Dick Lemon - Nova Scotia's Tourism Innovator of the Year
MT&L is pleased to congratulate Dick Lemon, winner of the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia's 2009 Innovator of the Year award.
Dick was presented the award for his development of Five Islands Retreat, his creation of the Not Since Moses run, and his opening of Mo's at Five Islands, a café, book and art store and hostel.
Dick is a successful businessman from California who came across Five Islands, Nova Scotia, several years ago and fell in love with the place. As with the other initiatives Dick is involved with, his goal is to give back to communities and the people who live in them.
Those interested in running in 2010 are encouraged to watch the website for registration details (check in mid-April).
Congratulations Dick!
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PolyCello's thinking outside the "pouch" leads to success
PolyCello, an Amherst, Nova Scotia-based flexible packaging company has been thinking outside the pouch for more than 50 years. Under the guidance of third-generation CEO Stephen Emmerson, PolyCello has recently been awarded the 2010 Nova Scotia Family Enterprise of the Year award from the Canadian Association of Family Enterprises (CAFÉ) and has requalified as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies. PolyCello's innovative packaging solutions is making it easier for North American shoppers to be environmentally-friendly.
With more than one billion non-recyclable, bottom-gusseted stand-up pouches produced in North America alone annually, and customer demand for greener packaging on the rise, PolyCello developed an environmentally-friendly, recyclable packaging solution.
PolyCello's environmentally-friendly pouches are developed using their SmartPack Technology. The VOC-free process reduces the number of films required for a given package, saves production time, and reduces the environmental impact—both in the process and in the packaging.
MT&L is pleased to congratulate PolyCello on their awards!
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Branding our bridges
Halifax Dartmouth Bridge Commission, one of MT&L's longest-standing clients, and one of this region's longest-standing and vital transportation infrastructures, recently refreshed their visual identity, and MT&L was happy to be part of the process. Long-known as the Halifax Dartmouth Bridge Commission, the organization launched its new visual identity.
The last time that HDBC introduced a new logo was in 1980. Since that time, they have worked hard to establish the bridges as the link between communities providing, safe, efficient and reliable service to a growing number of users. While the organizational name will not change legally or legislatively, "Halifax Harbour Bridges" (HHB) is the organization's new public face.
Research confirmed that our bridges are seen as iconic symbols of the region as well as functional structures; they are vital links between communities and are crucial to the region's economy and infrastructure. Regardless of whether a person crosses the bridges or not, many acknowledged that life without the bridges "would be chaos." It was determined desirable for the public to not only feel appreciative of "their bridges," however, but also feel that the organization responsible for them is a professional, progressive, and reliable force.
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New name, new logo - immigration
We're pleased to have had the opportunity to work with MISA (Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association) and HILC (Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre) to create their new visual identity as they merged their organizations to become one—ISIS (Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services). The full service immigration organization helps immigrants to fully integrate into our community.
The new visual identity is focused on newcomers to Canada. Demonstrating a tone that is warm and "of the people", ISIS has created a unified brand for the organization that is clean, professional and direct. The natural palette colours and the curviness of the letters provide a warm and friendly tone without feeling too formal or impersonal.
The primary brand consideration speaks to "being all about people" with a subtle graphical representation of people in the acronym. We wish ISIS all the best as they roll out their new brand and build upon their existing reputation as a community leader.
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Kim West named CPRS Fellow
We are proud to announce that Kim West, Principal, was admitted to the Canadian Public Relations Society's College of Fellows. The only Atlantic Canadian practitioner to be admitted this year, Kim will be honoured for her outstanding contributions to the profession of public relations at the CPRS national conference in June 2010.
To qualify for Fellowship status, members must have been public relations practitioners for 20 years, CPRS members for 10 years and must have obtained Accredited Public Relations (APR) practitioner certification. They must also be recognized as having brought a significant contribution to the practice of public relations and to the Canadian Public Relations Society.
Kim has certainly proved her place in the profession and we applaud her!
Welcome Ned Perry
Ned Perry joins the team as a Senior Consultant. Ned has provided expert counsel to many of Canada's leading executives in the private, public and non-profit sectors. He has served leadership roles in public affairs, media relations, change and issues management, employee engagement initiatives, and strategic communications planning and execution.
Prior to relocating to Halifax from Toronto, and one of the city's leading communications agencies, Ned spent several years in B.C. working with a few key Ministries.
Read more about Ned and the other members of the MT&L team here.
Welcome Leo Artalejo
Joining MT&L as Senior Counsel, Leo is a strategist and communications professional with proven experience establishing new ideas as market standards. Most recently, Leo ran a communications consultancy in Seattle, Washington, providing product, presentation, and branding strategy to Fortune 500 technology companies, marketing agencies, and non-profit organizations.
Prior to that he worked for Microsoft for 12 years, leading a broad range of software and business development efforts, driving customer and partner outreach and serving as a technology spokesperson through the rise of the Internet and both the dot com and bomb periods. While at Microsoft, Leo was responsible for directing executive communications for Microsoft Windows, ensuring integration and consistency of messaging to audiences as diverse as financial analysts, computer manufacturers, and lawmakers. Passionate about the art of storytelling, one of his unique talents is expressing complex ideas in clear and compelling ways; he is as comfortable talking to policy makers as programmers.
In addition to his extensive experience creating and developing executive presentations, his background in technology strategy helps clients leverage new technologies in ways that make the most sense for their industry and audience.
Read more about Leo and the other members of the MT&L team here.
