BE MORE CREATIVE

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BE MORE CREATIVE

• CREATING DYNAMIC PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGNS
  SPECIAL EVENTS

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Who Are We?

• Lindsey Nickel- de la O is the Public Relations
  Director at SPARK. Lindsey's journey to SPARK
  began at Ketchum Public Relations London where
  she worked on public relations campaigns for
  Starbucks, Uncle Ben's, and Pedigree. Lindsey
  returned home to Tampa Bay to further her career,
  working as the public relations
  events coordinator Southeastern Guide Dogs Inc.,
  a public relations writer for OSI Restaurant
  Partners, Inc., and most recently the public
  information officer for arts, events and tourism
  at the city of St. Petersburg.

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Who Are We?

• Dan McLean, APR, manages media and public
  relations campaigns for Roberts Communications.
  Prior to joining the firm, he founded a boutique
  public relations agency focusing on the strategic
  development of public and media relations
  programs for clients in the nonprofit and
  corporate environment. His work has been
  recognized by the Tampa Chapter of the Florida
  Public Relations Association for excellence in
  the planning and implementation of public
  relations campaigns and in 2005 he was recognized
  as one of Tampa's top 30 professionals under 30
  by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

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EVERYONE HAS A STORY

• Public Relations
• is how communicate your story to your audience
• Special Events
• are how you engage your audience in your story

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Public Relations

• Is the 1 Tool in your
• Storytelling Tool Box
• Tells Your Story
• Maximizes Audience Exposure
• Strategically Reaches Audience
• Creates Editorial Credibility
• Develops Relationships

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How do you communicate?

• Consistency! Consistency! Consistency!
• Thread your mission and vision into everything
  you write, say do!
• Printed Collateral Flyers, letterhead, business
  cards
• Website
• Advertising
• Media Relations
• Sponsorships
• Personal/Professional Relationships
• Employee Communications

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Consistency Money
VS
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Who communicates?

• Fire in the Eyes
• Give your mission a human connection
• Media Spokespersons
• Community Ambassadors

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What happens when the story breaks?

• Maximize Your Exposure
• Tell your story remember your main message
• Can you say credibility keep and share your
  clips
• Send them to your supporters
• Post them online
• Leverage the clip for more stories

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What happens if stories arent breaking?

• Go Big!
• Do your homework
• Where does your story fit? What journalist are
  you sending it to? Have you called to follow up?
• Find your tie
• Find the 3 degrees of separation between you and
  the media
• Go Big!
• The media loves when you bring them unique
  opportunities. Example Career Change Dogs

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If all else fails - Buy!

• Get More Bang For Your Buck
• Maintain a 3x frequency dont forget consistency
• Focus on one primary media type layer with
  secondary media to stretch dollars
• Stay away from busy ad times when pricing is
  higher (holidays)
• Negotiate everything
• Ask about first-time customer advertising
• Insist on value-added component in your buy
  free spots, sponsorships
• Trade product in return for media

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Special Events

• Engage Your Audience by Brining Your Mission to
  Life

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First step Budget

• Fundraiser or Not
• It All Comes Down to Costs
• Outline the events logistical priorities
• Create a Line Item Budget
• Always round up
• Research - dont just take the first quote
• Always Budget your WOW factor Example NOVA 535

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Second step - Theme

• From Point A to Point B There is Always a
  Straight Line

• Make sure your event themes are always consistent
  with your mission. Example Red Bull Flutag and
  Air Race - literally Gives You Wings
• Research your audience interests that are
  consistent with your mission
• Research current event trends. Example Whats In
  - Mad Men, Fashion Competitions, The VIP
  Experience. Whats Out - The Tini, Iron Chef
  Competitions, Havana anything

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Third step - Execution

• It Takes a Long Time to Pull Off One Evening
• Dont Rush - To get the best pricing, the
  greatest attendance and killer marketing
  opportunities plan ahead
• Be Straightforward - Create a timeline and inform
  all planning committee members of their deadlines
• Beyond invitations - Plan plenty of triggers for
  your audience to be reminded about the event.
  Example save-the-dates, e-mails, e-newsletters,
  news stories, advertisements
• Personalize it - I hand written envelope and note
  make all the difference.

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Top 9 Event Tips

• 9. Tie your services into your events. Whether
  its bowl-a-thon, golf tournament, black tie
  gala, or an open house. Always keep your mission
  in mind.
• 8. Leverage every event as another way to
  develop key community relationships. This means
  all organizational ambassadors should be out and
  about greeting people at every event.
• 7. Dont just jump at the first event offer.
  Research every fundraising opportunity brought to
  you to make sure it ties into your mission, it is
  something your supporters will enjoy and
  something that balances funds raised vs.
  organization time and effort.
• 6. Create a Signature - do something well,
  improve the model, build buzz and do it every
  year to create anticipation.
• 5. Exceed Expectations - take preconceived
  notions about your organization and take them to
  the next level through your events.

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• 4. Be Strategic - when you go to market your
  event dont just rely on donated media space.
  Apply for advertising grants, create an event
  sponsor level for marketing, or budget in a line
  item for Ads. Take that pocket of money and
  create a limited but strategic media plan that
  coordinates with your PR.
• 3. Plan Ahead - The more time you have to plan,
  the better the event is overall. Always think
  Budget, Timeline, People.
• 2. Brand your event - make sure that in every
  piece of communication materials that goes out is
  consistent with your brand model and brings
  drives people back to your mission values.
• 1. Dont let the money be your bottom line -
  always prioritize your budget, but never put
  money before the value the event experience can
  have for present and future supporters.

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Top 9 PR Tips

• 9. When buying media, be strategic, be repetitive
  and negotiate everything.
• 8. Perform proactively, not reactively. Plan for
  crisis, look towards editorial calendars and
  potential story opportunities. (add more)
• 7. Set goals and create measurable objectives.
• 6. When being interviewed mics are always on,
  the interview isnt over until the reporter
  leaves and the best way to make is a friend to
  beat the reporters deadline with answer better
  than no comment.

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• 5. Have a main message and dont forget to say
  it, loop back to it and repeat it.
• 4. Train several key staff members to serve as
  media spokespersons.
• 3. Train every member of your staff to be an
  ambassador. They need to be familiar with your
  mission and capable of telling your organizations
  story.
• 2. Be consistent in everything you do. Start with
  your mission statement (this is what makes you
  different) and carry that through every piece of
  communication. Establish brand standards for
  logo, color and font usage, stick to them and
  have vendors stick to them.
• 1.Do your homework. Identify each of your
  audiences and know everything you can about them
  including your current and potential media
  relationships.