Last year I was hired by three small youth service bureaus in Middlesex County to work on a underage drinking prevention campaign.  I imagined several press releases and some possible print articles…the standard fair for what seems like a small campaign. But what started out as a few ideas shared across a conference table turned into one of the most successful campaigns I’ve ever worked on.

The idea of preventing teenagers from drinking was not new to these three youth services executive directors. Prevention work was part of their daily work. They were ready to bring it to a different level. The target audience was clear – parents in the county who feel it’s okay or safe to allow their teenagers to drink. You’ve heard and seen the news reports of “well-meaning” adults who embrace the rationale that it’s safer to have my kid drink at home instead of someplace else.

So how were we going to carry off a meaningful campaign from these small agencies and really get some traction? Now these women didn’t have a ton of money nor a cadre of staff members to do the work.  First of all they were smart and had a clear focus on their target audience.  They knew the problem and were clear on the messages they needed to communicate. They also did not settle for being safe. They were willing to take risks. They had enough confidence in my work to let me help them explore possibilities, guide them through a few rough spots and execute a campaign that would raise some serious eyebrows.

The billboard shows a baby on the left side with a beer bottle to his mouth and on the right, two teenagers surrounded by alcohol at what seems to be a home. The caption reads, “You wouldn’t do this then…Why Now? There’s no Such Thing as Safe Underage Drinking.” You’ve got to see it to believe it! Check out the link to UPI Web site -  UPI-93801255478616.html. This image and message has shot from Old Saybrook to San Antonio to Seattle, or Google Beer Bottle Baby Billboard.”

We always worry about measuring our impact, return on investment…whatever you want to call it. It can certainly be measured here. We’ve moved the needle locally about the issue and national organizations are knocking on their door. But there is no way for me to measure the personal satisfaction I got out of working on this campaign or with my three clients.
NBC30 Story on TWC Stop Underage Drinking Campaign – Beer Bottle Baby Billboard
So what did I learn as a seasoned public relations consultant? You don’t need a big client to make a big splash.  Don’t expect less because  a client is small. They certainly shouldn’t expect less from you.  You just need smart, strategic-minded people working as a team.

Okay, you need more than that but you get my drift.

I spent last Thursday, night (9/24/09) beaming with pride as our youngest received a special recognition at his middle school. He and 29 other 8th graders were inducted in the the Junior National Honor Society. I didn’t know they even had one, did you? Well, they do. It’s a big deal.

I tried not to embarrass him in front of his friends.  You can’t show too much emotion you know. You just have to be cool.

Well, that lasted all of a New York minute.  As parents, it’s our job to fawn, congratulate and take pictures. Well my poor kid has a mother wrapped up in public relations. That means every move he makes might bring on a media blitz. So before the evening was finished, I went into PR Mom mode. In the so called “Good old days” I’d prepare a pitch to a newspaper to be sure they would cover an event. They I would pray to the Media Relations god for no fires or nuclear attacks. But that day, I didn’t have to. My information was going hyper-local.

Hyper-local is a new term giving to, well local news. Community newspapers have been covering local stories since ink first hit the page.  So what’s different? Immediate gratification, that’s what.

By the time I got home, uploaded my pictures and wrote a one sentence description about the event, it was on the front page of a “hyper-local” news blog. I became a  citizen journalist in a matter of minutes.

Now really, the simple act of posting a story to a Web site does not make you a journalist but the need for local content could create a win-win situation for non profits.

I’ve always encouraged my clients to build relationships with members of the media. Tell your stories and become a trusted resource. But they(my clients) have frequently run into media road blocks that frustrate even the most courageous of causes.

It’s now a new day. Your voice is important and you can tell your story just about anywhere.

But there is also caution. Having been able to check the box of journalist during part of my career, I am particularly sensitive to sharing information with balance and accuracy. Knowing where that line is can make the difference between information of substance and a ridiculous rant.

The failing traditional newspaper model has been replaced by community voices. Even the dailies have given considerable column space to readers now turned writers. So step up. This is an opportunity to get your story told with some kind of control over your own message. But please do so with integrity and balance. If you want to know more about getting your story told, call or email me @ 860-343-8555 or afs@anitafordsaunders.com.