Public Relations instead of Marketing

Utilize public relations instead of paying for marketing efforts.

Articles in the press are more likely to be read than ads. People percieve ads consciously as advertising and therefore are less likely to notice them. However, more people than just your target audience read press reports.
Additionally, press reports are more credible than advertisements, as they are written by (independent) journalists, wheras ads are designed by advertising specialists.

In an article in the press your company or organization can be represented in detail - including pictures. In an ad, this is more difficult and only possible with a lot of money.
Press reports are free, whereas ads can be very costly. With the right PR, you can not only make your firm or organization known to the public, but also your products and services. You get the opportunity to build a distinctive and credible image, which will help you gain more customers, clients or members - especially in the long run.

Ads on the other side might increase awareness, but do not build credibilty. But how will being famous help you, if people do not trust you, because you lack credibilty?

Make sure the media report about you and not about your competition. You can for example feed the media with material, such as press releases. Organize interesting events, to which you will invite the media. You can organize a run for a good cause, hold an open house in your organization or as a company you can support a non-profit organization (NPO). Make sure that all events support the purpose of your organization or your company's goals. If you support an organization, you should make sure that the organization and your company are a fit. It makes little sense to support a non-smoking organization when you are a tobacco shop.

Publish a short press release with a picture for every event you organize. It is worth much more when the regional daily newspaper publishes a note on your event, than any marketing in form of an ad.

Marketing for NPOs: to suceed you need a strategy - Greenpeace as an example

More and more organizations rely on social media to attract attention, such as the NPO (non profit organization) Greenpeace as already mentioned.

The organization targets a corporation that is not acting the way it should (Nestlé in the past, now BP) and goes against the corporation's work with activities in different media.

Also in its latest campaign against the company BP, Greenpeace connects social media very effectively with real actions - mainly guerrilla actions.

Greenpeace currently has graphic designers and other creative people rebrand the previous BP logo - in a competition on their webseite. The logo of the company is to be redesigned to match the dirty business of the BP-group. The previously submitted logos are all very creative.
So BP (British Petroleum) is changed into beelzebub profits, broken pipe, pollution business, big profit - it's never enough, best practices, big problem, best pest, poison black, yellow fever, british predator, big pollute, or peng bum. Slogans were changed as well, for example "BP - we oil the world", "SBP - silent but deadly", "not so slick actually - BP", "BP - burn our planet", "BP - PB - planet breakup", "children could run it better - probably "," RIPBP "," BP - we united drill. It's definitely worth taking a look at the picture gallery of submitted work! Should BP ever think of a rebranding, it would be easy for them to draw from the pool of logos of Greenpeace. However, whether these logos are good for BP's image is rather questionable.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace activists attached a flag with BP's new logo (BP - British Polluters) at the BP headquarters in London. Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyEWwsm7wfQ

A few days ago, Greenpeace activists were arrested in the US, because they painted oily messages on a ship loaded with oil. At least, this gets the organization in the headlines and focuses attention on the real problem - the oil spill.

Greenpeace is doing its best to draw attention on what BP is doing. At the same time, the organization also makes the public aware of the real problems of the oil spill. Greenpeace is currently taking water samples and documenting the devastation in the Gulf of Mexico - with employees, scientists and volunteers.

Behind all these efforts by Greenpeace lies a well-developed strategy. However, just like many other NPOs, Greenpeace has to respond quickly to emerging problems. That means, there is a risk that even though a strategy has been worked out, you have to improvise.

Therefore, NPOs have to develop a basic strategy in order to be able to react quickly. The strategy should include many (different) media: guerilla actions, documented and distributed through the Internet and social media, as well as hands-on activities, which can also be distributed online. Then, of course, the organization should also ensure that the cooperation between employees and volunteers goes smoothly.

Your association or club on display

Marketing for your association or club is not as hard as you might think. A great, inexpensive way to reach people in your town and to advertise your small non-profit-organization (NPO) is advertising in shop windows and display cases.

Perhaps there are display cases in your town or city that small NPOs can rent for little money or even no money at all.
You can design your display case again and again with very little effort.
Depending on the kind of display case you use, you can put in posters or even whole exhibits.
Keep your showcase clean and up to date! No one likes to read old, yellowed newspaper clippings with dead mosquitoes around. Set out new information in your display case at regular intervals - this will attract visitors' attention over and over again.

Be mindful with copyrights. If you exhibit photos, the people shown should agree to the publication of their image.

If you do not have a display case, you should check with local stores that have a shop window. Ask these stores whether you can present your club in one corner of the shop window. Maybe there is a local company that has supported you before? Or has one of the club members a shop in a great location with a shop window?
It is also possible to present your association in the shop window of a local store for a few days every months.
Do not hesistate to ask local companies!

It should become clear from your display case or shop window, what your club does. Many people may come by for the first time and not know exactly what your club is for. It is best to mix the latest club news with general information about your club.

Do not put too much text. Rather display lots of photos and graphics. Photos should not be too small, otherwise people will not be able to see them properly through the glass. Print your photos on letter sized photo paper. Make sure to replace the photos before they fade out (that can happen very fast in the sun - a few dayscan make a big difference)!

Always add the address of your website. Anyone who remembers the URL might look at the website at home.
When presenting your club also mention a contact, for example the chairman of your club, so people know where the information comes from.

Both your display case, and the space in the shop window you can decorate to suit the season. But do not go overboard with decorations. Too much can become corny and therefore deterrent.
You can use decoration to attract people from a distance - for example, with lots of color and unusual things.