ApexPR

ApexPR is a small communications company in Toronto, Ontario. When I say small, it has approximately thirty employees. It was founded 11 years ago by Patricia Macnamara. She was the president but recently stepped down to become the CEO and work more behind the scenes. She recently gave the LoyalistPR class the opportunity to find out what it is like to work in a small public relations agency, and fielded several questions from interesting students such as myself.




Pat started the presentation off by defining to us what she felt best described a public relations agency:
"A group of committed, passionate, hard working, smart, fun-loving professionals dedicated to delivering communications solutions to their clients."

Branching from this definition, Pat then went on to give the class her best list of the top ten qualities that a person should possess if they are looking to work in a pr agency. According to Pat these are:

1.Ability to prioritize
2.“Do anything” attitude
3.Multi-tasker
4.Organized (anal retentive!)
5.Confident
6.Flexible
7.Enthusiastic/energetic
8.Thirst for knowledge
9.Professional
10.Sense of humour/fun-loving

From the information Pat gave, it really opened up my mind to the possibility of interning at a PR agency. The qualities that are looked for in successful candidates seem to pretty much define me to an art. But Pat then went on to say that to truly decided whether a PR agency is for yourself, that you should also be able to live by the following guidelines:

•You are a media junkie
•You have worked in the service industry…and liked it
•You believe in the value of hard work
•You are a good listener
•You take pride in getting the details right
•You want to grow quickly, but understand that you don’t get to develop strategy on the first day
•You write well (good command of grammar/syntax)
•You like doing something new every day
•You want a career, not a job

If it was not for Pat McNamara and her very informative and insightful presentation of the life of a PR Agency, I would not be considering interning for one. However, with her vast knowledge and impressive statistics Pat has changed my mind and I will definitely be looking further into ApexPR.

If you, too, want to find out more information on ApexPR, feel free to visit them on the web at http://www.apexpr.com/ and on twitter at www.twitter.com/apexpr

Samsung and the Vancouver 2010 Olympics

As everyone knows, the Olympics is no stranger to third-party endorsers and a huge list of sponsors. However, this year the Olympics will be happening in Vancouver, Canada. That's right, for the 2010 Winter Games the whole world will be having its eyes on Canada. And you, too, could have your eyes on the games up close and personal.

Together with the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Samsung has partnered up and is looking to send 10 lucky individuals to the games. They are looking for five teams of talented Mobile Explorers to experience and share exciting moments of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. If selected to go, you will become a Mobile Explorer and share your adventures through videos, photos and blogs straight from the ground. What not a better way to embrace social media.

The 10 lucky contest winners will be able to experience first hand what the Olympics are like and will be able to share instantaneously their experiences with the world - good or bad. Public Relations for the Winter Olympics? Who knew!
If you are interested in becoming a non-official PR rep for the Samsung Olympic Team, visit the contest website here.

Fundraising Fundamentals

When I started the Post-Graduate program here at Loyalist, we were introduced to a year long project in our fundraising class. This semester would be all about the basics of successfully organizing and undertaking an event such as a fundraiser and next semester would be executing our carefully organized plan. The group I am undertaking this assignment with is the same group I have had the pleasure of doing the United Way of Quinte fundraiser with, as well as various class assignments. Kristen Ricketts, Nick Imrie, Jeanette Rodrigues, and Corey Black are all just as motivated and dedicated to this fundraiser as myself.

We decided to make this fundraiser as big and as loud as possible. Our ideas and goals are huge but they only make us more determined to actually get out there and get sponsors and donors to help us achieve what we would like to accomplish (I'm not going to actually talk about any of our prizes, etc., until they are actually secured!).

Our mission is to raise as much community awareness and support for our cause - The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC). We have finally contacted and made a partnership as a third party representative for the CCFC and they have excitedly accepted our fundraising idea. The CCFC has sent us forms to bring us on board with them and are going to be supplying us with educational resources (such as brochures, information on the disease, and even volunteers for the day of the event if we need any). We could not be any more pleased or excited with the cooperation we have so far received from this organization. It only makes the future look brighter and our ambitions higher.