ZB Group

Nonprofits

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PR and Nonprofits: 10 Ways PR Can Help Yours

nonprofits wordcloudCompanies large and small compete for attention to ultimately persuade consumers to purchase their products or use their services. They do this by investing in ways to reach potential customers where they are likely to consume and share information.

As a nonprofit, the types of people you want to reach may differ from for-profit companies, but the need to reach them is as important. Perhaps you want to find potential donors and members or seek to connect with parents of children with special needs, caregivers for aging adults, retirees with the time to give back, local businesses, skilled professionals to offer their expertise pro-bono, people in your community who would benefit from your services, the media and legislators.

If you thought public relations was comprised of communications activities that only help for-profit companies, that’s not the case. Your audiences might differ, but the need to reach them with your messages and concerns is vital.

With uncertainties in the political landscape and future funding resources, it’s imperative to actively engage with all kinds of supporters. PR can help your nonprofit thrive and stand out so it can continue to improve lives and support its mission. This recent New York Times article is spot on about why nonprofits are investing in a range of marketing communications services to help them sell themselves and remain relevant. More companies now offer pro-bono service programs as reported in the Wall Street Journal so yours should be one employees consider.

Here is a list of 10 ways a targeted PR effort can help your nonprofit influence others to achieve your goals:

  • Feature the types of people you help by sharing their stories in broadcast, print, blogs and digital media outlets.
  • Showcase your nonprofit’s services and the potential impact of legislative action on them
  • Share the leadership’s insight about your nonprofit’s services, research, current needs and future goals
  • Attract donors willing to contribute to a worthy organization like yours
  • Enlist volunteers to participate in and proudly share your nonprofit’s events or ongoing activities as one that aligns with their own priorities
  • Secure a partnership or sponsorship with a for-profit company for mutual benefit
  • Identify award opportunities to deserving individuals like beneficiaries, volunteers or your leadership and spotlight the honors in the news
  • Promote your annual events, conferences, galas or create a new noteworthy event
  • Conduct and publicize a survey based upon findings from those you serve
  • Identify panels, speaking engagements and online opportunities for your nonprofit’s executives to share their expertise building notoriety for your organization.

Let us know if you’d like to discuss how we can help your nonprofit become top-of-mind for those that matter.

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How to Influence Consumers and Customers with PR and Storytelling

Public Relations and StorytellingPeople love stories. Even before we learn to read as young children, cuddling next to a parent, grandparent, sibling or caregiver to listen to a story or book is a favorite pastime enjoyed by every generation.

This love of stories doesn’t subside when we grow up.

In the digital age of Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories, Snapchat Stories, podcasting and TED Talks, the methods of telling and sharing stories may have changed, but our affinity for stories hasn’t lessened one bit.

So what’s the point for brands and companies? We’re glad you asked.

Sharing news about a person’s life, loves, challenges or career is interesting for others as it relates to their own life or circumstances. The same goes for brands and companies.

Storytelling is an effective way for you to reach the people who matter most. Brands and companies that share compelling insight can use storytelling to humanize them — gaining loyalty and positive perceptions in consumers’ minds by doing so.

A recent Wall Street Journal article by Barbara Haslip discussed how an entrepreneur’s story can be the perfect marketing tool. It cites research that suggests why humans respond well to character-based stories and memorable images, explaining the relevance for businesses. Read the interesting piece here.

Public relations professionals inherently use different tools and strategies to help clients tell their stories to the right audiences. By doing so, connections are made and buying decisions are positively influenced.

Companies should also leverage consumer input in brand storytelling. An article in MIT Sloan Management Review, says new research finds that sharing consumers’ positive stories about a brand can be a highly effective online marketing strategy.

Here are five ways we work with clients to share their stories:

Media Relations: We package and pitch your messages then reach out to the appropriate journalists to arrange media coverage for your brand, business or organization. These placements provide third-party endorsement via earned media which builds credibility, thought-leadership, visibility and SEO.

Content Creation: Produce and place bylined articles, press releases, blog posts or custom video designed for company blogs and websites, industry-specific or local and major media.

Strategic Partnerships: Arrange partnerships perhaps by creating community special events presented by companies and nonprofit organizations. This is an effective way to engage audiences, build brand equity, secure media coverage and provide an interesting story for the parties involved to tell across all of their platforms.

Live and Online Events: Identify speaking opportunities for company leadership or spokespeople at live or online events so sought-after audiences (either the press, consumers, businesspeople or partners) hear about the latest news, products or brand story first-hand and why it matters for them.

