Excellence in Publicity

Quota International of Gridley, California

According to Gridley Quotarians, no news doesn't mean good news—in fact, the more news, the better! In 2006, the club made a concerted effort to share its work with the media, photographing their activities and submitting photos and articles to the local newspaper several times a month. The effort paid off with more good press than they ever anticipated!

Quota International of Gridley was featured in print multiple times throughout the course of the year, including articles and photos featuring their 70th anniversary celebration, district conference, new officer installation, donation to the county fair, and presentations of checks and scholarships. The club even turned bad news into good publicity: when unacceptable donations were left outside their thrift shop, they ran a photo of the shop and an explanation of their work.

But the media hype crested with coverage of their 2006 fund-raiser: a silent auction, wine-tasting, and Boys of Gridley competition. The club regularly submitted photos of donations to the auction and action shots of preparation for the event to create a sense of anticipation in the community—and to secure free advertising. The newspaper's coverage of the Boys of Gridley event—a beauty pageant for prominent business men—drew the attention of two local television stations who featured the club on multiple broadcasts.

The buzz was good for business, as the event raised $28,000. More importantly, the entire county was introduced to Quota's ongoing work in the community—good news indeed!

To read or print the club's winning application, click here*.

Quota International of Paris, Tennessee

Quota International of Paris's attention to matters of the heart is no secret in the local community! In an effort to raise funds to purchase an automated external defibrillator (AED), the club made the most of its media contacts. "In our rural area, it was important for us to reach all available media within a very short time period through news stories, e-mail listservs, and public service announcements," said Karen Geary.

Paris Quotarians aimed to purchase a single AED—life-saving equipment that the center, which welcomes hundreds of community members for various events each week, simply couldn't afford. Selecting American Hearth Month (February) as the appropriate time to focus their efforts, they began a thorough media campaign that included flyers for the Chamber of Commerce monthly newsletter, which reaches over 8,000 businesses, press releases to newspapers, and public service announcements on local radio stations. When they learned about the project, the local Rotary Club donated money for an additional AED, which led to further publicity as two newspapers covered the human interest story about two clubs working together.

Although the media sparked local interest, club members knew that they needed publicity aimed at a personal level as well. They sold valentines reading "We Share Our Heart" for display at the civic center and manned a booth at the local Healthcare Expo, where they educated visitors on the AED, collected donations, and answered questions. By the end of the month, the club had collected two new members, new interest from the community, and an astounding $6,200—enough to purchase four defibrillators. The effort concluded with publicity as well—the presentation of the equipment was featured in the local newspaper.

To read or print the club's winning application, click here*.

To return to the 2007 Excellence Award Winners main page, click here.

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