1. The Press Release
Make Your Chapter Stand Out

2. WHAT IS A “PRESS RELEASE?”
• A PRESS RELEASE IS A STORY SUBMITTED TO LOCAL MEDIA
OUTLETS
• PRESS RELEASES ARE INTENDED TO CREATE POSITIVE PUBLICITY
FOR THE ORGANIZATION THAT THEY DESCRIBE
• MANY STORIES THAT YOU READ IN THE NEWSPAPER ARE PRESS
RELEASES THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED. THIS GUIDE WILL SHOW
YOUR CHAPTER HOW TO EARN A SPOT IN THE NEWSPAPER!

3. WHY CREATE PRESS RELEASES?
• RAISE AWARENESS OF YOUR CHAPTER’S
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• CREATE BRAND FAMILIARITY: WHEN PEOPLE ARE
LOOKING FOR A CLUB OR ORGANIZATION TO JOIN ON
CAMPUS, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO GO WITH AN
ORGANIZATION THEY RECOGNIZE
• GENERATE SUPPORT FOR DECA AT YOUR SCHOOL.
PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO SUPPORT SOMETHING THEY
KNOW MORE ABOUT!
• TAKE CREDIT FOR THE HARD WORK OF YOUR CHAPTER
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

4. PLAN FOR A SUCCESSFUL YEAR OF PRESS
RELEASES BY FOLLOWING THESE FIVE STEPS!
STEP #1: DETERMINE WHAT IS “PUBLICITY WORTHY”
STEP #2: DETERMINE WHO TO CONTACT
STEP #3: WRITE THE PRESS RELEASE
STEP #4: DISTRIBUTE PRESS RELEASES
STEP #5: FOLLOW-UP

5. STE P #1 : DE TE RMI N E WHAT I S
“PUBLI CI TY -WORTHY ”
• THI S STEP A DDRESSED THE QUESTI ON OF, “WHA T SHOULD I CREA TE A
PRESS RELEA SE FOR?” IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS QUESTION IS ADDRESSED.
PUBLISHERS WILL ONLY PUBLISH STORIES THAT THEY FIND INTERESTING OR
IMPORTANT
• “PUBLICITY-WORTHY TOPICS” INCLUDE: DECA WEEK ACTIVITIES, CHAPTER
ACTIVITIES, FUNDRAISING PROJECTS, CHAPTER CAMPAIGNS, BUSINESS
PARTNERSHIPS, COMMUNITY SERVICE, DECA COMPETITIONS, ACADEMIC
HONORS (SCHOLARSHIPS, COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE, ETC.), GUEST SPEAKERS,
AND CHAPTER ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
• UNSURE IF SOMETHING IS “PUBLICITY-WORTHY?” ASK YOUR ADVISOR, FELLOW
MEMBERS, OR YOUR PARENTS!

6. Be the Best!
Before the year starts, make
a list of “publicity -worthy” events
that your chapter will be participating
in this year!
By planning out what your chapter will
publicize in advance, your chapter will have
more time to plan press releases for these
events.

7. STEP #2: DETERMINE WHO TO
CONTACT
• SEND PRESS RELEASES TO THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR SCHOOL:
SCHOOL PAPER, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, GUIDANCE COUNCILORS,
AND SCHOOL BOARD
• SEND PRESS RELEASE TO THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR COMMUNITY:
LOCAL PAPER, LOCAL NEWS, LOCAL RADIO, WEBSITES THAT PUBLISH
LOCAL NEWS, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BUSINESSES THAT HAVE
PARTNERED WITH YOUR DECA CHAPTER, PROFESSIONAL DECA
MEMBERS, AND YOUR STATE OFFICERS
• MANY OF THESE OUTLETS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF “PUBLISHING” A PRESS
RELEASE, HOWEVER, THE GOAL OF PRESS RELEASES IS NOT ONLY TO BE
PUBLISHED, BUT ALSO TO GENERATE AWARENESS BY SENDING PRESS
RELEASES TO THESE OUTLETS

8. Be the Best!
The people your chapter sends
press releases to throughout the
year will not change very much. It is
helpful to assemble a contact list of these
media outlets to make future press releases
easier.
Use the “Contact List for Press Releases
Template” to help make a contact list!

