Enhance Your Education Broaden Your Network Launch Your Career

Enhance Your Education Broaden Your Network Launch Your Career

Table of Contents Executive Summary... 1 Situation Analysis... 1-2 Research... 3-4 Target Audience... 5 Goals... 5 Objectives... 5-12 Strategies... 5-12 Tactics... 5-12 Buget... 13-14 Timeline... 14 1

Executive Summary The Brigham Young University-Idaho Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter offers students the chance to enrich their education and jumpstart their career in Public Relations. The society has 11,000 members nationwide and offers student s valuable experience, scholarship opportunities, broad networks and more. However, the PRSSA BYU- Idaho chapter has recently changed. In January of 2013, BYU-Idaho began offering students the chance to earn college credit from PRSSA making it easier than ever to participate. Problem is, most students don t even know about it. This campaign is directed at Communication and Business majors at BYU-Idaho. Most of these students have never heard of PRSSA, much less know that they can receive college credit. PRSSA has undertaken the task to inform students about PRSSA. Members of PRSSA have developed a plan that utilizes social media, events and promotional materials such as video, t-shirts and posters. Research conducted by PRSSA shows that most students hear about events from banner ads on the school website, word of mouth, posters and social media. This campaign will host two events on campus to promote PRSSA and spread promotional material throughout the Spori building. In addition, it will utilize social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the society blog to spread awareness about the benefits of PRSSA. The strategies and tactics of this campaign aspire to increase membership by 100% and increase the PRSSA social media presence by 25%. More students will be aware of what PRSSA is and will participate as a result. Situation Analysis PRSSA is a student organization established by PRSA, a national society for public relations professionals. PRSSA offers students a chance to enrich their education and begin their career in the PR industry. The organization has over 300 chapters and 11,000 students across the country. Benefits include enhanced education, leadership opportunities, broader networks, scholarships and awards, and access to the PRSA Jobcenter, where students can seek out career opportunities and internships. BYU-Idaho has its own chapter of PRSSA. In January 2013, the society was established as a practicum credit, allowing members to earn school credit for participation. This change means that as members grow their experience and skills, they can also earn credit toward their degree.

SWOT Strengths Many professional benefits for members of PRSSA Low commitment, less than 3 hours per week Attendance numbers have already grown this semester Provides ample support for those considering a career in PR Weaknesses Not all students can attend PRSSA class because of scheduling conflicts Some benefits are not commonly publicized Some students don t understand what PRSSA actually does (uninformed student body) $60 Fee may make students reconsider membership Opportunities Goals of PRSSA apply to all PR students PRSSA can help unsure students decide if PR is right for them Practicum credit can be earned Provides exclusive membership, including an opportunity to branch out to different PR firms, scholarships, etc. Gives all students an insight for what PR is and why it is important. Threats Existing opinions about PRSSA might be negative Not all students will pay attention to publicity about PRSSA 3

Research This survey was conducted to learn about the PRSSA target audience, communication and business majors, and how to reach them. The survey was sent through Qualtrics to 300 random communication and business majors of which 46 responded. 65 percent of the survey participants were business majors and 35 percent were communication majors. Only 35 percent of the participants had heard of PRSSA. According to the results, the need to promote PRSSA to business majors is evident. PRSSA just became a practicum credit in January 2013 and only 20 percent were aware that it was offered. Also, in the business department practicum credits aren t a course requirement. Through these findings it became apparent that promoting PRSSA as a practicum may not have an impact with business majors. The following list reflects which PRSSA benefits participants value most. 1. Gaining skills applicable to any industry 2. Scholarship and award opportunities 3. Portfolio building work with real clients 4. Exclusive international internships and job board 5. Accreditation in the public relations industry 6. National and regional conferences 7. Affiliation with Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) 8. Newsletter updates on the public relations industry from PRSA 9. Worldwide networking For the success of the campaign it was imperative to know what media outlets the target audience engaged in. Findings show that the best way to reach the target audience is through, word of mouth, banner ads and posters. The least effective media outlets include the radio and Scroll. Through these findings the PRSSA campaign strategies will focus on promoting the practicum credit to communication majors by using banner ads on the Brigham Young University-Idaho webpage and posters. In contrast, the strategies for business majors will focus on PRSSA s three-fold mission, enhance your education, broaden your network and launch your career. These strategies will be implemented together insuring that we reach both majors.

Research 5

Target Audience Primary Audience The target audiences for the PRSSA campaign during the spring semester are BYU-Idaho college students within the communication and business departments. This audience consists of men and women within an approximate age range of 17-30. This audience can be broken down into four categories: 1. Communication students with a PR emphasis. This audience is our main target because they already have an interest in PR and a basic knowledge of how it works. The skills and experience they gain from PRSSA builds a foundation for their careers. Joining PRSSA benefits this group the most. 2. Communication students with an advertising emphasis. Many companies advertising departments are closely connected with its PR department, which are oftentimes consolidated into one department. PR experience will make these students more marketable to future employers, and can make collaboration easier. 3. Communication students with a journalism emphasis. Journalists are in constant contact with PR professionals. PRSSA will help these students understand the PR industry, and also gives them valuable writing experience. 4. 4. Business students. This is an audience because business students careers will involve dealing with many different publics. Good writing and communication skills will greatly enhance their ability to excel in their careers. Secondary Audience This target audience includes the general student population of BYU-Idaho. All students will benefit from PRSSA, because writing and communication skills are important factors in becoming successful in any field of study and employment. It s a great opportunity to gain experience.

