TALES FROM THE FRONT
52 Chapter 2 Event Promotion, Advertising, and Public Relations
A small city-center park named Franklin
Square was derelict, crime-ridden, and a
business-depressing eyesore for surrounding
enterprises. A loose coalition of local busi-
ness and association leaders formed, the
purpose of which was to rehabilitate the
park and turn it back over to the shoppers
and office workers who avoided it each mid-
day on their way to lunch or shopping.
The Franklin Square Association met
once a month and developed internal/ex-
ternal public relations strategies. They be-
gan an annual Franklin Square Day, during
which citizens would volunteer to clean up
the park. Local television and radio stations
were alerted through press kits and requests
for coverage. The police department was
enlisted for security. Local merchants were
encouraged to provide food and soft drinks
for the workers. The department of public
works agreed to bring trucks and tools
for raking, painting, and repair of long-
abandoned fountains.
The result? Businesspeople and civic
leaders showed up in work clothes to grab
a rake and a paintbrush. Television and ra-
dio stations covered the event on both the
5 P.M. and the 11:00 P.M. news, with action
coverage and interviews. Attention was
called to the plight of the park and the peo-
ple who were working to save it and
the neighborhood. As a result, new sup-
porters lined up to be included in the an-
nual cleanup day.
Over the next 10 years, the number of
volunteers grew and the park became a
place for lunch, free concerts, and happy
gatherings. It is now a showplace, with
gleaming benches and a beautiful central
fountain. Developers took note, and soon di-
lapidated buildings surrounding the square
were replaced with new ones offering a mul-
titude of shops, restaurants, and office space.
The Franklin Square experience is an exam-
ple of the power of public relations and the
synergies it can bring to a community.Chapter Challenge
Your city is planning to open its new town
hall and courthouse in six months. A big
celebration is being planned. You have been
asked to market the event, for maximum ex-
posure and citizen participation. You have
been told that a press kit is necessary, but
that you should seek other marketing av-
enues as well.
1.What items may you include in your
press kit?
2.What details must you include in your
press release?
3.What other community assets may you
solicit to support the marketing program?