According to a recent survey from Leger (January 2021), one in five working Canadians indicate that their current mental health has negatively impacted their engagement, motivation and job performance. When employees are not performing at their best, it affects a whole organization. As Canada continues to face lockdowns and restrictions, it’s imperative for companies to ensure their employees continue to feel supported and appreciated as the pandemic fatigue sets in. 

What can employers do?

Take the time to evaluate your organization and/or team to see what needs to be addressed. Where are their pain points? What forms of discomfort and areas of stress are most affecting your staff? Dig to understand the root causes.

Below are recommendations on how leaders can support their employees, keep them engaged and show appreciation as we continue to push through this pandemic. 

1. Open communication is key.

Speak to your team and employees on a regular basis. Check-in, set-up bi-weekly or monthly meetings to gauge how they are doing professionally and personally. Give them the opportunity to let you know how they are doing and, most importantly, feeling. Employee surveys are also a great tool for leaders to get a pulse on stress levels, workload, and review major irritants. The goal is to identify solutions and provide recommendations on how to alleviate the stressors they’re facing. 

2. Mental health matters.

The Leger survey revealed that 40% of Canadians say their mental health is worse compared to pre-pandemic times. To help your teams, consider creating a buddy system where everyone has a person they can easily talk to or provide wellness days for people to use when they feel overworked, tired and need some time to reset. 

3. Encourage breaks, push employees to go outside.

For many, remote working has taken away their regular office routines, like coffee breaks or eating lunch with colleagues. It’s important to encourage your team to make time for breaks away from their screens and go outside. With sunny weather upon us, it’s a great time to eat lunch outside, have walk-and-talks (holding phone meetings while on a walk) or even create a team building program that involves outdoor activities. These simple things can change how your employees feel and increase  productivity. 

4. Make room for “fun and unique” team building activities.

Making room for “fun and unique” team-building activities will boost morale and provide a much needed mental break. Out-of-the-box activities can have a positive impact on everyone’s well-being, creativity and problem solving skills. For example, The Playful Warrior offers organizations virtual PLAY sessions that reconnect adults with their inherent playful nature; this is done through different exercises, such as painting, drawing or dancing. Your team and employees will thank you for a fresh take when planning these types of activities. 

5. Acknowledge and show appreciation. 

It’s essential to take the time to express gratitude to your employees everyday but, especially during these times when people are juggling work and family, while battling fears and concerns. For example: 

• • • A genuine thank you for their efforts can go a long way in making an employee feel appreciated and valued. 
    • Bring employees together for a 15-minute gratitude/thank you session; we can never have too much positivity. 
    • Similar to a wellness day, give time in lieu to those who have gone above and beyond.

No matter how big or small, gestures like these make a difference and contribute to a positive culture. 

As the saying goes… we are in the same storm, but not the same boat. For leaders,  it’s important to acknowledge we are all living with different realities. Providing the support your employees need will go a long way in keeping them engaged, but most importantly, feeling appreciated. 

The post As Mental Fatigue Sets In: Supporting Employees in Unprecedented times appeared first on CASACOM.

On a regular basis, we hear about people or companies’ social media accounts being hacked. You might know of someone who this has happened to, or you could have been a victim of this invasion of privacy yourself.

Social media security is something that’s becoming more and more prevalent today and for those of us who not only use social media for personal use, but who manage social accounts for business, it’s imperative that we ensure information is protected.

It is critical to implement practices to protect the business and personal accounts you manage. The following are five key tips that may sound simple but go a long way in keeping your social accounts safe and secure.

1. Change personal and client passwords frequently

Did you know the 50 most common passwords include: birthdays, names, pet names, profanity, unassuming number combinations, etc.? Most of us don’t change our passwords as frequently as we should, but one regularly used password could allow access to so much information you don’t even realize you provided.

Many of us find changing passwords a hassle as we tend to forget them and it’s easier to keep what we already know. However, make a conscious effort to change your passwords every six months and recommend this to your clients – they will thank you in the long run.

2. Never use the same password twice

We all tend to use the same passwords, but it’s important to change them. Create a completely new one or if you find it difficult to remember passwords, try adding a number, capitalize a letter, or symbol to an old password.

