The problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished

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• The problem with communication is the illusion
  that it has been accomplished

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What is public relations?

• The deliberate, planned and sustained effort to
  establish and maintain mutual understanding
  between and organisation and its publics
• Institute of Public Relations

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Publics

• Service users
• Employees
• Trustees
• Volunteers
• Public sector
• Suppliers
• Funders
• General public
• Collaborative organisations
• Opinion leaders

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The PR Transfer Process

• Negative Positive
• Hostility Sympathy
• Prejudice Acceptance
• Apathy Interest
• Ignorance Knowledge
• Bad situation Better situation

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PR v Advertising

• Public relations
• Unbiased
• Factual
• Makes known to achieve credibility
• Cannot make demands of the media
• The man on the street

• Advertising
• Biased
• Persuasive/self praise
• Makes known in order to sell
• Can make demands of the media
• An actor in stage make-up

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PR Tools

• Editorials and feature articles in newspapers,
  trade press, magazines, radio interviews, Web
  sites, TV news, documentaries, exhibitions
  seminars, conferences and talks, information
  packs, press visits, annual reports accounts,
  educational/informational posters, corporate
  identity, liveries, logos, in-house magazines,
  sponsorship, open days, participation in local
  events, festivals, theatre, flower shows,
  libraries, art galleries, ..
  

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Why use PR?

• To attract more service users
• To attract volunteers
• To attract the best employees
• To encourage the general public to raise funds
• To encourage opinion leaders/VIPs to support you
  and act as ambassadors
• To secure a Patron
• To secure funding

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How can press coverage help?

• Its FREE!
• In the correctly targeted publications it reaches
  the right audience
• People start to talk about your organisation
  they become familiar
• People remember you
• Prospective volunteers/employees keep you in
  their minds
• Fundraisers raise money for you/donations

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What makes a story?

• Human interest PEOPLE
• News
• Features (personal stories/case histories)
• Events/Whats on

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News examples

• Joanna Lumley becomes a Patron for Suffolk Family
  Carers
• Two friends cycle to Venice and raise 1,200 for
  Suffolk Family Carers
• Charity shop opens after major refit
• Tip Look at different parts of the paper or
  radio programme to see where the news would best
  fit in e.g. sports, childrens pages, womens
  page, DIY Gardening

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Features examples

• A family carer leaves Iran and flees to Britain
  to get help for her daughter who is dying this
  is her story in the Ipswich Evening Star (double
  page spread with photos)
• Project co-ordinator of Nickys Way at St
  Nicholas Hospice tells the East Anglian Daily
  Times how the project helps children to grieve
  (page with photos)
• Tip this could be a personal story or
  background information on a news story

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Whats on examples

• Suffolk Diabetes Interest Group holds an open
  forum to answer questions from the public about
  diabetes
• Firewalk Challenge at local pub for ABC Trust
• Rock stars and cricketers team up for Cricket in
  the Park Sat 4th September
• Tip have someone available to talk about their
  experience

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Types of Media

• Newspapers
• TV
• Radio (community radio)
• Lifestyle magazines
• Community magazines
• Free magazines
• Council magazines
• Industry magazines
• Parish magazines

• Charity magazines
• Voluntary groups magazines

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Developing the story finding the Angle

• Example
• Suffolk Mind Partnership

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How to approach the press

• THINK about your story is it news, a feature,
  an event?
• Who do you want to read your story?
• What will they be reading/listening to/watching?
• Prepare a press release
• Journalists are busy people make their job easy!

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How to write a press release

• Short, sharp to the point
• Opening Para should be a summary of the whole
  story WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE
• Para 2 - WHY
• 2 pages A4
• Typed double spaced
• Logo

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Contd

• Headline - should be informative and inviting,
  never sensational or shocking
• Date - date your news releases for the day you
  plan to distribute them
• Include contact information
• Dont use adjectives

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Contd

• Para 3, 4 include a useful quote
• Write ends at the end
• Add in notes to editors information about your
  charity/organisation, including website address
• Include photos

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Ask youself

• Why would the reader/listener/viewer be
  interested in this?

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Ask for a copy of

• SAVOs Media Toolkit

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Volunteers

• The Doubter
• The Starter
• The Doer
• The Stayer

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Find out their

• Characteristics
• Interests
• Motivations
• Constraints

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What puts people off?

• Lack of information and access points
• A blue rinse image of volunteering
• An image of being overworked

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How to attract volunteers

• Word of mouth people remember
• Website
• Upper/lower age limits
• Targeted advertising
• Publicise variety of voluntary jobs and benefits
  to the volunteer
• Talks, roadshows, presence at local events
• Promotion in schools, colleges, workplaces,
  retirement schemes

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Contd

• Equip current volunteers as Ambassadors
• Multiple points of access
• Publicity approaches cinema advertising
  (negotiated free), posters at bus stops, flyers
  on buses, sticks of rock with a volunteering
  message printed through, leaflets, press columns,
  radio interviews, adverts in theatre programmes,
  maps, diaries, calendars, targeted venues

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The Message

• Concrete messages that present concrete reasons
  for volunteering works better to recruit
  volunteers
• Abstract reasons (value laden) are better for
  retaining volunteers

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Application Procedures

• Brief reception staff
• Encourage walk ins
• Attractive handouts to take away
• Volunteer role descriptions with expectations
• As wide a range of volunteer roles as possible
• Informal friendly chat NOT an interview

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Contd

• Forms offer help to complete
• Volunteers are nervous take the time to get to
  know them what their interests are
• Concentrate on capabilities if its boring they
  will leave
• Speed some places take up to 6 weeks or more
• Volunteer befriending consider it

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From Starter to Doer

• Induction training is crucial reinforces
  motivation, identification with the organisation,
  an opportunity to erase doubts
• Be clear about expenses
• Reading material dont hand out too much

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From Doer to Stayer

• The way volunteers are managed and supported is
  crucial
• Be attentive
• Organise their work
• Dont give them all the grotty jobs
• Be formal but in a low key way Make them feel
  valued
• N.B. Male volunteers and those under 25 get
  particularly dissatisfied

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Research papers

• The Institute for Volunteering Research
• A Choice Blend What volunteers want from
  organisation and management
• www.ivr.org.uk/booksandlibrary
• The 21st Century Volunteer
• www.nfpsynergy.net