NC|Com NC3C’s Magazine for Communication Professionals
Summer 2012
Branding? What’s that?
Exploring four key steps in developing a brand for your muni
Adopting a new brand
You’ve had the great idea, now roll with it!
The branding of a PEG Cabarrus County puts focus on community
Shop Talk
Using social media to promote your brand Volume FIve. Number Five
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NC|Com
®
NC3C’s Magazine for Communication Professionals
published by the Pitt County Office of Public Information for NC3C Volume Five. Number Five
nc3c executive officers president vice president secretary treasurer past president
Mandy Pitts, City of Hickory Gary Herman, City of Newton Kiara Jones, Pitt County Joshua Harris, City of Morganton Steve Hawley, City of Greenville
contributors writers
Mandy Pitts, City of Hickory Michael Emory, Pitt County, NC Joshua Harris, City of Morganton Annette Privette-Keller, City of Matthews Aimee Hawkins & David Baxter, Cabarrus County
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City of Hickory US Airways Magazine Digital Juice
NC Com magazine, established in 2011, is published quarterly in Pitt County, North Carolina, by the Pitt County Office of Public Information for the North Carolina City and County Communicators (NC3C). Subscriptions: visit www.nc3c.com or the site of any executive officer for your free subscription. Magazine is published online only. To request a high-quality printed version, call 252.902.2955 or e-mail pittinfo@pittcountync.gov. Allow 7-10 days for delivery. For costs, contact the Office of Public Information. Advertising: Rate card available upon request from Publisher. © 2012 Pitt County Office of Public Information for NC3C (All Rights Reserved.)
This piece of “singed wood” made the perfect backdrop for our Branding cover.
NC|Com
®
NC3C’s Magazine for Communication Professionals Volume Five. Number Five
In This Issue cover stories 7
Branding? What’s That?
When developing brands, there are four steps that are crucial to their success. Find out what they are
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Adopting a New Brand
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The Branding of a PEG Channel
Get tips on how to successfully roll out a new brand for your jurisdiction from a brand manager who’s been there, done that
Cabarrus County builds bridges to its community through the branding of “Cabarrus County’s Own Channel 22”
fixtures 6 8 18
President’s Message Should I...? Shop Talk “Yep, we like to brand around these parts.”
branding irons consist of an iron rod and a “simple symbol or mark.” uh, sounds like a logo to me!
NC
3C
North Carolina
City & County Communicators
www.nc3c.com Visit us. Then join us.
President’s Message
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Dear NC3C Members,
NC3C President Mandy Pitts
Dear NC3C Members, It’s summertime in the south … don’t ya’ll love it! Sizzling hot weather and “issues” never take a vacation. I hope that all of you are able to take a vacation, even if it’s short and just a break from work, as it is important to find some downtime this summer with family and friends. Looking ahead with our new year, I would like to continue on the three goals from last year, as well as add one more. The three goals set to carry over from 2011-2012 include: 1. 2. 3.
For the NC3C membership to use the communications tools in place to help members network and seek advice from peers throughout the year. Increase participation in the “Excellence in Communications” awards program. Increase NC3C retention and membership.
The new goal is for NC3C members who live in the same region to get together during fall and/or winter to network and discuss current government communication issues and trends. I am looking for volunteers across the state to host the meetings. This would also be a great opportunity to invite neighboring government communicators who have not had a chance to learn about NC3C to the meeting. Anyone interested in heading up a meeting, please contact me at (828) 261-2290 or email me at mpitts@hickorync.gov. If an issue comes up you need help with, continue to post questions out to the group via email and/or use NC3C Facebook, because we are all here to help each other in our ever-changing work environment. Look forward to connecting with all of you throughout the next year. P.S. I’ll be representing NC3C and Hickory at the 3CMA conference this year. If you’re going to Portland, too, let me know! All my best,
Branding? What’s That? Find out the four crucial steps to developing a brand
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Branding – What is it? Just like the words Public Relations/Marketing/Communications, the word branding has different meanings for everyone. Branding is your identity, your image and perhaps, most importantly, the emotions generated by this identity and image. Let’s take the iconic brand of McDonald’s – when you see the Golden Arches, certain things pop in your mind. The smell of burgers, the taste of a fry, memories of a birthday party with Ronald, and more. For us, branding is more difficult: how do we convey a brand for government? People have so many preconceived perceptions of government and they do not understand what we do. When developing brands for municipalities, I have found that four key steps are crucial in the process: Research, Strategy, Implementation, and Evaluation. The price of branding is going to vary based on if you do portions of the process yourself or if you have a consultant come in to assist. You want to be in control of the Brand and this process. Costs can vary from $50,000-$100,000. A word of caution I always give management and elected officials before beginning the Branding Process is that this process, if done correctly, will reveal the good and the bad of your organization, and unless you are ready to examine the warts and to rid yourself of them, the brand will never be completely effective.
