PACE Projects
Marketing Your PACE
Program
by Patricia A. Lee
Abstract
The term "marketing" normally conjures up images of sales
and advertising executives planning the promotion of a service or product. When "marketing"
refers to IEEE members promoting their profession, it's not all that different. This presentation
on "Marketing Your PACE Program" will cover three components IEEE members can use to
their advantage: media relations, community affairs, and special events. The presentation will
cover easy-to-implement marketing strategies to help you target your audience, identify effective
sources to run meeting announcements, find creative ways to promote your news and programs,
develop promotional materials (i.e., paper and electronic "media kits"), establish positive
relationships with the press, work within your community, and learn about crisis control
(particularly as it relates to the media). It will also outline resources to learn more about media
strategies and effective communications skills — all with the purpose of helping you establish a
solid system for marketing your PACE programs and events.
Contents
WHY MARKETING?
Bluntly stated, more often than not, people won't come looking for you
— especially if they
don't know you exist. As PACE leaders, you have a wonderful opportunity to promote your
programs and your profession to the public through the media. Although you are competing for
time and space with others, you don't need to be a public relations expert, or hire one, if you
master certain basics and use the tools that are available to you. Of course, if your company
supports IEEE participation and has an established publicity office, seek their help
— you may
have another great resource at your disposal.
Either way, whether your efforts are focused on your community or you're determined to
bring your program to the forefront on a bigger scale, it can be quite easy to establish a publicity
program. Media relations can be a challenging and time-consuming, but effective, part of your
strategy.
MEDIA RELATIONS
Basic
Media Relations Tactics
How can you "master the basics" if you're just getting started? By the time you leave this
session, you will most definitely be on your way. Establishing a successful media plan is easy
once you know what you want to accomplish, who to contact and what resources you have.
First, consider the following:
-
Why am I communicating?
-
Who do I want to reach?
-
What do I want to say?
-
Where will I communicate the message?
-
When will I communicate the message?
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How will I say it for each medium?
Once you have the answers to these questions, consider exactly the "who" of the media you
need
for each particular message: reporters in your local area? Industry/trade writers? Match
the right message with the right media, and you're halfway there. Then consider all your
resources: does your company support your professional IEEE activities? Would its PR
department help? Do you have a friend who is an especially gifted writer who could look over
your drafts? Finally, remember to always follow up — establishing a good PR program will be
of no use if you don't keep it "alive."
Good sources on how to get your media relations program up and running are available from
the IEEE. The award-winning IEEE Publicity Guide for Sections, Chapters and Branches
provides ample information as well as variety of sample press releases (IEEE members can
receive a free copy of the guide by calling 732-562-6820 or by sending a message). "Building a
Section Media Network" in
the IEEE-USA 1996 PACE
Conference Proceedings (call 1-800-ASK-IEEE to order), provides other valuable tips.
Also educate yourself about how journalists work, particularly those with whom you want to
establish long-term professional relationships — see the handout with the top 10 rules on media
relations for a brutally frank and useful discussion of what you in your public relations role
should or should not do, and what you can or cannot expect (Media Relations
Insider).
In addition to the standard media relations tactics, there are other projects that are easy to set
up before you even have a specific event or program to promote.
Easy Media Projects
A good way to start is to identify what resources are available in your area to help get your
message out. Here are some easy media projects that you can establish before you even send out
your first news release:
-
Volunteer yourself as an expert source for local reporters. Area
reporters will always want the local angle and need access to local people with expertise on the
topic. Determine what areas you have knowledge of and are comfortable in, then call your local
news organizations, find out who covers those topics, and introduce yourself to the reporter,
offering yourself as a source. If you have enough people in your section willing to do this, you
may want to establish yourselves as a network of experts and provide a contact list to the
media.
-
When news breaks, don't wait for reporters to come to you. If you have
particularly valuable information to provide on a hot news item, contact the media (whether or
not you have already identified yourself as an expert source) and offer your assistance. They
will be even more appreciative if it's a very technical matter that needs to be "translated" into
how it affects their readers.
