Royal Air Forces Association Brand Guidelines and Tool Kit

Royal Air Forces Association Brand Guidelines and Tool Kit March 2013 Be part of something special

Contents Introduction 1.1 Welcome 1.2 How to use these brand guidelines The Brand 2.1 The importance of the brand 2.2 Brand values 2.3 Primary logo 2.4 Simplified logo 2.5 Logo versions 2.6 Colour palette 2.7 Typefaces 2.8 Curve graphic 2.8 Supporting logos Templates 3.1 Letterhead template - self printing 3.2 Compliments slip template - self printing 3.3 Business card template - self printing 3.4 Business card template - pro printing 3.5 Business card template - pro printing 2 3.6 Powerpoint presentation 3.7 Ad template How to Guides 4.1 Producing a leaflet 4.2 Producing a Poster 4.3 Writing a press release 4.4 Setting up a Facebook page 4.5 Setting up a branch email address

1.1 Welcome Welcome to the Royal Air Forces Association style guide. These guidelines have been produced to ensure our brand style is presented in a consistent and professional manner throughout all communications. Together we can create a stronger more recognisable brand. very organisation/brand has a face, the public face that it presents to the world. Its image will decide how it is perceived by its customer base (members & welfare beneficiaries) and potential customers (members, donors & welfare beneficiaries), so the organisation has to take care that a uniform message is conveyed through all its activities. This starts right from the logo, and goes throughout everything that we present to the outside world from every poster, banner, sign, advert and even into the words that we use when talking to the press or writing an article. The overall perception that is generated from all these is a major decider in what role the organisation plays in the market and how it stays on top. The RAF Association has a unique identity within the RAF Family. This guideline document reflects that position. And whilst there are elements of the RAF Association brand that are unique, all RAF Association communications must comply with the overall Royal Air Force brand identity. This document will enable you to produce professional, strong and compelling communications which will inevitably inspire and excite those around you to also be part of something special.

1.2 How to use these brand guidelines If you are creating Royal Air Forces Association communications material yourself, you should use these rules as a tool kit. If you are commissioning work, these rules serve as a checklist. You must make sure that work you approve/produce meets the criteria described in the rules and communicates the right message about the Royal Air Forces Association in the most effective way. These rules are important. If we do not consider how we present the Royal Air Forces Association, our audience will determine our image for us. How we appear has a major effect on how we are valued; therefore, we must develop and protect our corporate image carefully to maintain its integrity. These rules refer to all of the Royal Air Forces Association, whether applied internally or externally, and are for use by: RAF Association members & branches xternal marketing agencies veryone whose work affects the image, reputation, values and personality of the Royal Air Forces Association (all Royal Air Forces Association personnel) The rules and guidelines within this document will help you to portray the Royal Air Forces Association s image, reputation, values and personality correctly and consistently.

2.1 The importance of the brand When we re producing communications for the Royal Air Forces Association, we need to be consistent and careful in how we present ourselves. It s not acceptable to produce communications which represent us poorly (for example by using the wrong logo, low-resolution photographs or badly written copy) as this will damage the integrity of the Royal Air Forces Association brand. This document explains the different elements of our brand identity (our logo, typeface, corporate colours and language) and tells you how to use them. You can also find out where to go for further information and resources. If you would like more information, or if you would like advice on implementing the style guide, please contact: Royal Air Forces Association Marketing Department 117 1 2 Loughborough Road Leicester L4 5ND Tel: 0116 266 5224 mail: marketing@rafa.org.uk

2.2 Brand Values The Royal Air Forces Association is a people-based organisation. Our welfare support is provided to people in the RAF Family, it s our people who make a difference and carry out our vital work, and it is people in the general public who support us. Our values and ethos therefore reflect this. RAF service personnel make many sacrifices in order to serve their country. The RAF Association is here to make sure that their sacrifice never results is poverty, hardship or loneliness. We ensure this by providing welfare based on Friendship, Help and Support. Friendship We are there for people who need us, providing friendship and helping to alleviate loneliness. We are a trusted ally, loyal and supportive, and always there for those who need us. Help We give help without expecting anything in return. We give assistance and aid. We improve the lives of serving personnel and their families past and present. Whether an arm of support, an listening ear, or simply providing a facility to make life just a little better, we re there for all kinds of amazing people. Support Whether it s physical support, support through our knowledge and contacts or actual financial support that people need, we treat everyone equally, fairly and with integrity and respect. We will support the RAF Family in times of need in every way we can. Our values are summarised in a public-facing line that we use to communicate what we do to the public: Providing friendship, help and support to our serving and former-serving RAF heroes.

