CAMPAIGN PROPOSAL
Prepared for: The University of North Florida Chapter of PRSSA
Prepared by: Marina Martin, Alex Sipala, Kristen Comeaux and Karl Barron
Executive Summary
MAKK & Partners created a campaign proposal for the University of North Florida
(UNF) Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). The
goal of this campaign is to educate students at the University of North Florida on
the benefits of membership in PRSSA, in turn increasing awareness,
membership and attendance at events. The target audience is University of North
Florida communication majors who have selected public relations as their
concentration. The campaign slogan is “Raise Your Bar in PR”. The slogan
directly relates to the campaign goal by encouraging students to get involved in
PRSSA, an organization that will enhance their knowledge and experience in the
field of public relations.
MAKK & Partners has created a two-fold campaign that will begin August 1, 2012
and end May 1, 2013. The first phase of our campaign is to increase membership
within the organization. Phase one will take place during the first six weeks of the
Fall 2012 semester and the Spring 2013 semester. MAKK & Partners will utilize
materials such as signs, fliers and sidewalk chalk to reach our target publics. We
will inform the student body about the benefits of PRSSA membership by holding
weekly interest meetings in the dorms and placing information tables in popular
locations on the university’s campus.
The second phase of our campaign is to increase the involvement of current
members in the organization. In order to increase event attendance MAKK &
Partners suggest that PRSSA hold a variety of events such as tours to local
public relations agencies, panel discussions and networking fairs. Tickets to
PRSA luncheons will be raffled off at PRSSA events to increase student
luncheon attendance. Students will have the option to express their creativity by
designing and personalizing networking cards that they can distribute at events.
MAKK & Partners will also implement a mentor program between upper and
underclassman in order to help new members transition into the organization.
The final portion of phase two is to increase communication between the
organization and its members by utilizing social media outlets. MAKK & Partners
plan to do this by improving the organization's Facebook page, Twitter page and
chapter blog. We recommend that the organization update these sites more
frequently. Members will have the opportunity to participate in a PRSSA t-shirt
design contest. PRSSA members will vote by “liking” their favorite design on the
organization's Facebook page.
MAKK & Partners will conduct a mid-term and a final evaluation by determining
the increase in membership, involvement and social media traffic.
Agency Background
MAKK & Partners is a public relations firm that was established in 2001. Current
partners include: Marina Martin, Alex Sipala, Kristen Comeaux and Karl Barron.
The mission of MAKK & Partners is to provide results-oriented public relations
specifically designed to meet each client’s needs by providing innovative
objectives and results oriented tactics in order to increase the client’s opportunity
of growth. MAKK & Partners strive to be more than just a public relations firm,
instead an irreplaceable business partner that provides clients with
representation that enriches their business and their lives.
If chosen as the agency of record, Marina Martin will be assigned to this project.
Martin is an alumna of the University of North Florida. She is a former PRSSA
member and held a position on the leadership board. She found several
internships and her first job out of college at networking events through PRSSA.
Keeping this in mind, her fee for this campaign is 2,500 dollars.
Client Background
The Public Relations Student Society of America is an organization exclusively
for college students who are interested in pursuing a career in public relations.
According to the organization’s website, PRSSA advocates rigorous academic
standards for public relations education, high ethical principles and diversity
within the profession. PRSSA has 300 chapters with approximately 10 thousand
student members in universities across the United States and one in Argentina.
The University of North Florida chapter of PRSSA was founded in 1993. PRSSA
is a student society led by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the
trade organization for public relations professionals.
PRSA is an organization made of over 20 thousand public relations
professionals. It was chartered in 1947 and is the largest organization of public
relations professionals. PRSA provides support, professional recognition,
networking and job opportunities. Professionals have the option to attend
seminars and conferences to enhance their knowledge about the current
changes and trends in the field of public relations. PRSA acts as the governing
body over public relations professionals by providing a code of ethics, which
includes industry standards, practice guidelines, and core values that
professionals should abide by.
