NORTH AMERICAN WEED MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

WEED CONTROL MANAGERS

PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

A part of the payoff of a personal improvement program is a feeling of confidence and pride in what you are doing. It is important to the success of your program that others also perceive you as a professional carrying out a worthy and effective program. To accomplish this you must tell your story. This is public relations. Following is an outline to aid you in your public relations efforts.

PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN -

Dispensing information directed at accomplishing desired objective(s).

In order to develop an effective Public Relations Plan you must:

1. Determine your objective or desired end result.

2. Select your target audience.

3. Determine what information or message needs to be dispensed, and

4. How the information or message will be dispensed.

Following is a matrix illustrating this approach with example objectives, target audiences and information. In developing your Public Relations Plan, you will need to select your target audience and information or message based on your objective. Then a detailed action plan can be prepared including a Public Relations Activity Schedule.

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Target Audience Those we work Land owners & General Public

for land managers

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Objective Obtaining & Increasing voluntary Obtaining awareness

maintaining support compliance & public support

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Information

¨ Noxious weed problem

& threat to economy X X X

¨ Legal requirements &

Responsibilities X X X

¨ Activities &

Accomplishments X X X

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Dispensing Information

¨ Written reports X

¨ Verbal reports X

¨ Print Media X X

¨ Radio & TV X X

¨ Information Meetings X

¨ Mailings X

¨ Tours & Demonstrations X X

¨ Direct Contact X X

¨ Getting others to tell story X X

Public Relations is Communication

n Two-way communications between us and the people we serve and

the people who observe.

n Organization informs the public. If it is good, organization thrives. If it is not, organization dies.

Information Sources

n Association training meetings

n Chemical application guides

n Conferences

n Crop Watch

n Educational meetings

n Farm magazines

n Industry meetings

n Industry newsletters

n Information Kits

n Noxious Weed Newsletter

n Pesticide newsletter

n Research papers

n University publications

n InterNet i.e. Colorado Weed Management Association

http://www.fortnet.org/CWMA/cwma.htm

n Weed Management Resource Library

Public Relations Reference Library

n Possible Categories

ü Crop Watch

ü Educational meetings

ü Exhibits

ü Farm magazines

ü File of photographs and slides

ü Industry newsletters

ü Information kits

ü List of available videos

ü News contacts

ü News releases

ü Noxious Weed newsletter

ü Pesticide newsletter

ü Public agency contacts

ü Published articles

ü Vocational Agriculture

ü Weed management Resource Library

ü Weed Science Journals

Dispensing Information

n News Releases to Print Media

ü Newspapers

ü Newsletters

· Farm Service Agency

· Extension Service

ü Types of Releases

· How to

· Report of activity

· Planned actions

· Explain program

· Program accomplishments

· Success stories

· Column

n Information Meetings

ü Joint meetings

· Extension Service

· RC&D

ü Authority sponsored

· Schools

· Luncheon programs

· 4H & VoAG

· Farm organizations

· By invitation

ü Exhibits & Posters

· Bank lobby

· Barber shops

· Co-ops

· County fair

· Expositions

· Extension service meetings

· Extension Service lobby

· Sale barns

n Mailings

ü Letters

· Adopt-A-Road sponsors

· Alfalfa Growers

· Homeowners associations

· Landowners

· Neighborhood associations

· Public land managers

· Realtors

· Christmas tree growers

· Nurseries

· Developers

ü Mailer inserts

· Utility bills

· FSA newsletter

· Co-OP mailings

n Tours & demonstrations

ü Treatment comparison plot

ü Twilight tour

ü Self-guided tours

ü Joint tours

n Direct contact

ü Visits to their house or office

ü Invitations to stop by the office

ü Telephone contacts

n Radio & TV

ü Develop a working relationship

ü Contact them about possible stories

ü Set up a regular program

n Bulletins & circulars

ü Types

· Explain your program

· "How to"

· Door hangers

ü Distribution

· Same locations you use exhibits

· Mailing inserts

· Office pamphlet rack

n Getting others to tell the story

ü Extension service educators

ü VoAg instructors

ü School teachers

ü Students

ü Weed board members

ü Landowners

Public relations activity schedule

n Most important tool for effective public relations

n Timing is key to good communications

n Key to correct timing is a schedule