Posted by PRGirlz Alumni on January 28th, 2010 
2 Comments
Well, I’ve kept pretty quiet about my news, but I’m ready to announce that today I will be leaving my role at Thornley Fallis Communications – not quite ready to announce where I’m going or what I’m up to, but that will come soon enough. But I wanted to publicly say goodbye to those who have become more than colleagues – you are my friends. You are a fantastic group of people and a great team. I will miss you all.
I struggled with this decision because I love my job and I love the people I work with – both my colleagues and our clients. But there comes a time when you realize that its time to leave the nest and spread your wings – it’s time to fly alone. With this change, I look forward to new challenges, new beginnings and new experiences. It has also allowed me to look back on my time here and truly reflect on myself as an individual and how far I’ve come since I walked into a green foyer, with purple trim and red leather chairs – which by the way is now a whole new office with very chic red, gray and beige with steel accents.
My point however, is that I have come a long way. I’ve learned so much in my time here. The last 18 months have been an incredible rollarcoaster of both personal and professional proportions and everyone in this office has supported me through all of it. As a result, I’ve become more competent in my abilities and more confident in myself. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to begin what I hope is a long career in digital communications. And for a little nostalgia, check out my very first PR Girlz post.
So with that, I say goodbye and thank you to everyone at TFC for what has been a fantastic experience.
PS: Planning meetings will never be the same without me – FYI.
Posted by Jennifer Ouellette on January 25th, 2010 6 Comments
One evening, TTC rider Jason Wieler uses his iPhone to snap a picture of a TTC booth collector catching a few winks. A few weeks later he remembers taking the photo and posts it to his Twitter account with the caption “Yup, love how my TTC dollars R being spent…”
What happened next is a classic example of how technology and social media are completely changing the face of communication. The photo was re-tweeted and became a top news story in a matter of hours, following on the heels of bad press resulting from the recent transit fare increase. TTC officials were being asked to comment on a photo they may not have even seen yet, and Toronto media were trying to determine the identity of the worker who was photographed. Today, the story has come full circle and the man who was made unintentionally famous by all of this, George Robitaille, has released a public apology.
Thinking about this situation, I was reminded of the very first lesson I had in how an image can alter public perception from a University communications lecture – The televised presidential debate between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. In a nutshell – those who listened on the radio thought Nixon had won the debate while those who watched the televised events thought that Kennedy came out on top. While listeners thought that Nixon’s arguments were stronger, Kennedy’s appearance, composure and charisma worked in his favor with TV audiences. The content seemed to play less of a role on public opinion than the image.
In a similar way whether it was due to “an underlying medical issue and side effects of medication” as TTC officials and Mr. Robitaille have released, or a case of an employee simply caught sleeping on the job, the photo of the TTC collector reclined and asleep in his booth is what most people will remember.
A picture is an incredibly powerful form of communication, and even after it has been explained or contextualized it is one of the first things we think of. It can impact or reinforce opinions, and change the way we look at individuals, companies or entire organizations. For better or worse, we are becoming an increasingly visual society who relies on images for “proof” and to capture our attention.
Watching the situation unfold with this particular TTC operator created so many questions for me regarding privacy, disclosure and how social media is impacting our actions, interactions and reactions.
How do you feel about the role social media and technology plays in the creation and sharing of information/news?
Posted by Jennifer Ouellette on January 5th, 2010 7 Comments
This is your life, in 140 characters or less! Constant status updates make sure that no one will ever have to wonder if you are having fun at that party you were invited to, or how you are feeling in the wake of your last emotional crisis.
I’ll be the first to admit I love social media and use Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and Blogspot. I enjoy the freedom of sharing my thoughts and ideas, and also keeping in touch with friends and family who are “plugged in”. I even have a friend who recently admitted that they started going on Twitter just to get a hold of me to make plans (I felt fairly guilty, and cocktails were on me that week). But now the tide is turning, and social media critics are vocalizing the issues they feel are created from these online applications.
Today’s Globe and Mail features a very interesting article “Detox du jour: unplugging from Facebook” which takes a look at the reasons behind (as well as challenges to) abandoning social media sites and technology in favor of “more human interaction”. Another great article brought to my attention today (by Joseph Thornley) is the news that actor, writer and until recently, Twitter enthusiast Stephen Fry has decided to “go offline” for a brief period in order to concentrate on his writing.
