How To Get Your Leader's Commencement Address Message To A Million Eyeballs

Every good, timely [and well-written] speech has the potential to reach a big audience. Yet, few do.

Your leader's great stories, important themes and opinions on how to improve the Nation, State, City or Industry should...and can... reach a much larger global audience without busting the budget.

Through tweaking and growing the communications-marketing strategies supporting THE LEADER, an organization can expand its media footprint, while polishing its image in the marketplace and the world of ideas.

So here come the 2018 Commencement Exercises... Spring, Summer and Winter 2018.

Few speech forums generate more news stories than those delivered at college commencements. This essay focuses on College Commencements, but most of the recommended steps can be applied in support of other major addresses.

So, is one of your executives speaking at a graduation ceremony? If so, congratulations. If not, why not? Your organization is missing a great opportunity.

Since their introduction at Harvard in 1642, commencement addresses have touched legions of American collegians.

Commencement agnostics question the need for speakers. Regardless of critic-angst, millions of people on-and-off campus pay attention to prominent speakers’ ideas, especially when quoted by major dailies and the electronic media.

Yet, what of lesser-known presenters, and those not appearing on the stages of hallowed Ivy League and other name brand institutions?

How many citizens access these thoughtful, and on occasion, poignant and equally important messages? With the standard speech support system in place, not many.   

I’ve been told, quality improves reach.

However, beyond the campus and surrounding communities, VERY dedicated alumnae and the orator’s organization, “the message” often fades well before freshly-minted grads return their rented gowns.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

EMPOWERING THE MESSAGE

An engaging good-to-great speech can gain hundreds of thousands – perhaps millions -- more eyes and ears, without major assistance from America’s traditional media royalty, including the New York Times.   

A commencement address provides a special speaker-audience emotional connection: a platform to articulate engaging, story-supported visions. In providing the speaker with deep, innovative support, an organization can significantly grow the benefits gained from a commencement engagement.

Think: recruitment, fundraising, grants, market value, product identity, leadership growth and more.

In describing this alternative plan, I’ll use “Best University” as the primary staging area. Many of my executive communications colleagues are well into the process of getting the words and logistics right for Spring 2018.

 Never-the-less, in the next four to six weeks a solid communications team can add a few wrinkles that result in a better return on your efforts. Then come the Summer and Winter graduations. Grow that footprint.

Pick and choose the steps that best fit your team capabilities and organization’s needs. Good luck.

Back to the beginning. 

INVITATIONS ARRIVE

Speaking invitations arrive. Best University (BU) is one of several. However, BU, is your speaker’s Alma Mater. So, it gets an immediate “yes”. With a caveat.

Whether its a commencement or a keynote at a major convention, you need process buy-in from the event organizers. Your vigorous communications plan can bring considerable value for all involved.

Yet, success requires significant cooperation between you and the host institution’s communications team.

You’ll carry most of the water… but their active participation is essential. They are the door openers. Without them, it’s a waste of your resources, especially the time and energy required of the speaker. This is a big deal, not a calendar-filling transaction.

For the rest of those applicants? It’s the normal competition.

What does each offer? Will publications highlight her/him? How good is the communications team? Genuine partners, or just proforma press releases and a passive website?

Again, for this example we focus on commencements.

Will return on investment justify your active participation? If not, give them a rain check: maybe later. Best University will tax your resources.

What will Best’s commencement manager provide? What about Best’s website and content team? How about lists of expected attendees, including journalists, significant BU alumnae and political officials? Get them ASAP.

Many universities run spring, summer and winter commencements… often several in a week. Each semester, Best celebrates five. This stretches BU’s team, but it’s not their first rodeo. They are veterans; don’t let them off easy. Lean, if necessary.

Does BU have strong ties to particular national, regional or local journalists? Secure names and cell numbers. Get introductions. Again, make contact ASAP.

Get door-openers with campus radio, TV and newspapers. Setup interviews. Your speaker can do most of these from off campus.

 In quest of a big “national” footprint, we may overlook the local press. Yet, unlike the national press, the locals print many “soft” Best University stories. And, with the Internet in play no story is just “local”. Give them a hook and wrap the subsequent story into your social media.   

When interviews go well, feed video/stories to employees… “nice to work for a winner” …and these also can be packaged for clients, investors, members, financial contributors and others.

How strong is your speaker and/or your organization’s BU ties? Approach Alumni and other BU college publications. Many Arts & Sciences, Communications and other colleges - and alumni-development departments – produce original online content. Check it out.

BESTING THE BIG NAMES

Once your speaker says yes, move quickly!

Press releases go... Post on your and their website… social media goes active.

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more. …

A month out, your organization’s recruiters can visit BU. Seniors, grad students and undergrads love this. Their thumbs will get the word out. Additional executives or supporters of your market and/or social role can appear at seminars and other “special events”, perhaps in part sponsored by you.

Do something. Stir it up. Show active interest. Promote a relationship, not a one-off transaction. Photo-words of these events and actions get you on Social Media.

A day or two out, targeted receptions link your leader to students and faculty involved in other commencements. So…invite top grads and department heads, plus alumni. Honor them. Great bonding and face-time.

Selfies are VERY welcome. More social media, thank you. Increased online activity drives interest in your leader, the big speech and the organization.

Perhaps, an intimate off-campus breakfast “hello” for leading shareholders or customers/dealers/suppliers? Small gatherings can bring BIG returns.  

FINALS

Video cameras in-place? Great to have two or more. If BU is not covering, you MUST. This is core.

The speaker walks to the rostrum after the great introduction done (your team provided content, maybe wrote it). She/he begins the speech. She/he is on point; the audience applauds.

Parents, friends and grads tweet, photo and video: a growing wave of social media. 

Speech quotes prepared before the event, move online: start-to-finish, as she/he speaks.

How does he/she look, now, in real-time? Observe student reactions (maybe put out a follow-up survey).

After your earlier work and the speech’s delivery, there will probably be some post-speech interviews, on and off campus.

Now, the speaker is nearly done… You’re not.

POST SPEECH DAYS

Video goes to the host’s website. Get it on yours, in 48 hours or less. Less is best. Journalists can revisit when it’s still a story. Keep video's REAL applause volume LOUD. Nice advertisement.

What other vendor/association sites want all or parts of video? If she’s including an issue of particular importance to them, the industry or the cause – it may work.

Build this process of extended connection well before the event. Move the video and other content quickly to them. How about tapping linking up with their social media?

Send a transcript to David Murray at Vital Speeches of the Day. Contact American Rhetoric, a phenomenal collection of speeches, it requires transcript and video. These and other exhibition sites will get hits for the organization for months to come.  

With adequate response, interpretation and introduction of new material by your team, other national and international media may pick-up.

A week-plus after the address, bloggers and other social media pros, while remaining linked to the earlier event, massage and grow the message, tying it more directly to the organization’s specific goals and concerns.

Hit those creative buttons. Segments, plus photos of crowd/school aid recruiting for the school and you. Rework for investors/donors. Each target group gets a different weave. Employees and organization-wide functions can also benefit from this work.

THE REVIEWS

Now, your team does a brain dump. Then you meet with the speaker. Feedback time. WATCH THE VIDEO TOGETHER... Hear “what was right and what could have been better”. Listen closely. Dialogue. Post-speech reviews improve quality and build trust.

The days of just shipping off an executive alone and asking how it went upon return are over.

A strong presence on social media, engaging campus-local media tie-ins (and their online presence), deepening university relations, partnering with vendors online to increase exposure, as well as building creative special events, are just a few of the many vehicles that can grow a reputation, as you expand the media footprint.

Once a one-off, peripheral event, Commencement speeches can now launch or buttress a campaign that gives the hosts, the speaker and your organization a BIG edge.

So, build out and integrate those speech support systems for all major addresses...

?((Seeking project, part-time or full-time communications-community relations work with non-profits, gov. agencies, healthcare, higher education and environmental organizations))