2.3 Primary Logo We have designed the Royal Air Forces Association logo specifically so that it is in-line with the updated Royal Air Force logo and can always be recognised clearly. Always use the logo when communicating on behalf of the Royal Air Forces Association. The Royal Air Forces Association logo The RAF Association s primary logo is the combination of the modified RAF logo and the RAF Association mblem in a single graphic. This graphic cannot be altered in any way. The key modifications to the RAF s logo are that we use the plural Forces and we have added the words: Friendship, Help, Support underneath in the same blue as Royal Air Forces, summarising our key activities. Logo exclusion zone You must always keep a clear space - called the exclusion zone - around the Royal Air Forces Association logo to make sure that it stands out. The clear space should be the height of the letter A in Association, on each side of the logo, as shown here. You can download the logo at www.rafa.org.uk/members-area/members-branch-resources

2.4 Simplified Logo Both the logo and the emblem are equally important. However at times, only one element can be shown, in which case it should be the logo which gives our name, a design link to the RAF and states what the RAF Association does. Logo exclusion zone The logo must always be used at a size that makes it clear to read. The smallest size you should use it at is 35mm wide. You must always keep a clear space - called the exclusion zone - around the Royal Air Forces Association logo to make sure that it stands out. The clear space should be the height of the letter A in Association, on each side of the logo, as shown here. You can download the logo at www.rafa.org.uk/members-area/members-branch-resources 35mm 35mm Wide Minimum size

2.5 Logo Versions It is preferable that the logo is used on the RAF Association light blue or white background, as shown. It should not be used on any other colour or shade of blue. See colour palette on page 2.6 When the main communication is in black and white, the mono version shown can be used. You can download the logos at www.rafa.org.uk/members-area/members-branch-resources Preferred version Printed on a light blue background Simplified version Printed on a light blue background Preferred reversed mono version Printed on a black background Simplified reversed mono version Printed on a black background Preferred version Printed on a white background Simplified version Printed on a white background Preferred mono version Printed on a white background Simplified mono version Printed on a white background

2.6 Colour Palette The RAF Association s main corporate colours are: Royal Air Force Red (Pantone PMS 186C) Royal Air Force Blue (Pantone PMS 295C) Light blue background colour (Pantone PMS 290C) All communications must be produced using these colours or their CMYK or RGB breakdowns. If, for any reason, the production process doesn t allow you to use these colours, you must forward a sample of the communications material to the RAF Association Marketing Team for colour matching before the production run starts. PANTON 186 C PANTON 295 C PANTON 290 C The Pantone MATCHING SYSTM is a worldwide printing, publishing and packaging language for the selection, marketing and control of colour. Pantone is a registered trademark of Pantone Inc. Please do not use these pages, either on screen or as a colour printout, to match colours. The colours shown in this PDF are a visual guide only. CMYK C2 M100 Y82 K6 RGB R198 G12 B48 HX #C60C30 CMYK C100 M70 Y8 K54 RGB R0 G47 B95 HX #002F5F CMYK C25 M2 Y0 K0 RGB R185 G224 B246 HX #b9e0f6

