Marketing & Communications
TRADITIONAL MEDIA INITIATIVES
22 positive front-page newspaper stories about agency initiatives and student programs, as well as 17 agencygenerated stories in the Hartford Courant’s Sunday “My Towns” section, were a direct result of releases and staff communication with regional newspaper editors and reporters. Broad press coverage of the most positive agency programs and services has helped refine the public’s understanding of what the agency does and offers.
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT
Helped produce 8 “Education Matters” TV talk shows this year, featuring topics that are relevant to local education. Charter Cable & “Education Matters” • Increased public awareness of our programs and services, especially within the greater Charter Cable TV region (30,000 households across northeastern Connecticut) through our continued media initiative on the “Education Matters” show; helped produce 8 shows, 2 more than last year, highlighting education topics of strategic interest to the region, including: “The Faces of ESL,” “Adult Education Opportunities through EASTCONN,” “School Climate,” “Cyber-Bullying and Solutions,” “Windham’s New Charles Barrows STEM Academy,” “About the Eastern Connecticut Health Insurance Program (ECHIP),” “QMC Updates,” and “A Look at EASTCONN’s Windham Heights After-School Program.” Have again secured permission to post the shows on our Web site, enhancing the multi-media features offered and expanding the information that is available to customers.
Crisis Communications Support In collaboration with the Director of Education Services, provided crisis management support, as well as communications and media guidance, to a member district during their response to a student incident and the subsequent statewide media coverage. Windham STEM Magnet Student Recruitment Support Provided Windham Public Schools with recruitment materials for their new STEM magnet school; produced a student recruitment “playbook” with step-by-step strategies, a complete English/Spanish student application packet; promotional materials, and exhibit equipment for open houses and information sessions delivered on the road. District staff noted that our assistance contributed to the large number of applications received.
• Of particular note is that the dual-language approach to this show expands our reach into the greater Windhamarea Spanish-speaking population, providing them with access to topical education-related information of benefit to them and their families.
Newspaper and Radio Coverage Distributed 60-plus press releases and/or media invitations to cover agency programs, resulting in newspaper, radio and Web coverage (at no direct cost to the agency) estimated to be worth more than $70,000. A total of
Positive news coverage results from timely press releases and other communications with media about agency programs.
“The CTV14 Public Access Show, ‘Education Matters,’ has greatly benefited from the co-production efforts of EASTCONN’s Marketing and Communications [department]. [Staff] has recommended and booked numerous guests who, being experts in their field, have provided our viewers with an in-depth look into many facets of education that cannot be found in any other media outlet.” — Scott Hill, Producer, Charter Cable TV “Education Matters” 60