Goals & Objectives In universities across the United States, PRSSA has been a huge benefit to the careers of many PR students as they work towards their degree and begin to enter the industry. These benefits are available to BYU-Idaho students interested in public relations, and this campaign exists to inform them of what membership in PRSSA can do for their careers. The following goals and objectives are what we expect to accomplish with this campaign. Goals Increase membership involvement Rebrand PRSSA as a practicum credit and valuable career tool Objectives Increase membership by 100% among Communication majors with a public relations emphasis/module Increase social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, blog) by 25% 7

Strategies & Tactics Objective 1: Increase membership by 100% among Communication majors with a public relations emphasis/module Strategy 1: Place posters in the Spori and Smith buildings to promote PRSSA to business and communication students. Tactic: Gain approval for posters from both the PRSSA President and University Communications. Once approved, posters will be printed at University. Strategy 2: Place flyers in public relations classes. Tactic: Fliers must be approved by the PRSSA President before printing. Upon approval, flyers will be printed on fifty sheets of colored 8.5x11 paper, four fliers per sheet, making a total of 200 flyers. Flyers will be placed on the desks before classes begin and prior to the E-Board s inclass society promotion presentation. PR classes to promote the society to communication majors with a PR emphasis. Get a list of the time/location of PR classes and leave flyers on the desks before class time starts. Strategy 3: Create PRSSA banner ad for MyBYUI website Timeline: Banner ad must be approved by the PRSSA President, Mike Hopkins, and then sent to University Communications for approval by the end of the first week of the semester. The banner ad will be active within the first two weeks of school. Instructions for creating and submitting the banner ad can be found at this link: http://www.byui.edu/universitycommunications/templates-and-logos/digital-ad-templates/mybyui-banner Tactic: Banner ad will be approved, implemented and will be used to promote the society to all of campus. Strategy: Show PRSSA promotional video to students in communication courses

Strategies & Tactics Tactic: Contact Executive Board members to schedule times when they are available to visit PR classes. Then contact communication professors to schedule an appropriate time for Executive Board members to visit. Appointments with professors and Executive Board members should be made by the end of the first week of the semester. Visits to classes should be scheduled for the second week of the semester. Tactic: PRSSA promotional video will be shown in classes with a PRSSA executive board representative present to encourage class members to join PRSSA. Strategy: Sell t-shirts spring semester to advertise and recruit PRSSA members on BYUI campus. Tactic: Society t-shirts will be made and sold at a minimum cost to cover the price of the t-shirts (no profit will be made off of these shirts). Members will purchase the shirts and wear them on meeting days and at events (i.e. the society fair, PRSSA conferences, etc.) to promote the society. PRSSA members should fill out an official order form. sign up today! Enhance Education Broaden Network Launch Career PRSSABYUI@Gmail.com Sign Up Comm 397R-12 9

Strategies & Tactics Objective 2: Increase social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, blog) by 25% Strategy 1: Find the Twitter Bird Scavenger Hunt. This promotes PRSSA through a fun contest that emphasizes use of Twitter in the PR industry. Tactics Create an interactive scavenger hunt to find the Twitter Bird. Followers of the PRSSA Twitter account will receive clues as to the location of the Twitter Bird on campus, and those who find him first win a prize. In the weeks prior to the scavenger hunt, flyers will be posted that include both PRSSA s Twitter handle and a QR Code that lands at PRSSA s Twitter page. A web banner will be posted to MyBYUI page, advertising the event. The template and instructions for submitting the banner ad can be found on the BYU-Idaho website at University Communications, or with this link: http://bit.ly/10wxka0 Strategy 2: Implement a social media plan to create awareness of PRSSA. Objective: Spread awareness of PRSSA through social media by increasing social media presence by 25%. (Facebook, Twitter, Blog, LinkedIn, Instagram) Strategy 3: Use social media platforms to spread awareness of the Twitter Bird Scavenger Hunt Tactics Announce the details (including rules and prizes) of the scavenger hunt via Twitter, Facebook, and the blog to garner interest both before and during the event. In order to receive a prize, participants will be asked to tweet a photo of themselves with the Twitter bird to the PRSSA account using the hashtag #twitterbird. The PRSSA Twitter account will retweet the winner s picture with the Twitter Bird.

