Time Out With AOL’s PR & Marketing Specialist, Kira Leblanc
There are certain people you meet in life that are destined for greatness. I first met Kira only a couple months ago in a continuing education course at Ryerson. Kira’s passion and determination are addictive qualities that quickly captured the attention of the entire class. Being a person who’s drawn to passionate people, I made a point to quickly introduce myself to Kira – she’s driven, successful, and obviously a natural fit for a profile piece on EDPR. Enjoy getting to know Kira with these 8 questions below.
- Cory
What’s your ‘official’ job title, and what do you do at AOL?
My official title at AOL is PR & Marketing Specialist – I oversee all media and public relations for all brands under AOL Canada. AOL is a global media company with the missions to inform, entertain and connect with consumers, advertisers and publishers worldwide. The AOL brand encompasses a robust family of over 65 brands, including The Huffington Post Media Group, products and digital advertising solutions, while focusing their efforts on creating original digital content across their suite of properties. We help brands connect with consumers online through innovative ad formats, custom digital advertising solutions, and premium content brands. I encourage communication between AOL Canada, the media, consumers, clients and the marketing and advertising trade industries.
Where’d you go to school, and what for?
I began my educational path at Humber College for Paralegal and Business; which then led me to an Honours Degree at York University majoring in Law and Society, and minoring in Aboriginal Studies, and Communications.
How did you land in PR and Marketing and was this always your plan?
I have always had interest in Marketing and Communications in some form or another, however I found it overwhelming to find opportunities to develop my skills and experience in such a big industry. My marketing passion first blossomed when I worked with Vespa Scooters as a summer street marketing coordinator while in school, from there I worked as a marketing manager at a large restaurant company in Toronto. At the time I was eager to find a position that would give me the opportunity to be exposed to numerous roles and knowledge so I decided to take a risk and take on a new industry. I landed an amazing opportunity at AOL Canada; which allowed for me to gain incredible insights into digital marketing, advertising, and media. I first started as a Sales Coordinator; which later evolved into a role as Western Province Ad Sales and finally, my current position as PR and Marketing Specialist.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your position?
I would say one of the most challenging aspects of my position is time management, in PR, and specifically Marketing and PR of a digital media company “time is of the essence”. Press releases, data and technology updates, brand messaging, product launches, research, client needs and events can add up and urgency is the biggest, most important factor in my world. It can be hard to fit everything into one single day but when you do, it is a great accomplishment.
What’s the best part of your job?
AOL Canada has been on an incredible journey since I started, I am proud to be a part of a team that has grown our company into a major competitor in the digital media industry. I enjoy my job so very much; sometimes the best part is simply the acknowledgement that you can do anything you put your mind to. Whether it is hosting events, capturing an amazing interview, supporting a lead story online, meeting amazing people of influence such as Arianna Huffington or being a part of a great team, it’s hard not to like what I do.
Who do you look to for mentorship and advice?
I try to learn from the many amazing people I am surrounded by. Firstly, my mother, a strong, intelligent woman, my husband who keeps me grounded and tells it like it is, and my boss, Laura Pearce, who seems to be able to do it all – job and family. David Shing, AOL’s Digital Prophet, has been an incredible source of inspiration and advice, along with many of the great leaders at my company.
What are your 3 favourite industry blogs/sites/news outlets?
Oh that’s a hard one, I have so many resources that I go to each and everyday (some useful, others for mere entertainment)!
Here are some of my faves:
The Huffington Post Canada – for all things news/media
Media in Canada – for my daily intake of industry news
Marketing Magazine – for my marketing and media updates
Buzzfeed – for my online video consumption
PR Daily – for social media, best practices and news
What advice would you give for people seeking out a position in a similar field?
I think it is always important to network, I know, breaking news! Re-think where and how you are networking, is it at events, conferences, parties? I always have much more success when it is somewhere I am least comfortable. I am also a strong believer in continuing education, it is a great way to develop new skills, perspectives and, of course, network. Don’t be afraid to take risks, as you will never succeed unless you fail sometimes.
Embrace Disruption PR: Q&A with Founder Cory Stewart
Today Yee Wittle Things posted a fantastic Q&A with our founder, Cory Stewart. We thought we’d share a little snippet with y’all incase you missed it!
What advice do you have for people venturing into the Social Media world?
5 Easy Ways To Promote Your Business, Blog or Brand
So you’ve decided to start your own business or blog. You’ve perfected your products and services, and even have a couple of clients or consumers that love you. Thing is, you really want to grow, get yourself out there, and show what you can do. So what’s next? Where do you turn? Here’s 5 tips to get you started:
DEVELOP YOUR SOCIAL PROFILES
Yes, we all know it’s important to have a Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ profile (maybe even Pinterest and Instagram)– but the real important part is updating them regularly! This is a non-negotiable. If you want to expose your business to mass audiences – tweeting, making facebook posts, and contributing to Google+ regularly will help with both your SEO (search engine optimization) and with humanizing your brand. Don’t wait on this – start TODAY!
