Communications

Constructive Feedback vs. Armchair Quarterback

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on April 23rd, 2012

I have seen a couple of incidents of criticism that were wrapped in the concept of  “feedback” that are still wrinkling me. Given that as communicators, most of what we do is put out for review and input, I think that there might be some value in my little rant about what is and isn’t constructive criticism.

I have a friend that is currently working on a volunteer project. She is putting in many, many hours as a volunteer to help our former high school celebrate its 100-year anniversary. The small group of volunteers producing this event have done a…

The Value of a Case Study

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on April 20th, 2012

We’ve been having some interesting discussions in the AHA office. It’s time to review our case studies and do an update. We have had several projects recently that just cry out to be highlighted in a case study and I am looking forward to writing them. We have been chatting about whether or not to revise the format we use for case studies and discussing what the objective of a case study is, and several points have come up.

The objective of a case study is (or can be):

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5 Communications Lessons I Learned from the Vancouver Sun Run

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on April 16th, 2012

For many of us in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland, yesterday was an important day. It was the annual Sun Run, a 10K run through the beautiful streets of Vancouver. It was my first Sun Run and it was a very good personal experience. Interestingly enough, as I sat down with a cup of tea (and two extra-strength Advil) last night and reflected on it, I realized that there were some solid communications lessons in it as well.

Preparation is key
I was fortunate enough to join a Sun Run Training Group in my hometown of Gibsons, B.C. We started in January…

Writers and Editors Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on April 09th, 2012

Every once in a while, I come across an article or blog post that is so helpful it is almost unbelievable. The online world and social media have given us access to so much great information (and some not so great, so you have to be discerning).

Every great writer I have worked with has realized the value of a great editor. Creating interesting, informative, relevant and engaging content takes both a writer and an editor. It’s a little bit like peanut butter cups… On their own, chocolate and peanut butter are really good; together – it’s a whole different…

The Little Things Matter

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 30th, 2012

In today’s AHA Fast Take Friday, Ruth is in Calgary talking about how a communications professional needs do all the little things well in order to be successful.

“Plan B” – Do You Have One?

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 23rd, 2012

In today’s AHA Fast Take Friday, Ruth is in Toronto talking about why it’s important to create a “Plan B” for your communications initiatives.

Maintaining a Fresh Perspective

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 13th, 2012

They say: “timing is everything.” It’s true. And perspective is right there beside it.

We have a fun, interesting looking clock in the AHA kitchen. I am sure it was inspired by the works of Salvador Dali. It is kind of melting and surreal, and when a person first sees it, they are unsure how to tell what time it is. It’s been hanging in the kitchen for about a year now. It seems perfectly normal to those of us who spend any time in the room.

We had an AHA crew member come by a few days ago and…

Be authentic to your brand

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 02nd, 2012

In today’s AHA Fast Take Friday, Ruth is in Las Vegas talking about staying true to your brand.

It’s about the connection

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on February 16th, 2012

I had the opportunity to speak to communications students at Capilano University earlier this week. They are smart, engaged and are going to bring some great, new energy to the PR world. Connecting with students always inspires me, it makes me realize how fortunate I am to work in PR and it reminds me how valuable PR is to an organization.

There are many, many functions of PR. At the foundation, we help our clients to build positive relationships with their “publics.” (You can replace the word publics with the noun that works for you: stakeholders, audience, target market, employees,…

3 lessons a bad telemarketer taught me about communications

Posted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on February 14th, 2012

For some reason, we are experiencing an increase in those time-wasting, frustrating, painful calls from telemarketers that try to sell you something that you don’t want and you don’t need. We’re also getting companies that want us to send business their way because “we’re good” and “your clients would be happy using our services.” (Really? Is that why I get up in the morning? To introduce you, someone I don’t know, to the clients we have built strong relationships with over many years???)

So for any of you reading this that recognize yourself in the paragraph above—STOP CALLING! (I doubt…