3. Use a secure password generator

Password generators, such as LastPass and KeePass re great tools to help you create secure passwords.

4. Never click on links that don’t look familiar to you

If you are unsure about a link or if it looks odd to you, DO NOT OPEN IT.  Some links may contain a virus or may enable a hacker to get access to your account(s). It’s better to be safe than sorry.

5. Stay informed

Read the news, stay up-to-date on anything related to social media and potential security breaches. The largest social media platforms have security blogs to help battle and prevent cyberattacks and can be great resources to reference. Being aware and up-to-date on what’s happening in the social media world can help you advise your clients on best practices.

Social media platforms use security protection practices and companies do their best to protect the information you provide. Security shouldn’t be a deterrent for you to use social media – simply make a conscious effort to be aware of what’s out there, stay up-to-date on the news, and change your passwords – frequently. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can make all the difference.

The post Social Media Security: How secure are your accounts & those you monitor? appeared first on CASACOM.

Casie Stewart is certainly one of the most authentic people you’ll ever meet! An award-winning content creator, lifestyle blogger, and digital media expert, she helps brands tell their storytelling in an inspiring way. She works as an influencer, spokesperson, speaker, director, and consultant for some of theworld’s top brands.

I had the chance to sit down with Casie and speak with her about the ever-evolving digital landscape. How is it to work with brands? How can we stay authentic in today’s photo-shopped world? How can companies integrate social media into their communications and business strategies?

She gives us her thoughts and tips with the naturalness which characterizes her.

1. How did your adventure begin?

I started my blog in 2005 as a diary, documenting my life, adventures, experiences, thoughts and ideas. When I was in Australia for university I had a MSN Spaces diary that helped me share stories about what I was doing with friends and family back home. I moved to MySpace, then Blogger, to WordPress and now I have a fully hosted WordPress site of my own. I started a YouTube channel in 2006, joined Twitter in 2008, and Facebook right when it became available. And I’ve had Instagram for years!

 2. How have you maintained your authenticity over the years as the digital landscape changes?

You have to stay true to who you really are. Sometimes bloggers and influencers make themselves look a certain way and portray a life they don’t actually live. It’s hard to live up to those kind of standards you set for yourself and you’ll burn out if you’re not yourself. I’ve heard of younger people wanting to starting a blog or ‘be an influencer,’ but influencer isn’t something you can just decide to be; influence comes from DOING something that gets recognized or influences the ideas and thoughts of people. You can’t buy your way into being influential, establishing yourself as a brand or thought leader takes time.

For me, authenticity is more important than perfectly curated Instagram. I think the best way to be authentic is to be yourself and tell stories, to be a real human. One of my favourite ways to tell stories is going on adventures and exploring new things. I also only work on things that I like, have tested, or experienced first-hand. How can you share your honest opinion on something if you haven’t tried it?!

3. How can brands integrate social media in their marketing strategy?

Creating good and consistent content will go a long way. Social media can be overwhelming if you don’t have a plan. This doesn’t mean you should plan everything out for the next six months because things change, but it helps to be proactive vs reactive. Brands need to have an open mind and trust people who know what content works for their audience.

 4. What advice do you have for those that invest in one specific social platform?

I’ve seen a lot of apps come and go and I tell people not to put their eggs in one basket. For example, Snapchat was very popular until Instagram added Instagram stories, heaps of people stopped using Snapchat. I recommend having a website as place for your content to live that you own so you don’t rely on a platform that’s not yours. There’s always going to be something new, innovate or die!

 5. What are some common mistakes businesses make in influential marketing?

You can’t expect bloggers or influencers to write about your product or company just by sending a press. Life is about building relationships, reach out to an influencer or blogger and ask about how you can work together. Get to know them, read their blogs, look on social media, to see what they’re doing. Make sure you do your research to ensure the person is a good fit.

6. Who are some people in the social media space you admire or look up to?

Tiffany Pratt is a Canadian designer, stylist, author, and TV personality. She built her life around something she loves doing and I admire that. Casey Neistat is the world’s top YouTuber, filmmaker, and co-founder of multimedia company Beme, recently acquired by CNN. I love his videos and whole vibe. He’s living his life to the fullest and shares it with the world. Andrew Gunadie – aka ‘gunnarolla’ – is a YouTuber + music and video producer based in Toronto. His content is so fun and creative. He does a lot of brand partnerships, but everything is uniquely him. What I like about each of these people is they’ve taken something they love doing and made it into a career.