Want to take things a step further? A recent related phenomenon that caught my attention was the slightly over the top “Web 2.0 Suicide Machine” which flashes slogans such as “So many people you don’t care about”, “Say good-bye with dignity” and “Feel free like a real bird again and untwitter yourself”. The website application completely and permanently deletes your social media profiles in one foul swoop. I think the term “suicide” and the USB noose on the site are a bit dramatic, but are trying to use some dark humor to show how attached people are getting to their online persona.
Personally, I don’t see myself pulling the plug anytime soon. Social media has been instrumental in allowing me to network, meet new people, keep in touch with friends and family from my hometown and overseas as well as provide me with a global learning tool from the blogs of some innovative and respected professionals. Why would I want to abandon all that?
Still, I know many people who are opting for this social strategy in hopes of freeing up their schedules and making a commitment to increasing their face time with friends. Which leaves me with this question, do you need to be unplugged to be productive and social? If the line has been truly drawn in the pro or anti-social media war, which side do you find yourself on? Personally, I’m “pro” on this issue but would love to hear what you think.
Will you be unplugging in 2010?
Posted by PRGirlz Alumni on December 9th, 2009 Leave a Comment
So you may have noticed that the PR Girlz have been a bit slow with the updates lately and while we luv all of you who read and support us, we have good reason: We’re crazy busy!! It’s been nutty around TF this fall – we’ve got some great new clients on top of our fabulous existing clients, some new staff to welcome and we even launched our new website.
Don’t get me wrong though, we’re still hopping so this post won’t be a long one – promise to start jamming out our regular thought-provoking and insightful commentary in the New Year though. But as a quick update:
New Website – If you haven’t seen it already, you’re missing out! Our new web presence is super awesome thanks to our design guys in Ottawa at 76Design. The new site incorporates some of the great features from the original but adds a bit more ’social twist’ with LifeStream feeds and people profiles.
New Staff – We’re happy to welcome Andrea Pietkiewicz to the TF team as a Senior Consultant. You can follow her on Twitter @Scubagirl15 and hopefully we’ll get her blogging for PR Girlz shortly.
Happy Holidays – Once again, our brilliant 76′ers have pulled together a fantastic holiday e-card! Please be nice as you enjoy our festive holiday sweaters from Value Village – although ’some’ staffers seemed to already have such awful attire in their possession. (Hmmmm… 
ENJOY!
Posted by Jennifer Ouellette on October 19th, 2009 Leave a Comment
(Note: This post has been edited and cross-posted from my personal blog.)
It’s been three month’s since I dove head first into PR agency life, and I have to say it turns out I’m a pretty good swimmer! There is some good, some bad, but nothing sums it up better than slightly misquoting one of my favorite films; “Thornley Fallis, I think that this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”
One of the things I have had to get used to is learning to negotiate a new work/life balance. I rarely leave at 5:00pm, and when I do I usually take home work with me or access it remotely. I’ve become a bit of a hermit, and have had more than one phone call/email/tweet from friends asking where I am and if I am still alive. But on the flip side, I have really started to appreciate that time I do spend with people I care about, something as simple as going to see a movie becomes so much more enjoyable than before when I had a lot more free time and took it for granted.
I think that as long as you are doing something you love and that interests you everything else will fall into place. I get invited out to some pretty nifty Toronto events such as Thirsty Thursdays and Third Tuesday, and have been able to coordinate some really great media interviews and press coverage for some of our clients to date. It’s a great feeling, and I can’t wait to see where I am in another three months, let alone after a few years of their mentoring combined with trial by fire opportunities for me to prove myself!
To all you account coordinators out there, I hope you’re having as great a time as I am!
(And remember, when a good book and a bubble bath fails to calm you after a long stressful day a glass of dry red wine might just do the trick…) 
Posted by PRGirlz Alumni on October 1st, 2009 2 Comments
Guest post by Sarah Laister, TF’s Administrative Coordinator:
This past weekend, the PR Girlz at TFC had the pleasure of taking part in the 20th Scotia Bank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. It’s the biggest in Canada and held right here in Toronto every September.
The marathon is great opportunity for runners of all shapes and sizes to come out and push themselves to their personal best. In fact, this year a new record was set for the fastest marathon run on Canadian soil by Kenneth Mungara. Kenneth ran the full marathon in just 2 hours and 8 minutes! Incredible. But the marathon also provides the chance for participants to raise money the charity of their choice through sponsorships. Over, $1.8 million was raised this year alone for dozens of different charities around the country.
