Decide: Why do you want publicity? Who is your target audience? Put these together and you should have a clear publicity aim!

Top tips

• Put posters up – in community centres, doctors’ surgeries, clinics, libraries, shops, post offices, schools, churches, your workplace. (Ask first, of course, and don’t forget that fly-posting is illegal…)
• Get notices read out – in school assemblies, at church services, at local political party meetings, other events.
• Consider which media to contact – make a list, remembering local newspapers, radio, TV, magazines, specialist publications and journals, company newsletters or Intranet sites.
• Consider advertising in the local ‘What’s on’ newspaper column, radio slot or Internet page.
• The local grapevine – people hear about things in all sorts of ways so tell everyone (friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, customers, suppliers).
• Don’t forget your local Oxfam shop! They may be able to help with publicity, depending on their staffing levels. They could act as a backdrop for publicity photos, or display a poster in the window. Please call our Oxfam Shop Support Team on 0845 3000 311 before approaching your local shop, to check whether they will be able to help you.
• Identify a spokesperson – this person needs to be well briefed on the event as well as about Oxfam and ideally should be quoted in your news release.
• Write a press release
• Consider timing of publicity – (see Sending a press release)

Remember to keep your target audience in mind at all times, as well as your overall objective.