7. Favourite social media platform?

I love Twitter, always have. I’ve been using it since 2008 and it’s changed a ton but I find I still share there the most and have a lot of engagement. I also like Instagram stories because it’s instant. I love sharing things as they happen and I feel both Twitter and IG stories are great for that.

8. Which social network do you spend the most time on?

Hard to say, but according to my phone stats it’s a tie between IG and Facebook. Although, I check all my social platforms pretty frequently.

9. Which social media platform could you not live without?

LOL. I could live without all of them!

10. Favourite emoji?

Heart emoji!

The post Casie Stewart’s true colours: our interview with an influential personality appeared first on CASACOM.

In 2007 Facebook launched its Pages for Business and the success was amazing. Brands could finally have a “free” presence on the platform and join thousands of fans. The key was to create rich, engaging content to ensure exponential growth of your community.

Then in 2010, we saw the emergence of the feature “sponsor” in the publications of Pages. It was a question of giving a boost to our publications. As of 2012, Facebook ecosystem observers have seen a sharp decline in the organic reach of Pages’ publications year after year. Organic reach dropped nearly 50% on Facebook throughout 2016, according to industry experts and this is due to an increase in the number of posts being published.

Facebook is currently testing in six countries a new feature that would put all of Pages’ publications in a separate new tab of your news feed. Only posts from your network of friends, as well as “sponsored” page publications would now appear in your main thread.

In 2018, we predict the beginning of the end of the organic reach of publications on Facebook.

The post Prediction #1 – R.I.P. Organic Reach appeared first on CASACOM.

CASACOM’s Toronto office team will work with OnDeck to roll out a series of communications programs including strategic media relations campaigns, speaking engagements and events, local business outreach, and other exciting initiatives designed to empower and educate small business owners across the country.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with an innovative company like OnDeck to help them reach the small business owners who have an opportunity to benefit greatly from their personalized, customized approach to online lending,” said Suzanne Rappaport, Vice President Strategy, CASACOM Toronto. “As a small business that’s experienced significant growth ourselves, we feel as though we understand and can relate to OnDeck’s target audience—positioning us to disseminate their brand story in a meaningful way.”

OnDeck has been supporting and empowering small businesses in the United States since 2007 via reliable, short-term online lending solutions. In 2014, they extended their offering to the approximately 1.1 million small businesses in Canada, and last year they increased that offering, providing flexible loans up to $250,000. Today, the brand is on a mission to educate and grow small businesses in Canada by enabling business owners to have quicker access to funds, right when they need them.

“Many small businesses rely on borrowed capital to help them fuel growth and fund working capital, but less than half actually get it,” said Gary Fearnall, Country Manager, OnDeck Canada. “The traditional loan approval process may be too slow to meet the needs of a business trying to respond to an opportunity quickly. Our goal is to empower small businesses and arm them with both the information and the tools they need to recognize, react and grow.”

Since OnDeck entered Canada in 2014, the company has delivered more than CAD$50 million in financing to Canadian small businesses. OnDeck’s term loans enable eligible Canadian small businesses to access capital from CAD$5,000 to CAD$250,000 (up from CAD$150,000) with loan repayment terms of 6 to 24 months. With a simplified application process – hours instead of weeks – and deposited funds in a business’ bank account within 24 to 48 hours, OnDeck is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of small businesses.

Also unique is the brand’s proprietary technology and small business credit scoring system, the OnDeck Score®, which efficiently evaluates a business’ creditworthiness allowing it to make targeted lending decisions in real time.

“Our scoring system evaluates businesses based on their actual performance, not just personal credit, allowing small business owners to keep their personal finances separate and establish boundaries while building a strong credit profile, said Fearnall. “Building a good credit profile and becoming a savvier borrower will help business owners be prepared when growth opportunities come knocking.”
With Small Business Month in full swing, CASACOM is already diligently working alongside OnDeck to contribute to the conversation around small business growth and success in Canada.
To learn more about OnDeck and its lending options for Canadian small businesses, visit www.ondeck.com/canada

The post OnDeck Canada Announces Strategic Partnership with Integrated Communications Firm, CASACOM appeared first on CASACOM.