Now, for the reason I’m writing about all of this instead of just providing a link to the Marathon website…
At 8:00am Sunday morning, I rolled out of bed, grabbed a coffee and navigated my way through the maze of re-routed streetcars to meet up with some of my fellow “PR Girlz” at Union Station. From there we were heading down to the starting line at the CNE grounds to walk the 5km in support of the Canadian Pain Coalition’s first fundraiser “Pennies for Pain.” The Canadian Pain Coalition is a patient association we’ve had the privilege of working with through one of our clients.
Naturally, we were more than happy to participate and walk in support of such a worthy cause. I, for one, had a lot of fun on Sund
ay morning and I’m pretty sure the TFC ladies walking with me feel the same way. It was so refreshing to be up on a Sunday morning (walking on Lakeshore Boulevard under the Gardiner Expressway!), when I would usually be fast asleep. But as I watched the marathon runners cross the finish line I felt both lazy and completely inspired. Perhaps I’ll work my way up to the half-marathon for next year. Until then, here’s a picture of myself and the TFC “PR Girlz” between the crossing the finish line and breakfast at Fran’s.
Posted by PRGirlz Alumni on September 15th, 2009 2 Comments
It’s what you learn after you know it all, that counts.
– John Wooden, Hall of Fame Basketball coach.
Time flies when you’re having fun! It’s been a whole year since my first day with Thornley Fallis, and what a year it’s been: Fantastic clients, great colleagues, a world of new connections and one heck of a learning curve. So, instead of offering a boring recap of my year, I’d like to offer up a few key-learning points I’ve picked up during my last 12 months as an Account Coordinator at TF:
1) Whatever you think you know, you’re wrong. Okay, maybe not completely, but in some cases, we may think we know a lot – but don’t have the experience to back it up yet. When I began at TF, I thought I knew quite a bit. I thought it would be an easy transition. But it was harder than I thought, and as soon as I realized how much I didn’t know, that’s when I really started learn.
2) Always be open to constructive feedback. Sometimes it’s tough just starting a career. Like I said, you might think you know quite a bit already. It’s easy to get anxious about receiving what you perceive to be negative feedback. The key thing to remember is that more often than not, it actually isn’t negative – it’s meant to be constructive. Always try to look for the learning opportunities in the feedback you’re given.
3) Ask questions. The only way you’re going to really gain knowledge and experience is by asking how to do things better. If you think something is good and ask a senior colleague to look at it only to receive it bleeding all over the page, ask for an explanation why so that you can do better next time.
4) Don’t be afraid. Okay, I think this is a really difficult one for all young professionals and I know personally I’ve struggled with it too, but it’s a key learning opportunity. In public relations and especially in social media, there are times when decisions need to be made, responses need to be drafted and approvals given in a very short time frame. Look at it as an opportunity to offer your opinions, show your talent, and try your best. Right or wrong, your efforts will be noticed and you’ll learn from it one way or the other.
5) Hard work does not go unnoticed. In the agency world, we put in long hours sometimes. We juggle various clients from all different industries with varying levels of involvement. Commitment to your clients and to your colleagues is incredibly important. By instilling a sense of pride in the work that you produce and the time you put into it, others will notice and show their appreciation as well.
So there you have it, my top 5 learning points after one whole year with Thornley Fallis. Now, please don’t assume I’m saying that I’ve mastered all of these points. I’m not totally there yet, but I think recognizing the need to learn them is a step in the right direction. I whole-heartedly admit that I still have a lot to learn – and I’m looking forward to it!
Posted by Jennifer Ouellette on September 9th, 2009 11 Comments
In a slight shift from my posts where I have been talking about starting my career in PR, I wanted in light of recent events to talk a bit about Public Relations as an industry. Specifically, headlines such as Sunday’s Toronto Star; “Spinning in the First Week of Michael Bryant’s New Life” and today’s Globe and Mail article; “Michael Bryant’s political strategy: PR 2.0”.
