Creating PA Opportunities

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Creating PA Opportunities

• Presented by Julie DeBardelaben
• NHQ Public Affairs

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Lay the Foundation for Success

• Create a solid PA Plan that you can grow and
  nurture.

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Eliminate the

• There is no right or wrong plan.
• A plan is a living document thats meant to be
  constantly refined throughout the year as you
  learn what works and does not work for you.

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Follow the Regs Planning Model

• Step 1 Determine PA needs and opportunities.
• Step 2 Establish goals to meet these needs.
• Step 3 Identify ways to implement the goals.
• Step 4 State what you hope to achieve.

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Your Goals are Predetermined

• According to 190-1
• External Develop goals and initiatives that
  emphasize CAPs importance in performing its
  three congressionally mandated missions.
• Internal Develop strategies that emphasize
  CAPs importance, member recognition, retention
  and encouragement of member participation in
  unit/wing/region/national activities and
  training.

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Listen to Your Leaders

• Heres the top goals your region PAOs recommend
  you target in your first year of planning
• 1. Issue 2-3 releases with photos per month to
  local and internal media.
• 2. Publish an informative newsletter.
• 3. Develop and maintain an informative Web
  site.
• 4. Conduct a community outreach event every
  year.

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Putting It All Together

• Goal 1 Promote CAP to external audiences
• News releases
• Newsletter
• Web site
• Community outreach

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Putting It All Together

• Goal 2 Promote CAP to internal audiences
• News releases
• Newsletter
• Web site
• Community outreach

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A Basic PA Plan

• Goal 1 Promote CAP to external audiences
• A. Develop and implement media strategies
  designed to attract maximum publicity.
• 1. Promote coverage of significant newsworthy
  events by disseminating news releases to local
  media platforms on an ongoing basis.
• 2. Utilize the unit newsletter and Web site to
  publicize success stories and the latest news
  information.
• 3. Plan and implement at least one special
  event annually that promotes CAP in the
  community.

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A Basic Plan

• Goal 2 Promote CAP to internal audiences
• B. Identify strategies designed to recognize,
  motivate and retain members.
• 1. Identify media platforms for disseminating
  news releases publicizing members achievements.
• 2. Utilize the unit newsletter and Web site to
  publicize members achievements, the value and
  significance of CAPs missions for America and
  upcoming training
• opportunities.

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The KISS Syndrome

• Always begin by keeping your plan simple.
• Then, add to it as needs and opportunities arise.

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Gauging Your Success

• 1. News releases
• 2. Newsletter
• 3. Web site
• 4. Community outreach

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Dont Get Stuck in a Rut

• Be on the alert for new ideas
• CAP PAO Listserv
• Learn from example and mentoring what worked
• and what didnt
• Use of blogs
• Use of social media
• Use of video
• Out of the box story ideas
• Links to online newsletters

http//www.themareks.com/pao/
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Steal er Borrow from Your Neighbors

• Study well-written PA plans
• PA plans on the CAP PA page
• CAP Public Awareness Plan
• Air Education and Training Commands
• Communication Campaign Plan

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Keepin Up with the Joneses

• Ideas from the Arizona Wing
• Give CAP memberships as awards or thank-you
  gifts.
• Post nationally produced posters/flyers.
• Invite VIPs to meetings as guest speakers.
• Make a CAP squadron presentation at one middle
  school and one high school annually.
• Present a quarterly podcast of CAP information.

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Ideas from the New Jersey Wing

• Distribute articles, photos and video to media
  outlets
• at McGuire AFB and Fort Dix a rich resource for
  future
• Members.
• Post video and photo coverage of wing special
  events
• on the Web site at njwgcap.org.
• Organize meetings with emergency service
  providers to
• present CAPabilities to the public.

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Ideas from CAPs Public Awareness Plan

• Secure local TV coverage at
• least once per year.
• Speak at local civic clubs, schools
• and community-based gatherings at
• least three times a year.
• Develop relationships with local groups that have
  a
• natural affinity for patriotism, civic duty,
  aerospace
• education, leadership development and service to
• community.
• Develop a welcome system when active members
• move to another city or state.

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Ideas from Air Educationand Training Command

• Media Engagements TV, radio, print,
  roundtables, editorial boards, op eds
• Internal Engagements Commanders calls,
  conferences, briefings, podcasts, letters
• Civic Engagements Academic institutions, civic
  clubs/organizations, chambers of commerce,
  industry/business organizations, public events

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More from AETC

• Identify opportunities to highlight the units
  training
• mission and the quality of Airmen undergoing
  training.
• Identify and plan opportunities to
• highlight Airmens deployment experiences.
• Package Portraits of Courage stories
• make available online.
• Identify and plan opportunities to
• highlight Airmens deployment experiences.
• Equip and inspire internal audiences to
• serve as ambassadors.
• Develop and implement annual Day in the Life of
  AETC communications campaign.

