Western Area Team 56 WebinarFINAL · Chapter/Program Video(s) and/or Banners - Chapter Flyers ± See attached 5. Documented Media Standouts, Number of Media Impressions (Identify

Western Area Game Plan for Winning Chapter Communications

“One Voice. One Brand.”

Team 56

WE ARE the Western Area Communications Team under the leadership of Western Area Communications Chair, Link Lorna Hankins, Gulf Coast Apollo (TX) Chapter.

WHO ARE WE?

WHO ARE WE? WE ARE comprised of the Communications

Chairs and Co-Chairs of the 56 Western Area

Chapters.

WHO ARE WE? W E A R E a d y n a m i c t e a m o f communications experts committed to working with our Western Area Director, Link Constance Smith, and t h e n a t i o n a l C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Committee to promote The Links, Incorporated brand through consistent messaging-

One Voice. One Brand.

Goals

  All chapters to designate a Communications Chair and Co-Chair   Area Communications Chair to hold bi-monthly conference calls to

share best practices/trends/updates   Chapter submission of branding electronically   Creation of templates for Chapter to download letterhead, invitation,

press format, newsletter   Submission of best in communications: website, directory, print

messaging, PR, social media

BRAND ALIGNMENT CONSISTENT MESSAGING

and PROMOTING THE LINKS

BRAND throughout

The Links, Incorporated’s 276 chapters.

Objectives

The Links, Incorporated

1200 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C.

(202) 842-8686 Office (800) 574-3720 Toll-Free (202) 842-9097 Facsimile

www.linksinc.org

Western Area TEAM 56 Annex Virtual Office

www.walinks.org

National Headquarters

COMMISSIONER Margot James Copeland TEAM OWNER Constance Smith GENERAL MANAGER Cassandra Webster HEAD COACH Lorna Hankins ASSISTANT COACHES Alice Davis, Veronica Spencer-Austin STARTING LINEUP All-Star Western Area Communications Chairs & Co-Chairs

Live at 5 NEWS League Commissioner

Margot James Copeland President, The Links, Incorporated

One-on-One with the Experts “One Voice. One Brand.”

NEXT

Do you know your ABC’s? ALIGNMENT BALANCE CIVILITY

sPORTS LINKS The Magazine

TEAM 56 OWNER Constance Fitzpatrick Smith Western Area Director Talks Branding Success

“One Voice. One Brand.” Winning Strategies

All About STYLE

Fall 2013

$9.95 US

NEW Download

the App

EXERCISE Your

CREATIVITY

Do You Know Your ABCs? ALIGNMENT��BALANCE ��CIVILITY

Cassandra Webster, National Communications Chair “One Voice. One Brand.”

TEAM 56 GM Releases Links Style Guide Added: November 16, 2013

“Our Strategic imperative is to promote The Links Brand. Branding personifies our organization. Through branding, we distinguish our organization from other service groups. More at CBS.com.

Keeping You In the Know- Links Style!

!"#$%&S P R I N G 2 0 1 2

A Legacy of Leading

!th AnniversaryThe Links, Incorporated Celebrates 65 Years"#!

LINKSINC.ORG | VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 1www.linksinc.org

Lorna Hankins, Western Area Communications and Public Relations Chair, Predicts Championship Season

TODAY IN SPORTS More than 12,000 Expected to Join The Links, Incorporated’s “One V o i c e . O n e B r a n d . ” Communications Campaign.

" Seeking Consistent Messaging, Alignment

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

TEAM 56 Communications Head Coach Says Links Style Guide A Major Key to Branding Success

Western Area Communications Team in the house tonight!#LOVE#TEAM56! Shouts out to Links Alane, Bobbie, Leslie, Ruth, Tyra, and Veronica! WE ARE “One Voice. One Brand.” : )

November 21 at 8:30 PM

2013-2014 Western Area Communications Committee

Lorna C. Hankins, Chair

Gulf Coast Apollo (TX) Chapter

Alane Lillie, The CHAIN Managing Editor Texas Spring Cypress (TX) Chapter

Bobbie Verrett

Gulf Coast Apollo (TX) Chapter

Leslie Orticke Inglewood-Pacific (CA) Chapter

Ruth Creary

Beverly Hills West (CA) Chapter

Tyra Butler Houston (TX) Chapter

Veronica Spencer-Austin, Special Projects

Mid-Cities (TX) Chapter

Hey, check out the two new ASSISTANT COACHES who’ll be on the sidelines tonight. Two of the best in the business. Looks like another W for TEAM 56! : ) This is ALICE DAVIS, WA TECHNOLOGY CHAIR. I’ll Instagram you brand specialist, VERONICA SPENCER-AUSTIN’S pic tonight.

