Jennifer R. Farmer - Extraordinary PR, Ordinary Budget: A Strategy Guide

Praise for Extraordinary PR, Ordinary Budget

When we worked together in the Forward Together Moral Monday movement, Jennifer Farmer skillfully heard me. She allowed me to be myself while highlighting for me and the North Carolina NAACP team foundational communications techniques.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, President, North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, and architect of the Forward Together Moral Movement

Jennifer Farmer is one of the smartest and most talented communicators I know. Shes passionate, knowledgeable, and relatable about her work. Plus, when we spent time together, she made sure I never ate alone.

Ari Berman, Contributing Writer, The Nation

Extraordinary PR, Ordinary Budget is a practical and detailed guide for building and nurturing relationships with the media, relationships that will position your organization to make a lasting impact. This book is beyond helpful; its necessary.

Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director, Advancement Project National Office

The noise in the public square is deafening. And yet, more than ever, the ability to penetrate that noise so that your story can be heard is critical to successfully contesting for power. Jennifer defines a way to think and steps to take to insure your voice is heard. This book, filled with wisdom and practicality, is delivered with humor and passion.

Scott Reed, Executive Director, PICO National Network

I loved this book. It is smart, practical, and filled with personal examples that underscore the authors central message: there are concrete things you can do to promote your organization with or without a large budget. Extraordinary PR, Ordinary Budget is required reading for anyone wishing to use strategic communications to make a difference.

Celinda Lake, Principal, Lake Research Partners

Extraordinary PR, Ordinary Budget is one of those rare books that is straightforward and poignant. It guides readers in crafting an effective and executable PR strategyall on a budget! This is required reading from a trusted PR expert!

Becky Williams, President, SEIU 1199 WV/KY/OH

Extraordinary PR, Ordinary Budget

Copyright 2017 by Jennifer R. Farmer
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First Edition
Paperback print edition ISBN 978-1-62656-993-5
PDF e-book ISBN 978-1-62656-994-2
IDPF e-book ISBN 978-1-62656-995-9

2017-1

Produced and designed by BookMatters, copyedited by Tanya Grove, proofed by Judy Loeven, indexed by Leonard Rosenbaum. Cover designed by Rob Johnson, Toprotype, Inc.

To my children
Cameron and Maya

It is no coincidence that as the granddaughter of a pastor and the daughter of an evangelistwhose mission is to spread the gospelI would enjoy a career as a communications professional. Just as an evangelist sees her work as spreading good news, my calling is to promote good causes that would otherwise go underappreciated. Just as an evangelist rails against sin, I rail against racial and social injustice. My passion for publicizing the work of organizations whose missions resonate with me could be compared to that of an evangelist on a God-directed mission.

I utilize every mode of communication (media relations, public relations, digital media, graphic design, training, events, etc.) to highlight injustice and urge accountability and change. When Im traveling from city to city leading communications and media workshops for mission-driven organizations, Im propelled by a passion to elevate work that would otherwise go unnoticed. The joy I feel upon placing a story about a pressing issue with a moral imperative in a national outlet, such as the New York Times or the Washington Post, or getting a guest column published in the opinion section of CNN.com or other well-respected media outlets is unrivaled. It is how I make an impact.

It should come as no surprise then that public relations and communications is a form of evangelism. I am not alone in this belief. Guy Kawasaki, former communications chief for Apple and author of more than thirteen books, considers himself an evangelist for the causes he passionately promotes. Just like faith is a vehicle for some to achieve great things, I see communications as a tool to help organizations large and small achieve lofty and seemingly impossible goals.

The advice I offer here is drawn from personal experience. Over the course of my career, I have found myself at the center of major social justice movements and political campaigns. I did much of this work as a communications leader with a healthcare and social services union for the West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio region called Service Employees International Union District 1199 (WV/KY/OH), their international affiliate the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the national racial justice organization Advancement Project.

While serving on the international union staff for the SEIU, I spent time in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2011. I witnessed the height of major unrest before and after the passage of the then newly minted Governor Scott Walkers provision limiting collective bargaining for public sector unions.

From 2004 to 2009, I worked on several political and issue-advocacy campaigns in Ohio while employed with the SEIU District 1199 (WV/KY/OH). The campaigns included a Paid Sick Days ballot initiative that would have kept working families from missing much-needed pay due to their illness or their childs illness. I also worked on a ballot initiative to defeat the Colorado-inspired Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR), which would have shrunk government services by restricting revenue growth.

Ive also worked on numerous political campaigns, including a brief stint on President Barack Obamas 2012 re-election campaign as communications director with Obama for America in Nevada, former Ohio Governor Ted Stricklands 2010 re-election campaign, and the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns as a member of the communications staff for SEIU District 1199 (WV/KY/OH).