Marketing & Public Relations 101 February 17, 2011 Colorado League of Charter Schools Conference

1. Marketing & Public Relations 101 February 17, 2011 Colorado League of Charter Schools Conference Stephanie GrishamSenior Communications ConsultantLarson Communications

2. Marketing & Public Relations 101 • WELCOME! • Welcome and Agenda • Public Relations Overview • Why is PR Important? • Drafting a Press Release & Tracking Results • Media Etiquette • Simple Rules for Dealing with Reporters • Marketing Overview • Why is Marketing/Advertising Important? • Crafting Your Brand • Different Marketing Mediums • Final Overview: Effective Messaging Strategies • Q& A

3. Marketing & Public Relations 101 Q: What is Earned Media? A: Public Relations Earned media (or free media) refers to favorable publicity gained through promotional efforts other than advertising. -Earned Media - publicity gained through editorial influence. -Social Media - publicity gained through grassroots action, particularly on the Internet. The media may include any outlets and include a variety of formats: News articles Television news Radio Letters to the editor Editorials Social Media

4. Marketing & Public Relations 101 • Public Relations Overview - Why is PR Important? • “If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations.” • Bill Gates, Microsoft Founder • What is written in newspapers and reported in the media powerfully molds and affects public opinion. • Public opinion drives public policy. • It is critical to be able to communicate positive charter school messages properly to the media and general public. • Public opinion drives legislators, school boards and community groups, all of whom can positively or negatively impact the movement’s success. • Being proactive from the start with the media will help influence public opinion.

5. Marketing & Public Relations 101 • Public Relations Overview - Drafting a Press Release • The best way of getting your story out to the news media is through a press release. • Don’t get creative with language. • Focus on the facts: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW. • Focus on your “hook” to gain interest. • Remember, reporters come across dozens, hundreds of releases per day.

6. Marketing & Public Relations 101 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Spokesperson Month ##, 2009 XYZ Charter School Authorizer (###) ###-#### COMPELLING TITLE HEREALWAYS CENTERED AND IN ALL CAPS Subtitle with supporting fact here always centered and italic City, CA – The first paragraph should contain your concise, unique hook and a brief recap of the data it is based on. This paragraph contains the most important facts about your story – (two sentences max). Include supporting points that go into more detail about the newsworthiness of your announcement. Include data here, or brief factual statistics that make your announcement even more compelling. “Include a relevant quote from your spokesperson” said John Spokesperson, title of XYZ Charter School Authorizer. “Quotes are formatted as their own paragraph and don’t forget to include the speaker’s name and title.” Include any awards, validation or honors that your authorizer has achieved in the past. (2-3 sentences). For example, state ‘Authorizer of the Year’. Include information about the authorizer’s track record of accountability and its focus. For example, number of charters renewed, revoked. About XYZ Charter School Authorizer Conclude your press release with a “Boilerplate” definition of your school or organization. Follow up with the symbol below indicating you are done. ###

7. Marketing & Public Relations 101 For Immediate Release Contact: Stephanie GrishamJanuary 31, 2011 (480) 707-7434 Stephanie@larsonpr.com NATIONAL CHARTER COALITION ESTABLISHES NEW STANDARDS FOR CHARTER SCHOOL QUALITYFour-Year Federally-Funded Project Draws on Colorado’s Charter Movement to Improve National Landscape Denver, CO – Building Charter School Quality (BCSQ), a coalition of four leading charter school organizations, today announced the culmination of a four-year effort to establish performance standards for charter schools across the country, representing the first time that the national charter movement has developed broad consensus around national charter school quality. Through support from the U.S. Department of Education, the convening partners of BCSQ include the Colorado League of Charter Schools (the League), CREDO at Stanford University, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. About Building Charter School Quality Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Building Charter School Quality initiative was designed to align expectations among school operators, authorizers, funders, and lenders around how a quality charter school performs and how various stakeholders can work together to hold schools accountable for improved student achievement through a quality public education. The convening partners were the Colorado League of Charter Schools (the League), the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS), and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). Visit www.charterschoolquality.org. ###

8. Marketing & Public Relations 101 Track Your Results! Building Charter School Quality – National Announcement Summary of Media Highlights Include (to date): 16 positive news impressions 4 positive newspaper stories 1 broadcast news story 8 positive blog stories 13 Facebook shares 15 Retweets Group Backs Standards for Charter Schools – The Cincinnati Enquirer, January 31, 2011 Coalition Notes Charters' Achievements, Challenges – The Colorado Springs Gazette, February 1, 2011 National Charter Coalition Announces New Standards for Charter School Quality – The Denver Daily News, February 1, 2011 Charter Coalition Pushes Quality – EdReformer.com, February 1, 2011 Can Standard for Charter Schools Improve Their Performance? – The Hechinger Report, February 1, 2011 KPNX Channel 12, NBC, Phoenix – “School Solutions” segment aired at 10 PM on Sunday January 30, two minute segment Colorado Charters – Education Week and Charter Schools News Daily, the National Alliance, February 9, 2011

