Promoting CAs In the principally r...

Promoting CAs

In the principally recent member survey you told us promoting the profession was a top priority. We agree. That's to what end it's part of our operational plan, and on what account we're continually looking for recent ways to raise the profession's profile in BC

Promotion posts the gamut from event sponsorship to television advertising. For the past three years, we've focused onward earned media coverage, which means publicizing CAs as skilled hands in their respective fields. We do this through commenting on a variety of business and financial issues, including the provincial store process (which was summarized in the December 2003 GR Update).

These media messages name chartered accountants and directly link them in a actual tangible way with our belief in promoting fiscal discretion business development, and economic prosperity. As well, we cause studies such as the CA Business foresight and the BC Check-Up, the one and the other of which provide insight forward the state of the province.

Paid advertising

We haven't ignored paid advertising during this time, granting we have cut our advertising parcel dramatically. For a time, we used nationally produc ads; last year, when these ads stopped being produc we created our own

Members are the focus of our advertising, which includes running monthly ads in BC Business featuring our newest FCAs and Early Achievement Award winners (an initiative we mentioned in dus row in June/July 2003).

We also advertise forward Business in Vancouver's electronic headline service. The primary focus of this advertising is to encourage race to visit our website and dig more deeply into resources like as the BC Check-Up and CICA publications.

National promotion

Any exemplar of promotion is cumulative-the more ways and the more times you hear a message, the more likely it is to stick with you. generally we're focused on creating a stout national message campaign to stir up the strength of the 68000 CAs across Canada. This undertaking won't happen overnight, however we are hoping to have consequence s to share with you in the coming month Our first priority, as part of the national strategic planning proces publicly underway, is to determine the profession's central message. Deciding for what cause to then get that message across will succeed in short order.

Earned media

Last year our earned media campaign generated 160 media stories, which appeared in papers and forward radio and television stations across the province. further the success of this earned media hangs on your participation. We ne your ideas and your voice to make secure that the public understands the value of CAs.

Here are three ways you can help us encourage the profession:

Share your story ideas, and take an account of us about yourself

Is there something going onward in your community you'd like to promote? Are you an quick on a topic that's generally in the news? Let us know, and we'll help you prepare media coverage-either by helping you write a freshs release or coaching you onward how to talk to the media.

And put to hire us know in advance what you're interested in talking about. We have a media directory that we make available to reporters, and we use this information, along with what we know about your business, to decide which clever to call for any given situation. If you want us to call you more repeatedly tell us more about you.

Remember, getting quot in the local media reveals your community you're an experienced person and it's a great way to commit to memory the name of your company or firm not at home there.

Respond when we call

Building a relationship with media exits is important for the Institute and its membership. To do this, we ne to be able to join the media with experts onward a variety of subjects. If they call us and we don't have anyone to belong them to, it's likely they will not call us again.

The nature of media is that all of these asks require a prompt response. in such a manner if someone calls you with a potential media opportunity, answer their call as soon as you can, on the same level if you can't or are unwilling to talk to them about the enslave in question. This will give us the chance to redirect the enquiry to another member.

Nominate someone

Want to diocese CAs from your industry, firm, or community recognized? Nominate them for Fellowship or an Early Achievement Award. In addition to appearing in BC Business, many of these award recipients receive media coverage in their local communities and trade media.

If you'd like more information forward the ICABCs media relations or would like to join our directory, contact the Manager of Public Affairs Michelle McCormick at mccormick@ica.bc.ca or 604-488-2625

Get the message out

BY LESLEY MACGREGOR AND MICHELLE MCCORMICK

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Copyright Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia Feb/Mar 2004

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