Vanguard InSites — Archive
Welcome to Vanguard's InSites—a monthly tip sheet designed to keep you on the forefront of the fast-paced communications environment.
InSites Archive
December 2007
PR Prognostications for 2008
Election ’08 will surely dominate the communication landscape for the next year, but what else will drive communication efforts?
PR Prognostications for 2008
Election ’08 will surely dominate the communication landscape for the next year, but what else will drive communication efforts?
October 2007
New Media, New Rules
While the technologies behind “new” media are, in some cases, more than 25 years old, the term is appropriate to describe the rapidly changing technical advances in communications. More than ever before, new media is capturing the time and attention of all segments of the American public. From the CNN YouTube debates to Facebook mentions on the daily news, new media is becoming ever more integral to our lives.
New Media, New Rules
While the technologies behind “new” media are, in some cases, more than 25 years old, the term is appropriate to describe the rapidly changing technical advances in communications. More than ever before, new media is capturing the time and attention of all segments of the American public. From the CNN YouTube debates to Facebook mentions on the daily news, new media is becoming ever more integral to our lives.
September 2007
Never Miss When You Shoot for the Stars
What do Bono, Bill Gates and Bruce Springsteen have in common? When these celebrities speak, the world listens. Of course, rarely do most causes have access to such high-profile spokespeople. Still, even lower-wattage celebrity advocates can be a great asset to an organization or cause.
Never Miss When You Shoot for the Stars
What do Bono, Bill Gates and Bruce Springsteen have in common? When these celebrities speak, the world listens. Of course, rarely do most causes have access to such high-profile spokespeople. Still, even lower-wattage celebrity advocates can be a great asset to an organization or cause.
August 2007
Taking Advantage of Unexpected Opportunities
It’s impossible to predict the future and plan for every opportunity that could help promote your organization. While some opportunities can be anticipated, many are unexpected and offer little or no time to plan. Taking advantage of these unexpected opportunities means having a mechanism in place to identify them and the infrastructure to respond.
Taking Advantage of Unexpected Opportunities
It’s impossible to predict the future and plan for every opportunity that could help promote your organization. While some opportunities can be anticipated, many are unexpected and offer little or no time to plan. Taking advantage of these unexpected opportunities means having a mechanism in place to identify them and the infrastructure to respond.
July 2007
A New Kind of News Event
The appeal of the traditional news conference is long gone. A talking head announcing an initiative from a conference room podium simply no longer makes news. Of course there are exceptions — usually associated with breaking news and crisis situations — but not even the presence of a celebrity can guarantee that your news conference will be a success. So, how do you break through the incredibly crowded information marketplace and put your organization and/or issue front and center? The answer is to be newsworthy….and get creative.
A New Kind of News Event
The appeal of the traditional news conference is long gone. A talking head announcing an initiative from a conference room podium simply no longer makes news. Of course there are exceptions — usually associated with breaking news and crisis situations — but not even the presence of a celebrity can guarantee that your news conference will be a success. So, how do you break through the incredibly crowded information marketplace and put your organization and/or issue front and center? The answer is to be newsworthy….and get creative.
June 2007
Living in a Multicultural Material World
You know your outreach needs to include people of diverse cultures, languages and backgrounds, but what does it take to create materials that will be meaningful and persuasive to a variety of audiences? Whether you’re considering creating a poster in Farsi, a calendar in Ojibwa or a Web site for Hispanics, careful and comprehensive planning will make your multicultural materials more culturally and linguistically competent, and even more important, will help you get your message out in an effective and persuasive manner. Bring the community into the process. Before you begin your creative process, convene an informal, diverse advisory panel. This knowledgeable representation of your target population, which can include youth, parents, medical professionals or even business owners, can help you identify what images, messages and material types could most effectively communicate to those you’re trying to reach. It also can be helpful to seek the advice of a consultant who specializes in reaching out to this population. Get out and about. You’re probably not the first to try to reach out to a particular population. Hang out in the community where your target audience lives, shops and eats. See what channels and images already appeal to them and incorporate some of those tactics in your materials development. Are certain colors used more than others, for example? Are advertisements void of URLs and full of phone numbers instead? Be prepared to change course. You might have started this process thinking that a brochure is the best way to reach your audience, but through your research, you find that a video would go over better. While a particular product might have worked for previous communication efforts, don’t be wedded to that idea; pay attention to what will be effective for your current population. Remember your goal for translation. Sometimes it’s important to create culturally and linguistically competent materials, not because the audience absolutely needs them, but because it demonstrates that you understand and care about their culture. These efforts can help build trust and credibility with your audience.
