Your voice matters

Empowered and eager, graduates are like eagles ready to spread their wings and soar into their careers. Once in their first jobs, it’s not surprising that after years of endless studying, assignments and interning, that we juniors, are keen to share our food for thought.
Yet, in a workplace of talented, forward-thinking and hard-working professionals, it’s [...]

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The great “What-if?”

What you don’t know is more interesting than what you know. It’s a fundamental tenet of the news business. Read any reputable (or disreputable, for that matter) news outlet and at least half of the stories will be about not what happened, but what might happen.
Apple understands this. Like perhaps no other company in history, [...]

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At least he wasn’t driving a bus or train

News flash! Getting caught sleeping on the job has major repercussions! Or perhaps not.
A Toronto Transit Commission fare collector was sleeping on the job in his ticket booth when a transit rider took a snapshot of him. The picture has been circulating every blog, social media site and email chain for several days.
Okay, Rule #1: [...]

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A new family member at Environics

We announced today that the four-year-old social media analysis firm, Exvisu, is joining the Environics family to become Nexalogy Environics Inc. The partners, Claude, Michael and Eric, will all be staying and we welcome them as our new colleagues.
Nexalogy Environics offers a diverse range of intelligence services based on data taken from various social media [...]

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For the love of the story

I have always connected with stories in an intense, almost visceral manner. During university I studied History and English because of my fascination with storytelling and chronicles of the past. I was attracted to PR because of the role that stories play in our profession. I’m an avid book lover and film buff as well. [...]

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A big, crazy, torrent

One of the reactions to the Canadian Prime Minister’s decision to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament while he “recalibrates” the government’s strategy has been the formation of a Facebook group – Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament – that has grown in just a couple of weeks to more than 100,000 members.  100K very active, very chatty members.
A [...]

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Tips for PR agency job interview success (well, at least at this agency)

With it being the New Year and all, perhaps you’re on a quest to find a new job with a PR agency. We don’t have an “HR Manager” at Environics Communications. The interviews and hiring are all done by more senior people, and the head of the company personally interviews almost every candidate to get [...]

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Make your list and check it twice

I consider the holiday season the best time of the year for four reasons:
1. Wearing flannel pajamas, drinking coffee and snacking on chocolate constitutes “breakfast with the family.”
2. Reciting. Every. Single. Word. of How the Grinch Stole Christmas becomes acceptable behavior for a 31-year-old.
3. “I’m busy reading” is a justifiable excuse for not participating in household [...]

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Tiger’s tale: everyone’s a PR expert

Tiger Woods’s recent travails have once again brought to light the debate about what constitutes good and bad media- and public-relations. Journalists I suppose are well positioned to debate the topic, but reporters analyzing the efficacy of communications I find disconcerting.
The other night on CNN (inventors of Reality TV) a USA Today reporter appeared with Campbell Brown [...]

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The politics of parties

It is reported that Goldman Sachs has instructed employees not to party in groups this holiday season – even if the company isn’t paying – lest they give the impression that they are oblivious to the hard economy.
A sad development because if there is anything that economy-weary people can use it’s a little cheer.
But the [...]

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