9. STE P #3 : WRI TE THE PRE SS RE LE ASE
VISIT THE CALIFORNIA DECA WEBSITE AND DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE
TEMPLATE THAT FITS YOUR TOPIC THE BEST!
CALIFORNIA DECA’S “PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATE FOR CHAPTER
ACCOMPLISHMENTS” IS THE MOST BROAD TEMPLATE! USE THIS TEMPLATE FOR
TOPICS THAT DON’T FIT WITH ANY OF THE OTHER TEMPLATES.
TIP #1: ANSWER WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, AND HOW IN YOUR FIRST
PARAGRAPH
TIP #2: YOUR PRESS RELEASE SHOULD BE NO MORE THAN THREE PARAGRAPHS.
INCLUDE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS IN YOUR FIRST PARAGRAPH BECAUSE
SOMETIMES THAT IS THE ONLY THING YOUR RECIPIENT WILL PUBLISH
TIP #3: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. YOUR AUDIENCE PROBABLY WON’T UNDERSTAND
WHAT A ROLE-PLAY IS.

10. STE P #4 : DI STRI BUTE PRE SS RE LE ASE S
• REFER TO STEP ONE. DURI NG STEP ONE, WE DI SCUSSED WHO PRESS
RELEASES SHOULD BE SENT TO
• I T I S ESSENTIAL THA T PRESS RELEA SES A RE DI STRIBUTED WI THI N TWO W EEK
OF THE EVENT THA T THE PRESS RELEA SE DESCRIBES. WI THI N ONE WEEK IS
IDEAL.
• DELIVER Y OUR PRESS RELEA SES ON A SCHOOL OR DECA LETTERHEAD.
Y OU CA N USE THE CA LIFORNIA DECA LETTERHEAD THA T I S A T THE TOP OF
M OST CHA PTER RESOURCE DOCUM ENTS.
• M OST M EDIA OUTLETS HA VE A PREFERRED FORM OF SUBM I SSION I .E.
EMAIL/FAX/MAIL. DETERMINE WHA T THI S I S FOR EA CH M EDIA OUTLET
A ND M A KE NOTE OF I T SO Y OU DON’T HA VE TO A SK M ULTI PLE
TIMES

11. STEP #5: FOLLOW-UP
• IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR CHAPTER FOLLOWS UP WITH ANYONE WHO THEY
DISTRIBUTE A PRESS RELEASE TO, IF THE MEDIA OUTLET IS CAPABLE OF PUBLISHING
THE STORY (THAT MEANS IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL TO FOLLOW-UP WITH
ADMINISTRATORS, PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS, ETC.)
• FOLLOW-UP TWO TIMES.
• THE FIRST TIME FOLLOW-UP TO ENSURE THAT THE MEDIA OUTLET HAS RECEIVED
YOUR PRESS RELEASE AND INQUIRE IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. ALSO, ASK IF
THEY PLAN ON PUBLISHING YOUR STORY. IF THEY PLAN ON IT, ASK WHEN THEY
PLAN ON PUBLISHING IT.
• FOLLOW-UP A SECOND TIME IF YOUR STORY IS NOT PUBLISHED BY THE TIME YOU
WERE TOLD IT WOULD BE

12. ADDI TI ONAL N OTE S
• SEND YOUR CHAPTERS PRESS RELEASES TO YOUR STATE OFFICERS IN ORDER
TO GET RECOGNITION ON THE STATE LEVEL!
• NOT SURE WHAT OFFICER SHOULD HANDLE PRESS RELEASES? THIS JOB IS
TYPICALLY HANDLED BY ANY OF THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS, WITH THE
POSITIONS LISTED FIRST THE MOST LIKELY: PUBLIC RELATIONS,
COMMUNICATIONS, HISTORIAN, VICE PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT
• ESTABLISH A CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DECA AND LOCAL PRESS
OUTLETS BECAUSE YOUR CHAPTER WILL HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM FOR THE
REST OF THIS YEAR AND HOPEFULLY MANY MORE YEARS TO COME!
• MAKE SURE THE MEDIA OUTLETS YOUR CHAPTER CHOOSES ARE APPROPRIATE.
A NEWSPAPER SUCH AS THE WALL STREET JOURNAL DOES NOT BELONG ON
YOUR LIST. IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THEY WILL AIR YOUR STORY. LOCAL
NEWSPAPERS, HOWEVER, ARE A GREAT CHOICE!