league of women voters public relations campaign

The League of Women Voters of East Alabama

Public Relations Campaign

Fall 2010

Leslie Lake • Kaitlyn Parsons • Rebecca Simon • Katelyn Snyder

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College of Liberal Arts Tichenor Hall Auburn University Auburn, AL 36849 Dear Mrs. Laura Hill, We want to extend our greatest appreciation for the opportunity to work with both you and the League of Women Voters of East Alabama on this campaign. Your patience and time have been greatly appreciated by our group, and we have thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with you. We hope to have helped the League attain its goal of recruiting younger members through our objectives and tactics that we have recommended. We also hope to help the League begin to increase its social media presence. We look forward to seeing improvements in the League as you all implement our campaign. We thank you for your patience and guidance throughout this process. We have been able to hone our public relations skills, and the campaign has been a great learning opportunity. We wish you the best of luck with this campaign! Thank you again! Leslie Lake Kaitlyn Parsons (864) 590‐3974 (205) 602‐1906 [email protected] [email protected] Rebecca Simon Katelyn Snyder (334) 799‐7040 (205) 907‐6396 [email protected] [email protected]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary........................................................................................................................4 Introduction....................................................................................................................................7 Research.........................................................................................................................................9 Planning........................................................................................................................................20 Implementation............................................................................................................................23 Media Kit – National News Release..................................................................................26 Media Kit – Local News Release........................................................................................28 Media Kit – Opinion Editorial............................................................................................30 Media Kit – Fact Sheet......................................................................................................33 Media Kit – Public Service Announcement.......................................................................35 Brochure...........................................................................................................................38 Contact Information for Businesses..................................................................................41 Contact Methods for Businesses......................................................................................50 Invitation Example............................................................................................................55 Social Media Overview.....................................................................................................57 Facebook Instructions and Posting Recommendations....................................................59 Twitter Instructions and Posting Recommendations........................................................64 Account Information for Social Media Pages....................................................................68 Recommendations for Current League Website...............................................................70

Budget...............................................................................................................................72 Evaluation.....................................................................................................................................74 Appendix.......................................................................................................................................76 Appendix A: Survey One.................................................................................................................i Appendix A.1: Survey One Results................................................................................................iii Appendix B: Survey Two................................................................................................................vii Appendix B.1: Survey Two Results.................................................................................................ix Appendix C: Sources.......................................................................................................................xi

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Public Relations Campaigns (PRCM 4090) is the capstone course in the public relations curriculum at Auburn University. The class is split into groups who design a campaign for a selected client. The campaign will be presented to the client at the end of the semester and possibly implemented. The group for this campaign is composed of four students: Kaitlyn Parsons, Katelyn Snyder, Rebecca Simon and Leslie Lake. The group has come together to design a campaign for the League of Women Voters of East Alabama.

The client is the League of Women Voters of East Alabama. The nonpartisan political organization is a result of grassroots efforts in 1920. The goal of the League is to encourage informed and active participation in government, increase understanding of major public policy issues and influence public policy through education and advocacy.

In order to conduct research for the campaign and discover the League’s needs, the campaigns group obtained literary documents about the organization, attended two League meetings and surveyed members to better understand their wants and needs. The survey revealed that almost every current member wanted to attract younger and new members to the League. The group also spoke at length with the director, Laura Hill, to assess the needs of the League and viewed the current website to determine that social media presence was needed and a better website was necessary.

The group’s main goal is to attract younger members, specifically young parents. This goal will be accomplished through specific objectives and tactics.

The first objective is to designate the places where the organization should target young mothers/parents, both working and non‐working. The tactics for this objective include researching and gathering contact information for local schools, churches, gyms and grocery stores.

The second objective is to inform the League of how to best communicate with the aforementioned contact groups of local schools, churches, gyms and grocery stores. The tactics include providing talking points, invitations and instructions.

The third objective is to provide recommendations for the current League of East Alabama’s website. The tactics include viewing other League websites from across the country to determine which designs and layouts work best.

The fourth objective is to create Facebook and Twitter accounts for the League to give the organization a social media presence. The tactic for this objective is to create both of the pages and then provide the League with recommendations for posting content.

The fifth objective is to create a media kit for the organization. The tactics will include gathering information for news releases, a brochure, public service announcements, an opinion editorial, a fact sheet, a pitch letter and other documents that will allow the League to easily interact with the media.

The last objective will be to create a budget for the campaign. The tactic for this objective will be to estimate the value of each action.

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The group believes that if these objectives and tactics are implemented correctly, the campaign will be successful.

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INTRODUCTION

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HISTORY

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, has fought since 1920 to improve our systems of government and impact public policies through citizen education and advocacy. The League's enduring vitality and resonance comes from its unique decentralized structure. The League is a grassroots organization, working at the national, state and local levels.

There are Leagues in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong, in addition to the hundreds of other local Leagues nationwide. The League of Women Voters of the United States and the League of Women Voters Education Fund operate at the national level with grassroots support from state and local Leagues.

The League of Women Voters is strictly nonpartisan; it neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any level of government. At the same time, the League is wholeheartedly political and works to influence policy through advocacy. It is the original grassroots citizen network, directed by the consensus of its members nationwide. The 900 state and local Leagues comprise a vast grassroots lobby corps that can be mobilized when necessary.

The League’s legislative priorities have changed over time to reflect the needs of society and critical issues of concern. The organization remains true to its basic purpose: to make democracy work for all citizens. The League of Women Voters makes a difference in the lives of citizens because of the energy and passion of thousands of members committed to our principles.

MISSION

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

ABOUT THE LEAGUE

The East Alabama chapter of the League represents Lee County and is headquartered in Opelika, Ala. The League of East Alabama meets on a monthly basis during the academic school year. The Executive Board includes a president and 10 board members.

The League of East Alabama’s members are predominately women, ages 50 and older. Many of the members have been a part of the League for more than a decade.

CAMPAIGN Our group is emphasizing an increase in membership of young mothers. However, for this campaign it is imperative for the League to attract members who will become active in the group and stay active. We would like our campaign to attract quality members, not quantity.

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RESEARCH

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CLIENT ANALYSIS Organizational Information:

The League of Women Voters of East Alabama, a nonpartisan political organization, exists to perform the following goals: encourage informed and active participation in government, increase understanding of major public policy issues and influence public policy through education and advocacy.

The League has fought since 1920 to improve government systems and impact public policies through citizen education and advocacy. The League is productive through a unique decentralized structure, and is a grassroots organization working at national, state and local levels. There are Leagues in all of the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong. The League of Women Voters of the United States and the League of Women Voters Education Fund operate at a national level with grassroots support from state and local Leagues.

The League is strictly nonpartisan and neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any government level. However, the League is dedicated to influencing political policy through advocacy. Over time, the League’s legislative priorities change to reflect society’s needs and critical issues of concern. The organization remains true to its basic purpose: to make democracy work for all citizens. The League makes a difference in the lives of citizens because of the energy and passion of thousands of members committed to its principles.

The League of Women Voters of East Alabama has defined its issue as the need for younger and more permanent members. This issue has been defined as an opportunity for the organization to garner more active members to participate in its cause.

Public Relations Efforts:

Over the past few years there has been adequate press coverage of major events hosted by the League of Women Voters of East Alabama. The Opelika‐Auburn News has been helpful in publishing stories announcing upcoming candidates forums. The paper also runs stories about the forums the following day, usually on the front page.

The most recent example is the forum for the contested races in the Auburn city elections. The event was announced on the front page for two days preceding the event in addition to a front‐page article about the forum the day after.

The Opelika‐Auburn News regularly publishes a story about the speaker at the League’s annual dinner, and this year featured photos of the two winners of the awards that were presented. Announcements for meetings appear in not only the Opelika‐Auburn News, but also the Auburn Villager and the Opelika Observer.

