Public Relations & Schools

1. Public Relations & Schools

2. Sullivan & LeShane • Sullivan & LeShane • Government & Public Relations • Design, manage and implement strategic communication campaigns • Clients: • Corporations • Developers • Not-for-profits • Citizen Coalitions • Trade Associations • Educational Groups

3. Personal Background • Former President and Creative Director of one of Connecticut’s largest ad agencies • Services to Clients • Media training • Strategic communication planning • Media relations • Litigation support • Labor unrest • Mergers and acquisitions • Branding issues • Crisis communications

4. Today’s Agenda • Public Relations 101 • The Foundation: Planning • Building your reputation • Leveraging your reputation • Managing your reputation when the news is bad

5. Public Relations 101

6. Public Relations? • The art or science of establishing and promoting a favorable relationship with the public • A promotion intended to create goodwill for a person or institution • Some might say public relations is about putting the best possible spin on the worst possible news

7. More than Press Releases and Promotions • PR efforts can include: • Branding • Internal and external communications • Crisis management • Advertising • Media relations • Community relations

8. Fundamental Objectives • Building a reputation • positioning yourself as the expert • Leveraging your reputation • selling products • obtaining approvals • solidifying support for a position • Protecting your reputation • managing bad news

9. Objectives for Schools • Building community support for your school’s internal and external target audiences • Leveraging support for initiatives - capital campaigns, construction projects, etc. • Preparing for a crisis or unwanted media coverage

10. In Practice • A major corporation holds a press conference to announce a new product or service • A not-for-profit organization writes an op-ed for the local newspaper • A citizen advocacy group buys radio ads to promote their position • A parent calls the ACLU to change a school discipline decision, then calls the media

11. Public Relations Essentials • Have a winning team and a plan • Talk to your audiences - before they start talking about you • Build political muscle before you need it • Be a source before you are the story

12. The Foundation: Planning

13. Planning • Every communication effort should be based on a written plan • The plan should detail: • Assessment of current situation • Objectives to be achieved • Strategies to achieve them • Tactics to implement strategies • Expected deliverables

14. Assess the Situation • Take a critical look at your school • How do communicate today? • Strengths and weaknesses • Opportunities and limitations • Allies and opponents • Communication resource inventory

15. Identify Your Objectives • Based on a realistic analysis of the situation, what do you wish to achieve? • Objectives define the result of a successful communication effort • Sample objectives: • Secure additional funding for the school budget • Attract new teachers to the school • Raise money to build a new sports field • Engage parents in school activities

16. Develop Strategies • Strategies define the specific pathways to achieve a successful result • Sample Strategies: • develop key messages customized to target audiences   • prepare spokespeople to deliver key messages effectively in various situations • generate earned media coverage to build profile of school or district • continuously evaluate media coverage

17. Identify Tactics • Tactics are activities that implement plan strategies • Organize tactics in a campaign format • Sample tactics: • by-line articles by faculty in local papers • press releases on student and faculty achievement • email newsletters to parents • special programs to involve local businesses in teaching curriculum

18. Building Your Reputation

19. Your Reputation • Your audiences have existing opinions about you • Your reputation is based in large part on what they hear or have heard about you • Build your reputation by communicating your messages directly to your audiences • Communication will change and build your reputation over time • The best promotion is self promotion

20. Building Your Reputation • Communicate, listen, communicate... • Become a media resource • Expand your base • Be accessible to all audiences • Identify high profile communication opportunities

21. Communicate, Listen, Communicate... • Understand how audiences respond to your communications • Don’t just send a newsletter • Ask what your audience thinks of the newsletter • Continuously evaluate what you are saying and how you are delivering the message

22. Be a Media Resource • Organizations can build their reputations by serving as an expert for news stories • Proactively deliver topical stories • Pay attention to natural news hooks - anniversaries, holidays, trends, etc. • Provide local reporters with experts from inside your school

23. Expand your Base • As your organization communicates look for new opportunities • Look for new audiences • Look for new ways to engage your audiences

24. Be Accessible to All Audiences • The media doesn’t respect fair-weather friends • Beyond reporters make yourself accessible to elected officials, business leaders and other key community decision-makers • Use the interactive power of the internet

25. Identify Communication Opportunities • Monitor national media for trends that your school can speak about locally • Think of innovative ways to communicate with your audiences • Take advantage of high profile networking opportunities • The I.S. factor

26. Leveraging Your Reputation

27. Use Your Reputation • School communication efforts cross into the political arena • Your reputation in the community will create a base of support • This support can help with fundraising projects, support in budget referenda, or other important policy decisions • This support can also prevent you from being a target

28. Managing Your Reputation

29. Prepare for the Worst • Create a crisis communications contingency plan • Practice Makes Perfect • Media Training • Mock Drills • Never Say Never • If someone thinks it up - it might just happen • Prepare for the worst cases you never think can happen

30. When the worst happens...

31. 10 Tips to Protect Your Reputation • Respond to all negatives • Be quick on your feet • Demonstrate responsibility • It ain’t over ‘til it’s over • Learn from your mistakes • Be prepared to tell your side of the story • First things first • Speak with one voice • Talk to the media • Insist on balance

32. Have A Plan - Practice It Often - Sweet Dreams!