2.7 Typefaces The RAF Association s typeface is Myriad Pro. We have chosen Myriad Pro because it is clean, modern and easy to read, helping us communicate clearly. Myriad Pro is available in a wide range of styles, including italic. You must use Myriad Pro in all professionally produced publicity and marketing material. Document and page titles should be in semi-bold. Secondary headings should be in light. Paragraph sub-headings should be in bold. The first paragraph of an article may use regular Light should be used for body type. Regular body text may be used, in limited circumstances, to aid legibility at smaller sizes or when reversing type out of a colour. See Tool kits Section for examples. Myriad Pro is used in four weights of bold, semi-bold, regular and light. Myriad Pro Light abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Myriad Pro abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 If Myriad Pro is not available, please use Arial. Arial Regular abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Myriad Pro Semi Bold abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Myriad Pro Bold abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Arial Bold abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890

2.8 Curve graphic The RAF Association curve graphic is a flexible and dynamic device that visually compliments the roundel and can be used with other brand elements to provide a unified identity to all our communications. The RAF Association curve graphic is to be used as a container for the RAF Association logo and supporting military or sponsor logos. Logos should be placed in the outer curve area. The RAF Association curve graphic can also be used to denote chapter or section headings within a document. The colour of the dividing curve can be changed to any from the brand palette to accent any supporting photography or graphics. The inner curve area should contain the images and text for the document subject material. Inner Curve Dividing Curve Outer Curve Rule You must not change the proportion and shape of the dividing curve area.

2.9 Supporting logos You can download the logos and straplines at www.rafa.org.uk/members-area/members-branch-resources Primary Wings Appeal logo To be used on all fundraising material. Wings Appeal logo - White Out Can be used as ghosted logo at 50% opacity on the RAF Association Light Blue. Wings Appeal logo - No Text Only to be used as a graphic device not as you would use the logo. g. Used as a touch screen button. Be part of something special Part of something special Supporting something special Something special straplines Not to be used as a headline as too ambiguous. Only use to support a main headline message.

3.1 Letterhead Template Self Printing 20mm 16mm Royal Air Forces Association Sterling Court, Offices 1-4 Leyland Business Park, Leyland, PR25 3GR Tel: 01772 42693 mail: rita.bibby@rafa.org.uk Typefaces, size and colour Royal Air Forces Association Myriad Pro Bold 11pt with 13pt leading in RAF Association Red. Mr J Jones MB Super Promotions 2 Organisation Street Rotherville ANYTOWN AC1 2CD Reference: Air/123456/7/Org 18 December 2012 Branch Address Myriad Pro Regular 11pt with 13pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Letter text Arial Regular 11pt with 12 pt leading in black Dear Mr. Jones, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla iaculis augue mauris. Duis nulla erat, feugiat ornare eleifend ac, imperdiet ac risus. Donec diam nisl, sodales sed convallis sit amet, vestibulum sit amet purus. Nam ac tellus nulla. In ut lorem eget mauris placerat faucibus non sit amet ligula. Aenean non mi in velit feugiat porttitor. Cras justo felis, vulputate nec adipiscing a, tristique vitae nisl. Fusce euismod suscipit velit. Curabitur non leo erat, at dapibus elit. Phasellus augue orci, auctor sit amet iaculis vitae, posuere vitae leo. tiam condimentum lorem eleifend sapien pellentesque vitae fringilla nibh adipiscing. tiam at semper lacus. Nullam feugiat rutrum venenatis. Phasellus sit amet euismod urna. Integer pharetra suscipit consequat. In at dictum mi. Pellentesque mauris nisl, tincidunt sed suscipit quis, feugiat at turpis. Mauris aliquet, dolor eget gravida pulvinar, ligula lorem varius ante, at laoreet diam erat vitae velit. Duis nisl mauris, viverra a iaculis sit amet, condimentum sit amet purus. Curabitur lacinia, augue non lobortis hendrerit, mi nibh eleifend justo, sit amet scelerisque metus lacus vestibulum risus. Mauris pellentesque, lectus eget feugiat iaculis, risus lectus adipiscing enim, ac posuere lectus nulla eu libero. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Donec massa velit, dictum id faucibus nec, iaculis sed mi. Praesent laoreet bibendum auctor. Praesent scelerisque, urna nec aliquet condimentum, lorem elit laoreet ipsum, quis gravida lectus nibh at ante. Sed sed odio vitae est ultrices congue. Mauris id metus justo. Proin dictum tincidunt massa sit amet luctus. Cras metus mauris, consequat a consectetur nec, lacinia non augue. Aenean vitae nibh risus. Praesent sed urna enim, a cursus est. Nullam tempus scelerisque felis ut sollicitudin. Yours sincerely, Letter Headline/Title Arial Bold 15 with 12pt leading You can download the letterhead template at www.rafa.org.uk/members-area/members-branch-resources John Smith Squadron Leader For Commander-in-Chief