Currently, the public relations representative for the organization is on maternity leave, and was hired directly before leaving. Currently, there are no PR efforts being made, and in the past, the League has targeted solely retirees.

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The client believes that its public relations needs are increased League awareness, increased membership of younger members, social media presence, a media kit and a budget to implement these needs.

The board is very astute about the public relations opportunities for the events it hosts and, as much as is possible for a volunteer organization, attempts to capitalize on those opportunities. Increased promotion of the annual dinner is desired. There have been limited efforts to have stories about the League itself in local papers. The last publication about the League itself was in the Opelika Observer two years ago.

Organizational Culture:

The League has a culture of politically motivated members. They are primarily women, with a few men involved as well. The members are generally around 60 years of age. The members are strongly involved in the organization and care about it. The League was curious about the outcomes of our campaign and asked many questions about our process. The League is keenly aware that any effective change takes time. The League is willing to help with most anything when asked. The people who have been members for decades are very proud of the work the League has done. Active members are hyper‐conscious about preserving the League's non‐partisan reputation.

Organizational Resources and Budget:

The League has many resources available to them. The League meets once a month at 7 p.m. on Mondays. It has access to office supplies, a telephone, printers, computers and a website. Also, the League has a board of directors consisting of 11 members, including the president, Laura Hill.

The League has designated a budget of $500 for public relations efforts. The campaigns group is responsible for determining how best to appropriate this budget and will present it during the final presentation to the client.

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

The main issue for the League is that the organization is outdated in its communication methods, recruitment efforts and social media presence. While the League is deeply rooted in American history, this chapter has failed to stay abreast of current communication methods and has been unable to maintain a strong membership for the 30‐ to 45‐year‐old demographic bracket.

In finding younger, more active members, the League will need to work with other organizations not only to find new members, but also to help spread awareness about the League’s purpose to the women of Lee County.

The issue is important to the League’s mission because the organization must have many active members representing various demographic groups in order to promote the public policy issues that will affect the East Alabama community.

The situation affects the League because its lack of younger members is negatively affecting its ability to have a better representation of the entire community.

Laura Hill, president of the league, along with its board members, agree that the lack of younger members is an opportunity for improvement within the organization. When the general membership was polled on what they saw as problems within the League, many of the members responded that the organization needed younger members. The board of directors has also acknowledged that a lack in social media presence is another opportunity for growth within the League.

To gauge the campaign’s evaluation, the League will need to conduct surveys every few months similar to the first survey in our campaign to gather information from members to gauge satisfaction. These surveys will discover what methods of communication and messages work best, and how the organization is successful in attracting younger and new members and keeping them. The League will also need to benchmark other chapters’ social media efforts to determine what information it should post on the Facebook and Twitter pages that have been created for this campaign.

Internal Environment

The League’s communication resources currently include:

Email‐ [email protected]

Phone‐ (334)‐705‐0848

Mailing Address‐ 1317 Clearmont Circle, Opelika, AL 36801.

The group has also created a Facebook page and a Twitter account for the League.

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The League is supportive of public relations and also has a member who handles the public relations efforts of the organization, who is currently on maternity leave. The public relations campaign will provide the League with an opportunity to increase awareness among younger demographics, promote the policies it supports and improve its social media presence. Our services will give the League a benchmark on which it can launch further campaigns.

The limitations of the campaign are its budgetary and time constraints. While the campaign is not very costly, it will be left to the discretion of the League to spend its funds on printing copies of any brochures or fliers we create for them. In terms of time limitations, the League will also need to consider the amount of effort that needs to be put into the League’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as reaching out to the contacts we have supplied in the community to promote their organization. The group will provide the League with instructions and suggestions for the social media sites.

The social media environment is constantly changing and it is possible that Facebook and Twitter will be obsolete in the next few years. The League will need to monitor the trends in social media and adapt its efforts. The campaign also provides detailed contact information for various schools, gyms, grocery stores and churches in Lee County, and that information may change yearly and businesses will also need to be updated continually. Also, the League will need to determine which local businesses will allow them to promote their organization at their locations.

External Environment

According to Kristen De La Fuente, public relations director for the League, the League of East Alabama is very highly regarded among political circles in Alabama. The League is often sought out to assist in hosting debates for political candidates because of its nonpartisan nature. De La Fuente also noted that the League has a liberal reputation, which may deter conservative voters from joining. She mentioned that, because the League is perceived as mostly liberal, that local republican organizations are competitors for membership.

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PUBLICS ANALYSIS Target Public Information:

For this campaign, the target public is young mothers, between the ages of 30 and 45, working and non‐working. This public appears to have a more negative than positive image about the organization. Either the organization is unknown to young mothers, or the organization is perceived to have members that are too old. Some mothers, especially those who work, simply feel that they don’t have time for the League. In general, the audience is apathetic to the League, and has no real awareness of it.

In the past, there have been no communication strategies or public relations efforts for this target audience. Most of the members are women 50 years of age and older, and while almost all of the current members have expressed a desire for younger members, no outreach has been made. Previously, the League has targeted retirees.

It appears that the audience, since not involved with the organization, does not know much about the League. Also, this is true because of the League’s efforts to attract the previous target audience and not younger members. The primary issue in the campaign is to make this target audience aware and informed about the League and to recruit the audience for membership.

The public will become more aware of the League as the League promotes itself at the local businesses that we have provided contact information for. The campaign group believes that the target audience of young mothers wishes to be informed about the League through receiving surveys or handouts at places that mothers would typically go, such as schools, gyms and churches, grocery stores. The group also believes that the target audience would prefer messages that are based on emotion rather than logic, as many mothers would be motivated to improve public policy for issues that deal with their children.

The League gives the target audience the benefit of having political knowledge and the ability to perform a public service. The League gives young mothers a voice to have an influence on issues that affect their families. The League also gives young mothers a networking opportunity, which allows the women to be more involved in the community. The League will give mothers an opportunity to join in the discussion of political issues and be involved in policy change and advocacy. These decisions could affect their children’s lives in the present and future.

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ORGANIZATIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS The organization is made up of 69 members, with around 30 members attending each meeting. There are two men in the League. We found that almost all of the League members are retired. Most members are Caucasian. Below are pie charts detailing the members’ political affiliations, zip codes, highest degree earned, marital status and age range.

The League consists mainly of members of the Democratic party. The remainder of the League is split between the Republican and Independent parties.

The majority of the League resides in the zip codes 36830 and 36832, which is the city of Auburn. The remaining members are from Opelika, Tallassee and Montgomery.

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Most League members received a master’s degree, while the remainder is split between a majority of doctorates and bachelors degrees. A small portion earned only high school or associate degrees.

The majority of League members are married, with the remaining split between single and widowed. The remainder is divorced.

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Most League members are between 70 and 79 years of age. Closely following are the 80 to 89 and 50 to 59 age groups. The smallest groups are the 30 to 39 and 20 to 29 age groups.

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SURVEYS AND RESULTS

The group gave the members two surveys. The first survey was given to gauge members’ wants and needs, and the second survey was to assess demographic information for the League.

The first survey is meant to show the League what current members would like to see done differently. Members designate what events they would like to participate it, when meetings should be held, what meetings should entail and what organizations the members are involved in. This will allow the League leadership to assess the results and decide how to implement its members’ desires in the future. The group believes that these types of surveys should be given to members at frequent intervals, so that the League is always aware of what members desire, thus increasing member satisfaction. This will ultimately increase League numbers.

Findings from Survey One include the following:

What would you like to see more of in the upcoming year?

The membership had many ideas for events for the League to host in the next year. From the survey results, there is evidence that the members would like to see an increase in speakers, forums and sessions on legislative issues. They would also like to see a more social aspect be implemented into the meetings with less formal meetings and more dinner events and/or picnics. They also expressed the desire to see more election promotion, a greater emphasis on voter education and registration, more media events and active committees.

What do you believe the League is lacking?

A majority of the members noted that they would like to see younger members in the League and an increase in overall membership. They also thought the League was lacking membership diversity and increased participation from the current members. The members would also like to see more advertising for the League, and a quicker response to addressing major issues.

What improvements do you suggest for the League?

The members had a lot of suggestions for the League, but most of the recommendations ask for a more active League, with more opportunities for involvement and a greater focus on voter issues. Suggestions include better organization within the League, recruiting more members from a broader base of constituents, clearer long‐term plans, budget and a study of local growth.

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Are you involved in any other local organizations? If so, what?

The League members are a very involved group of women, and participate not only in other political groups, but also civic clubs. Many of them are involved in the Democratic club and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Auburn University. They are involved in their church or temple and civic groups such as Kiwanis, Sierra and Civitan clubs. Many of them also participate in historical organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, the East Alabama Genealogical Association and the Lee County Historical Society.

How long have you been a member?

Of the members surveyed, 10 of them have been members of the League for over 25 years, nine have participated for 2‐15 years, and only five are in their first year of memberships.

______________________________________________________________________________

The second survey served to gather demographic information for the League to see who future target audiences should be. The age group of 30 to 45 is very sparse and should be focused on in upcoming efforts.

The two surveys and results are located in Appendices A and B.

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PLANNING

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GOALS

The League of Women Voters of East Alabama desires to recruit newer, younger members. Therefore, our campaign’s goal is to attract young parents as our target audience. We will accomplish this goal through specific objectives and tactics.

Objectives, Strategies and Tactics

Objective 1: To inform the organization of local businesses and groups where the target audience can be located.

Strategy: By promoting awareness of the League to young parents, specifically mothers, less than 40 years of age and encourage membership.

Tactic 1: Provide areas where working and non‐working mothers frequent: local schools, churches, gyms and grocery stores.

Tactic 2: Provide contact information for the above locations, including address, telephone number and general manager.

Tactic 3: Inform the League of the best channels to reach the target audience in these locations.

Objective 2: To inform the League of how to best communicate with the above contact groups.

Strategy: By providing tools that the League can use to effectively communicate with these organizations.

Tactic 1: Provide invitations to promote the League.

Tactic 2: Give the League talking points for communicating with the organizations.

Tactic 3: To provide instructions for how to prepare if granted permission to prepare to promote the League at one of the aforementioned organizations if granted permission. Objective 3: To recommend improvements to the League’s current website.

Strategy: To attract people to a readable, aesthetically pleasing website.

Tactic 1: Improving consistency among other League chapters’ websites.

Tactic 2: Provide suggestions for a more readable, updated and attractive format.

Objective 4: To establish a social media presence for the League.

Strategy: By creating a Facebook and Twitter page for the League.

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Tactic 1: Provide a G‐mail account to be used for both social media sites.

Tactic 2: Complete setup of both pages to allow easy access for the League.

Tactic 3: Compile recommendations for posting content and who best to establish an effective social media relationship with.

Objective 5: To enhance two‐way communication with the media through a media kit.

Strategy: By compiling documents to disseminate facts and information about the League to the media.

Tactic 1: Create documents such as news releases, brochure, public service announcements, opinion editorial and fact sheet.

Tactic 2: To piece the documents together in an attractive and cohesive format.

Objective 6: To plan budgetary needs for the campaign.

Strategy: By researching necessary material costs.

Tactic 1: Research appropriate costs.

Tactic 2: Obtain the most reasonable prices for needed objects.

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IMPLEMENTATION

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The campaign we’ve created has several logistical entities that will need to be implemented in order for the campaign to be successful. The implementation of the campaign will include the following: a media kit; brochures; meeting invitations; the use of social media sites; and contact information for local gyms, grocery stores, churches and schools.

The media kit created for our client contains two news releases, an opinion‐editorial, a fact sheet and a radio public service announcement.

One of the news releases highlights the national League. It is holding a forum in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 28 to discuss and encourage more young people to become involved in democracy. The second news release highlights the upcoming League of East Alabama meeting that will address environmental issues. The opinion‐editorial is written on behalf of Laura Hill, encouraging young mothers to join the League so that they can have an impact on their children’s future. The public service announcement is about how joining the League will help better the Auburn‐Opelika community.

According to Hill, the League currently does not have a media kit and has not been featured in the media in over two years. Our group felt that providing the League with templates for ways to disseminate news would allow it to gain a better media presence. Laura Hill also expressed interest in the opinion‐editorial as a way to help recruit young mothers to join the League. By using this media kit to improve its media presence, the League will become more known in the area, and will be able to promote its meetings and its cause.

The brochure we made for the League has information regarding the national League and the East Alabama chapter. It gives a brief history of the league, contact information for the East Alabama chapter and meeting information.

We thought the brochure would be a necessary addition to the public relations efforts, because it gives them a small, cost‐efficient way of promoting the organization. The brochure we’ve created is simple, but effectively communicates the League’s mission and purpose. Hill informed our group that the East Alabama chapter does not have its own brochure, and that it has been using brochures created for the national League. By having a brochure for the East Alabama chapter, the League will be able to spread the word about its meetings and reach a larger audience.

We have created semi‐formal invitations to upcoming League meetings. These invitations are to be passed out by League members at businesses and PTA meetings, or put in a child’s Sunday school backpack at church.

Our group felt that creating a presentable, semi‐formal invitation would arouse more interest in the League by young mothers, than by simply handing them a flier. The invitations are more personal and we believe will make people feel more obligated to come to a meeting they receive an invitation to. With the invitations, we’ve also included the contact information for local gyms, grocery stores, churches and schools. We have also written out specific instructions for the League members that detail communication to the gatekeepers of each organization to allow the League to meet with the organization’s young parents.

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The creation and maintenance of Facebook and Twitter pages for the League is one of the most important entities of the campaign. With current communication trends focusing more on social media, it is imperative for the League to stay abreast with current methods of disseminating news. Facebook reports more than 500 million active users (http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics), Twitter boasts 145 million registered users (http://blog.twitter.com/2010/09/evolving‐ecosystem.html). These numbers indicate that Facebook and Twitter both have the potential to reach tremendous amounts of people.

The national League has its own Facebook page as does many of its state and regional chapters. Utilizing Facebook will be a simple way to increase awareness to potential member. While the national League does not have a Twitter account, it did create an account for the 2010 League of Women Voters Convention. The League used it as a supplementary method of distributing information pertaining to the convention.

Along with our social media recommendations, we’ve also listed a few suggestions for improvements that could be made to the League’s current website.

We have also provided detailed scripts and lists of necessary items to take to all gyms, grocery stores, schools and churches in order to recruit young parents to the League.

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MEDIA KIT: National News Release for an Event

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1317 Clearmont Circle • Opelika, AL 36801

(334) 705-0848 • www.lwval.org/eastalabama

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT INFORMATION: Laura Hill, President Phone: (334) 705-0848 E-mail: [email protected]

LEAGUE OFFERS FORUM BEFORE ELECTION DAY Forum aims to involve young people in democracy

WASHINGTON, DC—With a pivotal election day around the corner, join the League of

Women Voters of the United States and its special guests in a probing discussion about the

trends that will impact civic participation among young people this year and for decades to come.

A forum will be held Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010 from 4 to 7 p.m. Monifa Bandele, the

senior programs and outreach manager at the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation,

and Mark Hugo Lopez, the associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, will be in attendance,

along with Matthew Segal, executive director of the student association for voter empowerment.

The newly elected national League President, Elisabeth MacNamara, will also be

attending the forum. The program will begin at 4:00 p.m. and a reception will be held at 5:30

p.m.

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MEDIA KIT: General News Release for Local Branch

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1317 Clearmont Circle • Opelika, AL 36801 (334) 705-0848 • www.lwval.org/eastalabama

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT INFORMATION: Laura Hill, President Phone: (334) 844-4008 E-mail: [email protected]

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF EAST ALABAMA TO HOLD ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES MEETING

Meeting to be held Nov. 15

AUBURN, ALA.—The League of Women Voters of East Alabama will be holding its monthly

meeting at the East Alabama Health Resource Center on Monday, Nov. 15, 2010. The meeting

will focus on environmental issues that affect Alabama. The meet and greet begins at 7:00 p.m.

and the program starts at 7:30 p.m.

The League is a non-partisan political organization that has fought since 1920 to improve

systems of government and impact public policies through citizen education and advocacy.

Its monthly meetings bring important governmental issues affecting the community to

light and help citizens and members become more aware and understanding of those issues.

The League encourages informed and active participation in government, works to

increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through

education and advocacy.

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MEDIA KIT: Opinion Editorial

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(334) 705-0848 • www.lwval.org/eastalabama

FOR EDITORIAL CONSIDERATION Contact Information: November 9, 2010 Laura Hill, President Phone: (334) 844-4008 E-mail: [email protected]

BENEFICIAL FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY: THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF EAST ALABAMA

Join the League and make a difference in your community

As a mother, family is extremely important to you. You are concerned about any aspect

that may affect your children. Governmental decisions, local and national, can affect your

children’s education, healthcare options and other issues.

Mothers are simply too busy to be aware of every single current political issue. So how

do you stay abreast of current governmental issues, and how can you make changes? You can do

this by joining a local, nonpartisan governmental organization that allows you to be a catalyst for

change: The League of Women Voters of East Alabama.

The League is your local branch of a national organization. It is built upon the following

mission statement: The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization,

encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of

major public policy issues and influences policy through education and advocacy.

-more-

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page 2 of 2

The League was founded in 1920, and has since fought to improve our government

systems and impact public policies through education and advocacy. The League, a grassroots

organization, works at national, state and local levels. Now is your opportunity to get involved

with this valuable organization.

As a busy woman myself, I understand the burden of joining yet another organization that

takes a little more time away from your family. But, with the current trends in government, being

“in-the-know” is more important now than ever. And don’t you want to spend your time being

involved in an organization that can benefit your family?

Learning about political issues is important, and working to make a difference is even

more so. Making an impact enables you to have control over what is going on in the political

world, and allows you to be more informed.

Meetings are once a month, and the League also holds events like picnics. Speakers

attend most of the meetings, and we strive to make our members happy and hold events that they

enjoy.

So, consider joining the League. Consider making a difference. We need passionate

members to help our community.

If interested in joining, please e-mail me at [email protected], or visit our website at

www.lwval.org/eastalabama. We look forward to meeting you!

Laura Hill is the current League president.

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MEDIA KIT: General Fact Sheet

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(334) 705-0848 • www.lwval.org/eastalabama CONTACT INFORMATION: Laura Hill, President Phone: (334) 844-4008 E-mail: [email protected]

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF EAST ALABAMA FACT SHEET

Carrie Chapman Catt founded the League in 1920 during the convention of the

National American Woman Suffrage Association.

The League began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters.

The League is a grassroots organization, working at national, state and local levels.

We have Leagues in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong.

We are strictly nonpartisan; we neither support nor oppose candidates for office at any level of government.

The League encourages informed and active participation in government.

We work to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influence public policy through education and advocacy.

The current president of the East Alabama League is Laura Hill.

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MEDIA KIT: Radio Public Service Announcement

(30 seconds)

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1317 Clearmont Circle • Opelika, AL 36801 (334) 705-0848 • www.lwval.org/eastalabama

CONTACT INFORMATION: Total time: :30 Laura Hill, President Phone: (334) 844-4008 E-mail: [email protected]

HELP THE COMMUNITY: JOIN THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ANNOUNCER: DO YOU WANT TO BECOME INVOLVED IN AN ORGANIZATION

THAT HELPS THE COMMUNITY AND YOUR FAMILY TOO? THEN JOIN THE LEAGUE

OF WOMEN VOTERS OF EAST ALABAMA. THE LEAGUE IS A NONPARTISAN

POLITICAL ORGANIZATION THAT ENCOURAGES INFORMED AND ACTIVE

PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT. IT WORKS TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF

MAJOR PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES AND INFLUENCES PUBLIC POLICY THROUGH

EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING ISSUES

FROM MANY POINTS OF VIEW AND TAKING ACTION ON THE ISSUES THAT

AFFECT YOUR FAMILY THEN THE LEAGUE IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR YOU. FOR

-more-

37

page 2 of 2

MORE INFORMATION ON THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS CALL THREE THREE

FOUR EIGHT TWO ONE FOUR THREE ZERO SIX OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW

DOT LWVAL DOT ORG SLASH EAST ALABAMA.

-###-

38

Brochure

41

Contact Information for Businesses

42

WHERE TO CONTACT TARGET AUDIENCE

In this section, we provide a list of places where we believe young mothers will frequent. This list includes local grocery stores, schools, gyms and churches in the Auburn, Opelika and Smith Station areas.

For each location, we provide the name, address, phone number and person of contact to call. This is located in this Appendix. We also give instructions on how the League should speak to the contacts and how best to promote the League in Appendix F.

There is also an invitation example in Appendix G. Whoever you chose to pass out brochures

and invitations to, make sure they are thoroughly educated on the issues the League is

currently investigating and that they can offer a friendly, confident vibe toward the audience

asking questions.

‐When speaking, make the parents know that the issues the League focuses on are important

to the well being of the community, the future of the community, their children and their

children’s future.

It is important to have a clear understanding of the term soliciting before approaching the people we have provided for you to contact. Here are a few important points about the matter:

Solicitation means: 'urgently asking'

Solicit ‐ make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently

(3)

Many organizations do not allow soliciting on their property. When you contact the

people provided, do not be assertive, if told NO move on.

Do not leave a bad first impression.

43

LOCAL GROCERY STORES

Earthfare Opelika Location 1550 Opelika Road Suite 14 Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 821‐0211 [email protected] Manger: Brad Clark Kroger Glenn Location 300 N. Dean Road Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 821‐1325 Manager: John Moore Tiger Town Location 2460 Enterprise Drive Opelika, AL 36801 (334) 737‐2643 Manager: Paula Thigpen Piggly Wiggly Smiths Station Location 512 13th St. Phenix City, AL 36867 (334) 291‐0846 Manger: Gill Milligan Publix Hamilton Place Location 2415 Moores Mill Road Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 502‐8667 Manger: Ed Hutton Smiths Station Location 5408 Summerville Road #200 Phenix City, AL 36867 (334) 291‐8525 Manager: Russ Hare

Wal‐Mart College Location 1717 S. College St. Auburn, AL 36832 (334) 821‐2493 Manager: Mike Davis Opelika Location 2900 Pepperell Parkway Opelika, AL 36801 (334) 745‐9333 Manager: Timothy Dixon Smith Station Location 3700 US Highway 431 N. Phenix City, AL 36867 (334) 291‐1700 Manger: Riley Brown Winn Dixie Tiger Crossing Shopping Center (College Location) 1617 S. College St. Auburn, AL 36832 (334) 826‐2220 Manager: Timothy Wise University Crossing Location 1625 E. University Drive Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 887‐9517 Manager: Danny Davenport Smiths Station Location 3952 US Highway 80 W. Phenix, AL 36870 (334) 214‐0123 Manager: Bryan Archer

44

AUBURN CITY SCHOOLS Auburn Early Education Center 721 E. University Dr. Auburn, AL 36830 334‐887‐4950 www.auburnschools.org/auburn_early_ed Principal: Janet Johnson Cary Woods Elementary School 715 Sanders St Auburn, AL 36830 334‐887‐4940 www.auburnschools.org/carywoods Principal: DebbieBrooks Dean Road Elementary School 335 South Dean Rd Auburn, AL 36830 334‐887‐4900 www.auburnschools.org/dean Principal: Jackie Greenwood Ogletree Elementary School 737 Ogletree Rd. Auburn, AL 36830 334‐ 887‐4920 www.auburnschools.org/ogletree Principal: Dr. Mary Anna Martin‐Smith Richland Elementary School 770 Yarbrough Farms Blvd Auburn, AL 36830 334‐ 887‐1980 www.auburnschools.org/richland Principal: Debbie Smith Wrights Mill Elementary 807 Wrights Mill Rd. Auburn, AL 36830 334‐887‐1990 www.auburnschools.org/wrightsmill Principal: Lynda Tremaine

Yarborough Elementary School 1555 N. Donahue Dr. Auburn, AL 36830 334‐887‐1970 www.auburnschools.org/yarbrough Principal: Pete Forster JF Drake Middle School 655 Spencer Ave Auburn, AL 36832 334‐887‐1940 www.auburnschools.org/drake Principal: Debbie Beebe Auburn Junior High School E. Samford Ave Auburn, AL 36830 334‐887‐1960 www.auburnschools.org/ajhs Principal: Dr. Jason Wright Auburn High School 405 S. Dean Rd. Auburn, AL 36830 334‐887‐4970 www.auburnschools.org/ahs Principal: Dr. Todd Freeman

Lee Scott Academy 1601 Academy Dr. Auburn, AL 36830 334‐821‐2430 www.lee‐scott.org Headmaster: Dr. Don Roberts

45

OPELIKA CITY SCHOOLS

Opelika High School 1700 Lafayette Pkwy Opelika, AL 36801 334‐745‐9715 www.opelikaschools.org/ohs Principal: Stan Cox Opelika Middle School 1206 Denson Dr. Opelika, AL 36801 334‐745‐9726 www.opelikaschools.org/oms Principal: Farrell Seymore West Forest Intermediate School 2801 Waverly Pkwy Opelika, AL 36801 334‐745‐9737 www.opelikaschools.org/wf Principal: Brad Hunter Morris Avenue Intermediate School 8 Morris Ave Opelika, AL 36801 334‐745‐9734 www.opelikaschools.org/ma Principal: Nino Mason Northside Intermediate 601 North 5th Ave Opelika, AL 36801 334‐745‐9731 www.opelikaschools.org/ns Principal: Chris Dark Southview Primary School 2712 Marvin Pkwy Opelika, AL 36801 334‐745‐9711 www.opelikaschools.org/sv Principal: Laura Hartley

Jeter Primary School 700 Jeter Ave. Opelika, AL 36801 334‐745‐9723 www.opelikaschools.org/jeter Principal: Jeanie Miller Carver Primary School 307 Carver Ave Opelika, AL 36801 334‐745‐9712 www.opelikaschools.org/carver Principal: Clarence Magee

46

LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS Beauregard Elementary 300 Lee Rd. 431 Opelika, AL 36804 334.745.2972 www.beauregard.lce.schoolsites.com Principal: Kathie Ledbetter Beauregard High School 7343 AL Hwy. 51 Opelika, Al 36804 334.745.5916 www.beauregard.lch.schoolinsites.com Principal: Richard Brown Beulah Elementary 4747 Lee Rd 270 Valley, AL 36854 334‐745‐5028 www.beulah.lce.schoolinsites.com Principal: Weldon Parkman Beulah High School 4848 Lee Rd 270 Valley, AL 36854 334‐745‐5010 www.beulah.lch.schoolinsites.com Principal: Jerry L. Southwell Loachapoka Elementary 685 Lee Rd. 061 (P.O. Box 60) Loachapoka, AL 36865 334‐887‐8066 www.loachapoka.lce.schoolinsites.com Principal: Mary Ross Loachapoka High School 685 Lee Rd 61 Loachapoka, AL 36865 334‐887‐8038 www.loachapoka.lch.schoolinsites.com Principal: Jim Wilkerson

Sanford Middle School 1500 Lee Rd 11 Opelika, AL 36804 334‐745‐5023 www.sanford.lcm.schoolinsites.com Principal: Michelle Rutherford Smiths Station Elementary 171 Lee Rd, 728 Smiths Station, AL 36877 334‐448‐4422 www.smithsstation.lce.schoolinsites.com Principal: Paul Kohler Smiths Station High School 1100 Lee Rd 298 Smiths Station, AL 36877 334‐298‐0999 www.smithsstation.lch.schoolinsites.com Principal: Jason Yohn Smiths Station Intermediate 80 Lee Road 926 Smiths Station, AL 36877 334‐298‐8370 www.smithsstation.lcischoolinsites.com Principal: Kimberly Thomas Smiths Station Primary School 150 Lee Road 295 Smiths Station, AL 36877 334‐298‐6089 www.smithsstation.lcp.schoolinsites.com Principal: Kathy D. Henderson Wacoochee Jr. High School 125 Lee Road 254 Salem, AL 36874 334‐745‐3062 www.wacoochee.lcm.schoolinsites.com Principal: Rick Harris

47

LOCAL GYMS

Health Plus Fitness Center 1171 Gatewood Drive #101 Auburn, AL 36830 Phone: (334) 887‐5666 Director: Barry Bailey Fitness for Women 720 East Glenn Avenue Auburn, Ala. 36830 (334) 826‐9444 Manager: Sergio Sasos Gold's Gym 189 East University Auburn, Ala. 36832 (334) 826‐1224 Manager: Marvis Raymer World Gym Auburn 1655‐A College St Auburn, AL 36832 Phone: 334‐826‐8788 Manager: Joey Young Moore’s Mill Fitness Center 2272 Moore’s Mill Rd #100 Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 887‐8787 Manager: Cindy Cleveland

48

AUBURN CHURCHES Auburn United Methodist Church 137 South Gay St. Auburn, AL 36830 aumc.net (334) 826‐8800 Contact: Sally Granbury First Presbyterian Church of Auburn: Presbyterian University Center 143 E. Thatch Ave. Auburn, AL 36830 fpcauburn.org (334) 887‐8921 Contact: Tracie West Auburn First Baptist Church 128 E. Glenn Ave. Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 821‐8125 www.auburnfbc.org Contact: Trisha Slaughter Holy Trinity Episcopal Church 100 Church Dr # A Auburn, AL 36830‐5903 (334) 887‐9506 holytrinitychurch.info Contact: Shelley Lackey Church of Christ 712 S College St Auburn, AL 36830‐5806 (334) 887‐5891 auburnchurch.org Contact: Mary Brinkerhoff Cornerstone Church 2123 Hamilton Road Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 887‐1152 cornerstonebuzz.org Contact: Julia Farrow

Covenant Presbyterian Church 445 Shelton Mill Rd Auburn, AL 36830‐2709 (334) 821‐7062cpcauburn.org Contact: Joy Ward

St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church 136 E. Magnolia Av. Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 887‐5657 saintdunstans.net Contact: Father Wells Believers Church Auburn 1415 Moores Mill Rd Auburn, AL 36830‐7593 (334) 826‐7080 believers‐church.org Contact: Dr. Nelda Hand

Lakeview Baptist Church 1600 E Glenn Ave Auburn, AL 36830‐5784 (334) 887‐7094 lakeviewbaptist.org Contact: Patty Chance