Situation Analysis
There are a large number of students majoring in public relations that are not
currently members of PRSSA. The organizations dues are $65 per year, which
is a high price for those on a budget, therefore many students do not see the
value in becoming a member. Students are unaware that as a member they
receive access to the PRSSA website where internships and jobs are posted
exclusively for members of the organization. Other membership perks include
socializing opportunities with students and professionals currently in the field and
access to publications that provide updates on the latest trends in public
relations. Many students are not aware of the benefits that are offered to PRSSA
members, therefore they do not join.
Secondary Research
As requested by PRSSA national, this campaign will be piloted in Jacksonville,
Fla., with the University of North Florida Chapter. There are over 16 thousand
students currently enrolled at the University of North Florida and more than threefourths of those students are working on their undergraduate degree. According
to the university’s 2011 profile, the average GPA of incoming freshman is 3.84,
meaning that academic achievement is a value of importance to students at the
university. Students have the option to select a variety of majors in one of the
following five colleges: the Brooks College of Health, the Coggin College of
Business, the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Computing, Engineering
& Construction, and the College of Education & Human Services.
The target public for this campaign is communication majors with a concentration
in public relations. Communication majors are part of the College of Arts &
Sciences. Of the 6,949 students in the College of Arts & Sciences, 1,380 are
declared communication majors. Five hundred and twenty-two have selected
public relations as their concentration. Of the 522 current public relations majors
103 are members of PRSSA, meaning that less than 20 percent of declared
public relations majors are members of the organization.
The University of North Florida PRSSA chapter averages approximately 50 new
members a semester, according to the University of North Florida PRSSA
chapter advisor, Bobbi Doggett. Doggett also noted that the UNF Chapter is large
in comparison to other PRSSA chapters, however the chapter has very few
active members.
The organization holds approximately four events each semester. Spring 2012
events included interest and leadership meetings, panel discussions by
professionals currently working in the field, and resume critics for students
looking for a job or internship. Most of the events are held after 5 p.m. therefore
students who work or have night classes are unable to attend. Membership
attendance to each event was low.
PRSA, the trade organization for public relations practitioners, holds monthly
chapter luncheons at the University of North Florida. Public relations students are
invited to attend for a reduced fee of 20 dollars. Membership attendance to the
luncheons has also been low.
Most students do not get involved in PRSSA early on in their college career. The
majority of the organization’s members are currently juniors and seniors,
therefore there is a fairly quick membership turnover rate. As of Fall 2012, all
incoming freshmen will be required to live on campus. It will be much easier to
target the freshmen class due to this change in policy.
The leadership board of PRSSA utilizes social media outlets such as Facebook
and occasionally Twitter in order to spread the word about PRSSA events. They
also conduct classroom visits, post flyers and send out email reminders.
Although the organization is making an attempt to reach out to students, few
have responded.
Primary Research
Ten students from the target audience were surveyed. Five students were
members of PRSSA and five were not. Two surveys were created, one for
members of PRSSA and one for non-members. Each student was asked if they
were a member of PRSSA before the surveys were distributed. We did this in
order to insure that each student received the correct survey.
Non-members were asked if they had heard of the organization, if they were
aware of the benefits of joining, and finally why they were not currently members
of PRSSA. All five students said they had never heard of the organization and
had no idea what the benefits of joining were. Three out of the five students were
freshmen and the other two were juniors.
Current members were asked to explain why they joined PRSSA, how often they
went to events and to make suggestions on how the organization could improve.
All five students said they joined the organization to make networking
connections, however they rarely attend events. The students suggested the
organization should vary the time of day that events are offered, incorporate
different types of events, and also to enhance communication between the
leadership board and the members.
Additional Research if Selected as Agency of Record
If selected as the Agency of Record MAKK & Partners plan to conduct focus
groups as well as in-depth interviews with current members to find out how they
feel about the current state of the organization. We feel that it is important to
gather feedback from current members in order to insure that they have a great
membership experience. MAKK & Partners also plans to start taking attendance
at events in order to gather an accurate representation of how many members
attend each event.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
 Well established organization on the UNF campus
 National organization with 300 chapters across the United States
 PRSA is the parent organization
 Provides opportunities to members to further their career that they would
not otherwise receive
 Larger than most PRSSA chapters
Weaknesses:
 Costly dues compared to other clubs on campus
 Small percentage of active members within the organization
 Students lack knowledge of the organization and the benefits of joining
Opportunities:
 Many freshmen and sophomores are undecided about their major. PRSSA
could be a way to get them involved in the communication major.
