Do Well by Doing GoodPR & Social Media Strengthen

Community Relations

Heather Whalingheather@gebencommunication.com

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What is community relations?

Higher ConsumerExpectations

Photo credit: chichacha

90% seek business benefits from

corporate philanthropy

Goal?Source: eMarketer

enhance corporate reputation/brand

1. Establish community relations communicationgoals.

2. Listen to what’s being said, where, and bywhom.

3. Identify stakeholders & how to reach them.4. Create a communication timeline & content

map.5. Begin communicating. Monitor. Adjust.

Big-Picture Goals

• Garner goodwill with current customers• Generate awareness among potential

customers• Pique attention of community leaders,

elected officials• Reinforce messaging/positioning• Ward off potential problems• What else?

Listening Tools

• Google Alerts• Addictomatic.com• Netvibes• Hootesuite, Tweetdeck• Search.Twitter.com/Advanced• Nielsen’s BlogPulse• Alterian SM2, Filtrbox

Reaching Stakeholders

• Integrate online & offline communication• Incorporate multi-media• Leverage partners’ resources (e.g., blog,

newsletter)• Make it easy for people to help tell your

story

Success Starts with Planning

Goals:– Leave Orlando better

than we found it– Change lives– Position Church as a

community partner

Tactics:– Leadership briefings– Enewsletter– Website– Periodic media updates– On-site press conference

Case Study:Church of the Nazarene2009 General Assembly

… 3,000 volunteers, 150 projects,extensive media coverage

Case Study:KB Home Builds Hope

Goals:– Position donors as

community partners– Convey need for additional

support– Educate community about

domestic violence

Tactics:– Frequent press releases– Newsletter– Website updates, photos– Shelter preview for VIPs &

media

Results:– Extensive media coverage– Donations+162%– Volunteer hours+123%

Case Study:Coalition for the Homeless

of Central Florida

Social media matters to theCoalition because whenthey needed extra help,their online network –people who were strangersjust months ago – steppedup to the plate.

• Situation: Drastic decrease in fooddonations

• Idea: Food drive powered by socialmedia

• Goal: 400 lbs.• Implementation:

– Announced online– Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr

• Result: Raised 1,000+ lbs

The Coalition’s“Can” Care Challenge

guest post from winning company

Case Study:Geben Gives

… shared on Twitter

… shared on Facebook

… nearly 8,000 votes later

Assess Backlash Potential

“GM’s Gift of a Luxury Car Stuns a Few”-- NY Times

Photo credit: msvg

Trends

Photo credit: ilamont

Collaboration. Integration. Social Good.

Heather Whalingheather@gebencommunication.com

prtini.comtwitter.com/prTini

linkedin.com/in/heatherwhaling