The company and the name
Stretch Communication Inc. is a sole proprietorship public relations business based in Calgary. I am Laurie Stretch, a respected communications leader with experience spanning the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
As well as offering strategic counsel and hands-on support, Stretch Communication Inc. partners with other independent practitioners, building teams that deliver a full suite of public relations services.
My grandmother once commented that “Stretch” is a peculiar name. It was a married name for her, but I was born with it, and I have become fond of it for both myself and my business.
Far too often, corporate communications work doesn’t stretch – it doesn’t go beyond the expected messaging or the standard tactical playbook. To be effective, communications needs to stretch – it can’t be generic or boring. In all my work, I strive to tell compelling human stories that will break through the clutter of an overloaded world to achieve clearly articulated objectives with well-defined audiences.
The official bio
Laurie Stretch is a senior communications leader with 30 years of agency, corporate, non-profit and government experience. Laurie has specialized expertise in the energy sector and interest in public policy issues and urban development.
Before launching her own business, Laurie led the Calgary office of Edelman, the world's largest PR agency, where she quadrupled the staff count and revenue of the Calgary office. She also spent five years as a Vice President with NATIONAL Public Relations.
Laurie’s agency experience was preceded by 12 years in the energy sector, including serving on the management team at Provident Energy Trust as senior manager of investor relations and communications. Her nine years at Petro-Canada included senior roles in oil sands communications and government relations.
With two political science degrees, Laurie spent the first six years of her career in Ottawa, working on Parliament Hill and for a governance think tank.
Through this diverse career, Laurie has built a unique depth and breadth of perspective on how public opinion is formed in our digital world, and how organizations can engage in the public sphere to shape opinion and change behaviours in a way that is authentic to their brands and histories.
Married to a marketing professor with young adult sons who are budding creatives and social scientists, Laurie’s dinner table conversations often solve the world’s problems.
I am a senior associate with IMC Projects, an Edmonton-based consulting firm with a 30-year history as "Extraordinary consultants for out-of-the-ordinary assignments." The IMC team is composed of a uniquely experienced group of industry leaders who have had considerable success in the private and public sectors. Their project, operational, market, regulatory and policy expertise is unmatched in the resource and manufacturing industries. IMC engages at senior management levels in a wide array of subject areas, providing clients with a powerful blend of practicality and expertise.
IMC Projects
Communo
Stretch Communication is a fully vetted member of Communo, a subscription-based network and community of marketing and communications agencies and freelancers. Through Communo, I have access to an incredible range of talented specialists across North America. I have hired Communo members for web design (front end and back end), social media campaigns, graphic design, book design, print production management, logo design, brand strategy, copywriting, photography and video production. I also access more junior (read “cheaper”) talent when required for time-consuming work to keep budgets manageable for clients.