RELEASE A RELEASE
Get a press release formulated and distributed that features your business. The trick with this is really making sure you have a good story. If you can afford a small amount of money to set aside for this, it’s worth it. Get a PR firm to put together the release, and distribute it to media. PR pros have established relationships with media, and can help you get in the limelight. As a side note, Embrace Disruption PR offers these services at really reasonable rates, contact us for more info.
COLLABORATE
Work with other businesses in your industry– offer your assistance/services/products to help them out. This is a great way to network, and also help out your fellow peers. You’ll be surprised how many people will be open to partnering up and in turn, providing some fantastic advice.
GIVE THE MILK FOR FREE (ONCE)
Ok, ok, we’ve all heard the expression: “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?” This is true, but it’s important to offer up some free services/product in the beginning stages. Don’t kill yourself by offering up a lot, but definitely give a little. If you do an outstanding job, or have a great product (which you SHOULD, if you really want to succeed in this venture) – these freebies can easily turn into advocates, consumers and clients. Start hawking yourself today.
GET ON THE STREET
This is a no-brainer, but just incase you forgot: NETWORK. You should be going to every single relevant event in your industry. Get some swanky business cards made (don’t spend a fortune on printing – but definitely get them designed), and start making new friends. The more people you meet, the more potential for sales. It’s a numbers game – if you know you can meet 5 people and convert 1 into a buyer or consumer, then you know how many people you need to meet next time to get a new client.
These 5 tips are a great starting point for promotion. Remember that the beginning is all about the hustle. The more you put in now, the bigger the pay off in the future!
Is ‘Text’ The New English?
We’re all guilty of it. From the ‘LOLs’ to the ‘OMGs’ we’re constantly using abbreviations in our texts, tweets and Facebook posts. However, there’s a new wave coming: today’s youth (and even some older generations) are using abbreviated language in everyday conversations. It’s true, when they’re talking to our BFF’s they may slip out a casual ‘FYI” in between sentences. Did you know: a recent study in 6th, 7th and 8th graders confirmed that as texting has increased, grammar assessment scores have decreased. OMFG!
Check out this INFOGRAPHIC recently posted on Mashable:
Film Friday: What Do People Think Of Windows 8
Windows recently announced their new operating software, Windows 8. The people of Pokki took to the streets with a demo version to get public reaction to the new Windows. The reaction was pretty unanimous, that Windows may have gone in the wrong direction. One participant even went as far to ask if Windows was trying to convert him into a Mac user! The biggest complaint? The start menu is a thing of the past, and incredibly hard to locate on the new system. Pokki is pretty smart though, they’ve created an add-on for the new Windows 8 that brings users their precious start button back. Check out the pretty amazing video below:
8 Ways To Persuade Your Boss To Embrace Social Media
The following is a fantastic post that originally appeared on PRDaily.com.
Not every CEO should be online—and few of them are embracing social media, according to a report by CEO.com and Domo.
The report found that only 9 out of 19 Fortune 500 CEOs registered with Twitter were active (a tweet within 100 days of the survey), a mere two CEOs had more than 500 friends on Facebook, and zero Fortune 500 CEOs were on Pinterest.
I have been fortunate to work directly with CEOs who are social offline. They are charismatic, well spoken, and lifelong members of the nonprofit fields that they oversee. However, neither of these CEOs had an online presence worth sharing.
So how do you take an engaging figure and bring them online?
Here are eight tips to help you:
CONFRONT PHOBIAS
CEOs, presidents, and members of senior management can have phobias regarding social media. If you’re lucky, they have private accounts and have a sense of the various forms of communication.
Regardless of their experience, you must further educate them about the benefits and risks of pursuing this form of communication professionally. Find and share accounts of other CEOs. Encourage your senior leaders to follow these conversations and show how they drive support for an organization. It is easier to overcome a phobia when someone else is leading the way.
EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONALITY
Teach your senior leaders the importance of adding personality to their online image. They must be comfortable with sharing some emotions or reactions publicly if this is going to work. If they cannot agree to take sides on issues that are relevant to your mission then this may not be the mode of communication for them.
FIND AN OUTLET
Just as you decided which social media resource was appropriate for your organization, there is not a standard platform for CEOs. Discuss goals, time commitments, a support network, approval process, and personal interests with your CEO.
Some CEOs are more suited for the brevity of Twitter, while others require a blog to state their views. If your CEO prefers photos of his work, you might consider Tumblr or an Instagram account like Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh.
TRAIN AND EXPLAIN
Once you’ve agreed upon a social media platform, both of you must commit to training. Set aside time for one-on-one tutorials, behind closed doors to protect any egos. Supply draft posts for review until your CEO—and you—feel comfortable sharing them publicly. Remember that social media training should be a continuous learning experience.