Living in a Multicultural Material World
You know your outreach needs to include people of diverse cultures, languages and backgrounds, but what does it take to create materials that will be meaningful and persuasive to a variety of audiences? Whether you’re considering creating a poster in Farsi, a calendar in Ojibwa or a Web site for Hispanics, careful and comprehensive planning will make your multicultural materials more culturally and linguistically competent, and even more important, will help you get your message out in an effective and persuasive manner. Bring the community into the process. Before you begin your creative process, convene an informal, diverse advisory panel. This knowledgeable representation of your target population, which can include youth, parents, medical professionals or even business owners, can help you identify what images, messages and material types could most effectively communicate to those you’re trying to reach. It also can be helpful to seek the advice of a consultant who specializes in reaching out to this population. Get out and about. You’re probably not the first to try to reach out to a particular population. Hang out in the community where your target audience lives, shops and eats. See what channels and images already appeal to them and incorporate some of those tactics in your materials development. Are certain colors used more than others, for example? Are advertisements void of URLs and full of phone numbers instead? Be prepared to change course. You might have started this process thinking that a brochure is the best way to reach your audience, but through your research, you find that a video would go over better. While a particular product might have worked for previous communication efforts, don’t be wedded to that idea; pay attention to what will be effective for your current population. Remember your goal for translation. Sometimes it’s important to create culturally and linguistically competent materials, not because the audience absolutely needs them, but because it demonstrates that you understand and care about their culture. These efforts can help build trust and credibility with your audience.
May 2007
Turfbuilding Tips for Effective Campaigns
Many of the world’s most successful public relations and social marketing initiatives have been built on top of a strong grassroots network. With so much competition for media and public attention at the national level, grantees, affiliates and supporters can help move your communications effort from back page news to kitchen table conversation.
Turfbuilding Tips for Effective Campaigns
Many of the world’s most successful public relations and social marketing initiatives have been built on top of a strong grassroots network. With so much competition for media and public attention at the national level, grantees, affiliates and supporters can help move your communications effort from back page news to kitchen table conversation.
April 2007
BIG Events, BIG Impact.
Simple and Inexpensive Ways to Expand Your Next Event
Planning and hosting a big special event is one of the best ways to reach a large audience with a targeted message. It can also help attract media attention to your cause and build overall awareness and credibility for the host organization. Take, for example, the upcoming, 24-hour “Live Earth” concert, scheduled for July 2007. Through U.S. and international concert attendance, as well as television, Internet and radio broadcasts, the sponsors are expected to reach an audience of more than 2 billion people. The goals of the concert are to “entertain, educate, inspire and ultimately drive change” around the growing worldwide climate change crisis.
BIG Events, BIG Impact.
Simple and Inexpensive Ways to Expand Your Next Event
Planning and hosting a big special event is one of the best ways to reach a large audience with a targeted message. It can also help attract media attention to your cause and build overall awareness and credibility for the host organization. Take, for example, the upcoming, 24-hour “Live Earth” concert, scheduled for July 2007. Through U.S. and international concert attendance, as well as television, Internet and radio broadcasts, the sponsors are expected to reach an audience of more than 2 billion people. The goals of the concert are to “entertain, educate, inspire and ultimately drive change” around the growing worldwide climate change crisis.
November 2006
Bringing Native Americans into the Circle of Your Outreach
In celebration of National Native American Heritage Month and with special gratitude to the many Native Americans who have shared their wisdom with staff at Vanguard in support of numerous health and environmental initiatives, we offer these tips for reaching out to and involving Native Americans in your communications and social marketing efforts.
Bringing Native Americans into the Circle of Your Outreach
In celebration of National Native American Heritage Month and with special gratitude to the many Native Americans who have shared their wisdom with staff at Vanguard in support of numerous health and environmental initiatives, we offer these tips for reaching out to and involving Native Americans in your communications and social marketing efforts.
October 2006
Avoid an Unpleasant Fright with Strategic Communications Planning
Suppress that shriek. Strategic communications planning isn’t going to bury you in work, and it doesn’t have to take nine lives. Keep your planning from becoming a monstrous task by remembering the following tips:
Avoid an Unpleasant Fright with Strategic Communications Planning
Suppress that shriek. Strategic communications planning isn’t going to bury you in work, and it doesn’t have to take nine lives. Keep your planning from becoming a monstrous task by remembering the following tips:
September 2006
Strike All the Right Chords with Your Online Presence
By now, almost three-fourths of American adults (about 147 million people) are online. Just when most organizations have finally started to rock the online scene, the pressure is on to stay cool by being ahead of the curve. The digital divide is closing and there is no time like the present to tune into the new wave of online tools and tactics to put your communications effort on center stage.
