The Chainlink

Please respond with ideas of how we can promote our rides.  Even better if you can tell us what you have done or will do to help promote rides.

Here's a list of things that have been done so far:

Momentum magazine article
DailyCandy listing
TimeOut Chicago Kids listing
KidicalMass.org listing
Chainlink bike calendar
Bike Chicago calendar
Active transportation calendar
Derailleur (for Chicago Critical Mass)
notes posted to CCM & chainlink forums
fliers at CCM and posted in park field houses, libraries, bike shops and on bike racks

I would love to get stories about our Kidical Mass rides into the media (print, TV, radio, etc.), but I have no experience with this.  Any suggestions for what media would be easy to get into or would be most effective for us?  Any suggestions for how one goes about it?

Also, what other online things might help, FaceBook?  MySpace?, others?

Todd Gee has offered web space for Kidical Mass but I haven't yet taken the time to do anything on it.  However, I think it could be useful.  I would like to establish a flier repository for everyone to share fliers they have made.  A photo gallery might also be useful.  What else should we use a website for?  How would we make our website easy to find through Google, etc.?

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Replies to This Discussion

Howard's fax is programmed to broadcast your press release to 40+ local news orgs.
Thanks Rachel, I will talk to Howard about how to put out a press release.

Does anybody have any suggestions or guidelines for making a press release? How long should it be? Can it include a photo?
I have announced the rides on the Logan Square parents' list as well as my Logan Square playgroup list. This seems to attract a lot of people. I know Ashlee (partner to Ricardo) has had luck by announcing to her mother's group as well.
What about Alderman e-newsletters? Posters at local YMCA's and public parks?
I was interviewed last week by the WZRD radio. They wanted to know about A.P.B. Albany Park Bikes who's & What's, etc. They also asked me about Kidical Mass & how A.P.B. was being involved with this ride. I've passed out at the 17Th District for they're Caps meeting announcements. The Alderman's office. I did use Active Trans Calendar as well. We had printed 100 fliers. + some larger one's . as well. I when to my contacts & asked if they would send this pdf flier to they're contacts. I think if you have good relations with the communities this will help greatly.
Go the next Chicago School Board Public meeting and ask if they want to partner with y'all. Another option would be to reach out to the ever powerful Action for Healthy Kids nonprofit. They basically own the active children NPO industry. However they are totally owned by the Milk Industry so I don't know if you're into that...

Illinois Action for Healthy Kids

Contact List

Volunteer Chair
Linda Dawson
ldawson@iasb.com
Liaison
Sandra Brown
sbrown@midwestdairy.com
Liaison
Joyce Fikri
jfikri@stldairycouncil.org
I could try and suck up to the "Healthy Kids" with a sign like "BGH - breakfast of champions! MOO!"

I would like to do something with a school although I'm concerned they might not care for our structure of being free, open, unwaivered, uninsured, etc. And parents typically think of school related events as ones where the school is taking reponsibility for their child's safety. Our model so far is that a parent or guardian must come out with their kids and that they are responsible for their child's safety and behavior.
There's a gal at my work who has some sort of connections to a number of kid-type organization. She told me to shoot her some fliers before each ride. I will do so and will find out more details.
Todd, I completely agree about concerns schools might have about our "freeness". Still, might be good to look into.

Todd Allen said:
I could try and suck up to the "Healthy Kids" with a sign like "BGH - breakfast of champions! MOO!"

I would like to do something with a school although I'm concerned they might not care for our structure of being free, open, unwaivered, uninsured, etc. And parents typically think of school related events as ones where the school is taking reponsibility for their child's safety. Our model so far is that a parent or guardian must come out with their kids and that they are responsible for their child's safety and behavior.
Maybe we could ask the fine gents at Blvd Bikes and the Bike Lane to hang up a flyer for us.
(followers, oops, was signed in as Jera a moment ago, deleted and reposting...)

Todd, your list is good. Also, you have access to my comprehensive bike event submission links doc on BtG, which adds ones like Reader/NewCity/GapersBlock/Trib/etc.

Rachel's right about Howard faxing. He can also write.

For non-web/fax contacts, start accumulating a detailed drop-off locations list (bike shops, park buildings, childcares, YMCA, ...) for street team, then use as recurring checklist.

Spencer's recommendation sounds great.
Maybe we should get waivers. Seems like a high value / low work detail. I'll ask Lee Diamond for boilerplate.

Bottom line: create / maintain a comprehensive centralized promotional notes / reference / list / schedule resources doc, possibly shared online. Then execute it regularly, or get a volunteer to take this PR duty.

Also: Establish a predictable repeating rotation schedule for the events. 3-4 locations, same time different Saturdays, maybe April-October. Just needs a few commitments, which I think we have already. I figure stability and expectation of continuity look good to parents.
You could add to the list promoting KM rides thru local blogsite and websites.

KM rides have been featured on:

1. Green Parent Chicago (blogsite)- March 2010
http://www.greenparentchicago.com/2010/03/chicagos-first-kiddical-m...

also on my blogsite which has a 500+ listserve

2. The Empirical Opera
http://empiricalopera.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/theyre-at-it-again-k...
http://empiricalopera.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/kidical-mass-returns/
http://empiricalopera.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/kidical-mass-swarms-...
http://empiricalopera.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/get-your-bikes-out-w...

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