Public Relations, Marketing, & Customer Service

NRPA

Directors School

August, 2013

Tom O’Rourke, CPRP

Executive Director

Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission

Charleston, South Carolina

Public Relations, Marketing, and Customer Service

Time Breakdown

Ø  Public Relations – 1:30 – 2:30 Ø  Break – 2:30-2:35

Ø  Marketing – 2:35 – 3:35 Ø  Break – 3:35 – 3:45

Ø  Customer Service – 3:45- 4:45

PUBLIC RELATIONS

PUBLIC RELATIONS?

� Managing  the  communication  between  an  organization  and  its  public.    (Control)  

 � Strategic  initiatives  to  ensure  the  Agency  has  a  positive  image.  

� Creating  and  maintaining  goodwill  for  your  Agency  by  organizing  various  forms  of  communication  and  publicity.  Usually  FREE!  

.

WHAT  PUBLIC  RELATIONS  IS  NOT  

� Marketing  –  product,  place,  price,  promotion  

 � Sponsorship    � Advertising  –  sale  of  products  using  paid  media  messages  

PR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

� Raise image and awareness � Influence product, market and recreation

agency positioning � Position your agency staff as industry

experts � Pursue articles/placements to create

customers and advocates

PR VEHICLES

� Press releases. �  Editor briefings  � Tradeshows  � Case histories   � Speaking engagements   � Authored articles � Social Media

� Over a billion monthly active users

� 618 million daily active users on average

� 680 million monthly active mobile users

� Average age is 35

�  Fastest growing demographic is women 55+

� 11 million businesses using Facebook Pages

Why Social Media

� Ask co-workers to “Share” your page with their friends.

� Email signatures

� Link from website

� Link from email marketing

� List URL on press releases

� Make sure your social channels are visible on any outgoing communication

Build Your Fan Base

� Visitor ‘liking’ the page

� Leaving a comment

� Sharing your status

� Posting a link

� Liking a post

Make your posts ENGAGING

A Picture is worth a thousand words.

As you post…Remember,

A VIDEO IS WORTH A ZILLION WORDS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncq27mZq6b4

WHEN OTHERS “SELL” YOUR GREATNESS

CORRECTING INACCURACIES

PREPARE FOR EVERYTHING

TWITTER

Or at least pretty good practices, most of the time

•  Your recipients want to know that you’re listening, and many social media managers often overlook this.

•  Answer questions asked or simply say, “Thanks!”

•  Be sure to tag the fan in your response so he's notified of the response.

•  The fan will often “like” your comment, thus continuing the conversation and further boosting your visibility.

Best Practices

“80% of the content you publish or share should pertain to things that really matter to your audience.

The other 20% can be about your products and services.”

80-20 rule of social media

•  It’s OK to be silly and edgy.

•  Sometimes, and very carefully.

•  Let the public get to the people behind the programs, and your agency culture.

•  Let the public get to the people behind the programs, and your agency culture.

Dealing with Negativity

3 Main Types

� Dissatisfied Customer � Just a miserable person � Grammar Police

•  Always respond in a timely manner, but make sure you get your facts straight first.

•  Don’t get into a “back-and-forth” discussion.

•  Sometimes it’s necessary to take the conversation off of Social Media in order to get the details, but bring it back if there is a satisfactory resolution

•  Encourage them to email you so you can help or have the appropriate person respond.

•  Always respond in a timely manner, but make sure you get your facts straight first.

•  Don’t get into a “back-and-forth” discussion.

•  Turn a negative into an opportunity to make a true fan.

MARKETING

� Product � Place � Price � Promotion

BRANDED MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

“LET YOURSELF GO”

SCENARIO  NUMBER  ONE  

Ø  There  is  a  class  or  program  that,  in  the  eyes  of  your  Program  Manager,  is  not  doing  well.  The  Program  Manager  approaches  you  very  upset  saying  that  the  marketing  staff  needs  to  market  the  program  “better.”    

 Ø  What  do  you  do?      

M.K.

SCENARIO  NUMBER  TWO  

Ø  A  very  wealthy  successful  owner  of  a  dog  food  company  in  your  community  informs  you  that  they  would  like  to  build  three  dog  off  leash  areas.    She  has  agreed  to  pay  ALL  of  the  Capital  Costs.  She  wants  to  know  what  she  will  get  if  you  agree  to  this  deal.    

Ø  What  is  your  answer?    

M.K.

