In This Issue
President's Message
 Social media is one of the buzzwords for 2009. PR professional are polishing their Web 2.0 tools as Web 3.0 is gliding into view. Web 2.0 has brought a host of avenues for people to connect with people and CPRS-VI has been developing its social media strategy to increase our online presence and to stimulate high-level critical dialogue.
One of the social media tools that CPRS chapters across the country are using is Facebook. In September, the CPRS-VI Facebook discussion group prompted a question from an online presence – Lucy Quinn – who posted:
“Although I haven't been as involved with CPRS VI as I had been in the past I have watched with interest and maybe even a little dismay at the culture changes taking place in the chapter. Many hours of volunteer work and personal sacrifice built a strong foundation this chapter currently enjoys. Oh, Board members had spats and faced severe financial challenges along the way too but managed them with ethical behaviour. Ultimately the question we always asked ourselves was - does this benefit the chapter members? Board members did not expect remuneration or "perks" for their volunteer responsibilities, paid to attend CPRS events and priced those events so all members could enjoy the opportunity to network and grow professionally. Presidents paid their own way to attend conferences and national board meetings. The recent mixer invite to meet the Board for $20 is disturbing. I am also concerned that the Chapter President has not stepped down although she now lives and works in Vancouver.”
Lucy, thanks for this critical observation. You bring up some excellent points that not-for-profits such as CPRS-VI wrestle with daily.
On average, we stage one event per month. Although there are hard costs associated with every event, the board works overtime to keep those costs down. Events, Sponsorship and Pro D chairs work hand-in-hand to build relationships with sponsors who provide venues either in-kind or at reduced rates.
Usually, the first social event of the board’s new term is a fall mixer to regroup after May’s AGM and the summer. We follow the tradition of other CPRS societies across Canada by inviting the membership to meet new and returning directors on the board, rather than featuring a guest speaker. Past season kick-offs have shown that the membership is keen to meet the new board, so thanks for sharing your views on this, Lucy. If others share your perception, we will certainly look for alternate ways to engage our membership.
We’d all love to return to those times when member events were complimentary and expenses were more manageable. With a small budget loss for 2008-09 and with other CPRS societies undergoing annual losses, increased expenses or decreased revenues, we have a responsibility to the membership to ensure that we are financially responsible. Our fiscal policies must reflect accountability and integrity, so we keep admission costs as low as possible. Food is the highest cost for an event such as the October mixer, so we charge only $3 (members) or $5 (non-members) over the hard costs. Although a modest revenue-generator, it’s – more importantly – a built-in protection price to cover unforeseen costs and decreased attendance. Please don’t hesitate to review our financial statements in this regard or to offer other suggestions.
And Lucy, thank-you for your comments on my presidency. Although a marriage proposal is why I’m now living in Metro Vancouver, I work out of both cities, spending three days each week in Victoria servicing clients and teaching at Camosun College. I also have a home in Nanoose Bay, where my fiancé and I live on weekends and during the summer. I consider myself an islander and have chosen to stay connected to clients, students, friends, members and family because of the great love I have for this island lifestyle and culture.
Your point on where a director lives is so important. Regional residency is a factor that CPRS-VI will encounter more of, as we continue with the engagement strategy of being more inclusive throughout the island. Although the board is primarily Victoria-centric, our membership is open to all practitioners living or working on Vancouver Island. There are three societies in BC, yet hundreds of towns and cities are often outside of the “regional” district. CPRS Northern Lights has had an Alberta member and a Kelowna member; we’ve had a member from Kamloops. This demonstrates the width and breadth of choice that members have, particularly if they live outside of those cities where the bulk of administrative duties are performed.
Is leadership based on geography? Are we joining or disconnecting when our membership assumes that, to serve as a director, a board member must live in Victoria? Your concerns prompted a retrospective look at our National organization, with directors from across Canada and a National office in Metro Toronto. Does a National president who lives in Edmonton, Montreal or Victoria serve CPRS constituents less because he or she is not living in the same city as the office address?
