Public Affairs Training

[RiverAux]

And, as discussed in a previous thread, trying to compare the Boy Scouts to CAP in terms of local units and public affairs needs is ludicrous.

This is demonstrably false despite the fact that people don't want to admit it.

Please demonstrate how one of a dozen or more Scout units in an average city made up of a dozen kids and one or two adults in an organization that 95% of Americans know about is equivalent to a 30-40 person composite squadron in that same city with an airplane, van, and both youth leadership and ES missions in an organization that 5% of Americans (maybe) know about in terms of public affairs needs and opportunities. 

The only way that they are similar is the highest scout/cadet achievement may get a story in the newspaper if someone puts their mind to it. 

[Eclipse]

How does it compare?  Not very favorably, good we can agree on that point.

95% of people are aware of Scouting due specifically to their outreach on
a national and local level.  You know ads, PSAs, that sort of thing.
(though admittedly they appear to be laying low right now).

CAP and Scouting's demographic is almost a full overlap on a Venn - it recruits
from the same age pool, same gender pool, same geographic areas, and the same general intention
of structure and purpose.  In fact, the organizations share a significant number of
members both adult and adolescent.

As to vans and planes, that is essentially irrelevant to the discussion as
the number of units with those resources is maybe 20-25%? And in most cases
that aren't in any way dedicated to that unit, they are simply in proximity.

For every CAP unit with a CFI, there are 5+ that don't ever get near an aircraft,
and just meet weekly in a loop as they always have, in the same general way Scouts
do.  If anything, the idea that Scouting is all that "different" from CAP in regards
to the adolescents is a significant detriment to CAP. Maybe if it didn't think it was
so "special" in that regard things would be better.

[JohhnyD]

PA should be done at the National and Wing level and no lower.

There's no Wing that is doing so much that Wing-level PAOs couldn't keep
up with news story insertions, and NHQ could concentrate on NATIONAL stories.

You appear to have NO CLUE what a local PAO is or does.

What is it you do in CAP again, aside from carping?

[etodd]

What varies widely now is the availability of "local media outlets" at a PAO's disposal. The media in our area is no longer locally owned. The dozens of reporters down to a couple. And they don't have time for human interest stories.  They chase the ambulance and police.

So to get the word out for folks like us has changed to social media. Its much less Public Affairs .. and more toward marketing and advertising.  Its a whole different mindset and methodologies. The old AP Stylebook went out the door. Its catch phrases and one liners that get attention. Its photos and videos that make one pause and stop scrolling.

I've seen a few efforts in CAP  Hdqs toward this, but its a long haul to get there. Hence my mentioning toward the top of recruiting actual marketing and ad agency type people. But, if recruited, many of their ideas (that would work) might get shot down as not following PAO standards of writing, when its apples and oranges.  PA  isn't hard sell advertising.

[jeders]

So to get the word out for folks like us has changed to social media. Its much less Public Affairs .. and more toward marketing and advertising. 

Ding ding ding, you've just hit the nail on the head.

Its a whole different mindset and methodologies. The old AP Stylebook went out the door. Its catch phrases and one liners that get attention. Its photos and videos that make one pause and stop scrolling.

And this is exactly why PA needs to be done (or at least coordinated through/controlled by) wing or above. Right now if you look across the various social media platforms, you find 1000 different brands called CAP with only occasional consistency across them. As a result, there is no unified brand like what BSA has/had. By moving PA/Marketing responsibility up to wing and above, the brand can unified and we can start to build our way forward.

[etodd]

And this is exactly why PA needs to be done (or at least coordinated through/controlled by) wing or above. Right now if you look across the various social media platforms, you find 1000 different brands called CAP with only occasional consistency across them. As a result, there is no unified brand like what BSA has/had. By moving PA/Marketing responsibility up to wing and above, the brand can unified and we can start to build our way forward.

See ^^^ you just combined PA and Marketing. I'm maintaining there is a huge difference in press releases (PA)  and marketing/advertising.

If a squadron is planning an open house or other recruiting event where the public is invited, the marketing needs to be local, and on their social media pages, using photos and video of their actual squadron. Folks at Wing and higher will not be doing this for every squadron.

[jeders]

See ^^^ you just combined PA and Marketing.

Because externally, they are the same thing. It doesn't matter if we're advertising an open house, the 50th WINGS graduate, or responding to a murderous cadet love triangle, there needs to be a consistent message. That's how McDonald's, Nike, the BSA, and others get brand awareness and brand loyalty. If we want to stop being "America's best kept secret", we need to start marketing ourselves better.

[Capt Thompson]

There is no way a Wing PAO can cultivate relationships with local media outlets for every Squadron in their Wing. True, most media outlet are down to a few reporters, including the media outlet I freelance for, but they are starving for well written stories to fill their meager pages. If I send out a well written press release, it gets published in multiple outlets every time. What they don't have time for is a poorly written release that they will have to have a reporter follow up on, that ends up in the circular filing cabinet every time, but a well written newspaper ready story with a handful of well framed and captioned images will get published, because it's free filler for them without having to devote any resources aside from 5 minutes of time from the paginator.

[RiverAux]

95% of people are aware of Scouting due specifically to their outreach on
a national and local level. 

Wrong, it is word of mouth.  When your organization is already massive and pervasive throughout the country you are getting most of your recruits through word of mouth.  CAP gets some benefit of this, but only at those schools that have cadets in them that might spread the word.

 

And this is exactly why PA needs to be done (or at least coordinated through/controlled by) wing or above. Right now if you look across the various social media platforms, you find 1000 different brands called CAP with only occasional consistency across them. As a result, there is no unified brand like what BSA has/had. By moving PA/Marketing responsibility up to wing and above, the brand can unified and we can start to build our way forward.

Nope, you've got it backwards.  A Wing social media program is going to have extremely limited visibility in or around towns with existing squadrons. You need the local squadron to have their own presence that gets picked up within their own local networks and spreads there if it is to be of any use. 

Yeah, some things can be done at Wing level, but public affairs also includes a lot of in-person contacts, speeches at meetings of other groups, etc (if you're doing it right).  The Wing PAO, even with assistants, just can't do that part of it. 

[Eclipse]

There is no way a Wing PAO can cultivate relationships with local media outlets for every Squadron in their Wing.

first - Yes they can, most wings have maybe 30-40 units ish, that's less that 30 counties
ish of media contacts, not really a big deal over a months time when most units won't have anything to post anyway.

And the majority of media outlets these days have submission channels that are mostly automated.
You don't need to buy coffee for some guy with a press card in his fedora, you just need to
copy and paste into a web form or send an email.

If your job is PAO, and you're doing your job, then this is not a big deal.  If you "don't have time" because
you have 8 other CAP jobs, well there you go.

[Eclipse]

Yeah, some things can be done at Wing level, but public affairs also includes a lot of in-person contacts, speeches at meetings of other groups, etc (if you're doing it right).  The Wing PAO, even with assistants, just can't do that part of it. 

These things don't happen now.

You're negating the idea because of an edge case that is rarely an issue.

[etodd]

Social Media Marketing Person ..... needs to be a wholly different position than the PAO.

Different strategies .. and different timelines for sure. Social Media can be realtime, or even several times a day.

Press releases are most often cold ... "just the facts" reporting of events.

Advertising and Marketing is designed to get people excited. A different use of language and visuals.

But this is "gov't", so I'm not expecting any changes.

[RiverAux]

Yeah, some things can be done at Wing level, but public affairs also includes a lot of in-person contacts, speeches at meetings of other groups, etc (if you're doing it right).  The Wing PAO, even with assistants, just can't do that part of it. 

These things don't happen now.

You're negating the idea because of an edge case that is rarely an issue.

They aren't done because we don't have enough people so that every unit can be doing this like they should.  This is actually demonstrating the need for public affairs activity at a local level. 

And the majority of media outlets these days have submission channels that are mostly automated.

True, but the problem isn't submitting the news item, it is knowing that something newsworthy has happened.  Without a local PAO to identify these instances and follow-up by producing the story you have nothing.  Such items do not naturally flow up the chain of command and over to the Wing PAO.  Even with constant badgering of squadron commanders you just aren't going to know about the somewhat routine, but still adequately newsworthy events.  You may (or may not) hear about that once a decade extremely cool thing that happened at a local field exercise that makes an awesome story.

[RiverAux]

[ed - Deleted duplicate post.]

[JohhnyD]

There is no way a Wing PAO can cultivate relationships with local media outlets for every Squadron in their Wing.

first - Yes they can, most wings have maybe 30-40 units ish, that's less that 30 counties
ish of media contacts, not really a big deal over a months time when most units won't have anything to post anyway.

And the majority of media outlets these days have submission channels that are mostly automated.
You don't need to buy coffee for some guy with a press card in his fedora, you just need to
copy and paste into a web form or send an email.

If your job is PAO, and you're doing your job, then this is not a big deal.  If you "don't have time" because
you have 8 other CAP jobs, well there you go.

Again you appear to have NO CLUE what a PAO team does. Or the disparity in talent from Wing to Wing and unit to unit.

So let me clue you in.

Local media relations are still a big deal and not at all reasonable for a Wing PAO to do.

Social media, which, if I recall correctly, you despise, is a big deal. (We have three or more people just on that segment of PA work.) (And near totally dependent on the depth and breadth of the LOCAL connections of the members who engage with your SM program.)

Corporate, civic, social, educational (public and private), and service organizational dialogue and liaison work.

Legislative, and executive governmental relations.

Interfacing and working closely with the unit and Wing fundraising teams.

We have a team of cadets, parents, and senior members involved in the above. There is no way that upper echelons could do what we do. Period. If they could - they would. They can't and they don't.

[snark elided]

[NovemberWhiskey]

Your squadron runs a governmental relations program out of its public affairs team?

[JohhnyD]

Your squadron runs a governmental relations program out of its public affairs team?

We do with the engagement of the Wing GR folks and at the specific direction of the CC. We work with our local officials, including local legislators in informing them about who we are and what we do. The "asks" are outside our area of responsibility and left to the Wing folks.

[JohhnyD]

Social Media Marketing Person ..... needs to be a wholly different position than the PAO.

Different strategies .. and different timelines for sure. Social Media can be realtime, or even several times a day.

Press releases are most often cold ... "just the facts" reporting of events.

Advertising and Marketing is designed to get people excited. A different use of language and visuals.

But this is "gov't", so I'm not expecting any changes.

We include all of that and more in our PA program. It takes a TEAM.

[RiverAux]

Your squadron runs a governmental relations program out of its public affairs team?

The squadron ES officer is also supposed to be maintaining local government relations, so its not crazy for it be done at the squadron level. 

[Capt Thompson]

So if we get rid of Squadron PAO's, and leave it entirely up to the Wing, where does Wing get trained PAO's? Any time Wing posts for a staff position, they are always looking for someone with a Senior or Master rating, where do Senior rated PAO's come from if we eliminate the unit positions? Wing PAO is a high turnover position already, so how much more turnover do you think we would have if we eliminated the training at the Squadron level, and then dumped all of the Squadron PAO duties on the Wing PAO? You'd have a new Wing PAO every couple months at best.