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PR firm taken on to repair Battlefords’ reputation

Action Battlefords initiative
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PR firm taken on to repair Battlefords’ reputation

By John Cairns

Staff Reporter

The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce is hiring a public relations and marketing firm in connection to Action Battlefords.

Action Battlefords is the Chamber’s initiative to turn around the reputation of the community. Tuesday, it was confirmed the Chamber had a meeting earlier in the day to approve a contract with Martin Charlton Communications out of Saskatoon for that work. 

The firm was chosen, according to the Chamber’s Linda Machniak, because of their provincial and national reach. One of the principals is Paul Martin, a well-known Saskatchewan business commentator who has done considerable work with the Chamber in the past.

“He is a Chamber guy from way back,” said Machniak. “He certainly understands the Chamber world, and his people are familiar with community reputation and reputation-repair, if you will.” 

The contract is initially for six months. A flat fee covers the initial contract to develop a media strategy. After that, it would be followed by a fee-per-month arrangement. Machniak indicated enough money was available or had been raised already to cover the costs.

Up to now, Action Battlefords had concentrated on two main initiatives — programming aimed at teen youth, and support for Citizens on Patrol. The PR effort was to be the third, with Action Battlefords initially planning to launch it after the other two were underway.

Now, the community-reputation PR push is being moved up. One reason is because the Chamber was not yet ready to move ahead on the youth programming component.

But a second reason for the urgency was word that CTV’s W5 newsmagazine show was in the Battlefords in the spring, preparing a story. That finished piece is expected to air nationally in October.

The thinking, according to Machniak, is that now was the time to “start to move on the great news stories in the Battlefords.”

One example she pointed to was the business community’s potential involvement in the “Class of 2030” initiative, a long-term initiative launched last October to address high school graduation rates in the division.

A delegation including Rob Rongve, Karen Hrabinsky and Mark Richardson presented to the Chamber directors earlier in the evening, seeking to increase business participation in the program. They pitched the idea of businesses or other groups getting on board to “adopt” all the classes in the community, and provide supports needed for students to stay in school and graduate.

A few businesses have already signed up, but an estimated 119 businesses were needed to sign up to cover all the classes.

Machniak pointed to that initiative as a potential story idea that media outlets would be interested in covering.

“There’s some positive news out there about this community, not only the negative stuff that we all hear so much about,” said Machniak.