The role of the club public image committee is to create and implement a plan to tell Rotary’s story to the public and promote the club’s projects and activities. Having strong public relations ensures that communities around the world know that Rotary is a credible organization that meets real needs. When a Rotary club has a positive public image, current members are motivated to be active, and prospective members are eager to join.
 
PROMOTING YOUR ROTARY CLUB
 
The main responsibility of your committee is to create awareness in your community of your club’s projects and activities. This will shape your club’s image in the community. 
 
Here’s what you can do:
• Sponsor special events and projects, such as marathons, recycling efforts, and fundraisers
• Display exhibits in the community 
• Invite community members to participate in club projects and events 
• Encourage members to wear their Rotary pins 
• Make sure your website and social media pages are updated frequently and reflect your club’s activities
• Post Rotary information that is relevant to your community on your club website and social media pages and your community calendar
 
Talk with your committee about other ways to promote your club, and make a plan for implementing them.
 
Your committee’s members should be professionals in the field of public relations, have many community connections, or be Internet savvy. If they don’t have the ideal experience, these tips can help:
• Consider your audience, and tailor your message to it.
• Build relationships with local media outlets. Invite them to participate in a project or event. They may even cover it.
• Deliver your message through various media (TV, newspapers, blogs, social media, billboards, magazine ads, radio ads).
• Use news releases to promote an event or story.
• Encourage your club to host one signature event each year, so that your community will associate your club with that event in an ongoing way.
• Customize a club brochure using the template that’s available in the Brand Center.  Sign into My Rotary on the www.rotary.org website and visit the Rotary Brand Center
 
MEMBERSHIP AND PUBLIC IMAGE
 
The better your club looks to your community, the more members you’ll attract.
 
PROMOTE A POSITIVE IMAGE
Work with your club’s membership committee to determine which professional groups or age demographics you should target and what would attract them. Then determine which media are most likely to reach potential members. Determine how you will work together on recruiting efforts.
To attract new members:
• Get local radio and TV stations to play Rotary public service announcements
• Promote networking opportunities, signature activities, and other benefits of joining Rotary
• Publicize your club’s action-oriented service and activities on your city or town’s website and in newspapers, and invite community members to participate
• Dedicate a section of the club’s website to the public and encourage community organizations to link to it
 
 
ENHANCE CLUB ACTIVITIES FOR MEDIA APPEAL
Your community will be interested in activities and events that benefit it. Invite journalists from local media to your club’s special events.
Work with your club’s administration committee to make club meetings interesting and newsworthy, and work with your service projects committee to make sure your club is undertaking projects that will attract media attention.
For example:
• Projects that meet a community need or coincide with a larger news trend
• International projects supported by your club or a volunteer from your club
• Projects that involve local youth or a prominent community member
• Notable or prominent speakers at club meetings
• Presentations by Rotary program participants and alumni about their experiences in another culture
• Interact and Rotaract activities
• Activities with a strong visual element
• Innovative or unique projects and activities
 
 
The practice of public relations varies throughout the world. Regardless of cultural differences from one country to another, all Rotary clubs have audiences with whom they should communicate, including the media, local government officials, the business community, civic leaders, and other organizations, as well as qualified prospective members and people directly affected by Rotary service projects.
Developing a message for these audiences and finding an appropriate way to deliver it is public relations in action.
 
Components of Public Relations
To understand what public relations
entails, it helps to break it down into its separate components:
• Understanding news
• PR writing
• Media relations
• External relations
• Nontraditional media