GUEST BLOG - RSN Communications and Marketing Training

As this event was run by us we asked one of the attendees from a Target: Wellbeing project to act as a guest writer on our blog and tell us what she thought. If you'd like to write about any of the Target: Welbeing events or training you've attended let us know at targetwellbeing@groundwork.org.uk

Date of Event: Tuesday 23rd June 2009
Organised by: Target: Wellbeing, Regional Support Network
Venue: Groundwork NW, Manchester
Report by: Julie Denham, Marketing & Design Officer from Age Concern Mid Mersey (www.acmm.org.uk), which runs the Trust Matters 50+ Counselling Service Project, part of the the Target: Wellbeing programme in St Helens

"Right from the outset I felt hopeful about this training and was not disappointed. It proved to be a small interactive group with an informal and relaxed feel to it.

The training itself began with a helpful overview of branding requirements, a few useful hints and tips regarding best practice for marketing material content and layout, and an all important checklist to avoid those costly (but all too easy) mistakes. We had a good run through too of the communications and marketing options available to us, including a discussion of some very practical and effective methods often overlooked. We received some good tips too on dealing with the press, and putting together targeted press releases with a style appropriate for the specific media. A discussion of marketing planning brought each of the elements together with a strong message that one size very much doesn’t fit all.

Instead throughout was a strong message of the need to understand what each of us wanted to achieve from our marketing, what message we wanted to get across and to whom, what style and format those messages should take and a consideration of the media and methods most appropriate for our target audiences, including the messages we might want to get across to those who could help us achieve our targets!

Altogether an excellent session - well thought through, informal and friendly providing opportunity for participants to discuss and think about individual project needs. I came away feeling I’d gained fresh ideas and a different perspective on old ones."

The Regional Support Network are planning more Communications and Marketing training sessions which will be launched in September. If you would like to notify us of your interest in taking part email Rhiannon at rhiannon.davies@groundwork.org.uk. You can also contact Rhiannon for a list of training and networking session taking place between now and September.