In last week’s column, Mia zones in on a particularly hot topic of discussion: the effect of social media on the public relations industry.

 Mia weighs in on a question many have been asking: is social media a PR killer?

 She writes:

“No matter what changes the Internet and social technology will bring, there will always be a need for professional business communication between companies and the public. The real questions are: what will that communication look like and does your current PR firm constantly evolve to help you with it?

The PR professionals who understand how to work with journalists and how to leverage social media in a fully integrated way are the people you want to be doing business with. Entrepreneurs depend on partnerships with PR professionals to make that authentic connection with customers possible. Those PR professionals bring the fundamentals of driving a valuable dialogue and they are available to coach you through a crisis, all the while creating new opportunities that others in your industry sit back and watch with awe.”

Check out Mia’s column every Thursday in the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.

Prior to its November 2008 launch, Sun Life’s corporate online presence was dated, did not tell a compelling story and did not reflect its market position as a strong, international financial services company. It also lacked the social media tools crucial to the way the next generation of customers do business.

High Road communications was mandated to dramatically improve the Sun Life web experience and strengthen its online presence. High Road developed a multi-part strategy for the site’s overhaul, including an extensive competitive review and audit to identify best practices in the financial services industry and broad stakeholder consultations with the Customer Solutions Department, External Communications, Human Resources and the company’s senior marketing executives in North America, Asia and Europe.

The resulting strategic plan was built around five objectives: 1) Establish Sun Life Financial as a strong international company, 2) Make it easy to do business with Sun Life online, 3) Market Sun Life Financial, 4) Build its brand and reputation and 5) Enable a seamless, one-company experience.

In November 2008, Sun Life launched a new www.sunlife.com global website, a pivotal first step in revolutionizing Sun Life’s online presence. Its modern design, innovative functionality and robust content has put Sun Life at the forefront as an industry leader in online communications.

LG’s products had been long‐considered the epitome of sophistication and style, so it was only fitting to have the brand extend its association even deeper into the fashion industry with the announcement of LG’s title sponsorship of Toronto Fashion Week in 2009. With the goals of highlighting LG upcoming sponsorship role, the company’s unique fusion of technology and style, and demonstrating the company’s commitment to the fashion community in the year to come, LG hosted the Fashion Fusion Gala at the end of Toronto’s Fashion Week in September 2008.

Located in a reconfigured Fashion Week tent in Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, over 1,000 industry icons, designers and consumers alike mixed and matched while experiencing a fête of fashion. High Road worked with agency partners to stage a full fashion show with designers Agent Provocateur, Greta Constantine, Wayne Clark, Shan and a handful of International design students treating the audience to the full runway experience. Additionally, High Road managed the launch of a new fashion phone series, which was integrated into a Carlie Wong fashion show.

Entertainment was provided by Grammy Award‐winning and International musical talent, Maroon 5, who rocked the runway with their soulful sounds. High Road worked with a variety of agencies and different vendors to coordinate all the logistics of the tent, entertainment, fashion show and catering.

To open up access to the public, LG projected the party on a huge screen outside the tent in Nathan Phillips Square. And when LG conducted an open casting call for aspiring models to strut their stuff on the runway and win access into a variety of fashionable events, High Road did public relations as well as online editorial outreach and social media relations to spread the word..

The Fashion Fusion Gala secured coverage from top‐tier publications, news broadcasts and online sites. The program, which continued with LG Fashion week in March 2009, October 2009 and October 2010, continues to drive home the message that LG is a brand focused on high‐tech and fashionable design.

Learn more at: www.lgfashionweek.ca