Public Relations

1
Public Relations Whats the Secret?

• Establishing a Public Relations Committee

2
What is Public Relations?

• Term first used by US President Thomas Jefferson
  in address to Congress in 1807

3
A Definition of PR

• Public Relations is a management function which
  tabulates public attitudes, defines the policies,
  procedures and interest of an organization
  followed by executing a program of action to earn
  public understanding and acceptance.
• Edward Bernays, early PR theorist

4
A Definition of PR

• Bernays never deviated from his fundamental axiom
  to "control the masses without their knowing it."

5
PR vs. Advertising

• Advertising is a non-personal form of promotion
  that is delivered through selected media outlets
  that, under most circumstances, require the
  marketer to pay for message placement.

6
PR vs. Advertising

• CostAdvertising is EXPENSIVE PR is essentially
  NO-COST
• Creative control vs. no control

7
Example

• Corporationssupport of sales
• Tobacco industry
• Torches of Liberty Contingent1929 New York
  Easter Parade with women smoking
• Product placementTV shows, movies, etc.

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Example

• Non-profitssupport of fund-raising and
  participation
• Politiciansattract votes raise money support
  policies
• Press conferences
• Town meetings
• Press releases

9
PR Can Benefit Freemasonry

• Direct support of our vision
• Help prospective members find the door
• Promote positive rather than negative image

10
Audience Targeting

• Market research
• Soccer moms
• Nascar dads

11
The Press Release

• Written statement distributed to the media
• Fundamental tool of public relations
• Must be newsworthy
• Used properly, extremely effective

12
Press Release Format

• Who is sending the message / contact information
• The words For Immediate Release and the date
• A headline or title

13
Press Release Format

• A lead (leade) that encapsulates the entire story
  in the first sentence
• Background information in the last paragraph
• Some sort of symbol indicating the end ( or
  -end-)

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Valley Example
15
Use of the Internet

• Optimized press release
• Carefully selected key words
• Attractiveness to search engines

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Use of the Internet

• Proper headlines
• Text links
• Landing pages

17
Spin and Spin Doctors

• Selectively presenting facts and quotes to
  support ones position (cherry picking)
• Non-denial denial

18
Spin and Spin Doctors

• Phrasing in a way that assumes unproven truths
• Euphemisms to disguise or promote ones agenda
• Ambiguity

19
Spin and Spin Doctors

• Skirting
• Rejecting the validity of hypotheticals
• Out-and-out denial
• Spin Doctors
• Bill OReillyThe No-Spin Zone

20
Managing Language

• Choose words with proper connotation
• Death tax vs. estate tax
• Climate change vs. global warming

21
Managing Language

• Masonic buzz words
• Secret
• Cult
• Men only

22
Playing Up Weaknesses

• Any publicity is good publicity

23
Playing Up Weaknesses

• Jessica Simpson
• Chicken of the Sea
• Is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish? I
  know its tuna, but it says, Chicken by the
  Sea.
• Liquid Ice
• Is it really liquid, or is it ice?

24
Managing Mistakes

• Gerber, 1986
• Glass in food
• Tylenol, 1986
• Cyanide poison
• Exxon, 1989
• Prince William Sound oil spill

25
Managing Mistakes

• Dick Cheney, 2006
• Hunting accident
• Jet Blue, 2007
• February snowstorm
• Passenger Bill of Rights
• O.J. Simpson, 2007
• Book, If I Did It

26
Branching Out

• The only thing worse than being talked about is
  not being talked about at all
• Celebrities
• Authoring childrens books
• Celebrity restaurants, car dealerships, etc.

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Masonic Branching Out

• Partnering with major corporations
• Disney
• National Treasure Book of Secrets
• Golf tournament sponsorship
• Liberty Mutual, Food Lion

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Masonic Branching Out

• Use of philanthropies
• RiteCare
• Scottish Rite Scholarships
• JROTC Medals

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Establish a PR Committee

• Each Valley
• Coordinate and work with Orient Committee
• Finding the right peopleespecially the Chairman
• Contact with the media
• Energy

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The UltimatePublic Relations Secret

• Think Like a Reporter!!!

31
Public Relations Whats the Secret?

• Establishing a Public Relations Committee