Effective publicity events are essential in order to gain community awareness and participation. The following is a list of ideas that may be used to increase the reach and impact of important messages.

Media

• Appear on local radio programs
• Appear on local access television programs
• Get the local television station to do a story
• Invite media to shadow an audiologist for a day
• Publish newspaper articles, Letters to the Editor, and advertisements
• Place special inserts in local newspapers
• Run radio public service announcements
• Organize a television or radio interview with an adult in your community living with a hearing problem
• Set up a call-in radio show with an audiologist to let the public “talk to the experts”

Partnering with Organizations

• Events cosponsored with organizations and companies to promote good hearing health, etc.
• Mall events, such as displays
• University events (schools of audiology), education and communication; students may be able to get university credit for volunteering to help with hearing health promotion activities; faculty may give generously of their time; (plan this early)
• Hold a career presentation at a local high school, college, or university to introduce our profession to students
• Display posters on bulletin boards throughout your community at work, local schools, shopping centres, community centres, churches, etc.
• Offer an information session to members of the community who wish to find out more about audiology and hearing
• Provide colouring activity sheets to be put in your waiting room, doctor’s offices, etc.
• Supply your local pharmacies/grocery stores with audiology and hearing literature and ask them to include it in the bag with each customer’s purchase
• Hold an open house or health fair where co-workers, clients, community members, and the general public are invited to visit your facilities
• Offer hearing screenings and demonstrate equipment such as FM amplification systems, assistive listening devices, etc.
• Participation of local legislators; for example, health screenings of legislators at municipal, provincial, and federal levels
• Church bulletin inserts
• Create a speakers bureau consisting of audiologists (offer to give workshops to local businesses, schools)
• Display a poster in the lobby of your hospital
• Do a presentation about audiology and hearing at the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, social clubs, etc.
  

  Other Ideas

• Restaurant table tents
• Banner
• Fridge magnets
• Luncheon and breakfast placemats
• Proclamation
• Create sticker or stamp to put on outgoing mail
  

  Promotional Materials May Be Distributed to:

  Local businesses, local malls, local restaurants, health clubs, schools, libraries, local grocery stores, laundromats, movie theaters, daycare, centers, youth centers, banks, hair salons, hospitals, medical, optometrist, and dental offices, senior citizen homes, public health departments, and health organizations and clubs (Red Cross, Lions Clubs, etc.).