Club Public Relations Committee

What is the goal of Club 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 Club want to send? TO 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 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 “People” think about Rotary? People eating lunch Older men “Unwelcoming” to women 100% attendance at meetings Inflexible Service (Not business networking, professional development)

On the other Hand…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 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 Club ‘PR Smart’? 1. Be clear about TO WHOM you are trying to communicate and TO WHAT END

How do you make your Club ‘PR Smart’? 2. Have an updated and dynamic Club website

How do you make your Club ‘PR Smart’? 3. HAVE STORIES TO TELL Know 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 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 Club ‘PR Smart’? 5. CREATE and Maintain contact databases “Push” out messages Target what you are messaging

Brainstorming Look at the TARGET AUDIENCES What are THEY interested in? How could you get the messages to them?

Setting your PR Goals or plans? Who will be responsible? Time frame needed to complete it? What resources will be needed? How can it be evaluated?

A partial Goal example Club 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 leave today, what will you 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