Visibility & Publicity

Publicity

Visibility and audience development are essential for the continued success of LCCs and the projects they support.

Credit & Publicity Requirements for LCCs

Mass Cultural Council is extremely appreciative of the efforts made by Local Cultural Council members in ensuring public access to culture in our communities. LCCs and their grant recipients are vital partners in our attempt to raise awareness about public funding for arts and culture in Massachusetts, both in the Legislature and with the public.

According to a focus group study conducted by Mass Cultural Council, most people, while supportive of state funding for cultural programs, are not aware of Mass Cultural Council or of the public dollars that this agency makes available to all the state’s towns and cities. We need each LCC’s help to increase the visibility of Mass Cultural Council and the 329 LCCs in Massachusetts.

Below are credit and publicity requirements and strategies for LCCs. Mass Cultural Council greatly appreciates the help of LCCs in increasing visibility of the important role public funding plays in arts and culture in the Commonwealth.

Requirements
Each council is required by the LCC Program guidelines to conduct certain publicity about the grant cycle. LCCs are expected to:

Promote local awareness of funded programs.
Inform the public of the availability of funds, location of applications, program guidelines, and submission deadline.
Publicize the names, addresses, and phone numbers of LCC’s local office or contact person.
Communicate with all applicants regarding grant decisions.
Publicize the grant awards.

Proper Acknowledgement Formats
Mass Cultural Council should be credited using our logo and credit line. LCCs are encouraged to use both Mass Cultural Council logo and the credit statement when possible but are only required to use one.

Credit Line.“The (name of the LCC) is a local agency funded by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.”
The Mass Cultural Council logo is available online. Please use the logo as a complete unit (words and graphics). Alterations of Mass Cultural Council’s logo are not permitted. If an LCC has their own logo, both logos should be included. Mass Cultural Council’s logo may be paired with a LCC’s own logo. If you have questions, please contact the LCC staff.
Your LCC’s letterhead must include Mass Cultural Council credit logo. This acknowledges the collaborative relationship between your LCC and Mass Cultural Council. One simple way to comply is to place the logo on the bottom of your stationery.
Printed Materials. Mass Cultural Council’s logo must appear on all your LCC’s printed materials (including announcements, invitations, and posters).
Online Materials. Use the credit line and credit logo prominently in online materials (including web sites, social media, press releases, videos, and newsletters). The electronic logo should link to Mass Cultural Council’s web site, massculturalcouncil.org.
Media Releases. Credit must be given to Mass Cultural Council in all media releases. In addition to Mass Cultural Council’s credit logo appearing on your stationery, the credit statement must appear in the text.
Promotional Appearances and Newspaper Interviews. On television and radio appearances by representatives of the LCC, verbal credit must be given at least once during the broadcast to acknowledge support the LCC receives from Mass Cultural Council. Also, the LCC must acknowledge Mass Cultural Council’s support in any newspaper interviews about LCC programs.

Credit Requirements for LCC Grant Recipients

Grant recipients are required to acknowledge the LCC and Mass Cultural Council as funding sources. LCCs should include the grantee credit and publicity requirements with letters of approval sent to grantees. LCCs may require submission of printed materials with grantee reimbursement requests to show how they used Mass Cultural Council logo and/or credit line. Recipients who do this incorrectly (or not at all) should receive a follow-up letter from the LCC affirming the credit policy.

Please note that in order to assist LCCs in efforts to implement the credit policy, each spring, each LCC emails their grantees and directs them to the credit policy and to logos on Mass Cultural Council’s web site.

Publicity Plan

Develop a simple publicity plan for the year, with tasks and assignments on a calendar timeline. Many LCCs find success in promoting their grants program by combining outreach to traditional media (i.e., newspapers, television, radio) with at least one other publicity technique. LCC administrative funds may be used to pay for publicity materials and strategies.

The plan can be very simple but should cover:

How and when to announce the availability of funds in a way that encourages a variety of applicants and proposals.
Other ways to create greater visibility for the LCC and its programs beyond a press release.

One or two members of the LCC can serve as a LCC publicist. Design a campaign for the year and plot it out on a calendar timeline. Determine which strategies will best help to publicize the availability of LCC funds or increase visibility and community support.

