Presented at the National Recreation & Parks Association Directors School - August, 2013

1. NRPA
Directors School
August, 2013
Public Relations, Marketing, and
Tom O’Rourke, CPRP
Executive Director
Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission
Charleston, South Carolina
Customer Service

2. Time Breakdown
Ø Public Relations – 1:30 – 2:30
Ø Break – 2:30-2:35
Ø Marketing – 2:35 – 3:35
Ø Break – 3:35 – 3:45
Ø Customer Service – 3:45- 4:45

3. PUBLIC RELATIONS

4. PUBLIC RELATIONS?
„ Managing
the
communication
between
an
organization
and
its
public.
(Control)
„ Strategic
initiatives
to
ensure
the
Agency
has
a
positive
image.
„ Creating
and
maintaining
goodwill
for
your
Agency
by
organizing
various
forms
of
communication
and
publicity.
Usually
FREE!
.

5. WHAT
PUBLIC
RELATIONS
IS
NOT
„ Marketing
–
product,
place,
price,
promotion
„ Sponsorship
„ Advertising
–
sale
of
products
using
paid
media
messages

6. PR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
„ Raise image and awareness
„ Influence product, market and recreation
agency positioning
„ Position your agency staff as industry
experts
„ Pursue articles/placements to create
customers and advocates

7. PR VEHICLES
„ Press releases.
„ Editor briefings
„ Tradeshows
„ Case histories
„ Speaking engagements
„ Authored articles
„ Social Media

8. Why Social Media
„ Over a billion monthly active users
„ 618 million daily active users on average
„ 680 million monthly active mobile users
„ Average age is 35
„ Fastest growing demographic is women
55+
„ 11 million businesses using Facebook Pages

9. Build Your Fan Base
„ Ask co-workers to “Share” your
page with their friends.
„ Email signatures
„ Link from website
„ Link from email marketing
„ List URL on press releases
„ Make sure your social channels are
visible on any outgoing
communication

10. Make your posts ENGAGING
„ Visitor ‘liking’ the page
„ Leaving a comment
„ Sharing your status
„ Posting a link
„ Liking a post

11. As you post…Remember,
A Picture is worth a
thousand words.

19. A VIDEO IS WORTH A ZILLION WORDS
http://
www.youtube.c
om/watch?

20. WHEN OTHERS “SELL”
YOUR GREATNESS

37. CORRECTING
INACCURACIES

39. PREPARE FOR EVERYTHING

46. TWITTER

57. Best Practices
Or at least pretty good practices, most of the time
• Your recipients want to know that you’re listening, and
many social media managers often overlook this.
• Answer questions asked or simply say, “Thanks!”
• Be sure to tag the fan in your response so he's notified of
the response.
• The fan will often “like” your comment, thus continuing the
conversation and further boosting your visibility.

58. 80-20 rule of social media
“80% of the content you publish or share should
pertain to things that really matter to your audience.
The other 20% can be about your products and
services.”

59. • It’s OK to be silly and
edgy.
• Sometimes, and very
carefully.

60. • Let the public get to the people behind the programs, and
your agency culture.

61. • Let the public get to the people behind the programs, and
your agency culture.

62. Dealing with Negativity

63. 3 Main Types
„ Dissatisfied Customer
„ Just a miserable person
„ Grammar Police

64. • Always respond in a
timely manner, but
make sure you get
your facts straight
first.
• Don’t get into a
“back-and-forth”
discussion.

65. • Sometimes it’s necessary
to take the conversation
off of Social Media in
order to get the details,
but bring it back if there
is a satisfactory resolution
• Encourage them to email
you so you can help or
have the appropriate
person respond.

66. • Always respond in a
timely manner, but
make sure you get
your facts straight
first.
• Don’t get into a
“back-and-forth”
discussion.
• Turn a negative into
an opportunity to
make a true fan.

67. MARKETING

68. „ Product
„ Place
„ Price
„ Promotion

69. BRANDED MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
“LET YOURSELF GO”

82. SCENARIO
NUMBER
ONE
Ø There
is
a
class
or
program
that,
in
the
eyes
of
your
Program
Manager,
is
not
doing
well.
The
Program
Manager
approaches
you
very
upset
saying
that
the
marketing
staff
needs
to
market
the
program
“better.”
Ø What
do
you
do?
M

83. SCENARIO
NUMBER
TWO
Ø A
very
wealthy
successful
owner
of
a
dog
food
company
in
your
community
informs
you
that
they
would
like
to
build
three
dog
off
leash
areas.
She
has
agreed
to
pay
ALL
of
the
Capital
Costs.
She
wants
to
know
what
she
will
get
if
you
agree
to
this
deal.
Ø What
is
your
answer?
M

