Public Relations Strategy Paper - Essay Example

These tools are designed as public outreach events, lasting five days to two weeks, aimed at encouraging students, teachers, and the general public to view the school as friendly. It will encourage contributions in different ways, to ensure the school gets a good reputation and see to it that the target group becomes interested in the events, with ideas shared to maximize the impact on the target group. In the general strategic plan, event planning is one of the most important tools, which in respect to public school would best take the form of a festival, ceremony, competition, convention or a party (Japheth, 2006 pg 5).

This will be the duty of the School Board to decide the best event. However, it will be imperative to kindly note that whichever event they choose will follow criteria similar to all. After the board approves the budget for the event(s), dates and alternative dates will have to be set. It will also be a collective duty for the planners to select and reserve the event site, acquire permits from the necessary authorities, coordinate transportation and parking. Once the event has been decided upon by the Board, a theme or a motif for the event will have to be developed which will have a focus aimed at publicity.

Should the event require speakers, arrangements for them as well as alternative speakers will be required. Also important is to coordinate location support, such as electricity and other utilities, arranging dcor, chairs, tables, tent, police, catering, toilets, parking and signage. This is not to forget event support and security, emergency, clean up as well as health care professionals who would attend to any fatalities. In order that all the involved parties in the event share a common mental picture of the event in question, a simple training will have to be organized by Fairfax to assist them in handling all the event pressure and work efficiently.

Since it is a communication based event, a qualified coordinator, planner or an event manager will be necessary lest the event takes the wrong direction which might work against building good publicity e.g. an accident that goes unattended would tarnish the school's image as nave. Since the purpose for the event is to create a good publicity for the school, deadlines must be met. Press ConferenceStriving for good school publicity, a positive message must be considered. I would recommend a strong slogan such as: "Fairfax County Public School, the place to be", which would be captivating to everyone without sounding exaggerated.

Press releases would be made from the school compounds, with students from all races seen smiling. It would also be important to show that the school has over 168,000 students enrolled, making it the largest public school system in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area and in Virginia (Lucy McKenzie,2009). On the press conference, which would be held in the school, it would be a great idea to have the superintendent of schools hammer the sentiments that the school division is the largest in the nation, and also maintains the largest fleet of school buses in the United States (Lucy McKenzie, 2009)The best method for distributing press releases would be through snail mail, where a creative subject such as the slogan, "Fairfax County P