We are in the age of telecommuting, online communications and global connection. After the executive endorsed my staying on as president when I advised them of my move to Vancouver, my plans to accomplish my presidential goals accelerated. It means that, even with living in Victoria each Wednesday to Friday, I must be available, connected, aware and strategic 24-7.
If I fail to meet the needs of the membership and the directors because of my inability to plan effectively, yes, Lucy, then indeed I should step down. If I’m able to effectively work with the membership to continue CPRS-VI’s legacy as a strong foundation that is growing – and growing up – in these global times, I will continue to support the membership through volunteering and leading a team that can bring this amazing chapter to the next level.
You may have read our newsletters, bulletins and AGM minutes in which we’ve identified a need for qualified members to join our board. Voices such as yourself can bring integrity, introspect and inspiration to boards such as CPRS. My one-year term ends in May, yet we are still searching for a vice-president who can take the reins of the president’s role to greater heights.
We need dynamic, objective and ethical practitioners who will give their 150% to keep the society out of the red, keep CPRS-VI in the communications spotlight and who can inspire and lead future practitioners to choose PR as a rewarding career. Voices such as yourself are welcome, Lucy, because you’ve told me passionately that you’re interested in the best outcomes for CPRS-VI.
Don’t hesitate to recommend someone whom you know can help us achieve our goals. And Lucy, if you’re not interested in joining the board but are available in another volunteer capacity, we’d be delighted to talk with you about how you, too, can be more involved with CPRS-VI as a volunteer committee member or board member.
Ange Frymire APR MBA
CPRS-VI President 2009-2010
Note: I telephoned Lucy a few days after her posting to discuss her concerns further, as well as to advise her of this upcoming article. I welcome critical discussions from the membership that encourage open dialogue, proactive solutions and that help CPRS-VI continue to act in an accountable and responsible manner. Please don’t hesitate to voice your opinions through Facebook or this newsletter.
back to top 
Public Relations in the Sports Industry
By Steve Hutchings
The world of sports reverberates with flash, dash and cash. Names like David Beckham and Tiger Woods are familiar to just about anyone, and for reasons more than their achievements in soccer and golf. Image in sports is big business yet PR is an under-developed field in sports, according to Jacquie L’Etang, a public relations professor and triathlete in the UK.
The absence of traditional public relations in sports is in part because of a blurred distinction between PR and marketing, writes L’Etang in her article “PR in Sport – a Playground for PR Graduates?” In it, she quotes G. Morgan from Sportsbusiness’ February 2005 issue: “PR tends to be a marketing tactic that is created from a centralised marketing strategy,” while also acknowledging that ensuring coverage in sports necessitates a working relationship between not only media but also corporate sponsors.
Roxann Bury, Assistant General Manager of the Victoria Seals agrees that the sports industry intertwines marketing and public relations. While the two professions connect for televised sport coverage and branding purposes, smaller, independent leagues blend marketing and PR as a matter of survival.
“I think they’re [marketing and public relations] synonymous with each other,” comments Jeff Harris, Assistant General Manager of the Victoria Salmon Kings. Harris, who is responsible for media relations for the team, acknowledges that while the team must forge a positive rapport with the media, a winning record will inevitably receive coverage. And that’s where marketing comes into play.
Harris advocates for the Internet as a promotional tool in sports. He uses the Salmon Kings’ recent signing of Yannick Tifu – one of the highest scoring players in the ECHL – as an example of the Internet’s potential reach. An event such as this is an opportunity to “twitter” Salmon Kings stakeholders, he says, or to start a player website, which excites thousands of people and allows him to control his message.