Strategies & Tactics Strategy 4: Use social media platforms to spread awareness of the Business Attire Expo. Tactics Post a detailed description of the event and its importance on the PRSSA blog at least two weeks before the event. Share the link to the blog post with a Tweet, Facebook post, and LinkedIn post. Example Tweets: Come join us at the etiquette dinner for the Business Attire Expo! Come learn about the do s and don ts of etiquette at the dinner tonight! Post pictures on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook before, during, and after the Business Attire Expo. Host a competition through Twitter and Instagram for the best picture from the Business Attire Expo with the hashtag #BYUIPRSSA. Host a competition for the best tweet about the Business Attire Expo with the hashtag #BYUIPRSSA. Strategy 5: Spread Awareness about the benefits of PRSSA as a society using social media. Tactics Put promotional PRSSA video on a blog post, Facebook post, and Twitter post. Hold an additional promotion encouraging students to share the PRSSA Facebook page by holding drawings once the page reaches 150 and 300 likes. Post at least once a week on all social media platforms about events, meetings, or other PRSSA related topics. Broaden Your Network Enhance Your Education Launch Your Career Comm 397R-12 prssabyui@gmail.com Spori 137 l Wednesday 5:15-6:15 p.m. 11

Budget Brigham Young University-Idaho Copy Spot and University Press 8.5X11 sheet of color paper: $0.50 8.5X11 sheet of black and white paper: $0.04 11X17 colored poster: $1.00 Alphagraphics 8.5X11 sheet of color paper: $.49 11X17 colored poster: $1.35 Kettle Embroidery (208) 656-9993 28 N 2nd East, Rexburg, ID 83440 Hours: Monday thru Friday, 8am - 5:30pm, closed Saturday & Sunday Specific information is required to receive a price quote, such as shirt quantity, colors, method of silkscreening, and how many locations will be printed on the shirts. Shirts 4EWE (208) 357-4801 240 E 3000 N, Rexburg, ID 83440 shirts4ewe.com Email: sales@shirts4ewe.com Number of Shirts 6-11 12-23 24-35 36-71 72-98 99+ One Color One side (ea): $14.43 $9.72 $8.00 $7.30 $6.55 $6.39 One Color Two sides (ea): Call $14.72 $11.30 $9.89 $8.40 $8.08 Two Color One side (ea): $19.93 $13.37 $9.48 $8.31 $7.14 $6.86 Two Color Two sides (ea): Call Call $14.24 $11.90 $9.57 $9.00 Three Color One side (ea): Call $16.18 $10.95 $9.34 $7.72 $7.26 Three Color Two sides (ea): Call Call $17.19 $13.96 $10.74 $9.81 Four Color One side (ea): Call $18.97 $12.35 $10.33 $8.31 $7.75 Four Color Two sides (ea): Call Call Call $15.96 $11.90 $10.79 American Screen and Print (208) 356-3443 24 W 1st South Rexburg, ID 83440 Specific information is required to receive a price quote, such as shirt quantity, colors, process of screening the shirts, and how many locations will be printed on the shirts.

Timeline *Weekly: Post at least once a week on all social media platforms about events, meetings, or other PRSSA related topics April Monday 22nd Posters and flyers must be approved by the PRSSA President, Mike Hopkins, then send posters to Kirk Rawlins in University Communications for University approval within the first week of school. Wednesday April 24 Put promotional PRSSA video on a blog post, Facebook post, and Twitter post. Monday 29th Take approved poster design and have 20 printed. Print 400 flyers and End of Week 1 of Semester: Assign a person to get a time schedule for PR classes (235, 335, 435). Assign a team to distribute flyers in classrooms on desks just before class time begins. May Wednesday 1st Hold an additional promotion encouraging students to share the PRSSA Facebook page by holding drawings once the page reaches 150 and 300 likes. Thursday 2nd Pick up printed posters and take to University Communications for a semester long approval stamp. Hang posters in the Spori and Smith building. Wednesday 8th Have PRSSA members will fill out an order form for their T-shirt then T-shirts can be ordered and given to members who have purchased them. Tuesday May 21st Post a detailed description of the Business Expo event and its importance on the PRSSA blog. Share the link to the blog post with a Tweet, Facebook post, and LinkedIn post. Wednesday May 29th Wednesday June 5th Announce the details (including rules and prizes) of the scavenger hunt via Twitter, Facebook, and the blog to garner interest both before and during the event. June Monday 3rd Hold an additional promotion encouraging students to share the PRSSA Facebook page by holding drawings once the page reaches 150 and 300 likes. Wednesday 5th Participants will be asked to tweet a photo of themselves with the Twitter bird to the BYU-Idaho PRSSA account using the hashtag #twitterbird. The PRSSA Twitter account will retweet the winner s picture with the Twitter Bird. Wednesday June 12th 19 Announce the details (including rules and prizes) of the scavenger hunt via Twitter, Facebook, and the blog to garner interest both before and during the event. Tuesday 11th- Wednesday 21st Example Tweets: Come join us at the etiquette dinner for the Business Attire Expo! Come learn about the dos and don ts of etiquette at the dinner tonight! Post pictures on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook before, during, and after the Business Attire Expo. Host a competition for the best tweet about the Business Attire Expo with the hashtag #BYUIPRSSA. Wednesday 19th Participants will be asked to tweet a photo of themselves with the Twitter bird to the PRSSA account using the hashtag #twitterbird. The PRSSA Twitter account will retweet the winner s picture with the Twitter Bird. Monday 24th- Friday 28th Host a competition through Twitter and Instagram for the best picture from the Business Attire Expo with the hash tag #BYUIPRSSA.