The most important thing you need to know about communicating publicly is that everything has changed while the important matters are entirely the same. Let me explain.

The way people receive news and information and the way they interact have changed substantially, with blinding speed. Fewer and fewer people are reading newspapers and magazines, and not as many are tuning into television and radio. Internet based media are an increasingly popular source, although even those offerings had better be quick. Mail campaigns are emailed. Followers are twitterers and it’s hard to distinguish the leaders. We’re connecting with far more people than we ever have through social networks, and there has never been less community or socialibility.

This impacts many aspects of the work of public relations and communication—what we say and how we say it. We need to feel the heartbeat of rising generations, and we need to learn and use the communications vehicles of the digital age, whether we personally like them or not.   

Yet at the same time, timeless communication principles are still at work, and we have to master them and practice them with regularity. At the core of a mission is its identity-- who you are, your brand. We have to hit that mark and communicate it with such clarity that we cannot possibly be misunderstood. We still need to write and speak and project in concise and compelling ways. Content still counts. It’s not as important that you say something everyday—through posts, tweets, status updates, links, and texts—as it is that what you say is important.  

For a cause to be widely praised and supported over a long period, you must be known for regularity of your core principles, including:

Integrity of your program and the veracity of your assertions

Passion of your people toward the work at hand and the resulting deep, even sacrificial, commitment

Authentic human drama that captures hearts and minds

At Rooftop, we are prepared to help you with these challenges. We are reinventing all we do to maximize the tools of the day, and we believe this will complement skills and lessons we’ve learned through more than 30 years of public relations service in the Christian community. 

Services

Counsel

Based on our experience in senior management and in counseling hundreds of organizations, public figures, and causes over more than 30 years, we provide counsel to management and communicators on the planning and implements of communications campaigns.

Traditional and New Media Outreach

With the explosion of media outlets—print, broadcast, and digital—media are hungry for good stories, real news, and information on people and groups that are making a difference in the world. We provide a specialized service that the largest public relations firms in the world do not offer--we present information on Christian ministries and causes to Christian media in a language and with the passion that we share and understand, while simultaneously interpreting this material and presenting it effectively to secular journalists with whom we’ve worked for decades.

Writing Services

We specialize in powerful and persuasive writing. We’ve written speeches for some of the nation’s most memorable events, including the Columbine memorial service and Promise Keeper’s Stand in the Gap event in Washington, D.C. We’ve written op-ed articles that have appeared in many newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and USA TODAY, and articles for publications, including Christianity Today. We also write articles for placement in a variety of outlets, and promotional copy of all kinds.

In recent years we have expanded our services—at the request of our clients-- to include grant writing. Our ability to present clear and compelling case statements make our grant proposals strong and effective. We research grant-making foundations and, together with our experience and knowledge in this sector, can make informed recommendations and write grant proposals that put your best case forward.

Identity and Brand Management

Every organization, product, company, or cause is a brand. The challenge is to establish a brand with a distinctive impression that lasts. We can assist you in the development and implementation of a comprehensive brand strategy that will enable your organization to create an enduring identity. In the non-profit community a strong, cohesive brand identity will help both fundraising and ministry expansion.

Book Publicity

We apply all of the disciplines of our work with organizations and leaders to publicize the books they produce and to integrate these products into all of their communications.

Social Media Strategies

For millions of people the social media are methods of trading quips with friends across the country and, frankly, passing time. In the public relations business, the blogs and social media are a new avenue to reach out to key publics with our messages and missions. We are mastering these new outlets and, lest we fall behind, ready to learn from the future about new ways to communicate.

Search Engine Optimization

Nearly everyone has a Website these days.  If your are in the business of projecting your message, however, you want to be sure that when someone is interested in your kind of work, they’ll find you when they search. Getting the most of searching is an art and a science; we’ll work with you to improve your position on Google and other search engines.

Cause Advertising

From conception and copywriting to design, production, placement and time buying, Rooftop handles all advertising components of a communications campaign. We have managed national network television and radio advertising campaigns, and written, designed and placed online ads in print advertising in major U.S. newspapers and magazines


Cost of Services

We have always worked in the non-profit sector, and we always price our services for non-profit organizations.  We assume money is tight, and we know good ministries are always careful with donor-provided funds.  

We can establish single-project fees or a multi-month retainer, depending on the challenge and on your preference or policy.  Because all of our clients are non-profits, we cannot provide pro bono work. Sorry.  This assures that we can keep our fees low (and that we can feed our families!)   

Please contact us and describe what you need--we can give you a preliminary plan and quote quickly.