3.2 Compliments Slip Template Self Printing 20mm 16mm Royal Air Forces Association Sterling Court, Offices 1-4 Leyland Business Park, Leyland, PR25 3GR Tel: 01772 42693 mail: rita.bibby@rafa.org.uk Typefaces, size and colour Royal Air Forces Association Myriad Pro Bold 11pt with 13pt leading in RAF Association Red. Address Myriad Pro Regular 11pt with 13pt leading in RAF Association Blue. With compliments Myriad Pro Semibold 16pt in RAF Association Red. 15mm With compliments You can download the compliments slip at www.rafa.org.uk/members-area members-branch-resources

3.3 Business Card Template Self Printing 5mm 5mm 7.5mm Rita Bibby Assistant Area Welfare Officer (Northern) Royal Air Forces Association 117 1/ 2 Loughborough Road, Leicester L4 5ND Tel: 01772 426930 Mobile: 07777 000000 mail: rita.bibby@rafa.org.uk www.rafa.org.uk Typefaces, size and colour Name Myriad Pro Bold 10pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Title Myriad Pro Bold 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Royal Air Forces Association Myriad Pro Bold 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Red. Address Myriad Pro Regular 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. URL Myriad Pro Semibold 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue.

3.4 Business Card Template Pro Printing Front Reverse 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 7.5mm Rita Bibby Assistant Area Welfare Officer (Northern) RAFWingsAppeal RAFWingsAppeal @RAFWingsAppeal rafwingsappeal Royal Air Forces Association 117 1/ 2 Loughborough Road, Leicester L4 5ND Tel: 01772 426930 Mobile: 07777 000000 mail: rita.bibby@rafa.org.uk www.rafa.org.uk Part of something special Typefaces, size and colour Name Myriad Pro Bold 10pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Title Myriad Pro Bold 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Royal Air Forces Association Myriad Pro Bold 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Red. Address Myriad Pro Regular 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. URL Myriad Pro Semibold 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Social media links Myriad Pro Regular 8pt with 13pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Part of something special Hand Of Sean 15pt in RAF Association Blue.

3.5 Business Card Template Pro Printing 2 Front Reverse 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 7.5mm Rita Bibby Assistant Area Welfare Officer (Northern) RAFWingsAppeal RAFWingsAppeal @RAFWingsAppeal rafwingsappeal Royal Air Forces Association 117 1/ 2 Loughborough Road, Leicester L4 5ND Tel: 01772 426930 Mobile: 07777 000000 mail: rita.bibby@rafa.org.uk www.rafa.org.uk Part of something special Typefaces, size and colour Name Myriad Pro Bold 10pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Title Myriad Pro Bold 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Royal Air Forces Association Myriad Pro Bold 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Red. Address Myriad Pro Regular 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. URL Myriad Pro Semibold 7pt with 9pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Social media links Myriad Pro Regular 8pt with 13pt leading in RAF Association Blue. Part of something special Hand Of Sean 15pt in RAF Association Blue.

3.6 PowerPoint Template 70pixels 70pixels Safe area - LAV BLANK Safe area - LAV BLANK Text area and image area Safe area - LAV BLANK Safe area - LAV BLANK Typefaces, size and colour Title Myriad Pro Semibold 37pt in RAF Association Blue or Red Subheading Myriad Pro Regular 25pt in White, RAF Association Red or Blue Standard Bullet Point Myriad Pro Regular 25pt. Dot in RAF Association Red, copy in RAF Association Blue Secondary Bullet Point Myriad Pro Regular 20pt. Dot in RAF Association Red, copy in RAF Association Blue Be part of something special Hand Of Sean always in RAF Association Blue. You can download the Powerpoint template at www.rafa.org.uk/members-area/members-branch-resources