 Students have exclusive access to scholarship, internship, networking and
job opportunities.
 Members have the opportunity to enhance their portfolio through
leadership positions and committees.
Threats:
 Other clubs on campus with lower dues
 Student government could decrease funding
 A decline in students selecting public relations as their concentration
 Over involvement in campus activities, school work and jobs
Campaign Strategy:
Overall Campaign Goal
The goal of this campaign is to educate students at the University of North
Florida on the benefits of membership in PRSSA, in turn increasing awareness,
membership and attendance at events.
Audience Analysis
The target public is University of North Florida students between the ages of 18-
24 who are communication majors with a concentration in public relations.
According to 2011 student body demographics, approximately 72 percent of
University of North Florida students are Caucasian and 95 percent of students
are from counties in Florida. According to a 2012 Pew Research study, almost 70
percent of people 18-24 have a smartphone. An additional Pew Research study
notes that 80 percent of people 18-29 use social networking sites such as
Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. This research suggests that our target public is
extremely connected to technology and gets the majority of their information
online, often through their smart phones.
Objective 1:
Increase membership of the University of North Florida chapter of PRSSA by 50
percent within the first six weeks of the Fall 2012 semester and the Spring 2013
semester.
Communication Tactics:
1. The university green is a central point on campus. Unless they take the
shuttle, the majority of students who live on campus must pass by the green in
order to get to their classes. The green is also located in front of the building
where most junior and senior communication majors have classes. MAKK &
Partners plan to utilize this space during recruitment. Three current members of
PRSSA will sit behind a table on the green for three hours twice a week for the
first six weeks of each semester or until the deadline for new member
applications has past. The current members will provide information regarding
the organization, its membership benefits and have applications for those who
want to apply.
2. In order to directly target the freshmen on campus, weekly interest meetings
will be held in the dorms for the first six weeks of the Fall 2012 semester and the
Spring 2013 semester. Over the course of the first six weeks there will be one
meeting in each of the six dorms at the University of North Florida. Pizza and
drinks will be provided to those who attend. Students will have the option to ask
current members questions about their major, the organization and find out how
to get involved. At this meeting students contact information will be collected.
3. Emails regarding the membership process, membership benefits and
upcoming events will be sent out to students who attended and provided their
information at the interest meetings. Students who attended the interest meetings
will also be encouraged to follow the UNF Chapter of PRSSA on Twitter and like
the organization on Facebook as a way to receive updates.
4. Signs and flyers will be placed around the University of North Florida campus
during the recruitment period. Twenty signs will be printed. Ten signs will be
placed around campus during the first six weeks of the Fall 2012 semester and
the Spring 2013 semester. One hundred flyers will be printed during the
recruitment phase and 50 flyers will be printed for each event. The flyers will be
posted on bulletin boards and in classrooms around the campus.
5. Sidewalk chalking to promote PRSSA membership will be done once a week
during the recruitment phase. Messages such as “Join PRSSA Today!” and
“Raise Your Bar in PR” will be written on the sidewalk in multiple places across
campus. Locations include but are not limited to: outside each of the dorms, near
the green, by the library and near the Student Union. Sidewalk chalking will also
be done the week before each event in hopes that students interested in joining
the organization will attend.
6. The PRSSA leadership board will visit communication classrooms at the
beginning of each semester to inform students of the organization, its benefits
and how they can become a member. MAKK & Partners recommends that the
leadership board continue to make classroom visits because it is a cost effective
way to inform a large amount of public relations students at the University of
North Florida about PRSSA.
Objective 2:
Increase involvement of current members by 20 percent by May 1, 2013.
