Help me with some targeted publicity.

[Peter B]

The orienteering notice board here at school is badly in need of revamping. This is possibily the only way of getting round to kids what the sport is and actually how good it is. All the pupils get a session or two of the sport during thier games session in Year 7, after that there isn't anything about it in P.E. or games. Those who like the sport after this introduction session are urged to attend local C5s etc.

The problem that I think we (the sport) is facing when trying to attract some juniors is that for quite a lot, they may know the name and briefly what the sport is about, but not really a good enough understanding. It's the approach where orienteering isn't really 'cool'.

What we need (and what I am trying to get at from the 'O'-board) is some way of getting these juniors to realise that orienteering is actually really really cool, exciting etc. Obviously not every sport is for everyone so we're not going to get everyone into it, but there must be at least a portion of the 'audience' (in this case our school) who can be pursaded by the publicity.

So - what I am looking for are some design ideas, or how to get across to the pupils effectively. The message needs to be that it is actually a thoroughly enjoyable and exciting sport, despite the natural press it must be getting, for some reason. I think one of the most important things are photos - runners crashing through forest, etc. Something to try and get the message across. Future local events, contacts etc. The board is about 105x85cm but probably only can be used for 'publicity'. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Peter

[Guest]

Peter mate - you need the nopesport CD to print some posters off - get one sent out!

[SJ]

I've seen wicked photos of orienteers where they are running really hard and the background is blurry but they are in focus - they are attention grabbing photos which make it obvious that it is an individual sport - without a rucksack!

the nope guys sent me a cd last year for uwoc with some great images

[mharky]

Good photos, very good photos

[Carnage Head]

I'm going to shamelessly quote from a posting I wrote for another discussion ('Orinteering is / orienteering means...'):

In my efforts to get an o club up and running at the small (290 pupils) secondary school I teach at, I had the same PR issue as Peter B identified, and I chose to use 'Sport Orinteering' as the title of a poster I made and distributed. On this poster, there was also the flash 'physically mental and mentally physical' (also suggested earlier in the string), plus the best 'action' pics from the web (inc the omnipresent 'sprinting Mharky').

Result: seven pupils at the first session, with the promise of a handful more in the week after the half-term holidays, and I count that as a success. Once the club is established, I will be referring to it as plain 'orienteering', but Stodge's suggestion seems to have worked at this stage...

I also showed Sky's footage of the Surrey leg of the World Cup, which all seven wanted to see more of (to the extent that they a couple of them were begging to keep watching it at 5pm, when their parents were waiting to pick them up outside...)

Peter B - let me know what you did, and if it worked!

[Peter B at Waterloo]

Will do!
I think I#m going to get the nope CD anyway