The group board of directors is charged with setting and leading the strategic direction of Worldcom. The group and region boards work with and are supported by key committees and Worldcom staff leadership. The boards’ focus is on advancing the brand, increasing partner value, driving thought leadership and knowledge sharing and creating business opportunities for individual, regional and global agency collaboration. Worldcom utilizes the best advantages of independent, combined with the supportive, collaborative partnership to provide a different, better option to clients seeking results oriented marketing and communications solutions.

In addition to Chaikin, the Worldcom global board officers are:

• Chair-elect: Patrik Schober, managing partner, Pram Consulting, Prague, Czech Republic
• Past Chair: Stephanie Paul, managing director, The Phillips Group Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Australia
• Treasurer: Marie-Josée Gagnon, president and founder, CASACOM, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Marketing: Chris Baldwin, principal, True Digital Communications, Cleveland, Ohio
• Membership/Recruitment: Corinna Voss, managing director, HBI GmbH, Munich, Germany
• Business Development: Crispin Manners, CEO, Onva Consulting, Surrey, United Kingdom
• Partner Satisfaction: Monty Hagler, president and CEO, RLF Communications, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Knowledge Sharing/Practice Groups: Angelica Consiglio, CEO, Planin, Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Asia Pacific Region Chair: Thomas B. Van Blarcom, managing director, TQPR, Bangkok, Thailand
• EMEA Region Chair: András Nagy, managing director, Probako Communications, Budapest, Hungary
• Americas Region Chair: Tom Donoghue, APR, president, Donoghue & Associates, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

“The diversity and experience of our board reflects the broad scope of Worldcom, which delivers world-class results in every market by combining deep local expertise with a uniquely supportive network,” said Chaikin. “These boards are not in title only, but make significant contributions to the strategic direction and success of Worldcom. The synergy between the group and region boards and between the boards and Worldcom staff have resulted in substantial advancements for our brand and significant benefits for our partners and their clients.”

Regional boards were also elected. The Worldcom Americas Board officers include:

• Chair/Canada Partner Recruitment: Tom Donoghue, APR, president, Donoghue & Associates, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• Past Chair: Sharon Linhart, managing partner, Linhart PR, Denver, Colorado
• Chair Elect: Sean Rossall, CEO and managing partner, Dick Jones Communications, Los Angeles, California
• Latin America/Partner Recruitment: Luis Avellanedo Ulloa, managing director, Realidades, Lima, Peru
• Latin America/Retention: Daniel Feged, general director/CEO, Grupo Albión, Bogota, Colombia
• Treasurer: Chris Costello, CFO, Deveney, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Marketing: Jon Bloom, CEO, chief strategy officer, founding partner, McGrath/Power Public Relations & Communications, San Jose, California
• Partner Recruitment: Gary Wells, senior managing director, Dix & Eaton, Cleveland, Ohio
• Partner Retention/Peer Review: Brad Fishman, CEO, Fishman PR, Northbrook, Illinois
• Meetings: Tim Oliver, president/principal, MorganMyers, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Professional Development: Brian Fox, principal, Enterprise Canada, Toronto, Ontario
• Partnerships: Cory Stewart, senior vice president/COO, Cookerly Public Relations, Atlanta, Georgia

The Worldcom EMEA (Europe Middle East Africa) Board officers include:

• Chair: András Nagy, managing director, Probako Communications, Budapest, Hungary
• Past Chair: Patrik Schober, managing director, PRAM Consulting, Prague, Czech Republic
• Treasurer: Hans Karperien, managing director, InstiCOM, Brussels, Belgium
• Business Development & Marketing: Crispin Manners, CEO, Onva Consulting, Surrey, United Kingdom
• Peer Review: Caroline Prince, managing director, Yucatan, Paris, France
• New Membership Co-Chair: Corinna Voss, managing director, HBI GmbH, Munich, Germany
• New Membership Co-Chair: Björn Mogensen, senior PR consultant, Oxensteirna & Partners, Stockholm, Sweden
• Retention: Theo Snijders, managing consultant, Wisse Kommunikatie, Arnhem, The Netherlands
• Young Consultants: Todor Janev, Janev & Janev, Sofia, Bulgaria