MVP

TONIGHT’S STARTERS For TEAM 56

The All-Star Western Area Communications Chairs & Co-Chairs

Players to Watch

Lois Linkdom

Louise Link-Land

Loretta Love Links

“One Voice. One Brand.” GAME TIME 8:30 PM CST…Live video streaming at www.walinks.com…

“The Links, Incorporated must speak with one voice and project our organization as one brand-a brand we have been developing for more than six decades. Our strategic imperative is to Promote The Links Brand.”

Cassandra Hughes Webster National Chair, Communications

Team members can pick up copies at www.linksinc.org.

OFFICIAL GAME RULES

Role of the Communications Style Guide

Team Unity

•  To ensure consistency in the use of the word and message elements that make up The Links brand and maximize our profile as a unified and well-coordinated organization.

•  To guide each and every print or electronic writing produced or published by any of our chapters or areas.

Role of The Style Guide

•  To be used to gu ide a l l

publications, whether for an internal or external audience.

•  To p o s i t i o n T h e L i n k s , Incorporated as a thought-leader and impact-player, addressing social issues to bring about positive change in the lives of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.

Role of The Style Guide

Webinar Goals

•  To broaden awareness, understanding and

utilization of The Links, Incorporated Brand in Chapter Communications

•  To provide access to tools, templates and

resources to ensure Chapter Branding and Communications success

Webinar Objective

•  Align The Links, Incorporated Brand and

Communications strategies and tools across Chapter, Area and National levels

What is a Brand?

A Relationship? A Slogan?

A Logo? What is a Brand?

A Brand is the promise o f a n e x p e r i e n c e conveyed through the symbols, messages and images that are used to communicate the brand.

What is a Brand?

What is a Brand?

When that promise is relevant, credible and engaging, a brand connection forms.

3 Elements of The Links, Incorporated Logo

NAME IMAGE TAGLINE


Key Messages

65

Links, Incorporated Key Messages

•  The Links, Incorporated celebrates over 65 years as a women's volunteer service organization committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.

•  A premier international

service organization, The Links, Incorporated has m o r e t h a n 1 2 , 0 0 0 members in 276 chapters located in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.


Links, Incorporated Key

Messages

•  The Links, Incorporated is a community of leaders who do not only suggest change, but are game changers.


Messages

•  The organization has attracted many

dis t inguished women who are individual achievers and have made a difference in their communities and the world.


Recent Honorary Inductees, 66th U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.


Messages

•  Its members are business and civic

leaders, role models, mentors, activists and volunteers who work towards a common vision by engaging like-minded organizations and individuals for partnership.


•  Its legacy of friends providing service that changes lives, established by the original circle of nine friends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946, is alive and well.


Co-Founder Sarah Strickland Scott

Co-Founder Margaret Roselle Hawkins


Working closely with its sponsors and supporters, The Links, Incorporated is focused on creating transformational programming and impacting lives in communities of color.

With over 2 million service hours recorded in the past three years, members regular ly contribute more than 500,000 documented service hours in their respective communities annually.


Links, Incorporated Key Messages •  The Links Foundation, Incorporated, the

philanthropic arm of The Links, Incorporated, has made more than $24 million dollars in charitable contributions since its founding.

Brand Strategy Builds

•  Audience awareness of The Links,

Incorporated, our members and mission

•  Audience ability to differentiate between The Links, Incorporated and other service organizations in ways that are relevant to their lives.


•  Audience feeling that there is value in their

relationship with The Links Incorporated •  Audience feeling that there is accessibility

to The Links, Incorporated •  Audience feeling an emotional connection

to The Links, Incorporated


Key Branding Strategies

•  Promote our programming, and our

outcomes, to reinforce the message that our organization is relevant to the community and to generate the “buzz” that produces additional programming impact through word-of-mouth.


•  Forge alliances with like-minded thought

leaders and key organizations in your community. These may be organizations, churches, civic, governmental, industry and/or media leaders. This serves to magnify our presence and impact.



Identify associations/organizations that are committed to the same policy issues and outcomes, to collaborate with on-hands programs, forums or workshops.


•  Utilize strategically-targeted

media, including social media, to communicate with target audiences. Gauge which messages to “pitch” to which media outlets.


