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It was just over 3 years ago that I made the move to the West Coast, with the 2010 Olympic Winter Games seeming like a very distant future. It’s so hard to believe that there are now only 8 Mondays left until the Games begin! It’s been such an amazing journey to this point, and I’m sure the next three months will be something none of us across this country and beyond will ever forget! b*co will be heavily involved with a number of projects throughout the Games,but I’m sure I’ll find some time to get out to the mountains, rinks, and parks to cheer on our athletes and celebrate all of our successes! If you’re going to be in Vancouver, please get in touch!

This past year has been a busy one, with one big milestone in particular. Twenty-five years after my Dad finished his final triathlons and marathons, I ran my FIRST triathlon! It was an unforgettable experience, and I’m sure he would have been proud of me for getting out there and finishing it. And I’m planning to do it again next year, so let me know if you want to join me!

I spent a lot of time this summer and fall traveling through BC, and the Okanagan in particular. It is an incredible place with beautiful lakes and beaches, desert air, and of course fabulous wineries! It felt great to get to know more about my “new” part of the country.

On the work front, b*co has had another prosperous year, and we’re very thankful for all of the wonderful clients, colleagues and friends we have had the opportunity to work with. Thank you all! Our team is continuing to grow, and we’ve got exciting ideas for the future, so stay tuned!

Most importantly, we’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Holiday season! Get out there and enjoy your friends, family and loved ones.

Cheers!

Betsy and the b*co team

Completing my first triathlon!

Made an announcement with one of my clients yesterday…Elevate Sport. They’ve partnered up with the Urban Native Youth Association. What a great organization! The staff and participants are so inspiring, it was really invigorating! Love it when you can put two great organizations together! Check out the release below for more information…

Elevate Sport Announces Partnership with Urban Native Youth Association
– At-risk Urban Native Youth to Benefit from 2010 —

Friday, June 5th, 2009 (Vancouver, BC) Surrounded by eager and inspired Aboriginal Youth in Vancouver yesterday, Elevate Sport, an Official Licensee for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, announced a partnership with the Downtown Eastside’s Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA). The youth were gathered at UNYA’s activity centre to provide a demonstration of some of the fitness and self defense skills they’ve learned as participants in the Aboriginal Youth First program (AYF).

As part of Elevate’s licensee commitment to the Games, they announced they will donate a percentage of proceeds from head-ware sales to an aboriginal cause and in support of revitalizing Vancouver’s inner city, and they’ve selected the UNYA’s AYF program as its partner. The Aboriginal Youth First Sports and Recreation Program utilizes sports and recreation as a means to foster leadership amongst Aboriginal youth in East Vancouver.  The program provides diverse, barrier-free sports and recreation programming that engages Aboriginal youth, many whom face significant socio-economic barriers to their participation.

“We are honoured to be able to create a partnership with an organization like UNYA,” said Will Andrew, Elevate Sport President. “The Aboriginal Youth First Sports and Recreation program is a natural fit for us, as we are always interested in working with youth to help them achieve their dreams and goals. This is just the first day of our partnership and we are already incredibly inspired to continue to grow our relationship.”

Since the AYF Program started in 2003, they have developed and delivered a broad range of programming that includes snowboarding, fitness, self defense, hiking and canoeing.  Through this program, Aboriginal youth in East Vancouver have opportunities to explore new sports and recreation activities they would otherwise never experience.  Youth also learn about fitness and nutrition, gain cultural knowledge, and enhance their lifeskills.  

Through AYF, youth have become certified as snowboard instructors, have led a Spring Break Basketball Camp, and have participated in Canoe Journeys with police and local First Nations.  Through such opportunities, Native youth are not only contributing to their community, but they are creating a stronger sense of community and team-building amongst their peers, which ultimately fosters healthy relationships and builds a stronger community for us all.

