Marketing Services

Paid communication via broadcast, print, online, or outdoor (billboard/transit) media provides complete control over message, placement, and timing. Advertising, however, is more expensive than most other communications vehicles, and in many cases the direct impact is difficult to measure. Communications, Marketing and Events advises on appropriate advertising media and messaging, develops content, and books placements.

Communications, Marketing and Events helps other business units define communications objectives that support overall business objectives and identify target audiences. The Communications, Marketing and Events business unit also determines the most effective communications approaches that take into account all pertinent considerations such as available budgets and resources, audience profiles, and timing, and helps evaluate marketing projects as they are implemented or upon their conclusion.

While the Communications, Marketing and Events business unit may not be the lead on some projects involving external partners, it is nevertheless important that they are consulted for corporate approval on all marketing materials bearing TRCA’s name or logo.

Much of TRCA’s work as a proponent of projects (such as new trails or infrastructure) involves community consultations. Some of this work is directly related to legislative requirements under the Environmental Assessment Act. TRCA business unit leads have expertise on these processes. Nevertheless, such projects will benefit from a coordinated approach involving Communications, Marketing and Events staff.

The Communications, Marketing and Events business unit manages the design and distribution of approximately 30 TRCA newsletters. An effort is underway to reduce the number of and to coordinate the distribution of newsletters across our jurisdictions. This work includes the management of all subscriber lists, in addition to lists provided by business units.

Communications, Marketing and Events will work with your team to ensure that TRCA brand guidelines, best practices, and CASL (Canadian Anti Spam Law) requirements are being followed.

All emails are distributed through a TRCA MailChimp account and should be coordinated through Communications, Marketing and Events.

Graphic design merges creativity, problem-solving, and technical skills to convey an idea or message through a combination of visual and textual components. Communications, Marketing and Events provides creative direction for print and digital media graphic design projects, works with TRCA business units to create designed materials, and updates existing design files for re-use – all while ensuring compliance with TRCA’s visual identity and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) standards.

The Media Relations Specialist, in consultation with the CEO’s office maintains, the flow of information to and from print, broadcast, and online media outlets for the purpose of securing positive media coverage of TRCA and its programs in support of strategic priorities .

Communications, Marketing and Events gathers user metrics and can provide analytics for most online communications, including email campaigns, web content, and social media activity to help assess their effectiveness. Campaign measurement is most effective if developed in the planning stages.

Communications, Marketing and Events provides photography services either through in-house resources or external vendors. Services include consultation about photography needs, location shoots, photo editing, and photo archiving.

Communications, Marketing and Events can conduct research to help assess audience preferences and interests and determine content and distribution media options.

TRCA’s social media presence helps build relationships with stakeholders, increase brand awareness and provide audience insight. Communications, Marketing and Events administers all TRCA social media channels, works with business units to develop and schedule content, monitors social channels for customer service opportunities, and advises and oversees analytics to evaluate TRCA’s social media effectiveness.

To ensure that all external surveys distributed to mailing lists, event attendees, and stakeholders meet TRCA’s corporate standards and branding guidelines, the Communications, Marketing and Events business unit is responsible for final review and publication of surveys. This will allow Corporate Services to better control the user experience, create greater engagement among our stakeholders, and track response rates and analytics.

All surveys are created in and distributed via Survey Monkey, and should be coordinated through Communications, Marketing and Events.

Communications, Marketing and Events can help create short video clips for social media distribution, or longer videos with higher production values. Services include developing and storyboarding ideas (pre-production), filming, developing graphics and animation (production), editing the footage, graphics, and sound (post-production), and developing a distribution plan to optimize views and engagement.

TRCA’s main website (trca.ca) and its approved affiliate websites are hubs for information and services targeting external and internal stakeholders. Communications, Marketing and Events ensures that TRCA websites effectively deliver key information and online services. This includes developing and optimizing site architecture and web content, facilitating updates of existing content, integrating web services and measuring effectiveness.

The Information Technology and Records Management (ITRM) business unit ensures a WCAG 2.0 level of compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

The Communications, Marketing and Events business unit can assist in preparing effective copy for corporate communications and promotional purposes. This may include creating or editing attention-grabbing headlines, engaging descriptions or articles, website text, or any copy to best position programs, projects, services, etc. to the target audiences.