Club Public Relations Committee

What is the goal of Club What is the goal of Club Public Relations?Public Relations?

Establishing and promoting a favorable relationship with the local community*

(*including Rotarians and their families)

Is it also to engage these individuals in your youth, community, and international

efforts?

What message does your What message does your Club want to send? TO Club want to send? TO

WHOM?WHOM?• To new Rotarians (LT 3-5 years in club)

• To Rotary Family (incl adult children)

• To younger Business & Professional People (under age 40)

• To youth involved with Rotary Programs (Youth exchange, RYLA, Interact, etc.)

• To longer term (older?)Rotarians

• To the public

What are you up against What are you up against at your club? at your club?

• Not enough time

• PR professionals want to work on other topics

• Challenge seems too big—too many obstacles

• .

What do younger biz What do younger biz “People” think about “People” think about

Rotary? Rotary? • People eating lunch

• Older men

• “Unwelcoming” to women

• 100% attendance at meetings

• Inflexible

• Service (Not business networking, professional development)

On the other Hand…On the other Hand…Rotary and Rotarians…Rotary and Rotarians…

• Can get things done in the community

• Opportunities for social interaction

• Could provide Leadership Development opportunities

• Provides community service

What is the role of the What is the role of the Club PR committee?Club PR committee?

• FOCUS

• Create a coordinated communications effort of the INTERNAL and EXTERNAL messages on behalf of your club

• GET THE STORIES OUT

How do you make your How do you make your Club ‘PR Smart’?Club ‘PR Smart’?

1. Be clear about TO WHOM you are trying to communicate

and

TO WHAT END

How do you make your How do you make your Club ‘PR Smart’?Club ‘PR Smart’?

2. Have an updated and dynamic Club website

How do you make your How do you make your Club ‘PR Smart’?Club ‘PR Smart’?

3. HAVE STORIES TO TELLKnow what makes a compelling story

--Youth programs

--Community Projects—with benefits to identifiable children & people

--International programs-with stories of children and people

How do you make your How do you make your Club ‘PR Smart’?Club ‘PR Smart’?

4. Know your local media

Know the people in your community

Know the dates when they are looking for stories

Know how they want to receive the stories

How do you make your How do you make your Club ‘PR Smart’?Club ‘PR Smart’?

5. CREATE and Maintain contact databases

“Push” out messages

Target what you are messaging

Brainstorming Brainstorming

Look at the TARGET Look at the TARGET AUDIENCESAUDIENCES

What are THEY interested in?What are THEY interested in?How could you get the How could you get the

messages to them?messages to them?

Setting your PR Goals or Setting your PR Goals or plans?plans?

• Who will be responsible?

• Time frame needed to complete it?

• What resources will be needed?

• How can it be evaluated?

A A partial partial Goal exampleGoal exampleClub Goal – Bring Foundation Alumnae “back to the club”

as members• PR Goal 1 – Use new Social Media as a means to

communicate with this younger audience• Set up Club Facebook specifically targeted on an

external, younger audience• PR Goal 2- Get alumnae involved in service

• Invite them to specific hands on volunteering• Send “invites” using Facebook

• PR Goal 3- Publicize them as speakers• Invite to speak. Publicize their speaking. Invite other

Alumnae to hear them

Next steps—when you Next steps—when you leave today, what will you leave today, what will you

do?do?• Create your Committee

• Decide on the FOCUS of your club’s PR effort

• Create a plan for both Internal vs. external messaging

• Set specific Goals

• Collect STORIES—to use in your PR efforts