Blogger Engagement and Influencers: Reach out to mega or micro bloggers or social media influencers in your space who drive conversations among their devoted fans and followers. Some may be interested in exclusive content, brand partnerships or sponsored opportunities for their blogs, websites and social media channels encouraging readers to take action – i.e. buy the product, try the service, enter the contest or share the content.

When planning your marketing strategy, don’t overlook the power of stories to help business growth and let us know if we can help.

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5 “Lessons” for Brands from My Alma Mater

My alma mater, Syracuse University (SU) is actively cultivating and growing its “brand” among many different audience segments both offline and online. I’ve seen this as a member of the Central New Jersey SU Alumni Club and as a follower on SUs social media channels. The ability to attract qualified students, top professors, ongoing alumni support and interested firms to hire their graduates is vital for colleges and universities today and for the future. Using SU as an example, below are five ways to help your brand or organization be a standout in its “class.”Syracuse University logo and mascott

1. DESIGNATE EXPERTS TO SPEAK WITH THE MEDIA 

Weighing-in on trends, news, research or current events in the media helps build awareness and credibility for your brand or organization in the minds of consumers.

SU’s professors are often quoted and interviewed in the news media. Robert Thompson, Director of the Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication, is the most well-known and has been interviewed by hundreds of media outlets, however, many others also comment on newsworthy topics. Rick Burton, a professor of sports management, was recently quoted in NBC News online about Michael Sam the college football star’s recent announcement that he was gay and David Van Slyke, a professor of business and government policy at the Maxwell School was interviewed for a piece by the radio program Marketplace about a bill that has President Obama’s support to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2016.

2. GIVE BACK

Giving back to the local community or partnering with a nonprofit on a worthy initiative demonstrates that your brand cares about others, fosters an emotional connection and camaraderie.

There are many ways SU and its students give back in the Central New York area where the school is located including Can It! an interfaith initiative for the area food bank , the Give 5 Campaign and the SALT Near West Side Initiative.

Cities across the country celebrate SU’s founding with National Orange Day when alumni clubs organize community service projects to help those in need, the infirm and the environment.

3. CREATE SPECIAL EVENTS, BOOK SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS 

Planning and implementing original events or securing speaking opportunities at scheduled ones attract attention to your brand, involve customers, foster goodwill and showcase expertise.

SU organizes events and presentations such as these in major U.S. cities:

  • Live game-watching events at local restaurants for alumni, SU parents and fans to cheer on The Orange while enjoying refreshments. Shakers, decals and other SU promotional items are available to take home.
  • Business networking events
  • Presentations – experts from various specialties share information and tips to help alumni perfect skills, learn about industry trends and offer career advice at organized events
  • Trips to see Broadway shows and local attractions  – this provides ways for alumni to mingle and enjoy themselves during group outings

4. CULTIVATE A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

Decide which social-networking platforms make sense then engage frequently with your communities and followers by asking and answering questions, sharing news, posting light-hearted photos and famous quotes or by hosting helpful Twitter and Facebook chats.

SU is active on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn. They have several Twitter handles for specific followers such as @SyracuseU, @Cuse for athletics and @WorkingOrange where alumni offer careers tips and answer questions.

Use photos and hashtags to spread awareness and encourage sharing. SU does this with its #OrangeNation hashtag. It had fun with #BeatDuke before the basketball game on Feb 1 and with #OrangeLove on Valentines Day. Vice President Joe Biden (an SU law grad) tweeted a picture of himself wearing a Beat Duke t-shirt which was re-tweeted and shared many times online.

5. KEEP BRAND LOYALTY ALIVE & WELL

It’s important to maintain customer loyalty and relevance over time as SU does by helping alumni get involved and keep abreast of news and events on many levels. 

  • Online via ‘ Cuse Community
  • In-person by inviting alumni to athletic events at the Carrier Dome, alumni weekends and at reunions on campus
  • Locally by joining alumni chapters around the country and participating in events.

When I got home from a February 1 alumni game-watching event I flipped open my college yearbook and there was a picture of legendary basketball coach Jim Boeheim smiling from the sidelines at a game just as he does today.

GO ORANGE!

{Image courtesy of “Creative Commons Syracuse University Oranges Mascot” by Pics to Pin.}

If you’d like to find out how we can help your brand stand out among its audiences with cost-effective tactics like those above, please contact us.

