Public Relations Initiatives of Rotary Clubs

Shyamashree SenRC Calcutta Metro City

DGN, 2016-17R.I. District 3291

Public Relations Initiatives of Rotary Clubs

• Public relations efforts are vital to Rotary’s continued growth and service

• Creating a positive image for Rotary is the responsibility of every Rotarian, both locally and globally

Public Relations Committee Manual Says:

“Having strong public relations ensures that communities around the world

know thatRotary is a credible organization that

meets real needs.”

Role of Club’s Public Relations Committee

• to inform the public about Rotary

• and to promote your club’s service projects and activities

Do you have a Public Relations Committee inyour Rotary club?

Publicity, Public Relations and Public Image

What is the difference? PUBLICITY – the act of creating a good opinion among people about

your Rotary Club OR

– creating information that makes people notice your Rotary Club

Publicity, Public Relations and Public Image

What is the difference?

PUBLIC IMAGE

– is the perception that the public have about your Rotary Club which may or may not be what they really are

Publicity, Public Relations and Public Image

What is the difference?

PUBLIC RELATIONS - the relationship between your Rotary Club and the public –spreading the word

Steps in PR Initiatives

– Develop and use traditional and non-traditional PR materials and methods

– Work with the media– Develop cooperative relationships with non

Rotary organizations– Please evaluate and measure the success of your

PR efforts

Components of Public Relations

• Understanding what is “news”

• PR writing

• Media relations

• Non-traditional media

Public Relations Writing by Rotary Clubs

• The ability to write easily, logically, and succinctly is vital in public relations.

• The object of most PR writing is to grab the reader’s attention.

• Most press releases and other written communications for the media use an inverted-pyramid style.

• The headline and the first sentence are the two most important parts of a press release.

Tell Your Club’s Rotary Story

Make sure you emphasize on • Who? (Concerned persons)

• What? (Event or project)

• When? (Time, day, date)

• Why? (The reason why the project or event is significant)

• Where? ( Location)

This will lead to good public relations

A Good Press Release

• Develop a well-thought-out “news hook”• Determine who will be the contact person in

the club formedia inquiries• Include the web address of club, if current• Keep your press release concise

Beyond the Press Release

Rotarians have communicated their stories to themedia in many other ways, such as:

• Media alerts – condensed version of press releases

• Letters to the editor• Opinion editorials• Media kits – special folders• Fact sheets – details about the program

Non Traditional Media Used by Rotary Clubs

Does Your Club have a Twitter Account, Blog or a Facebook Page?

Do you send videos to YouTube?

Is your Rotary Club LinkedIn?

Rotary Clubs Communicate With …– the media

&

– local government officials

– the business community

– civic leaders and other organizations

– qualified prospective members

– their current members

– people directly affected by Rotary service projects.

Please Remember …

When a Rotary Club has positive public relations:its current members are motivated to be active

AND prospective members are eager to join the club

Lastly, it is not how many newspapers havereported your projects, but how the people whom

you have served have accepted and recognizedyou that matters.

THANK YOU!