Musings of a PR pro - an interview with Martine Bordeleau

A bit of background on Martine Bordeleau, my PR pro:

As the Communications Manager for Radio-Canada (Manitoba and Saskatchewan), Martine is well-known in the Franco-Manitoban community. Although we had yet to meet and despite her busy schedule, she quickly accepted my request for an interview. Martine has had a diverse career, working in both agency and corporate PR as well as marketing. Her educational background is also varied: radio journalism and communications. For more details about her schooling and past experiences, have a peek at her Linkedin profile. 

With her easy smile and charming personality, it’s obvious for all to see that Martine Bordeleau loves her job. I sat down to chat with Martine on a blustery October morning in her office in St. Boniface.

Martine Bordeleau

Public relations - French style

With a title like Communications Manager, you’d think her tasks would revolve entirely around...well...communications. However, it’s a lot broader than just that; a large part of her day involves marketing. As she explains, “In reality, it’s hard to disassociate marketing from public relations”. And forget about nailing down a typical week. As she sees it, the only thing you can count on is the unexpected.

Write, right?

Martine stresses that strong writing skills are non-negotiable in communications and public relations. Even more importantly, in her position, it’s critical to be able to write well in both French and English.

She adds, “Obviously you need writing skills for everything you write, like press releases. What’s equally important is clarity in everything you write, whether it's for an individual or for a group. It must be done with diplomacy and politeness. You represent yourself and by extension your company, so it has to be professional.” 

She also warns that you have to be careful with anything you put out there because your career can be ruined in 140 characters. And while grammar is important, content will always be king.

Social media: a PR pro’s best friend.

Martine is a big fan of social media. It sets the stage for friendships. It's an important tool that allows companies to reach out to people that traditionally they wouldn't have had access to. You can widen your net by getting your followers’ friends to follow you. The trick, she explains, is to strike a balance between social interaction and content.

“You have to be very adaptable. Things have changed so much in the last few years. Plus, you have to vary your message according to what medium you're using. The language you use on Facebook will be different from emails or Twitter. You have got to target your market.”

How do you keep up with times?

Linkedin is probably her number one go-to website for social media. She likes groups like Canadian Women in Communications, although she admits to not following it all that much anymore. She adds, “There are times in your life when you need more of that kind of support. I’ve come to a point in my career where I don’t really need mentorship anymore.” She does however keep up with current events and case studies by following a few PR blogs.

If only I had known...psychology.

When asked what she wishes she had known, Martine admits she wishes she would have studied more about human psychology. Not the lie-down-on-the-couch kind of psychology, but rather to understand what motivates people. It’s an invaluable skill to recognize personality types and reading body language because then you know how to approach people. In Martine’s opinion, it’s a skill everybody should learn but it’s especially important in the communications field.

She also feels a guide on diplomacy would also have been very beneficial, kind of  like an Etiquette Guide for PR pros. She even knows what the first chapter in the book should be -  First impression: don’t screw it up.

Her proudest moment?

Martine loves to find partnerships and develop tailor-made communications plans. Earlier this year, she was able to get some mileage for a documentary for the French series Tout le monde en parlait, a documentary called La cloche de Batoche, produced by Radio-Canada. It was about the 1991 disappearance of a famous métis bell, originally taken as the spoils of war by English soldiers from the fields of Batoche in the late 1880s.

She was able to get all the stakeholders involved by having a pre-screening for  the public. It allowed them to get feedback – good or bad – for the project. Explains Martine, “We were even able to project the film it Batoche, on the field where the battle had taken place, in a barn, projected on a blanket. You could feel the history.”

                          

Tips for newbies?

1. Listen: it's probably the hardest thing to do. Martine explains that there’s this assumption that, as PR professionals, we should be talking all the time. However, listening is actually the most important thing. You need to listen, sit back, mull over the info you’ve been given and then come up with suggestions.
2. Adaptability: in your relationships, even when you're working with someone you may not personally get along with, you have to be able to set that aside. You have to be able to deal with all  kinds of personality types and you have to be able to schmooze.
3. Feu sacré: you better have it (translation: sacred fire). “You better be passionate about public relations because it’s a tough job.”
   