Strike All the Right Chords with Your Online Presence
By now, almost three-fourths of American adults (about 147 million people) are online. Just when most organizations have finally started to rock the online scene, the pressure is on to stay cool by being ahead of the curve. The digital divide is closing and there is no time like the present to tune into the new wave of online tools and tactics to put your communications effort on center stage.
August 2006
Get Your Feet Wet in Politics and Public Affairs this August
Though politics-obsessed Washingtonians start sweating the next campaign season a week after an election ends, most people tend to wait until the politicians start stepping things up in September. That makes August the perfect time to test the waters and find the best way to turn your grassroots network into a force for change at the ballot box and on Capitol Hill.
Get Your Feet Wet in Politics and Public Affairs this August
Though politics-obsessed Washingtonians start sweating the next campaign season a week after an election ends, most people tend to wait until the politicians start stepping things up in September. That makes August the perfect time to test the waters and find the best way to turn your grassroots network into a force for change at the ballot box and on Capitol Hill.
July 2006
Reeling in the Big Media Hit
Whether you are trying to raise awareness about your mission, build brand recognition or promote an exciting event — the right media coverage can land your organization in a fishbowl for the entire world to see. The hard part is dropping a newsworthy hook and reeling in the stories. Today’s newsrooms operate at top speed with fewer staff, while the rest of the world is on information overload, making it harder and harder to cut through the clutter with your pitch.
Reeling in the Big Media Hit
Whether you are trying to raise awareness about your mission, build brand recognition or promote an exciting event — the right media coverage can land your organization in a fishbowl for the entire world to see. The hard part is dropping a newsworthy hook and reeling in the stories. Today’s newsrooms operate at top speed with fewer staff, while the rest of the world is on information overload, making it harder and harder to cut through the clutter with your pitch.
June 2006
If Your Brand is More of a Chameleon than a Rock, It Might Be Time to Change the Way You Look
If you catch a glimpse of a lizard speaking with a British accent, chances are you already know what he’s selling, right down to the tag line. While it seems that type of brand recognition may only belong to corporate giants, the same strategies and techniques should be applied to the products and services of foundations, non-profits, associations, and governments.
If Your Brand is More of a Chameleon than a Rock, It Might Be Time to Change the Way You Look
If you catch a glimpse of a lizard speaking with a British accent, chances are you already know what he’s selling, right down to the tag line. While it seems that type of brand recognition may only belong to corporate giants, the same strategies and techniques should be applied to the products and services of foundations, non-profits, associations, and governments.
May 2006
Effective Training Can Help Nurture Fledgling Skills
From one-on-one to group instruction, ongoing communications skills training is key to building capacity within your organization. Here are a few things you can do to ensure people flock to your training events.
Effective Training Can Help Nurture Fledgling Skills
From one-on-one to group instruction, ongoing communications skills training is key to building capacity within your organization. Here are a few things you can do to ensure people flock to your training events.
April 2006
Crisis Planning: Be Prepared to Weather the Storm
Communications crises are often associated with scandals, which can overshadow the positive contributions an organization or company has made to the community. A crisis communications plan helps an organization to both weather the crisis “storm” and possibly find a silver lining—a chance to re-position the organization. Use these tips to find some blue sky when storm clouds threaten to throw you off course.
Crisis Planning: Be Prepared to Weather the Storm
Communications crises are often associated with scandals, which can overshadow the positive contributions an organization or company has made to the community. A crisis communications plan helps an organization to both weather the crisis “storm” and possibly find a silver lining—a chance to re-position the organization. Use these tips to find some blue sky when storm clouds threaten to throw you off course.
March 2006
Preparation and Creativity Make Event Planning a Cakewalk
Hosting a special event is an effective and ambitious way for an organization to accomplish its communication goals. Whether you are trying to spotlight a cause, fundraise, attract partners or celebrate an anniversary or holiday, here are a few ways to ensure the event planning process is a success:
Preparation and Creativity Make Event Planning a Cakewalk
Hosting a special event is an effective and ambitious way for an organization to accomplish its communication goals. Whether you are trying to spotlight a cause, fundraise, attract partners or celebrate an anniversary or holiday, here are a few ways to ensure the event planning process is a success:
