Public Relations and You
Tips from the Arlington Cultural Council
Updated December 2014
(Please note – this is a work in progress. If there are updates, you
may email the ACC and let us know what to change – Thank you!)
IMPORTANT REMINDER
All of your publicity materials MUST include the following
statement:
“This program is supported in part by a grant from the Arlington
Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the
Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.”
Logo: You MUST also include the logo from the Massachusetts Cultural
Council with all press materials.
For the MCC logo (either the complete one or any one of the five tiles),
please visit http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/contracts/logos.html for
instructions.
More on the LCC publicity requirements is here:
http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/contracts/lccred_recip.asp
One condition of accepting a grant from the Arlington Cultural Council (ACC) is that you
publicize your event, performance, exhibit, or project to the Arlington community.
Publicity is essential to a successful event. Reach out to as many segments of the population
and media options as possible when publicizing your program. Plan ahead because many
publications have long lead times with submission deadlines.
Publicity can include:
Spreading the word on Social Media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or your
organization’s or your personal blog
Mailing postcards or flyers
Submitting items to relevant websites
Submitting items to newspapers (both as news items and as calendar items)
Posting flyers in public places
Submitting announcements to cable, television or radio outlets
Word of mouth is also important. Let people know about your grant and what you are doing
with it.
AUDIENCE
Basic questions to consider when publicizing your program:
• Whom do you want to reach?
• What type of audience is expected, and what kind of audience are you hoping for?
• How do you plan to reach your audience?
LIAISON
The ACC has assigned a board member to be your liaison to the ACC for any questions that you
may have. You will have the liaison’s phone number and email address. Consider your liaison as
a resource that will help you make your grant experience a successful one. You and your liaison
will be in periodic contact for progress updates. When your project nears time for publicity and a
date has been set for your community presentation, inform your liaison so s/he can communicate
the information to the rest of the ACC.
PUBLICITY OPPORTUNITIES
Print publications
The Arlington Advocate
For a feature story, contact Editor Simon Buell editor at sbuell@arlingtonadvocate.com. You can
submit an article or item for publication in advance of your event.
For a calendar submission, contact arlington.events@cnc.com. To reach a larger audience you
can ask the editor if he will consider including it in the calendar sections of the weeklies for
surrounding towns such as Belmont, Lexington and Winchester.
Globe West
Contact Editor Leslie Anderson at landerson@globe.com
The Arlington Shopper
This free monthly publication is sent to every household in Arlington and accepts community
event announcements in “Good Stuff To Do.”
Submissions may be mailed to MVS Publishing,
35 Bedford Street, Suite 4, Lexington, MA 02420, faxed to 781-652-0447, or emailed to
mvspublishing@rcn.com. Deadlines are generally the last week of the month prior to month of
publication. Call 781.652.8822 for a schedule.
Cable television
Community news appears on Comcast, RCN and Verizon cable
Arlington Community Media Inc. (ACMI)
Contact Norman McLeod or Jeff Munro at
781-777-1115.
Social Media/ Online outlets
Please send your listings to your liaison so they can be posted on the
Arlington Cultural Council website: www.arlingtonculturalcouncil.wordpress.com
The Arlington Cultural Council has a Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/ArlingtonCulturalCouncil
There is also an Arlington Artists Group page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/arlingtonartists/
The Arlington Commission on Arts and Culture (ACAC) has a Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/arlingtoncac
Cecilia’s choices – MM edition aggregates many arts listings:
https://www.facebook.com/CeciliasChoicesMenotomy
To submit to these e- lists you must first subscribe
Arlington List Serve (The Arlington List)
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/Arlington
Arlington Parents List
http://lists.arlparents.org/listinfo.cgi/parents-arlparents.org
Arlington Family Connection
Send a listing to calendar@arlingtonfamilyconnection.org
Free listings on Boston area websites
• www.WGBH.org
• www.WCVB.com
• www.bostoncentral.com
• www.boston.com
Free listings on local and hyperlocal news outlets
A number of local websites post calendar events. While they may require you to register to post an
event, the listings are free.
•
•
•
www.yourarlington.com
www.arlington.patch.com/events
www.wickedlocal.com/arlington (click on calendar)
For articles on these sites, we recommend submitting the press release as a pre-written article, ready
to print with photo. Don’t forget to acknowledge support from the Arlington Cultural Council.
Posting flyers around town
Include the Robbins Library, the Fox Library, Book Rack, ArtLounge, Kickstand Cafe, Whole Foods,
Playtime, Arlington Center for the Arts, Starbucks, Salons, and other public places such as bulletin
boards at Magnolia Park, Waldo Park, Robbins Farm Park, Menotomy Rocks Park and Spy Pond
Playground.
Mailings to selected population segments
Compile a targeted mailing list and mail post cards or flyers directly to homes, businesses, schools, or
organizations.
BASIC PROMOTIONAL PLAN
•
Identify potential audience.
•
Determine which promotional techniques and communication channels will have
the most success in reaching the potential audience.
•
Determine the time schedule, resources available, and necessary deadlines for
any promotional methods being considered.
•
Select the media methods to be used.
•
Prepare materials for the initial campaign.
•
Have follow-up materials ready for a second wave of promotion.
•
Closely monitor whether interest in the program is developing and, if applicable,
whether tickets are selling.
•
Prepare for a last-minute publicity blitz if expectations are not being met.
•
Consider post-event coverage.
•
Do take photographs of your event. Publications always welcome photos in TIFF
or JPG format with at least 256 or 300 dpi.
•
A picture is worth a thousand words. If you have an image (e.g. of the
performers, of your artwork), include it with your press release.
Posters, Flyers, Handbills, and Banners
Generally distribute 15% of the postings the first week, 25% the second week, and 60% the remaining
two weeks. By rationing the postings in this manner, people who enjoy the initial posters and take
them as souvenirs won’t cripple your publicity campaign.
Postcards
Consider designing a postcard that can be sent or left at various events for people to pick up.
Try to include something about the event on the front, which may be the side that gets hung on the
refrigerator or bulletin board.
Two popular and most cost-effective postcard printers are:
Modern Postcard on the web: www.modernpostcard.com
and Vista Print at www.vistaprint.com.