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JULY/AUG. 2018: NEWS AND UPDATES
Monthly Extension Marketing and Communications Newsletter
Cost share for local signage updates still available
Funding is still available to assist with signage updates for county centers and facilities that haven't replaced their displays/signage per the current brand standards. Our goal is for every center to be on brand this fiscal year, so take advantage of the cost-share opportunity to update your local signage and promote our Extension brand statewide.

Homegrown web series entering next phase
Homegrown, our contemporary web-based video series that launched this spring, has been enthusiastically received by individuals throughout Extension. With internal audiences on board, the Homegrown team is making plans for a consumer launch of the program heading into the fall.

Mapping State's impacts, statewide
NC State is still looking for stories about the university's impact in local communities. The examples will populate a new, interactive map highlighting NC State's impacts across North Carolina, from influential alum to research and Extension. Email your stories to tim_peeler@ncsu.edu and please include a photo. View our June issue for more details (click link below).

Which social media platforms are best for you? (Part II)
Required Statements and How to Reference Extension
What's the correct way to refer to my county center?
Do I always have to capitalize "Extension"?
When do I include non-discrimination, printing cost or accommodation statements?

Visit the brand site to find useful guidance on everyday standards for referencing Extension and incorporating certain statements that are required by law.

Learn More ( County ) ( Campus ) »
FIND MORE EXTENSION BRAND INFO:
Sampling of other tools and resources to utilize:
Shirts Order Update
Thank you to everyone who was able to get orders placed for their county and campus groups! For those groups that have not submitted orders, you'll have another chance to order individually once a new webpage is launched that will offer the shirts by September.

Regarding next steps, the shirts are being embroidered in Raleigh at this time.
This was a large, complex order, so it will take time for the vendor to run the full job and ship the final shirts. Once completed in August, the shirts will be shipped directly to your county center or department; you don't need to pick them up or submit more information.
Cool Tech Tool: Sli.do
Looking for ways to make your presentations more engaging? Sli.do is a Q&A and polling tool that lets your audience submit questions and respond to polls in real time during your talk. You can share three polls per event at no cost, with up to 1,000 participants and free analytics. Additional features are available for a fee ( view Education pricing ).

Bonus Tool! AnswerGarden is another resource to liven up your presentations through audience engagement. This tool transforms user feedback into word clouds that evolve as people submit their responses. Simple and free!
Customer Experience | Phone Skills 101
The key to building any brand is consistency. Our Extension Talent and Organizational Development team (ETOD) has launched a series of training modules from Canity to help equip everyone to deliver a consistently positive experience for our customers.

The first module, "Phone Skills," is available now. Here are a couple quick examples of how to answer the phone at one of our county centers:
  • "Hi, this is <Your Name>, thanks for calling N.C. Cooperative Extension, <Your County> Center."
  • "N.C. Cooperative Extension, <Your County> Center, this is <Your Name>. How may I help you?"