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Yulu PR 2014 Annual Report

This month in review: November 2014

At the end of each month, Yulu highlights the milestones & global news stories that were trending over the past few weeks. Our clients will recognize these visual recaps from their monthly tracking reports! Here’s a look back at November 2014…

Yulu’s Melissa Orozco speaks at #VanIMPACT2014

The lovely Melissa Orozco is speaking about social impact storytelling at #VanIMPACT14 this afternoon. Learn more about Vancouver IMPACT here.

This month in review: October 2014

This month in review: September 2014

This month in review: August 2014

This month in review: July 2014

The New Yorker covers World Housing: the world’s first one-for-one real estate gifting model

FEBRUARY 13, 2014 TOMS for Houses BY BARRY NEWMAN The first thing Pete Dupuis asked his wife and daughter after he got home to Vancouver one evening in October, 2010, was: Do you know about TOMS? Dupuis, who was in a down year of a thirty-year career selling condominiums, had never heard of TOMS, the shoe brand, before his flight in from Los Angeles, but he’d gotten an […]

This month in review: June 2014

Yulu’s Fast Company Feature: THE 5 MOST CRINGEWORTHY PR MISTAKES YOUR CEO COULD MAKE

Yulu Public Relations was featured in Fast Company today talking about PR mistakes CEOs should avoid. Below are her thoughts: The 5 Most Cringeworthy PR Mistakes Your CEO Could Make Four years ago, Tony Hayward, then CEO of international oil conglomerate, British Petroleum, was deemed the most hated man in America. Following the aftermath of BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the British-born CEO told reporters he anticipated the overall environmental impact […]

5 Ways to Get PR for Your Startup Without Spending a Pretty Penny

Yulu offers PR expertise to Entrepreneur Magazine with “five ways startups can generate interest in their brand without spending the big bucks.” Getting exposure for a project you’ve sacrificed sleep, money and social time for may seem like the highest priority right before launch. The problem is most startup budgets won’t bank a clever publicity campaign or a high-end PR firm. Luckily there are low-cost ways to generate interest in your business […]

Yulu’s 2013 Year in Review

2013 has been an incredible year, thanks to a number of special people! We’ve put together a recap of some of our favourite experiences from the past year for your enjoyment. Presenting Yulu’s 2013 Year in Review. Happy Holidays! The Yulu Team

Yulu’s Hiring!

Calling all PR professionals! Yulu is looking for a Senior Account Manager to join our team. Yulu Public Relations Inc. is a Vancouver-based public relations agency that works with socially-innovative companies in the real estate, tech, lifestyle, social enterprise and cause-based sectors. We’re seeking an experienced contractor to join our creative, fast-paced office environment in Gastown. Here are some of the skills a Senior Account Manager should possess: Strategic communications: Provide high-level […]

Its Easy To Be Different But Difficult To Be Better

Yulu Book Club: The Tipping Point

“There is a simple way to package information that, under the right circumstances, can make it irresistible.” In our first instalment of Yulu Book Club, we dove into Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point”. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been sneaking in chapters of Gladwell’s guide on how little techniques can cause a big epidemic – during our morning commute, between meetings, and before bed! The team met over two […]

The Five Classic PR Blunders SMEs Make

Yulu shares PR tips for SMEs in PROFIT Magazine: Unlike sales and marketing, public relations is often a grey area for many small business owners. It’s often not until a respected advisor or board speaks to the merit of PR—or, worse, until a crisis hits—that they’ll make the decision to investigate a firm to help propel a product or service launch (or to do damage control). While PR can be a […]

Event Planning / Media Relations for INTERFACE 2013 Digital Health Summit

Great media response for this year’s INTERFACE 2013 Digital Health Summit. #DHS2013 #YuluGold #conferencePR NEWS RELEASE Creative minds in digital health gather for the second annual INTERFACE 2013 Summit Strong speaker line-up discuss health IT, digital health and the future of medicine VANCOUVER, BC (October 3, 2013) – Starting October 9, 2013, Sanotron will hold its second annual INTERFACE 2013 International Digital Health Summit at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The […]

Happy Birthday, Ashley!

HBD Jenna!!

