Client Objective

Fitness Town originally came to Peak to launch its 90 Day Family Fitness Challenge. After the success of this initial campaign, Peak worked to secure further coverage for the brand in community, consumer, lifestyle and fitness media across Western Canada. Fitness Town has been a project-based client for three years now.

Campaign

• Monitored news daily to identify any news hijacking opportunities for spokesperson comment
• Worked with local ambassadors including Tommy Europe to secure attendance at media events and give interviews on behalf of the brand
• Pitched some of the brand’s most innovative products, e.g. Power Plate
• Drafted creative Christmas gift guide pitches and positioned key products as must-haves for the season
• Brainstormed and drafted seasonal features: e.g. New Year trends and tips
• Worked with marketing agency to generate new research for media pitching
• Planned and managed the brand’s first Twitter Chat which trended in the first hour

Key Results

• 162 pieces of quality coverage in local, trade and vertical media
• 9 million impressions among key audiences
• Key highlights include Huffington Post, Georgia Straight, News1130, Metro, 24 Hours, The Province, Vancouver Sun, Winnipeg Sun, Edmonton Sun, Surrey Leader, CBC, CityTV, Shaw TV

Client Objective

Burton Software is a leading North American technology company that produces innovative food safety software, to help food producers and food manufacturers improve the quality and safety of their products. Burton Software’s tools are cloud-based and user-friendly—they automate fragmented and largely manual food safety procedures by using advanced technology to manage food safety planning, e-document and safety certifications, and conduct real-time food plant inspections.

Burton Software engaged Peak to raise brand awareness and to educate potential customers in select North American markets about its flagship product, Icicle, via a public relations and social media campaign.

Campaign

Peak worked with Burton Software over a three month period to execute a multi-channel, traditional and social media campaign that targeted key business, trade and technology markets in North America.

Given the technical nature of Icicle, Peak prioritized developing a portfolio of explanatory communications materials to educate and inform the target market. Peak then identified and monitored industry trends, interests and topical news to leverage as “story hooks,” and subsequently pitched relevant stories to key media to secure quality coverage.

For the social component of the campaign, Peak’s social media team identified online opinion leaders and influential bloggers, and established enduring relationships with them to secure monthly blog placements, boost inbound traffic to the Burton Software website, and raise search engine rankings.

Key Results

The campaign’s media relations component enabled Burton Software to secure quality media coverage in reputable North American outlets. It enhanced Burton Software’s online brand presence among multiple social media channels, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and supported Burton Software to develop partnerships with high-tech and influential bloggers in the food safety industry.

Key results include:

• Articles placed in the Huffington Post & Business in Vancouver
• Monthly column in Food Quality News
• Increased inbound web traffic and further engagement across all social media channels

Client objective

The university wanted to utilize a new five-year plan as an opportunity to rebrand as ‘Canada’s  connected university’.  To enhance its reputation, SFU’s vision is to be the leading engaged university in Canada, defined by its integration of innovative education, cutting-edge research and community connections.

Campaign

SFU Engage was an interactive, multimedia campaign designed to enhance SFU’s reputation as Canada’s most engaged university: engaging research, engaging students, engaging communities. Peak partnered with Karo Group, a leading marketing-communications firm in Vancouver, to create and execute a five-year plan to rebrand SFU as a connected university, and to publicize that rebranding. The university’s tagline became, “Engaging the world.” Karo carried out the rebranding and Peak planned and executed the social media and publicity campaigns. Key messages included SFU’s commitment to the community and the direct parallel between education and lifelong success.

