Media, Marketing & PR

1. Media, Marketing & PR Ronald E. Koehler, APR MASA New Superintendents Conference 2005 Kent ISD We Lead Learning

2. What We Will Cover • Media Relations • Public Relations, Marketing & Customer Relations • What they are and how they’re different • How to do this job without a PR person • How you can do it better witha PR person

3. My Background • United Press International • Local Newspaper, Magazine, TV • Public Affairs Television & Radio • Member of Gov. Blanchard’s News Office • National School Public Relations Association Mideast Vice President

4. The NSPRA Formula • 90 percent of image is quality service • 7 percent is listening • 3 percent is telling

5. The Koehler Formula • 75 percent of image is quality service • 15 percent is listening • Active, organized listening • Includes processes to evaluate and adjust • 10 percent is telling • In today’s environment, you must listen, adjust and respond

6. PR is about... • Public Accountability • Media Relations • Relationship building and maintenance • Reputation management • Issues management

7. Marketing is about... • Research • Analysis • Communication • Evaluation

8. Customer Service is about... • Quality service • Creating a relationship • Individual attention • Options • Going the extra mile • The “Golden Rule”

9. Media RelationsUnderstanding the Process Types of stories • Breaking news • Breaking news -- local angle • Informational • Feature • Investigative

10. Media RelationsUnderstanding the Process Types of reporters • Beat reporter • Feature • General assignment • Investigative

11. Media RelationsUnderstanding the Process What are reporters looking for? • Controversy • The human element • Something different • Something their competitors don’t have • A story the “Omaha Milkman” can understand

12. Media RelationsManaging the Interview Preparing yourself • Review your topic • Do your research • Remember reporter’s audience, motive • Jot down no more than 3 key points • Rehearse

13. Media RelationsManaging the Interview Managing the TV interview • Look at the reporter • Place your hands at your side • Repeat your main points • Redirect questions • Look open, positive, sincere

14. Media RelationsManaging the Interview What to avoid • The fig leaf stance • The “Royal” stance • Defensive stance • Stammering, stuttering • Getting angry

15. Media RelationsPitching Your Story • Pick the appropriate media • Know that media’s format & deadlines • Make your story fit the media’s needs • Start with your reporter • Try editors & producers, too • TV stories must be visual • Make your story different

16. Customer Service • What does customer service mean? • A positive experience • Being treated like you’re important • Getting personalized service • Getting what you want • Fulfilling expectations

17. Let’s compare experiences…Your school, and • The judicial system • The Internal Revenue Service • The Secretary of State’s Office • Dell Computer, Land’s End, Nordstrom’s

18. Customer Service • Major Corporations • Each contact is an opportunity • Seek customers for life • Make each customer feel special • Make information/services/products available upon demand

19. Customer Service • How do you accomplish that? • Anticipate needs and expectations, and • Organize your • physical environment, • services, • staff training and • communications to • MEET CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS

20. Customer Service • Parking • Is there a place to park? • Is the lot well maintained? • Grounds • Is the building attractively landscaped? • Is the entrance clean and welcoming? • Signage • Are entrance signs welcoming? • Do signs clearly direct visitors to main office?

21. Customer Service • Interior • Are halls clean and in good repair? • Is student work on display? • Is your vision and mission prominently displayed? • Office • Are guests greeted quickly and kindly? • Is there a comfortable place to wait? Coffee, a phone? Something they can read about the school while waiting?

22. Customer Service • Staff • Have all staff been instructed in how to greet and help visitors? • Have all staff been informed about school activities/current issues so they can answer questions? • Are all staff aware of the positive role they play in making people feel welcome? • Are telephone calls returned promptly?

23. Customer Service • Students/families • Are all options clearly explained? • Are meetings scheduled at their convenience? • Are teachers and administrators available by phone, email? • Is student performance, attendance information immediately available?

24. Customer Service • Students/families • Do teachers ask parents/students what their expectations are at the beginning of each school year? • Is communication ongoing, or limited to parent/teacher conferences? • Does your district web site provide 24/7 information?

25. Marketing • Research • Customer needs • Analysis • Your school’s offerings v. customer needs • What do your competitors offer? • Communication • The benefits offered to families, children • What makes your district unique • Evaluation

26. Marketing • Have you asked parents what they want in their school? • Have you analyzed the competition? • Have you made adjustments to meet customer needs? • Have you made adjustments based on competitors? • Do you promote your unique benefits? • Do you regularly evaluate satisfaction?

27. Public Relations • Public Accountability • Timely, pertinent information • Promotion • Using the media to highlight your district • Relationship building and maintenance • Building trust, and goodwill equity

28. Public Relations • Reputation management • Protecting the goodwill equity in your district • Environmental scanning/issues management • Anticipating and creatively adapting to the issues that threaten to drain the goodwill equity fund balance

29. Public Relations • Communications • Do you have an regular, ongoing, two-way dialogue with your community? • Newsletters • Community meetings • Open houses

30. Public Relations • Promotion • Do you have a good relationship with the media? • Do you highlight the great things happening in your schools? • Do you allow teachers, parents and kids to express their enthusiasm for what they’re doing?

31. Public Relations • Relationship building • Do you have a key communicators group? • Do meet regularly with the Chamber, realtors, community organizations and opinion leaders? • Do you know the editor and editorial page editor of your newspaper? • Do you have a relationship with neighborhood leaders, the faith community, foundation leaders?

32. Public Relations • Reputation management • Are you looking ahead at the issues that will effect your school and its reputation? • Are you listening to your stakeholders and adapting services/programs as situations demand? • Are you proactive or reactive?

33. What PR cannot do... Solve, or correct, basic structural and organizational problems within a school district, building or classroom

34. How you can do this yourself • Put yourself in the parents’ position • You’re managing two things close to their heart -- their babies and their money • Understand the underlying issues in all the negative media • Understand the fears people have about their children’s success

35. How you can do this yourself • Do some research • Quantify your goodwill equity • Analyze pluses and minuses • How can you add to your goodwill fund balance? • Communicate the importance to your staff • Evaluate your performance

36. How you can do this yourself • Make customer service, listening and communications a priority • Organize your district to meet customer expectations • Actively listen and respond to customer needs • Develop a communications plan • Make communications part of staff evaluations

37. How you can do it better • Make customer service, listening and communications a priority • Hire/contract a public relations professional • Find someone on your staff who can do this work, and make it a major part of their job

38. How you can do it better • Make it clear to all staff your communications professional plays an important role • Allow that person to have one foot in the superintendents’ office and one foot in the community • Demand a clear communications plan based on the principles discussed today

39. Summary • Our customers have greater expectations • We need to redefine & reorganize to meet expectations • Quality service is the No. 1 priority • Marketing and PR build goodwill

40. Where to get more information • NSPRA has many resources • Practical PR for Principals • Making/Marketing Your School of Choice • WWW.NSPRA.org • MSPRA • Great resource • Terrific annual conference • Growing list of services • WWW.MSPRA.org

41. Media, Marketing & PR Ronald E. Koehler MASA New Superintendents Conference 2004 Kent ISD We Lead Learning

42. Roundtable Discussion Problem: A teacher is accused of having a sexual relationship with a student. The media have learned of the situation. • What do you tell the media? • What do you tell staff? • What do you tell students and their parents?