Don’t tarry reading e-mail – you should be outside! So, we’ll keep this brief: The Kate Tallent Design & Communications eNewsletter has a new look, and we want to remind you about some of our services.

KTDC maintains a “virtual studio,” engaging the ideal professional for your project. Depending on your needs, we tap writers, public relations experts, translators, information architects or other profes- sionals.

Essentially, we offer the team of a larger design agency – but without the cost of an account executive. This eNewsletter focuses on KTDC affiliates Capture Video and public relations expert Judith Keyserling. Enjoy!

Kate Tallent,
Principal
kate@katetallentdesign.com

New media production lets you reach – and remain in contact – with a mass audience. Using techniques that show, rather than tell, and that pack an emotional punch, video can communicate your mes- sage in an effective way.

Target Your Audience
A benefit of new media production is that it can reach a mass audience through its versatility. You can develop one message and use it a dozen different ways. For example, you can commission a 15-minute recruitment DVD that covers your organization’s history, goals and needs. The same content can be used to produce a six- minute mission video for presentations. And then, a shortened version of that video can be posted on your Web site for anyone who wants to know more about your organization.

Make Your Case
What’s the best way to share your organization’s message? Video can deliver messages on several levels. If traditional marketing materials are about “tell,” then video is about “show”: showing your organization’s work, accomplishments, beneficiaries, clients, workers, products, ideas or ideals.

Evoke Emotion
The best way to reach your audience is through emotion: pulling at the heartstrings with a moving story, tickling the belly with a humorous approach or demonstrating how your organi- zation can allay their worries or fears. Consider how you might craft an emotional appeal.

Stay in Touch
Keep your target audience informed about the latest news, services, initiatives, products or progress in your organization. A 30-second or one-minute video e-mail, perhaps monthly or quarterly, can show what the organization is achieving, from progress reports on projects to long-term goals.

Branding in Motion
New media can educate, motivate and influence clients, employees and audiences. But many organizations don’t know how to use this tool effectively. KTDC partners with Capture Video to enhance visual-media projects for Washington-area nonprofits, marketing and PR agencies and human resource directors.

If you’re interested in bolstering the impact, image and reach of your organization (and who isn’t?), consider adding public relations to your communications program. It’s a versatile, cost-effective tool and one of the most powerful in a marketer’s toolbox. And it comes in various forms:

– Annual reports paint a picture of your organization’s progress, accomplishments and financial status over a year’s time. They’re usually of interest to sup- porters, funders, employees and other stakeholders.

– Newsletters can build relationships with constituents on an ongoing basis, with up-to-date information about programs, projects, awards, meetings, seminars and new initiatives. Newsletters also can give donors and sponsors visibility through profiles, logos and other exposure.

– My favorite is media relations (publicity), which can foster awareness and good will for your organization. Through coverage in the trade and consumer media, you can tell the story of your good works; gain credibility; build a positive identity; reinforce your fundraising activities; and drive strangers to your Web site. Investing $5,000 or $10,000 in this area could easily garner $50,000 to $100,000 in media coverage (though there are no guarantees).

– Events, too, can garner new supporters who share your philosophy, while creating news that can be spread through the media.

The various expressions of public relations can be invaluable to your overall communications strategies and deliver a very big bang for the buck.

Explore the KTDC Web site at www.katetallentdesign.com to learn more about our services, examine our print and Web processes, and review our creative portfolio. KTDC designs solutions that deliver information clearly, offering an integrated communications approach that provides a return on your organization's investment.

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