•  Photographs or illustrations should portray positive, upbeat individuals, who are approachable, actively engaged, and committed to hands-on service. Action photos, versus static group shots, are more representative of The Links, Incorporated brand personality and messaging.

Chapter Level Strategies

•  Each chapter to designate Communications

Chair and Co-Chair – Send photograph and communications/public

relations experience to WA Communications Chair by Monday, December 2, 2013

– Data will be included in National Communications Directory


•  Chapter submission of branding

electronically •  S u b m i s s i o n o f B e s t i n

Communications: website, directory, print messaging, public relations, social media

Best Brand

Chapter Facebook Page

Chapter Video

Chapter V-Log

Chapter Facebook Page &YouTube V-Log Waco (TX) Chapter

Chapter Newsletter Oakland Bay Area (CA) Chapter

Fundraiser Invitation Fort Bend County (TX) Chapter

Chapter Officers

Jo Ann Jolly-Blanks President

Rita Bernard-Harris Vice President, Membership

Leslie Orticke Vice President,

Programs

Margaret Evans Recording Secretary

Marguerite Downing Corresponding

Secretary

Carolyn Lane Financial Secretary

Susan Houze Treasurer

Flora Cordett

Chaplain

Dorothy Thornhill Parliamentarian

Inglewood Pacific Chapter (CA) Serving the Inglewood, Culver City, El Segundo, Los Angeles County,

Marina del Rey and Westchester areas.

1. Communications Chair(s) Leslie Ann Orticke

2. Web Site(s) www.inglewoodpacificlinks.org

3. E-Newsletter(s) Legacy (See attached)

4. Chapter/Program Video(s) and/or Banners -

Chapter Flyers See attached

5. Documented Media Standouts, Number of Media Impressions (Identify the number of and forum for chapter media exposure-television, radio interviews, local, regional or national news articles, etc. that your chapter had during this program year.)

Los Angeles Sentinel- See attached

This program year, Inglewood Pacific Chapter had announcements in the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper for the Domestic Violence Forum in October. In addition, Health & Human Services conducted a health fair and was on the radio and e-news story in the Marina del Rey Patch announcing the event was done. See attached

Western Area Chain - Its

6. Formal Sponsorship Packages

We had a Corporate Solicitation Package for the Chapter -annual fundraiser, .

Mailing Address: Post Office Box 451546 Los Angeles, California 90045

Chapter Event Banner Inglewood Pacific (CA) Chapter

Strategically-Targeted Media Town Lake (TX) Chapter

Event Sponsorship Package Orange County (CA) Chapter

Program Brochure Trinity (TX) Chapter

•  Area Communications Chair to hold bi-monthly conference calls to share b e s t p r a c t i c e s a n d updates

•  Creation of templates for Chapter to download letterhead, invitations, press format, newsletter


Sample Media Advisory


Action Photos


Upbeat, Positive Images

Chapter Level Strategies •  Development and maintenance of

Chapter website with link to National website

•  Chapter Communication Chairs and Technology Chair to work with A r e a Te c h n o l o g y C h a i r t o implement best practices

Chapter Level Strategies •  Ensure that each member knows how to

access the National, Area and Chapter websites.

Western Area: www.walinks.org User Name: walinks Password: westernarea54

Making Technology Work for You A website can be used as a fantastic marketing

tool as well as an extraordinary resource for

members. •  Marketing Tool

-Highlight Community Service Activities -Promote Fundraisers -Publicize information about scholarships

Making Technology Work for You

•  Encourage all members to have an email address

•  Distribute newsletters & reports electronically

•  Conduct some committee meetings via conference calls

•  Utilize Survey Monkey or another assessment tool to create surveys


•  Send meeting notices via eVite

•  Relay reminders via Calling Post – can be sent to

both a landline and as a text to a cell phone.

•  Project agenda and reports, rather than have

printed documents


The Members’ resources will have to be accessed using a username and password. •  Resources for Members

-Archived minutes, agendas, reports, etc… -Chapter Directory -Chapter Calendar -Chapter Bylaws

How do/can Chapters use Websites?