Perceptive pondering of a PR pro

  TAMARA BODI, McKim Cringan George

Tamara Bodi is the Director of Public Relations and Social Media at McKim Cringan George (MCG), a full-service ad agency. Her background is in journalism. She graduated with honours from the Creative Communicationsprogram with a major in journalism. Her career eventually took a different path: public relations. Have a look at her Linkedin profile for more details, or better yet, give her a call, she’s always glad to talk to PR students. 

I met Tamara in September at a networking event hosted by the Canadian Public Relations Society (Manitoba chapter). Tamara is the Program Director, a volunteer position on the board. We sat down to chat in her 6^th floor office at the Crocus building with a lovely view overlooking Main Street.

Typical week

Ask Tamara what a typical week is like as Director of Public Relations and Social Media at MCG and you’ll get a rueful laugh.

"It’s different all the time. Some weeks you can be working on one main project and other weeks on a bunch of little projects. Suddenly, you get a surprise and have to drop what you’re currently working on. It usually comes in phases. You'll get three of those in a week and then nothing for a while", explains Tamara.

She goes on to explain that her work straddles both PR and social media, so it’s her job to find a way to blend them together.

So...is writing all that important?

"Writing is obviously very important but editing is equally important. They are a two-part deal of the same package", says Tamara. 

She also stresses that you need to know how to write on all kinds of different levels, whether it's a biography, a proposal or strategic writing, like social media.

To that end, she keeps current by consuming a lot of news and media. She regularly listens to the radio, surfs online and is active on social media like Twitter. That’s not to say she doesn’t use more traditional means as well; she reads the newspaper every day and watches the 10 o’clock news every night.

Tamara is also a strong believer in joining professional networks, like becoming a member of  the Canadian Public Relations Society. If you’re the communications person for your company, you're quite often in a silo situation. It's hard when you're the only person responsible for the PR decisions. It helps to have a network of people you can turn to for advice.

Wish I had known...

When asked what she wishes she had known, Tamara is quick to answer: it’s pretty stressful. It’s something she doesn’t try to sugar-coat whenever speaking to students and interns: “It’s an enjoyable job but it’s also difficult and unpredictable. It’s not an accident that it was voted as one of the top 10 most stressful professions.”

Don't get me wrong...

According to Tamara, it’s also pretty fun.

A few years ago, while working for Public Affairs at the University of Manitoba, Tamara had the chance to work on a project that earned her an award for news release writing.

With her help, a business professor by the name of Dr. Hari Bapuji was able to share his findings with the world by getting international coverage for it. They received calls from the BBC, the New York Times and the Washington Post. It was a very topical subject and they were able to get maximum coverage out of it. For more details about the project, click here.

Tamara remembers telling Dr. Bapuji, "Hari, you gave me my most fun day ever.” She adds, “To this day, it still remains one of my best days in public relations.”

Agency vs corporate?

Tamara explains that purely PR agencies are a rarity in Winnipeg, Dooley Communications being one of the very few. She explains that if you work at an agency in Winnipeg, you have to learn quickly to be versatile. With corporate, you usually have your niche. 

Lastly, tips for the newbies?

Tip 1: 
"Develop or join a network. Some days, you need help. You have no idea if what you’re doing is right or good. You need to bounce ideas off someone." 

Tip 2:

"The PR field is dynamic. Public relations is maybe not the right name for what we’re doing now. Social media had changed the landscape. To reach your public, what better way to get your message across and, in turn, listen to their messages?"

Tip 3:

"Pay it forward. Treat reporters with respect. If you loved one of their stories, let them know. Keep your connections open and your interactions genuine."

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Writer's note:

I had a great talk with Tamara. It's quite obvious she loves her job and I couldn't help but be swept up by her enthusiasm. She even offered to give me advice if I was ever in need of it. It's people like Tamara that make me realize how much I love my job.