Welcome Gavin Anderegg
Gavin joins the MT&L team as web d00d par excellence. As an online
consultant and coder, he applies the strengths of the net to our
clients' communications. Gavin has worked as a web developer and server
administrator for years prior to joining MT&L, and more than keeps pace
with the speed of online innovation: there isn't a program, platform or
product that has come and gone over the past ten years that Gavin hasn't
discovered, tested, and graded according to usefulness and design.
Read more about Gavin and the other members of the MT&L team here.
Welcome Devon Mason
As MT&L's newest designer, Devon brings a fresh perspective to our
clients' communications pieces. We rely on his creativity, inspiration
and talents to build brands and deliver messages for our clients with
style and substance. His insights have powered regional, national and
international campaigns, in print and online.
Read more about Devon and the other members of the MT&L team here.
The Art of Prosperity - Smart Business Needs Art
MT&L has sponsored the Halifax Chamber of Commerce State of the Province Address since its inception, and each year we highlight a topic of importance to Nova Scotians, the business community, and to us as an organization. Most recently, we focused on the Art of Prosperity—shining a light on the connection between arts, creativity, innovation and economic prosperity and making the point that smart business needs art.
In collaboration with the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the foyer of the venue was transformed into an art gallery, showcasing creative works by some of Nova Scotia's most talented artists.
Members of the 500+ sold-out audience were encouraged to visit their local centres of art and each guest provided with passes to the Seeds Gallery at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and the Jean-Pierre Gauthier exhibit at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
Awards and Honours
While these awards are a source of pride, our real pride is found in the work we do with our many clients. Recently, our clients have been honoured with awards from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS).
Joggins
The Joggins Fossil Institute was awarded a "Silver Leaf" for its work in engaging stakeholders and communications. Joggins is one of only two IABC award recipients from Atlantic Canada. Since being inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site last year, Joggins has received accolades and awards both nationally and internationally.
Shear Wind
Shear Wind Energy's Glen Dhu wind farm project was judged as deserving a Gold Award of Excellence by the Canadian Public Relations Society category of Government Relations and Public Relations. The Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding achievement in a comprehensive public relations project or program. The Glen Dhu project was the only Gold Award Winner in Atlantic Canada. At the May Atlantic Gemstones Awards, the project received a Merit Award from the Nova Scotia Chapter of the Canadian Public Relations Society.
The project won an Award of Merit from the International Association of Business Communicators. The judges commented about how well the project was conceived, created and executed; how appropriate the strategy and objectives were in relation to the results achieved; and how well the project demonstrated a sound understanding of its intended audience.
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The Tour for the Cure is on the road
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's Tour for the Cure will visit 110 communities over five months throughout Atlantic Canada as it spreads the breast screening message: "Early and routine screening is a person's best defence against breast cancer, so book a mammogram now."
MT&L is pleased to be part of this two-year initiative, the result of collaboration with provincial governments to ensure that the services will be available for women across the region. Be on the lookout as the giant pink bus pulls into your town, or visit www.tourforthecure.ca to find out more about the Tour and breast screening.
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Shear Wind Energy receives regulatory approval
As demand for more renewable energy grows, the opportunities for our green technology clients have risen in tandem. MT&L was happy to work with Shear Wind Inc. as they achieved environmental approval for their 60-megawatt Glen Dhu project.
The proposed wind farm will include 30 turbines, each producing 2 megawatts of power – enough power for 17,500 homes. And the power it generates will be clean, safe, renewable and less expensive than energy currently produced from traditional sources, such as burning coal. The Glen Dhu project is based near the small community of Merigomish, in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. MT&L's community engagement and government relations strategy has helped increase awareness and support for the project, and was recently honoured with a Gold Award of Excellence at the national Canadian Public Relations Society's annual conference in Vancouver.
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The best thing you'll never do
Please litter! That's the message the Nova Scotia Department of Environment launched to the people of Nova Scotia in March 2009. The reverse-psychology campaign created by MT&L raised the awareness of Nova Scotians about the increasing problem of litter.
In 2008, a Department of Environment survey reported a 21 percent increase in litter across Nova Scotia compared to four years earlier. This was despite a number of anti-litter and awareness campaigns urging people to do something about it.
The Best Thing You'll Never Do campaign, flipped things on their head by introducing the notion that the problem of litter could be remedied by NOT doing something. Stop throwing litter on the ground. That's all. The campaign ran on transit shelters and radio, and was distributed through the Department's broad stakeholder network. Its reach was further magnified by the strong support of such private sector partners as the Nova Scotia Automobile Dealers Association, Wilsons Fuels, and Tim Hortons who advertised, displayed posters, put up point-of-purchase display decals or distributed reusable litter bags. The campaign directed Nova Scotians to a website where they could learn more, become part of the solution, and sign an online pledge to be a non-litterer. To date, over 2,200 people have taken the pledge from throughout Nova Scotia, across Canada, and from places as far away as Australia and the UK.
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CanJet receives universal praise for its crisis communications
In April, an armed man inexplicably managed to get through airport security and hold more than 160 passengers and crew hostage on board CanJet flight 918 in Jamaica. The event ended peacefully but only after many tense hours of negotiations and the eventual storming of the aircraft by Jamaican security forces.
CanJet's crisis communication plan – built and regularly tested by MT&L – was put into action within minutes of the gunman boarding the plane. The event rapidly drew international media attention, with demands for interviews, news conferences, facts, updates and clarifications from reporters at outlets as diverse as the BBC, The Toronto Star, The Chronicle Herald in Halifax, CNN and even Hello! magazine.
During the first critical 36 hours – and beyond – MT&L provided full communications and media relations support to CanJet, which received universal praise for its handling of the incident. And we were honoured to accompany the CanJet crew when they travelled recently to Ottawa, where they received official recognition from the Prime Minister, MPs and the Governor General for their bravery and professionalism.
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