It’s a challenge to coordinate an organization based geographically across the map, but it becomes even more difficult when you’re sharing an initiative across three separate groups—like the U.S. Botanic Garden, American Society of Landscape Architects and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, who teamed for the SITES initiative. Here the communication members offer advice and reveal benefits of the cross-organization team-up.
• Stay in touch. E-mailing and calling constantly is essential.
• Play to strengths. Jim Lapides, PR manager for the ASLA and based in the East coast, has a better feel for the media there, while LBJ Wildflower Center media manager Barbra Rodriguez focuses on outreach from the middle of the country to the west.
• There’s strength in numbers. The three organizations are always mentioned on all press releases.
• Leverage the diverse portfolio. Identify and harvest the natural low-hanging fruit that each organization has to offer.