“Elevate Sport’s goals are to inspire sport, promote athletes and embrace the “spirit of the game”, said Dena Klashinsky, UNYA’s Community Developer and Program Coordinator. “This philosophy ties in beautifully with the mandate of the AYF Program, as we strive to inspire Aboriginal youth to explore their passions through sports and recreation, and excel in all that they do. With support from Elevate Sport and other committed partners, we look forward to creating even more opportunities for Native youth, and working to create a healthier community together.”
 
At Thursday’s presentation, Elevate Sport provided its first contribution to UNYA in the amount of $6,000. It is the initial intent that these funds be used towards enabling AYF members to participate in this year’s Canoe Journey with police and local First Nations.

About the Urban Native Youth Association
The Urban Native Youth Association is a youth-driven, prevention-focused organization that supports Aboriginal youth in Vancouver by providing a range of programs and services in collaboration with over 130 community partners. Currently, UNYA offers 21 programs focused in the areas of residential, personal, and educational support, as well as sports and recreation.  Through all of its programs, the goal is to foster a sense of belonging and independence amongst Aboriginal youth. Last year, UNYA worked with 26 community partners to deliver 19 different activities totaling almost 7,000 hours in direct programming, and we had over 800 youth visits.  With increased knowledge and skills, youth are making healthier life choices.  They are encouraging their peers to come out and be active, and they are mentoring other youth as they step into roles of leadership as volunteers, coaches, instructors and peer leaders.  

About Elevate Sport
Elevate Sport is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Trimark Sportswear Group, and was founded in 2006, when the company was named as an Official Licensee of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games for lifestyle and activewear made of poly/polyblends. With it’s selection to be an Official Licensee, Trimark recognized the need to raise the bar and created Elevate Sport to become the industry leader.  The company is based on the philosophy to inspire sport, promote athletes and embrace the spirit of the game. Every Elevate Sport garment tells a story: the tough training days, the fear of defeat and the victory celebration in the game you love! Elevate your senses, Elevate your style, Elevate your game. For more information, check out www.elevatesport.ca

For more information, photos, or to speak with someone from UNYA or Elevate Sport, please contact:

betsy cooper
principal
b*co communications

office:  778-329-7389
mobile:  778-229-4947
email:   cooper@b-co.ca
web:  www.b-co.ca
twitter: b_co

Here’s an announcement about one of our new clients…we’re really excited to work with them, they’re a smart company and have a lot of interesting stories to tell. Stay tuned!

May 20, 2009 (Markham, ON) — Elevate Sport recently announced that it has hired b*co communications as its public relations agency of record. Vancouver based b*co will manage all communications activities for the company, including targeted media relations campaigns for its 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games licensed products, as well as business and trade outreach. “b*co’s knowledge of the Canadian marketplace and understanding of our business made them a clear choice to be our public relations agency,” said Will Andrew, President, Elevate Sport. “We are continuing to grow at an incredible pace, particularly as we get closer to the Winter Games, and we think it’s time that we tell our story of determination and success. Hopefully it will inspire others to follow their passion and dreams during these tough times.”

Elevate Sport is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Trimark Sportswear Group, and was founded in 2006, when the company was named as an Official Licensee of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games for lifestyle and activewear made of poly/polyblends. With it’s selection to be an Official Licensee, Trimark recognized the need to raise the bar and created Elevate Sport to become the industry leader. The company is based on the philosophy to inspire sport, promote athletes and embrace the spirit of the game. Every Elevate Sport garment tells a story: the tough training days, the fear of defeat and the victory celebration in the game you love! Elevate your senses, Elevate your style, Elevate your game. For more information, check out www.elevatesport.ca

The Bahamas Snowboard Team consisting of Korath Wright (athlete), Betsy Cooper (that’s me!) and Alex Neun (photographer) arrived in Nassau, Bahamas yesterday to kick off a big week of media interviews, meetings with people like the Bahamas Olympic Association, Bahamas Tourism, and some sponsors…and of course a bit of sunshine! As the public relations person for this gig, it’s always a great opportunity to come down here and meet a ton of great journalists. The media work a bit differently in the Bahamas though, so it’s not quite as straightforward as at home (Vancouver), but at the end of the day, we get things done! We’ve got a number of TV, print and radio interviews lined up for Korath this week, and look forward to sharing the news of the first-ever Winter Olympian to compete for the Bahamas at the upcoming 2010 Olympic Winter Games! We’ll keep you posted on how things are going, but they are definitely right when they coin the phrase “It’s Better in the Bahamas!”

