ALEXANDRIA, VA, 2015-3-24 — /EPR Retail News/ — NACS has published a new Public Relations Toolkit to help retailers launch their own publicity efforts in their communities — from how to write a press release and craft talking points to how to pitch an interview and elicit great media coverage.
The 24-page NACS Public Relations Toolkit includes overviews, tips and examples of how to create and refine a public relations program. It is the latest deliverable from the NACS reFresh initiative that addresses ongoing industry perceptions by providing convenience retailers with tools to evolve their in-store offer and elevate their image in their community.
The NACS Public Relations Toolkit complements NACS’ ongoing media relations training programs that are offered at select NACS and other industry events. Over the past decade, NACS media has conducted more than 5,000 interviews with the general media and trained hundreds of retailers, suppliers and state association executives during media training sessions.
“These days, media relations goes far beyond the traditional press. Today, everyone is reporting ‘news’ on some level, especially on social media. By using basic public relations strategies and gaining some additional exposure for your efforts, you will be able to more successfully attract consumers to your stores and improve the reputation of your brand,” said NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives Jeff Lenard.
The primer is the fourth deliverable from the NACS reFresh initiative. NACS released two other resources earlier this month: “How Convenience Stores Work and Their Contributions to Communities,” a primer defining 10 key areas of the convenience store business, and “Building the Business Case for Produce Sales at Convenience Stores,” the first primer co-published by NACS and United Fresh to help grow produce sales in convenience stores. In late 2014, NACS also posted more than 100 Ideas 2 Go video segments that showcase exceptional convenience retailing.
“Today, media relations is about more than just press coverage. It’s about projecting the message you want to convey about your business. Stories will be written about your business — and our industry. This suite of tools that we developed for members will make sure that these stories can be framed in a positive light,” said Lenard.
NACS will publish additional toolkits in the coming weeks.
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Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS (nacsonline.com) is the international association for convenience and fuel retailing. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 151,000 stores across the country, posted $696 billion in total sales in 2013, of which $491 billion were motor fuels sales. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,600 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.