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I have found that four key steps are crucial in the process: Research, Strategy, Implementation, and Evaluation.
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Research It is important to understand how your stakeholders perceive your organization. This is everyone. Citizens, visitors, businesspeople, your employees, vendors, potential citizens, potential business owners, etc. Make sure you include anybody and everybody, including people who may not be fans of the organization. Do you already have a brand? Is it working? Why or why not? What do you want to accomplish with a brand? Hold focus groups, use data from anywhere and everywhere (tourist sites, surveys, your organization’s records), conduct one-on-one interviews, examine your history, and consider hiring an outside firm to take a completely unbiased look of your organization. This can take 3-6 months. 7
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Should I...
Become a member of NC3C...
Absolutely! The membership forms are stacking up on my desk; communicators from across the state have already joined NC3C for 2012-2013, and I expect many more to do the same. Maybe we’ll cross the 100-member mark this year. And why shouldn’t we? A membership in NC3C is affordable and beneficial to you and your local government. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that hundreds of other communicators across the state are in the same boat as we are, doing similar jobs every day. In North Carolina we have public information officers, communications managers, public affairs managers, projects managers, public relations directors, town clerks, media relations, brand managers and many combinations in between. Although our titles may differ, we all have one thing in common – communication. Some of us have decades of experience to share and some of us are just starting out. Some of us have brand campaigns and some of us don’t. Some of us have several citizen surveys under our belt and some of us have organized local concerts for American Idol finalists. You get the idea; we have a lot of experience spread across the state. NC3C brings us together and provides a platform for sharing our experience, our ideas, our successes, and pitfalls to avoid. That alone seems well worth our $50.00 membership fee to me. Don’t you agree? I recently completed a “Budget Basics” edition of City Pride the City of Morganton citizen newsletter. I give much thanks and credit for that piece to the communications staff with the Josh created a Goople map that shows NC3C members. City of Wilmington. During the annual conference this year Click here to view it. in Chapel Hill, the Wilmington staff shared a piece they produced in 2010 – Wilmington Budget Basics. I’ve had that piece on my desk ever since, waiting for the right time to put it to work, a.k.a. budget time. During a meeting with my City Manager about a press release, I showed the manager the Wilmington piece and said, “I’d like to do something similar for Morganton.” The manager looked over the Wilmington piece, liked the idea and gave me the go ahead. Say it with me, “That was easy.” Putting the “Budget Basics” edition together was also easy, or at least easier than it may have been. Since I liked the Wilmington version, I did what any efficient professional does, I copied it. (OK, I didn’t totally copy it, but I definitely borrowed heavily from it. You know what they say about imitation, right?) In the end, I was able to create a well-designed, informational newsletter for Morganton residents without having to reinvent the wheel. That’s just one reason why I value my membership in NC3C, and that one reason is enough to encourage you to join ASAP. I’ll look forward to receiving your membership form soon!
Joshua Harris|City of Morganton Joshua is NC3C’s Treasurer. 8
Member Profile: Christina DeStefano Christina works for Henderson County and congrats are in order Get profiled in this section by sending your info and pic to gherman@newtonnc.gov to be placed on the Member Profiles page on NC3C’s web site. Profiled members are chosen at random.
