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E M M Y S I LV E R M A N

STC 359
B AT C H E L O R
M AY 1 0 , 2 0 1 6

P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
C A M PA I G N
MIAMI UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC
COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

STC 359 FINAL EXAM


This work is entirely my own. I have neither given nor received assistance from anyone
on any portion of this examination.
Emmy Silverman
Emmy Silverman

P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S C A M PA I G N
M IA M I U N IV E R S IT Y S T R AT E G IC C O M M U N IC AT IO N S D E PA RT M N E T

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Research

Key Findings

45

Publics

Goals & Objective

Key Message

Strategies

Tactics

10 11

Timeline

12 13

Budget

14

Evaluation

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RESEARCH
Our research was geared toward four main publics.
1. Juniors and Seniors in the Strategic Communications Major

Survey
o Ask them what they like and dont like about the major, why they choose it, and what
they plan on doing when they graduate.

2. Professors in the Strategic Communications Department

Hold a focus group of professors.


o

Talk about why they think this major is beneficial.

3. High School Students

Send out a survey to High School Students.


o Discover what they look for in a school, why they chose the major they are choosing,
and what they want to do in the future.

4. Human Resources Departments of Marketing, PR and Advertising Agencies

Send out a survey to HR departments of Marketing, PR and Advertising Agencies.


o Discover what majors they generally hire and why and what they look for students to
have learned at college.

KEY FINDINGS
1. Juniors and Seniors in the Strategic Communications Major

Survey
o On average, the majority of surveyed students like the Capstone classes and the
professors. They dont like the large sizes of the introductory courses.
o 85% of surveyed students want to work in a PR, Marketing or Advertising Agency
when they graduate.

2. Professors in the Strategic Communications Department

Hold a focus group of professors.


o The focus group concluded that this major is beneficial in helping students to think
strategically and gain knowledge and real-world applications and experience of PR,
Marketing and Advertising work.

3. High School Students

Send out a survey to High School Students.


o 90% of surveyed High School Students look for a school that gives them a lot of
options and has a community feel.
o 85% of students choose their major because it correlates with what they want to do in
the future.

4. Human Resources Departments of Marketing, PR and Advertising Agencies

Send out a survey to HR departments of Marketing, PR and Advertising Agencies.


o The surveyed HR departments said they hire Communications and Business Majors
80% of the time.

o 90% of them said they look for students to have real-world experience and strategic
thinking skills.

PUBLICS
Primary

Miami University Students


o Upper-Middle Class
o Aged 18-22
o Specifically students who have not yet declared a major or are on the fence about a
major.

Secondary

High School Students


o Students looking to come to Miami or students who have already decided to come to
Miami.

Human Resources Departments at Marketing, PR and Advertising Agencies in the U.S.

Intervening

The Parents
o Parents of both the Miami University and the High School Students

GOALS & OBJECTIVE


Goal

The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness about the Strategic Communications
Department among our four publics Miami University Students, High School Students,
Human Resources Departments of Marketing, PR and Advertising Agencies in the U.S.,
and the Parents of both Miami University and High School Students. The campaign will
mainly focus on bringing awareness of the significance of the major, the dedication of the
faculty members and the role of strategic communications in a larger society.

Objectives

Increase awareness of the benefits of the Strategic Communications Major amongst all
key publics by 60%.

Increase enrollment in the Strategic Communications Major of current Miami Students


by 10%.

Increase enrollment in the Strategic Communications Major of incoming Miami Students


by 30%.

Increase Human Resources Departments interest in and involvement with Miami


University Strategic Communications Majors by 20%.

KEY MESSAGE
The Strategic Communications Major at Miami University is successful in helping students
prepare for a future in Marketing, Advertising and PR, in particular. Students of this major gain
the ability to think strategically in order to efficiently communicate and implement plans to help
businesses and other clients grow and succeed in their goals and endeavors.

STRATEGIES

We plan to reach Miami University Students through on campus outreach and


events and social media in order to make them aware of the opportunities Strategic
Communications Majors have, both while at school and for their futures.

We plan to reach High School Students through creating a presence at local high
schools in order to give them a defined reason to choose Miami and make them aware
of the opportunities Strategic Communications Majors have at Miami, both while at
school and for their futures.

We plan to reach Human Resources Departments of Marketing, PR and


Advertising Agencies in the U.S. through creating connections with agencies in
order to increase their knowledge, interest and involvement with Miami Strategic
Communications Majors.

We plan to reach Parents of both Miami University Students and High School
Students through social media in order to help them understand that a Strategic
Communications Major will help their children have successful futures.

TACTICS

Create an interactive Strategic Communications Department website.


o

Students and faculty can blog about their classes/internships/work, post their projects,
review classes, etc.

