Model Forum / General / Rockets / August 2004

Send out press releases to TV and newspapers. BEWARE: press coverage may not expand the
club. It may simply generate an article in the paper or a short "news" segment that
highlights the most spectacular crashes or the strangest personalities (i.e "rocket
geeks") at the launch. They ONLY care about titillating the viewers/readers and will make
it as sensational as can be.

If you want to attract rocket folks to YOUR club who do not know that a club exists, then
the way to get to them is through rocketry product sales locations. Post club info at
hobby shops. Place small stickers on rocket products at mass merchandisers (since they
won't let you hang up a poster or a stack of newsletters). Our stickers say:

LAUNCH SITE INFO:
PHONE XXX-XXX-XXXX
http://blahblahblahblah.yada/

-Fred Shecter NAR 20117
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=shreadvector

Does your local paper have a 'community' section?  Get a hold of some
authors or the editor of that section.  Be ready to send in a short blerb
about a launch you just had (our section seems to be "you missed this
event") conforming to the size of articles in the past.  Got a photo of 6
kids at the launcher looking like they've gone to heaven?  Everybody's got
to eat.  Invite a journalist out to a launchen, or just someplace local to
shoot the breeze.  Get in touch with local schools physics teachers.  Have
you any hobby shops that would be willing to create a window display for a
month of a bunch of rockets (they want to sell them too!).  HobbyBench
around here is known for RC cars and planes, I've always wondered if we
stuck the 1/6 scale V2 in the window with a bunch of other HPR what sort of
increase they'd seen in sales.

Contact scout groups in your area.  Space Exploration merit badge is
'simple' from our point of view and if you do a troop or district day, you
can pick up a few fliers from that.

Joel.phx

Visit the NAR Website and look at the pages covering how to start your
own NAR section, specifically:

    http://www.nar.org/sectguide/NARnewsect1.html

There's a summary of ideas there for use in attracting both members
and establishing positive relationships with the press.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Mark B. Bundick           mbundick - at - earthlink - dot - net
NAR President             www - dot - nar - dot - org

"A dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets, but high
above the quiet streets on the twelfth floor of the Acme Building,
one man is still trying to find the answers to life's persistent
questions. Guy Noir, Private Eye."

We just spent our third consecutive year manning a booth at the local
Air Show.  It meshes in beautifully with the other displays, there's a
diverse crowd (200,000 - 400,000 people come through every year,
depending on what all is flying and the weather), and it's a great
opportunity to display rockets and talk to folks as to what it's all about.

We print up a special one-page "newsletter" with some photos, a little
info and contact information, and encourage folks to come out to a
launch sometime.

-Kevin

Plan a demo launch worthy of attendance; not just when and where, but
orchestrate it, with appropriate explanatory chatter. Make it a show.
Involve kids in both flying and range duties.

Contact your local TV station(s) and ask for whoever handles
preferably (1) science stories, or else (2) human interest. Explain
it, and invite them. Get a confirmation. If you can't, try another
until you do.

Invite an audience: make flyers. Put them in stores, especially hobby
shops, and send one to each science teacher in the schools (with a
note to them to please read to each class, and post it).

Hold it. Get a bull horn or PA for transmitting the chatter. Have the
RSO supervise each person counting down and launching their own bird.
Especially kids.

Conclude by having all club members present raise their hands, and
tell the audience that if they have any questions, they can ask those
people. Have club fliers ready to hand out.

Given an orchestrated events such as this, the TV crew's work will be
minimized with respect to the simple stuff. They'll be able to focus
more on more important questions when they interview. A PR crew,
prepped for interview, would be a good idea. Again, involving a kid or
more. An orchestrated event also impresses the audience and is likely
to attract them to join.

It is possible to be safe while still being lighthearted and
informative. That will make a good show.

Make sure the TV gets clear contact info to append to their story so
people can contact the club, and dates of planned future launches.