The Worldcom Asia Pacific Board officers include:

• Chair: Thomas B. Van Blarcom, managing director, TQPR, Bangkok, Thailand
• Past Chair: Niall Dologhan, partner, TQPR, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Treasurer: Niall Dologhan, partner, TQPR, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Partner Recruitment: Thomas B. Van Blarcom, managing director, TQPR, Bangkok, Thailand
• Marketing: Aman Gupta, managing partner, SPAG Consultants, Gurgaon, Haryana, India

For more information, contact:  

Todd Lynch
Managing Director
Worldcom Public Relations Group
904-677-4141
toddlynch@worldcomgroup.com

About Worldcom Public Relations Group

Worldcom Public Relations Group utilizes a trusted global partnership of independent firms to help clients create the perfect solution to any PR challenge or opportunity, regardless of geography, industry or discipline required. Worldcom’s independently owned public relations firms boast 138 offices in 110 cities on six continents, 2,000+ total employees, and combined revenues of more than $288 million in 2015. The average tenure of Worldcom partners is 13 years. Whether seeking a single firm or creating the ideal solution/team through a collaboration of Worldcom partners, brands have access to seasoned professionals dedicated to providing creative, strategic solutions that deliver results. Our firms are accustomed to working together and provide agility, strong media and local influencer relationships, deep industry and discipline experience and the knowledge and willingness to provide thoughtful, objective, results-driven counsel. Learn more about Worldcom at www.worldcomgroup.com or call Todd Lynch at 1-800-955-9675.

Connect with Worldcom PR Group on Facebook and LinkedIn

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The post Worldcom Public Relations Group Elects Global, Regional Board of Directors; Dix & Eaton’s Scott Chaikin Returns as Global Board Chair appeared first on CASACOM.

“Beyond a revamped design, we wanted to offer added value to users by developing an innovative digital solution for any mobile device,” says Gergely Maderspach, Director, Web and Digital Communications at CASACOM. “With our client, we developed a way to convert their exclusive data and transmit them to users through a simplified dashboard.”

The website includes a dashboard with very useful functionalities: live traffic conditions, traffic cameras, in-progress road closures or obstructions, and the seven-day work schedule on the Corporation’s structures. Motorists, truck drivers, cyclists and pedestrians can also get text-message alerts about major closures or emergency work.

“The website allows visitors to discover the infrastructure under the responsibility of the Corporation through new anecdotes and fact sheets, as well as learn more about their history,” adds Brigitte Pouliot, Director, Integrated Communications.

The post CASACOM implements new website of The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated appeared first on CASACOM.

Here are 5 tips that will help you successfully expand in Canada.
1) Do your research

While it may seem obvious, it’s imperative that business owners research how trade is done in Canada – from different labor rules to language laws to business practices.

2) Develop a leadership team

We recommend managing locally as much as possible. To ensure success, it’s vital to have leadership in the country who can swiftly respond to customers’ dynamics and competitors’ activities.

3) Find your niche

When expanding to Canada, one of the biggest mistakes made by foreign companies is relying on their reputation abroad. Counting on your way of doing business in other countries will not help you succeed in Canada. You must find your niche beforehand in the Canadian market and treat Canadian consumers as a separate market. With that being said, never price items higher than your American stores, as prices may be familiar to Canadian customers.

4) Localize e-Commerce

Create an online shopping experience specifically for the Canadian consumer. Prices should be shown in Canadian dollars with only products that are shippable in the country. Accurate taxes and shipping charges are also mandatory.

5) Understand cultural differences

Canada is a huge country with a variety of demographics and markets. Factoring in language and cultural differences only adds to the challenge. For example, Quebec is a vastly different market to Alberta. Canadians have different values and beliefs than our neighbours to the south or across the pond. Understanding these differences, even within the Canadian market, and then taking this into account for your sales, marketing and advertising is crucial. Never launch in a country without understanding how people there shop.