9. Marketing & Public Relations 101 • Public Relations Overview - Media Etiquette • Know the Reporter and the publication before picking up the phone. • Know How/When a Reporter wants to be contacted. Some reporters want phone calls, others prefer email. • Clarify Your Message Before Delivering Pitch. There is nothing worse for a reporter than receiving an email that is a carbon copy of a press release, or getting a call from someone that is not familiar with the company they are pitching or the news they are announcing. • Develop a “Fast Facts” Sheet. Especially for phone pitches, that outlines your key message points. Most reporters are extremely busy and will give you only 30 seconds to make your case. • Be Careful What is Sent Via Email. Never send unsolicited email attachments, some reporters are wary of opening them due to virus concerns, and others simply won’t take the time. • Craft a Catchy Subject Line. Avoid using all caps or excessive punctuation as both tactics produce a red flag that your pitch might be a virus.

10. Marketing & Public Relations 101 • Public Relations Overview - Media Etiquette (continued) • Never Send out a Group Email with your entire distribution list in the header. It’s impersonal and shows a lack of effort on your part. • Keep it Simple. Reporters appreciate succinct information. They hate hyperbole. If a sentence requires an exclamation point, get rid of it. • Learn Charter School Key Messages. Simple messages, consistently and frequently conveyed, will establish a base level of awareness and understanding of the value of charter schools. • Follow Up. While some reporters will provide coverage after one phone interview, that is often not enough. It is important to be in front of reporters on a consistent basis with compelling information. • Offer Additional Elements. Such as photos, customer references, third party validators and additional sources. • Never Make Promises You Can’t Keep. Nothing will squelch a media relationship faster than if you promise something you cannot deliver. Promise to do your best to get the reporter what they need in advance of their deadline, and always follow through.

11. Marketing & Public Relations 101 • Eight Simple Rules for Dealing with Reporters • Never get a phone call from a reporter you don’t know! • Reporters hear a lot from people who don’t like charter schools • This is why it is so important for you to get your message across • Always respect a reporter’s time. • Education reporters are especially busy people • E-mail them first, give them a ‘heads up’ that you will be contacting them. Let them know what you will be contacting them about. • When you call a reporter, always ask “Are you on deadline?” (this lets them know that you are showing respect for their busy day) • You will get far with reporters if you are there to help • Be prepared to do research for them • Have your facts ready for them • Have “third party” validators lined up before you call them

12. Marketing & Public Relations 101 • Always have a reason for contacting a reporter • If you’re nervous, take a deep breath and write down your purpose for calling them. • Reporters are very nice people, with notoriously short attention spans • Make sure you have a ‘hook’ and a ‘catch phrase’ to run by them. • Every good ‘pitch’ to a reporter should be refined to ten seconds or less. • They like e-mails, they like text, but they dislike documents. • If reporters give you time, have more than 2-3 things to discuss. • Build a relationship with the reporters who cover you • Give reporter the impression that you are following them. • If a reporter writes a good story, especially if it isn’t charter school related, let them know it. They will likely respond, and that’s how relationships are built. • Remember, reporters are human • As humans, we all make mistakes. • If a reporter screws up, let them know it. Don’t beat them up over the head about it. • If they write a great story, let them know it.

13. Marketing & Public Relations 101 Q: What is Paid Media? A: Advertising/Marketing Advertising/Marketing is a paid form of communication intended to persuade an audience to take some action. It includes the name of a product or service and how that product or service could benefit the consumer, to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume that particular brand. Advertising is intended to generate increased interest in products or services.

14. Marketing & Public Relations 101 • Marketing Overview – Why is Marketing/Advertising Important? • Marketing is the most important business function that many companies ignore and/or under-utilize due to costs. • Public Relations can only get you so far. • By doing careful market research, you can identify a need or demand, determine target markets, and design appropriate services, and programs to serve these markets. • Branding/Marketing is all about mission, message, and living it. • A successful marketing/advertising foundation will help ensure that every employee can and will communicate and sell the school's values. • Successful companies create a clear message, then repeat it, reinforce it, and drive it home consistently in everything they do. Some examples…

15. Marketing & Public Relations 101 Marketing Overview - Crafting Your Brand Branding: The repetition of an image or product name in an effort to associate related qualities with the brand in the minds of consumers.

16. Marketing & Public Relations 101 • Marketing Overview – Different Marketing/Advertising Mediums • Television - $$$ • Radio - $$ • Newspapers/Magazines - $$ • Internet -$ • Non-Traditional: • Text Messages - $$ • Outdoor or Direct Mail - $ • Billboards - $$ • Sidewalk people - $ • Social Media - $

17. Marketing & Public Relations 101 • Final Overview: Effective Messaging Strategies • (Earned and/or Paid Media) • Know your Message • Have Stats/Facts Ready – Update Often! • Appoint Spokesperson • Market Research is Key • Consistent Branding • Track your Coverage or Return on Investment!

18. Marketing & Public Relations 101 QUESTIONS? Stephanie Grisham Senior Communications Consultant Larson Communications 480.707.7434 stephanie@larsonpr.com www.larsonpr.com www.facebook.com/larsoncommunications