Q: A:
How long have you worked for Henderson County? 3 years
Q: A:
Degree(s)?
Bachelor of Science in Community and Regional Planning from Appalachian State University, Master of Public Administration from Appalachian State University
Q: A:
Public Information Officer Henderson County (828) 694-5003 PIO@hendersoncountync.org
What do your duties entail?
I really do anything and everything! Major duties are interfacing with the media, developing and disseminating information materials – including an annual report, monthly newsletters and press releases; coordinate, oversee and create programming for the Henderson County Government Channel 11; create speeches and remarks for Commissioners and Department Heads; event planning for major county events; and provide communications and media training to Commissioners and Department Heads
Q: A:
Major work accomplishments?
Development of a Communications Policy; held a community-wide contest to choose a new county government logo; 10th Anniversary of 9/11 Ceremony Planning
Q: A:
Fun facts?
www.hendersoncountync.org
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I am getting married in February of 2013!
Branding continued Strategy Now that you have done the research, you should be able to identify who you are and where your organization wants to go. It is imperative to remember you cannot sell what you do not have; cannot be what you are not. You have to be true to the results of your research results. You will always have positives you can brand and you will always have negatives you will have to improve on. Once everyone agrees on what your brand is, you can develop a communications plan for implementation of the brand. The Communications Plan should include strategies for complete implementation and the expected dollars you will need for implementation. Implementation This is the fun part of branding. This phase allows your brand to come alive. It is the development of a logo, tagline, website, social media and all of the other pieces that will make your brand “public.” You want the logo to have last indefinitely. Your slogan/taglines should have a lifespan of at least five years. You want to keep this process simple. Be aware of the design and colors that you use. Will they be easily produced? Can you identify your brand from a distance? Will people instantly get it – no explanation needed? Ensure that you take steps to trademark your logo/slogans. Develop a Guide of Standards for the use of your Brand. I would recommend working very closely with your elected officials during this stage. Give them two to three proposed logos/slogans to review. Do this during a work session or individually. The worst thing you can do is to unveil it at a public meeting or event and surprise them with a logo they do not like. I have had success with unveiling the brand piece by piece over a couple of years. Start with your employees. I timed it so that after the approval of council on a Monday night I handed out new polo shirts to all employees at the Employee Health Fair two days later. Unveil the logo first through your technology outlets, using this opportunity to improve your website and social media. Issue a news release explaining how your brand came about and what it means. I sent this to the public and business community, but I sent it out to everyone who participated in the research phase first and said, “We listened to you.” I included comments participants gave during the focus groups. Be frank if there are glaring items that need to be improved upon. Tell people what they are and how you plan to make improvements. Over time, transition to implementing all stationary, memos, templates, business cards, vehicles, and so forth. I have been fortunate to be in communities where there have been very minimum negative remarks. Instead the positives have always outweighed any naysayers. This phase will take at least a year. Evaluation Make sure you begin this process immediately. Is your brand misunderstood? If so, why? Find out and correct it. Communication is key. Be flexible. You will have a lot of yourself invested in this process. Understand that you will have to compromise on some items in order to ensure that you have the buy-in you need for this phase to be a success. This phase will be ongoing. Out of all the branding projects I have done each have been exhausting but thoroughly rewarding. Pace yourself and know it will take time, there will be hiccups but at the end of the day you will have a brand that you have brought to life for your organization. It will be very professionally rewarding. Annette Privette-Keller|Town of Matthews She’s done branding for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, City of Concord, Town of Matthews, Village of Tega Cay, SC, Statesville Downtown Corporation, and others. 10
Adopting a New Brand Tips on successfully rolling out a new brand from someone who’s been there, done that
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It’s almost been a year since Hickory adopted its new brand, “Hickory, NC – Life. Well Crafted.” The City of Hickory contracted with North Star Destination Strategies to determine and define the area‘s true, unique and relevant destination brand position to stand out in the marketplace. Throughout the process Hickory learned how to use its strengths as opportunities and build a brand that would showcase Hickory to the country, as well as build economic development. City staff led Hickory‘s branding efforts on behalf of a broad group of Hickory-area interests including the Hickory Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation and the Hickory Business Development Committee. North Star conducted more than a dozen pieces of research to identify what differentiates Hickory from its competitors. By examining the community (stakeholders), consumers (visitors, regional and state tourism and economic development officials) and the competition (neighboring communities), North Star determined a strategy for Hickory to assert across all community assets to implement an effective, meaningful and relevant brand. Hickory is known for furniture both inside and out, and the correlation is inescapable in people‘s minds. But as many industry jobs were lost, most likely never to return, due to the economic downturn, residents worried that the furniture label Hickory bears has become not applicable at best and a negative at worst. But North Star research revealed that like the tree, the City of Hickory is best characterized as strong, tough and also lovely. These are descriptors not at all at odds with a furniture reputation.
