Connecting the Dots and Seeing the Forest Amongst the TreesPresentation to Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

November 12, 2010

Agenda

1. Introductions

2. What is public affairs?

3. The public affairs/public relations Connection

4. Case Study: Building Relationships to safeguard interests: Professional Engineers of Ontario

5. Case Study: Leveraging public issues to enhance public relations: The Innovolve Group

6. Case Study: Using media relations to gain a voice with government: RESP Dealers Association

7. Tips for success

8. Resources

9. Questions?

Background: Howard Brown, President

• Over 30 years professional experience

• Former Special Assistant, Minister of Regional Economic

Expansion, Ottawa

• Former Ontario Policy Chair, Liberal Party of Canada

• Former Vice-President, Communications, Ontario Liberal

Party

• Member of Board of Directors/Governors on various

boards

• Recipient of the Canada 125 Governor-General's Medal

for Community Service (1993)

• Bachelor of Journalism, Ryerson University, Toronto

Background: Kaitlynn Dodge, Account Executive

• Joined Brown & Cohen in June 2010

• Provides strategic support in media relations, government relations, community relations, social media campaigns and stakeholder outreach.

• Semi-finalist, CBC Canada's Next Great Prime Minister competition in 2009

• Worked on municipal and provincial political campaigns

• B.A. with Honours from the University of Toronto and post-graduate certificate from Humber College in Public Relations

• Member, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)

Background: Brown & Cohen Communications and Public Affairs

• A boutique firm with media, marketing and government relations specialists

• Founded in 1991

• Clients in Finance, Healthcare, Hospitality, Environment, Technology, and Government sectors

• Broad spectrum of services including:

o Media Relations

o Government Relations

o Media Training

o Corporate Communications

o Strategic Planning

o Crisis/Issues Management

o Client Positioning

o Marketing Research

What Grinds your Gears?

What are you Passionate about?

Public affairs…

Manages the inter-relationships between the

public, groups and major institutions such as

government

Activities can include: Stakeholder positioning, Policy Review,

Grassroots Campaigns, Issues and Identification Analysis, Reputation

Management, Community Relations, etc.

The public affairs-public relations Connection

Issues don’t just get on the public agenda…someone puts them there

Case Study: Building Relationships to Safeguard Interests of the Professional Engineers Ontario

Government Liaison Program was created in 2005 to improve government understanding of the role of PEO in governing the profession of engineering.

 It positions PEO on the same side of the table with government to solve public interest issues related to professional engineering.

Results:

•Organized meetings with over 80 MPPs and Ministers in the last three years

•Establishment of governmental respect for PEO’s jurisdiction over the governing of engineering in the province

•Ministers regularly attend PEO events and licensing ceremonies

New Goals:

•Engage engineers in public policy;

•Publish position papers encouraging involvement in politics;

•Elect as many as 11 engineers to legislature by 2011 with 50% being women. 

Case Study: Leveraging Public Issues to Enhance PR for the Innovolve Group

The Innovolve Group launched the Canadian Water Summit in 2010 to raise awareness about water and its connection to business competitiveness.

This fall they are releasing a report entitled, “Water and the Future of the Canadian Economy”.

Water is on the public agenda thanks to the provincial “Water Opportunities Act”

Case Study: Using media relations to gain a voice with government for the RESP Dealers Association of Canada

This national body wanted to promote savings for post-secondary education and secure government financial support for the sector.

Brown & Cohen:

•Used media coverage to gain credibility with government and grow the industry from $2.5 billion in 1998 to almost $20 billion today.•Worked with government to develop incentives for families to pursue post-secondary education.•Helped the Government of Canada institute a federal program to top-up contributions to RESPs by Canadian families.

The Result

The Government of Canada introduced the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) program and subsequent changes for low and middle-income parents.

Tips for Success

1.Focus on issues not politics

2.Know your public officials

• municipal, provincial and federal

3.Know key players in the business community

• CEO’s, philanthropists, influencers

4.Get to know the media before you need something

5.Network, Network, Network

Resources

Ontario Government contacts: Info-Go

Federal Government contacts: GEDS

Public Affairs Association of Canada

Lobbyist Registration of Canada

Hansard

Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Thank you!

Questions?