E & I initiatives, which includes a benchmark survey completed in conjunction with IABC chapters across Canada, as well as CPRS Toronto, the Canadian Council of PR firms and Leger Marketing. 

While awaiting the results of the survey, Russell shared that "communication leaders and non-leaders really should be educating themselves about what are some of the realities facing PR professionals in the industry. And that takes reading up and having conversations with peers and colleagues and really just being open to learning." 

Check out PR Delivered Episode 19 to learn more about IABC's efforts at promoting D, E & I in PR. 

The promise of an internship is often a college program's most coveted feature - and paid internships are the holy grail. Yet, many students are placed in internships that are unpaid or are offered honorariums at less than minimum wage. Last September, Bruce MacLellan, CEO at Proof Strategies and Ethan Teclu, BPR student and Proof's (paid) intern, wrote an opinion piece published in the Globe and Mail entitled: Let's pay student interns a fair wage. PR Delivered Episode 18 is a panel discussion with Bruce, Ethan and Humber College's Senior Dean of the Faculty of Media and Creative Arts, Guillermo Acosta - discussing the role of paid internships in college programs; the importance of a fair wage to students; and, the belief that paying interns will lead to a more diverse profession.  

Establishing trust is a cornerstone of public relations. Jordan Berman, author of The Trust Trifecta - A leader's guide to hitting the trust jackpot - shares his thoughts on building trust through consistent, transparent and authentic communication. Currently VP, Global Corporate Affairs, Business Transformation and Strategic Planning at Apotex, a Canadian-based, global pharmaceutical company and one-time graduate of Humber’s PR program, Jordan has a message for young PR practitioners - “every time you have to speak you are auditioning for leadership.” Hear more of Jordan's insights in Episode 17 of PR Delivered.

Developing a social media presence can seem daunting when you feel you have nothing to say. Afterall, that's the main reason most young people hold off taking a more professional approach to their social media platforms. Sure, you use social media for personal use, but developing a professional presence seems harder. 

Michelle Nguyen knows how you feel. When she started the bachelor of PR program almost four years ago, she admits to knowing something about social media, but in the past few years she's strengthened her social media skills considerably. Today, together with a couple of colleagues, she runs her own creative studio called Super Duper - helping clients with their social media challenges.

Michelle shares her advice on how to build a strong social media presence for the workplace. Take a listen to Episode 16 of PR Delivered. 

A lot of things have changed during the pandemic - including adapting to WFH (working from home). As a result, media relations has had to change - given the media are also WFH. We spoke to Samiha Fariha, account executive at Torchia Communications, who shared her thoughts on the new media relations realities and challenges, and offered pitching tips to gain media attention in a pandemic-focused time. 

PR Delivered connects students and new grads with industry professionals that have interesting stories to tell. Most interviews conclude by asking guests if they have any final thoughts to share with you, the listeners. Guests in the first thirteen episodes of the podcast have included current students, recent grads, experienced practitioners and senior execs who have shared their advice and tips, giving you a possible edge when embarking on your own PR journey.

The first podcast of the year is a compilation of insights to inspire your PR studies and practice in 2021. 

One of the most satisfying parts of teaching is the chance to connect with former students and see where they landed years after graduating. This episode of PR Delivered spotlights Humber College PR certificate grad Parm Chohan. 

Parm has pursued many paths: a master's degree; communications work; entrepreneurship; and, speaking on leadership and diversity and inclusion. 

With an impressive number of LinkedIn recommendations, former colleagues and professors consistently refer to Parm's confidence, professionalism and passion for his work. They also mention his sense of humour and "Parm charm". 

Meet Parm Chohan on Episode #13 of PR Delivered. 

You can reach Parm Chohan:

Facebook - @conquer leadership

LinkedIn - @parmchohan