Comments on: Outreach vs. Engagement

By: CO-STAR Blog » Blog Archive » What Does “Engagement” Mean to You?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:26:31 +0000

[...] for all involved. Engagement implies there is a relationship being nurtured. After reading a blog post by Hildy Gottlieb, I’m sure we’ve made the right call. Hildy states, Whether you are meeting people on Twitter or [...]

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:04:47 +0000

I’m not sure how outreach and marketing became married. Outreach is merely extending or reaching out beyond your usual limits. You can choose to engage a community or market to one from there, depending on what your goal is. Many modern marketing theories rely on engagement and synergy for success–whether you are trying to make disabled kids happy with arts and crafts, convert them to your religion or sell them a vacuum cleaner, engagement is clearly a more successful option than Tell and Hope. This is nothing new, but the redefining outreach to either be demeaning or linked with marketing seems to be strange new trend..

By: Ron Miller

Ron Miller — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:43:51 +0000

John, the Cracker Jack ring is a bit ostentatious, don’t you think?

By: John Haydon

John Haydon — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:31:31 +0000

No problem. Let’s start with a Cracker Jack ring and go from there.

Thanks for pointing out the Community Engagement Action Kit: http://is.gd/o25z

By: Hildy

Hildy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:25:29 +0000

Ron:
Wow – thank you for the kind words about the post! Re: your thoughts on your title, we have been seeing a lot of agencies start using the term “Community Engagement Officer,” but most of them are just tacking a new title on the same old stuff. Seems like you are actually DOING the real work of engagement, which is so much more what counts!

If you’re not already using it, you may find our Community Engagement Action Kit to be a useful tool – step-by-step creation of a Community Engagement Plan. That’s here if it’s helpful: http://is.gd/o25z

As you focus even more deeply on the “engagement” vs. the “marketing” part of your job, I hope you’ll keep us posted!
Hildy

By: Hildy

Hildy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:16:26 +0000

LOL!
Can I get back to you after the launch this week? Perhaps a l-o-o-o-o-o-n-g “engagement”?
HG

By: John Haydon

John Haydon — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:40:33 +0000

Hildy,

Will you marry me?

John

By: Ron Miller

Ron Miller — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:28:48 +0000

This is one of the most succinct, clear messages I have read on marketing. I am the “Marketing” Coordinator with a county mental health agency working to assist people with intellectual disabilities find employment. When I think about my efforts with local businesses, my greatest success has come through continuing relationships and engagement. Maybe I need to change my title to Engagement Coordinator!

By: Hildy

Hildy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:50:06 +0000

Your 2¢ today is worth WAY more than 2¢, Nancy! I may just quote you!
HG

By: Nancy Iannone

Nancy Iannone — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:46:00 +0000

I sometimes think of outreach/marketing as something we do TO people while engagement is something we do WITH them. Engagement to me implies synergy and passion, not an intellectual evaluation of value. That’s my two cents for today.