Portland (OR) Chapter Linda Harris, President

http://www.portlandlinksinc.org

Mid-Cities (TX) Chapter Marnese Elder, President

http://www.midcitieslinks.org

San Francisco (CA) Chapter Pamela Stevenson, President

http://www.sanfranciscolinksinc.org

•  Mid-Cities (TX) Chapter •  Portland (OR) Chapter •  San Bernardino Valley

(CA) Chapter •  San Diego (CA) Chapter

•  San Fernando Valley (CA)

Chapter •  San Francisco (CA)

Chapter •  Solano County (CA)

Chapter •  Town Lake (TX) Chapter

THANK YOU! A special thank you to the following chapters for sharing their technology practices:

Do you have ideas, suggestions or comments about how

chapters can better utilize their website? Contact me:

Link Alice R. Davis Western Area Technology Chair

[email protected]

Final Technology Thoughts

•  3 Elements to Logo: Name, Image, AND Tagline •  Official Color: PMS 347 or CMYK (Digital)

Compatible Color; Black & White also acceptable

Championships Built on Fundamentals

•  Arial font is suggested and preferred. •  Use font variety sparingly in a single

document. •  Do not alter the font in our organization’s logo

to “match” your printed materials or themes. •  Avoid altering the logo by using stylized

backgrounds or by connecting it to or combining it with other organization’s logos.


•  NEVER, EVER abbrev ia te The L inks , Incorporated

or The Links Foundation, Incorporated

-Links, Inc. or The Links, Inc. is never acceptable. -Incorporated must ALWAYS be spelled out.


•  On printed materials, your chapter’s name should line up with the name of the organization on the logo, immediately to the right.


Albuquerque (NM) Chapter

•  If side-by-side is not practical due to limited space, the chapter name can appear below the logo.

•  A chapter name must ALWAYS immediately be followed by the two character U.S. Postal Service state abbreviation. For example: Tacoma (WA) Chapter The Las Vegas (NV) Chapter Anchorage (AK) Chapter


•  A chapter name, if used, should ALWAYS precede the organization’s name.

For example: -The Greater Denton County (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, or -Denver (CO) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated


•  An area name, if used, should precede the organization’s name:

The Western Area of The Links, Incorporated, or Western Area-The Links, Incorporated


•  Chapters may use area themes on their printed materials.

The Western Area theme is: “Seize the Moment…Strengthen the Chain”

Use discretion, however, in using area, chapter, and event themes in a single document.



•  Participate in National Facebook and

Twitter conversations


A c c e s s N a t i o n a l C o m m u n i c a t i o n s documents on line including:

•  Communications Style Guide •  Links, Incorporated Social Media

Policy •  Public Relations Handbook •  “One Voice. One Brand.” Webinars

www.linksinc.org

Area Branding Strategies •  Promote The Links, Incorporated Brand

via Area Publications

•  Conduct Communications training webinars and teleconferences to share National Best Practices

•  Encourage Chapter response to National calls for articles and information

Area Branding Strategies

Speaking: Cassandra Webster (HOST)

Cassandra Webster (HOST)

Lorna Hankins

Veronica Spencer-Austin

Make Communications A Priority in Your Chapter

Chapter Goals

•  Engage all chapter members in your communications practices

•  Provide key chapter leadership with copies of The Communications Style Guide

•  S c h e d u l e a “Communications Moment” in chapter meetings

Chapter Goals Gulf Coast Apollo (TX) Chapter


Chapter Goals

•  Participate in Area communications telecons and webinars

•  Study National publications like LINKED for hints and tips on relevant content and style

•  Be aware of internal and external branding trends and best practices

Chapter Goals

•  Create informative and engaging websites to share your chapter news and other information

•  Review The Links, Incorporated Social Media Policy and insist that all members do the same

•  Reward successful chapter branding initiatives

Chapter Goals

•  Create chapter Facebook and Twitter accounts

•  Try social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram to brand your chapter

•  Provide social media training for chapter members

Chapter Goals

•  Communicate with other chapters to share ideas

•  Solicit articles and photos from “Guest Contributors” to be used in your newsletters

•  Invest in a Chapter App for fun and to conduct chapter business

Chapter Goals

Have Fun!

Conclusion

The messages we convey, the stories we tell and the images we project must all be consistent. Speaking as one, we will together maximize the message of our more than 65-year legacy of friendship and service.”

Cassandra Hughes Webster National Chair, Communications

We Are the Champions!

More Questions on TEAM 56 Branding?

Contact Link Lorna Hankins Western Area Communications Chair

[email protected]

Thank you!

Documents

Western Area Team 56 WebinarFINAL · Chapter/Program Video(s) and/or Banners - Chapter Flyers ± See attached 5. Documented Media Standouts, Number of Media Impressions (Identify