Re: publicizing cohousing
From: Sheila Braun (nvcsurfglobal.net)
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 05:57:12 -0600 (MDT)
>
> 1. Do not hire a public relations consultant.
>
For what it's worth, our group has hired a PR consultant with good results.
The concept of cohousing was totally new in my area (Vermont). I had watched
another group crash and burn because a local reporter made a mistake and the
mistake was repeated regionally and then nationally. Yet the member of the
group who was interviewed by the reporter thought the interview went very
well. And although I had written a press release and sent it out, we got no
attention at all. So there were two ills to avoid: getting erroneous or
negative attention, and getting no attention at all. We hired a PR
consultant to write a press release for us. Three weeks and $2500 later we
were on the front page, above the fold, with a full color photograph of some
group members and our site. The article was accurate and positive. Now
everybody I talk to about cohousing says, "Oh, yes. I read about that. It
sounds like a wonderful idea. So that's *your* group?"

I call the PR firm occassionally and pay stiff fees for advice about our web
site or our brochure, about specific events, even about setting up the
political climate to help us get through permitting. I feel it is money well
spent.

Sheila Braun
Project Coordinator
Northern Vermont Cohousing
www.nvcohousing.org


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