Security is a Family Matter

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Security is a Family Matter

For more information contact;
Glenn Slone
(606) 478-9100.

1. What is Security Is A Family Matter (SFM)?
2. How did SFM get started?
3. How do dealers participate in the program?
4. Why a program to support families?
5. What is cause-related marketing?
6. Why is cause-related marketing a good idea?
7. What tools are available to Security Pros to get the message out?
8. What part of the SFM brochure is customizable?
9. How do I get my SFM brochure customized?
10. How do I use the ads?
11. What is a Town Hall Meeting?
12. How do I publicize my partnership with the local nonprofit agency?
13. How do I use the press release?
14. Where do I send the release?
15. Is there a way to really get media attention?
16. How should I talk about the SFM program to consumers and the media?

What is Security Is A Family Matter (SFM)?

SFM is a cause-related marketing campaign designed to distinguish all GE Security Pros from their competition. SFM sends a message to customers, prospects, and the community at large that you are a professional company dedicated to making the community safer through crime prevention as well as through electronic detection and deterrence.

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How did SFM get started?

GE Security Pro started in 2000 with a partnership between Security Pro and a nonprofit parent support and education agency in Minneapolis. Out of that landmark alliance grew research into causes of criminal behavior and findings that prevention of child abuse from infancy through adolescence is a key factor in reducing criminal behaviors in later adulthood. Since that original alliance, GE Security Pro dealers have partnered with nonprofit parent education and support agencies in their local communities to increase security by helping to build strong non-violent families.

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How do dealers participate in the program?

GE Security Pros can participate in ways that suit each individual company. These are typical ways:

1. Team up with a local agency that provides information, programs, or other types of support to families.
2. Use the Security Is A Family Matter brochure when introducing your company to customers and during the sales presentation. Customize the brochure to include the logo of your partner agency.
3. Use the SFM sales presentation.
4. Include links on your web site to nonprofit organizations such as the United Way or other local charities.
5. Plan community events with your partner agency.

Announce joint plans to the media, highlighting the unique relationship between your business and the nonprofit agency.

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Why a program to support families?

1. Because a 16-year study revealed that family support services and parental involvement in the classroom have significant long-term benefits for their children. Including—

• 33 percent reduction in the rate of juvenile arrests.
• 29 percent increase in the rate of high school graduation (United Way, Success by Six program, 2002)

2. Because The Study Group on Very Young Offenders strongly urges that efforts to reduce serious forms of delinquency should shift from a focus on adolescent delinquents and more serious chronic juvenile offenders to a focus on child delinquents. (U.S. Department of Justice, May 2003)
3. Abused or neglected kids are 29 percent more likely to become adult criminals than are average children. (2003 ScoutNews, LLC)
4. Because the cost of child abuse and neglect in the U.S. causes a staggering financial drain – estimated at $94 billion annually - on social, medical, and judicial services. Study by Prevent Child Abuse America, 2001
5. Because family isolation is a predictor of child abuse and neglect.
6. Because 26% of children who are abused or neglected become delinquents.
7. Because according to the National Institute of Justice, 13% of all violence can be linked to earlier child maltreatment. (Prevent Child Abuse America, 2001)
8. Because the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime lists these family characteristics as factors in the profile of a potentially dangerous child:

• Turbulent parent-child relationships
• Access to weapons
• Lack of intimacy
• No limits on children’s behavior or monitoring of TV and the Internet

9. Because one-half of all Americans believe child abuse and neglect is the most important public health issue facing this country, compared to other issues like drug and alcohol abuse, heart disease, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. (Prevent Child Abuse America, 2000)
10. Because what happens in the home affects what happens in the community.

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What is cause-related marketing?

It is the dedication of a company to serve a cause by donating proceeds to charity, or it can be an alliance based on financial and in-kind support between your company and a nonprofit agency.

A customer who buys from your company is supporting crime prevention at the same time. In the case of the Security Is A Family Matter program, choosing a GE Security Pro is to help reduce the causes of crime by supporting agencies that foster strong families.

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Why is cause-related marketing a good idea?

Research conducted by Research International has found that—

86% of consumers agree that when price and quality are equal, they are more likely to buy a product associated with a cause.

73% of consumers agree they would switch from one brand to another, price and quality being equal.

86% of consumers agree that they have a more positive image of a company if they see it is doing something to make the world a better place.

