| Too many people relate public relations with splashy | | | | community's needs for skilled, educated employees. |
| events they think reporters will throng to and write | | | | In short order, the new public relations program got the |
| about and -- as a result -- make their organizations | | | | college on the local media's radar and began building |
| famous and successful. | | | | neighborhood goodwill along with a positive local |
| Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. | | | | identity for the college. It also reinforced the school's |
| Effective public relations is not the result of one or | | | | reputation among local businesses as a source of |
| more showy events. Quite the contrary. Numerous | | | | talented, educated employees. |
| integrated elements power the engine that moves | | | | Then, by chance, I met with a department head who'd |
| every successful public relations program forward. | | | | had nothing to do with the initial PR program's |
| The need to drive that point home occurred for me | | | | development or determining its objectives. He asked |
| once again when I was launching a public relations | | | | me, "When are you going to do something really big?" |
| program for a small, New York City community | | | | I asked, "What did you have in mind?" |
| college. Until then, the school had never initiated a | | | | "Let's throw a party for the neighborhood on the traffic |
| cohesive public relations program of any kind. | | | | median in front of the college." (The 20-foot-wide |
| I developed a 12-month program designed to support | | | | median ran about five city blocks.) |
| the college leadership's goals to increase student | | | | "Why would you want to do that?" |
| enrollment, bolster the school's stature as an important | | | | "For the publicity. The whole neighborhood would turn |
| community resource and increase local business | | | | out and have a good time. The newspapers and TV |
| leaders' reliance on the school as a rich source of | | | | stations would cover it." |
| educated employees. The program consisted of many | | | | "Why would they want to cover a block party? And |
| large and small elements including: | | | | what do you expect them to say other than the |
| - Establishing the college president, other key | | | | school threw a big party?" |
| administrators and scholastic faculty members as | | | | "Well, you should do something really big." |
| responsive, knowledgeable information sources and | | | | We never threw a block party, and this guy was |
| professional experts who all New York City news | | | | never satisfied with the solid, incrementally expanding |
| media could call and rely on; | | | | and successful public relations program I'd put in motion. |
| - Developing media contacts to generate frequent and | | | | Over time the program continued to build the school's |
| favorable television, radio, print and Internet coverage | | | | positive reputation as an institution of higher learning |
| to highlight the school's strengths, courses of study, | | | | and an important resource for local residents and the |
| student successes and newsworthy school activities; | | | | business community. And, as intended, it helped to |
| - Expanding, updating and improving the school's | | | | increase the school's student enrollment. |
| website to make it an important news and information | | | | For some people, public relations is all about sizzle and |
| resource; | | | | nothing about substance. Sure, a large, meaningful |
| - Working closely with community organizations, | | | | event can jumpstart or enhance a cohesive public |
| libraries and civic centers to educate residents in a | | | | relations campaign. But by itself, the public relations |
| variety of "life skills" through free lectures, seminars | | | | impact of a single noisy event is as enduring and |
| and continuing education classes; | | | | meaningful as a puff of smoke. |
| - Meeting with local businesses and professional | | | | Remember, effective, long lasting public relations is a |
| organizations to stay abreast of the business | | | | continuing, structured process, not a single glitzy event. |