DEVELOP UNIQUE ANGLES
Some CEOs may think they don’t have any updates to share. Impress upon them that this is about providing insight into their character as well as enhancing the organization’s brand. Your CEO has a unique view of your organization and can provide an insight that can assist with a goal of transparency.
SHOW YOUR DIRTY HANDS
Social media is the perfect opportunity to shatter the image of a stuffy CEO stuck behind a desk. I frequently shadowed my CEOs when they ventured from the office—which was often—to photograph them engaging in our missions and gather information for future posts. Above all, the ensuing updates demonstrated the connection between the organization’s leader and the mission our followers supported.
STRESS THE 24/7 NATURE OF SOCIAL
Your CEO should be available to answer questions from the public and participate in dialogues. If you are ghostwriting for your CEO, he or she may need to become accustomed to approving posts that you run by them day or night.
FORGET LEGAL
Unless the legal department reviews all of your posts as part of your social media policy, trust your CEO just as he or she trusts you. Your process should determine the level of review you will need to perform. If you ghostwrite the posts based on discussions then a quick review with your CEO is appropriate.
Brian Adams consults with nonprofits, including Komera Project, regarding communications strategy. I am the former senior director of communications at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. A version of this story first appeared on the author’s blog.
Client News: Libraries Exhibit Merges Monster Movies With A Drag Persona
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 15th, 2012
Libraries Exhibit Merges Monster Movies With A Drag Persona
TORONTO, ON – On October 26th, 2012, the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (CLGA) will play host to the opening of “Libraries”, an exhibit that curates content from art dialogues, natural history, popular culture, along with queer, cultural and craft theory. Through three installation artworks, the exhibit showcases similarities between knowledge, gender and nature to provoke question and discussion from its viewers.
Each installation in “Libraries” is designed to discover normalization and beauty in unexpected places. Gathering material from a variety of influences including monster movies, and her very own drag persona, artist Nancy Anne McPhee hopes to attract a wide audience of curious minds to her Toronto exhibit. The artist remarks, “One of the most exciting things for me about all of these artworks is that they are well-received with curiosity and intriguing interpretations outside of the visual arts community.“
When visiting the exhibit, viewers will experience three artwork installations entitled “Library of Depth and Gender” (a collection influenced by natural history, monster films and drag), “Library of a Traveling Dandy” (a re-imagination of an early 1900s science writer), and “Delineation” (a collection of 65 squid, octopus and nautilus drawings that provoke human comparison). “ I believe that this work is well suited to the CLGA because of its evident investigation of collections of knowledge, and how libraries can reveal an open perspective of the world while simultaneously being closed units,” says McPhee.
The exhibit opens on Friday, October 26 2012 with a public reception at the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (34 Isabella St) from 7:30pm – 10pm. “Libraries” will be open to public viewing until its close on December 2, 2012.
About The Artist:
Nancy Anne McPhee is a textile installation artist originally from Alberta and now based in Montréal, Québec. McPhee works with themes of knowledge, gender and biological bodies, in large-
scale drawings, silk trap unto quilt installations and theatrical performances as a collective member of the Drag King troupe Dukes of Drag. She has shown across Canada in commercial galleries, artist run centres and public theatres, recently including a solo exhibition at Galerie FOFA, Montréal, and as a performer in Dukes Up! at the historic Café Cleopatra Drag Bar in Montréal.
About Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives:
The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives was established to aid in the recovery and preservation of LGBT histories. Its mission: to acquire, preserve, organize, and give public access to information and materials in any medium, by and about LGBT people, which are primarily produced in or concerning Canada. To support this function, the Archives also maintain significant non-archival collections, which include a research library, international subject files, and an international collection of queer periodicals. It is the CLGA’s mandate to make this information available to the public for education and research. Over the years, the CLGA has helped hundreds of people – students, artists, journalists, lawyers, filmmakers—who have completed numerous projects inside and outside of the LGBT community.
Website: http://www.clga.ca
Twitter: @CLGArchives
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CLGArchives
For interview requests or high-res photography, please contact:
Cory Stewart
Embrace Disruption PR
647.638.1586
Film Friday: Katy Perry, Justin Bieber & Kristen Stewart Read Mean Tweets About Themselves
A while back, Jimmy Kimmel got a load of celebrities together to read out some of the meanest 140 character tweets they’ve received. Television is constantly trying to connect and engage audiences with the use of social media. It’s been reported that a large amount of viewers today are simultaneously watching TV while connecting on social streams. This tactic brought Kimmel’s show a great deal of publicity and worked towards facilitating a transmedia connection with with his audience.
Check out the video below:
Halloween Becomes An 8 BILLION Dollar Industry
Halloween has always been a pretty big deal in our culture. Whether it’s trick or treating or heading to a friend’s costume party – you’re bound to spend some cash over the Hallo-day. The question becomes: how much are we REALLY spending? The stats below reflect American consumers over the haunted season, and even reveals man’s best friend has a spooky side.
