GETTING STARTED
- Q: How do I get started?
A: Follow the step-by-step checklist for launching. (LINK). Present the concept to Superintendent, senior administrators, school board/board of education and principals. After making the decision to participate, contact Sheila Weiss at 941-349-3836 or Sheila@vossandassociates.net to get started on producing materials. We’ll send you a district agreement to sign.
- Q: What do we present to the above groups?
A: We suggest you use the contents of the website, PowerPoint and/or flyer that explain the campaign.
- Q: What do we present to the principals?
A: The website, PowerPoint and/or flyer are also valuable for principals to get their buy-in. In addition, we have a principal kit that explains the research behind the campaign and suggests ways they can carry the message in their schools. It is very important that principals support the campaign because they, along with the Superintendent and board members, are largely responsible for championing the cause to the parents.
- Q: What is the agreement and why should we sign it?
A: The district agreement that spells out the responsibilities and commitments of both the district and Voss & Associates. (agreement) There is no financial transaction so it doesn’t require board approval. That’s your option. In our ongoing pursuit of national sponsors, the question frequently comes up as to the number of districts who have officially signed on to participate. The signed agreement makes your participation official and enables us to fund the campaign so we can offer it to districts at no charge (except printing and duplication of localized materials).
- Q: Is there a manual for schools on communication tactics?
A: We ask that materials be distributed and displayed as much as possible. For example, the “invitation” should go home with every student to introduce parents to the campaign. Posters should go up in schools and community centers. We ask that you work with the local media to run the PSAs and local news stories. We actually encourage districts and schools to develop their own ideas. One district produced “Tell Me How To Be There” buttons for all front-office staff, another honors parents at luncheons for being there for their children. Whatever works in your district and in your school to get the message across is fine with us.
- Q: What does Voss & Associates do and what are my responsibilities?
A: Voss & Associates is responsible for producing all the materials and you are responsible for distributing them. We pay for production and you pay for the printing and duplication of localized materials. We provide helpful resource ideas, such as newsletter templates, on-hold messages and tips for parents and you encourage your people to use them. We link our web sites together. Specifically:
- Voss & Associates role:
- Provide district kit
- Localize materials
- Produce materials
- Provide media support ideas
- Assist in launch
- Create ongoing resource ideas
- Collect personal stories
- Maintain web site
- Support you
- Your role
- Secure internal buy-in
- Select, print and duplicate materials, unless using generic state materials
- Obtain media support
- Launch campaign
- Champion the cause: use logo, articles, personal stories
- Sustain at least two years
- Q: What components should we start with?
A: We suggest districts start with posters and either the 4-page or 8-page brochure/invitation.
- Q: Do you have samples to send me?
A: All samples are on the website. (brochures & posters)
- Q: What does “personalizing” the materials mean?
A: We will individualize the copy in the brochure/invitation with phrases that reflect your district’s goals, strategic plan or tagline. We will also add your district’s name to the materials and can add your logo, if desired.
- Q: What other components does the campaign offer?
A: The campaign offers many components to help support your implementation. You will receive a 30 second public service announcement with your district’s name inserted for use on any television station or for streaming on your website. There is also a video/DVD (see below for specifics), newsletter templates, shared ideas from other districts, radio PSAs, direct mailers, and a variety of other components. Some components are password protected. Once you sign up to participate, you will receive the log-in information.
- Q: Is there a campaign package you could send us to make a decision?
A: The website has all the materials you need to make the initial decision, including a 4-minute video overview. This is an excellent tool to show district administrators when making the decision to join the campaign.
- Q: Can a single school sign up?
A: Since this is a multimedia campaign, using print, electronic and billboard media, the campaign needs to be districtwide, not segmented by school. It is not cost effective to do single schools.
COSTS
- Q: What are my costs?
A: Your only costs are for the printing and duplication of the materials. We have been recommending an organization in Florida, PRIDE, which works with prisoners, teaching them the skills of printing. They print materials for any non-profit organization. Since they are prisoners and don’t receive a salary for their work, you pay only the fees associated with the cost of materials and shipping. The quotes available on our site are estimates ONLY and can change as the costs increase. (2 side flyers, 4 page brochure, 8 page brochure, posters). Of course, you may use your in-house print shop or a local printer that is capable of four-color, processed printing. The choice of printers is yours.
We also have secured bids from a number of national DVD duplicators, who have given us their best prices on duplicating larger quantities. You may choose to duplicate the DVD and distribute to every household or just run the DVD on a local educational or commercial TV station and promote it heavily. You are not required to duplicate the DVD if it plays on broadcast TV, but we encourage it so everyone has a chance to see the inspiring stories.
- Q: Who contacts the printers and duplicators?
A: You must work directly with the printers and duplicators to get current quotes for your specific quantity and to make final arrangements. We can give you contact information for printers and duplicators we know and trust. We can also send a disc or upload the approved, printer-ready documents to your printer and duplicator.
PERSONALIZING THE CAMPAIGN
- Q: Can we use our own photos?
A: Our photos are professionally shot in a high-resolution format that is suitable for printing. They all feature one adult and one child interacting during an everyday moment in life. We have a wide variety of shots to cover diversity and many common situations. If you feel a need to shoot your own, we require that you follow the same format and ask that you let us see it before producing materials. You would be responsible for coordinating and paying for the models and photographer. Also, we request that such photos be available for other districts to use – we’d be happy to give you photo credit.
- Q: Can we design our own materials?
A: Successful media campaigns maintain a consistent look and feel so the target audience can easily recognize and remember them. Voss & Associates has a team of graphic artists designing Be There materials and we prefer that you use them.
- Q: Is there a standard number of posters districts select?
