The most powerful medium for marketing Extension is its paid and volunteer staff. They project positive, neutral, and negative messages every time they answer a phone, develop a newsletter, communicate with elected officials, or conduct an educational meeting. Everything and everybody in an organization talks.
Extension communicates hundreds of marketing messages every day.
The actual choice isn't whether to practice marketing or not, but whether to practice it well or poorly. All marketing efforts start with staff. Marketing should become an integral part of everyone's job from the janitor to the director. Staff should be trained in marketing and given the tools to effectively and consistently communicate Extension's message. Marketing should be viewed as a process and an attitude.