Working with words comes naturally to me. I just instinctively know how to write in an engaging way to make the all-important emotional connection with the audience. It's hard to explain. I just do my thing.
My tag line for Dean Askin Creative is brand stories with impact.™ Here are some career-spanning case studies that back up that tag line.
Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN)
MY ROLE
Communications Strategist
SITUATION/RATIONALE
ODEN was doing significant, important work in Ontario's disability employment sector, to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. However, its name and brand were little-known outside the organization's member network of employment service providers. Its National Disability Employment Awareness Month campaign consisted of purchasing ads in a national newspaper. It had no media presence or recognition whatsoever; no "voice." ODEN desired to expand both its flagship annual NDEAM campaign, and its media presence; and position itself as "the" authoritative go-to source in Ontario for journalists seeking expert comment about disability and employment. The CEO was the organization's primary spokesperson, but had relatively little experience speaking to the media. She was uncomfortable talking to journalists, and uncomfortable taking a stance on issues in opinion pieces.
STRATEGY and OBJECTIVE
Develop a comprehensive NDEAM communications plan that would create a diverse, multifaceted campaign including PR and media outreach, and increase ODEN member engagement and participation in the annual NDEAM campaign each October. PR handled by engaging an external consultant with whom I had a long-standing professional relationship.
Educate and nurture the CEO to increase comfort level with expressing opinions in op-ed columns, and with doing media interviews.
Grow ODEN's NDEAM campaign and media presence every year.
ACHIEVEMENT and RESULTS
Beginning in 2019, ODEN's NDEAM campaign and its media presence grew substantially year-on-year, each year through to 2025. (In 2022, media coverage of ODEN's NDEAM campaign reached almost the entire population of Canada.) This was achieved through creating diverse, dynamic, engaging NDEAM campaign elements that excited ODEN members and made them want to participate each year; through dynamic hosting of NDEAM campaign-overview webinars that excited ODEN members; through outstanding efforts of the external PR consultants and being responsive when media opportunities arose; through media training to make all ODEN spokespeople comfortable speaking to journalists, especially the CEO; and through developing consistent messaging that created ODEN's "voice."
In 2020, I created Light It Up! For NDEAM™ as an additional element for ODEN's NDEAM campaign. It grew from being a small, one-night "awareness" lighting event in Ontario, to being the flagship event of NDEAM, and a nationwide movement that sparks ongoing conversation about disability inclusion in business, in employment and in communities. ODEN leads Light It Up! For NDEAM; the event happens through collaboration between ODEN, other national, provincial and regional disability-sector organizations; and local employment service providers as well as through the participation of the federal government, which illuminates many buildings across Canada the third Thursday of every October. Light It Up! For NDEAM gets substantial media coverage nationwide every year. The number of locations grew by hundreds each year between 2021 (when the event went national) and 2024. In 2024, well over 800 locations in 200 communities (in every province and territory, for the first time), participated in Light It Up! For NDEAM.
Also in 2020, I created the You Can't Spell Inclusion Without a D podcast. It has become a key element of ODEN's thought-leadership voice. The podcast is highly respected throughout Canada's disability employment sector.
Over the course of five years, ODEN became a go-to source for journalists seeking expert comment when working on stories involving business, disability and employment.
Snap-on Tools of Canada Ltd.
MY ROLE
Marketing Communications Specialist
Case study #1:
SITUATION/RATIONALE
Snap-on mobile tool dealers were receiving a monthly publication that was simply a Canadianized version of a magazine for Snap-on U.S. dealers. It was not meeting the unique needs of the Canadian Snap-on dealer force.
STRATEGY and OBJECTIVE
Engage the Canadian Snap-on dealer force by creating a newsmagazine with 100% Canadian content, enabling dealers to learn and share knowledge that will help them make their businesses more successful.
ACHIEVEMENT and RESULTS
Under tight deadlines, Frontline magazine was conceived, developed, written, designed and launched in 90 days.
The bilingual publication significantly improved communication with Snap-on’s Canadian dealer force. The magazine won an APEX Award of Excellence in the one-person produced newsletters category.