-
Establish a database of publications for the personnel release. It's a good
idea to send out a news release to the "people" or "newsmakers" section of a publication
whenever you get a promotion, change jobs, join a community board, or take a leadership role in
a professional association. Be sure to list your section affiliation to help promote your group
(see the handout on the personnel release for details).
-
Make a database of local community calendars. Both print and television
outlets generally run announcements on local events. See the "special events" section of this
document for more information.
Once you've considered the PR basics, the resources available to you and easy projects you
can take on, you've laid the foundation for an effective publicity program and are ready to start
sending out press releases.
The Media Today: Picas or Pixels?
So you've got your press release ready to go, and you know exactly to whom you should
forward it. Now the question is how. Although the media reports frequently on the
expansion of the Internet and how commonplace the Web and e-mail are in business and
personal matters
these days, the ironic part is that many reporters themselves still don't have access to this for
their own use.
Copy editors measure space on laid-out proofs in "picas." How many of them now
measure content in "pixels" (the measurement unit for space on a Web page)? While many
newspapers and magazines have their publications on-line , this is not necessarily a good
indication of how they do they work with public relations professionals. How popular e-mail is
among reporters, for example, is a question to which there are still no clear answers. As is the
case with most other businesses, who does or does not have access to e-mail and the Web in
newsrooms is not necessarily contingent upon company type or size.
Most major dailies are just starting to give e-mail access to their reporters, while most of the
larger news magazines and all major networks are fully connected. Even the wire services
differ: the Associated Press and Bloomberg have e-mail and Internet access for all their
reporters, but writers and editors at Reuters use their e-mail mostly for internal purposes, and
can't use their PCs to access the Net (Ragan's, May 1, 1997).
What about reporters who specifically cover high-tech issues and would be more intimately
acquainted with the Internet? Do they make better use of it? Apparently so, if you go by the
results of a study by Successful Marketing Strategists. The 1995-96 survey of more than 100
journalists who primarily cover high-tech industry issues found that of the journalists who use
cyberspace to cover news, 56-67 percent rely mostly on e-mail (Phillips, Dec. 30,
1996).
Another recent study found that while more journalists are using the Internet for research
and e-mail, the majority (51 percent) still prefer receiving information on paper
(Ragans, Dec. 15, 1996). This study of more than 600 newspaper and magazine
editors nationwide did show, however, that number is declining — a year ago, 60 percent
preferred communicating by paper. (Visit the
MediaSource site for a detailed report of the "Media in Cyberspace" study by MediaSource,
which provides a useful look at how reporters work on-line). But another survey tilts the scale
toward paper even more: a recent Bennett & Co. Marketing study found that 73 percent of
editors and reporters at 690 media outlets (including print, TV and radio) said they preferred
receiving information on paper, while only 15 percent favored e-mail (Phillips,
April 28, 1997).
The bottom line: how many journalists prefer e-mail over paper? No one can give a
definitive answer yet. If you're not sure about how best to send your press release to a particular
reporter — by mail, fax, or e-mail — simply ask. Call the reporter, introduce yourself and your
program (briefly) and ask what his or her preference is. This will also give you the opportunity
to "break the ice" with journalists. While not all reporters are using the electronic resources now
available, those who do will probably want to look at your information on the Web
— or at least
know it's there, which makes the electronic press kit an even more important component of your
marketing program.
The Electronic Press Kit
Your on-line press kit has the same goal as a standard media kit: information about your
group, its programs, its people and how to reach them. The seemingly limitless space of a Web
site, however, must be treated with caution — don't put anything on there simply because you
can. Too much superfluous material could distract from your real message.
Setting up a press kit is relatively easy if you already have a presence on the Web. Simply
put the basics (backgrounders, contact lists, mission statements, press releases, etc), create a
visible and attractive link on your home page (labeling it simply "media kit" will do nicely), and
spread the word to let reporters know where they can find it. If you do this, however, commit
yourself to updating it regularly.