Registered Charity 226686 in ngland & Wales. SC037673 in Scotland 3.7 Advert template Full page advert Half page vertical advert Half page horizontal Quarter page Providing friendship, help and support to the RAF family in times of need. Providing friendship, help and support to the RAF family in times of need. Providing friendship, help and support to the RAF family in times of need. Help us now. Join, donate, volunteer. Your support is vital. Visit rafa.org.uk or call 0116 266 5224 Registered Charity 226686 in ngland & Wales. SC037673 in Scotland Providing friendship, help and support to the RAF family in times of need. Help us now. Join, donate, volunteer. Your support is vital. Visit rafa.org.uk or call 0116 266 5224 Help us now. Join, donate, volunteer. Your support is vital. Visit rafa.org.uk or call 0116 266 5224 Help us now. Join, donate, volunteer. Your support is vital. Visit rafa.org.uk or call 0116 266 5224 Registered Charity 226686 in ngland & Wales. SC037673 in Scotland Registered Charity 226686 in ngland & Wales. SC037673 in Scotland Will be available online 2014. Contact marketing@rafa.org.uk if you require assistance.

4.1 How to produce a Leaflet If you are thinking about producing a leaflet for your branch there are a number of questions to consider before you start. The following guidelines are designed to help you produce the content and design for a leaflet. Why do you want to produce a leaflet? Is it to inform people about becoming a member of your branch? Inform people of the welfare support your branch can offer? Or is it to mark a special event? Do you want the leaflet to be available in other locations e.g. local tourist information office, doctors surgeries etc? Being clear about your objective at the beginning should help you to select relevant text and images. Who is it for? Think about the people you are trying to reach. Are they eligible to join your branch? Have they shown interest in the RAF Association previously? Why should they come to your event/become a member of your branch? Is it because they have served in the RAF or do they have family connections? Are they local to the branch? What about the content? Having decided who you want to target and why, you need to think about content that will be relevant for your audience. You might want to include information about: Being part of the whole RAF Association vent times and dates Meetings/social events of the branch (opening hours) Website address (can be www.rafa.org.uk if your branch does not have its own website) Brief story of your branch, past and present The role your branch plays in the local community RAF Association logo Contact details. Be careful about including information that is personal or time sensitive. For example, if you are including dates of events then you will not want to have the leaflet lying around when it is out of date. And do not include people s names or phone numbers unless you have their permission. This information can also change and make a leaflet out of date. If the leaflet is being written by a number of people then make sure that it is edited so that the text flows smoothly and the tone is consistent. It should above all be interesting to read.

4.1 How to produce a Leaflet xample 6 page DL Leaflet gs and arrivals ts are available between May and rms for the chalets are available from onorary Welfare Officers. Serving l should contact their OC PMS/RAF aison Officer. Bookings and arrivals For more information about our Selsey holiday home, or to make a booking, please contact our South ast & astern Area office on 020 8286 6667, or email us at southeastarea@rafa.org.uk Perfect for full-on family fun or a quieter, relaxing break Fully-equipped for an enjoyable holiday Hemsby Chalets njoy a welcome break Our comfortable holiday home accommodates up to in beautiful Norfolk six people if you wish to also use the stowaway double bed in the spacious lounge/dining area. Two bedrooms: double and twin with stowaway double bed in lounge ormation please contact: Walk-in shower room with fold-down seat iation and supports S Area Office RAF Association 3-5 Old Bridge Street orough Road Well-equipped kitchen Hampton Wick Fully wheelchair-accessible Kingston-Upon-Thames Balcony, parking space and safe, open Surrey KT1 4BU 782/1 playing fields For information on other welfare breaks offered by tts@rafa.org.uk Spacious lounge dining area with colour TV/DVD the RAF Association please visit www.rafa.org.uk or email enquiries@rafa.org.uk uk Registered Charity No. 226686 (ngland & Wales), arity No. 226686 (ngland & Wales), SC037673 (Scotland) otland) Selsey Holiday Home Take a break on the wonderful West Sussex coast Great value holidays available to all the RAF Family How does a relaxing, affordable holiday in beautiful surroundings, close to some fabulous beaches with lots to see and do for all ages sound? Our self-catering holiday home in Selsey near Chichester on the West Sussex coast is ideal if you re thinking of taking a break this year. Available to book from the Royal Air Forces Association, our well-equipped holiday home is on the Green Lawns Bunn Leisure Holiday Park in Selsey and is close to the beach and many local visitor attractions. The home provides a fantastic-value break and is available to all serving and former-serving RAF personnel and their families. Contributions will depend upon individual means and can be discussed with a welfare officer. Our Selsey holiday home is on the attractive Green Lawns site of the Bunn Leisure holiday park and is situated a short distance from the beach. Guests can take advantage of free bus travel and complimentary access to the larger Bunn Leisure park and there are on-park swimming pools, bars, clubs, shops and restaurants to discover, plus a theatre and gym with sauna and steam room at the main site. Selsey itself is close to a number of visitor attractions around Chichester including the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, Goodwood and Arundel Castle, and many more. Bognor Regis (where you ll find Bognor RAFA club) and other beaches are also close by and the Isle of Wight is just a short boat trip away. Whether as a family or a couple, you ll find Selsey is the ideal base to explore all that the West Sussex area has to offer. Please visit www.rafashop.com to order pre-printed leaflets.

4.2 How to produce a poster for a branch event A poster is a great way to publicise a forthcoming event or to inform people of the opportunity to become a member of your branch. There are key points to consider before making it. The following guidelines are designed to help you produce the content and design for a poster. Why do you want to produce a poster? Is it to inform people about becoming a member of your branch? Inform people of the welfare support your branch can offer? Or is it to publicise a special event? Being clear about your objective at the beginning should help you to select relevant text and images. Who is it for? Think about the people you are trying to reach. Are they eligible to join your branch? Have they shown interest in the RAF Association previously? Why should they come to your event/become a member of your branch? Is it because they have served in the RAF or do they have family connections? Are they local to the branch? What about the content? Having decided who you want to target and why, you need to think about content that will be relevant for your audience. The following points will help to get all the information you need across to your audience in a quick and effective way: A catchy headline e.g. Join here today! Or Wings Appeal Swing Dance in aid of the RAF Association. Your poster title has to attract, inform & summarise. vent times and dates Location Where tickets can be purchased (if applicable) For more information visit: Website address (can be www.rafa.org.uk if your branch does not have its own website) or contact... RAF Association logo Be careful about including information that is personal, do not include people s names or phone numbers unless you have their permission. Where will the poster be displayed? Having some thoughts on where the poster will be displayed will help you with the design of the poster is it in a busy location? What will make it stand out? Does the poster have to be printed at a certain size? For advice or guidance, please contact your area office or email marketing@rafa.org.uk

4.3 How to write a press release As you will be aware, positive publicity and press coverage can be an invaluable way to raise awareness of your event and increase fundraising, but for many people, the prospect of approaching a newspaper can be quite a daunting one. Here are some hints and tips for promoting your event within the media. Think What are you trying to achieve from your press release? Raise funds? General awareness? Writing your press release: Keep your copy short and punchy (350 words max). Answer the following questions within it Who? What? Where? When? How? Why? Assume they won t read on have you got the most interesting facts in the first few lines? The attention grabber should be in the title and first paragraph - make it stand out and summarise the article. It should be a clear introduction to the news that follows. stablish Contacts: Do Make a good contact, so you know who to send your article to. Who are your local journalists? Let them know what to expect from the event are you just sending them a press release or would they be interested to attend? Outline your story and be prepared to answer questions about it. Keep your promises if you agree to provide further information or a call back please do! (And as soon as possible) They may want a different angle try to be flexible but stay in control. Be helpful. The easier you can make their job for them the better. Set up your own website/blog to refer the journalist to. Don t DON T FORGT TO CHCK THIR DADLINS! - The greatest story in the world is no good on Tuesday if they go to press Monday! Don t be afraid to call to establish contact, but check it s a good time to talk! Don t expect the whole piece to be used word for word. For advice or guidance, please contact your area office or email marketing@rafa.org.uk