A: No, districts select any number of combinations. Most districts select just two posters to use during the school year. Others choose a couple different ones for each level – elementary, middle and high school. Remember, you will want to order enough to display a few in each school and around your community – in the library, businesses, chamber of commerce, etc.
- Q: Can you create newspaper, ad-mobile, billboard ads?
A: We have a variety of ads available and can adapt them to your size specifications.
- Q: Do you produce personalized radio and television Public Service Announcements?
A: Yes, we send you a complimentary television PSA with your district’s name inserted. We have scripts you can use for the radio PSAs, and we suggest you have the local stations record them for you in their voice, perhaps as a sponsor.
STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION SPONSORSHIP
- Q: If a statewide organization is sponsoring the campaign, what does that mean for my school district?
A: That varies according to the sponsorship. Some organizations are providing generic posters and public service announcements for every district in the state, while others are only helping with billboards and media contacts. Please contact your state’s organization to determine their level of support.
- Q: If we want to personalize the statewide materials, what does that entail?
A: We’ll work with you to personalize the posters and the brochure/invitations with your district’s name, logo and individualized copy at no cost to you. However, your district will be responsible for the costs of printing them.
- Q. Do I need to let someone in the state organization know we’re participating?
A: Yes, whether you are using their generic materials or personalizing the materials for your district, you should contact the state organization that is sponsoring the campaign. They will want to keep track of participating districts.
Launching and Timeline
- How do we kick off the campaign?
A: First, we suggest you find an existing event, such as back to school night, open house, school board meeting, etc., to kick off the campaign. Superintendent and school board members should be in attendance. Second, we suggest you have several parents and teenagers ready to tell their stories of how the students have changed or refocused their life because their parents or another significant adult was there for them. These are the type of stories that inspire other parents and get media coverage. Third, invite the media to attend and give them interview access to the parents and students. We are happy to assist you in developing your plan for launching the campaign.
- What is the general timeline for implementation?
A: There are several timeframes that seem to work for school districts.
1) Starting the campaign in the back-to-school timeframe with a full-blown launch;
2) Starting in January or February before your state tests or around Valentine’s Day (show your love by being there for your child…) with a full-blown launch; or
3) in the spring as a soft launch. It lets the principals and parents know the campaign is coming the following school year.
DVD
- Q: What is our responsibility with the video/DVD
A: The video contains a treasure trove of heartfelt personal stories that show adults turning an ordinary moment in daily life into an extraordinary experience for themselves and their children. You will receive the video on a DVD that can be duplicated for distribution to your parents, used at school events or broadcast on local media. It can also be placed on your web site. The stories may be viewed one at a time or as a 30-minute television program. We can give you the contact information of national duplicators for large quantities.
- Q: Do you provide the labels?
A: We provide a generic label and can add your district’s name or logo. The replicators will produce the labels on each disc.
Foreign language versions
- Q: Do you have a Spanish version of the brochure and posters?
A: At this time we have a Spanish version of one of the eight-page brochures and we can translate the slogan in the posters. You would be able to use the brochure as is if the copy remains the same. Any other change in copy would require you to have it translated. We do not have any other materials translated at this time.
- Q. Do you have translations in any other language?
A: Not at this time, although we hope to provide this as districts with multi-lingual audiences translate their own materials.
Media and sponsor support
- Q: Who finds our sponsors and gets media support?
A: You know your community best – the likely supporters of the campaign and the media contacts. Many districts have created coalitions of organizations to support the campaign, and others have written grants or found local businesses or foundations to underwrite the cost of production. We will be happy to assist you with the presentation and “pitch” to the local media and discuss it with them over the phone, but we cannot personally attend all the meetings.
- Q: How much is the campaign worth and how is it funded?
A: We understand the district budget limitations and the political risk of paying for a media campaign with tax dollars. We also understand the severe limitations of district PR staff. We estimate the value of these high-quality campaign materials at more than $300,000. To pay for this production and our ongoing operations, we have asked for financial help from corporate and foundation sponsors, who only appear on the DVD (we know that some districts are sensitive to sponsors on posters). They will receive credit lines and product placement in the scenarios. Districts do not have to worry about “commercials” or inappropriate sponsors. You always have the right of refusal if you find the materials objectionable.
Year Two of the Campaign
- Q. What can we do in our district to sustain the campaign over year two?
A. Think of this campaign as a snowball that keeps getting bigger the longer it rolls out. The more people hear the same message, the more it becomes a part of their lives.
Since each school district chose different ways to initially implement the campaign, you may consider different ways to sustain it during the second year. You know your budget and what works best in your district. Below are some suggestions for carrying the campaign forward for year two. Feel free to use any of these suggestions below or develop your own ideas. We’re here to assist you in any way to make the campaign work for your district.
- Print and display fresh new posters
- Put ads in your printed parent materials (i.e., Parent Guides, school calendars, sporting event programs, etc.)
- Incorporate Be There into the Superintendent’s back to school messages.
- Duplicate or show the DVD on TV and at Open Houses.
- Send flyers home throughout the year (Samples under Direct Mailers on our website)
- Partner with radio stations to run PSAs (samples from Floyd County, Georgia, now on our website)
- Go to your cable company for more exposure for the TV PSA’s
- Continue to use logo on your materials
- Add Be There messages to your web site
- Link to our web site from your web site
- Find sponsor to pay for billboards, ads in newspapers
- Create Be There buttons or window decals
- Encourage your parent organizations to order specialty items as giveaways or fundraising items (linked on our web site)
- Recognize parents who have been there for their child(ren) at school board meetings
- Continue to remind parents in newsletters and speeches to Be There.
- Make it your own campaign
As always, feel free to contact us for assistance. We will “be there” for you. |
