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Event Publicity

Advertising and Publicity Basics

Effectively publicizing events is one of the most important components of successful programming. Below you will find general information for frequently used publicity outlets at Notre Dame. Please be aware that the information contained on this page is for reference purposes only; prices, policies, and procedures are subject to change. Questions regarding publicity for club/organization events can be directed via email to the Student Activities Office, or by visiting SAO at 315 LaFortune Student Center.

Publicity Musts: Include the Five W's (What? Who? When? Where? Why?)

Title of Event
Brief Description of Event (include one-sentence description, if necessary)
Date (include day of the week and month/day)
Time (if applicable, include an ending time, too)
Location
Admission Fee
Sponsoring Organization(s) (include all pertinent logos for co-sponsors)
"For More Information, Contact ..." (direct people with questions to web sites or phone numbers)

Poster and Flyer Tips

While digital advertising is encouraged, posters remain permitted in spaces where they previously have been permitted. Posters for a particular building should not be posted by the advertising group or department, but should be mailed via campus mail to the building manager (or rector, for a residence hall), who will ensure a system for putting up and taking down posters. Student groups should contact SAO for a list of building managers and number of posters each building requests.

Take a look around campus. What catches your eye? Make your poster eye-catching to grab attention. People will not look at your poster for a long time.
Deliver the message clearly. Your poster should take no longer than 5 seconds to read.
Avoid using too many fonts on your posters. 2-3 should be sufficient.
Avoid using script fonts (especially all-caps scripts), as they are difficult to read.
Incorporate a black or other solid color text box with white font inside - this will increase visibility to your header.
People are more likely to remember images than words.
Color can make your poster unique. FedEx Office in the LaFortune Student Center has a color printer/copier and provides very affordable rates for student groups.
If you cannot afford color printing, order colored paper! FedEx Office has quite a few different paper styles to choose from, including different weights and colors. Make sure you consider all your options.
Spread out your posters to cover the whole campus or place multiple in close locations for maximum impact, but remember to hang your poster only in approved locations.
If poster has a black or dark background, consider a white box at the bottom corner for the approval stamp.
Posters must be no larger than 17" x 23".
Clearly indicate the name of the sponsoring organization on the poster.
Don't forget to have your poster approved for campus posting by the Student Activities Office. Your poster will not be approved without an SAO360 request routed in the system.
When posting, do not post on trees, lamps, windows, or the black ballards around campus. There is also no chalking of sidewalks.
Student groups have access to the same print quota that individual students have. To access the print quota, log into the printer with your group's Net ID and password.

Observer and Scholastic Magazine Ads

Observer Ads (631-7471)

Specific information regarding Observer ads should be directed to The Observer. The following information is for reference only.

The ad reservation deadline is two business days before your publication date, and you must have the camera-ready artwork submitted no later than 11:00 AM the day before publication. For example, if you wanted to run an ad on Friday, you would need to reserve space no later than 3:00 PM on Wednesday, and you would have to submit your artwork no later than 11:00 AM on Thursday.

Scholastic Magazine Ads (631-7569)

For specific information, contact Scholastic Magazine. The following information is for reference only.

Publicity Space in LaFortune

LaFortune Banner Space

There are two locations in the LaFortune Student atrium where banners may be hung. Banner space must be reserved through the Student Activities Office and will be hung by Student Activities personnel. Reservations are limited to 3 days per week and groups may only reserve one space at a time. To reserve banner space, submit an SAO360 request.

LaFortune Elevator Lobby Table

Student groups may reserve through the Student Activities Office the location on the first floor directly next to the elevator access. The space may be reserved for no more than three days per week, with a limit of one three-hour time block per day. Reservations must be requested no later than 12:00 PM the day prior to the date requested. However, depending on the activity, more notice is suggested as additional approvals may be required. Examples of the types of activities allowed are activity sign ups, event promotions, brochure distribution, and petition signing. To reserve table space, submit an SAO360 request.

Digital Signage

The Student Activities Office is pleased to offer a unique marketing opportunity in LaFortune Student Center for recognized student groups and campus departments. Four LCD monitors have been strategically located next to the elevator on each floor that provide content for students and other guests of LaFortune to view.

The intent of the signage is to provide students and guests information about not only LaFortune Student Center, but also upcoming campus events of interest to students. Additional campus information content will be made available as space permits.

The Student Activities Office will accept requests for announcements from recognized clubs and organizations, as well as residence halls. Campus departments may also submit requests for consideration, as space permits. Click here for more information about submitting artwork for Digital Signage display.