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...Hickory learned how to use its strengths as opportunities and build a brand that would showcase Hickory to the country, as well as build economic development.
With a strong location between Charlotte and Asheville, a sturdy utility as the hub for the region, and a tough cultural resilience due to a resolute work ethic, Hickory has all of the elements of a strong community foundation. And Hickory‘s softer side, its lovely collective positive outlook and history of cooperation, emphasis on arts and culture and commitment to resident amenities and city improvements make Hickory a well-rounded, well-built, well-crafted community. There is an inherent skill, quality and artistry in the things the city and residents do to continually make Hickory a better place. This collective spirit of craftsmanship is what makes Hickory so special and unique. Other communities might be as tough or strong and may cooperate well, but none has the combination of these attributes that Hickory does. And none has the craftsmanship attitude to take that raw material and make it into a high-quality community.
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North Star funnels these strategic insights for the brand into a single sentence, the brand platform. The 11
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Adopting a New Brand continued brand platform is used as a filter for the formation of creative concepts and implementation initiatives. All communications, actions and product development should connect to the essence of this relevant and defining statement. Hickory’s brand platform is: “For doers and makers seeking a well-rounded community, Hickory is a bridge between Asheville and Charlotte at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains along Interstate 40, where a collective spirit of craftsmanship strengthens any endeavor with detail, artistry and quality.” Along with the platform, a full strategy was laid out on the top 10 things that are imperative in the first year in order for the brandprint to be successful. Below are the top 10 things and a small snap shot of what Hickory has done over the last year. 1. Assign a Brand Manager – Your brand will go nowhere if no one takes responsibility for it. Mandy Pitts was named the Brand Manager, along with her Communications Director position. Most of Mandy’s Communications Director duties are now the responsibility of Hickory’s new Communications Specialist (Dana Kaminske). There was an open marketing position at the library and that position was moved to the Office of Communications. Mandy still oversees Communications, but her primary focus is the brand. 2. Create a brand PowerPoint – That branding process is complex. For most people it takes multiple presentations to understand branding’s process, purpose and plan. There are several versions of Hickory’s Life. Well Crafted. PowerPoint. Hickory first showcased the PowerPoint to its employee last winter. It is important for employees to get the information first hand instead of hearsay and they needed to know that branding is key to build economic development which will help build the city in the future. Presentations have been given to civic clubs, city advisory boards, neighborhood groups, city ambassador groups, local governments and more. This fall, presentations will gear up again, as it takes one to two years to inform people and get them to embrace and help with the branding program. 3. Work as a team – regardless of your day-to-day tasks, the ultimate goal of every community in Hickory and every organization involved with the Hickory brand is to improve the future of Hickory. Hickory’s Business Development Committee is the most active team of people working on the brand. Along with this committee, fellow organizations like Catawba County Economic Development Corporation, Hickory Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, Catawba County Government, and recently the City of Newton are using the brandprint and have refreshed logos to fit the brand. Fellow organizations are jumping on board as well including the Western Piedmont Symphony with its new tagline “Music. Well Crafted.” Hickory baseball (Hickory Crawdads) uses “Baseball. Well Played.” The CVB uses “Meetings. Well Crafted.” 4. Brand Your Stationary – It’s obvious, but very important. Every letter, envelope, every business card, every memo and every invoice that is issued by Hickory should reflect the brand’s graphic identity. Existing stock was used first, and then all reorders had a new look. The new business cards and name tags look really good, as well as new release templates and more. Many documents are created on the computer, so that allowed the new brand to appear quickly on many day-to-day correspondents. 5. Identify the easiest touch points and brand them – Every time you and your employees interact with the public, it is an opportunity to build the brand. There is a long list of touch points, but some of the points done first in Hickory included email signatures, publications, letterhead, newsletters, utility bill stuffers, posters, social media, websites, vehicles, brand on the water tower, and more. 6. Revamp low-hanging signage – This can be expensive, but a plan should be discussed to get new signs, especially at entranceways into the city. Hickory has been working on a wayfinding signs as well as discussed pole banners. This will be a year two project. 7. Engage the private sector – The resources and manpower to accomplish the goals of the Hickory brand will be increased exponentially by marshalling the power of your private sector. Hickory is making its way to 12