Using Instagram to Tell the Big Story

There’s something to be said about the power of visual storytelling. Nothing speaks better to this than the popularity of Instagram. With its various filters and editing capabilities, anyone can create and share beautiful photos that tell a story. Images, in particular, resonate with us because of the emotional response they elicit and brands are beginning to recognize this. Using the power of images, brands can better connect with people […]

Adventures of a Yulu Intern

You’d think that spending five days a week in an office from nine-to-five wouldn’t be a student’s first choice for how to spend her summer vacation. But when I came into Yulu PR’s big, bright, dog-friendly office for my interview, I knew that if I were to be offered a three-month research coordinator position, I would say yes. At first it took some adjustment to get in the groove of […]

Yulu Takes Claris Companion Tech Startup on NYC & TO Media Tour

Claris Companion, a digital tablet designed specifically for seniors who aren’t comfortable with technology, recruited Yulu to launch its technology to the press. The new device helps busy families and caregivers keep in touch with seniors and monitor their wellbeing in a non-invasive way, regardless of the distance. Yulu planned a full PR launch strategy (case study here), which included an action packed media deskside tour. Tour highlights and photos […]

Welcome to our ‘hood

We’re getting close to hitting the sixth-month mark in our airy, exposed brick and beam office space overlooking Gastown’s most picturesque avenue, Water Street. Since we spend our work week in this lively neighbourhood, our team can vouch for the fact that Gastown is a vibrant and community-oriented pocket of Vancouver. In Gastown you can find all types of creative agencies including marketing firms, graphic design firms, photography studios, and […]

Ask the Editor: Bria Lear

Last month, the stylish Framework Magazine came to visit to ask us a few questions. This month, we thought we’d turn the tables! We asked Framework’s Founder and Editor-in-chief, Bria Lear to answer our questions on sources of inspiration, shopping in Vancouver, and how to grab an editor’s attention. Bria Lear, the Founder and Editor-in-chief of Framework Magazine, is a design chameleon and word stylist with a BA in Fashion Design & […]

Ask A Reporter: Tony Wanless

This month we had the wonderful opportunity to pick the brain of business journalist, Tony Wanless. Check out Tony’s insightful thoughts on the changing media landscape, journalism today, and how PR professionals fit in to it all. Which publications do you contribute to at the moment? Financial Post. They recently killed my BC Business and CanadaWide columns. It looks like my journalism days are nearly over. What topics or stories […]

Battling the enemy: writer’s block

When writing is a fundamental part of your job, writer’s block can be more than a little frustrating. No matter how hard you want to work on that release or pitch, sometimes your brain just isn’t with you! Here are a few ideas to try out when your mind goes blank: Ask questions – Although we’d like to think we’re decent writers, sometimes the words don’t flow on the page as […]

Ask A Reporter: Kate MacLennan

This month, we had the opportunity to chat with Kate MacLennan. Kate is Vancouver Editor of Chatelaine, Managing Editor of BCBusiness and a prolific freelancer. Catch her work at www.katemaclennan.com. Check out Kate’s awesome advice for PR professionals: Photo credit: Amanda Skuse

Yulu Launches ClearlyContacts.ca Retail Location on Robson Street

Canadian e-retailer ClearlyContacts.ca is slated to open its first Canadian retail location on Robson Street, Vancouver’s premium shopping district. The move comes in response to a shift by online retailers toward a hybrid model – continuing to maintain a strong online presence while opening brick-and-mortar locations where customers can interact with both company and product. Through traditional PR and influencer relations plan, Yulu planned the successful event and secured top-tier […]

We’re Hiring!

Calling all PR professionals! Yulu is looking for a media relations contractor to join our expanding team. Yulu Public Relations Inc. is a Vancouver-based public relations agency that works with socially-innovative companies in the real estate, tech, lifestyle, social enterprise and cause-based sectors. We’re seeking an experienced contractor to join our creative, fast-paced office environment in Gastown. Minimum of 3 years of public relations experience required. Must have experience with […]

Get Twitchin’!

