Public Relations Initiatives of Rotary Clubs Shyamashree Sen RC Calcutta Metro City DGN, R.I. District 3291

Public Relations Initiatives of Rotary Clubs Public relations efforts are vital to Rotary’s continued growth and service Creating a positive image for Rotary is the responsibility of every Rotarian, both locally and globally

Public Relations Committee Manual Says: “Having strong public relations ensures that communities around the world know that Rotary is a credible organization that meets real needs.”

Role of Club’s Public Relations Committee to inform the public about Rotary and to promote your club’s service projects and activities Do you have a Public Relations Committee in your Rotary club?

Publicity, Public Relations and Public Image What is the difference? PUBLICITY – the act of creating a good opinion among people about your Rotary Club OR – creating information that makes people notice your Rotary Club

Publicity, Public Relations and Public Image What is the difference? PUBLIC IMAGE – is the perception that the public have about your Rotary Club which may or may not be what they really are

Publicity, Public Relations and Public Image What is the difference? PUBLIC RELATIONS - the relationship between your Rotary Club and the public –spreading the word

Steps in PR Initiatives – Develop and use traditional and non-traditional PR materials and methods – Work with the media – Develop cooperative relationships with non Rotary organizations – Please evaluate and measure the success of your PR efforts

Components of Public Relations Understanding what is “news” PR writing Media relations Non-traditional media

Public Relations Writing by Rotary Clubs The ability to write easily, logically, and succinctly is vital in public relations. The object of most PR writing is to grab the reader’s attention. Most press releases and other written communications for the media use an inverted-pyramid style. The headline and the first sentence are the two most important parts of a press release.

Tell Your Club’s Rotary Story Make sure you emphasize on Who? (Concerned persons) What? (Event or project) When? (Time, day, date) Why? (The reason why the project or event is significant) Where? ( Location) This will lead to good public relations

A Good Press Release Develop a well-thought-out “news hook” Determine who will be the contact person in the club formedia inquiries Include the web address of club, if current Keep your press release concise

Beyond the Press Release Rotarians have communicated their stories to the media in many other ways, such as: Media alerts – condensed version of press releases Letters to the editor Opinion editorials Media kits – special folders Fact sheets – details about the program

Non Traditional Media Used by Rotary Clubs  Does Your Club have a Twitter Account, Blog or a Facebook Page?  Do you send videos to YouTube?  Is your Rotary Club LinkedIn?

Rotary Clubs Communicate With … – the media & – local government officials – the business community – civic leaders and other organizations – qualified prospective members – their current members – people directly affected by Rotary service projects.

Please Remember … When a Rotary Club has positive public relations: its current members are motivated to be active AND prospective members are eager to join the club Lastly, it is not how many newspapers have reported your projects, but how the people whom you have served have accepted and recognized you that matters.

THANK YOU!