S7:E8 Year-round Pride and Allyship with Dean Lobo of The 519 (he/him)

...and that's a wrap on Season 7! Our end of week treat features our Greatest Hits throughout this season, where we reflect on a season filled with salient moments, from inclusion in sport and out-of-home advertising to AI disruption and crisis communication. What were some of your favourite moments from the season? Comment below or DM us. Catch us in the new year when we return with season 8!  

About 50% of all ad spend is digital. Of that, only 5-6% is within the Canadian local media market. As we explore why and work to earn the attention of our diverse audiences, it's more important than ever to really consider what kind of world we are creating, and how we are supporting Canadian owned and operated media, especially local news. Learn about how we can meaningfully move the needle on this, and so much more in the latest conversation between Ken Evans and Sarah Thompson.  

In this timely episode of the Pivot, Ken and Ethan dive into the Bill C-18 (Online News Act)/tech giant conflict and what it means for Canadians and newsrooms. Also offering a closer look and exploration of the media business as a whole, alternative approaches to regulatory sanity, and how we can explore different avenues of news.  

Dean is a seasoned communications specialist with a decade's experience across radio, television production, print and digital news, strategic communications, and media studies facilitation.  During his journalism years, Dean reported extensively about issues impacting LGBTQ+ communities, bringing that same passion for community to his communications role now at The 519 - Canada’s most prominent 2SLGBTQ+ multi-service centre and a City of Toronto agency. He recently presented the Communicator’s Guide to Gender Diversity and Inclusion at the IABC World Conference 2023 in Toronto.  Dean continues to explore how his South Asian roots and queer identity interact with his life now as a settler, and for that, he finds himself turning to writing, art, and music.   Want to learn more about The 519 and their work? Check out the links below.  See their main website here and some of their resources and advocacy work below. Click here to donate to or support The 519.  The 519's Army of Lovers advocacy work: Anti-2SLGBTQ+ extremists are escalating their attacks on our communities – in Toronto, across Canada, and the world. Generations of 2 Spirit, queer and trans people have fought for our right to live in the light with pride and dignity. This Pride season, let’s get one thing straight: we’re an Army of Lovers, and we won’t back down. The 519 Media Reference Guide: Co-created by The 519 with 2SLGBTQ+ community activists and leaders, the guide is informed by community conversations and will support anyone who wants to produce better journalism, champion inclusion, and expand their learning and allyship. Creating Authentic Spaces: A Gender Identity and Expression Toolkit: This resource is designed to support screen readers. Our Creating Authentic Spaces toolkit and education program is part of our efforts to challenge transphobia and to foster environments that are inclusive of gender identity and gender expression. Follow The 519 on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Want to connect with Dean Lobo? You can find him on Linkedin here or Instagram here.   

Jill Burgin and Aisha Mayne of AFC Toronto City and Project 8 join The Pivot to dive into women's sport and soccer - walking us through their progress, projects, goal attainment and much more. Leaning into their dedication to community and brand humanisation, we cover moving parts around role modelling, talent, team-building, two-way conversations, community, grassroots support and much more. Truly, raising the bar through open dialogues, dismantling misconceptions and meeting deep and visceral needs of our communities.

As the trusted spokesperson and industry leader you want during the good times and the really, really bad times, Anne Marie Aikins (she/her) joins The Pivot on this week’s episode. Leaning into her dedication for public service, we dive into her community engagement experiences and how to proactively foster thought-provoking goodwill, and partnership. We also weave through the do’s and don'ts of solid issues management and crisis communication, when to deploy an area expert versus a spokesperson and much more.

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be at the epicentre of many conversations. We see it changing how people work, create and explore, but it comes with many questions. For instance - what could be the unintended consequences of AI? How can we effectively coalesce and harness real knowledge in our teams and organisations while leveraging intelligent evolving tools? What about untapped information, lessons and space, which still have yet to come into the pipeline?  Dive into Ken and Mohit’s thought-provoking conversation as they dissect all of this and much more, through an added lens and deeper thinking of the good, the bad and the ugly.

Media consumption and evolution are more relevant than ever as the landscape continues to evolve. But why? What does being informed truly mean in 2023 and beyond? What makes one type of media appear more relevant than another? How can paid social be leveraged when building an online community? And where does legacy media fit in this space? This week, we are joined by Co-Founder of The Peak and Host of the Peak Daily, Brett Chang, to answer all of these questions, and much more. We also discuss Brett’s non-linear journey into the world of media and his passion and approaches for sustaining The Peak Daily and The Peak, Canada’s most daily read newsletter.

The Pivot Greatest Hits: As we launch into 2023, we bring to you a past Season 4 conversation with Sabaa Quao, Chief Creative Officer at Cossette and Co-Founder at Wealthie Works Daily. Tune in for relevant insights on the shifting consumer mindset, how the digitization of money presents risks to younger generations, and the need for persistent and consistent financial literacy. If we look to generation Z, and even generation alpha, there is some hope. Generation Z are confident creators and less burdened with self-conscious expression, but for this potential to blossom, they need the financial independence and liberty to truly unleash their creativity, business savviness and activism. **The Pivot with Ken Evans will return in February 2023 with continued marketing-focused content. We are excited to be exploring new topics and developments with industry leaders. Wishing you and your families a Happy New Year!** Episode originally aired October 2020.

Inclusive cultures are evolving and more and more organisations are taking note. But, what does it really mean to foster equal and equitable opportunity? Why are listening, soul-searching and actionable leadership so important in marketing and messaging?  This week, we are joined by key leaders from the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, Dr. Sofia B. Pertuz and Therese O’Higgins to dive into these topics. We also chat about the importance of trailblazers like Billie Jean King and specific steps organizations can take to address real issues, both internal and systemic, as we strive to create greater equitable opportunities, access, representation and inclusive cultures across the board.