49

OPELIKA CHURCHES

First Baptist Church of Opelika, Alabama P.O. Box 329, Opelika, Alabama 36803‐0329, United States Phone: (334)745‐5715 www.fbcopelika.com Contact: Kathy King Trinity United Methodist Church 800 Second Avenue Opelika, Ala. 36801 (334) 745‐2632 www.tumcopelika.org Contact: Darren Dean First Presbyterian Church 900 2nd Ave Opelika, AL 36801 phone: 334.745.3421 www.firstpreopelika.org Contact: Ginger Ryan First United Methodist Church of Opelika 702 Avenue A Opelika, AL 36801‐4928 (334) 745‐7604 www.fumcopelika.org Contact: Britney Finley Greater Peace Baptist Church 650 Jeter Ave Opelika, AL 36801‐9728 (334) 749‐9487 www.greaterpeacechurch.org

Emmanuel Episcopal Church 800 1st Ave Opelika, AL 36801‐4346 (334) 745‐2054 www.emanuelopelika.org Contact: [email protected] Church of Christ 500 N 10th St Opelika, AL 36801‐4147 (334) 745‐5181 www.church‐of‐christ.org Contact: Ron Russell

First Assembly of God Church 510 Simmons St Opelika, AL 36801‐4835 (334) 749‐3722 www.ag.org Central Baptist Church 1611 2nd Ave Opelika, AL 36801‐5617 (334) 745‐2482 www.centralbaptistopelika.net Contact: Peggy Carroll

50

Contact Methods for Businesses

51

How should you interact with the contact people provided for local grocery stores?

‐When contacting grocery stores it is important for you to emphasize to the contact person that

we have provided for you, that you are a non‐partisan group. You may experience a bit of

hesitance when you first ask if you could come in and speak with the individual.

‐It is important that when you first call you tell who you are and your purpose. Then ask if you

could come in and have a meeting with the individual you are speaking with. If they hesitate to

invite you for a meeting, say you will call back later at a more convenient time.

‐Don’t be assertive or pushy with these people. It is important that you make a good impression

during the first phone call.

‐If the contact person is willing to schedule a meeting, you will go with prepared materials

(brochure and invitation included below) and tell them in more detail who you are and what

your organization’s purpose is. This will also be the time that you ask where they suggest you

proceed from this point, if they agree with your purpose.

‐It will not be necessary, when speaking with the initial contact person, for you to ask for any

additional contact information. The contact person provided for you is the manager and he or

she will be your gateway into the organization.

‐Be aware that most grocery stores have strict soliciting policies.

‐Ask if you could come in at 5 p.m. a few afternoons a month.

‐If granted permission, pass out brochures and a document with the recent issues the League

has focused on and why they are important to them and their children. Create a semi‐formal

looking invitation to the next meeting. The invitation example is located in Appendix G and is

merely a template that should be changed pending your specific event logistics.

52

How should you interact with the contact people provided at local schools?

‐When contacting the schools it is going to be important for you to emphasize to the contact

person that we have provided for you, that you are a non‐partisan group. You may experience a

bit of hesitance when you first ask if you could come in and speak with the individual.

‐It is important that when you first call, you tell who you are and your purpose. Then ask if you


invite you for a meeting, say you will call back later and hopefully that will be a more

convenient time.

‐Don’t be assertive or pushy with these people. It is important that you make a good impression



(brochure and invitation provided below), and tell them in more detail who you are and what



‐The target audience is young parents. Ask if you could acquire the contact information for the

person is in charge of the PTA. If granted access to this person, ask if you could come and speak

at a meeting. If granted permission to speak at a meeting, go with prepared materials,

(brochures, surveys etc.). You may want to conduct a short survey at the beginning of the

meetings to establish what this group knows about the League. When speaking, make sure

that the parents know that the issues the League focuses on are important to the well being

of the community, the future of the community, their children and their children’s future.

‐Try to not take more than five minutes of their time.

‐It would also be a good idea to ask the initial contact person or the PTA director for a calendar

of events. Go to these events with brochures and a document with the recent issues the

League has focused on and why they are important to them and their children. Create a semi‐

formal looking invitation to the next meeting.

This invitation, located in Appendix G, is merely an example. The information should be changed

pending the logistics of each event.

53

How should you interact with the contact people provided at local health clubs?

‐The purpose of contacting local health clubs is to target the non‐working parents.

‐Most of the health clubs that we have provided information for have a childcare service.

‐Most of the health clubs that we have provided information for offer group fitness classes.

‐When contacting the health clubs it is going to be important for you to emphasize to the

contact person that we have provided for you, that you are a non‐partisan group. You may

experience a bit of hesitance when you first ask if you could come in and speak with the

individual.




convenient time.

‐Don’t be assertive or pushy with these people. It is important you make a good impression



(brochure and invitation included below), and tell them in more detail who you are and what



‐The target audience is young parents. Ask if you could get the contact information for the

person in charge of the childcare service, or the group fitness classes offered during the time of

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

‐If granted permission to speak at a meeting, go with prepared materials, (brochures, surveys

etc.). You may want to conduct a short survey at the beginning of the meeting to establish what

this group knows about the League. When speaking, make the parents know that the issues

the League focuses on are important to the well being of the community, the future of the

community, their children and their children’s future.

‐Try not to take more than five minutes of their time.

‐Create a semi‐formal looking invitation to the next meeting. This invitation, located in

Appendix G, is merely an example. The information should be changed pending the logistics of

each event.

54

How should you interact with the contact people provided for local churches?

‐When contacting local churches it is going to be important for you to emphasize to the contact

person that we have provided for you, that you are a non‐partisan group. You may experience a

bit of hesitance when you first ask if you could come in and speak with the individual.




convenient time.

‐Don’t be assertive or pushy with these people. It is important you make a good impression



(brochure and invitation included below), and tell them in more detail who you are and what



‐The target audience is young parents. Ask if you could acquire the contact information for the

person in charge of Sunday school classes. Most Sunday school classes are divided according to

age.

‐In this case, it will not be necessary or appropriate to give a short speech. If granted permission

to go into the Sunday school classes simply put a brochure and a document with the recent

issues the League has focused on and why they are important to them and their children.

Create a semi‐formal looking invitation inviting them to the next meeting. The invitation

example is located in Appendix F.1.

This invitation is an example. The information should be changed pending the logistics of each

event.

Important:

If granted permission to speak to the contact people we have given you at the gyms, churches,

schools and grocery stores, you will need to make sure that you have prepared the appropriate

materials and the right amount of those materials. If you are granted permission to have a

presentation table you will want to ask if you will need to provide your own table and

tablecloth. Materials include brochures, invitations and in some instances, you may need a

table and a tablecloth.

55

Invitation Example

Please join us on Monday, November 15 for a meeting

on Environmental issues in Alabama. When: November 15, 2010

Where: East Alabama Resource Center

Meet & Greet begins at 7:00 p.m. and the program begins at 7:30 p.m.

*The purpose of the League is to encourage informed and active participation in

government, work to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and

influence public policy through education and advocacy.

*It is important citizens of the community are a part of organizations like this

because the issues the league investigates directly affect the current and future

state of your community and family.

57

Social Media Overview

58

SOCIAL MEDIA

It is important that the organization understand the importance of the term social media. It is also important the organization understand the term social media marketing. Here is an overview of what social media is and why it is important.

Social Media has become a growing phenomenon over the past few years.

Organizations have learned to use social media to their advantage. Some organizations

hire one person solely to do their Social Media Marketing. It is important that the

person responsible for the organizations social media is educated on how to engage

with the intended audience, who to follow or friend etc.

According to Socialmedia.com, in the first four seconds, a user decides whether or not

to interact with your ad. More than 99% of users become disengaged.

