Public Agencies Can Benefit From Drafting
Public Relations Strategies

By Jessica Tetrault, Communication Solutions Group

Perhaps you’ve seen it happen as a public official — the public meeting that turns into a shouting match.

It’s not all that uncommon, especially when municipal officials lack the resources, time and expertise to effectively communicate their plans to the public. Meetings to discuss initiatives involving taxpayer money become heated debates that frustrate both municipal officials and residents. To add to it all, the next day’s newspaper headlines may read something like “Citizens criticize plan” or “Residents rankled by revitalization.”

You can avoid those stressful meetings and the negative headlines that follow by developing a public relations strategy to keep your community better informed. But where do you begin?

The first step is to determine who your audience is. Do you want to communicate with real estate owners? Residents? Environmental groups? Business owners? Once you figure that out, identify the best methods for communicating with that audience. A newsletter that is sent to your stakeholders can work wonders when it comes to keeping them informed, addressing controversial issues or publicizing upcoming meetings and events.

Such was the case when our firm, the Communication Solutions Group of Jenkintown, began working on a management plan for a watershed spanning Cumberland and Salem counties in New Jersey. We developed both newsletters and brochures to tell the public about meeting dates and times, as well as to simply inform them about what a watershed is and how it should be protected.

Reaching out to groups that have a vested interest in your agency’s work is also important. Communication Solutions made sure to meet with environmental groups, business owners and residents in the early stages of the watershed management planning process. That way, the planners knew people’s concerns right off the bat, and could incorporate them as the plan was drafted.

A current Web site is another good tool to use to keep your audience informed. One that is kept up-to-date with meeting minutes and a calendar of upcoming events helps improve communication with the public.

Local newspapers can also be a good way to spread the word about your agency. Sending press releases about upcoming meetings can help you gain media coverage of your work. If reporters cannot attend meetings, follow up with a press release that summarizes meeting business.

Sometimes, however, contacting local press to cover controversial meetings can result in negative publicity. Public agencies should be prepared to handle such situations, and can control the damage by taking steps such as issuing a newsletter or purchasing a display advertisement to address the controversial topic.

That way, you control the content. Coatesville city officials took that approach by purchasing a full-page advertisement in the local newspaper when they were proposing a series of changes to revitalize the city. The advertisement, written by our firm, promoted a program to reduce crime and drug abuse, the development of new housing opportunities for low-to-moderate income families and the construction of a new recreation facility. We also helped the city design another full-page advertisement to combat negative publicity Coatesville received when it was forced to condemn land to build the new recreation center.

Organizing events and offering your officials to speak at them is another way to enhance public relations. For example, you might offer local officials to speak to the local Chamber of Commerce about how a revitalization plan will help encourage new business in your area. Another area to pursue might be to contact television cable channels or local radio stations to see if your officials could be interviewed for a story. Or, ask if public service announcements are a possibility.

Deciding who will carry out the public relations strategy depends on your agency. Evaluate the talent you have on staff, and whether or not you have the time and resources to devote someone to public relations full-time.

Often, however, public agencies can be understaffed and budgets may be tight. For these types of organizations, hiring an outside firm might be your best bet. Contracting with a company to provide such services on an as-needed basis can make more sense than paying a full-time employee.

Using a public relations firm also means your agency would have a team of experts to turn to, not just one specialist. These experts can provide a fresh perspective and encourage you to pursue avenues of communication you might not have considered.
When seeking a public relations firm to fit your needs, it’s important to find a company that has prior experience working with local government. Make sure the firm is willing to get to know your agency. The firm should also be a full-service company. That way, you won’t have to hire one vendor to oversee press releases and newsletters and another to oversee the Web site.

Once you’ve figured out how to implement your public relations strategy, there’s one more important tip to remember: Make sure your strategy is proactive. Too often, agencies don’t employ public relations strategies until a crisis occurs.

The communication plan must be ongoing to be successful. If it works, it will help your agency to become more effective. When you spend less time diffusing tense situations and know how to communicate with your audience, it means you can concentrate on what it is you do best: Planning and managing your agency.

Jessica Tetrault is a Public Relations Specialist with the Communication Solutions Group, a full-service marketing agency which provides public relations and communication services to government agencies. For more information, call
(215) 884-6499 or email us.