Assignment:
Option 1: Traditional Campaign
Design a traditional PR campaign plan for a government agency or a not-for-profit organization that wants to promote a cause. This campaign can be targeted at the city, state, or national level.
Here are some possible examples:
• Your state health department hires you to promote healthy eating for school children, healthy eating for seniors, eating on a food-stamp budget, or a similar topic.
• The League of American Bicyclists hires you to promote bicycling as a great family activity in your city or state and make residents aware of family-friendly bike trails in your area.
• The Almond Advisory Board, a trade group of almond growers, hires you to promote almonds and increase their consumption.
• The Alliance of Artists Communities hires you to promote residency programs in the U.S. and Canada for dancers from around the world.
Following the guidelines in textbook, your written plan is the blueprint of the entire campaign. Your plan should start with an executive summary and then outline the steps it will take to execute the program: 1) situation, 2) objectives, 3) audience, 4) strategies, 5) tactics, 6) calendar, 7) budget, and 8) evaluation.
The tactics or "how to do it" section will be heart of the plan. In addition to writing the plan, you should also write:
• a press release
• a series of social media posts for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• a blog post
• either a Public Service Announcement or a brief speech that an expert might give as part of your campaign
Your well-written paper should meet the following requirements:
• Use the readings for any module, four to six peer-reviewed articles or professional sources, and public relations blogs.
• Your final project should be 8 to 10 pages long, not including the title page and references. Include the 8-step plan, Press Release, Social
Media Posts, Blog Post and PSA/Speech in the same document.
• Format your document according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA.
Option 2: Low-Budget PR Campaign
Design a low-budget PR campaign that focuses on social media and networking strategy for a small-to-medium size company that wants to expand its brand recognition and sales in other markets. This campaign could be targeted at a regional or national level.
You should choose a successful company in your town or city, which you think has potential to expand its brand recognition. For example:
• You may think your local sandwich shop, which currently has two locations, should expand regionally and compete with established firms like Subway or Panera Bread.
• You may think your local health club offers a well-appointed weight room, top-notch cardio equipment, and outstanding classes at bargain, having the potential to compete with popular clubs like Planet Fitness, Equinox, or Gold's Gym.
This option will likely require field work on your part, such as taking photos of the business and its products and possibly interviewing the company's owners to learn more information about the business. (The owners don't need to actually want to expand their business for you to choose their company for this project.) This can be a fun option to do most of your research in person, rather than from your computer.
Following the guidelines in textbook, your written plan is the blueprint of the entire campaign. Your plan should start with an executive summary and then outline the steps it will take to execute the program: 1) situation, 2) objectives, 3) audience, 4) strategies, 5) tactics, 6) calendar, 7) budget, and 8) evaluation.
The tactics or "how to do it" section will be heart of the plan. In addition to writing the plan, you should also write or create:
• a press release
• a series of social media posts for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• a blog post
• One of the following:
o create a social media contest to build brand interest
o a Facebook Live video that is either:
- a tour of the business and what it does
- someone demonstrating or using the business's product
Your well-written paper should meet the following requirements:
• Use the readings for any module, four to six peer-reviewed articles or professional sources, and public relations blogs.
• Your 8-step plan should be 3 to 4 pages long.
• Your additional writings should be in three separate documents (Press Release, Social Media Posts, Blog Post)
• If you do a Facebook video, you can submit it by either 1) downloading and sharing the MP3 file or 2) uploading to a space like YouTube or Vimeo and sharing the link with your instructor. (See https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-repurpose-your-facebook-live-videos/.)
• Format your document according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA.