Presented by Julie Dennehywww.dennehypr.com508-533-8311, julie@dennehypr.comDownload: www.slideshare.net (“USYSA PR”)

Event Public Relations & Best Practices

What is public relations?

PR is the process by which an organization envisions its future and develops creative and strategic action plans to achieve that future. PR gets your audience’s attention with messages that are:

clear, memorable, and simple. and open the door to a specific result or “call to action.” PR utilizes unpaid, third-party sources like traditional media, social media, community organizations, promotional partners and influencers.

Assigning a public relations volunteer can help your organization create memorable events and campaigns that reach the right people at the right time. Having someone assigned to PR also keeps resources focused on the initiatives most likely to succeed, and reduces wasted time and budget.

Think about your organization’s PR goals as we review some strategies, tactics and best practices and how you can apply them to your own needs…

What are your public relations challenges?

Beyond event PR… make news happen!• CREATE A NEWS EVENT. Small, inexpensive, creatively themed events = great PR tools.

• FIND AMBASSADORS. Find people willing to talk up your organization to others and encourage their word-of-mouth marketing. Once they do a good job, publicize them.

• CONSIDER A NEWSLETTER OR BLOG. With so much online noise, a one-page mailed paper newsletter can seem more personal than mass emails. E-newsletter programs like Constant Contact or a blog on Blogger.com or Posterous.com provide free and easy platform for your message.

• CONDUCT A POLL/SURVEY of members (kids or adults) and publicize the results. Use a free survey tool like SurveyMonkey.com to quickly gauge reactions, gather opinions.

• SPEAK UP. Opinion pieces, testimonials, a summary of facts… show the media your expertise in unique and timely ways.

• CELEBRATE! Milestones are a reason to engage, celebrate and promote yourself.

First… understand your targets.

Next, create simple press materials. Sample event listing

Contact: Julie Dennehy, Dennehy PR 508-533-8311, julie@dennehypr.comcell: 508-479-9848

THE ELLIE FUND’S OSCAR NIGHT GALA BRINGS HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR TO THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL, BOSTON ON FEBRUARY 27, 2011

BOSTON, Mass. (February 20, 2011) -- On February 27, 2011, The Ellie Fund will celebrate the 15 th Anniversary of their Oscar Night Gala, the Bay State’s only Oscars party officially sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The event will feature black-tie attire and runway fashions on the red carpet at the Mandarin Oriental, Boston (776 Boylston Street, Boston). Thanks to presenting sponsor Subaru of New England, 100% of funds raised by the event will be used to fight breast cancer and ease its effects on local women and families.

WCVB-TV 5 will host the live telecast with emcees Susan Wornick, Bianca de la Garza, JC Monahan and David Brown, who will join 300 guests, including entertainment celebrities with Boston connections and local personalities. Guests will enjoy the Academy Awards telecast live from Hollywood on oversized screens, gourmet hors d’oeuvres by Asana and 12 live action chef stations, decadent desserts, live and silent auctions, photos with actor Chris Cooper’s Oscar statuette, and luxury swag bags.

Individual tickets are $175 before 2/14, $275 thereafter. A limited number of VIP group packages and sponsorships are still available. For details, visit www.elliefund.org/Oscars2011. For those unable to attend the event, a special online auction will be hosted on http://www.Biddingforgood.com from February 9 – March 9. About the Ellie FundFounded in 1994, the Ellie Fund is a Needham-based non-profit organization fighting breast cancer and easing its effects on patients and families across Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.elliefund.org.

# # #

CONTACT INFORMATIONCONTACT INFORMATION

HEADLINEHEADLINE

DATELINEDATELINE

SUPPORTING DETAILSSUPPORTING DETAILS

LEAD: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY AND HOWLEAD: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY AND HOW

CALL TO ACTIONCALL TO ACTION

BOILERPLATEBOILERPLATE

Sample photo caption

HEADLINEHEADLINE

DATELINEDATELINE

SUPPORTING DETAILSUPPORTING DETAIL

PHOTO IDsPHOTO IDs

LEAD: 5WsLEAD: 5Ws

Best Practices: Find brand Champions

• Build excitement, credibility• Add assets to your team/organization• Create a buzz – “halo effect” with brands• Bring in money, resources, giveaways/prizing• Connect your organization to a leader, and their third-party endorsement

Partner-led celebrity appearances

Community visibility beyond the fieldPre/post publicity opportunities in the paperWord of mouth: buzz is HUGE

Create buzz on the field, at retail, and via email blasts to friends & family

Best practice: cause related marketing

Best practice: great visuals

Best practice: focus on valuesYouth empowerment, life skills, social/leadership development

Best practice: social mediaHere are some highlights from the Idealware.org survey of 459 nonprofit staffers using social media:

Social media builds relationships with your existing audience, and reaches new audiences through the top platforms. Blogs, video-sharing, Twitter, and Facebook are felt to be the most effective tools.

The least effective platforms are MySpace and Linkedin.

LEARNING: video-sharing is perceived as highly effective for enhancing relationships, especially in a youth culture.

Best practice: social mediaMost nonprofits are using a combination of Facebook, Twitter, video-sharing and blogs to reach out and enrich relationships online. The data shows that there isn’t a relationship between the size of the organization and the number of channels it is using. Nonprofits are using and regularly updating one to three social media channels.

Source: Idealware.org

Best practice: video speaks volumes

• Over 3 billion videos are viewed daily• Users upload the equivalent of 240,000 full-length films every week• More video is uploaded to YouTube in one month than the 3 major US networks created in 60 years.

To consider:

• Players’ consent to publicity waiver

• Appointing a social community manager – volunteer position for the season

• Appointing two video crew members to shoot, edit and upload games to YouTube channel

• Single Flickr album combining all parents/coaches/staff photos in one place, one tag/keyword

Case study: Event PR ideas for

• Soccer Across America is designed to introduce the sport of soccer to youth in underserved communities, and find funding/equipment to begin and expand activities.

• Values: every child has the opportunity to play our Beautiful Game.

• USYS has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial and material support.

• Call to action: contact your state assoc. office.

Goals:

• Offer soccer to underserved children• Increase self-esteem through organized team

activities• Build positive social and life skills• Provide exercise and increase self-awareness about

health through sports• Provide a positive, cooperative, enjoyable experience

Let’s kick around some event PR ideas.

Creative event PR ideas• Publicity in newspapers, Patch.com, newsletters, websites, blogs – photo

opportunities pre-event• Radio and TV interviews, public service anncmt. (PSA)• Flyers/signage/banners on and off the field• Social media: Facebook ads/page/event, Twitter, YouTube• Promotional partners (retailers, brands, businesses)• Like-minded organizational partners (ex. YMCA, housing authorities, Boys

& Girls Club, Parks & Rec Dept., religious orgs.)• Cause-related marketing – tie in with values• Celebrity tie-ins from your community, region

Shoot me your questions!

Event Public Relations & Best Practices

Presented by Julie Dennehywww.dennehypr.com508-533-8311, julie@dennehypr.comDownload: www.slideshare.net (“USYSA PR”)@dennehypr.com