Blowing Your Horn Can Make Social Change 2004 SOUND PARTNERS NATIONAL GRANTEE CONFERENCE November 12

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Blowing Your Horn Can Make Social Change
2004 SOUND PARTNERS NATIONAL GRANTEE
CONFERENCE November 12, 2004Washington, D.C.
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What will happen in the next 75 minutes?

• Youll hear tips and strategies around promotion
  and reaching policymakers.
• Youll develop promotion and policymaking goals
  and tactics for your project.
• Youll share your goals and tactics with your
  colleagues.

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Promotion and Publicity
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Define Your Message

• Message is the crux of the matterthe reason why
  anyone should care about your project.
• Your message must be clear, compelling,
  accurateand short!
• Try to make your message no longer than 50 words.
  
• Message is the first and sometimes only
  information people will have about your
  organization.
• All spokespeople should deliver the same key
  messages.

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WNIN Evansville, IN
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SOBER UP is a partnership of WNIN and Youth
First, Inc. to help the Tri-State address the
problem of underage drinking.
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• Sober Ups Goals
• To help parents, adults, and decision-makers name
  and claim the problem of underage drinking.
• To build regional support for research-proven
  prevention programs and policy reforms.
• To provide parents and youth the best possible
  prevention, intervention, and treatment options.

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Messaging Questions to Answer

• What do you want reporters and your community to
  know about your project?
• Do you want to call community members to action?
• When you talk about the project to friends and
  colleagues, what part of the project excites you
  and them most?
• How are your project issues playing out in your
  community? Is there a way to connect your work
  with these larger community issues?

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Define Your Audiences and How to Reach Them

• Who do you want to reach?
• What audiences will be most receptive?
• Reach out to audiences that dont normally hear
  your signal.
• Augment media promotion with forums that bring
  interested citizens together and in turn attract
  interested media.

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Media Strategies for Partners and Stations

• Determine responsibilities. Have a clear plan for
  who will handle specific parts of the promotion
  campaign.
• Share press lists and contacts.
• Draft press releases together.
• Look for common audiences.
• Determine who is best suited to reach out to
  specific audiences.

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Launch Your Project with Fanfare

• Customize the Sound Partners press release
  template and fact sheet. Distribute them as
  widely as possible to media, community members,
  and other groups.
• Use your airwaves to promote the launch of the
  program.
• Think about a creative way to kick-off your
  efforts. Consider holding a press conference,
  sponsoring a health fair, or holding a community
  forum.

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Media Tips

• Develop a short list of people that can speak on
  behalf of your project.
• Research reporters or columnists who cover your
  issues. Send them your press kit or release and
  follow up with a call to arrange face-to-face
  meetings.
• Visit editorial boards of local newspapers and
  television stations. Present an overview of your
  Sound Partners project and upcoming programming
  and events.
• Ask local commercial radio and TV stations to air
  public service announcements about your project.
  Encourage their news divisions to cover your
  efforts.

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Media Tips(cont.)

• Find Web sites, E-newsletters and E-mail
  listserves that discuss your project-related
  issues. Introduce them to your project and ask
  them to feature it.
• Begin developing your own E-newsletter or
  Newsletter.
• Think creatively about alternative outlets for
  promotion of your projects. Explore how you can
  spread the word through these outlets.

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Reaching Policymakers
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Why should you reach out to policymakers?

• To make lasting change
• Raise awareness for your station, your partner
  and your issue
• Health of the station and the partner
• Continued support from licensee and funders
• Continued government funding
• Continued listener support

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What policymakers should you reach?

• Members of Congress and staff
• State and local legislators, mayors, city council
  members and city managers
• State health commissioners and other state govt.
  offices that implement policies
• Community members that impact policies around
  your issues
• University officials/Board of Trustees
• National public radio organizations - CPB, NPR,
  NFCB

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How do you reach policymakers?

• Site visits and events
• Hill and district office visits
• Briefings and luncheons
• Presentations
• Using positive press
• Mobilize your base

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Develop Promotion and Policy Goals

• Work with your partner.
• Choose one promotion goal and one policy goal for
  your project.
• Develop three tactics for each goal.
• You have 15 minutes to work on this.

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Promotion and Policy Goals

• Sample Media Promotion Goal
• Place two stories about your project in your
  local newspaper.
• Sample Policy Goal
• Educate local policymakers about the need for
  better rural health care access in your area.