Strategic Thinking

Here are some great PR Ideas that were generated from a PR idea swap at ASAE that SSC staff attended in the summer of 2010. Although this was an association-centric event we have gathered info that is relevant to association and corporate environments.
 
1. Use social media to gain business intelligence There are some great platforms out there for you to use so you can gain an understanding of what people are saying. Understanding people’s perceptions is essential before launching a PR initiative. Learn what people are saying about you before your PR launch and after.

-  www.addictomatic.com (free)
-  www.google.com/alerts (free)
-  www.technorati.com (free)
-  www.socialmention.com (free)
-  www.radian6.com (paid)
-  www.trackur.com  (paid)
-  www.milestoneinternet.com (paid)
 
2. Create a video that is entertaining Think about viral videos that are so entertaining that you share them with friends or colleagues. Are they professionally done? Are they out of your reach to produce? Not at all! It just takes some thought or maybe even not thinking and just something impromptu might help to create something to be remembered and shared. The Salem, Oregon, Chamber of Commerce made a spoof of "The Office" to announce an award received by the State Chamber of Commerce. They have a few other videos as well all are pretty entertaining. Heck, I am sharing it!
 
Salem Oregon Chamber of Commerce's "The Chamber Office"
 
3. Reach out to press contacts via Twitter You follow them and they now follow you. You will also be able to send them news and info as well.
 
4. Blogging success Most company and association blogs are left to the lowest level of personnel. People want to hear from the people that are the real voice of the organization. When you get executives to blog people listen.  By blogging about industry issues it allows them to connect directly with members, industry partners, reporters and many others. The postings should be perceptive and welcome or invite dialogue.
 
5. Create unique competitions that will draw a crowd and raise awareness or invent an event! Video contests work well here. Overall competitions are able to increase the visibility of an issue, an industry or a profession. One hotel in Chantilly, VA hosted a “hospitality Olympics” which kids from the area participated in a luggage pull, cake decorating, tray toting, etc. It brought awareness of the local hotel and raised awareness of the hotel’s commitment to community service.
 
6. Celebrity Partnerships/Sponsors Recruiting celebrities can help drive visibility. To boost attendance at their annual conference the Association of Fundraising Professionals hired Queen Latifah and Bill Clinton to be their keynote speakers. The strategy was to generate so much buzz if people did not sign up for this conference they will certainly not miss next year’s. Sarah Mclachlan has helped raise $30 million in donations with a simple request on an ad campaign for the ASPCA. “We Are the World” is a charity song that used a super group of celebrity singers to help support USA for Africa and raised $45 - $47 million in 1985. There are numerous methods to make celebrity partnerships a success.
 
7. Use onsite attractions to draw media attention At the American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Exposition an exhibitor brought a mold sniffing dog to conduct demonstrations. The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) saw this as an opportunity to grab nationwide news coverage and had CNN feature the dog. During a live segment they had the dog search for mold in a TV studio.
 
AIHA drove visibility at another conference by building a mock meth lab and demonstrated the health and safety hazards they create. Not to mention the immense cleanup they require. The unique exhibit and demonstrations brought a tremendous amount of media coverage.
 
8. Capitalize on your event location and create partnerships with local businesses One of the national museum associations works with the local museums wherever their annual convention is. In doing so they are able to utilize the local museums’ network with the media to drive coverage.
 
9. Attract media attention with research Conducting a study is a great way to gain publicity. The American Chemical Society announced results of a study on the chemical breakdown of mescal and tequila and explained what made tequila… tequila. The results were announced on Cinco de Mayo and news was widespread throughout the media. Studies are well suited for grabbing attention, but more importantly it confirms your organization as a go-to source for information.
 
10. Who is your target? Before embarking on your next study, event or campaign make sure you know and understand the market you are trying to reach. Shooting from the hip is a sure-fire way to waste money.
 
11. Ride the wave of the news of today Consider making a statement regarding your organization’s perspective on an event or situation. Speak out on serious issues affecting your community or society in general.