Greenville County Parks, Recreation, & Tourism Marketing and Community Relations Plan

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1 Greenville County Parks, Recreation, & Tourism Marketing and Community Relations Plan 1

2 Table of Contents I. Greenville County Parks, Recreation, & Tourism II. III. IV. GCPRT Mission Statement Goals Marketing and Community Relations Strategies V. Marketing Research VI. VII. VIII. Media Emergency Communication Coordinator 2

3 I. Greenville County PRT Greenville County Parks, Recreation, & Tourism (GCPRT) Marketing and Community Relations Plan establishes strategies to complement the initiatives, goal, and mission of the Department. GCPRT s plan is intended to function as a guideline for marketing efforts necessary to achieve the Department s goals and objectives. It is a plan of action for GCPRT employees to utilize in promoting the leisure programs, services, and facilities offered by GCPRT to the citizens of Greenville County. The Plan includes creative marketing and community relations strategies to promote the benefits of participating in recreation and parks programs to existing and potential customers. II. GCPRT Mission Statement Our Mission: To be a leader in providing diverse, dynamic, and ever-improving recreation opportunities in a sustainable manner. III. IV. Goals Provide accurate, timely information about programs, facilities, and services to the citizens of Greenville County Solicit input from citizens to ensure that current and future programs, facilities, and services meet their needs and are cost-effective Motivate citizens to participate in planned recreation programs and events Motivate citizens to visit County parks and facilities Educate internal and external customers on the benefits of recreation and the value it adds to the County and to their quality of life Help improve community relations through support of programs, initiatives offered by other City and County departments Solicit input from citizens to ensure that are planned and serve the needs of all demographics Solicit input from citizens on how to ensure that programs, facilities, and services Marketing and Community Relations Strategies GCPRT is committed to strong community relations. The purpose is to communicate information to citizens that directly and indirectly affects their lives. The basic premise is that shared knowledge is critical to maintaining open lines of communication between the department and the community. Agency Brochure (Adventures in Recreation) Published by GCPRT, offers citizens a variety of educational, sports, and recreation programs for children and adults. The guide informs readers of upcoming events within the district. The guide contains a park facility and amenities list, a map showing park locations, and information about all of the programs and services provided by the 3

4 Department. The leisure guide is available at our facilities to residents and nonresidents. 15,000 copies of the leisure guide are printed and distributed each year. News Releases are generated by the Community Relations Division. The news releases are reviewed by the Deputy Director and then sent for distribution to local media and other employees. The division director ensures that the message is appropriate and professional. Annual Report published by the GCPRT s Community Relations Division, offers citizens a detailed report of the previous fiscal year s activities and financial status. The Citizen s Report, first published in FY2001 and each year since, includes information on all GCPRT departments. This report is available to the public as an online publication. The report is prepared in the fall of the year for the preceding fiscal year. Flyers designed and printed by GCPRT, are used frequently to target specific events such as day camps, sports registrations and camps, specialty classes, new programs, and more. These flyers are posted in strategic locations in facilities and parks, and may be mailed directly to past and potential participants. Flyers are often distributed in the local school system and with community partners. Web Site managed by the Community Relations Division, provides valuable and complete information about the Department s programs and services to customers. GCPRT s website contains all of the information about the Department, parks, and recreation services offered by the Department. Employee all employees with computer work stations have access. Information about upcoming department events is sent to all networked employees. Employees are asked to post these s for employees without access. Generic addresses are utilized for contact information about recreation programs instead of name-specific addresses, in the event that an employee is no longer employed or re-assigned duties. Examples of this include; DIAdmissions@gcrd.org, frontdesk@gcrd.org, afterschool1@gcrd.org, westsideadmissions@gcrd.org, etc. Division supervisors are usually the recipient of generic s. E-Newsletter a monthly electronic newsletter highlighting upcoming events and notable department news to over 17,000 recipients. E-Blast electronic e-blasts are broadcast as needed basis to inform patrons about upcoming events. Social Media maintain an active and consistent presence on social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Post, tweets, and videos are used to inform the public about parks and recreation news and events as well as to generate informal dialog with patrons. 4

5 Speakers Bureau a list of staff and topics available for public presentations to civic clubs, neighborhood organizations, and supportive agencies. Community Involvement the Community Relations Director serves as a representative of the Department on many community collaborative initiatives including LiveWell Greenville and the Disability Network. V. Marketing Research Marketing research provides information used to build and evaluate the marketing and community relations plan. Research identifies problems, concerns, and new ideas for recreation and parks programs and services. Some of the research methods utilized by GCPRT are noted below: Participant evaluations Customer/citizen surveys (countywide and department-specific) Public meetings Staff meetings and employee performance evaluations Informal observation, discussions with customers, etc. Demonstration projects Meetings with homeowners associations Meetings with civic organizations Meetings with youth athletic associations GCPRT utilizes information obtained through marketing research methods to improve the programs and services provided to the community, and to ensure that the offerings meet the needs of the citizens. VI. Media Greenville County s Public Information Officer coordinates all media communications. Information requested through the Freedom of Information Act shall be referred to the County Administrator s Office. Requests by the media for information on departmental issues, funding, department policies, or controversial topics shall be referred to the Community Relations Division (or designee) who will coordinate with Greenville County s Public Information Officer for a response. Written publicity materials should be proofread and checked for accuracy by at least two other staff members prior to publication, including the staff member s direct supervisor. Any correspondence from staff written on the Department s letterhead that expresses an opinion or explains GCPRT policy on an issue, shall be consistent with County of Greenville policies and coordinated through the Director and/or Deputy Director prior to its release. 5

6 VII. Emergency Communication Plan In the event of an emergency or crisis situation, GCPRT staff on the scene may be asked to make statements or give on-the-spot interviews. GCPRT staff should direct members of the media to the Community Relations Department who will coordinate with Greenville County s Public Information Officer for official comment. If comment is made to the media, then GCPRT staff members shall inform their immediate supervisors of the comments made (and to whom) as soon as reasonably possible. VIII. Coordinator The Executive Director is ultimately responsible for the proper administration of the community relations plan for GCPRT. GCPRT works under the guidelines as set forth by the County. The Executive Director assigns specific duties and responsibilities for the implementation of the plan to the Deputy Director. The Deputy Director reviews all information related to the programming aspects and facilities management of GCPRT. Duties may be delegated when appropriate to front-line staff for the proper administration of the plan. Latest revision: October

2018 Marble Easter Offering Grant Application. NAME OF ORGANIZATION: (501)(c)(3) entity Yes No AMOUNT OF REQUESTED GRANT: $10,000 ; $5,000 ; $2,500

1 2018 Marble Easter Offering Grant Application Please complete and provide information and documentation for Section I Section XV and submit online to Easteroffering@marblechurch.org with the heading