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In developing video to go along with the new audio PSA announcement, we discovered there are very few action pictures available. Hams get so involved in the radios that we forget to take good pictures of the activity. But a good action picture is literally worth 1000 words in any press release or media. So, we're starting a friendly competition over the coming months to encourage PIO's and others to take action pictures for ham radio.
Field Day is an excellent chance to get good ACTION pictures!
What's a good action picture?
For years a lot of the pictures which have been sent in were
like this:
It may be curious historically, but it's
boring to any non-ham. Nothing
moves. Other pictures were of people
standing around. There's no story in
the picture. There is nothing to
capture attention.
Action pictures have a little story in them even without
words. Something in the picture moves,
captures the viewers' interest and attention.
Here's a few examples of action:
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In each of these there is a story.
How to Enter
Between now and August 15th we are requesting any members to send us their best action picture relating to Amateur Radio. The picture must be in .jpg format and at least 1024x768 resolution (preferably higher) minimally 300 dots per inch. You may email the picture to: actionpix@arrl.org along with your name, address, information telling us what it is about.
All submissions become the property of the ARRL. Pictures must be received no later than August 15th. The pictures will be reviewed by a panel of editors and the winners will be displayed in the October issue of QST.
Incomplete applications cannot be considered. Pictures taken prior to 2005 will be accepted . Judging will be based on quality of the photo, general interest, possible use in media about Amateur Radio and composition.
Be SURE to include:
Be careful of negative statements.....
1) People remember them, and they might make good sound bytes in press and in our memories...
BUT ....
2) They cast you in a bad
light, even a curmudgeon.
Mud just gets everyone
dirty. We want to make friends.
So how do you react to some obnoxious newspaper clipping or event?
If you do not have part #3, then you are just complaining, not doing PR. We all are much more likely to write a letter of outrage than a letter of praise. We also have seen how easy it is to sit and rip off a nasty email on some topic. But if you follow the three simple steps above, you will be well along in real PR work. Remember the goal -- make friends for Ham Radio.
We've all done it. You're writing something with email, possibly you are upset. You have flaming text on the screen you mean to edit and.... Off it goes!
You didn't mean to send it. Not yet. That phrase about their ancestry was a whim and not meant to actually be read by anyone. But it's "out there" now and you have a problem.
Now what????
#1 In any crisis, the FIRST procedure is to take your OWN pulse.
Slow down a second, gather your thoughts.
#2 Get a printout of what you just sent out. Be sure what it actually was.
#3 If you wait until you normally see the other person, chances are good they will have read it and also had time to get up a good head of steam about it.
Don't wait.
#4 Call them. At least leave a voice message
Tell them that you sent the email when you were too tired to think straight. Admit you used poor judgment, that you value the relationship, and you'd also like him/her to disregard your email.
Words carved in the modern-day equivalent of e-stone, email, are tough to take back. Yet you can fix this situation by relying on your (hopefully good) past performance and claiming temporary insanity or exhaustion. Still, be prepared for negative fallout.
Your recipient's reaction will depend on your past relationship. Assuming you've established a good one, chances are they'll accept the apology. But they will still make you feel uncomfortable (remember: you asked for it), and the situation will ultimately pass.
Just never forget that feeling you had right after you hit the "send key." It will stop you from making the same mistake twice.
Mike Floyd KC8ZRJ, PIO
Marion Amateur Radio Club
Marion, Oh 43302
January 21, 2005
One of my tasks as PIO is to create interest in amateur radio and to increase membership in my club and the ARRL. Last fall I thought about our local library and the possibility of getting a spot on their speakers bureau. The library keeps a data base on persons and clubs that have speakers to provide a program for other groups about the area.
In December one of the librarians in charge of the speakers bureau called and asked if our club would like to do a program at the library. The library made up ad flyers and provided me with a number to pass out at our favorite places of business etc., they also had PSA's on the radio and local newspaper.
The library had power point and played the Walter Cronkite DVD and then we went into our program of introducing amateur radio.
If you would like to use your library as a place to display "HAM GEAR" most have display areas and check to see if they have a speakers bureau- also check your local schools many of them are looking for programs etc. to augment the studies they are involved with-Science, Physics, Communications, Speech etc. and who knows perhaps you'll just pick up a new member for your efforts.
From The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue 225 - Jan. 25, 2005 Publisher: Joan Stewart
"Are you a frequent user of technology (cell phone, BlackBerry, wireless Internet connection, etc.) in your personal and professional lives? I'm looking for contributions for a new book that explores how people are coping with intermingling technology in their personal and professional lives. How is it simplifying their lives or making their lives more complex? How are they drawing the boundaries between work and life? What are they doing to cope with finding the 'off switch' in an 'always on' world? Is the company they work for doing anything to help employees cope with this 'always on' mode, or have employers' expectations gone up? To submit a contribution to be considered, please mailto:lwhaley@lifeworksynergy.com. Submissions must be 500 words or less. Please provide all contact information.
Marketing is selling something. It may be that you are selling time-shares in Florida, an intangible concept or a Whim-wam, it's the same. The goal is to have your audience do a specific action which is to your (wallet's) immediate and direct benefit. But that goal-affirming action is actually the end of a rather long and complex process which begins with Public Relations.
Psychologists will tell you that there are specific stages in the process of changed behavior. These are listed in various ways, but usually include:
Pre-contemplation is the consciousness raising experience we have with, "Oh, I didn't know that." Maybe you just never thought about it before. Maybe you actually did know it, but never in that light. You are reevaluating your environment and, often unconsciously, setting the stage for action in the future. You will see PR materials for this pre-contemplation stage in which a company's name is given with nothing else. It simply is name recognition associated with an emotion. You are not even close to action yet, but stage #1 is set.
Contemplation, the second step, is conscious. We do a self-evaluation and find we might be happier with a Whim-wam. The groundwork done in the pre-contemplative stage shows results. What emotions are we seeking? Probably it's the emotions which were promised in stage one.
Just which 'Wham will we want to meet our Whim-wam whim? As we prepare to actually do something, we cross the line at which marketing takes over. Marketing will guide not only our decisions, but even how we frame the questions. Marketing will call us to action and maintain or reinforce the decision we made.
But notice that the first two stages, much harder to document and define, are none the less critical in the process. Without the "Oh" and perception of greater happiness, there is no progress to the final three stages.
What does all this mean to us? Well, first we seek to get the "Oh! I didn't know that about ham radio." Maybe they just never thought about it. We seek to plant the activity into their consciousness. Secondly, we try to show that ham radio is fun and adventurous. If successful, our audience comes to wonder if they might be happier being a ham.
Need a video for a club, presentation or speech? Looking for something to show that introduces Amateur Radio to others? Have an "in" with your local cable channel?
Check out the ARRL F&ES Library Tape Series listed at: www.arrl.org/F&ES/ead/materials/videos.html
Look especially at Volume 1: Recruitment (Order #5447) by Roy Neal, K6DUE
There's also videos about space, disaster communications, operating modes, antennas... a large list of videos all ready for you to use! Volume 10 even has a presentation for elementary school students.
Check it out!
And of course, also look at the PowerPoint presentations including "How to be a Media Relations Superstar!"
This issue of CONTACT! could not be complete without a special "thank you" to all the PIO's and to Howard Price, Johnny Donovan, Jerry Martin, Dave Marthouse and Andy Frame who have gone more than the extra mile in helping me get new PSA's out and distributed. The entire PIO corps has been wonderful about this. "Ya dun gud!!"
Don't forget, you can make your own free copy of Ham Radio Today by downloading it from http://www.arrl.org/ARToday/
