I think they don't have enough money for a big push in and around the town, so they've tried maybe one thing each season. So this season they've done that Reading Bus tie in.
Can't quite remember when it was, but they had that thing in the train station where there was some cardboard cutouts of some players so you could stand behind them and get a photo of yourself in the Reading kit. I certainly never saw anybody do it mind! And signs with #MyTownMyClub on them.
At least two of the last few seasons they've had a pop-up shop in The Oracle coming up to Christmas, pushing merchandise for Christmas presents.
I think rents in the town centre and the Oracle are probably eye-wateringly high, too much for a permanent presence, which is a pity. A shop in town, with regular signing events for shirts and stuff might get a bit of attention. But whether it would justify how much it would cost is debatable. I think it's easier for Northern clubs to do that kind of thing on Championship promotion budgets, purely because of rents!
As regards links with local schools and stuff - there certainly seems to be no shortage of local football clubs to do the flag-waving at the Mad Stad - how is that organised? Is that a community awareness thing - or is it actually a money-spinner for the club? I suspect the latter, there's some sort of package which costs money, and the kids get to do their thing at the start, and their penalty taking at half time, and watch the game - but it costs. I think money is a big concern all the time - the club is losing money hand-over-fist, it's easier if you're actually making some kind of profit to deal out free tickets, and invite local groups in etc.
They definitely go into local schools, or invite local schools into the club - they had some kind of World Book Day tie-in with Birch Copse Primary school for instance. The Community Trust is involved in the PL Primary Stars programme (see here
https://plprimarystars.com/) so maybe if your kids primary school has never been involved with anything, you should nominate them! I guess with a lot of these things, it's a two way street, they can't just turn up at a school, the school has to approach the club. which means if nobody in a position of authority at a school is interested, they aren't going to be there.
The main problem I see is the lack of history in Reading of supporting the club - lots of people supporting their home-town clubs, or big London clubs.
Don't think this is a problem particularly affecting Reading btw, if you walk around Bournemouth, would you know they had a football club? Brighton, apart from their club-shop, doesn't seem to have a big presence in the town either.
I also wonder if the demise of print editions of the EP have made a difference - when that was being delivered to every house, and had Reading stories in it, people would be more aware.