major companies in the community. Many conversations have taken place, but action needs to take place in year two. For example, one of the hospitals plans to use Hickory’s logo on advertisements as well as use “Healing. Well Crafted.” as its tagline. 8. Brand your Hickory website and Social Media – The first place most people will go to learn more about your community – for any reason – is the Hickory website. They will use social media to share ideas and opinions about Hickory. The brand was on Hickory’s website within 24 hours of it being approved by Hickory City Council. Hickory’s Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as e-newsletters were changed soon after the first day (September 1, 2011) as well. Per advice from North Star, there was not a big “launch” of the new brand due to criticism in challenging economic times, but the brand has rolled out quietly and starting to make headway. 9. Develop at least one item of branded merchandise - Whether it’s a lapel pin, t-shirt, branded merchandise is a tangible, memorable way to keep the brand top-of-mind with residents, visitors and businesses. Hickory has branded t-shirts, cups, license tags, stickers, flags are more. They are giveaways for presentations. Hickory is currently working on the legal and financial way to sell items with the Hickory brand. 10. Infiltrate your infrastructure – Your infrastructure represents a unique, city-owned, three-dimensional palette for displaying your brand. Timing was good on two big infrastructure projects during the first year. Three water towers were scheduled to be repainted this year so the logo was painted on the water towers. In addition, the minor league baseball stadium was scheduled to be repainted, and two of the brand colors were used to paint the stadium. It has been a year of “unchartered waters,” and it can be overwhelming many days, but as each day passes, the brandprint is making headway. In July, Hickory partnered with the Hickory Furniture Mart, Catawba County Economic Development Commission and the Hickory Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau and did a fullpage editorial ad in the US Airways Magazine. The September US Airways Magazine is spotlighting Charlotte since it is home to the Democratic National Convention and a grand opportunity arose with advertising in the national magazine. The ad focuses on “Life. Well Crafted.” It was done through partnerships – which is an essential ingredient in building a successful brand. I learn more and more each day about community branding. I am no expert, but an expert in training, so please share any advice you have with me and if I can help any of you get started, I will be happy to help, just email me or give me a call. (See the US Airways ad featuring Hickory’s new brand on page 14.)
Mandy Pitts|City of Hickory This “expert in training” is Hickory’s Communications Director/Brand Manager
The Branding of a PEG Cabarrus County’s Own Channel 22 builds community bridges
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Cabarrus County communications is all about community. Our goal is to open the doors of local government and make it easy for citizens to understand and participate in local government programs and services. Oftentimes, residents do not realize one service is administered by the county and another is managed by a city. Instead of complicating this issue by staying planted firmly behind jurisdictional walls, the Cabarrus
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Charlotte, N.C. Clockwise from left: Furniture by local manufacturer C.R. Laine, downtown Hickory, and Hickory Turbocoating USA
Life Well-Crafted In the Home Furnishings Capital of Hickory, North Carolina
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rom furniture capital to fiber-optic center, natural wonder to artistic splendor, recreational playground to entertainment haven, small-town values to big-city drive, Hickory crafts a singular quality of life. Stroll the beautiful natural areas throughout this vibrant city, a threetime “All-America City” honoree, due in part to its rich history, energetic arts and entertainment scene, and countless activities. Plus, a friendly business climate and plenty of Southern hospitality welcomes innovation, fosters growth, and inspires an entrepreneurial spirit. With a skilled manufacturing workforce, Hickory is a perfect location for
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usairwaysmag.com
businesses interested in locating near Charlotte, just over an hour’s drive to the southeast. Easily accessed via multiple interstates, the Hickory metro area is an ideal hub for business. Forbes.com has ranked it in the top 10 nationally for the lowest cost of doing business since 2006. And several institutions are taking note — Apple,
For years, people have traveled here from across the globe for topquality craftsmanship from many of the world’s most popular fine-furniture manufacturers.