An additional tip… partner with a local firm to help facilitate your entry. At CASACOM, we can help you successfully expand your business to Canada. We use our experience and skills so you can better understand the Canadian landscape and markets. Contact us if you wish to discuss this further.

The post 5 Tips for Expanding in Canada appeared first on CASACOM.

Will Canadians be spending less this holiday season and shopping online more?

Analytics company, SAS has released new research that suggests one in five Canadians plan to spend less on their holiday gift shopping this year than last (the poll included 3,458 consumers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand). Here are some statistics you may be interested in knowing; an infographic is included in the link below as well that highlights more of their findings.

• Despite the growth of online retail, much of Canadians’ holiday shopping is still done in store, with 82% saying they planned to head to bricks-and-mortar locations.
• Discount retailers were cited as the top destination (63%).
• Department stores proved enticing for only 43%, followed by warehouse retailers (34%), drug stores (28%) and local boutiques (27%).

“Infographic: ‘Tis the season to be frugal” (Strategy Magazine)

Social Media:

It was hard to miss the “Starbucks” headlines this week; from newspapers to television shows, like Ellen to thousands of comments on social media about Starbucks changing their past cups that had snowmen and Christmas trees, to a simple red with the company’s green logo. It’s been a very hot topic where some people have expressed utter outrage claiming Starbucks “hates Christmas/Jesus.”

The move was clearly a branding decision to be more inclusive while still maintaining a Christmas look and feel. So far, Starbucks has handled the situation pretty well.  Rather than putting out a formal statement, they published a blog post that explains in an even tone the history of their holiday cup designs, taking special care to remain inclusive.

How do you feel about the change in cup design in colour? Does it really matter? You can read more about this in the link below.

“Starbucks’ holiday cup at the center of red-hot discussion” (PR Daily)

Press Releases:

Earlier this year, Google started putting company press releases in its news search results. Amanda Grinavich, account manager for SHIFT Communications, writes in PR News’ Digital PR & Social Media Guidebook, that Google understands that press releases are still valuable for regulatory requirements and for notifying journalists of legitimately important news. She provides four steps to make sure your press releases rank high in Google searches:

• Step One: Create a compelling release
• Step Two: Make sure everyone on your team is up to speed on Google’s latest changes
• Step Three: Within your release, make sure you are linking to your business or the product name that is the focus of the release
• Step Four: Partner with a reputable wire service that keeps track of and understands the changes to Google’s search algorithm

More details on these four steps can be found below:

“How to Get Your Press Releases Found in Google Searches—and Avoid SEO Penalties” (PR News)

The post CASACOM’s Favourite Communication News & Stories of the Week appeared first on CASACOM.

Media Relations:

Building great media lists take a lot of time, care and strategy and you should apply dedication to it like any other work or task in your job. Below are some proven tactics that can help you manage your reporter and blogger relationships and building your list the right way. Each tactic is described in more detail in the article link below:

• Value quality over quantity
• Check out your competitors
• Ask before you add
• Take the time to make personal connections
• Stay informed about who covers your topics of interest

“Five steps to creating a useful media contacts list” (PR Daily)

Brands:

Most of us have a sweet tooth and in the spirit of Halloween we thought we would share the top 10 favourite Halloween candies from a recent Reader’s Digest article. Maybe some of yours are on the list! Fun and interesting facts you might not have known about each are also included.

• Gobstoppers
• Nerds
• Popeye Candy Sticks
• Fun Dip
• Snickers
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• Whoppers
• Junior Mints
• Hershey’s Chocolate
• Tootsie Roll

“Top 10 Best Halloween Candies” (Reader’s Digest)

Retail:

According to a new analysis by consultant Ed Strapagiel, some retailers might be in for a “rude awakening” come this holiday season. Based on the most recent data from Statistics Canada, total Canadian retail sales were up only 1.4% year-over-year as of August.

Strapagiel attributes that mainly to significantly lower gas station prices, although he points out that other sectors are also “losing steam,” like grocery stores. However, home furnishing stores, shoe stores, and jewellery, luggage and leather goods stores all had above average sales gains, according to the data. You can read more about this report in the article link below.

“Canadian retail growth slowing down” (Strategy Magazine)

The post CASACOM’s Favourite Stories, Facts & Tips of the Week appeared first on CASACOM.