PR & Communications: Tips for Clubs

Dear Colleagues, for primarily professional reasons, I will be stepping down at the 2010 SPK after nearly ten years of involvement with modellflug.ch, serving on the SMV board, and contributing to the SMV sections of this magazine. I would like to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported me and the SMV in our public relations efforts over the years, and to offer some food for thought regarding local club communications, which are ultimately of great importance to the entire model aviation community.

The primary goal of strategic communication is to foster among relevant stakeholders the understanding—or, better yet, the goodwill—that is essential for the long-term pursuit of one’s activities. Whether it’s a club, a regional model aircraft association, the SMV, or the AeCS, the same important rule applies to all organizations: “If you don’t communicate, others will communicate about you.” This simply means taking the initiative in shaping public opinion before potential critics—or even staunch opponents—do so, and always doing so with the necessary care.

First and foremost, caution means refraining from harmful communication, which occurs far too often even in model flying under the guise of supposed humor or originality:

Unfortunately, videos are frequently posted on online forums, club websites, and—not least—on YouTube that convey three main messages: First, that model flying is dangerous; second, that model flyers are stupid; and third, that they obviously have too much money. So please: The footage of last year’s crashes—and especially those where models narrowly miss people or even hit them, or where a jet spectacularly bursts into flames upon impact—may be amusing at an internal club meeting, but to outsiders, it conveys a false and unflattering image of model flying. Potential opponents can also gladly use them as evidence of the alleged danger and recklessness of our activities.

Therefore, dear webmasters and PR managers: Please exercise some care when selecting images and videos, in the interest of our sport and the future of your flying fields. Unfortunately, it’s a fact that some small-scale commercial manufacturers make money off crash videos. Since such videos—for whatever strangely gratifying reasons—are likely purchased in advance by insiders, the damage to our image is fortunately limited...

It is no coincidence that the SMV, in its day-to-day communication,

no longer refers to “model aircraft groups” but to “model aircraft clubs” (after all, these are not just casual gatherings but properly organized entities with bylaws!), that the term “chairman” has been replaced by “president” in official communications (since only the latter term has a feminine form), and that the term “official” (as an antiquated and, at the very least, politically loaded term) is now used only very sparingly. Where club bylaws, websites, and annual reports are still rife with outdated terms, a revision is urgently needed. Not only—but also—because a critically minded, emancipated city councilwoman is not necessarily inclined to engage seriously, let alone sympathetically, with “chairmen.”

In order to communicate something positive, it must first be put into practice. Anyone who publicly emphasizes the great value of their hobby to the community but denies interested newcomers access to the club will quickly be seen through! The same goes for those who highlight the importance of treating the environment and nature with respect, yet at the same time fly around with loud engines at all hours of the day and night and couldn’t care less about parking restrictions or local communities when parking. Of course, there are no such cases in the SMV.

More common, however, are the cases in which a great deal of good is indeed being done, yet neither the local council nor the regional press ever hears about it. That’s a shame—and sometimes it’s almost painful!

My tip: Regularly invite local officials, the local press, and representatives from nearby schools—along with their partners—to your air shows, youth events,

construction workshops, exhibitions, and even general meetings. Don’t forget to bring the SMV flyer and/or

Reto Schilliger will step down from the SPK 2010 after

step down as Head of PR and Communications after many years of service to the SMV. The SMV thanks him for his tremendous volunteer work and his wide-ranging initiatives that extended beyond his department, such as in the areas of safety, youth development, and securing sponsors for international championships.

Rainer Beckerbauer has offered to serve as his successor; he was officially

. Rainer Beckerbauer has been the experienced webmaster for MG Obwalden for many years and is therefore very familiar with online communication. He has also gained further experience as the organizing committee president for several “Ferienpass” events and the 2009 Scale SM. At the latter event, he pioneered a approach that demonstrated how a Swiss championship can be organized in a way that engages the public and successfully promoted in the media. His many years of experience as an international product manager further qualify him for this position.

The Executive Board is delighted to have found a successor to Reto Schilliger in Rainer Beckerbauer and recommends him for election at the 2010 SPK.

SMV Board of Directors

SMV Gliders: Free for construction projects. About 12,000 have been built so far!

to your regional model aviation association. And whenever possible: Let them—along with their children and partners—fly along on the simulator or in the tandem cockpit and/or build an SMV or NOS glider together. This builds long-term goodwill, which is always a good thing, even without any underlying problems!

You’ll find them in practically every model flying club: pilots who achieve success in various competitions or make a name for themselves by building exceptional models. How could you not share this news? My tip: Whenever a pilot from your club wins a medal at a regional, Swiss, or even European or world championship, or puts a particularly impressive model on wheels or skids, be sure to share this with the local media. If you include a few high-resolution photos and a short description of the club, the chances of getting coverage are pretty good. The chances are even better if, as mentioned above, the local press is already well acquainted with the club and its representatives from previous events.

A well-established axiom of communication is: “One

cannot not communicate.” Even silence conveys a message—namely, that one is indifferent to the potential recipients of a message and/or its content. Club presidents who fail to pass on the regularly published information from regional or umbrella organizations to their clubs are ultimately communicating to their members that the dedicated work of these organizations is of little importance anyway. I believe it is often these presidents who are occasionally (though increasingly rarely) confronted with critical remarks regarding the value of membership in the SMV and AeCS. In recent years, a wide range of targeted information for paying members at the grassroots level has become available; I’m thinking, among other things, of the FAQs on membership and the summary document regarding the insurance package, which is now hardly ever questioned. The club presidents simply need to actively share this information, which can be done at the airfield, at the regulars’ table, at the general meeting, or even more easily via email.

The fact that nearly 12,000 SMV gliders—originally developed for SuisseToy—

gliders have now reached a total of 12,000 fills me with great satisfaction. The list of clubs taking advantage of this offer is correspondingly long! It’s gratifying that offers from regional model aviation associations have also joined this initiative. These, too, should definitely be taken advantage of! The uptake of the proficiency badges is still somewhat slow, even though they’re not just for young people in the clubs—anyone can easily earn them. My request, also on behalf of the Youth Development Department: Introduce this program in your clubs in 2010. You’ll see that it doesn’t interfere with flight operations in any way, helps pilots advance their skills, and is fun for everyone involved. Over thirty graduates of the first badge program will surely confirm this!

One final request and tip: Make it clear to the outside world that you are members of your regional model aviation association, the SMV, and the AeCS. Use the available logos and link them on your website to the—

club pages. This makes it clear to all website visitors that model aviation is organized and practiced not only in your club, but also in your region, throughout Switzerland, and even worldwide. And that your club can count on support in the event of disputes! I hope that all clubs will never have to rely on this support—good communication helps reduce that risk.

With best wishes
, Reto Schilliger
, SMV PR & Communications