To be sure, non-profit organizations and institutions provide valuable services to their constituencies. Communicating that value, however, often requires taking a look at the larger picture and expanding messaging to a wider audience.
Through our non-profit public relations work with these types of organizations, THO is able to uncover the underlying value they bring to specialized markets and the general public and amplify their story. Our efforts are aimed at supporting fundraising efforts and client acquisition programs, which build partnerships that ultimately nurture and grow the organization.
We have assisted a number of non-profits and institutions to define, amplify and expand their mission using non-profit public relations programs tailored to each individual situation.
The job of expanding or promoting services for a non-profit often takes specialized knowledge and understanding.
Take, for instance, our work with a drug treatment center seeking to expand nationally. Success not only depended upon establishing the credibility and reputation of the organization, it also had to include components to educate the public about mental health disorders and remove the stigma of drug addiction.
THO employed a multi-tiered, multi-market strategy. We established agency spokespersons who would be able to speak to the numerous health and mental health issues, especially the nationwide opioid epidemic, already prevalent in the news for each region the agency targeted. We bolstered the broadcast and print coverage by posting live interviews and print coverage on social media, reinforcing our messaging and increasing R.O.I. for our client.
The public relations campaign was repeated in each new state or region the center entered, highlighting clinicians, treatment modalities and evidence-based results.
By establishing the clinic’s own professionals as thought leaders, we were able to build credibility for the organization in markets where it wasn’t a known entity and provide valuable information that encouraged people to come forward for treatment.
The University of Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate had regularly been producing its Casden Multifamily Forecast when THO was called in. The report, which measures average rents and apartment vacancies across Southern California, was widely read and regarded among real estate professionals, but it was not reaching the critical audience base that would assist the university in its mission to help shape public policy.
THO’s assessment showed that, in order to play a role in public policy, the report would have to reach a different audience, and we went to work to establish the forecast itself as a thought leader by focusing on the portion of the data related to housing affordability, a trending news topic.
Our media campaign resulted in nearly 50 media placements in national, regional and local print and broadcast media along with trade publications.
Most important, the report was recognized as a credible source for information and included in policy discussions by government officials and agencies.
The challenge for Rainbow Housing Assistance Corporation (Rainbow), an organization that provides service-enriched housing programs for residents of rental housing communities, was getting property owners, developers and investors to understand how the services it provides impact their bottom line.
THO’s program included both media relations and a social media outreach. Media interviews and Q&As, guest bylines, podcasts, a well-researched positioning paper and a media tour launched Rainbow into the national spotlight as a credible source for information, an authority on resident services and, ultimately, a valuable asset for affordable communities.
The program exceeded a 250 percent return on Rainbow’s investment in the first year alone.
Communications requirements are often different for non-profits and institutions that typically rely on public support. Our experience with these organizations and institutions allows us to anticipate sensitive areas and shape our communications strategies appropriately. Each organization is different, and we take time to listen to our client’s expectations, goals and concerns. We also understand the importance of executing the strategy with all of the organization’s constituencies in mind.
Information that relies on expert opinions, academic research, facts and figures isn’t always easily understood or digested by a general market audience. We help our clients to understand the different points of view that need be considered for different audiences, and we work closely with the organization’s experts, leadership and spokespersons to shape information in ways that will be most impactful.
Non-profits and institutions typically come to us with the same goals as our business clients, but the path to achieving those same results can be very different for these organizations. With a deep understanding of the mission of non-profits and institutions coupled with our marketing know-how, THO is able to shape thoughts and ideas and convey programs in a relevant and meaningful way that achieves your goals.
A strategic public relations & integrated communications agency, THO as been offering strategic insight to clients across the nation for more than 25 years.
Copyright © 2024 Hoyt Organization