Agency recognized for communications excellence in GTA

TORONTO, May 31, 2012―The Toronto chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) announced today that Broad Reach Communications has been awarded two 2012 OVATION Awards. The awards were presented last night at an awards gala at the Liberty Grand.

The OVATION Awards recognize the best the communications industry has to offer in the Greater Toronto Area. Judging was performed by a panel of senior communications professionals, accredited practitioners and technical specialists. Two separate judges carefully reviewed each entry independently and then jointly reviewed the submissions and results across all 19 award categories.

“This year marked another exceptional, record-breaking year for the OVATION Awards, our industry-leading awards program,” said Trell Huether, IABC/Toronto President. “The high calibre of this year’s submissions demonstrates the significant amount of innovative work being done in the GTA communications community.”

“Given our firm’s culture is built on producing outstanding work and exceeding client expectations, it is rewarding to have some of our best work recognized by our peers,” explained Andrea Lekushoff, President, Broad Reach Communications. “We feel fortunate to have been given so many great opportunities by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and we look forward to our continued collaboration.”

Broad Reach received an Award of Excellence in the writing category for a Deloitte thought leadership report entitled Unplugged: Electric Vehicle Realities Versus Consumer Expectations.

In 2011, Deloitte asked Broad Reach to write Unplugged: Electric Vehicle Realities Versus Consumer Expectations, a 30-page thought leadership report that outlines the findings of a survey of 13,000 consumers in 17 countries. The report looks closely at the results of the survey, paying special attention to geographical differences and similarities in consumer responses. Deloitte’s Global Manufacturing Industry Group used the report to educate policymakers, automotive executives, and electric utility industry executives on current and future consumer expectations for the electric vehicle.

Unplugged quickly became one of the most successful Global Manufacturing Industry Group reports of the last decade and helped Deloitte achieve thought leadership eminence on a global scale. As a result, the report was published in eight languages, dozens of executives around the world contacted Deloitte to learn about the global trends showcased in the report and Deloitte was invited to present the report to senior executives at five international auto shows.

Awareness for this report was further demonstrated by 4,800 webpages views, 2,500 report downloads, and 450 high-quality media stories generated around the world. As a result of the widespread prominence created by the report, executives and government leaders around the world now see Deloitte as a pre-eminent thought leader in the global electric vehicle car market, but more importantly, as a leading professional services firm they can call upon as a trusted advisor in this area.

Broad Reach was honoured with an Award of Merit in the media relations category for its “Creating Eminence for Deloitte Canada by Leveraging its 2011 Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions” media relations campaign.

In late 2010, Broad Reach was tasked with developing and executing a national Canadian media relations program on behalf of Deloitte Canada for its 2011 Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions report ─ an annual series of insights showcasing the emerging global TMT trends expected to significantly affect businesses and consumers in the coming year. To achieve program objectives, Broad Reach conducted extensive media outreach on the program’s global launch date across print, radio, TV and online media in key markets across the country. Broad Reach was also tasked with generating a second round of coverage while co-ordinating a cross-Canada regional media tour over two weeks following the launch. Tailored media materials and strategic outreach helped ignite a national discussion around emerging TMT trends, featuring Deloitte’s Predictions and showcasing its spokespeople prominently and positively in stories.

Media coverage exceeded all campaign goals and expectations, creating an unprecedented volume and quality of media coverage for the program and for Deloitte Canada: more than 128.5 million audience impressions were generated by 210 on-message stories, of which 95 per cent were featured in top-tier media across print, radio, TV and online outlets. High-profile media stories appeared nationally and regionally, with all coverage highlighting Deloitte’s eminence in this area and building its profile among key stakeholder groups across the country.

About IABC/Toronto
With more than 1,800 members, IABC/Toronto is the largest IABC chapter in the world. The organization provides these members with multidisciplinary resources and a global network of more than 15,000 communicators, in 80 countries, working in diverse industries and disciplines to identify, share and apply the world’s most effective communications practices. Website: http://toronto.iabc.com