While there may be limited national sports opportunities for the PR practitioner on Vancouver Island, emerging opportunities exist in PR for hobbies and lifestyle sports. Participatory sports such as surfing, skateboarding and cycling are all credible sports that may not traditionally receive much awareness, while volunteers within specialized associations often perform PR for recreational pastimes like gymnastics or swimming. While these opportunities may seem hidden, the potential is there for a PR practitioner looking to carve out a niche in the sports industry.
For a list of sport employment postings in Canada, please visit www.sportscareerguide.com.
For more information about the Victoria Seals, please visit www.victoriaseals.ca or call (250) 480-4487.
For more information about the Victoria Salmon Kings, please visit www.salmonkings.com or call (250) 220-7888.
back to top
For your information…
Membership Survey Results Revealed!
Led by Victoria Klassen (volunteer) and Phil Saunders (Membership Chair 2008 to present), with input from Ange Frymire (President 2009/2010), Marion Grau (President 2008/2009), Marie Zirk (Events Chair 2007/2009), and Patty Pitts (Communication Chair 2007/2009), the CPRS-VI membership survey took place between April 23 and May 8, 2009.
Response Rate
Membership count at the time of survey: 94
Number of respondents: 22
Response rate: 21 percent
Top Reasons for Membership in CPRS-VI
1. Professional Development
2. Accreditation
3. Job Opportunities
4. Networking Events
5. Newsletter
6. Awards
7. Affiliation to CPRS National
Professional Development Events
For professional development events, members identified these top concerns:
1. Topic
2. Cost
3. Length of event
4. Timing of the event
A large majority of members (58.3%) attended less than three professional development sessions in the past year, which suggests that despite it being the strongest motivation for joining CPRS-VI, participation in those events is lacking.
The reason for this appears in a subsequent question when asked about their experience at the professional development events they did participate in, nine of 22 respondents, or nearly 38 percent, said their experience at the event was satisfactory, or ranking it a three on a scale of one to five.
Membership and Event Fees
There was an even split among members who paid their dues out of their own pocket (45.8%), versus those whose employers paid the fees out of their own pocket (41.7%).
Still more members (54.2%) are expected to pay for their professional development with 13 people having to pay themselves, versus 10 people either having it paid by their employer, or jointly paid.
On cost, 61 percent of respondents paid between $25 and $50 to attend a CPRS event last year. This indicates that most respondents either attended the AGM, or the Christmas party since the rest of our events are less than $10 per event.
Nearly 60 percent (11) of respondents felt they got good value from the event they did attend.
Communicating with the Communicators
Top ways members hear about news and events from CPRS-VI:
1. Weekly e-bulletins
2. Monthly newsletter
3. Word of mouth
When asked what channels people used to find out about professional development events, social media channels were very low in the usage. (Please note: CPRS-VI plans to explore this further by way of focus group. See the end of this article for details)
The majority of members visit www.cprs-vi.org more than once a month with over 50 percent of members saying they visit the site more than once a month.
When the topic of RSS feeds was floated, a vast majority (nearly 93 percent) of members said they would subscribe to an RSS feed for job postings, over such choices as events listings and news items.
Members who found the newsletter valuable, or very valuable totalled 50%, with a remaining 40 percent classifying the newsletter as somewhat useful.
Top Reasons to Remain a Member
1. Professional development and networking opportunities
2. Accreditation
3. Looking for work and social/community involvement
Referrals?
Fifteen respondents, or more than 70 percent of respondents said they are likely, or very likely to refer people to CPRS, whereas only 52 percent of respondents were aware of the member referral incentive program. Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they are very likely to renew their membership.
Please note that this is a summary of the survey results. To discuss the complete results, please email Phil Saunders at membership@cprs-vi.org.
For anyone wishing to give further input into CPRS-VI’s communication tools, including the social media strategy, join us for a focus group over Skype on Thursday, October 29 from 7PM-8PM. Please RSVP by October 22 to communications@cprs-vi.org so Skype usernames and/or phone numbers can be exchanged ahead of time.
back to top
|
|
