Earnscliffe and Kaiser & Partners had the honour of participating in this year’s “Passport to PR” event by the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). This offered aspiring PR professionals the opportunity to learn more about the industry from agency experts.
Our portion of the event consisted of providing students with insights on financial communications and investor relations and was followed by “Faces of PR”, a panel discussion focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the industry.
Financial communications and investor relations
Keera Hart, vice president and lead of financial services, and Shane Madill, account director, provided an overview of the financial services sector while emphasizing the importance of building relationships with current and prospective investors.
In PR, integrated approaches are common and even encouraged in financial communications.
- Communicating on behalf of financial companies can entail the full array of PR possibilities, including media relations, social media, influencer relations, community relations, thought leadership, design and government relations.
- Investor relations can be done for all sorts of private and public companies across various sectors through investor perception audits, roadshow support, script development, and annual reports and quarterly earnings.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to financial communications. PR professionals require in-depth client knowledge to recommend the best possible solutions. As markets change, financial communications and investor relations continue to evolve, requiring PR professionals to constantly re-evaluate old approaches. It is important to have a “people first” approach that is adaptable to keep up with current trends.
Following the presentation on financial communications and investor relations, students had the opportunity to ask questions and network with presenters and other K&P employees. There was a large interest in crisis communications and how to approach crises. We highlighted the importance of deliverables such as training simulation sessions and emergency response plans that help with reactive needs and proactive preparations with investors as a critical audience.
Faces of PR
In today’s evolving PR landscape, DE&I has gradually taken center stage in communications, especially in Canada, which is home to an increasingly diverse population. Samuel Rabindran, account coordinator, and Isabella Bedoya, a student from Humber College, shared their experiences in the Faces of PR panel discussion as individuals with a diverse background navigating the industry.
The conversation focused on the challenges that individuals from diverse backgrounds encounter in educational and professional settings and how these experiences shape their careers in PR. A key takeaway from the discussion was that communicators are no longer addressing a homogenous audience. Instead, they are speaking to diverse groups, and it is essential for those crafting key messages to understand their audiences. There was a strong consensus that lived experience should play a more significant role in shaping communications.
The panel concluded with a focus on the importance of evolving hiring practices to better support DE&I initiatives. Stronger DE&I policies not only create opportunities for diverse talent while increasing recognition and inclusion but also manifest their way into client work by bringing fresh perspectives to the table. As organizations increasingly seek counsel on nurturing inclusion, the panel discussions emphasized that valuing alignment and diversity in communications is necessary for impactful, authentic engagement with today’s audiences.
What comes next?
As PR in Canada and Toronto continues to evolve, this cohort brings a high level of knowledge and awareness of different perspectives that will be beneficial throughout their careers.
We are always happy to support aspiring PR professionals looking to learn more about the industry. Thank you to CPRS Toronto for allowing us to speak with this next generation of experts!