Working with the Media

Developing good working relationships with the media can help an LCC and its grantees promote events, increase memberships, expand programming, and reach audiences. Here is some information on how to successfully cultivate productive relationships with media:

Getting Started
Before starting, it’s important to consider what information reporters will want:

Organization – Have a clear sense of what the LCC is promoting (e.g. an event, an artist, a program). Be sure to have all the specific details on hand.
Timeliness – Know the media deadlines and be sure to give advance notice for upcoming events.
Local Angles – How is this event/awareness campaign/grant announcement going to impact the community? Are local people involved? Will local schoolchildren benefit?
Newsworthiness – Play up any ties the program has to current events.
Accessibility – If a reporter has a question and wants information, make sure to be accessible by phone at least on a 9am-5pm basis.
Photos – Photos are hard to get placed unless they are great quality. Make sure photos are dynamic, colorful and with good contrast. Before sending digital images, be sure to ask what file type and size the individual would prefer.
Unique Information – Most reporters will want to cover a story differently than their competition covered it. A daily paper will cover things as news; weeklies tend to want a feature angle about the people or communities involved. Prepare several story angles to offer.

Most editors and reporters prefer to receive information by email, but it always helps to first ask journalists how they like to receive news. Many media outlets will include submission guidelines on their web site.

Contacting the Media
Most newspapers and other media outlets have information available online (look for the “contact us” section). In addition, be sure to read the local paper the names of the editor and writers will be published there.

Radio and TV stations usually have time slots set aside for public service announcements. Community access TV and local radio shows are also great outlets for disseminating information.

Compile a media contact list. Identify an LCC member or a volunteer in your community who would be willing to assume this task for the LCC or check with the town hall about access to a computer. Be sure to keep the list edited and updated for future use.

Press Releases
Press releases are an important marketing tool. Most press releases need to be received at least a week (sometimes up to six) before they are published, so plan accordingly. The most important points for the news release are the availability and purpose of LCC funds. Press releases often include information about:

Application deadline
Where/how to get application forms
Grant period for completing projects
Typical range of dollars awarded
General criteria used in awarding grants, including local policies or priorities
Contact address/telephone number for more details
Past projects to illustrate what has been previously funded and for how much
Information about payment policies
Applicant interview option

Your press releases are more likely to be effective if they:

Include a contact name, telephone number and email address.
Answer the “5Ws” of journalism: “who, what, where, when, and why”.
Do not require revision (such as spelling corrections) it helps to have someone proofread a submission first.
Are concise, clear, and free of opinion and flowery language.

Due to space limitations, even good articles are often edited. Place the most important information at the beginning of the article so that it can be shortened if need be. This includes Mass Cultural Council credit statement. If left to the final sentence it will often be removed. If possible, try to keep the release to one page.

Key times of year to make announcements:

An initial release, between mid-August and the first week of September, to announce the upcoming grant cycle. Since official Mass Cultural Council notification comes in late August, consider publishing the previous year’s allocation and the average range of awards the LCC typically makes. See a sample fall press release.
A second release three to four weeks before the October deadline, reiterating the approaching application deadline.
A third release in late winter to early spring announcing final grant awards. State legislators are notified of the awards in their district and encouraged by Mass Cultural Council to issue a press release. Consider collaborating with legislators to make this announcement jointly. See a sample spring press release.

Additional releases could be submitted regarding:

Gaining Visibility

In addition to press releases, there are plenty of other ways LCCs can raise their visibility and become a more integral part of their community. The following strategies have been used successfully by LCCs, large and small. Consider what’s feasible and what kind of impact the LCC wants to have in the community.

Visibility Tools
Take the time to craft some different promotional materials. These could be event or deadline-specific or a more perennial format that could be reused or easily updated for ongoing use.

Flyer/Poster
Design a simple, inexpensive flyer or poster using administrative funds. Consider collaborating with one or more other LCCs in the region to share the work and expense of creating it. Post or distribute flyers in offices, factories, day-care centers, schools, community centers, supermarkets and general stores, health clinics, store windows, post offices, libraries, art supply stores, bookstores, cafes, laundromats, etc.

Brochure/Fact Sheet
Create an informal piece to distribute at events, community input meetings, in mailings to potential applicants and to give to the public.

