Make sure your council has a representative from every one of your committees serving on the council's marketing committee. It's the best way to get everyone connected and on the same page—program, finance, etc. If you don't, the marketing committee will be out there on its own with no dotted lines connecting it to any other committee, and it probably won't be as effective.
When a crisis occurs, it's too late to start forming relationships with the reporters at your local newspaper or television station. My recommendation is that if you don't know the editor of the local paper or the local news director, make the effort to get to know those people. Set up a meeting. Invite them to camp. Send them a handbook with a nice note. Do something to start building the relationship now, before you need it. It will make your life a lot easier when it comes to getting coverage for positive stories, too.
There are more than 200 minor league baseball teams in the United States. They are family friendly and it's where you'll find a lot of youth. Most of these teams would love to have Scouts at their games presenting the colors every night. They might even let you pass out fliers. It's great publicity for the Boy Scouts of America, and it's a great learning opportunity for our young people. I've even heard of some teams offering to let units camp on the outfield after the games. Some major league teams do this, too. (Don't forget minor league hockey, etc.)
The ESRI/council area profile data is incredible. You can look at the data and see where your opportunities lie. You can also use it to get funding to reach out to underserved areas. You identify the area of need (think Scoutreach here), write a grant request for the funding ... then find a church or community center in the area to help you. And you look like the smartest person in the room because you have the data.
One of the most amazing things is council Web sites that don't ask you to join Scouting. Many sites do a great job with the council and district calendar and providing directions to camp, but a poor job recruiting. Make sure your Web site addresses the needs of all your target audiences—especially those folks who do not yet know what a Wood Badge bead is. Make it easy for them to join.
I think some folks do an ad or a flier and call it marketing. You can do so much more if you'll actually write down who your audience is, what your goals are, and a strategy of how to get there. Ads, fliers, and PR are tactics. Identify your audiences, develop a plan, and use the tactics to achieve your goals.
I see this in business and also in Scouting—documents with three or four different fonts, different logos—no consistency whatsoever. Come up with a design for the letterhead, fax cover sheet, Web site, etc., and stick with it. Find a volunteer who can do a layout, or pay for it. It provides a more professional look, and that design becomes a part of your brand image. As a result, people will recognize it and remember it.
Target your messages. Portland is a great example of a council that targets its communications. They do a newsletter for each of three target audiences. Remember who you are talking to and address your communications to fit their needs. Donors need different messaging than unit and district volunteers and chartered organizations.
Communicate with members regularly, not just at fund-raising or recruiting time. By communicating regularly through newsletters, the Web site, or even through presentations, you are putting capital in the bank that you can draw on when it comes time to raise funds, recruit, etc. If your audiences know what you stand for and what you're doing, they are more likely to support you.
Have the local pizza delivery business pass your recruiting fliers out for you. Have the flier with the date, time, and location taped to the top of the box.
If you don't have a superintendent's breakfast or luncheon, you're missing an opportunity. School access issues or not, we're serving the same audience and it can't hurt to maintain those relationships. It's an opportunity to showcase what our program does for the kids they serve.
Advertisers run commercials over and over again so you'll remember their message. My suggestion is that we focus on increasing the number of positive contacts with the public through speaking engagements, public appearances, copies of annual reports, ads, news stories, and the like. We have to put our face and our message out there.
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.