Ways to Increase PR

Starlet · #1 04-12-2002, 11:26 AM

Anyone involved in PR for your house? Know of any ideas to get your house's name out around campus? We have designated letter days and go to various campus events in letters, but has your house done anything really creative for PR, especially right before formal recruitment? Any suggestions would be great! Thanks.

GreekGuide · #2 04-12-2002, 11:52 AM

Wearing your letters is a great start...and then contributing to as many positive activities on campus as possible.

1) There was another thread on here talking about having a "Move-in Madness" where your chapter helps freshman move in. That's great!!

2) What about getting involved in Student Union Activities and hosting a "Spa Night" or some other themed night at the union. Mizzou recently had a spa night wear students came to destress...free hand and neck massages, students made bath salts and candles, you could have yoga and meditation...etc...just an idea. You could also host a wellness fair or scholarship search to help students with financial aid. Any thing where you are providing a unique service to other students. It shows you care and you commit.

3) What about hosting a greek life study hours session at the library. Everyone wears their letters. You can coordinate with some upperclassmen to provide tutorials for younger students or students who need help with certain subjects. It shows you are committed to your education as well as to your peers education.

4) Be sure to take a "Congratulations" ad out in your school paper everytime a member wins an award, takes on a new position or does something great. Maybe take out a monthly ad that highlights your "Members of the Month." You could even recognize members for simply upholding your chapter's pledge/motto. Chances are, the paper will give you a frequency discount.

Hope that helps.

GreekGuide · #3 04-12-2002, 11:59 AM

One other thing...if there tends to be a large group of women from a nearby town that tend to rush and pledge sororities....consider hosting a Panhellenic Panel discussion for the women and their parents over the summer prior to Fall recruitment or during what break might come before your recruitment period.

The Kansas City Alumnae Panhel group does this in Kansas City each year, or at least they used to. There is a large population of women in KC that end up pledging at KU, MU, William Jewell, Emproia, KSU, NWMS, CMSU, etc, etc.....

In the past, they've invited Panhel officers from the various campuses to sit on the Panhel board...as well as sometimes the Greek Life Coordinators from those schools.

When I went to one, they held it in a shopping mall near a department store and also had a fashion show with it. But, you could do whatever with it...door prizes, discounts at the mall, etc...

Best of luck!!

Kevin · #4 04-12-2002, 12:33 PM

Press releases to all the small-town hometown newspapers of folks when they either pledge your house or are initiated (those papers will print ANYTHING with a hometown relationship).

GreekGuide · #5 04-12-2002, 01:14 PM

Very true, ktsnake.

Check with your University Relations office. They should be able to help you obtain contact names and numbers for media. Or just check the web.

Kevin · #6 04-12-2002, 04:09 PM

Profs in your journalism department (or at least someone in there) should also know this stuff.

Tom Earp · #7 04-12-2002, 04:35 PM

GreekGuide, I am sadly disapointed that you did not mention PSU! The Home of the Gorillas!

I hope that was not a slap at My Alma Mater!

The Schools within 3 hr. driving time of KC Area;

PSU, CMSU, NWMOU, EPU, Washburn, Mu, KU, KS, William-Jewell, Mo. So.U, Mo.WU, Washburn U. UM ROLLA, UMKC, Drury U, Close, Culver-Stockton, Simpson, Coe, UN, UNO-Omaha, CrieghtonU, UNKearny. UMoLincoln!

If I forgot anyone I apologize!!!

GreekGuide · #8 04-12-2002, 04:37 PM

Oh Earp!!! I meant no disrespect.....my point of the message was that there are so many around KC...that if the same holds true for starlet, then they should consider doing something similar.

that's why I put "etc., etc.," at the end....too many to name.

Tom Earp · #9 04-12-2002, 05:09 PM

Just giving You a little Shot!

I do not remeber what they call them, but they lead the new Prospective College people around during Orientation.

We make ours3lves available to help the Frosh move in! We searve on to many commetttees, Do more Charity Events than Anyother Greek Org. on Campus, ( 3 ) a year.

Part of the Proble, is to get the media to write about about the event!

Our best is the Hot Tub which each year we have a Soroity with us which gives both a shot. The Pictures are great with the Steam coming off of the Tub when it is cold!

Pick a good Charity, make it fun and interesting so people will join in and the media will cover!

LXA does the Great North American Food Drive, which brings in more food than any Organization in the world!

But the Best media coverage we get is from our International Mag. Not the local!

Last year, I think we got @ 8000 lbs of food for charity which goes to the local food groups.

Hell that is just us! Not all 219 chapters!

We also have Brothers that go to Senior Citizens homes and do things, work with the YM/WYCA. Go to after School places for kids to keep them entertained until the parents pick them up.

There are many things you can do and most will never get you recognition as all Greeks are Drunks,Drunks and sex adictates. Read and watch the News!

We do more, give more, and have hirer grades on the average!

Well enuff of the venting! Look and see what you can do best that does not cost yu a bunch of money and can do the most good!

I wont go into the Western Week we do as we cancelled it in the middle of the week because of Mrs. Ligons Passing!

Dionysus · #10 04-12-2002, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GreekGuide
Mizzou recently had a spa night wear students came to destress...free hand and neck massages, students made bath salts and candles, you could have yoga and meditation...etc...just an idea.

You go to Mizzou? Whaazzzzuuppp!!!

I know some many people who go there.
Do you know Trish Guenther? Vanessa Mitchell? Carmen Freund? Tracy Anderson? Kendall Nelson?

aggieAXO · #11 04-13-2002, 03:56 AM

One year we rented a billboard on Highway 6 which is the major highway that leads into College station from Houston. A majority of the rushees are from the Houston area so it was great advertising. It was the talk of the town and was a great hit.
We had our letters and some cute cartoon girls on it saying something like (I can't remember exactly cause Iam OLD) "Welcome to Texas A&M from AXO"-something like that-we had an awesome rush that year!!! It stayed up for 3 months.

Starlet · #12 04-13-2002, 10:51 AM

Thanks for all your ideas...They're really creative and I'm definitely going to start working on them for next fall before recruitment. AggieAXO, wow, great idea having a billboard! That probably cost a lot though...can you tell me how you went about getting that done and around how much it cost? Thanks again guys!

aggieAXO · #13 04-14-2002, 02:19 AM

I really have no idea about the cost-sorry. Also I am not sure about how they rented it out, there is usually a number somewhere on billboards that you can call. College Station has 2 main Highways that lead into town so choosing a billboard was not hard b/c choices were limited, unlike colleges that are in large towns so this may not be feasible for some, but I highly recommend it!

SigkapAlumWSU · #14 04-14-2002, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by aggieAXO
One year we rented a billboard on Highway 6 which is the major highway that leads into College station from Houston. A majority of the rushees are from the Houston area so it was great advertising. It was the talk of the town and was a great hit.
We had our letters and some cute cartoon girls on it saying something like (I can't remember exactly cause Iam OLD) "Welcome to Texas A&M from AXO"-something like that-we had an awesome rush that year!!! It stayed up for 3 months.

To get to WSU, most of the students come from the other side of the state (average 5 hour drive) so everyone comes along one highway. All the Chapters used to put up HUGE signs along parts of the road welcoming their members back to school for Work Week (welcome back, we love our XYZ members, etc...), and it was really nice to see all the creative signs. But a couple years back, Pan (I think) decided we couldn't do it anymore because it was pre-rush advertising to the potential new members who come across early just for recruitment. It's really too bad because the signs were a nice welcome on that long drive, and a great way to get you into a good mindset for the year.

33girl · #15 04-14-2002, 04:14 PM

Adopt A Highway!! Especially if it is a highway that many people follow to get to your school. (This way NPC cannot tell you to take it down.) You can find out more about by contacting your state's dept of transportation.

Also, I know the Wendy's in Clarion used to put up lettering on their billboard (things like Welcome ABC chapter consultant). I don't know if someone had an "in" at Wendy's or if groups just asked them to do it. But it was good publicity for us and also for them cause it showed they were student friendly. I mean there are only so many things you can say about a big bacon classic.