High Road Communications

A few weeks ago I drove through Niagara’s wine country. After stopping for a taste at a popular winery, I asked the proprietor if I’d missed the holiday rush: there were a total of four customers in the shop. She told me that traffic by the winery had increased, but fewer were stopping in this season than ever before. As the Canadian dollar continues its high-flying stint, retailers, politicians and economists alike struggle against consumer demands for parity and shopping trips across the U.S. border. It’s a plight that Canadian retailers haven’t had to deal with for a few decades, but something that Canadian newspapers, magazines and broadcast outlets are more than used to.

In our on-demand world where news is accessible anytime, from any place, Canadians are more likely than ever to look past our own borders for news and information. It’s a trend that many Canadians might not notice, but one that causes tremors in the PR world. Every time a Canadian magazine folds, a masthead shrinks or a column is replaced by a wire story, the effect is palpable. The stories in Canada are as compelling as those in the U.S. and beyond, the angles are as interesting, the writing is as rich and the journalists as talented. So why are we, as a country, continually drawn to news beyond our borders?

Perhaps, as the dollar experiences a correction—and surely it will—it will be time for the Canadian media to also experience a correction. As Canadians focus on value, fairness, and opportunities around the dollar, here’s hoping that they also consider the value, fairness and opportunities afforded by Canadian media and support our own. That would be reason enough to crack open a bottle of good Niagara wine and propose a toast.

kpryma@highroad.com

If the standing-room only warning didn’t tip you off on how hot the social media scene is in Vancouver , perhaps the 20 person waiting list did. Last week as part of Third Tuesday Vancouver, High Road was invited to take part in a talk about the social media scene – clearly something of interest here on the West side.

Third Tuesday Vancouver is a casual monthly meet-up where local marketing and communications professionals share their experiences using social media in society, organizations, business and government. At this month’s event, Steve Palmer of 76Design, Phil Evans of Crave FM and our own Carrie Baker discussed their experiences integrating social media in marketing and PR campaigns.

Not surprisingly, online social networking is strong in Vancouver and this was apparent as Phil Evans discussed how his radio station recently re-branded using only social media. Using Facebook to connect directly with their target audience of women ages 27 to 37, the social media approach allowed them to generate open and honest conversations with listeners on the process.

We also heard from Steve Palmer about how his agency helped create a cool social networking site for a public library that used the best elements of Facebook and Myspace to engage children aged six to 15. Designed to encourage reading through user-generated book reviews and opportunities to write alternative chapters, the site also engages younger children with fun games and drawing applications – creating a stronger connection with the library. 

Carrie Baker talked about the importance of helping online communities connect to a company’s brand and to each other by incorporating offline opportunities for interaction. She discussed how blending social media activities with traditional PR strategies can amplify results. 

All in all, there was a great showing of Vancouver’s social media minds, healthy conversation and of course, a few good laughs. Thanks to Third Tuesday for having us out to be a part of their event and for the opportunity to share ideas, questions and experiences.

Thank you to Tod Maffin for the organization of this event, and to CNW for the sponsorship!

-- Angela St. Amour

We are looking to hire a Vice President or Account Director for our office in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Responsibilities:
- Strategic account lead for all Vancouver accounts; management of Vancouver based projects to support national accounts from across High Road network
- Operational ownership including office management, revenue growth, and prime liaison with High Road operations (IT, admin, HR)
- Coach, mentor and manager of team of 3 employees with ability to scale for growth
- Ownership of team reviews, individual team development and hiring (with HR support from Toronto/Ottawa)
- Ownership of regional growth goals and driver of new business; responsible for strategy and final new business deliverables and proposals; budgeting
- Overall strategy and responsibility for all client deliverables including annual plans, proposals, crisis communications, messaging, and all communication materials
- Lead media training and strategic messaging sessions
- Integration with specialty practices and High Road senior management across network
- Effective communications with remote teams
- Prime spokesperson and ambassador for High Road in Vancouver
– interviews and speaking engagements on behalf of the company

Qualifications:
- The candidate will have 10 years experience and held a senior position within an agency with strong technology experience
- Superior interpersonal and communications skills
- Self motivated with the ability to work independently as some team members are located in head and regional offices
- Strong manager that is focused on career development and mentorship
- Strong relationship building and management skills
- Proven track record as a strategic thinker and planner working effectively with senior-level executives and clients
- Exceptional organizational skills and a high level of attention to detail
- Demonstrate initiative and problem-solving skills
- Proven experience developing new business—ability to seek and lead new business pitches and secure new accounts
- Excellent professional writing and presentation skills
- Demonstrate ability to prioritize competing demands and meet deadlines
- Post secondary education in public relations or marketing, or equivalent

If you have the above qualifications, please submit your resume to Raman Uppal, Human Resources Specialist at ruppal@highroad.com.

High Road Communications shapes integrated communications for technology and digital lifestyle companies. The firm serves clients across North America from offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver and San Francisco. For more information on High Road Communications - the No. 2 small and medium employer in Canada, according to Queen’s School of Business - please visit our Web site at http://www.highroad.com.

Put your skills to work for a fast-paced PR firm with a stellar reputation – a place where you can be creative and really make a difference.

We have immediate opportunities for intermediate (2 to 5 years experience) level PR consultants in the Toronto office. The ideal candidates will have relevant technology and/or entertainment industry, social and digital media experience in an agency environment.

If you have the above qualifications, as well as a related academic background, please submit your resume to Raman Uppal, Human Resources Specialist at ruppal@highroad.com.

High Road Communications is an award-winning public relations agency dedicated to shaping integrated communications for technology and digital lifestyle companies. The firm serves clients across North America from offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver and San Francisco. 

We have an immediate opportunity for a team member to join our High Road Connect division. It’s all about connecting our clients with the people they want to reach through social media, digital communications and experiental marketing. Take a look here and here for a couple event examples, and talk to us to get the whole story.

The ideal candidate will have a solid understanding of digital technology, online editorial outreach, blogger relations and online community engagement. You’ll also need two years agency experience in a PR and media relations background.

If you have the above qualifications, as well as a related academic background, please submit your resume to Raman Uppal, Human Resources Specialist at ruppal@highroad.com.