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Six Ways Marketers Can Really S.P.R.I.N.G. Forward

Spring seasonWe love spring don’t you? The weather warms up, the sunshine-filled days are longer and we get inspired to revitalize our work and personal lives. To celebrate the arrival of spring, here are six ways to engage consumers and put some spring in your brand’s step.

S = Store Experience

Physical stores are here to stay for a long time but they are no longer the center of the shopping experience. Consumers now use technology such as the Web and mobile apps along with the in-store visit to compare prices, learn about an item’s features and search for what they want. Even so, the popularity of the store visit hasn’t waned so it needs to be a great experience for everyone who enters.

For a look at the future of retail from Deloitte and STORES Media click here.

P = Personal Involvement

Consumers are human so they take things personally. Whether it’s the foods they eat, the cars they drive, the homes they live in or the clothes they wear, our purchases reflect who we are. Brand marketers must understand what makes their customers tick and demonstrate a personal connection with them so they become loyal customers.

R = Relationship Building

Just like people, every local community has its own personality. Marketers can build strong relationships with consumers by demonstrating an interest in improving the fabric of the local community. Our Fuse4Community program helps marketers achieve this goal by working with and leveraging the resources of nonprofit organizations for mutual benefit.

I = Involve Consumers

We are in the Age of the Consumer. Influence has shifted from manufacturers to consumers. Take a few minutes to watch this video where a Dean from The School of Business and Technology at FIT explains this important change.

N = News Coverage

Getting a brand featured in traditional news media is still a valuable communications goal for any marketer. However, today there are dozens of niche blogs, online outlets and many social media platforms which allow brands and companies opportunities to tell their story and engage with target consumers. It’s now much easier to connect with your target audiences and industry influencers in two-way conversations due to the proliferation of new media opportunities.    

G = Give Back

It’s good for a company to give back. Consumers will notice and will support those companies that do. Donna Karan explained her belief in and practice of conscious consumerism when she spoke in January at the National Retail Federation’s BIG Show. She urges retailers to do their part to make a difference.

Evidently this idea also applies to individuals who work for companies and is discussed in length in a recent story penned by Susan Dominus in The New York Times Magazine. Adam Grant is the youngest-tenured and highest-rated professor at Wharton who has written a new book based on his research called, “Give and Take.” His work in the field of organizational psychology suggests that the more individuals give back of their time and energy to help others, the more they and the companies they work for will reap the benefits. You can read the story here.

Happy Spring!

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Giving Back With The “Three T’s”

Fall for Comedy Show and Gift RaffleAny marketer is familiar with the four P’s: product, price, place and promotion but how about the three T’s? A friend of mine holds leadership roles at various local nonprofits and recently said that when it comes to philanthropic endeavors there’s three things we can offer – our time, talent or treasure (i.e.$).

I hadn’t heard that before and was glad to read about the first ever “Giving Tuesday” held on November 27, 2012. The campaign encourages ways to give back and volunteer kicking-off at the start of the annual holiday season. Word spread on Twitter with the hashtag #GivingTuesday.

The idea started with New York’s 92 Y along with its co-creator the United Nations Foundation. They got other influential founding partners involved which in turn motivated more than 2,000 nonprofits, companies and individual stores to participate.

This year I personally gave of my time and talent to help a nonprofit that I’m a member of by planning, chairing and helping to publicize an event that was open to members and the public. My friend Doug is a professional comic and I had seen him perform a very funny routine at a local coffeehouse so I suggested we plan a comedy night in the fall. Everyone loved the idea. We hoped to make a profit to off-set the comedy night’s costs and help fund activities we hold to aid needy families in central New Jersey.

I named the event “Fall for Comedy” Show & Gift Raffle to resonate with prospective ticket buyers and the media. Our planning began over the summer. The show featured Doug and two other fellow comics, Harris and Robin, who regularly perform at comedy clubs in the New York metropolitan area. We kept the cost relatively low at $25 per person in advance and $30 at the door, including dessert; and also organized a gift raffle featuring prizes donated by two dozen local businesses and organizations.

A dedicated, talented group of volunteers stepped-up to solicit donations and raffle prizes, design the flyer, buy decorations and refreshments, send email blasts, garner publicity, set-up the room prior to the event, work at the event and do many other tasks. Lucky for us, the volunteer who designed the attractive flyer above is the Creative Director of an Ivy League university in town.

Considering that the event was held in mid-November in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I was relieved and glad we obtained print and online media coverage, all went smoothly and it was a success. Everyone had a great time and we made a nice profit.

Here’s to a joyful and meaningful holiday season and Happy New Year for you and your families.