Google, and Facebook call the region’s N.C. Data Center Corridor home. But Hickory has not forgotten its roots. Furniture heritage is one of the city’s most valued treasures. For years, people have traveled here from across the globe for top-quality craftsmanship from many of the world’s most popular fine-furniture manufacturers. Hickory Furniture Mart is considered the ultimate destination of its kind, with the largest and most diverse selection under one roof and at affordable prices. The people of Hickory have crafted a quality of life that’s rich in both tradition and promise. They’ve made Hickory more than just a wonderful place to visit — it’s also a wonderful place to call home. Come see for yourself. hickorymetro.com
Branding of a PEG continued County Department of Communications and Outreach builds a bridge over these barriers. Cabarrus County hosts the only governmental channel in our area. So we partner with cities, towns and other governmental entities within the county to share information for our entire community. Branded as “Cabarrus County’s Own Channel 22,” community members have come to identify with this channel as a place to go for news about the entire county. Shows include a weekly magazine show called Cabarrus This Week (which highlights events and programs in the community), Historical Moments, Successful Gardener, Simply Local (a cooking show highlighting farmers market finds), as well as PSAs and special programming. We realize that most people will not settle in for long periods to watch Channel 22, so we accommodate channel surfers by abandoning 30-minute scheduling blocks and programming shows of various lengths to create interesting pacing. Shows do not fit prescribed lengths but rather are simply as long as they need to be. Whenever possible, the focus is on telling stories about government programs through the voices of those who benefit. Cabarrus County’s Communications and Outreach Office is only eight years old. In the early days, most folks did not understand who we are or what we do. At the best, people would say “Oh, you show all those commissioner meetings, right?” Public meetings are important, and we do air them. But we wanted to change the image of the channel from boring to interesting and engaging – and we wanted to showcase all the other ways to stay informed. We did a lot of promotion to encourage community members to try out the county’s various communication tools. Cross promotion is key. Every new item is promoted through the county’s website, weekly e-mail newsletter, Channel 22, Facebook, Twitter, and the local news media. The biggest obstacle when starting out was letting the community know we are here as an information resource. We created a logo for the channel and screen-printed T-shirts and jackets. Wearing our branded apparel, we went to community events, fairs and parades to shoot video and spread the word. We even purchased a van emblazoned with the Channel 22 logo and the county web address to advertise as we travel to various locations. Now, we no longer have to explain who we are and which channel. Folks often confide sheepishly, “You know, I’m sure you never hear this, but I watch you all the time.” We just smile knowingly and say “Thank you for watching. We hope it’s helpful to you.” Aimee Hawkins & David Baxter|Cabarrus County, Channel 22 Communications and Outreach Manager, General Manager respectively
Looking for a Job? Here are a Few!
Be sure to check out www.nc3c.com for jobs, which will be posted as received. Community Relations Director - Asst to the Supt for Community Relations, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools Chief Communications Officer, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority 15
2012-2013 Membership
Please complete and mail with membership dues of $50 by check payable to NC3C:
NC City-County Communicators c/o Joshua Harris, Treasurer P.O. Box 3448 Morganton, NC 28680-3448
Name
Title
Jurisdiction
Address
City/State/Zip Code
Website
□ Please contact me regarding serving on a committee!
Tax ID Number for NC3C—26-0265279
Officers for 2012– 2013
Mandy Pitts, President mandy@nc3c.com mpitts@ci.hickory.nc.us Gary Herman, Vice-President gherman@newtonnc.gov Kiara Jones, Secretary kdjones@pittcountync.gov Joshua Harris, Treasurer jharris@ci.morganton.nc.us
Committee Chairs By-Laws Committee
Accreditation Committee Annette Privette-Keller—Matthews aprivettekeller@matthewsnc.com
If you would like to serve on a committee, please contact the chair.
Membership now OPEN
Enjoying our
Fifth Year
of Association
Learn more: www.NC3C.com
North Carolina City & County Communicators 2012-2013 Dues Invoice North Carolina City & County Communicators 2011‐2012 Dues Invoice Please complete and mail with membership dues of $50 with check made payable to NC3C and mailed to:
NC City-County Communicators NC City‐County Communicators c/o Joshua Harris, Treasurer c/o LouAnne Kincaid, Treasurer P.O. Box 3448 Caldwell County Government Offices Morganton, PO Box 2200 NC 28680-3448 Lenoir, NC 28645 ______________________________________ Name ______________________________________ Title ______________________________________ Jurisdiction ______________________________________ Address ______________________________________ City / State / Zip Code ______________________________________ Phone – Fax ______________________________________ E‐mail ______________________________________ Website Yes, please reach me about serving on a committee! Tax ID Number for NC3C – 26‐0265279
Shop Talk
Promo your brand on social media Contributed by Mike Emory and Kiara Jones, Pitt County Nine hundred and fifty-five million. That’s the number of “Monthly Active Users” Facebook claims to have in their recently released second quarter report. Granted that my grade school math scores were only as good as the number of fingers I had available to count on, I’m still pretty sure that’s more than 3 times the population of the U.S., and roughly 14% of the entire world. The last organization to have a similar effect on global population wasn’t a company, but an empire. Even though it’s possible those numbers are inflated to include situations like inactive accounts or people with more than one account, it’s still hard to deny the impact Facebook and other social media outlets are playing in today’s society. So the real question facing many governments and organizations today isn’t whether or not social media can bring you an audience, but how it can be used as a platform to promote their brands to those audiences. Social media is by definition a method of people-generated communication. Just know who you are, and what you want to say, and then tell somebody. After all, that’s the essence of branding, right? People will do the rest. Viral videos are a marketing phenomenon that ad agencies have been trying to cash in on for years now. You can make high profits for low costs by getting others to distribute your message for you. This fact makes YouTube and other sites like Vimeo the perfect place to post your PSAs, PEG channel promos, and other important vids. Make them engaging enough, and people will start watching them, talking about them, and sharing them with their friends. Cross-platform promotion is so important when communicating your brand. Tweet about the upcoming board meeting you’re going to show live on your PEG channel and include a link to your YouTube page where folks can watch it on demand, at any time, after the meeting’s over. Post an update about an important issue in your community on Facebook and www.vimeo.com link back to your web site for more information. Social media is a free way to advertise about your existing channels of information dissemination. You can even extend your branding to your social media sites by ensuring that your logos/seals, taglines, and web sites are on each page, and that each site has a cohesive, branded look.
Like us. Please!
We all use social media in some capacity, and while you’re using it to help build your brand, keep these two things in mind:
Keep it clear. Do not overpopulate your intended communiqué with contemptuous irrelevancy. (See what I did there?) When you rely on people to distribute your message, you want that message to be short, clear and in no way patronizing. Don’t create a situation where friends have to condense (and most likely convolute) what you’re saying in order to share it. Know who you are, and let everyone else know who you are. This is your branding, your face to the public. Make sure your username is complete and accurate. Stay away from acronyms or local terminology, because even though everyone in your town may know you’re from the Department of Groundskeeping, the new guy who just moved here might find it odd to get an instant message from the DOG. The key thing to remember is that we’re communicators. The tools may change, but the idea stays the same. People just want to know what’s going on.
Find more information on government branding, visit http://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/governmentbranding-basics