Also, be sure to use the Internet and e-mail to their full capacity
— when uploading your
press release on the Web, be sure to provide e-mail links to the contact person (list the phone
number as well in case of any problems), provide links or addresses to other sites with relevant
information, and organize your releases according to subject and date, so reporters and the
public can look through your "archives." How will your efforts pay off? They can help get
accurate, appropriate information into the right hands. On evaluating what information
journalists find valuable at Web sites, 63-76% of the respondents on the Successful Marketing
Strategists survey of high-tech reporters named press releases a good source
(Phillips, Dec. 30, 1996).
If Something Goes Wrong. . .
There are few things in life that really can't be rectified. At the very least, there always
exists the opportunity to try to correct a situation. The same is true of media relations. In some
cases, it can be a simple fix: if you mail/fax/upload a press release with incorrect information,
simply draft a revision, resend or re-upload it labeled as such (i.e., "REVISED VERSION -
please
disregard previous message") and, depending on the extent of the error or its potential
ramifications, call reporters to ensure they have the correct information, and advise other parties
as needed.
But what happens if the mistake happens during an interview, or if the reporter
misunderstood or misused the information you gave him or her? First, remember these steps that
may help you avoid such a situation:
Before/During an Interview:
-
Agree to talk only on the subjects you feel most comfortable about and on which you
have the most knowledge. If you don't, defer to someone else.
-
Try to get a better idea of what the reporter wants
— every story has a specific angle, so
if someone wants to interview you on a story about "engineering," don't be afraid to ask exactly
what aspect or what issue he or she wants to cover.
-
If you offer the name of a friend, colleague or co-worker as a source, call the person first
and brief him or her on the story before the reporter calls.
-
Remember not to lose your composure, hard as it may be. Never say "no comment," but
if you don't know the answer to a question or don't want to address it, keep your comments to a
minimum or say you don't have all the necessary information handy to effectively answer that
question (then offer to find it and follow up).
-
Ask for clarification, when necessary.
-
Remember that interviewers almost always ask the most complex, difficult, or just plain
"hostile" questions toward the end. This is because at that point, they have most of what they
need before they "go for the gusto" (or the "jugular" if it's a very touchy subject!). Don't drop
your guard or get too cozy until the interview has reached a definite end.
If something does go very WRONG anyhow through no fault of your own, remember that
all journalists have bosses, too: the print reporter's editor, the radio host or TV anchor or
reporter's producer. If you encounter what you believe to be outright deception or one-sided
reporting, don't be afraid to speak up for yourself.
No matter what, if you have a corporate PR department and your company could be
misrepresented as well after you've encountered a potentially bad situation, consult with them
immediately, as they're the ones best prepared to handle crisis management. If your bad
interview was strictly related to your activities on your own or as an IEEE member, or if the
Institute or its any of its groups could be negatively implicated, feel free to contact Pender McCarter, Associate Communications
Director, or Chris Currie, External Communications
Supervisor, for assistance through the IEEE-USA office at 202-785-0017.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
While it's always nice to get mentioned in the paper, it can be just as rewarding
— or more
so — to talk directly to the public. For example, putting together a small event may not garner
any press coverage, but you nevertheless have brought your message (and your talents) out into
the community.
A good way to do this is by participating in activities that promote the good work EEs do,
encouraging students at all levels to pursue engineering as a career option and educate the public
on issues of importance. Some of the activities that provide different levels for volunteers
include NetDay; National Engineers Week; career days and career fairs;
Faraday lectures;
mentoring; business, education or policy panel discussions; trade fairs, science contests, etc.
Also consider establishing programs with your local libraries — they may need you more than
you know. And always be on the lookout for groups and events that could benefit from your
expertise and guidance, and establish volunteer relationships with them.
Again, these activities may or may not receive much media coverage, but your community
newspapers or "neighbors" section of the paper are dedicated specifically to this type of story so
you MUST notify them. Plus, the more you're out there, the more contacts you make, and this
could result in business opportunities, new members and more.
SPECIAL EVENTS
The community calendar mentioned previously as an "easy media project" can be a solo or
team effort to promote your meetings or special events. Simply look at all the publications in
your area which run meeting announcements: community newspapers, business publications,
major dailies, television and radio. Prepare categorical lists such as "industry," "business,"
or "educational," and under each, list the appropriate media outlets where you could run your
announcements for those audiences, noting the address, phone, fax, deadline and contact name
(usually a "calendar editor" or "calendar producer").
