I have been the Relay Publicity chair for my city for 2 years and I am looking for different and inventive ways to publicize the event. Last year we did Paint the Town Purple, but wasn't as successful as we'd hoped because we tackled late in the Relay Season.
I saw an idea about having a Black Tie event which I would like to explore. Does anyone have any ideas? I would greatly appreciate any information you could give to me. Please feel free to email me at amylynn1016@hotmail.com as I might not check this site everyone day.
Thank you very much!
Amy
*Always remember the power of purple*
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August 15, 2007 - 11:51am
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Movie theaters
We've been extremely lucky this year to find a movie theater chain in our area with theaters in 3 different locations. They've agreed to show a 15 second ad/video about a few of our local Relays prior to every movie they show between now and June '09. This will end up being, in essence, a donation of over $30,000. Everyone goes to the movies, so we'll reach more people with this chain's help than any other promotional avenue we've taken in the past!
Took us a couple of years to get our foot in the door with them, but boy did we got through this year!
Placemats
At our local restaurants I went in and asked them if I provided placemats or table tents with the Relay schedule on it would they put them out. The ones who said yes, I asked how many placemats they would like for the 10 days prior to Relay. I printed the information on legal size paper. Suggestions of where to have copies made would be ask your local copy companies, ask a lawyers office you can use their copy machine etc. You can purchase a box of legal size paper (5,000 sheets) at your local office supply store. For table tents I used 8 1/2 x 11 heavy paper, not heavy cardstock because it got caught in my copy machine, folded it in half and put it on the tables.
I want to pass along one a
I want to pass along one a creative promotional idea I received. A trendy happening in a nearby town with students is Phantom Boo around Halloween. It started with someone leaving a ghost on your door and has evolved to leaving treats and other goodies. So the high school students decided to do Relay Phantom by leaving a bag with information on front doors. It includes a note telling the neighbor that they have been tagged for Relay For Life. They are using a luminaria bag with the Relay logo and are filling it with a poem called "Walk With Us", a survivor invitation, a brochure about the Relay, a luminaria form and a purple ribbon to tie around their mail box to show support for Relay For Life.
Walk With Us
Come walk with us on the road to a cure.With laughter and tears, it’s a good time for sure.You’ll be glad you came as you walk through the nightKnowing with your help we are winning this fight. The first lap’s for victory, survivors stand proud.They march round the track to the cheers of the crowd.The next one’s for families, who help them get through,And stood there beside them with love, strong and true. We are here to fight cancer, we’ll keep coming back.Until there is a cure, we will return to the track.We’ll walk in the moonlight, we’ll walk in the sun,For 24 hours each year till we’ve won.So come and walk with us, how glad we’ll all be,When someday we walk in a world cancer free.
I love this idea and the poem!
Would it be alright if I used this poem also?? I would love to use it next weekend for an event I am hosting trying to get the word out about our relay! Please contact me at mmager429@yahoo.com
Melissa
Ideas I haven't seen on here yet
I wanted to share a few publicity events my team tried last year with good results:
- Town proclaimed Relay For Life days: We asked a town selectman, who is a big fan and supporter of Relay, to declare the days of our Relay as "Relay For Life days." He did this at a ceremony in the town square about a month before the event, and we promoted the heck out of the proclamation. We got lots of press coverage (ended up getting a full page photo of our honorary chair), plus we were able to raise donations at the ceremony.
- Donated billboards: One of our publicity committee members called a billboard company and got them to donate 2 billboards in the area for nearly 2 months leading up to Relay. The company even donated the materials for the billboards. All we had to do was provide art files.
- Researcher guest speaker: Our Relay is fairly close to Yale, where a research team that has received a grant from the ACS is based. At both the Kickoff Rally and the Relay itself, the lead researcher came to speak about what the money we helped raise was allowing her to do. People really liked having a tangible idea of what they were supporting, and we were able to promote the educational/science angle of the event. She even invited everyone to visit her lab, and a group of students took her up on it.
Most of the other things we do have been mentioned elsewhere. Hope these ideas are helpful.
Publicity t-shirts
We are going to be handing out Publicity T-shirts with our New Website (that will be up eventually - or at least by the time of the kickoff) - they will have our theme, date, location and website on the back along with Celebrate. Remember. Fight on the front. We are hoping to hand out ~ 50 to the committee and community members.
Publicity t-shirts
Great idea, Teri! Could you email me at heicks@cox.net? Our committee is very interested in this idea.
Kris Heick
Survivorship Chair
RFL North Las Vegas
We also had trouble getting
We also had trouble getting the word out about Relay. Last year we invited the local newspaper to do a story about our personnal reasons to take up the fight. A survivor story to share is great. We gave information about the whole Relay experience. We got a lot of positive feedback & we got many new participants involved. Also, we sent flyers home through the schools about the event with contact information & a form they could mail back to ACS if they were interested.
Getting the Word Out
Hello,
I hope these ideas work they are not new or innovative but the work for us.
We use the free media programs, talk show radio and tv, community calendars, put up banners and we use the magnetic signs on vehicles, as well as faxing, mailing and talking to people. We also have a monthly radio program this is used as a vehicle to get the word out. Hope this helps!
Community Marketing
Amy, one of the break out sessions at the National Leadership Summit focused on community-based marketing. I think there is some great information from that session that will help you. Watch the Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back. page for training from this event. (It may end up in the Training Room, too!)
Joined: 2007-08-15