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Becoming an Effective Club Spokesperson. AKC Parent Club Conference August 29, 2010 Lisa Peterson Director of Communications AKC Spokesperson. What is PR?. “Public relations is the management of communication between an organization and its publics”. 2.
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Becoming an Effective Club Spokesperson AKC Parent Club Conference August 29, 2010 Lisa Peterson Director of Communications AKC Spokesperson
What is PR? • “Public relations is the management of communication between an organization and its publics” 2
How Can PR Help Your Club & Your Breed? • Working with media is an effective and inexpensive way to reach the public and build awareness of your club & breed 3
Media Training for Club Members • Get Organized • What is the goal? • Does everyone agree? • How to accomplish it? • Who’s doing what? Who can speak for your club?
Becoming a Spokesperson • Articulate, Friendly, Positive • Knowledgeable • Professional • Well Dressed • Always Available for interviews • Establish Reporter Contact • Follow-up
Do: Stay focused Prepare message points and write them down Reinforce key messages Assume all is on the record Know your audience Use sound bites, be quotable Don’t: Lie Speculate Say “no comment” Forget key messages Repeat negative words/questions Fill in awkward silences Use jargon or acronyms not commonly used “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of Giving Interviews 6
How to Get Quoted Some of My Favorites: • Designer Breeds – “It’s a crap shoot” • Breed-Specific Legislation - “Deed not Breed” • Car Travel Safety - “One thing car manufacturers haven’t figured out yet is how to get the nose prints off the windows.” • Obama Dog – “Nothing humanizes a President more than watching him play ball with his dog on the White House lawn.” – AP Quote of the Day!
Washington Post Coverage of AKC Canine Partners • Mattaponi Kennel Club welcomed reporter • Show Chair contacted AKC for tips and talking points • Club escorted reporter • Picked positive interview candidates to help shape the story • FRONT PAGE story on the Washington Post • Story released on WP’s wire • CNN Headline News, AOL News and dozens of papers
Club Web Sites /Press Kits • A valuable communication tool useful for: • Publicizing Events • Press Center • Contact Info • It is important to update your web site often!
Controversial Topics Florida Today March 26, 2007 AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB STATEMENT BY J.D. GALLOP PALM BAY- The following is a statement from the American Kennel Club. The Space Coast Kennel Club of Palm Bay was holding a dog show with canines registered with the AKC. “The American Kennel Club extends its most sincere wishes for a quick and full recover to Ms. Marie Larry-Tatman. AKC sanctions more than 20,000 events with nearly 3.1 million entries each year and an incident of this nature is highly unusual. Competitors at these events are responsible dog owners who take the safety and welfare of both dogs and attendees very seriously. The event were the incident occurred was a combined conformation, obedience, and rally match, where novices come to acclimate their dogs to the dog show atmosphere. From all reports it appear this incident occurred unexpectedly and without explanation. This type of behavior is uncharacteristic for any well socialized companion animal. The AKC’s Web site describes the Akita as “a versatile hunting dog… a wonderful combination of dignity with good nature, alert courage and docility.” For more information about the Akita, please visit the AKC member club, the Akita Club of America at www.akitaclub.org.”
ASK ME! National Specialties:Ideas to Pitch
It's Raining Shelties!! 2007 ASSA National Specialty Press Release
Media Alert/Photo-Op Above: Staged Photo-op for AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day
AKC Government Relations Resources for Media Visit the AKC Government Relations web site for the legislative tracking map and other tips and tools to help your club effectively spread the word about your club’s position on legislation. www.akc.org/canine_legislation/index.cfm