Most Americans (60%) reported that they planned to purchase a holiday gift associated with a good cause, and 63% of them are very likely or somewhat likely to consider a company's reputation for charitable donations when buying (up from 56% in 1997). The Cone Holiday Trend Tracker study also reported that women and households with children are especially likely to consider a company's charitable reputation at purchase time (68% in each case). The same is true for the 25-34 year old consumer group (72%), a prime target for national marketers.

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What tools are available to Security Pros to get the message out?

Custom ads

Custom SFM brochure

Town Hall forum presentation

New, updated position paper

Custom press release

SFM feature/benefit sheets

Security survey

www.securityisafamilymatter.com

SFM content on www.securitypro.com

Downloadable SFM artwork for, ads, billboards, direct-mail postcards

See www.ge-securitypro.com in the dealer support area for all the details http://www.ge-securitypro.com

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What part of the SFM brochure is customizable?

You have two areas, both on the back cover. One is for the logo and description of a local program or agency you support. The other is for your company logo and contact information. We recommend you always include your e-mail address in this section. Also indicate the number years you have been in business.

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How do get my SFM brochure customized?

Provide high-resolution logo files and copy to Printing Arts. All the contact information is available on the Custom Order Form.

Fax the order form to Printing Arts Inc. at 763-425-4616
If you have any questions please contact Rick Hansen or Laura Giese at 763-425-4251.

Printing Arts Inc. is at

8801 Wyoming Avenue North •
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
55445
Phone: 763-424-4251
printingarts@printingartsinc.com

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How do I use the ads?

Arrange with your local ad agency to customize the ads with contact information, an offer of a free security survey, an invitation to attend a Town Hall meeting on family security, or some other key message. Artwork is available at www.ge-securitypro.com.

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What is a Town Hall Meeting?

It’s an optional discussion of security and life safety issues sponsored by you with the informational support of a family service agency. By sponsoring a community discussion of the following topics, you bring to life your commitment to building stronger families:

• child abuse detection and prevention
• coping strategies for parents
• safe schools
• crime prevention
• fire prevention

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How do I publicize my partnership with the local nonprofit agency?

• Before you publicize anything, support a local parenting or child-abuse prevention agency with cash and or security system donations.
• Include links on your web site to www.securitypro.com, www.securityisafamilymatter.com, and the local agencies you support.
• Use SFM ads, the SFM brochure, and other sales and marketing materials in your campaigns
• Make security and parent support materials available to prospects and customers
• Make the SFM position paper available online
• Co-sponsor a Town Hall meeting
• Customize the dealer press release and notify your local TV, magazine, and newspaper editors, announcing your alliance, your commitment, and plans for supporting parents as a means of decreasing crime.

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How do I use the press release?

The release we’ve provided is a Microsoft Word document that you can modify to suit your company and your market. It provides basic information about the SFM program. Keep the release in the standard release format but add and delete information as needed.

Use the release to announce local partnerships and what you’re contributing to the cause of reducing crime through strengthening families. Include facts about the charity you’re supporting and ways they help reduce crime by strengthening families. The media like a “feel-good” story, but they also want to know that your efforts are truly making a difference. Facts about crime reduction, drug abuse reduction, or stats that show an agency’s effectiveness in supporting families will appeal to editors. See the SFM position paper for more factual information about the link between strong families and crime reduction. Always include a quote by a qualified company spokesperson.

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Where do I send the release?

Send the release to business, family, and local news editors at newspapers, magazines–dailies, weeklies, and monthlies–and to TV and radio stations.

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Is there a way to really get media attention?

There are lots of ways:

• Plan and announce a Town Hall meeting on family security and child abuse detection/prevention. Invite the press to attend. They’ll be interested in learning about the security concerns of their readers.
• Tie in with an event that has built-in media coverage, such as fundraisers, National Night Out events, March of Dimes events, United Way, school- and other community-based events–and announce your participation to the press.
• Focus your charitable donations on specific events related to family safety, security, and abuse prevention so you gain the higher profile of an event sponsor.
• Support events that you truly believe in. The public can smell a fake for miles.
• Create a contest that anyone can win and offer a prize that anyone would want to win.

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How should I talk about the SFM program to consumers and the media?

Describe your sincere interest in making prevention a key component of your security and life safety business. Do not describe it as a cause-related marketing program. Your key messages are these:

• You have partnered with an agency to support the products, information, and services it takes to make strong families.
• GE Security Pros are dedicated to fostering the best sources of security available: the highest quality electronic detection systems, and strong families.
• Buying from a GE Security Pro is an act of community service that strengthens communities by helping to reduce the causes of criminal behavior.
• See the SFM Position Paper for more key messages.

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