84. SCENARIO
NUMBER
THREE
„ All
that
you
need
is
$500,000
to
complete
a
section
of
bicycle
and
pedestrian
trail
that
would
link
the
south
end
of
your
community
to
the
north
end
of
your
community.
The
local
hospital
agreed
to
pay
the
$500,000
if
they
could
place
a
4
feet
by
8
feet
sign
at
each
mile
marker
on
the
ten
mile
trail.
Two
of
the
miles
of
this
trail
are
located
within
a
very
popular
nature
park
within
your
park
system.
Your
stewardship
policy
states
clearly
that
the
only
signage
within
the
park
has
to
be
in
the
designated
trail
head
area
adjacent
to
the
Park
Center.
„ How
would
you
handle
this?
M

85. SCENARIO
NUMBER
FOUR
„
Your
City/County
Administrator
tells
you
that
you
can’t
use
Facebook,
Twitter,
or
any
social
media
to
promote
your
department
or
your
programs.
„ What
do
you
do?
M

86. SCENARIO
NUMBER
FIVE
„
There
has
just
been
an
election.
There
were
three
very
supportive
members
of
the
Council
that
were
on
your
Recreation
Committee.
They
were
replaced
by
three
fiscally
conservative
Council
Members.
Two
of
the
three
commented
in
a
newpaper
interview
prior
to
the
election
that
they
felt
that
recreation
was
not
an
essential
service.
„ What
is
your
plan?
M

87. CUSTOMER SERVICE

88. NOT A CUSTOMER SERVICE SEMINAR
„ The Directors responsibility is to create and
support an exceptional customer service
environment.
The Director should focus on the
WHAT, not the HOW?

89. WHAT DO YOU DO?

90. SCENARIO NUMBER ONE
„ Gullah Camp
Why didn’t I list any details of this situation?

91. SCENARIO NUMBER TWO
Hello,
I just wanted to say that I have lived in Charleston for a while now and have only come to see
the lights on a few occasions. I drove through the park last night and enjoyed the display and
the amenities that were offered.
I was quite offended though that there was not one reference to the reason we have this
season. As a Christian, I find it offensive that you would have a big light display with a Menorah
signifying the Jewish faith, but completely leave out any reference to Christ, Jesus, or the
Cross.
This country was founded by people who believed in Christ and that Jesus died for our sins.
Why does it seem today that we as a nation do everything we can to remove Christianity
from our minds? It is just sad.
I have relatives and friends coming into town for the next couple of weeks and into
Christmas and will not be bringing them to see the lights. I will bring it up to my Church
family about the way your display leaves out the Cristian faith and will hopefully prevent any
of them from coming to see the lights.
I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas season and may God be with you in your time of
need.
Tim MacFall

92. SHOULD I RESPOND?
Considerations before I respond.
Ø I work for him.
Ø Everyone is respectfully entitled to their opinion
Ø I need to go back to WHO WE ARE.
Mr. Macfall,
Thank you for your comments on the Holiday Festival of Lights. It is our intent to offer
displays that will appeal to a diverse audience from a variety of different secular and cultural
traditions represented within our community. We are sorry if you were offended, but we do
appreciate your feedback.
Tom O’Rourke, Executive Director
Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission

93. SCENARIO NUMBER THREE
IS THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS RIGHT?
„ Reserving the Hall for a Wedding
and paying the $1,000 deposit.

94. SCENARIO NUMBER THREE
„ On Monday, 8/26, we are working to host a large group of
Marines (approx. 180) who are returning from deployment
and will be spending the day in JICP with us for an Outdoor
Adventure Sampler. We will have 2 groups, the first from
9am-2pm and the second from 3pm-8pm. We will be
offering Paddling, Archery, Slack lining, Portable Wall,
Mountain Biking, Challenge Course, Disc Golf, etc.
„ We cancelled an existing program that had 25 after school
children signed up for an outdoor adventure program at a
park across town in order to offer our day for the Marines.

95. TOM’S TOP 10, OK, 11, CUSTOMER SERVICE
RULES FOR DIRECTORS
„ Create a Customer Service Philosophy
„ Determine the importance that expert customer
service will play within your agency.
„ Empower EVERYONE!
„ “Listen” when someone is upset.
„ Let an upset person “get it all out.”

96. TOM’S TOP 10, OK, 11, CUSTOMER SERVICE
RULES FOR DIRECTORS - CONTINUED
„ Don’t take their anger personally.
„ Get to the root of the problem. (Then address it)
„ Jointly agree to a resolution.
„ Follow up.
„ Fix the internal casualties.
„ Support your great Staff Members – Always!

97. THE END