Activities Report
An activities report is an effective way to publicize the impact of cultural programs and services on the vitality of the community and can be submitted for publication in the municipality’s annual report. These brief reports could include:

The funding philosophy of the LCC (mission and goals)
Local priorities and guidelines
Funded projects
Special events conducted by the LCC
Current/Retiring members
Attendance at conferences and conventions

In addition to local media, annual reports can also be sent to local and state elected officials, community organizations, schools, PTOs, individuals, and business contacts.

Web site
Update the LCC’s basic information on its council profile and give out your LCC’s web address liberally (e.g. massculturalcouncil.org/local-council/athol or massculturalcouncil.org/local-council/marblehead).

See an example of a successful stand-alone web site (locally created)

Social Media
Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can help you connect to your community and promote LCC activities and funded programs. They are also free and relatively easy to use after some practice.

Join the LCC Community Facebook page
See examples of successful LCC Facebook pages: Medford Arts Council, Worcester Arts Council
See how Mass Cultural Council uses Twitter

Online Calendar
Create an online resource to keep your community informed of LCC activities and local cultural events. Many services like Calendly or Google Calendar are very easy to maintain and very inexpensive (or free).

Visibility Strategies

LCCs are in a unique position to become a cultural hub for their communities. Additional outreach will go a long way towards raising the LCC’s visibility and creating or strengthening local relationships.

Host a Table at a Local Community Event
There are many community events at which the LCC can have a presence. Think about Fall Festivals, town parades and events, Founder’s Day festivities, and more.

Host an Awards Ceremony
Recognize a business, an educator and/or a volunteer who supports the cultural life of the community in some way during the year. This is similar to a grantee reception and some LCCs celebrate both grantees and other community members at one event or connect the event with an exhibit opening or performance that was LCC funded.

Take the Lead on Collaborations
Be the catalyst to get people together to talk. Bring together local artists and arts organizations with companies, stores, restaurants, and banks.

Use Direct Mail
Mail out LCC promotional materials to a list that includes community service, civic or religious groups, town hall staff and elected officials, business associations, individual artists and cultural groups, school representatives, etc. Consider developing a mailing list on a member’s computer which can make labels easily or piggyback with a town mailing that is already being maintained (i.e., census, water/electric bill etc.).

Start an Email List
Collect email addresses at all public events where the LCC has a presence. Then communicate regularly about what is happening in the community. Some LCCs have had success with email marketing companies like Constant Contact or MailChimp. While email marketing is a convenient (and “green”) alternative to direct mail, make sure you do your homework first to avoid being identified as “spam.” See tips on email marketing.

Submit Calendar Listings
These succinct notices are meant to encourage a listing in a local calendar. They generally follow a “who-what-where” format, with an announcement or short description of the event. Check the web sites of your city or town and local newspaper to see if they publish online calendar listings. For more information about publicity resources, see the ArtSake blog post How to Let the Universe Know about your Art News.

Get Published
Write an opinion piece or letter to the editor about something important to the LCC’s work. For example, is the town restoring a local landmark statue? If so, it may be an opportunity for the LCC to talk about the benefits of public art. Or, have the LCC chair write a letter about grant availability or to thank the community for its support.

Give a Public Presentation
Discuss the funding program and priorities with community groups seeking speakers (Rotary, Lions, PTO/PTAs, teacher associations, human service coalitions), local elected officials (select board, city council), and listeners of radio talk shows or public access television. More information about giving a presentation can be found below.

Giving a Presentation

Getting people to understand exactly what the LCC does can be a challenge. A great way to educate people about LCC work is to give a presentation providing the background they need to understand the program as a whole and showing them the types of projects that get funded. Telling the LCC’s story to a variety of audiences can benefit the LCC in many ways:

A group of new or potential members:

Get them excited about the program
Get them on board as members

Officials from your local town or city government:

Show them the value of the LCC’s work
Strengthen the LCC’s request for additional funding

Potential donors such as businesses or individuals:

Strengthen the credibility of the LCC by demonstrating its role in a larger program
Show them what their money would be supporting

The public – catch them at the LCC’s community input meeting, ask to give a presentation at a town/city meeting, keep a slide show running at your LCC booth at a local fair/event, or have a slide show running on your local access cable channel:

Educate them about the LCC
Get them interested, ask them what they would like to see in their community

Applicants – give a presentation to kick off an applicant information session or grant workshop

Help them understand the goals of the program and the LCC before they apply
Provide examples of excellent programs, encourage quality grants