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NHQs Online Resources

• CAP PAO Toolkit
• Anniversary planning Annual report
  BiographiesCAP NHQ PA staff contact sheetCivil
  Air Patrol VolunteerFact sheetsGrant writing,
  fundraising guidesGraphicsInstructional
  videosMedia relationsNews writing tipsPA
  planning guidelinesPAO checklistPress
  releasesRegulationsSubmission guidelines

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NHQs Online Resources

• Internal Communications
• PA Essentials -- the blog of National
  Headquarters Public Affairs
• CAP News Online -- the latest news about Civil
  Air Patrol
• Final Salutes
• Awards and Decorations
• Submission guidelines
• Submit news

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Volunteer Now
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NHQs Online Resources

• Multimedia
• CAPChannel.com -- CAP's multimedia resource
• What Makes
• a Good Photo and Video
• National Cadet
• Special Activities Photo Gallery

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Ideas from the PAO Checklist

• Community activities to consider include
• (1) Operate information booths at community
  events.
• (2) Support and assist Childrens Hospital
  programs.
• (3) Support and assist communitys senior
  citizens programs.
• 3. Media Relations Program
• c. E-mail news articles and photos of unit
  activities to local, state, regional and national
  media as appropriate include niche publications
  targeting
• pilots, aviation enthusiasts, teachers, etc.

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A Surefire Strategy for Securing Publicity

• Hometown News Release Program
• September 
• 2-5 2009 Annual Conference and National Board
  Meeting,
• San Antonio, Tex. Information
• October 
• 17-24 National Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 17-25 Red Ribbon Week, nationwide  
• December
• 1 CAP's 68th anniversary, nationwide  Updated
  anniversary guide
• 12 Wreaths Across America, nationwide
  Information   
• 2010 February 
• 25-27 Winter National Board, Washington,
  D.C.                   

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Newsletter Links

• Great Lakes Region Newsletters
• Great Lakes Region News
• Illinois Wing News Blog
• Indiana Wing
• Wisconsin Wing
• Ohio Wing
• Middle East Region Newsletters
• Maryland Wing
• NC Wing's Asheville Composite Squadron
• National Capital Wing
• North Carolina Wing
• South Carolina Wing
• SC Wing's Spartanburg Composite Squadron
• West Virginia Wing
• Delaware Wing

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CAP Websites

• Great Lakes Region
• Illinois Wing Blog
• IL Wing, Palwaukee Composite Squadron Blog
• Indiana Wing Newsletter
• Kentucky Wing
• Michigan Wing Twitter Facebook
• Michigan Wing, Van Dyke Cadet Squadron
• Ohio Wing News
• Ohio Wing, Xenia Cadet Squadron
• Wisconsin Wing News
• WI Wing, Fox Cities Composite Squadron 
• WI Wing, Timmerman Composite Squadron 
• Middle East Region 
• Delaware Wing Newsletter
• Maryland Wing Twitter News
• MD Wing, Group 3 Twitter
• National Capitol Wing Blog
• NatCap Wing's Fairfax Composite Squadron 

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Social Media
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Learning from Other Sites

•  Website in a Box Link
• http//www.ncrpao.org/resources/wsb/index.htm
• This site is a series of templates that you can
  modify using any HTML editor such as FrontPage.
• For the photo gallery we suggest using a free
  online album such as Picasa or other services.
• The banner graphics were created using
  PowerPoint. and the template is part of the WSB
  Zip File.

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NCR PAO Academy

• lthttp//www.ncrpao.org/academy.htmgt
• 2009 NCR Public Affairs Academy HandoutsNew
  PAO's Orientation - 2009_06_pa/0.0 
  new_pao_orientation_20090226.pdfBrand Ambassador
  by Julie DeBardelaben - 2009_06_pa/1.2 brand
  ambassador.pdfPlanning -
  2009_06_pa/1.3 pa_planning_handout_20090611.pdfPr
  ess Release Basics - 2009_06_pa/2.2
  releases.pdfNewsletter Basics - 2009_06_pa/3.2
  News_letter_basics.pdfWebsite Best Practices -
  2009_06_pa/4.0 web sites.pdfPA on the Cheap (PA
  Resources) - 2009_06_pa/4.2 pabon_on_the_cheap.pdf
  Community Outreach - 2009_06_pa/5.1 Community
  Outreach.pdfProfessional Development for the PAO
  - 2009_06_pa/17.1 pd.pdfPreparing for the IG -
  2009_06_pa/19.1 ig.pdfCrisis Communications for
  PAO's - 2009_06_pa/19.3 crisis comm.pdf

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NHQs Resource Store

• A new soon-to-be-introduced online resource
  featuring our own PAOs best resources

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Dont Forget the Need for Training!

• CAP PAO Academies sponsored nationwide
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
• International Association of Business
  Communicators (IABC)
• Society of Professional Journalists
• National Information Officers Association (NIOA)
• National Press Club
• Florida Public Relations Association
• FEMA IS-250 and IS-702

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Always Keep Up Your Antenna

• Great ideas unfold before
• you every day
• On TV
• What you read
• Who you socialize with
• Work-related projects
• Advertising

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Questions