Last month, a group of journalists convened for “Twitch! Communications in the Age of Social Media” to discuss their opinions on current social media strategies. We sometimes forget that a social media audience includes journalists, too. Many reporters check Twitter and Facebook every morning to find news that no one else is writing about. Here are some notable thoughts on modern day communications. They just might help you land your […]

Ask A Reporter: Amy C

We are excited to kick off our monthly blog series, Ask a Reporter. Each month, Yulu will chat with a journalist and gain insight into their industry, view point, and personality. With Cupid’s season upon us, this month we spoke to relationship columnist Amy C. Amy writes for Huffington Post, Vancouver Sun, and 24 Hours on all things love. She opened up to us about how PR professionals can impress […]

Yulu’s New Digs

Welcome to the home of The BIG Story… We’ve finally gotten settled into our new Gastown digs and we are loving it! We feel so spoiled to have such an amazing new space in one of the coolest hubs of Vancouver. The Y-Pod: where BIG ideas happen. Choose your workspace… Don’t forget the amenities! Now we really have no excuses for skipping a workout. And, of course, the view is […]

Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) event at Red Mountain

Great media turnout at Red Mountain Resort for the Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) event! #ShredTheLove NEWS RELEASE RED Mountain to launch B4BC Shred for Love Women’s ski and ride benefit set for February 2, 2013 Rossland, BC, November 15, 2012 – RED Mountain and Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) are pleased to announce Shred For Love, a ski and snowboard benefit event at RED Mountain Resort in Rossland, BC. […]

Grammar Matters

If you ‘like’ us on Facebook or follow us on Pinterest, you probably know that grammar is important to us. We’ve collected tons of images of the most cringe-worthy (and hilarious) language errors. Poor grammar simply makes us squirm. We were especially inspired to discover a Twitter account created to fight this problem (to a certain extent). @YourInAmerica targets hypocrites who disobey the cardinal rules of the English language, all […]

Meet the Team: Ashley Letts

You’ve met our Social Media Manager, now it’s time to get up close and personal with Yulu’s very own “Pitching Queen”, Ashley Letts… 1. What do you love most about working on Granville Island? So many answers to choose from. I love looking out my window to see False Creek, the Burrard Bridge, and False Creek Ferries bobbing to and fro. What do I like least? A certain insufferable busker […]

Inspiring Social Media Campaigns

Inspiring Social Media Campaigns A few weeks ago, we looked at a few social media campaigns that didn’t turn out quite as successfully as their creators would have hoped. This week, we’re turning the tables. We’re examining some of the most creative, engaging, attention-grabbing campaign ideas that we’ve seen. KFC’s Scholorship Tweet-up Simple and effective. Last year, KFC decided against the traditional college scholarship essay submission for their Colonel’s Scholars […]

Pulling Back the Curtain on Effective Cause Campaigns

October is widely recognized as the rosiest month of the year. Many of the blushing campaigns created for breast cancer awareness month are lost soon after they’re launched. Effective cause-based campaigns have an innovative approach making it easy for the public to take an interest. November moustache mania is proof that people can get on board as long as there is a sound model for raising funds. The most memorable […]

Social Media Failures (…& Lessons Learned)

Social Media Failures & Lessons Learned It’s always exciting to see what creative social media campaign a company will come up with next, but there are cases when things just don’t go as planned. We’ve taken a look back at some cringe-worthy campaign failures and have provided advice on how to avoid making these mistakes in our own social media strategies. Failure 1: Toyota’s Camry Effect Campaign Toyota got a […]

Developing a Social Media Strategy

These days almost every company uses social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr. We’d like to pass on a beginner’s how-to guide which will help you set up the most effective social networking tools for your brand. Follow these four steps and you will be on the road to success! 1. You have to decide what it is you’d like to get out of social media. This […]

Meet the Team: Saschie MacLean

You may have had a conversation with her on the phone…you’ve probably chatted with her over email and if you follow @YuluPR, you’ve read her tweets…now for a close-up exclusive with the real Saschie MacLean! 1. What do you love most about working on Granville Island? The convenient access to delicious, fresh foods! All of the vendors on the island are so neighbourly which makes it fun when you step […]

Are you our next intern?