Both articles discuss PR in relation to Michael Bryant’s case, and from my reading of it and as someone working in PR I was a bit put off. To pull a few quotes from the Star article; “It helps to have friends in PR”, “Look, the headline of this story should be: ‘Navigator, changing your perceptions without you even knowing it” and “He refers, of course, to Navigator Limited, the smooth public relations firm hired by Bryant (when exactly is unclear) to massage the message”. The article then continues to a full page analysis of the inner working of the messaging surrounding this tragic incident. The Globe article takes a look at Navigator’s use of social media (Twitter, Blog and Facebook) in relation to their client.
Personally, I resent the fact that PR is often tied to “spin”, deception and manipulation. I do not feel that reflects the work that I do, or the many other professionals who are passionate about communication and social media. However I did find it very interesting that the article pulls into the spotlight a PR firm, whereas usually the agency stays in the background.
I want to make it very clear that I am not choosing sides and making statements about Michael Bryant’s guilt or innocence. I feel this is a very tragic situation for both sides. Lives have been changed forever. But facing these serious charges and the media onslaught, I can sympathize with Michael Bryant for enlisting the services of Navigator just as I respect the work they are doing on behalf of someone who will be forever affected by this moment in time. PR does not change “the facts”. A strong team of media savvy professionals helping in the face of any crisis can provide advice, support and direction.
What do you think of the role PR plays in image management issues when a crime or tragedy has occurred?
Posted by Jennifer Ouellette on August 25th, 2009 5 Comments
It’s been a little over one month since my first day working at TFC, and so I thought it would be a great chance to reflect on my impression of agency life so far.
I was pleasantly surprised (and a bit overwhelmed) at how fast I was thrown into working on projects. My first day felt like; here is your office, here is the kitchen, here are your supplies and this is how we track time (that’s another matter in itself). And then, I basically got straight to work! This past month I have had the opportunity to do a number of different tasks;
- Writing pitches
- Doing research into locations for upcoming venues
- Working on media lists
- Media monitoring
Since I work on consumer, health and food clients there has been a fairly good variety and I’m really enjoying it.
I don’t think I would be able to manage all of the different tasks and files on my desk if I wasn’t an organized and structured person who loves a bit of chaos thrown into her life. I stay organized by keeping a spreadsheet where I list tasks that need to be done, and the deadline I need to have it completed by. This way I can start my morning by planning my day based on what deadlines are quickly creeping up on me. (And trust me, they can creep up quickly!)
In all, I’m very happy with my experience so far. I think the best part is that I feel like I’m a part of a great team, and am really looking forward to continuing to learn and grow in my role here.
Any advice on what I should look out for in the coming months?
Posted by Jennifer Ouellette on August 13th, 2009 4 Comments
(…Or in my case, just reading and writing.)
I thought that I would make my first official post about education, since I have just finished my degree at York University. Just remember, this is only my experience and there are lots of different ways to get where you want in PR.
My degree was in Communications Studies, and I took English as a minor. I think that writing, close reading and research skills are very important to a job in PR and that taking English classes was a great way to practice and develop these abilities. (Especially when you are writing a few 15-25 page research papers in your final year.)
But before that I took a year off from school to work abroad, which was great experience and a chance to meet people while working in another country (England). I did a number of general office tasks, but also worked specifically on proposals for new business as a part of a marketing team. This is where my research, writing and computer formatting skills came into play.
Near the end of my degree I volunteered with Walk Now for Autism, and it was another great experience. Some of the responsibilities I had were helping with donation mail out letters, and assisting with fundraising events. I had never realized before how much attention to detail and organization went into planning one event! Organization was very important to keep track of large lists of contacts and people who had previously donated. Then there was around this time a brief stint as a freelance fashion writer, where I did store reviews and spotlights. My passion for writing was a great asset, and I was able to add to my portfolio this way at my own pace.
During my first actual PR job, I worked to promote baseball clinics on behalf of Kelly Gruber. The clinics were being held in St. John’s Newfoundland, but I was working out of Toronto. So the time difference and making contacts over there was a challenge, but I learnt a lot and had a great mentor throughout the entire process. I think with any learning experience, having great people to support and teach you are invaluable.
When I graduated I looked into the course offered by Seneca and considered it, but for me personally I felt fairly prepared by my course work and experience to date to try working firsthand in an agency. Of course, internships and specialized courses are a great way to gain experience and I think they are worth exploring. And that’s about sums up how I came to work with Thornley Fallis!
So, what are your plans for a future in PR?
Or, if you currently work in PR, how did you get into the field?