It’s not often that PR companies actually get media coverage about themselves, unless it’s in one of the trade publications, talking about an account win, or a great project. But thanks to the power of Twitter, b*co appeared in the Globe & Mail this week! Matt Hartley at the Globe put out a question on Twitter, asking if anyone knew any small businesses that were focused on the Olympics, and if there were any interesting stories…I contacted Matt right away, telling him I thought b*co had a pretty good story. And apparently he agreed! The article is below…my mom even made it into the final cut! Any comments/feedback are always appreciated.

2010 Olympics
Behind the scenes, and hard at work
Suppliers of goods and services ramp up as Vancouver Winter Games near

MATT HARTLEY
From Monday’s Globe and Mail
March 23, 2009 at 12:00 AM EDT

As construction crews across Vancouver embark on their final sprint to the finish to complete the housing and venues in anticipation of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, behind the scenes, small businesses across Canada are making their own preparations to make a grab for some of the billions of dollars pouring into southern British Columbia.

While international brands such as Coca-Cola Co., McDonald’s Corp. and Panasonic use the Olympics as a global pedestal to showcase new products and services, small businesses in Vancouver and throughout the rest of Canada are hoping the Winter Games will prove to be not only a golden opportunity to drive revenue, but will also offer a respite from the global economic slowdown.

Although the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) has already selected most of its official partners for the Games in 2010, the Olympics provide a stage unlike any other for small businesses to tap into a massive and diverse audience they wouldn’t otherwise be able to access.

Indeed, much like elite athletes who must begin training well in advance of the Olympiad, some businesses have been preparing for 2010 with the start of the games circled on their calendars for more than a year.

For Betsy Cooper, the run-up to the games started one day in 2006 when she quit her job as a public relations executive in Toronto, packed all of her belongings — and her mother — into the car and drove west to launch her own PR firm, B-Co Communications.

“Really, with 2010 around the corner I thought what a great opportunity,” she said. “It was a pretty obvious that if the Olympics are coming to Vancouver, companies are going to have to start focusing on this market, because the world’s eyes are going to be here. Whether they’re the Olympic sponsor or their competitor or maybe it’s a small business in B.C. that wants to make their mark.”

Some of her business comes through outsourcing deals she has arranged with Toronto-based PR firms, which has allowed her to find work with companies such as General Motors Corp., 3M Co. and Molson Coors Brewing Co. But the crown jewel of her client roster is Korath Wright, a 23-year-old snowboarding star who grew up in Canada and now competes for the Bahamas.

Although Mr. Wright has been ranked as high as 13th in the world in the half pipe event, comparisons with the Jamaican bobsledding team that competed at the Calgary Olympics in 1988 (and subsequently inspired the John Candy movie Cool Runnings) are unavoidable, Ms. Cooper said.

“He’s pretty honoured to be put in a category with people who had a movie made after them, but at the same time he’s a legitimate contender,” she said. “He’s a pretty great half-pipe snowboarder.”

Two provinces away in Regina, the six men and women — and a dog named Molly — who make up the staff of Laurie Artiss Ltd., better known as The Pin People, have been feverishly designing hundreds of tiny lapel pins in honour of the games.

“It’s very difficult for us to try to predict what pins are going to be successful,” said company vice-president Chris Pasterfield. “We try to take advantage of what we think will be popular pins in terms of the sports and the venues landmarks, things like that, but we can’t predict what pin will all of a sudden grab the public’s fancy.”

