Student Organization Handbook

How to Publicize an Event

The following is a list of tips designed to assist groups being funded by the Cultural Events Committee to reach potential audiences for activities that the Committee supports.

-When surveyed, students consistently cite The Potpourri (also known as The Pot) as their most frequently used source of information about campus events. The Pot is distributed on Monday and Thursday evenings on the dining room tables in Lowry Center. It is distributed on Mondays in Kittredge Dining Hall.

-Information for The Pot is to be print-ready on white paper in black ink, no larger than 4" by 5" (smaller is preferred) and placed in the POT box across from the mail slot in Lowry Center or can be emailed to pot@wooster.edu. Submissions must be signed and include your department name and campus extension. The POT deadline is 5 p.m. on the day before publication (Sunday and Wednesday).

- A Poster in the front Lowry Stairwell is the next most frequently used source. Posters must be approved for posting in the Lowry Center Director’s office and hang for three days. Posters can be renewed for three additional days by taking them to the Director’s Office and having them re-stamped. Placing posters in the Kittredege lobby is also advised. No stamping is required for posting in Kittredge.

-Posters in academic buildings and residence halls: There are few restrictions to hanging these posters except not to place them on bulletin boards that clearly are designated for other purposes or on the window of doors in the residence halls!

-The Wooster Voice: As a rule, the Voice’s deadline is the Monday prior to the Friday issue. Feature stories, reviews, or ads are all possible ways to get coverage in the Voice. Note that the Voice generally prefers to write its own story rather than reprint a news release.

-Many, but not all, students read the Wooster Headline News. Announcements to WHN are emailed to whn_editor on the day prior to proposed publication. NOTE: They will only run your announcement for a maximum of two days.

-Direct addressed campus mailings to students who are known or logically suspected to have potential interesting a topic can be effective. Such mailings of over 25 pieces need to be submitted bundled in box order to the mailroom.

-Stuffings in mailboxes are not a recommended publicity outlet. Students do not rank it highly. Mass mailings to all students must contain essential information, a criterion which most campus events fail to meet. The Director of Lowry Center must pre-approve all mass mailings.

-Sandwich board in front of Lowry Center: Available on the day of the event, the sandwich board stands in the middle of student traffic. Reserve it through the Facilities Scheduling Office.

-Streaming message on plasma television screens in The Wired Scot. The new plasma television screens include a running message across the bottom of the screen. Once policies for its use are determined, it could become a viable publicity outlet.

-Increasingly, the College web page is featuring more information about campus events. As such, it may be becoming an effective location for publicity. The College web page is also accessed heavily by the public, including College alumni. College webmaster Peter James is the contact person about requesting inclusion on the home page.

-The Office of Public Information is the College’s conduit to local and area media including the Wooster Daily Record. Contact the office to discuss publicity efforts off campus.

-Bob Rodda in the Lowry Center’s Director’s Office would be happy to consult about ways to reach students. He can be contacted at extension 2062 or rrodda@wooster.edu.

-To reach faculty and staff

-Wooster Headline News (see above) is an effective way to reach faculty and staff. Sharing information with faculty and staff may be the predominant success of WHN. Announcements to WHN are e-mailed to whn_editor on the day prior to proposed publication.

-Increasingly, the College web page is featuring more information about campus events. As such, it may be becoming an effective location for publicity. College webmaster Peter James is the contact person about requesting inclusion on the home page.

-Direct addressed campus mailings are equally and perhaps even more effective with faculty and staff then with students.

-To reach the public:

-The Office of Public Information is the College’s conduit to local and area media including the Wooster Daily Record. Contact the office to discuss publicity efforts off campus.

-The College web page is accessed heavily by the public, including college alumni. As such, it is becoming an effective location for publicity outside of the College. Webmaster Peter James is the contact person about requesting inclusion on the home page.

-Direct addressed mailings to colleagues and others off campus who are known or logically suspected to have potential interest in a topic is a way to insure that the target audiences learn about the event.