It’s that time again, Yulu PR is accepting CVs and reviewing applicants for our fall internship position slated to start on Sept 24. Yulu is a Vancouver-based public relations agency that specialized in lifestyle, hospitality and real estate PR. We’re seeking someone with a BIG personality to fill a three-month communications and social media internship position at our creative Granville Island-based PR firm. As our agency is small, we’re looking for someone […]

Yulu’s Melissa Orozco earns a spot on Marketing Magazine’s 30 under 30

Yulu is thrilled to announce, our very own Melissa Orozco is featured in this month’s Marketing Magazine for #30under30. She is featured alongside leading industry professionals and recognized for her work in New York, with Yulu and with the Urban Land Institute. This has been an exceptional one-year anniversary month for Yulu and Melissa’s recognition is the cherry on top of it all! The full article can be found below. The […]

Yulu Turns One!

This month marks the one year anniversary of Yulu Communications. Here is a recap of this year: + August 2011: Yulu opens for business with the signing of its first client + September 2011: We sign F-Cancer and launch a campaign that would later make us an award-winning agency + October 2011: Yulu takes it first FAM trip, touring a group of media around beautiful Tofino + November 2011: Team Yulu partakes in Movember […]

Yulu earns title of “Best PR Campaign of the Year” in 2012 Stevie Awards

Last week we received amazing news – our growing, nimble public relations and digital media agency was named winner of a GOLD Stevie® Award, earning the title of “Best PR Campaign of the Year.” Yulu was recognized for our media relations work with local charity F-Cancer’s international campaign titled The Cancer Talk. The news of this highly respected business industry award comes in just as our agency is celebrating its […]

Olympians venting through social media: Is it worth it?

As the 2012 Olympics are wrapping up, we thought we’d review some of the social media mishaps that lead to two Olympians demise…in the games, that is. For many athletes, the road to the Olympics is never easy. Imagine you spend eight to ten hours a day working toward the dream of a Olympic podium invitation. Now that competition has started, you receive one of the most hearth breaking losses […]

How Environmental Communication Has Failed

Face it. The terms “climate change” or “conservation” don’t usually inspire positive feelings nor do they galvanize people to action. To the contrary, communication of environmental issues can often provoke feelings of anxiety, guilt, and a sense of helplessness in their audience. Although there is a multitude of complex reasons behind this unintentional inertia, this blog will explore why communicating the truth and the facts behind climate change is not […]

Yulu Chooses CPAWS for this year’s #YuluCares Initiative

Earlier this summer, Yulu announced the launch of #YuluCares, our pro-bono PR initiative. The response to the RFP was vast and we had the pleasure of learning about dozens of Vancouver-based non-profits. After much thoughtful consideration, we have decided to represent the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. Yulu will donate $15,000 of communications services to CPAWS, to be used on media relations and social media services over the course […]

Sending out our media drops for Happy Planet this week

What are your thoughts about the new branding?

Happy birthday Yulu, it’s been a pleasure watching you grow!

Yulu turns 1 today!

Writing a News Release – Tips and Techniques (Part II)

Let’s be honest, press releases are a bit antiquated…in fact, we’ve only had to write about five in the last year and we’re a PR agency. The fact is, there will always be those clients who need them for stakeholders and such so even if your intention is not to share it with the media, you still need to know how to write one. All said, some of you may […]

How to Identify a News Story

We recently did a post on Writing a News Release. We want to expand on the first step: How do identify a news story. See below for a video we’ve created and also for some tips we’ve outlined in text! [video_vimeo video_id=”41218313″] The following are the five basic factors that determine whether or not a story is news worthy. A story should satisfy at least two. It’s important to consider […]

The Art of the Media FAM Trip

Here at Yulu PR, we understand that some stories are better understood if experienced. In this post we’d like to share a tool we use to implement the “you gotta see it to believe it” philosophy – the FAM trip….or FAM tour, press tour, etc. What is a FAM trip? A familiarization trip, often referred to as a FAM trip, is a tour offered to media on behalf of an […]

“Don’t call me a mommy blogger!”