At the Salt Lake City Olympic Games in 2002, the most popular pin featured a bowl of Jell-O, made by The Pin People. At Winnipeg’s Pan American Games in 1999, it was a guitar-themed pin that became a favourite for collectors. For the Vancouver Games, the company is creating pins that honour the various sports, venues, mascots and countdown days associated with 2010.

The Pin People began creating Olympics pins at the Calgary Games in 1988 and haven’t looked back.

“In the 20 years that have passed, there’s certainly things that have changed in terms of licensing,” Mr. Pasterfield said. “The industry has really grown in terms of graphic standards and graphic controls in order to ensure that everything is adhered to properly.”

Some of the pins designed by The Pin People are currently on sale through the Vancouver Olympics’ official online store, built and run by Vancouver’s ElasticPath Software.

Although ElasticPath has also built e-commerce platforms for big brands such as Groupe Aeroplan Inc. and Avis Group Holdings Inc., the Olympics have provided the company with a rare opportunity to showcase their expertise to a truly international audience.

“It’s been great,” said Matt Dion, the company’s vice-president of marketing. “E-commerce is a real hot space, even in this economy, and with something like the Olympics, it adds to that list of high-profile customers and gets our name out there even more.”

Working for the Olympics, under the watchful eye of the VANOC, means having to work quickly. After ElasticPath landed the contract to build the site that would sell all of the official merchandise licensed for the Games, its engineers had less than two months to create a platform to house the site and get it online. As a result, Vancouver’s online store went live earlier than any other Olympics in history.

Thanks in part to the Olympics deal, the company’s head count is growing closer to 120 and its executives are now fielding calls from other businesses looking to have ElasticPath build their online marketplaces.

Unless you’re living under a rock in Canada, you know that last week marked the one-year countdown to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. A year ago for the two-year countdown, there were a lot of companies working on their public relations and marketing communications campaigns to get people excited…so what happened this year? To be honest, I didn’t see a lot from corporate Canada.

Molson announced its Molson Canadian 2010 Mural Project, which is a great idea to get Canadians across the country engaged in the Games…http://blog.molson.com/community/. Make sure you submit your photo to play your part!

The BC Government also had a busy day. Premiere Gordon Campbell was in Whistler for the Torch unveiling announcement, then at Elsie Roy School to announce the Adopt a Country Program (which I attended with my client Bahamas Snowboarder, Korath Wright), hosted the Premiere’s Athlete Awards, and then went to the Official event at the Richmond Oval.

Other than that, and VANOC’s outreach, nothing really stood out. As a sponsor of the 2010 Olympics, most companies should have had a strategic communications plan in place to capitalize on the next 365 days…don’t you think? Maybe it’s because of the “Economic Downturn” but I was fairly disappointed that we didn’t see more both here in Vancouver, across British Columbia…and throughout the country.

We had a very successful week with Bahamian Snowboarder Korath Wright. Other than snowboard legend Shaun White, no one received more media attention and buzz than Korath. We have been working through a strategic plan throughout the year to get his message out there around the world, and the only communications tools we have used are straightforward public relations, engagement marketing and some social media through Twitter, Facebook, etc. Highlights of our success from last week include a great piece coming up on ET Canada this week, and the loudest, best supporters at Cypress Mountain on Saturday. There wasn’t one person at the event who didn’t know that there is a Bahamian Snowboarder by the time his part of the contest was over. We’ve been contacted by media and potential sponsors from around the world about the story, and the excitement building to 2010. It’s all part of a larger marketing communications plan that has been well thought out and executed whenever and wherever possible. It’s pretty straightforward, but I just don’t see many others doing the same?

So seriously Canada, if we can make that happen for the Bahamas, what are we doing to get the message out for our Canadian athletes and companies? This is a huge opportunity that we can’t afford to overlook or delay. Time to start getting your communications plans in place and showcase this great city, province, country to the world!

Korath Wright and his supporters