public relations, marketing, & customer service
DESCRIPTION
Presented at the National Recreation & Parks Association Directors School - August, 2013TRANSCRIPT
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
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