How PR Professionals Can More Effectively Connect with Mom Bloggers – By Jessica Van – Yulu’s Aspiring Changemaker With growing influence on the web and social media, mom bloggers are increasingly targeted by marketers and PR professionals seeking an ‘in’ into the lucrative mom market. We contacted some of Canada’s most established mom bloggers for their input on how PR professionals can effectively engage them. Here’s what they said. Christine […]

Education vs. Experience

At Yulu Public Relations, we get a lot of students asking us questions about the public relations industry. The most popular question: What level of education is necessary to succeed in the public relations field? Is education more important, or is experience more valued? We have decided to tackle the education vs. experience debate and share with you our opinions. Here is what Melissa, our Co-Founder and Principal, has to […]

Making BIG things happen in small places – Yulu’s Interior Design Project

At Yulu Public Relations, we believe a beautiful and creative work environment inspires beautiful and creative work. That is why when we signed the lease to our Granville Island office suite, we recruited the services of Katie Schomaker, interior designer and owner of Katie Kovets. Katie has a reputation for designing spaces to be “smart” and functional. We knew that when working with a 300-square-foot space, a designer who specializes […]

Eco-Fashion Week: Vintage is the New Couture

We were recently invited to Vancouver’s Eco-Fashion Week by a friend – Felix Tavira of yukiandbee.com. Felix embraces the ‘garage glamorous’ trends of today. Me on the other hand, well I’d never been to a fashion show, so naturally, I was nervous about what to wear. Luckily I found a beautiful dress, made of eco-friendly Tencel silk, and was off to opening night. Although Eco-Fashion is a far cry from Felix’s everyday statement picks, […]

CLIENT NEWS: ZAG CEO Heads to Everest

CLIENT NEWS: ZAG CEO Heads to Everest We want to share the story about one of our clients Zag Group; on the eve of a huge product launch, the 30-year-old Vancouver native will leave his company for two months to scale Mount Everest. Steve funds the climb and his equipment himself therefore all funds raised from the trip will go directly to charity. Beyond raising money for charity, Steve hopes that […]

The #Kony2012 Campaign’s Successful Tactics

With nearly 80 million views in less than two weeks, it’s undeniable that the Kony 2012 video has been a social media success. Let’s look at some of the approaches Invisible Children used that helped catapult it into the spotlight. Positive messaging: The video opens with simple human connection. The birth of a child, pride in parenthood, and a friendship is the opening platform. And, although the video is meant to bring […]

Yulu Careers

Yulu Public Relations is always happy to hear from talented PR professionals who might be interested in joining our team of impact storytellers. Currently, we are seeking someone with a BIG personality to fill our three-month communications internship position at our creative Vancouver public relations agency. We’re looking for someone with the “no task is too big or too small” mentality. Our intern will handle everything from media list creation to writing and pitching. This is a […]

Welcome Our Newest Storyteller: Saschie MacLean

Yulu Public relations is pleased to introduce you to a new face at the Yulu offices: Saschie MacLean. After starting her education at Simon Fraser University with the intention of pursuing medicine, Saschie soon found herself wanting to trade in her lab coat for a laptop and focus on writing. Realizing that she wanted a career in public relations, she enrolled into Kwantlen University’s Public Relations program and topped off […]

Eco Fashion Week Vancouver – Part 1

To launch our week-long blog series on Eco Fashion Week Vancouver, we spoke to California designer Linda Wong, co-founder of The Battalion. Wong creates modern, edgy, comfort driven clothes, crafted for the woman who is never satisfied with being mainstream, a true bohemian with an eternal quest for personal style. All of the products she designs are made with a perceptive eye, relentless taste and a mission: to make our […]

Welcome Our Newest Storyteller: Ashley Letts

Yulu Public Relations is pleased to introduce you to a new face at the Yulu offices: Ashley Letts. We feel that her imagination, experience and attitude are a great addition to our creative team. Not to mention, she bakes a mean loaf of banana bread. Ashley has worked with several non-profit organizations organizing social media campaigns and research projects. During the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, she worked for Olympic Broadcasting […]

Yulu has a new postal code

Barely into the new year, we already have so much news to share. For starters, in late 2011, Yulu Communications and Yulu Marketing became sister affiliate companies. This change means great things for both parties: we will continue to collaborate on powerful campaigns when the opportunities present themselves but aside from that, Yulu Communications will dedicate 100 per cent of its time to developing and executing memorable PR campaigns. […]

Christmas on schedule for December 25, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The North Pole – (December 7, 2011) – After a year of worry and trepidation in the North Pole, Santa Claus announced in a news conference today held by Yulu PR, that Christmas is still going ahead as planned. The decision comes after a series of setbacks including a strike by elf workers on the toy line and the unexpected sinking of part of Claus’ workshop due […]