SCENARIO  NUMBER  THREE  � All  that  you  need  is  $500,000  to  complete  a  section  of  bicycle  and  

pedestrian  trail  that  would  link  the  south  end  of  your  community  to  the  north  end  of  your  community.  The  local  hospital  agreed  to  pay  the  $500,000  if  they  could  place  a  4  feet  by  8  feet  sign  at  each  mile  marker  on  the  ten  mile  trail.  Two  of  the  miles  of  this  trail  are  located  within  a  very  popular  nature  park  within  your  park  system.  Your  stewardship  policy  states  clearly  that  the  only  signage  within  the  park  has  to  be  in  the  designated  trail  head  area  adjacent  to  the  Park  Center.    

� How  would  you  handle  this?      

M.K.

SCENARIO  NUMBER  FOUR  

�   Your  City/County  Administrator  tells  you  that  you  can’t  use  Facebook,  Twitter,  or  any  social  media  to  promote  your  department  or  your  programs.    

� What  do  you  do?      

M.K.

SCENARIO  NUMBER  FIVE  

�   There  has  just  been  an  election.  There  were  three  very  supportive  members  of  the  Council  that  were  on  your  Recreation  Committee.  They  were  replaced  by  three  fiscally  conservative  Council  Members.  Two  of  the  three  commented  in  a  newpaper  interview  prior  to  the  election  that  they  felt  that  recreation  was  not  an  essential  service.  

� What  is  your  plan?      

M.K.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

NOT A CUSTOMER SERVICE SEMINAR

� The Directors responsibility is to create and support an exceptional customer service

environment.

The Director should focus on the WHAT, not the HOW?

WHAT DO YOU DO?

SCENARIO NUMBER ONE

� Gullah Camp

Why didn’t I list any details of this situation?

SCENARIO NUMBER TWO Hello,

I just wanted to say that I have lived in Charleston for a while now and have only come to see the lights on a few occasions. I drove through the park last night and enjoyed the display and the amenities that were offered.

I was quite offended though that there was not one reference to the reason we have this season. As a Christian, I find it offensive that you would have a big light display with a Menorah signifying the Jewish faith, but completely leave out any reference to Christ, Jesus, or the Cross. 

This country was founded by people who believed in Christ and that Jesus died for our sins. Why does it seem today that we as a nation do everything we can to remove Christianity from our minds? It is just sad.

I have relatives and friends coming into town for the next couple of weeks and into Christmas and will not be bringing them to see the lights. I will bring it up to my Church family about the way your display leaves out the Cristian faith and will hopefully prevent any of them from coming to see the lights.

I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas season and may God be with you in your time of need.

Tim MacFall

SHOULD I RESPOND? Considerations before I respond.

Ø  I work for him.

Ø  Everyone is respectfully entitled to their opinion

Ø  I need to go back to WHO WE ARE.

Mr. Macfall,

Thank you for your comments on the Holiday Festival of Lights. It is our intent to offer displays that will appeal to a diverse audience from a variety of different secular and cultural traditions represented within our community. We are sorry if you were offended, but we do appreciate your feedback.

Tom O’Rourke, Executive Director

Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission

SCENARIO NUMBER THREE IS THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS RIGHT?

� Reserving the Hall for a Wedding and paying the $1,000 deposit.

SCENARIO NUMBER THREE

� On Monday, 8/26, we are working to host a large group of Marines (approx. 180) who are returning from deployment and will be spending the day in JICP with us for an Outdoor Adventure Sampler.  We will have 2 groups, the first from 9am-2pm and the second from 3pm-8pm.  We will be offering Paddling, Archery, Slack lining, Portable Wall, Mountain Biking, Challenge Course, Disc Golf, etc.

� We cancelled an existing program that had 25 after school children signed up for an outdoor adventure program at a park across town in order to offer our day for the Marines.

TOM’S TOP 10, OK, 11, CUSTOMER SERVICE RULES FOR DIRECTORS

� Create a Customer Service Philosophy � Determine the importance that expert customer

service will play within your agency. � Empower EVERYONE! � “Listen” when someone is upset. � Let an upset person “get it all out.”

TOM’S TOP 10, OK, 11, CUSTOMER SERVICE RULES FOR DIRECTORS - CONTINUED

�  Don’t take their anger personally. �  Get to the root of the problem. (Then address it) �  Jointly agree to a resolution. �  Follow up. �  Fix the internal casualties. �  Support your great Staff Members – Always!

THE END