Key results

• 23 million impressions through out-of-home (transit) advertising
• More than three million impressions in traditional print and online outlets
• One million impressions in print advertising
• More than 500,000 impressions in social media outlets
• Nearly 40 hits in traditional and digital media outlets
• A full house at the vision statement launch event at the Bill Reid Gallery at SFU’s downtown campus, where students, staff, faculty, alumni, government and media were introduced to the new vision and tagline
• Interviews with President Andrew Petter on CBC’s The Early Edition and CKNW’s Bill Good Show celebrating the launch of SFU’s new vision statement
• Production of a powerful video and visually arresting pop-banners showing how SFU is engaging the world through its new vision. The video and banners have already been used again at internal and external events to engage audiences and promote SFU
• Successful contest drawing stakeholders from Facebook and other online platforms to the SFU Engage microsite. The opportunity to win an SFU-Haida Gwaii experience was a key element in engaging audiences in the campaign
• A National Aboriginal Day op-ed in the Vancouver Sun by SFU student Kathryn Ovenell-Carter discussing aboriginal teaching methodologies and how they can be applied to students from all cultures and ethnicities. Kathryn’s op-ed also ran in The Tyee

Vancouver developer Reliance Properties approached Peak to help promote ‘micro-lofts’ in the Downtown Eastside. The apartments were the smallest rental units in Canada at the time. Space-saving design principles from Europe and Asia were a major influence in creating the ‘micro-loft’ design.

The construction company took 25 per cent off the cost of construction, which represented a $1 million saving making the venture possible. The City of Vancouver agreed to allow the conversion from single-room occupancy zoning to market rental. The heritage density credit was then transferred to a planned development at Burrard and Drake.

the campaign

The campaign began in 2010 with a news conference announcing the conversion of the Burns Block hotel into rental ‘micro-lofts.’ The campaign wrapped up in 2011 with another news conference and media tour of the completed lofts – tenants were on hand to show off their accommodations. Throughout the campaign interest from potential renters greatly exceeded the number of suites available.

the key results

The campaign achieved international coverage and attention. New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg pointed to the project as an example of an innovative approach to real estate. Reliance was invited to New York to demonstrate the success of the micro model. The city subsequently implemented a major micro-loft design initiative.
The two news announcements combined for some 170 media hits, including:

• Front page of the National Post
• Front page of the Globe and Mail
• USA Today
• Yahoo Canada
• MSN
• Bloomberg BusinessWeek
• Huffington Post
• Vancouver Sun
• CBC
• Global TV
• CTV

Are you struggling to write copy for your website or marketing materials? Do you have ideas for a blog but can’t figure out how to convey them effectively to your audience?

Copywriting is an essential component of how your brand is conveyed. Compelling writing requires critical thinking and analysis, reliable research, attention to detail, expert grammar as well as style and flair. Your words should provoke your audience to action, whether it’s for a news release, website, blog or marketing collateral.

Our job is to tell your story and we act as brand journalists daily, always looking for the most effective and strategic way to convey your key messages.

We have a team of former copy editors, journalists, web editors and publishers that have produced content for corporate blogs and media outlets (including The Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail and PROFIT), along with videos, infographics and much more

Specialization

Writing of all kinds—speech writing, magazine writing, web writing, script writing, report writing; communications planning; teaching writing techniques

Sector experience

The Arts, Education, Health, and Accounting

Career background

Reporter with The Vancouver Sun, 35 years working in communications, for organizations as varied as The University of BC, the Knowledge Network, the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, The Arthritis Society, the Vancouver Writers Fest and, of course, Peak Communicators

Education

Master of Arts in English Literature, UBC; journalism training, Carleton University; adult education training, VCC

Volunteer experience

Nine years serving on the Board of the Vancouver chapter of The Canadian Public Relations Society, including two years as President; giving personal writing workshops

Furthest flung city you’ve lived in?

Does living for a week in Barcelona count? What about living for six weeks in a little Mexican village where the fishers sell their catch on the beach every morning? I’m a Vancouver girl—born and raised—a rarity, I know.

Favourite B.C. pastime?

Hiking and snowshoeing

Languages

English, of course, French and I’m learning Spanish

Secret talent

I make the world’s best hummus, so I’ve been told by two different, very reliable sources.

Specialization

Crisis communications, strategic consulting, media training and campaign management

Sector experience

Oil and gas, energy and utilities, mining, retail, automotive, real estate, environmental and hospitality

Education

Diploma of Applied Arts in Broadcast Journalism (SAIT), B.A. History  (University of Calgary)

Volunteer experience

Numerous not for profits including UNICEF,  Dragon Boat Foundation, HKCBA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Calgary Interfaith Food Bank, Boy Scouts of Canada, Royal Alberta United Services Institute, politics and campaigns

If you were going to write an autobiography, what would it be called?

Tell Me More  

Furthest flung city you’ve lived in?

Lethbridge, Alberta

Favourite part of Peak life

Working with great people on great projects.

Career highlight

Documentary production in remote exotic locations including India, China and the NWT

PR role model and why

Peter Lougheed – He was a great leader and campaigner.

Favourite social media site

YouTube

Languages

English, a little French, Spanish, Hebrew, and Yiddish

Secret talents

Remembering lyrics from obscure songs

Random fact

Ate Muktuk with Inuvialuit trappers north of Tuktoyuktuk NWT

Career background

Television producer/director, publisher and writer. A founding partner of Peak in 2003

Education

BA in Communications and MPub (Publishing)

Furthest flung place you’ve lived?

Terrace, B.C., while working in TV at the Tall Totem Network

Favourite part of Peak life

Ringing the bell to welcome a new client to our team, and recognizing our employee of the month with the Peak Communicators Award

Career highlight

In the early PR years, getting paid on a “pay-per-hit” basis. I had a $28,000 month with one client

PR role model and why

Jim Walsh, owner of Walsh PR in Dublin for close to 40 years. He’s a quiet, humble guy who is an effective leader and always in the bar for last call

Favourite BC pastime

Hockey. Playing and/or watching it

Languages

Rough French

Secret talent

Painting (on canvas)

Random fact

In college I heard I would probably work in seven different jobs within my career. I didn’t see it at the time, but it came to pass

On Sunday April 12th, 2015, Hillary Clinton finally announced her much anticipated run for presidency. When this news broke, the conversation did not seem to focus on her qualifications, her platform, or even the possibility that she may become America’s first female president; the chatter was all about her campaign logo.

Within hours, social media was ablaze with critiques and comparisons to her block-letter “H” with a red arrow running through it: some saying it resembled hospital signage, while others stated it looked like something created by a 10 year old on MS Paint.
To be fair, Hillary is not the only political pundit to be on the receiving end of this type of “crowdsmashing”, a term coined by Paul Ford to describe how social media has allowed people to rally in a mob-like fashion to pick apart something they are not pleased with.

Crowdsmashing can be even more vicious if a well-known entity decides to undergo a rebrand. People do not like change, and social platforms allow them to voice that displeasure, and find out who else shares in their unhappiness.
This whole debacle surrounding logos and social media got me thinking about two facets of communications I deal with on a daily basis:

1. Our world is becoming increasingly visual

Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram currently lead the way in terms of fastest growing social media platforms. What else do these three platforms have in common? They’re light on text and heavy on imagery. In a digital era where our attention is so fleeting, we are placing increasing value on things that are visually appealing to us. If we don’t like what we see almost immediately, we are clicking/swiping/scrolling on to something better.
This phenomenon can also be extended to something like your company website. You may be the best and most innovative at what you do, but if your website appears dated, unorganized and difficultto use, it will be seen as a reflection of your business and users will start looking elsewhere. Remember that 55% of users spend as little as 15 seconds on your homepage, so your website has to catch their eye in order for them to stick around and potentially use your service.
In terms of media, TV places an extremely high value on great visuals. If your pitch to TV outlets doesn’t offer imagery that will entice their viewers to continue watching, don’t expect to have it picked up.

2. Everyone’s a critic

When a client story is told on any outlet type, the content is typically shared across social channels, or is open to comments online. You could be telling the happiest or most factually correct story possible, but there’s likely someone out there who wants to point out something negative, or who claims to know even more than you (I’m sure all the people critiquing Hillary’s “H” have years of graphic design and branding experience).
One negative, anonymous commenter on a story likely isn’t something to sweat about; however it is important to continuously monitor the chatter surrounding your brand online. Whether you’re running a social media campaign or a news story about your company just broke, following along with audience sentiment is vital in informing you of what aspects are and are not working, and whether or not you need to get out in front of a crisis before it starts to escalate.
When it comes to day-to-day social media responsibilities, if your company is receiving questions or complaints, it is important to respond to them quickly and professionally even if you find them trivial or know them to be incorrect. Ignoring these public comments will make it appear as though you have something to hide, or are neglectful of customer needs.

So whether you’re trying to become the President of the United States or just trying to generate business, understanding what is visually appealing to your audience and monitoring the conversation surrounding your brand online is important.

Tags: Government relations Vancouver, Vancouver PR, Vancouver social media

The foundation of successful communication is clear writing.  If you want your message to get across and be taken seriously you need to be clear.

Some people believe that in order to gain attention, their story needs to be BIG and that leads to exaggeration.

One year at CTV Vancouver, we were major offenders ourselves.   We had to ban the term “parent’s worst nightmare” because we used it so often on our newscasts.  It had become lazy shorthand for almost every story involving a child.  A child’s serious life threatening illness was a parent’s worst nightmare.  A child being bullied was also a parent’s worst nightmare.  So too were a murdered child, injured child, a missing child, even a close call involving a child.  It was unnecessary hype which detracted from the news rather than enhancing it.  Our news had become a parent’s worst nightmare.

You see this phenomenon in other storytelling.  I had a chuckle recently when the price of oil rose by about three dollars overnight and business writers said it had “skyrocketed,”“soared,” or “surged” higher.

The writers might defend themselves by saying a  seven per cent overnight move in oil prices, albeit temporary,  is a big move, but in saying so it lacked context.  It ignored the fall that preceded it.  By having a narrow focus on just a few hours, the writers looked foolish to anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of the oil market.

Imagine you are watching a movie where actor Jackie Chan jumps off a 107 foot tall building.  I like Jackie Chan; he does all his own stunts and has the bruises to show for it.  At the 45 foot mark Jackie hits an awning and bounces up about three feet.  Would movie goers gasp and say “look at him skyrocket! Wow Jackie is soaring!”?  I think not.

Oil had fallen from a high of $107 in the summer to about $45 before thisskyrocketing, soaring, surging move happened.  That’s the proper context.

Here are seven ways to avoid similar news release exaggeration, that makes you and your company look silly:

• Never forget the context. Context is important and relates not only to you but also to your community and sector in which you operate.  So for example, your “best year ever” may be true, but if your competitors have grown twice as fast as you, you might want to focus on something else—like innovation or new product development.
• Don’t be lazy; be creative. Clichés such as “parent’s worst nightmare” are a crutch.  Don’t use what you used last time by default.   Take the time to be creative and get it right.
• Be specific. If it’s your best year ever, what is the measure?  Sales, sales growth, staff growth, profit, happy customers?
• The headline needs to match the story. The headline at the top of the news release needs to be supported by the words below.  A critical error is using a jaw-dropping headline which isn’t supported by the facts.  It causes media blood pressure to shoot up with excitement and they get let down by the content.  A disappointed assignment editor will kill your future story opportunities.
• Stick to what you know and can prove. Facts are important.  Media will want proof and if you can’t prove what you are saying then a positive event can turn negative in a hurry.  Media are like sharks, when they smell blood in the water a feeding frenzy begins.  Don’t believe me?  Ask a media person.  Feeding frenzy is a news media term not limited to the Nature Channel.
• Tell your best unique story. If everyone in your industry is telling the same story, highlight what makes your story unique.  If you can’t think of anything fresh, neither will the media.
• Be flexible. If it’s a busy news day, your story is not getting on.  It means your plans need to be flexible.  If breaking news has made your story no longer relevant for that day, make yourself available tomorrow.  Show you understand the needs of the media and it will pay off down the road.  Don’t get mad that your story was bumped, even if the media cancelled an interview at the last second; get your story out there the next day instead.

One final thought.  Every time you interact with the media you are making an impression, even when the media decides not to run your story.  A good impression means you will get a fair hearing next time while a bad impression closes that door, sometimes forever.

Tags: communications vancouver, Media relations vancouver, Writing