Case Study #2
SITUATION/RATIONALE
Snap-on Tools of Canada Ltd. desired to increase its exposure in vertical trade magazines, to help maintain its position as a tool of choice with professional automotive technicians.
STRATEGY and OBJECTIVE
Increase presences in trade magazines by developing regular supplied editorial features and a program of regular news and product release distribution; and by enhancing relationships with key automotive trade magazine editors.
ACHIEVEMENT and RESULTS
A communications plan was developed that included supplying editorial features to Service Station and Garage Management Magazine (SSGM). At the time, it was the leading trade publication for the independent automotive maintenance and repair industry. News and product releases were sent regularly to SSGM, and also to other automotive trade magazines.
Relationships were successfully strengthened with all key Canadian automotive trade magazine editors. A series of of six editorial supplied features for SSGM, plus regular news and product releases, increased Snap-on’s editorial exposure by 12,000 words in one year.
Case Study #3
SITUATION/RATIONALE
Snap-on Tools of Canada Ltd. desired to increase its return on investment in sponsorship of the Canadian Molson Indy.
STRATEGY and OBJECTIVE
Create a “Snap-on Day at the Races” event that will be exciting for participants, and gain local media exposure for the nationally televised race event.
ACHIEVEMENT and RESULTS
An autograph-signing event for teenagers in the Boys’ and Girls’ Cub of Toronto who were Snap-on’s guests for race day was created.
In all, 18 out of 21 drivers who were invited to attend the signing session in the
Snap-on grandstand area, participated. At the time, it was Snap-on’s most-successful-ever “Snap-on Day at the Races” event. The signing session was covered by local television media for 6 p.m. news sports segment. The vice-president of sales for the Canadian division was very satisfied with the results of the campaign.
Canada Life
MY ROLE
Designated Communications Team Specialist Supporting the Canada Life distribution channel (prior to amalgamation of London Life, Great-West Life and Canada Life brands under one brand, Canada Life)
SITUATION/RATIONALE
Every 18 months, Canada Life held its recognition conference for top financial advisors and managing general agencies with which the insurance company does business. Promotional materials creating excitement must be produced under tight deadlines.
STRATEGY and OBJECTIVE
Create a detailed communications plan outlining all tactics over the course of 18 months and keep advisors excited, so they increase their business for conference qualification.
ACHIEVEMENT and RESULTS
Conference promotional materials, including videos of top advisors, must be produced under extremely tight deadlines. The communications plan incorporated up to 35 conference communications tactics over the course of 18 months. Promotional materials were produced under extremely tight deadlines. Conference materials included quarterly incentives, a conference qualification brochure, teaser brochures and postcards, a conference program brochure, executive speeches, video profiles of top advisors and conference graphics.
As the lead communications specialist responsible for the Canada Life distribution channel of the Great-West Life organization, I not only managed the project team successfully for five years, but also wrote and produced most communications. The conference communications team’s efforts earned high praise in a personal note from senior management. Conference materials won APEX awards of excellence twice.
The Learning Partnership
MY ROLE
Contract Marketing Communications Specialist
SITUATION/RATIONALE
This national education non-profit group needed to increase 2011 regional and national media exposure for its flagship program, Take Our Kids to Work™, with more brand association to the well-known annual Take Our Kids to Work day.
STRATEGY and OBJECTIVE
Increase media presence by engaging an external public relations consultant who could devote media relations resources required to proactively seek out Take Our Kids to Work day media opportunities, while freeing up the internal communications department to focus on important marketing and stakeholder relations communications projects.
ACHIEVEMENT and RESULTS
All media releases were written by the Marketing and Communications department, with release distribution and media relations handled by the external consultant. There was significant media coverage across Canada, with 20% more mention of The Learning Partnership as the brand owner of Take Our Kids to Work than in previous years. Coverage included a 20-minute feature interview on regional AM radio in Toronto. The Marketing and Communications Department’s efforts earned praise from the president & CEO of the organization.