Strategy Advantages Limitations
Advertisements (newspapers and magazines)
  • good at attracting attention
  • reaches your target audience
  • costly to design
  • costly to run in paper/magazine
Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
  • “free ads” on air
  • good tool for public education
  • often aired at odd hours (low audience; prime time goes to those who pay)
  • if station produces ad, often done in cheapest way: one person talking, no editing, no slides or music, no film or tape.
  • if you produce PSA, it must meet quality standards of station
Public Service Advertisements (newspapers)
  • could be more attention getting than an article
  • good as supplement to article for publicity for event
  • must run a week to be effective (if it only runs a few days, some people may miss it)
  • costly (generally 25% off regular price of newspaper ads)
Calendar Listings
  • good for reminding people of date, time, place of events
  • use Art on Art for good coverage
  • primarily good for event publicity; not for general PR
  • only give who, what, where, when
Website Profile
  • good for providing people with in-depth information on your event
  • provide a FAQ and save on calls
  • provide way to buy tickets online or connect with box office
  • can use lots of graphical images
  • low-cost, fast, and easy to update
  • requires web page design expertise
  • requires computer hardware and software
Interview Shows
  • free publicity
  • allow you to clarify issues in more in-depth way (1/2 hour vs. a one minute PSA or short article)
  • provide public forum for your issues
  • allow you to speak for yourselves (represent yourselves) rather than rely on interpretation of reporter
  • limited audience
  • usually produced cheaply; appeal of “talking heads” limited; many people tune out after a short time
Video or CD
  • visual presentation of issues, facts, and resources
  • good stimulus for discussion
  • experiential visually
  • adds variety and interest
  • expensive (possibly)
  • need people to present the tape
  • need equipment
  • need people to put it together
Banners
  • eye-catching
  • adds to feeling of event or festivity
  • create sense of community involvement
  • must see that banner is delivered and taken down at proper times
  • each town has own stipulations
  • can be costly to produce
Press Packets
  • give media background information on group and issues
  • could lead to more in-depth story
  • need to be updated
Newsletters
  • good for networking
  • in-depth information
  • provide forum for community people
  • act as clearinghouse for information
  • consider sending electronically to save money
  • costly
  • time consuming
  • need a staff
  • need submissions
  • must remain lively and relevant
Press Coverage at Meeting
  • informs those who didn’t attend meeting of decisions/proceedings
  • keeps issues/events before public eye
  • more in-depth than press release
  • useful for raising public opinion
  • possibility of misquotes
  • interpretation of reporter may differ from your own
Press Conference
  • calls attention to a situation
  • useful for announcing findings, publication of facts, results of studies, clarification of an action, making announcements or demands; brings out the press; makes an event out of your news
  • difficult to find right time of day to hold so all press can attend and meet that day’s deadline
  • difficult to get the press to come unless something very important
  • could be a lot of effort for little return
  • place is crucial
Columns or Regular Features; Article Series
  • provide in-depth public education on issues
  • provide forum
  • keep your group/issue in public eye
  • difficult to convince media to do
  • need enough information to generate several articles
  • weekly deadlines
  • takes lots of person hours
  • takes a lot research
Photos/Artwork
  • good way to bring visual attention to issue
  • attention-getting
  • could be used as filler
  • could be costly
  • photos may not be returned
  • may send out more than get used (cost effective?)
  • need to meet papers’ standards
Brochures, Handouts, Mailers, etc.
  • direct mail ensures you reach intended audience
  • are a tangible reminder for people
  • can be more eye appealing/attention-getting than articles
  • could be costly
  • often thrown away
  • some people have an antagonism to mailings
Posters
  • attract attention
  • additional exposure
  • need people to post
  • location of poster important (or may not reach audience)
  • costly

Adapted from Arts Extension Services
Fundamentals of Local Arts Management