Chapter 9 and 10

Chapter 9 focuses on selecting an appropriate spokesperson, either a celebrity or someone within. Though with celebrities, with one slip you could have a major fiasco on your hands. Take Tiger Woods for example. As soon as details about his “sexcapades” came into the public eye, all of his endorsements dropped like a ton of bricks! And what about Michael Phelps, his marijuana accusation made Kellogg yank the cereal promotions off the shelves.    There is also trouble with having the CEO of your nonprofit being the elected spokesperson, but as long as you cover all your bases, it should be much easier to handle than a Michael Vick eruption. The chapter then delves into on and off the record, and to sum up what it means: never speak off the record unless you want your words to magically appear in print. I found a funny and interesting blog that talks about the issue: http://blog.braudcommunications.com/?p=43 Also, looking good in front of the media is always a plus, and that includes getting your message across. It may sounds obvious, but repeating your message, sticking to a guideline of what to say, speaking in complete sentences, be genuine and memorable, and remembering to say your organizations full name all play a huge part in successful media coverage. Also, know who you are up against, if you are invited to speak in front of the public, just expect that an opponent will be present. Putting a face to the problem always helps raise awareness to the issue… and example I have used before is the Humane Society commercials:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Xh-tZrzwk whether you are a dog lover or not, these commercials put a face to a larger problem. (And if this doesn’t pull on your heartstrings there is something deeply wrong with you). Safe Harbor does an excellent job of inspirational true stories from victims of domestic violence, and their success.

Chapter 10 talks about partnerships, working with other companies and nonprofits to boost your organizations message and work. The section on Media Working Group gave me an aha moment when it talked about serving food and making meetings worthwhile. Every campus event I have seen via email has always had the promise of pizza or some sort of refreshments offered before or shortly after a presentation. I guess it works! Getting a little off topic, but a strong point the chapter made was to keep the communications strong. Hold communication meeting with everyone in your organization, from the intern to the CEO.  If everyone understands the communication plan, there is less likely to be a problem when combining forces.