Today’s lesson is about promotion and awareness.

If you want to raise awareness, and don’t have the resources in place for traditional campaigns (mass mailings, advertisements, etc.) think about a ridiculous stunt! Don’t laugh this idea off so fast. It may be the fastest, easiest, cheapest way to get good PR and mass media coverage for your organization.

Stunts can be as easy as dressing up in a costume and heading to the local live morning TV show with a sign. Or a bit more complex…like running the entire silk road.

This Run along the Silk Road generated mass media coverage (Treehugger) and raised awareness about water shortages.

Make your stunt match your goals. If you are a local organization, you can probably do something small. If you are seeking national attention, think bigger. The closer you can match the stunt to your cause, the better chance you have to connect with your target audience. For example, if you want to raise awareness about endangered owls in your area, maybe you should organize an “owl calling contest” (requiring costumes of course) at a local festival. Or maybe you could hop up in a tree for one week.

And don’t forget to utilize all appropriate communication channels. You could post a survey on Facebook asking followers what stunt they would like to see, or if they’d like to participate in a group stunt (you don’t have to do all the work). Once you’ve sourced your core followers, call the local media and plan the event ahead of time. Create some buzz. Talk it up to local socialites. And for Pete’s sake, don’t forget to always link it back to your organization and cause. Print signs and handouts, if possible. Plan plan plan!

Have you executed a good stunt? How did it go? Let us know by leaving a comment below.