GAY LESBIAN UNIVERSITY K N O W L E D G E = E M P O W E R M E N T GLU Extension Course News "Creating & Maintaining GLU's" ADVERTISING GLU Forms of ads Advertising comes in many different forms. From word of mouth, mailings, direct street approachs, rallys, speaking engagements, catalog pickup spots, media stuff, and purchase of ads. Costs Buying ads in local publications can be expensive. GLU Seattle can not afford to buy ads at this time. Plus the adverstising that GLU did do in the local Gay press did not get enough responses to merit continuation. Purchase of advertising space can be a very important role in getting the word out. Nice big ads with lots of good quality info about GLU would be great but... the price. In your location your GLU may be able to raise the needed funds or have the necessary connections to get good or excellent ad rates. Street action GLU Seattle takes its act to the streets on days especially on weekends when the weather is good. GLU sets up a table on the main GLBT street and distributes the monthly catalogs to the passerbyers. This is by far one of the best ways for the public to see that GLU is alive and well. Hundreds and hundreds of people take note that GLU is for real. Straight and LGBT etc see and believe. Lots of questions come up and answers can be provided right at the table. Actually GLU street action has a many fold effect. People are confronted directly with the bright pink 8.5" x 11" signs on the table. Two signs stand upright on the top of the table and 3 sides of the table are plastered with the same signage. People know abruptly that GLU is here and that LGBT people are alive and well. It makes a very powerful statement. It is very shocking to many. It is fun and it is healthy. A small card type table and chair are handy to have. Some signs and a pile of catalogs is all it takes. The signs I made were laser prints on bright paper. These copies were then lamnated at a local copy shop for less then a $1 each. Remember to secure the paper down from the wind. String strapped around the table will usually hold the catalogs down in the worst of the storms that anyone would be nuts enough to go out in. GLU/Seattle is fortunate to have a heavily traffic area of LGBT etc peoples. Also GLU is lucky to work out of a residence close to this street location. So it is no big deal to head out on a nice afternoon and bombard the passerbyers senses. GLU does not approach people. People approach GLU. I find it offensive to assume that some would be interested in a GLU or anything else on the street. When it rains it pours. People sometimes walk by the table several hundred before anyone stops. Then again sometimes they stop constantly. Be on guard for the local right wingers and other psychos. GLU was attacked in Seattle. DO TAKE THE THREAT SERIOUSLY. If you choose to go public in this manner take a supporter the first time to test the water. Use common sense about when and where to do public information tables. This sort of approach might be illegal in your area. Check with the local authorities first. Events Rallys and other GLBT etc events are great to attend. Bring along a bunch of catalogs and or other information about GLU. Pass out the catalogs only if the event organizers have got an objection. Political rallys and other such events are the places that other activists will be. They want and need to know that GLU is out there for them. Washington state is now underseige from the hate groups. Recently there was a large successful rally of people to help defeat the right wing effort in our state. This was a place to hand out say 100+ catalogs to a group of poeple that are really interested in being a part of the solutions. Speaking to groups Contact LGBTetc groups. Ask if you can do a presentation at one or more of their meetings. This is always good PR. Many organizations are starving for presentations. LGBTetc student groups political and social groups of all kind will lend a good ear at times. Give some a call and see what they might have to say. This is all part of the ongoing teaching of and about what is GLU. Mailings Get or make a mailing list of GLBT groups and businesses in your area. Mailing catalogs and other GLU information can be a good way to advertise etc. But it can also be very expensive. Mailings can quickly eat up a small fortune in cash. Hopefully someday we can get others to use technology such as this email. GLU/Seattle is a great believer that the use of email etc is a must for LGBTetc to be the winners to be the power brokers. Use or lose. In Seattle we are fortunate that a large number of LGBTetc groups use a central mail drop service. The business that does the mail services gladly accepts catalogs and other GLU stuff for all their customers. That really makes the word fly a far less cost. Radio & TV GLU Seattle has not attempted this avenue yet. It is possible to do press releases to any number of radio stations in the area. There are a number of LGBTetc friendly stations. There is much to do. There isn't always the time. Radio will happen someday. Email BBS uploads. Miscellaneous Pride rally booths Parades You name it. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Hicks tomh@halcyon.com GLU - Gay Lesbian University/Seattle anonymous ftp halcyon.com /pub/GLU POB 20771 Seattle,WA 98102 206-323-7483 F I G H T B A C K W I T H T E C H N O L O G Y ----------------------------------------------------------------