ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the origins and serendipitous evolution of The Letter from a typical, staid bank newsletter of its day in the 1920s to its lively, engaging essay style focused on human interest topics beginning in 1943 under the penmanship of John Heron. Heron’s first issue garnered immediate interest as circulation more than doubled; it would steadily increase and peak in the 1960s and 1970s. The newsletter became an important public relations tool for the Royal Bank of Canada as it built its brand both inside and outside of Canada’s borders, engaging both domestic and foreign audiences. By 1994, The Letter was translated into 13 languages and was reprinted in publications around the world, including textbooks. Audiences ranged from businesspeople to prisoners, homemakers to politicians, seamen to diplomats. Because of its popularity, it reached far into the highest and most influential echelons of society. In 1979, it even made its way into the U.S. Congressional Record. Bank administrators were delighted at the popularity and public relations value of The Letter, willing to spend up to $300,000 annually to produce and distribute the organ, which was not supported by promotion or advertising. This visibility put The Letter in a prime position of influence to be a tool, not only of public relations but also of public diplomacy.