4.3 How to write a press release xample press release: X-SRVICMN IN GRAT WALL BID / MAMMOTH MARATHON CHALLNG / LOOPY WORLD RCORD ATTMPT Two <engineers/pilots/etc> from RAF <xxx> will push themselves to the limit when they <xxx> in aid of the RAF Association. Training has begun in earnest for <names>, who are looking to complete their challenge on <xxx>. It is hoped that the team/pair/crew will raise thousands of pounds for the RAF Association which provides help and support for past and present members of the RAF and their families. More details of event.. interesting facts how many miles, how much training needed, a world record etc. Why you decided to do it and how daunting it s going to be. <insert quote> Why is the RAF Association such a good cause/ give examples Miles More Minutes/ Storybook Wings etc <continue quote> How can people sponsor you? <insert details> nds Insert your contact details here phone, mobile, email address, website or blog but no postal addresses. Include as many as possible and be available on them!

4.4 How to set up a Facebook page 1. Create Your Page Page category - your Facebook page should be placed in the category of company, organisation or institution and then Non-profit organisation 2. Fill In Information Page name - your branch page should be named with Royal Air Forces Association and then your branch name so that when people search for the branch on Facebook they can find it easily e.g. Royal Air Forces Association St Helen s Branch 3. Add a Photo Upload a picture for your page We have a resized logo for use on your Facebook identity image, it is the RAF Association s simple logo, without the agle on the globe and the Friendship, Help and Support wording due to the very small size that the profile image will recur at as a thumbnail throughout the website. Due to the need for the image to fit the square box, we have resized a logo for you to use on Facebook for ease-of-use. 4. Suggest your page to friends You can import your email addresses straight into Facebook or invite people to like you page by inviting them individually. This will help to make sure that your page is a success from the start and seen by as many people in your existing network as possible. 5. Start writing content Why not start with information about your branch - put meeting times and places in the About section and to add the historical information about the branch to the timeline. You can also link to your branch website (if you have one) from within this section. 6. Get a Vanity URL Make your Facebook page name easy to remember, when you edit your page you can create a URL in the format of facebook.com/ RAFAssociationLondon or similar. 7. Use the Tools That Are Available Facebook has FAQs and prompts built into it to help coach you into the best use of your page. Take time to explore the best advice and latest updates so that you get the most out of it. 8. Assign Other Admins Share the branch login with other branch members if it s a branch email address that has been used to set up the page with other members of your branch so that if you go on holiday, or if you move to another branch the branch can still maintain its Facebook page in your absence. You can download the image at www.rafa.org.uk/members-area/members-branch-resources

4.4 How to set up a Facebook page Here s an example of what your Facebook page should look like once it has been set up. The image at the top can be changed periodically and you can put whatever you want into this space to represent your branch Hints and tips for maintaining your page The posts that you have put up as you won t be seen so easily as those you post as the page itself and so try to make sure that every time you post on the page, you do it as the branch. This will keep your personal identity separate to that of the branch. Share photos with captions that relate to the photo as this attracts more likes and interactions with your followers You could also make events for your branch meetings. You may find it useful to connect with other branches and pages one that s particularly good is the St Helen s branch page http://www.facebook.com/rafasthelens

4.5 How to set up a branch email address Why not set up an email address unique to your RAF Association Branch or Registered Members Group (RMG)? 1. Agree with your branch members who will be responsible for the email account 2. Set up a free email account using the email provider Gmail (Google) 3. Start the name of the email with RAFA. Followed by the name of your branch or RMG 4. Inform CHQ of the new branch email address so it can be added to the database 5. Start using your new email address to inform members of events you are holding, fundraising activity you are carrying out, or simply updating people on how well you are doing as a branch If you have any queries about setting up a new email address, please contact your Area Office. xample London branch or London RMG. It would look like this: rafa.londonbranch@gmail.com or rafa.londonrmg@gmail.com