Social Media is any form of online publication or presence that allows users to engage in

multi‐directional conversations in or around the content on the website. (1)

When posting information to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, the most important

thing you will want to keep in mind is interaction.

59

Facebook Instructions and Posting Recommendations

60

FACEBOOK

First, it is important that whoever is responsible for social media is familiar and

comfortable with the ‘terms’ of Facebook and how the site works.

First, you will want to recognize whose information is important to you, whether that be

a person or an organization.

For the League of Women Voters it is going to be important that you locate local news

stations’ Facebook pages, and ‘Like’ their page. When you ‘like’ their page you hope that

the person responsible for their social media will ‘like’ your page in return. When trying

to grow or raise awareness about an organization, having a positive relationship with

the media is crucial. Being acquaintances on Facebook may lead to them viewing an

update you post on the page, and writing a story about it to be on the news or in the

newspaper.

Search and follow organizations like yours, or organizations that could potentially be

interested in what the League of Women Voters is doing in the community or may

potentially want to become a part of the organization.

On Facebook, you ask people to be your friend, or they make ask you to be their friend.

Having this connection allows that person to see what is on your page and allows you to

see what is on their page.

Ask local politicians to be the League’s friend on Facebook. Or suggest that they like the

organization’s page.

People that are a fan of the League’s page can suggest the page to their friends on

Facebook. During the actual meetings each month, ask the members to suggest the

page to their friends, thus attracting more fans and raising awareness about the League.

Post pictures of events that the League has. Also include pictures of meetings, speakers

etc.

When you log on to your Facebook account there will be a box at the top of the page

that says, “What’s on your mind?” This is where you will post updates about the League,

upcoming meetings and events.

Although it is important to frequently post updates about the League, upcoming

meetings and events, it is also important that when you post you form phrases that

people can respond to. For example:

o When you have a meeting coming up you might post something like: The League

of Women Voters of East Alabama will be meeting Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. at

__________. We will be discussing healthcare and ________ ________ will be

there to speak. Who will be joining us? The highlighted phrase is important

because this will allow your audience to interact with you.

61

o It is important to also post friendly phrases. Maybe on a Monday morning you

would post: Happy Monday! What do you have planned for this week? The

highlighted phrase is important because this will allow your audience to interact

with you.

o Some days you may post something as simple as: Have a great day!

Reference points for Facebook:

First, you will want to recognize whose information is important to you, whether that be

a person or an organization.

Second, locate local news stations Facebook pages, and ‘Like’ their page.

Third, Search and follow organizations like yours, or organizations that could potentially

be interested in what the League of Women Voters is doing in the community or who

may potentially want to become a part of the organization.

Fourth, post pictures of events that the League has and include pictures of meetings,

speakers etc.

Fifth, When you log on to your Facebook account there will be a box at the top of the

page that says, “What’s on your mind?” This is where you will post updates about the

League, upcoming meetings and events.

Sixth, refer to the examples of the status posts.

62

SCREENSHOT OF THE LEAGUE’S FACEBOOK PAGE

This is a picture of the Facebook page that we created for the League.

63

SCREENSHOT OF “LIKE” EMBEDDING CODE

Below is a screenshot of the “Like” box embedding code. This code allows you to place the “Like” button on your actual website, so viewers can like your Facebook page onto the website. Simply copy and paste the code below into your HTML on your website. Whoever is in charge of updating your website will be aware of how to do this.

64

Twitter Instructions and Posting Recommendations

65

TWITTER

Twitter will work much like Facebook. The goal is to develop interaction with your

audience.

Ideally, the member operating the Twitter account will be familiar with the vocabulary

and format of Twitter. If this person is not familiar, we have included detailed

instructions in this section.

The most important feature to remember is that Twitter only allows posts of 140

characters, making it a micro‐blogging site. So for Twitter, you need to post a lot of

short tweets. Tweets are the information you post in the box to update your audience.

Tweets work much like Facebook status updates.

Much like Facebook, the League will be able to follow other organizations or people

involved in politics. You can use the “Find on Twitter” feature to locate notable

followers.

The appropriate people to follow would be: local, state and national political parties (i.e.

Republican party or Alabama Democratic party); Politicians (i.e. Bob Riley, Barack

Obama); notable lobbyist and lobbying firms; and other LWV chapters.

When you “follow” people or organizations, it means that whatever they tweet will

appear in the League’s timeline on the homepage. When people or organizations are

following you, it means they can also see what you post.

Relevant postings for the League would be: time and place of the next meeting and

reminders for those meetings; announcements of who the guest speakers or topics that

will be addressed in the meeting.

o i.e. The next LWV meeting will be at 7p.m. on Oct 17th at EAMC Health Resource

Center

o Tomorrow’s meeting will feature a discussion on healthcare reform

o Remember, it is also important to post friendly posts occasionally. For Example:

Happy Monday!, or Have a great weekend!

Another important feature is the “retweet” function. Retweeting simply means that you

repeat something that someone you are following said. Under the tweet that you decide

you want to retweet to your followers, there is a small button that says retweet. When

you press that button, it will retweet the original message and sender to your followers.

o Gov. Bob Riley: tune in for tomorrow’s gubernatorial debate on Alabama Public

TV

o Select the retweet function that appears under this post and it will appear as:

LWVeastal: RT Gov. Bob Riley: tune in for tomorrow’s gubernatorial

debate on Alabama Public TV

66

You can also mention followers or reply to a tweet they post.

o Gov. Bob Riley: tune in for tomorrow’s gubernatorial debate on Alabama Public

TV

o To Reply to this type @ and the person’s username

i.e. @gov.bobriley, We’re very excited about this event

The Direct Message feature of Twitter allows you to send a private message to one or

more of your followers. No one will see this message but the person who you send the

message to.

Twitter is a fantastic public relations and marketing tool because it allows for you to

make quick, real‐time announcements to followers and get immediate feedback. You

want to have a conversation with your followers.

Reference points for Twitter:

Twitter only allows posts of 140 characters.

Tweets are the information you post in the box to update your audience. Tweets work

much like Facebook status updates.

You can use the “Find on Twitter” feature to locate notable followers.

People to follow would be: local, state and national political parties (i.e. Republican

party or Alabama Democratic party); Politicians (i.e. Bob Riley, Barack Obama); notable

lobbyist and lobbying firms; and other LWV chapters.

When you “follow” people or organizations, it means that whatever they tweet will

appear in the League’s timeline on the homepage. When people or organizations are

following you, it means they can also see what you post.

Relevant postings for the League would be: time and place of the next meeting and

reminders for those meetings, announcements of who the guest speakers, or topics

that will be addressed in the meeting.

Retweeting simply means that you repeat something that someone you are following

said. Under the tweet that you decide you want to retweet to your followers, there is a

small button that says retweet. When you press that button it will retweet the original

message and sender to your followers.

You can also mention your followers or reply to a tweet that they post. To reply to a

follower’s tweet, type @ and the person’s username.

The Direct Message feature of Twitter allows you to send a private message to one or

more of your followers. No one will see this message but the person who you are

sending the message to.

67

SCREENSHOT OF LEAGUE’S TWITTER PAGE

This is a picture of the Twitter page that we designed for the League.

68

Account Information for Social Media Pages

69

ACCOUNT INFORMATION FOR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES

Below is the account information for both the Twitter and Facebook pages, in addition to the Gmail account that should be used to login to both sites.

Gmail Account: First name: Laura Last name: Hill Username: lwveastal Password: laurahill1 Security question: What class has this Gmail account been created for? Answer: Campaigns Birthday: July 4, 1988 Recovery email: [email protected] Facebook Account: First name: Laura Last name: Hill Acct email: [email protected] Password: laurahill1 Birthday: July 4, 1988 Twitter Account: First name: Laura Last name: Hill Acct email: [email protected] Acct username: lwveastal Password: laurahill1

70

Recommendations for the Current League Website

71

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CURRENT LEAGUE WEBSITE

Below are recommendations for the League’s current local website. These are simply suggestions that may make the League’s page more readable and aesthetically pleasing.

