RSS
Irma Zuckerburg and the Mid-Michigan team shared their strategies for driving innovation and collaboration:
We brought in a PR firm at one point – which is important but can be expensive. We had thought they would get our regional stories out and get industries more focused and closely and aligned, but this was not their strength. What they excelled in was helping us set up a strategy and market ourselves, but not with the implementation.
Another important aspect is to really get the board to make the commitment when they meet with their constituents that they are talking the talk and they believe it. Having someone who is essentially providing follow up initiatives, meetings etc., is critical. This helps shape the subject matter the media views as ‘noteworthy’ or ‘mainstream’ – don’t be afraid to create a working relationship with the media to supplement occasional press releases.
The web is an integral part as well. The idea CSW had was, as this region is going through change because it’s becoming a region 1, they needed a video to tell that story of change. The central problem was they needed a means to share stories with partners across the region, and handouts and mailings were simply not scalable or cost effective. The web also allows communications and outreach to be far more interactive (i.e. surveys, videos, podcasts, etc.). Vlogs (video weblogs) and podcasts have been particularly effective. The broader use of technology is also a great way to get more young people interested and involved, which can be a valuable asset and investment moving forward.