As always, it's a good idea to establish contact with each person and inquire about the best
way to provide the information (see my handout on PSAs for instructions on public service
announcements for radio and TV, and see the sample "Media Alert" on page 13 of the IEEE
Publicity Guide for print).
Remember to plan for the long term. Have a "planning session" with your section to see
what projects you have coming up throughout the year, and consider what programs could be
open to and of interest to the public or select audiences — those are the ones you'll want to
promote through the community calendars.
For the planning of the actual event, keep in mind the larger the project, the more details
you'll have to take care of — everything from working within a budget to providing access for
persons with disabilities. If you're planning an event and need tips, sample checklists and
publicity pointers, see my paper on "Planning and Promoting Your Event."
A FINAL WORD. . .
All of this may seem overwhelming for one person
— and it very well could be. As with any
other project, remember that different people have different strengths and talents, so your
marketing efforts should take a team approach. If someone in your section is a better writer, he
or she should do the writing. The spokesperson who is fine over the phone may be camera-shy,
so you would need someone else to fill in during television interviews. Even a simple task like
decorating the meeting hall for an event should go to the person who can most efficiently and
creatively do the job.
Identifying your goals, resources and individual strengths will give you a streamlined
marketing program that could result in added recognition of your work, good networking
possibilities and lots of fun! As always, if you have any questions, your seven-person
Communications Department in the IEEE-USA office is here to help!
About the Author
Patricia Lee joined IEEE-USA in 1996 as
Editorial Coordinator, responsible for the production of print and electronic IEEE-USA
periodicals including IEEE-USA
Perspectives, the Web Extra,
and the e-mail Impact and other
member-oriented publications. She also maintains the Newsline, helps coordinate the
production of non-periodical publications, and assists with media relations and other external
communications.
Prior to joining the IEEE, she served as publishing assistant at Smithsonian
magazine,
where she was responsible for promoting the magazine's editorial content to the national press
and setting up author interviews, and where she created the magazine's first staff newsletter.
Ms. Lee has also worked as writer, editor and translator for Kreps & Adams, a Coral Gables,
Fla., public relations and marketing firm where she worked extensively on employee and
customer newsletters, press releases, speeches and corporate documents; and as police desk
reporter for The Miami Herald.
Her communications background includes experience in the planning and promotion of
events such as the Miami Book Fair International, and her staff and freelance articles have
appeared in local and national publications including The Miami Herald and
Hispanic magazine.
She may be reached at (202) 785-0017, ext. 304.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"The Byline vs. the Bottom Line: Ten Things Every CEO Should Know About Journalists
and How They Work," Media Relations Insider, Vol. 2, No. 4 (April 1995).
"Do reporters really use e-mail and the Web?" Ragan's Interactive Public
Relations, Vol. 3, Issue 9 (May 1, 1997), p. 1.
"Making Web Sites Journalist-Friendly," Phillips PR News, Dec. 30,
1996, p. 3.
"How vital is the Internet to the media?" Ragan's Ineractive Public
Relations, Vol. 2, Issue 14 (Dec. 15, 1996), p. 1.
"Survey: Journalists Still Prefer Faxes and Snail Mail over E-Mail," Phillips PR News, April
28, 1997, p.3.
Other Resources:
Currie, Chris, "Building a Section Media Network," IEEE-USA 1996 PACE
Conference and Workshop, Phoeniz, Ariz., 1996
Lee, Patricia, "Planning and Promoting Your Event," delivered at the Young Women's
Leadership Conference, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., April 17, 1993
"Media Relations: Building Relationships to Deliver Your Message," Public Relations
Society of America workshop, April 11, 1997, Washington, D.C.
Publicity
Guide for IEEE Sections, Chapters and Branches, IEEE Corporate Communications,
Piscataway, N.J., 1996
Updated:
15 May 2007
Contact: Sandra Kim, sandra.kim@ieee.org
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