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Promoting & Publicizing Your Team Nutrition Event
 
Good promotion and positive publicity can create excitement around your Team Nutrition activities and generate support from volunteers and community organizations. It also draws attention to the goal of the program -- teaching the link between agriculture and good nutrition by showing students how the earth provides us with a variety of foods that feed our bodies and keep us healthy! There are several ways to promote your activities and the more creative you are, the more successful your promotion will be. When promoting your school's activities (1) be able to write and speak clearly and succinctly about the purpose and importance of your activities; (2) know whom to tell and when; and (3) follow up.

Here are some steps you can take to successfully promote Team Nutrition activities. Sample materials are included throughout this section. Please note that these sample media materials can be adapted to apply to any Team Nutrition projects your school undertakes throughout the year.

Get Organized
First decide who should know about your Team Nutrition activities and the best way to reach them. While the easiest way to reach a large segment of the population at one time is through the media, there are other ways to reach your core audience. The idea is to get as many people as possible talking about your activities and communicating your messages. Some ideas for outreach and publicity include:
bullet Local associations and organizations. If local associations or organizations are involved in your Team Nutrition activities, ask for help from their communications departments to publicize your activities. They can send out press releases, put announcements in their newsletters, and inform their members about your activities.
bullet Local politicians (mayor, city council members, school board members, etc.). You will attract attention simply by having these people on board. You could also work with local or state officials to have a proclamation declared.
bullet Media personalities. Local media outlets are always looking for local stories. Watch your news station and read your papers to find out if they have special correspondents that cover community activities, education, agriculture, or other relevant subjects. You can contact the assignment editors or the reporters themselves.
bullet Local sports figures. Get your local high school, college, semi-professional or professional sports teams involved. Many are looking for ways to contribute to the community, and their involvement will generate publicity for your activities. Contact the teams' public relations representatives.
bullet Weathercasters. One of the most effective ways to get your message out is through local weathercasters. They usually have a significant public following and often will mention activities and show promotional items in conjunction with your activities on the air. They generally appear several times throughout a newscast and it is not unusual for them to mention the activities each time.
Keep a list of telephone numbers, dates and names of people you've contacted, the dates you called, and what you discussed. Include members of the media and organizations' newsletters on your mailing list for your school's newsletters. Be sure to follow up with them to ensure they received the information.

 

Create an Information/Press Kit
Now that you've decided whom to tell, you need to decide what to tell them. An information or press kit is the easiest way to give the media and others different types of information in an organized package.
bullet Create a short media advisory that includes the who, what, when, where, and why of your event. The advisory is a good piece to keep around when people request information by fax. Try to keep your advisory to one page and include interview and photo opportunities.
bullet Write a press release with information on the event. Be sure to include the most important information first in the press release.
bullet Create a backgrounder and fact sheet for your activity. These should include information on your school, your Team Nutrition activities, the participants, and other information you want to convey.
bullet Organize your materials in a two-pocket folder with the most important materials in front and secondary information in back. Be sure to include contact information in your folder and keep your information as simple and straightforward as possible.

 

Obtain a Local or State Proclamation
A local or state proclamation is a great way to get more local publicity for your event. It will also give you an added "news peg" to use when contacting your local media.

Contact your mayor's or governor's office and tell them you would like them to declare a proclamation recognizing your school's activities. They will probably ask for your request in writing. It will be helpful to draft a proclamation for the mayor's staff to use. Follow up with them to ensure the proclamation will be completed in time to announce it prior to your events.

 

Contact the Media
When contacting the media it is important to know whom to contact. It is possible to send your information generically to "editor" or "producer," but you are much more likely to get a response if you personalize the information. In larger metropolitan areas, media directories are generally available, and there are some nationwide directories as well. Most public libraries carry these directories in their reference sections. Also, most newspapers have web sites you can access. Find the local media outlets in your area and contact the reporter or producer that covers that "beat" (the subject matter the reporter covers -- nutrition, health, food, community, education). If you cannot find this information, call the station or publication and ask who covers that area. Positions at media outlets change quite frequently, so you may want to call to make sure the contact you got from the directory is still current.

Send a copy of your press kit along with a cover letter explaining your program and why it would be a good story for them to cover. Follow up in a few days with a personal phone call.

 

Contact Your Local Weathercaster
Write an introductory letter one or two weeks before your activity. Briefly discuss your activities and request their participation. If you have some kind of promotional gift, like a selection of fresh herbs grown by your school or an attractive piece of artwork created by your students, tell them they will receive it on a specific day.

Your promotional gift may end up on television, so prepare it neatly. Ensure that the contents are accessible, colorful, and eye-catching! You may even have students create a poster or sign that can be held up on television. Include with your promotional gift your press kit with all the information on your activity. If possible, deliver your promotional gift in person to the station. Mark the weathercaster's name clearly, and securely attach your materials.

The same afternoon you deliver your promotional gift, follow up with a phone call to make sure he or she received it, and try to gauge his or her interest in using the promotional gift or information on the air.

Weathercasters have a significant local following, so follow up with a quick, sincere note of thanks. This will also help build a long-term relationship.

 

Other Promotional Ideas
bullet Contact the "community calendar" sections of the local newspapers and television stations to post your activities.
bullet Create posters to hang in local storefronts promoting Team Nutrition activities; and
bullet Create flyers to send home to parents.
Remember -- the more creative you are, the better the response will be.

 

Reference
U.S. Apple Association: Apple Industry 5 A Day Program Marketing and Promotion Toolkit. 1996.


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