Council Positive Publicity

What Is Public Relations?: Public relations is the process of establishing and cultivating relationships with audiences in order to create and maintain favorable public opinion.

Positive Public Relations and Scouting's Audience: Positive publicity helps establish credibility, an essential ingredient in attracting youth members, volunteers, and potential donors.

District and Unit Impact on Positive Publicity: Every district and unit in the council should help tell Scouting's story as often as possible.

Getting Started: How to organize a marketing committee, develop a communications plan, set goals, and reach target audiences.

Developing Media Relationships: Working with the media is more than answering an occasional inquiry from a local reporter or periodically sending a community calendar release. True media relationships are well conceived, carefully developed, and attentively maintained.

How to Develop a Pitching Strategy: A good pitch takes thought: How you pitch, when you pitch, who pitches, and what is said to the media can make a difference.

How to Deliver the Pitch: Carefully planning your presentation to local media organizations will improve your success rate and establish positive relationships.

Gaining Positive Publicity: Many media are available to communicate your message to target audiences, including public service announcements, the council newsletter, charter organization newsletters, advertisements, the council Web site, and special events.

Alternate Publicity Instruments: Coinsider this list of alternate publicity instruments, which features innovative methods of reaching target audiences in your community.

Public Service Announcements: Public service announcements (PSAs) are essentially radio, television, print, outdoor, or Internet advertisements for which there are no placement fees.

Newspaper Insert Recommendations From the Atlanta Area Council: The Atlanta Area Council provides a step-by-step guide for developing newspaper inserts.

Newspaper Insert Recommendations From the Last Frontier Council: A tabloid insert in your local paper is an excellent way to promote Scouting in the community and build relationships with area businesses and corporations. Here are some tips on working with this type of project.

News Release Guidelines: These guidelines on placing news releases have been developed to improve your success rate in writing and placing information.

The Council Newsletter: As a public relations tool, the council newsletter can be the most effective communications vehicle you have for reaching volunteers and chartered organizations.

Copyright and Trademark Information: Words, symbols, mottos, emblems, and other insignia have become associated in the minds of the public with the Scouting movement and may not be appropriated by others.

Resources

The Merits of Marketing (marketing.scouting.org) is a resource for local councils, developed by the Marketing & Communications Division of the National Council, Boy Scouts of America.