Table of Contents 6 2012 OVATION Awards Winning Entries

Strategy
Based on the above research, TFC developed the following strategy:
• Use the pre‐writ period to inform and educate Ontario’s electors about the changes in electoral
process. Once the writ dropped (September 7, 2011) the media’s focus would shift to the candidates
and their election promises. As well, the CEO, DCEO (Deputy Chief Electoral Officer) and Elections
Ontario’s communication staff would all be too busy after September 7 for proactive media activities.
• Build goodwill with the media during the pre‐writ period to improve the tone of Elections Ontario
coverage from negative to balanced or positive once the writ drops and Elections Ontario begins to
respond to inevitable issues with voting mechanics.
• Centralise outreach to CEO, DCEO and Directors and remove all but most local news from ROs.
• Use social media to engage with voters and respond to potential issues before covered by the media.
Approach
TFC developed a six‐part approach to meet Elections Ontario’s business goals and communication
objectives:
1) Proactive pitches to community media
2) Road tour with Chief Electoral Office Greg Essensa and Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Loren Wells to
five key Ontario markets (Windsor, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Ottawa and Toronto)
3) We Make Voting Easy Media Event a week prior to the dropping of the writ
4) Issues Management
5) Media relations training with key spokespeople from Elections Ontario
6) Social media strategy
IMPLEMENTATION & CHALLENGES
Proactive Pitches
TFC developed a topic list of six pitches, some aimed at the general voter audience (More Days, More
Ways) while others targeted specific voter audiences (college and university students, new Canadians).
In mid‐July, TFC crafted the first email pitch informing media about the changes to the voting process,
focusing specifically on “more days and more ways” to vote than ever before. On July 25, 2011, TFC sent
this pitch to more than 300 reporters and editors throughout Ontario and followed up with key media.
The coverage from this pitch was often the first piece by a news outlet about the new voting process for
the upcoming election.
A second pitch was targeted to “ethnic” media to inform new Canadians about how to vote in the
upcoming provincial election. A third pitch was slated for campus media about voting options for
students. Ultimately this was cancelled due to a campus strike (see Challenges). And as the election
drew close and Elections Ontario was still looking for people to work at polling stations on election day,
TFC created a pitch for selected community radio stations highlighting vacant positions.
While TFC and Elections Ontario had planned on six email pitches to the media, only three were
ultimately developed and distributed as the client felt that since so many outlets had picked up “More
Days, More Ways” they didn’t wish to go out again only a few weeks later.
CEO Road Tour
Based on the CEO’s schedule to visit ROs, TFC and Elections Ontario identified five key cities for the CEO
or DCEO to visit during a media road tour: Windsor, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Ottawa and Toronto. These
communities were also important media centres for different regions of the province, e.g. an interview
from a Thunder Bay television station would be re‐broadcast throughout Northern Ontario.