An important recommendation to improve the League’s communication and marketing for a younger demographic is to make a few improvements on its website. While the League’s website needs to be uniform to other Alabama Leagues, there are a few changes that, if implemented, could go a long way.

Many parts of the website are outdated. We recommend that the League should update its website biweekly on its policy positions and any news. The About Us section is also in need of more information. Currently it just lists the name and contact information for the Executive Board. We believe that adding a brief history and some more relevant information would help potential members learn more about the League.

The construction of the “For Members” page also needs to be completed. A Login feature for current members could be helpful and allow members to post information just for the League to see.

It is vital for the League to regularly update its “Our Positions” page. The page has not been updated since 2002. The League should update this page with legislative issues that are relevant now or that it is currently supporting.

72

Budget

73

Because of the nature of the campaign, the only aspect that requires money is the printing of brochures. While the group was given a budget of $500, we discovered that the League could print 1,000 brochures on glossy paper at American Speedy Printing for $590. Office Depot will print 450 brochures for $498.64 on glossy paper, and $476.64 for regular paper. American Speedy Printing is a better deal for a higher number of brochures.

The phone number for American Speedy Printing is (334) 887‐3180.

The phone number for Office Depot is (334) 742‐0225.

Total Budget

Store Item QuantityPrice per unit Total

American Speedy Printing Glossy Paper 1,000 $0.59 $590 Office Depot Glossy paper 450 $1.11 $498.64

Regular Paper 475 $1.00 $476.64

74

EVALUATION

75

EVALUATION

Objective 1: To inform the organization of local businesses and groups where the target audience can be located.

The League will be able to measure the effectiveness of this objective after it contacts all of the recommended schools, churches, gyms and businesses. This objective will be considered effective if the League speaks to the groups and are granted permission to come and speak to its young parents about the League.

Objective 2: To inform the League of how to best communicate with the aforementioned contact groups of local schools, churches, gyms and grocery stores.

The League will know that the objective is effective by assessing whether the League is able to recruit any new, younger members by its presentation at the business or organization.

Objective 3: To recommend improvements to the current League of East Alabama’s website.

The League will know the effectiveness of this objective by using tracking tools to see if there is an increase in views of the website. They can also survey the group members and determine if the new website recommendations are preferred by the membership.

Objective 4: To establish a social media presence for the League.

The effectiveness of the League’s social media presence will be completely in the hands of the members. The League will need to encourage its members to “like” the Facebook page and follow the Twitter account and invite others to do so. Whoever is designated as the social media coordinator for the sites will need to update both accounts regularly. The Facebook and Twitter pages’ effectiveness can be measured by the number of followers, retweets, posts and likes of the respective sites.

Objective 5: To enhance two‐way communication with the media through a media kit.

The effectiveness of this objective will be determined by an increase in media mentioning’s. The League can utilize Google alerts to be alerted of any mentioning’s on the Internet. The media kit can be used to help increase the League’s placement of articles and editorials in local newspapers.

Objective 6: To plan budgetary needs for the campaign.

The League allowed a $500 budget for this campaign. We have written a budget for printing brochures at two local printing businesses. The League can determine the effectiveness of this budget by the number of brochures needed to print, or if the money could be used elsewhere in the campaign.

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APPENDIX

i

Appendix A – Survey 1

ii

SURVEY 1

Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey. This survey is an effort to better help this organization and serve you.

1. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What events would you like to see more of in the upcoming year (i.e. picnic, formal dinner, activities, etc.)?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What do you believe that the League of Women Voters is lacking?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What improvements do you suggest for the League?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Are you involved in any other local organizations? If so, what?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How long have you been a member of the League?

_____________________________________________________________

iii

Appendix A.1 – Survey 1 Results

iv

SURVEY 1 RESULTS

28 surveys were completed. Question 1

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Friend and family time‐4

Movies‐5

Play games‐5

Reading‐20

Gardening‐6

Exercise‐9

Museums/art‐3

Travel‐7

Sporting events‐3

Shopping

Family time‐2

Volunteer‐3

Writing‐1

Needlework‐1

Working on environmental issues‐1

Question 2

What events would you like to see more of in the upcoming year?

Less formal meetings‐2

Volunteer opportunities‐2

Speakers‐5

Picnic‐3

Sessions on legislative issues‐4

Greater emphasis on voter registration‐3

Election promotion‐2

Panel discussions‐1

Media events‐1

Formal dinner‐1

Holiday social‐1

Voter education‐1

Tours of relevant businesses/organizations‐1

Better attendance at meetings‐1

More active committees‐1

v

Activities that involve more interactions‐2 Question 3

What do you believe that the LEAGUE is lacking?

Younger members‐14

Air conditioning‐1

Open forums‐2

More members‐6

Member diversity‐2

Participation of current members‐2

Failure to address major issues promptly‐2

More advertising‐4

Focus on local issues‐1

Question 4

What improvements to you suggest for the League?

Luncheon meetings instead of dinner meetings‐1

More members‐1

Social media‐2

Recruit more members from broader base of constituents‐2

Long‐term plans‐1

Better organization‐1

Planning stimulating and timely programs‐1

More focus on improving education and the environment‐1

More involvement by members in state, local and national studies‐1

More active study groupsp‐1

More ways for people to feel more actively involved in the League‐1

More study of local growth, plans and budget‐1

Question 5

Are you involved in any other local organizations? What?

Women’s Club‐1

Democratic Club‐7

Auburn Music Club Singers‐1

AUMC‐2‐

Beth Shalom Congregation‐1

Music Club‐1

EASHRM‐1

vi

OLLI‐8

Sorority Alumni Club‐1

Church‐6

PEO‐1

Book group‐1

AUALL‐1

Civitan‐1

Women for World Peace‐1

Auburn 1st Baptist Church‐1

Alabama Arise‐1

Sierra Club‐1

Society of Women in Science and Mathematics‐1

Community Market‐1

East Ala Genealogical Association‐1

Lee Co Historical Society‐1

DAR‐1

International Women for Peace and Understanding‐1

Kiwanis‐1

Sundila‐1

Question 6

How long have you been a member?

1st year‐5

2‐5 years ‐3

6‐9 years‐1

10‐15 yrs‐5

+25 years‐10

vii

Appendix B – Survey 2

viii

SURVEY 2

Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey. This survey is an effort to better understand the demographic makeup of this organization.

Political party affiliation or leaning

Home Zip Code

Highest educational degree achieved (i.e. High School, Bachelor’s, Master’s)

Race

Age

Marital Status

ix

Appendix B.1 – Survey 2 Results

x

SURVEY 2 RESULTS

27 surveys were completed.

Political Party

Republican‐4

Independent‐4

Democrat‐4

Unspecified‐4

Home Zip Code

36830‐19

36832‐3

36801‐3

36078‐1

36104‐1

Highest Educational Agree Earned

Unspecified‐1

Bachelors‐5

High School‐1

Masters‐14

Ph. D.‐5

Race

White‐27

Age

20‐29 – 1

30‐39 – 4

40‐49 – 0

50‐59 – 6

60‐69 – 3

70‐79 – 7

80‐89 – 6 Marital Status

Single‐4

Married‐16

Widow‐5

Divorced‐1

Unspecified‐1

xi

Appendix C – Sources

xii

SOURCES www.onlinematters.com/glossary.htm (1)

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/social-networking/networks/facebook.htm (2)

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn(3)

www.lwv.org

league of women voters public relations campaign

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