Communication Tactics:
1. MAKK & Partners first tactic to increase involvement is directly based on
feedback from current members during our primary research. Students
mentioned that they would like the time and type of events to vary. By varying the
time of day that PRSSA events are held, more students will have a chance to
attend. MAKK & Partners suggest offering a variety of events such as tours to
local public relations agencies, panel discussions and networking fairs to engage
members. These events will encourage networking between public relations
professionals and students. Interaction between public relations students will also
be encouraged.
One panel discussion will be held in the auditorium on the second floor of the
UNF Student Union each semester. A panel of two to three public relations
practitioners will be invited to speak to students regarding their career path and
answer any questions students may have. The panel discussion will last no more
than two hours. The networking fair will last for two hours and will be held in one
of the ballrooms in the UNF Student Union. Students will have the option to
briefly meet and speak to professionals who attend and ask any questions they
may have. The purpose of this is event is to give students the opportunity to
network one on one with professionals currently in the field. Local public relations
agencies such as St. John and Partners and Dalton Agency will be contacted to
see if they would be willing to hold a tour of their facility free of charge for PRSSA
students. PRSSA will not be responsible for providing transportation to the
location of the tour. MAKK & Partners recommends that PRSSA hold these
events either around lunchtime or in the early evening. The professional
attendees schedules must be considered when choosing the event times.
The interest and leadership meetings hosted by the PRSSA chapter will be
combined into one meeting and held at the beginning of the Fall 2012 and Spring
2013 semester.
2. In order to increase attendance at PRSA luncheons two free tickets to each
luncheon will be given away to students who attend events as an incentive to get
more involved. The students who receive the tickets will be randomly selected in
the format of a raffle. Luncheon attendees will be encouraged to share their
experience with other members in the organization and explain why attending
PRSA luncheons are viable way to make networking connections.
3. MAKK & Partners plan to create a mentor program for members of PRSSA.
Upperclassmen who are interested in the program will be assigned an
underclassman to mentor. Mentors will provide insight on classes, professors,
internships, etc. The purpose of the mentor program is to help new members
transition into the organization. Mentors can put the position on their resume as a
leadership position in PRSSA. Current members are not required to participate in
the mentor program but are highly encouraged.
4. Members will have the opportunity to design and personalize networking
cards that can be distributed at networking events. Students can use templates
found in programs such as Microsoft Publisher or Adobe Illustrator to design their
networking cards or they can select a pre-designed template. Members will be
responsible for submitting their design via email. The chapter will print the
networking cards. Students can pick up their cards in the PRSSA advisors office.
Each student will receive a maximum of 20 cards per semester.
Objective 3:
Increase communication between the organization and it members by 20 percent
by utilizing social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Blogger by May 1,
2013.
Communication Tactics:
1. MAKK & Partners plan to redesign the chapter’s Facebook page in order to
make it more aesthetically pleasing. We plan to hire a third party company, The
Next Level, to revamp and maintain the graphics of the Facebook page. The
chapter will be responsible for updating the content of the page. This update will
make the organization's Facebook page stand out among other clubs on
campus.
2. In the Spring 2013 semester members of the UNF chapter of PRSSA will be
invited to participate in a design contest. Members who wish to participate will be
asked to design a t-shirt. Students can choose to create an online design on
either a navy or grey t-shirt. MAKK & Partners chose these colors because we
wanted the organization and the university colors to be represented. No more
than three additional colors can be used in the design and the PRSSA logo must
be included. All designs must be submitted to the organization via email before
the deadline. The designs will be posted on the chapter’s Facebook page. All
members of the chapter will be asked to vote for their favorite design by “liking”
the picture. After a winner is declared the t-shirts will be purchased for all PRSSA
members. The creator of the winning design will be recognized on all three of the
chapters social media outlets and can include the design proof in their portfolio.
3. The last tweet by the UNF PRSSA Chapter was posted on Feb. 24, 2012.
MAKK & Partners suggest that leaders of the chapter update the Twitter account
on a daily basis. Posts will include information on events, job and internship
opportunities, and news related to the public relations field. Although students
have access to most of this information through the PRSSA national website,
many do not take the time to browse the website. By regularly providing the
chapter with fast and useful information via Twitter more students will follow
PRSSA on an everyday basis.