Faculty Spotlights
o Videos and blog posts highlighting a specific Miami Strategic Communications Faculty
Member
o Highlight one person each month.
o Release videos on Facebook, Twitter, and Miami University and Strategic
Communications Website.
o Send emails with video attachments to Guidance Departments at High Schools who send
a lot of students to Miami.

Student Blogs
o Human Resources Departments in Marketing, PR and Advertising Agencies like to see
that students blog.
o Students will blog about why Strategic Communications is an important and beneficial
major and about their internships, jobs, etc.
o Release one every other week on Facebook, Twitter, and Miami University and the
Strategic Communications Website.

Strategic Communications Job Fair Only for Strategic Communications Majors


o Once a semester
o Human Resources Departments in Marketing, PR and Advertising Agencies in the area
send representatives to work booths for their agency.
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o The representatives can see what the students know and learn and the Strategic
Communications Department can see what the agencies do and what options there are for
internships and post-graduate jobs.

Send representatives of the Strategic Communications Department to Freshman Classes to


talk about the major.
o At the beginning of each semester

Strategic Communications Department Tours


o Special Strategic Communications Department Tours for perspective students.

Graduated Strategic Communications Majors talk to STC 259 about post-graduation life as a
Strategic Communications Major.
o Once a semester

Representatives of the Strategic Communications Department speak at nearby High Schools


to juniors and seniors and their parents.
o Once a semester

Strategic Communications Advisors will reach out to Human Resources Departments in


Marketing, PR and Advertising Agencies to build a stronger network.

Create a trip like Inside NY in Boston.


o Build a stronger connection with Marketing, PR and Advertising Agencies in the city.
o Introduce it in the Summer of 2017.

Project Fair of 259, 359, 459 Final Projects and Strategic Plans open to the entire Miami
Community, businesses, and prospective students and their parents.
o Once a semester

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TIMELINE
July 1, 2016: Release Faculty Spotlight
July 3, 2016: Student Blog
July 17, 2016: Student Blog
July 31, 2016: Student Blog
August 1, 2016: Release Faculty Spotlight
August 14, 2016: Student Blog
August 28, 2016: Student Blog
August 30, 2016: Send Representatives to Freshman Classes
September 1, 2016: Release Faculty Spotlight
September 11, 2016: Student Blog
September 25, 2016: Student Blog
September 28, 2016: Graduated Student Talks To STC 259
October 1, 2016: Release Faculty Spotlight
October 5, 2016: Strategic Communications Job Fair
October 9, 2016: Student Blog
October 23, 2016: Student Blog
November 1, 2016: Release Faculty Spotlight
November 6, 2016: Student Blog
November 15, 2016: Project Fair
November 20, 2016: Student Blog
November 22, 2016: Talk at Nearby High School
December 1, 2016: Release Faculty Spotlight
December 4, 2016: Student Blog
December 18, 2016: Student Blog
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January 1, 2017: Release Faculty Spotlight


January 1, 2017: Student Blog
January 15, 2017: Student Blog
January 29, 2017: Student Blog
February 1, 2017: Release Faculty Spotlight
February 8, 2017: Send Representatives to Freshman Classes
February 12, 2017: Student Blog
February 26, 2017: Student Blog
March 1, 2017: Release Faculty Spotlight
March 12, 2017: Student Blog
March 15, 2017: Talk at Nearby High School
March 26, 2017: Student Blog
April 1, 2017: Release Faculty Spotlight
April 9, 2017: Student Blog
April 12, 2017: Strategic Communications Job Fair
April 23, 2017: Student Blog
April 30, 2017: Graduated Student Talks To STC 259
May 1, 2017: Release Faculty Spotlight
May 7, 2017: Student Blog
May 16, 2017: Project Fair
May 21, 2017: Student Blog
June 1, 2017: Release Faculty Spotlight
June 4, 2017: Student Blog
June 18, 2017: Student Blog
July 1, 2017: Release Faculty Spotlight
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BUDGET
Number of Events

Price Per Unit

Subtotal

Student Multi-Media
Intern

3 Hours/Week

$8/Hour

$1,248

Department Tours

18

$10

$180

Inside Boston Trip


Planner

$150/week

$2,700

Total

$4,128

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EVALUATION
As Public Relations practitioners we spent time after the completion of our plan to measure the
success of our campaign. The objectives of our plan were to increase awareness of the benefits of
the Strategic Communications Major amongst all key publics by 60%. Increase enrollment in the
Strategic Communications Major of current Miami Students by 10%. Increase enrollment in the
Strategic Communications Major of Incoming Miami Students by 30%. And to increase Human
Resources Departments interest in and involvement with Miami University Strategic
Communications Majors by 20% all at the completion of our one-year program. We have
evaluated the success of our campaign through the quantitative evaluation of Strategic
Communications Majors, both enrolled in Miami and hired at agencies. These evaluations show
the enrollment has increased by 30% and the students hired at agencies has increased by 20%
over the course of the year. Based off these evaluations we can conclude that we were successful
in reaching our objectives.

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