Present: Chair Jenifer Tilton Flood, Jessica Nixon, Julia Fiori, John Portella, Bryan Roche, Nathan McIvor, Maria Staples
The Communications Task Force met electronically for its monthly meeting on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, The Task Force discussed during their regularly scheduled meeting the following:
Social Marketing and the upcoming Commission Retreat
Tilton Flood shared that a session during the September Commission Retreat will focus on the concept of social marketing. Tilton Flood went on to explain the concept, which are initiatives to change or maintain people's behavior. In the case of Volunteer Maine, it would be to instill an ethic of service in the state. The Commission is looking for a presenter, and Tilton Flood asked the group to see if they may know someone who could educate the Commission on the topic.
Staff update, delivered by Nathan McIvor
McIvor took the group through the July marketing and communications metrics. The report is available here. McIvor highlighted the success of social media campaigns centered around brand awareness and AmeriCorps recruitment, which yielded an increase in reach and engagement on Instagram, Facebook. McIvor also shared that he is working on a storytelling project to capture and share how National Service programs in Maine are responding to COVID-19.
Communications and the Newsroom Approach
Tilton Flood turned the floor over to Roche to propose a new structure to Task Force meetings, with the idea of increasing involvement of Task Force Members. Roche shared how he and McIvor use a "newsroom" approach where every Monday, the two would meet for an hour to pitch stories and determine priorities. Roche proposed that monthly meetings open in that fashion, where each Task Force member brings a story or idea that can be amplified through Volunteer Maine Channels or pursued by Roche as a in-house feature piece or a media pitch. The group welcomed the idea.
The meeting concluded with a unanimous share of appreciation for the efforts Staples and McIvor. Staples announced she will be departing the Commission while McIvor's internship concludes on the 21st of August. Both will be missed by all!
With no additional business, Tilton Flood thanked everyone for their efforts and participation. The next Task Force meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 9, 2020.