One of the keys to success in any organization is good public relations. And public relations’ most important ingredient: promotion.

A good example of the value of public relations and promotion in fact, is close at hand — the Yamhill High Flyers’ professional basketball start-up program, which was conceived by General Manager Eric Bailey and his organization.

He began the campaign to bring the High Flyers to McMinnville and the outlying communities of Yamhill County late last year and worked tirelessly throughout the following months to acquire sponsors and local support — along with, of course, players to fill out his roster.

From the outset, Bailey was in touch with local and regional media, and early on attracted key sponsors, even bringing several more on board just before the franchise played its first game of this, its branding season.

That effort paid off, and as the organization prepares for its first season as a full-fledged member of the International Basketball League in the spring of 2010, the High Flyers can focus more on player recruitment during the off-season.

Another example of the value of promotion is the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes’ concentrated effort to expand the minor league
franchise’s reach to nearby communities, hoping to continue the success of the Class A team — as both a spectator magnet and as a league-winning club.

Recently, the Volcanoes announced a series of special nights, with the intent to draw fans from communities all over the valley.

In addition to the obvious “Salem Community Night,” the Volcanoes are setting up special nights for almost 30 additional communities within an hour’s drive of Keizer, home of the Northwest League’s Western Division champions for the last three years.

McMinnville gets its community night on Tuesday, when the Volcanoes host the Tri-City Dust Devils at 6:35 p.m.

For the community nights, Volcanoes’ marketing brass are rolling back the pricing for outfield general admission tickets to just $5 per seat, the same price fans were paying 13 years ago when the stadium opened.

Fans who take advantage of the special night for their city need to show proof of residency (driver’s license, a utility bill, etc.) and can purchase up to four outfield general admission tickets at the “$5 per ticket stimulus price.”

The special night for each community also includes a booth for the town’s chamber of commerce, which it can use to promote upcoming community events.

In addition to the community nights, the Volcanoes have sprinkled many other special promotions throughout the team’s 38-game home schedule to draw fans.

In the past, those efforts have paid off, since the franchise has drawn over 2,500 fans per game on average — decent numbers for a minor league team.

With so many activities competing for the public’s time and disposable dollars now days, it’s imperative that entities “sell” their
products on a regular basis and convince potential patrons there is real value in those products.

So far, the High Flyers and Volcanoes have done just that.

If you have an idea for a column or feature story or a comment, contact me by e-mail at jwalker@newsregister.com or by phone at (503) 472-5114, ext. 333.