Easel

Easel space can be reserved for the LaFortune Student Center elevator lobby. Easel space is limited and you are encouraged to reserve space well in advance. All easel requests must be approved in advance by the Student Activities Office. To reserve easel space, stop by the Student Activities Office.

Publicity Space in the Dining Halls and Huddle

Reserving Space Through SAO360

Groups interested in reserving table tent space, banner space, or an informational table in North or South Dining Hall must submit an SAO360 request. Complete the Facility / Room / Location module and identify the dates you are interested in reserving. Once approved, you may pick up a reservation confirmation at the Student Activities Office. This must be presented to a dining hall service manager or monitor before table tents or banners can be placed and it must be present at the information table.

Table Tents

Student groups must print and place the table tents themselves - it is not done by dining hall staff. For all dining areas to be covered (North Dining Hall, South Dining Hall, and Huddle), approximately 760 table tents are required. Certain stipulations must be met before approval for placement of table tents will be granted.

Approved table tents must advertise events and activities associated with approved student or campus organizations or sponsored/sanctioned by the University administration.
Table tents must be judged by Student Activities to be in good taste; they may contain no reference to alcohol.
A limit of four table tent reservations are honored on a given day. Reservations are typically granted for a three-day period.

Banners

Custom-designed banners can be ordered through FedEx Office.

Approved banners must advertise events and activities associated with approved student or campus organizations or sponsored by the University Administration. Banners may not be hung which contain personal messages.
Only one banner may be hung in each of the dining halls for three days, once a week at a given time.
Each banner must be inspected and approved by Student Activities before being hung in the dining hall. Food Services’ approval for placement is made on a first come, first served basis.
For the dining halls please have 4' of string already attached to the banner or it will not be accepted.
If the group wants the banner back after the event, please notify the manager when the banner is dropped off, otherwise it will be discarded once the reservation is done.

Information Tables

Student groups are allowed to reserve a table in the dining hall lobby. There is significant demand among student groups for this type of advertising. For this reason and because of the broad exposure afforded by this form of advertising, certain stipulations must be met before approval for tables will be granted.

Approved table usage must advertise events and activities associated with approved student or campus organizations or sponsored/sanctioned by the University administration.
Only one student group may use a table. Two groups cannot share a table. Approval is generally given for a three day placement once a week. Given Student Activities authorization, Food Services’ approval for placements is made on a first come, first served basis.
Due to space constraints, South Dining Hall can only reserve one table. There are no tables reserved during football weekends.

Publicity Space In Other Campus Spaces

Student groups interested in reserving other campus spaces for publicity purposes (handing out flyers, reserving rooms for promotion, etc) should submit an SAO360 request detailing a description of the publicity activity and requested space.

Press Releases

The Office of News and Information is in charge of media relations for the University. It will assist in publicizing student-sponsored events on campus if they are open to the general public and of general interest. Professionals in this department write and distribute the appropriate news releases needed to publicize campus events. This service saves student groups time and energy, not to mention money, as all copying and postage costs are covered by the department’s budget. Ordinarily, news and information should receive information at least two weeks in advance of the event. Three weeks is preferred.

If a speaker visiting campus is of more than passing interest to the media, a news conference may be required. Professionals in news and information can provide counsel on the best timing for a news conference and issue invitations to the media. While news conferences are the most efficient means to handle a situation in which there is widespread media interest, they should not be called frivolously; not every campus visitor is news-worthy enough to justify a news conference. In addition, the Office of News and Information should be the contact point for members of the media requesting individual interviews. For these reasons, it is important for students to provide the department with a planned schedule for visiting newsmakers.

When media coverage is anticipated for any ticketed event, space should be reserved to meet the media’s needs with the least inconvenience to the audience. Keep in mind that, while we can invite the media to cover events, we cannot guarantee their attendance. The final judgment of what is newsworthy is theirs. It is assumed that any event open to the public is also open to the media, and student sponsors should be helpful to the media when they show up unannounced. For example, it takes only five minutes to do a brief, stand-up television interview before a lecture.

Most people on the campus appearance circuit are familiar with and accommodating to the news media. Occasionally, though, there will be one who refuses to be personally available to the media. If the visiting newsmaker desires no media contact, find out in advance and let the Office of News and Information know. The media will respect requests not to be interviewed. However, there is no way to exclude media from public events. Anything a newsmaker does in the public forum is subject to reporting by the media.

For more information, contact News and Information at 631-7367.