Welcome to the fourth issue of The Walrus Lab Insider, a regular update from our client services department.
As we turn the calendar over to 2023, we are noticing a few trends. Remote work is here to stay, so podcasts and online events continue to be important tools for clients looking for thought-leadership opportunities. Themes such as mental health, social justice, and travel are key pillars for many organizations, and our clients want to tell thought-provoking stories in those areas.
NEW PODCASTS FROM THE WALRUS LAB
We’re excited to tell you about two new podcasts out of The Walrus Lab. Youth for Youthis a podcast for teens by teens, which explores big topics like mental health, climate change, the impacts of social media, and how to deal with cancel culture. We created it as a part of a project funded by the Rossy Foundation. Our inaugural six-episode season features youth hosts under the direction of our production team. Each host received specialized training from executive producer Sheena Rossiter, along with a webinar from Media Girlfriends on finding your authentic voice. The goal of Youth for Youth is to train the next generation of podcasters.
Our newest podcast, Canadian Time Machine, is a modern look at key moments in history for Heritage Canada and the national podcast has both English and French episodes.
Destination travel is often a popular theme around this time of year. In 2022, we ran an extensive advertising and custom content campaign for Visit Cayman Islands. Local tourism associations across Canada and the United States are also trying to bring people back. Border cities in the U.S. are of particular interest, as they are looking to bring Canadian crowds back to their attractions for the first time in three years.
In our January/February 2023 issue, you’ll find a special supplement we created for Visit Buffalo-Niagara, highlighting an artistic and architectural revitalization in Western New York. Our team served multiple clients on this supplement weaving together a narrative that connected many different museums, theatres, and
performing arts groups into a visually compelling feature.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Our expertise in telling cultural stories extends beyond modern museums and into historic contexts. For the fourth consecutive year, we took on a large storytelling project for Heritage Canada. We published an eight-page print supplement and digital companion, marking the 40th anniversary of
the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Make no mistake, this wasn’t a chapter from a high school history textbook, yet it also wasn’t a glowing review of how it all turned out. Read “The Charter at 40” to learn more about the intentions and failures of a document that is central to Canada’s fabric.
While it isn’t perfect, the creation of the Charter tackled many social injustices in Canadian society. The climate crisis is another form of injustice we’re digging into for our second feature for Save The Children Canada. “Raising Generation Hope” explores the growing concerns the climate crisis presents, particularly for children in Indigenous communities and developing countries. Conflict zones added to the misery of historic droughts in the past
year. “In 2022, humanitarian emergencies around the world—armed conflict, natural disasters, forced migration or displacement, poverty, and hunger—have continued to put children’s lives at risk,” writes Alexander Huls.
AMAZON CANADA FIRST NOVEL AWARD
The Walrus is committed to supporting the development of a diversity of emerging authors.
With the support of Amazon Canada, we are producing our eighth year of the Amazon Canada First Novel Award. The Youth Short Story category returns for the sixth year with authors between the ages of thirteen and seventeen who submit a short story under 3,000 words for the
chance to win $5,000. Both categories will be presented at the award ceremony on May 31 at the Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto and will be judged by our esteemed panel—Sharon Bala, Kim Fu, Heather O’Neill, and
Zalika Reid-Benta. Michelle Good, who won the prize in 2021 for her novel, Five Little Indians, will be the special guest speaker.
Stay tuned for our announcement of the shortlists in early May.
Curious about anything you’ve read here? Or want to know more about how The Walrus Lab can support your strategic communications plans? Please reach
out.