4. The PRSSA chapter blog is outdated and has not been updated since Dec. 3,
2011. MAKK & Partners plan to redesign the chapter’s blog to make it more
visually appealing. MAKK & Partners also recommends that the chapter should
update the blog after each event and should encourage members to subscribe to
the blog. Every time the blog is updated members who have subscribed to the
blog will receive an email containing the update. This will allow members keep
up-to date on what is going on in organization. PRSSA members who are
interested in getting real world writing experience will have the chance to help
write blog entries. Students can use these writing samples in their portfolio.
Creative Concepts:
Our campaign slogan is “Raise your bar in PR”. It is not enough to simply attend
classes and earn a degree. Students need to get involved, network and get
practical experience in the field of public relations before they graduate. Students
who are truly passionate about pursuing a career in public relations need to be a
part of PRSSA.
MAKK & Partners chose not to create a new PRSSA chapter logo. We decided to
continue using the current PRSSA chapter logo because we wanted to keep the
organizations pre-existing brand intact. The current logo is professional and a
good representation of the organization and school spirit.
Evaluation:
MAKK & Partners will conduct a mid-term evaluation in December 2012 to make
sure that our campaign is on track. Results will be compared to those found in
the final evaluation conducted in May 2013. Membership will be evaluated by
comparing the amount of members in the organization at the beginning of the
semester and at the end of the semester. Current member involvement will be
measured by monitoring event attendance and observing if there is an increase
or decrease in participation. Communication between the organization and its
members will be measured by observing the number of “likes” and comments on
the chapter's Facebook page, the number of followers and retweets on the
chapter’s Twitter account, and the number of subscribers to the chapter’s blog.
Recommended Budget:
Item
Description
Cost
Facebook Enhancements
$150 startup, $50 each
month
300 flyers, $0.59 each
$160 per semester, 16
tickets, $20 each
$10 per shirt, estimate for
150 members
$200 per event, one
ballroom for 1-4 hours
$200 per event, from 1-4
hours
$150 per semester, $25 per
meeting
$600
PRSSA Interest And
Leadership Meeting Food
Budget
Tabling
$50 for each meeting
$100
Free for student
organizations
$0.00
Signs
20 signs for $13 each from
FASTSIGNS
$260
Networking Cards
2 boxes of 2500 cards from
OfficeMax, $89.99 per box
$179.98
Printing Fees for
Networking Cards
300 pages, $0.59 each
$177
Flyers
Luncheon Giveaway
Tickets
T-Shirts
Ballroom Rentals
Auditorium Cost
Freshmen Interest Meeting
Food Budget
$177
$320
$1,500
$400
$400
$300
Crayola Washable Sidewalk 52 count
Chalk
$5.99
Agency Fee
$2,500
Total
Flat Rate
$6,919.97
Appendix:
Primary Research Questions for Non-Members:
1. What is your classification by credit hours? Circle one of the following.
A. Freshmen
B. Sophomore
C. Junior
D. Senior
2. Have you ever heard of PRSSA?
1. Yes
2. No
3. Are you aware of the benefits that PRSSA members receive?
1. Yes
2. No
4. If you answered yes to the previous question please list the PRSSA
membership benefits.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. Why are you not currently a member of the UNF Chapter of PRSSA?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Primary Research Questions for PRSSA Members:
1. What is your classification by credit hours? Circle one of the following.
A. Freshmen
B. Sophomore
C. Junior
D. Senior
2. Why did you join PRSSA?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. How often do you attend PRSSA events?
A. All the time (Attend four our events a semester)
B. Often (Attend three events a semester)
C. Sometimes (Attend two events a semester)
D. Rarely (Attend one event a semester)
E. Never (Attend zero events a semester)
4. List any suggestions that you have to improve PRSSA.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Networking Cards:
Flyer:
Yard Sign: