American Trauma Society
PA Division
1
American Trauma Society
PA Division
American Trauma Society
Pennsylvania Division
Public Relations Plan
December 2011
Ashley Price
Shippensburg University
American Trauma Society
PA Division
Table of Contents
I.
Executive Summary
3-4
Situation Analysis
5-13
III.
Target Public
14-17
IV.
Strategy
18-21
Goals, Objectives, and Tactics
22-28
Timeline and Budget
29-32
VII.
Evaluation and Contingencies
33-35
VIII.
Appendices
36- 42
II.
V.
VI.
i.
List of Member Hospitals
37
ii.
Map of Pennsylvania Counties
38
iii.
Internet Media Survey and Results
39-41
iv.
Sample of Social Media Post
42
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
I. Executive Summary
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
The American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division (ATSPA) is a state-funded, non-profit
organization dedicated to reducing the devastating toll that trauma takes on the lives of those
who reside in the Commonwealth. The ATSPA strives to help all Pennsylvanians survive and
lead healthier lives through its trauma prevention programs, events and classes. As a state-funded
organization, the ATSPA serves all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. This funding is provided
through the state branch of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The American Trauma Society of Pennsylvania gained its charter in 1972, but is still
developing relationships with organizations and working to gain awareness from state residents.
The most important publics for the purposes of this campaign include all children, teenager, adult
and elderly adult residents, 33 member hospitals across the state that each house a trauma unit,
Pennsylvania lawmakers and organizations that promote health and wellness. The strategy
involved in creating awareness for the ATSPA is to have more partnerships with organizations,
lawmakers and other publics.
State funding is provided through a legislative budget process; therefore, support from
lawmakers is crucial in a successful campaign. These lawmakers are also a key source of
awareness for the organization. Their support can cause a bandwagon effect that will cause
others to support the ATSPA. It is important for the ATSPA to remain on the minds of
lawmakers to ensure that this financial and social support strengthens.
The ATSPA needs the 33 member hospitals to aid in the effort to increase awareness of
target publics. This campaign will attempt to motivate these members to become more involved
with the ATSPA’s programs and advertising, to eventually increase the promotion of trauma
prevention across the state.
This increased awareness is crucial for the ATSPA to succeed in its mission of providing
trauma prevention education for all those in Pennsylvania. With the aid of member hospitals and
lawmakers, as well as feedback from residents and partnerships with community organizations,
the ATSPA can improve its image within the community. It can become a recognizable and
trusted organization.
It is important to implement all tactics in a timely and professional manner. These tactics
are organized into a timeline, complete with monthly, quarterly and semi-annual responsibilities.
This tactics must be repeated each year after the proposed timeline has ended on December 31,
2012.
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
II. Situation Analysis
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
The American Trauma Society of Pennsylvania (ATSPA) is a non-profit trauma
prevention organization in Mechanicsburg, Pa. The organization is most recognized by its
symbol of a broken tulip. This symbol represents the many lives that are affected by death and
disability due to trauma each day.
ATSPA is a state-funded non-profit that has few ties to the national American Trauma
Society. Beyond the original charter, which includes paying membership dues to the national
office, as well as sharing the ATS name, the Pennsylvania division must gain funding elsewhere.
Mission and Goals
The American Trauma Society, PA Division is dedicated to reducing the devastating toll
that trauma takes on the lives of all people. ATSPA strives to help all Pennsylvanians survive
and lead healthier lives through its trauma prevention education programs.1
The ATSPA’s mission is, “to reduce suffering, disability and death due to trauma.” They
carry out this mission by creating various trauma awareness programs through brochures, flip
charts and care cards that can be sent through the mail. These materials are available, free of
charge, to Pennsylvania residents, businesses and organizations.
History
In order for a division of the American Trauma Society (ATS) to be created, it must be
chartered to a state. There are currently six divisions of ATS. The Pennsylvania Division of the
National Trauma Society was chartered in 1972.
The organization had difficulty gaining attention until Dr. William Host from Tyler
Memorial Hospital became president of the board of directors in 1980. Dr. Host is credited with
rallying support for the organization during his time as president.
In 1987 the current President, Dr. John Templeton, Jr. MD, FACS pediatric surgeon and
Director of Trauma of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, took the position within the Board
of Directors. Julia Cox, a registered nurse, was named the new Executive Director and they
continued to rally support by visiting Pennsylvania legislatures to request state funding. These
meetings consisted of presentations by ATSPA proving that the state could save three to five
million dollars in the span of an average lifetime if just one person was saved from severe
trauma, such as becoming paralyzed. These meetings and presentations resulted in ATSPA’s
state-government funding; the same funding the organization receives today.
Once ATSPA became a state-funded organization, the staff began developing trauma
prevention education programs for hospitals throughout the state. These hospitals, each with
trauma units, are now members of the organization. They pay member dues and receive
programs and mini-grants from ATSPA.
Another addition to the American Trauma Society of Pennsylvania occurred two years
later when the Cumberland County Coroner joined with ATSPA to receive funds from
PennDOT. These funds were used to create South Central PA Highway Safety, which operates
from within the ATSPA office.2
1
2
www.atspa.org
www.atspa.org/history_of_atspa.htm
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
Staff
The American Trauma Society of Pennsylvania has a staff of only nine employees:
1. Judy May-Bennett – Chief Executive Officer
2. Kaitlyn Byrnes - Public Relations/Program Development
3. Lindsay Sica - Program Coordinator
4. Krista Felty - Program Specialist
5. Susan Anthony - Accountant
6. Ruth Hockley - Grant Coordinator/Advanced Burn Life Support Class Director
7. Robert Mott - Highway Safety Coordinator
8. Donald Tappan - Assistant Highway Safety Coordinator
9. Karen Rowe - Highway Safety Administrative Assistant
These staff members, along with a part-time intern hired each semester, organize each of the
ATSPA’s events and programs. Events are carried out with the help of volunteers.
Programs
The programs organized by ATSPA range from courses taught at hospitals, to
presentations and events, to materials that can be sent through the mail to interested residents and
organizations. All of the programs focus on trauma prevention and awareness.
One of the courses that the ATSPA offers is the Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS)
class. The ABLS courses are held at hospitals throughout the state and are organized by both the
ABLS Director at ATSPA and the Program Coordinators at the hospital. Those who attend these
courses receive step-by-step instruction on how to care for burn victims through lectures, group
discussions and exercises that include practical treatment, stabilization and transfer. Participants
are required to take a written exam and rotate through various stations to demonstrate their new
skills on volunteers that are realistically made-up to simulate burn victims from different case
scenarios. Those who successfully complete all of the course elements are awarded a certificate
of completion and continuing education credits.3 These courses have had many positive reviews
and the number of hospitals helping to organize them has grown greatly since their creation.4
3
4
www.atspa.org/advanced_burn_life_support.htm
Bennett-May, Judy. Personal Interview by Ashley Price. September 2011.
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
Presentations given by ATSPA staff cover a variety of trauma prevention topics. The
presentations are tailored to the meeting or conference the staff is asked to speak at. Events,
however, can be organized into two categories; those that ATSPA is invited to attend and those
that ATSPA organizes and carries out. Those events that are organized by another group usually
consist of community safety days and health fairs during which staff members organize a variety
of materials for visitors to take home, as well as answer any questions interested residents may
have. Bike derbies are another example of community events that the staff attends. Staff
members fit helmets for both children and adults, as well as hand out bike safety materials.
Events organized by the ATSPA include:
1. The Paul A. Cox Memorial Golf Tournament
The tournament is a fundraising event that is in memory of Paul A Cox, a doctor
who was dedicated to assisting ATSPA in becoming the organization it is today.
The event occurs each year during August or September. This event has been held
for 13 years and includes a morning of golfing, an hors d'oeuvres hour, a silent
auction and a live auction.5
2. The Annual Trauma Prevention Conference
The conference, usually held at Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pa., consists of two
days of presentations from various medical experts. These presentations discuss
various types of trauma and cater to all medical personnel. Medical personnel
from all over the state attend the conference each year.
The most recognizable programs from ATSPA are the printable and downloadable
materials. These materials are created as brochures, flip charts and care cards. These programs
are created to provide awareness on trauma prevention issues. Some of the most recognizable
materials include:
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Bike Safety – A brochure, aimed at children that explains the importance of
wearing a helmet while riding a bike.
C2H5OH – Dying to be the Life of the Party – A brochure, aimed at college
students, that impresses the dangers of binge drinking.
Emergency Preparedness – A flip chart that provides details on how to be
prepared for a variety of emergencies.
Lightning Can be a Real Shock – A brochure, aimed at both children and adults,
explaining the dangers of lightning strikes and how to stay safe during a storm.
A Matter of Balance – A program, aimed at elderly men and women, educating
them on the dangers of falls and how to prevent them.
The First Two Years –A flip chart, aimed at parents and caregivers, on how to
prepare for and deal with emergency situations with infants and toddlers.
What to Do About Athletic Injuries – A brochure and a flip chart, aimed at student
athletes, coaches and parents, explaining how to care for sports-related injuries.
Krista Felty. Personal Interview by Ashley Price. September 2011.
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
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I’m Ready – A flip chart that teaches children how to prepare for dangerous
events, such as fire safety and storm safety.
The Choking Game – A brochure, aimed at teens and parents, to provide
awareness on the dangerous practice of creating a choking feeling to get a brief
high.
Dating Violence – A brochure, aimed at teens and parents, to spread awareness
about the growing issue of dating violence.
Grandparents Safety Hugs – A large care card, aimed at grandparents, which
provides instructions on how to record safety numbers and information to refer to
when caring for children.
Care Cards – Small, business card sized materials that provide messages
involving motorcycle, lawn mower, storm, car seat and sports safety.
These are available as downloadable files online and in print at the ATSPA office. 6
The South Central PA Highway Safety office, housed in the ATSPA building, provides
additional programs to Pennsylvania residents. These programs include:
 Car seat installations.
 Car seat importance presentations.
 Seatbelt importance presentations.
 Safe driving courses.7
These programs, as well as highway safety brochures, are all organized by collaboration
between ATSPA and Highway Safety staff. 8
Problem Statement
Pennsylvania Department of Health’s budget was cut and subsequently, the printing
budget previously allowed to ATSPA was also cut. This cut in funding means that ATSPA is no
longer available to pay the shipping charges to send materials to residents and organizations
around the state. It also means that once the current stock of printed materials is depleted, the
organization will only offer downloadable versions of its materials online.9 Many residents and
organizations who request materials from ATSPA are also facing budget cuts. These requests are
for free materials with free shipping. However, when some of these residents were told that
ATSPA would soon begin charging shipping and eventually would only offer online documents,
the reaction was quite negative. Most often, they requested even more materials in order to stock
up for future events. The quick depletion of materials, alongside the public’s negative reaction of
printable materials, will result in even less support for this small organization.
6
www.atspa.org/materials.htm
Personal Observation by Ashley Price. July 2011.
8
http://www.atspa.org/highway_safety_2.htm
9
Bennett-May, Judy. Personal Interview by Ashley Price. September 2011.
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
As ATSPA is a state funded organization with only one office, it is difficult for the staff
to reach out to the state in its entirety. As Pennsylvania has 67 counties, it is difficult for the staff
of nine to reach out to residents and organizations in all of these areas. The small staff of nine
employees must travel to events across the state, as well as fill material requests and keep up
with current issues involving trauma throughout the state. They often receive requests for
attendance at events that they cannot make. This not only appears negatively to the organization
making the request, but it also limits the organization on the amount of public appearances the
staff can make.10
The ATSPA currently works with few volunteers, usually less than ten within any given
year. These volunteers consist mainly of men and women who either know an ATSPA staff
member or a member of the Board of Directors. This small group of people assists the staff in
carrying out the golf tournament each summer. They help the staff set up before the event,
answer questions from golfers and clean up when the event is finished. Another group of
volunteers that assist the staff are a few men and women who agree to act as “burn victims” for
the ABLS classes held at various hospitals throughout the state. This group of volunteers is very
limited and is often made of men and women already attending the class. The ATSPA, however,
does not regularly utilize volunteers for small events such as bike helmet derbies or health fairs.
If the staff had more volunteers to assist in the organization’s efforts, they could visit more
events in more communities throughout the state.11
Although the American Trauma Society of Pennsylvania has been an official
organization for almost forty years, many Pennsylvania residents and organizations do not know
what the organization has to offer. In reality, most people have never heard of ATSPA, and many
that have heard of it do not know what the organization does. The lack of media exposure and
community knowledge makes the ATSPA’s mission difficult to carry out. The online identity of
the organization is still in the beginning stages as the Facebook page has 85 followers and the
Twitter page has only 8 followers. 1213 These small numbers are examples of how few people are
aware of ATSPA. With Facebook as the forefront of social media outlets,14 it is important for the
ATSPA staff to utilize this outlet to gain awareness and keep the attention of target publics.
When the organization attempts to raise funds to balance out its depleting budget, the
staff has a difficult time getting a large enough turn out to make money from the event. As the
Paul A. Cox Memorial Golf Tournament is the organization’s only fundraiser, it is imperative
that the event receive a large profit. The tournament has a declining attendance as new golfers
are not entering the tournament and each year golfers that have played in the past are unable to
continue participating. Aside from entrance fees paid by the golfers, two auctions, one silent, one
bidding, act as the fundraisers for the event. The pieces that are auctioned off are donated so the
10
Personal Observation by Ashley Price. August 2011.
Personal Observation by Ashley Price. August 2011.
12
www.facebook.com/pages/American-Trauma-Society-PA-Division/130908083601728
13
www.twitter.com/atspa
14
Survey Results. See Appendix. Page 40-41.
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
ATSPA loses no money in acquiring them. The profit from the auctions, however, rarely
outstretches the cost of the event for the Tournament to be considered a successful fundraiser.
The staff has a difficult time promoting the tournament as so many other organizations have
tournament fundraisers. Those others that raise money for charities tend to receive a much higher
rate of participation. This may be due to the concept of “giving back to the less fortunate.” Since
many people do not know what the American Trauma Society of Pennsylvania does, they do not
realize that supporting the Paul A. Cox tournament would also be a way to give back to the
community.15
Along with community awareness difficulties, the ATSPA staff has difficulty receiving
feedback from those who receive the organization’s materials. They have not had luck in the past
with surveys and general comments from residents. When a request is received, a staff member
organizes the requested materials and sends them to the resident or organization that made the
request. There is only one-way communication between the ATSPA staff members and those
requesting materials – once the request is filled by the sender, the receiver is not asked to give
feedback. This creates a divide between the organization and the residents they are aiming to
reach. The staff members want to find other ways to receive feedback from those who use the
organization’s materials.
The Board of Directors also poses a large problem for the staff. As the members of the
Board are influential members of many organizations, they each have many responsibilities and
loyalties. While each of the directors on the Board believe in ATSPA’s mission and want to
assist in the programs it provides, it is difficult for them to find extra time for ATSPA business.
The Board members have little time to devote to the organization and they all live in various
areas throughout the state. These issues make face-to-face meetings and conference calls difficult
to organize and carry out. 16
In-house communication is another issue ATSPA is currently facing. While the
organization is housed in a small office with only a small number of employees, each staff
member has a different schedule. The members of Highway Safety are often away at events,
three of the ATSPA staff members are part-time employees and the remaining full-time staff
members each attend various conferences, events and meetings during business hours. These
scheduling differences create conflict with scheduling office meetings and carrying out events.17
Industry Analysis
The non-profit sector, also referred to as the philanthropic sector, the voluntary sector, or
the social sector, is based on competition. The organizations within this sector must compete
with each other for public support.
15
Personal Observation by Ashley Price. August 2011.
Sica, Lindsay. Personal Interview with Ashley Price. August 2011.
17
Bennett-May, Judy. Personal Interview with Ashley Price. September 2011.
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
Of the 1,514,530 non-profit organizations in the United States, Pennsylvania houses over
65,000 of them. These organizations fall into various categories, including public charities,
private foundations, chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations and civic leagues.18 Each of
these non-profits relies on public support in the form of donations and volunteers to succeed.
Those agencies that receive government funding must compete for both public support and
legislative support. Aside from other non-profit organizations, competition for ATSPA includes:
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For-Profit Organizations
The amount of money one can spend can only be budgeted to a certain point.
That budget restricts the funds that are spent on necessary items versus
donations. The money spent on food, shelter and entertainment often
overshadows the amount spent on donations. On average, most Americans
earning upwards of $75,000 each year, only donate 2.7 percent of their
income to non-profit organizations.19
Recession
On multiple occasions, government officials have announced that the nation
is in a recession. They have stressed the importance of making wise monetary
choices and have announced the severity of the government’s debt. A poor
economy results in many people, especially those who have been laid off,
making tougher budget decisions. Many do not have the extra money to
donate.
Lack of Awareness
The small sized staff, along with a lack of advertising, creates an awareness
issue for ATSPA. Many people have never heard of the organization; let
alone what the organization stands for.20Large non-profits, especially those
considered as charities, have much of the public support due to recognition.
People are willing to donate money to an organization that they see out in
public or that has a recognizable symbol with a positive connotation.
Current Tactics
The current public relations plan for ATSPA includes internet communications through
Facebook, Twitter and an ATSPA website. The organization’s Facebook and Twitter accounts
are updated weekly with current trauma issues and events staff members will be attending. The
Facebook account currently has 85 followers, while the Twitter account has only 8 followers.
The website contains each of the organization’s programs, most of which are available in a
downloadable format, as well as staff information, the organization’s history and upcoming
events. The website is easy to navigate and includes a page of links to other trauma prevention
websites.
18
http://nccs.urban.org/statistics/quickfacts.cfm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22FOB-wwln-t.html
20
Personal Observation by Ashley Price. August 2011.
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
Media mentions through press releases and public service announcements (PSAs) are
sent to radio stations, television stations and newspapers throughout the state. The staff has a list
of every media outlet in Pennsylvania, along with the contact information for each. PSAs and
press releases about current trauma issues, including tips and awareness statistics, are sent to
these media outlets, as well as press releases for upcoming events. The Public Relations Director
communicates with the gatekeepers of each of these media outlets to confirm that these materials
are received and viewable.
Each fall, ATSPA sends large quantities of Binge Drinking brochures to every college in
the state. They include a request for the Dean of Students to disperse the brochures to students
with the hopes of lowering the number of binge drinking incidents, especially those resulting in
alcohol poisoning.
Board of Directors meetings are currently organized as conference calls, and bimonthly
meetings, to make contact more easy and efficient than expecting each member to travel to one
location for a face-to-face meeting.21
Staff members are organizing a video contest to spread trauma prevention awareness to
high school students. This contest will take advantage of ATSPA’s internet outlets and will
spread awareness of the organization to younger generations.
ATSPA has given out at least 10 mini-grants to members, each year, for the past 11
years. These grants are awards of up to $1,500 to be spent on a trauma prevention program.
Those applying for the mini-grant must be members and must prove a true need for the funds.22
Member hospitals are kept updated on current trauma issues through e-mails and faxes
containing press releases and PSAs. These members then spread the information to their
employees and communities. A list of member hospitals can be found on page 35 of the
Appendices.
Future Tactics for gaining public support focus on collaborations. These ideas include:
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21
Joint advertising, such as billboards, that will bring both the member
organization and ATSPA to the public eye. These billboards would need to be
funded mostly by the for-profit hospitals that are members, with a small
acknowledgment to ATSPA.
Organization and attending events with SafeKids, an organization that
promotes child safety in vehicles.
Attending more conferences throughout the state.23
Bennett-May, Judy. Personal Interview with Ashley Price. September 2011.
Sica, Lindsay. Personal Interview with Ashley Price. October 2011.
23
May-Bennett, Judy. Personal Interview with Ashley Price. October 2011.
22
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
III. Target Publics
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
The Pennsylvania Division of the American Trauma Society aims to reach a large
number of people. As a state-funded organization, ATSPA is expected to provide trauma
prevention materials and classes to all Pennsylvania residents and organizations. As those that
make up this group vary greatly from one another, they are segmented into smaller groups called
stakeholders, which are then broken down farther into target publics.
Target publics are segmented based on how they can affect the organization and how the
organization can affect them. These target publics are decided through the equation P + V = I,
that is Potential + Vulnerability = Importance. This equation takes all factors into account, such
as demographics, psychographics and sociographics, and compares that information with each
group’s ability to affect the organization. 24 The main stakeholders of ATSPA are residents of the
Commonwealth, member hospitals, state legislators, potential volunteers and various
organizations.
Member Hospitals
Member hospitals consist of 33 hospitals throughout the state that have active trauma units.
These members pay a due to the American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division to receive
ATSPA’s services. These services include materials and burn safety classes, as well as trauma
prevention updates. This public has the ability to affect ATSPA as it is the main source of
awareness the organization relies on. The trauma prevention coordinators at each member
hospital act as ATSPA’s connection with much of the community.
Residents
This group of stakeholders is broken into four target publics groups, separated by the groups’
psychographics and sociographics based on age and situation. These groups are:
Children
This group consists of elementary students between the ages of 5 and 13. Programs aimed at this
public include the importance of bike safety, emergency preparedness and how to avoid
traumatic situations.25 This public is important to ensure that residents are taught about the
importance of trauma prevention at an early age.
Teenagers
This group consists of high school and college age residents between the ages of 13 and 24.
Programs aimed at this public focus on the dangers of binge drinking, the choking game, and
dating violence.26 This public has the ability to affect ATSPA through awareness and future
support. ATSPA also employs two to four interns from this public each year. This group is the
most difficult of the resident publics to reach. The main channel of communication between
ATSPA and the teenage public is through high schools and the internet. However, these venues
are not creating enough awareness.27
24
Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E. (2009), Strategic Public Relations Management. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
25
www.atspa.org/brochures_hand-outs.htm
www.atspa.org/brochures_hand-outs.htm
27
Byrnes, Kaitlyn. Personal Interview by Ashley Price. September 2011.
26
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Adults
This group consists of parents of infants, toddlers, children and teenagers, as well as single
adults. Programs aimed at this public include those that are aimed at children, teenagers, as well
as awareness brochures about toddler trauma prevention, and other trauma prevention materials.
This public is one of the most important segments of the Resident stakeholders because they
have more options of ATSPA services and materials more than other residents. They are reached
through schools, hospitals, parent groups and internet sources.
Elderly Adults
This group consists of senior citizens in Pennsylvania. Programs aimed at this public include
materials for grandparents and those aimed to protect elderly men and women from traumatic
falls. This public is most likely to support ATSPA as seen in past donations and attendance at
events.28
Legislators
Legislators are a target public of ATSPA because they must supply state funding for the
organization. The Department of Health is the branch of the state government that supports
ATSPA’s mission; however, legislators must show support for this partnership to continue.
Members of this group are contacted often by ATSPA staff and keep positive relations with the
organization as a whole. Through meetings, mailings, phone calls and invitations to various
events, ATSPA staff keeps legislators updated on what the organization is doing.
Volunteers
Volunteers are members of the resident target public that donate time to aid the ATSPA in their
efforts. This group includes both current and potential volunteers.
Current Volunteers
This group consists of middle-age adult men and women who are connected to the organization
through a staff member or Board of Directors member. This connection places a restriction on
the number of volunteers the organization can rely on. That is, the staff and Board members
know only so many people. If only a percentage of the people these members know are willing to
volunteer, that means that the ATSPA can only count on a few people to volunteer.
Potential Volunteers
This group consists of residents who have a connection to the ATSPA and may be willing to
donate their time to the ATSPA’s efforts rather than another cause. This includes residents who
have been affected by trauma or have a friend or loved one who has been affected by trauma.
These men and women can be found through member hospitals by working with trauma nurse
coordinators to speak to potential volunteers about the organization. This group also includes
those in the community who want to donate their time to better their communities. A prime
group of residents to look to for volunteering is college students. These students are encouraged
by professors and school programs to make a difference in the world and to give back to their
28
Bennett-May, Judy. Personal Interview by Ashley Price. September 2011.
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
communities. Many schools have volunteer service offices that help students to connect with
non-profit organizations to volunteer. Contacting these offices, as well as programs at member
hospitals, will help the ATSPA to increase the number of volunteers then can rely on.29
Organizations
Organizations in Pennsylvania have the ability to affect the American Trauma Society,
Pennsylvania Division by partnering events and spreading ATSPA’s message of trauma
prevention awareness. These organizations include other safety organizations, such as Southern
Pennsylvania Highway Safety and SafeKids. Organizations that affect ATSPA also include
police stations and community organizations that hold community health fairs. ATSPA gains
much publicity and awareness from these events.30
29
30
http://www.ship.edu/Dean_of_Students/Volunteer/Volunteer_Services/
Personal Observation by Ashley Price. August 2011.
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
IV. Strategy
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
A public relations plan can only be successful if the appropriate strategy is used. This
strategy must cater to the organization’s needs by focusing on problems brought about in the
situation analysis.
Community Awareness
In order to be successful, the Pennsylvania Division of the American Trauma Society
must reach out to all communities across the state. Increased awareness is highly important to
this campaign because without the awareness of resident publics, ATSPA is not fulfilling the
organization’s mission. An increase in awareness of the organization can pose a problem for the
staff in that a small staff of only nine people may have a difficult time reaching out to every
community in the 67 counties the organization provides for. For this campaign to be successful,
it must increase awareness within the community while also catering to the circumstance of only
a few people being responsible for reaching out to all residents.
Increasing overall awareness of the ATSPA’s programs and services is a main strategy
for improving the organization’s success. Gaining the attention of important target publics,
especially teenagers and adults, is the most difficult aspects of this plan. Placing advertisements
throughout the state would gain the necessary attention. These advertisements should be joint
efforts with member hospitals, and they should consist of billboards and signage in and around
communities that house member hospitals.
Dedicating more time and energy to internet communication would greatly increase
community awareness. According to a 2010 study from the University of Massachusetts
Dartmouth, 97% of America’s most well-known non-profit organizations use Facebook, 96% use
Twitter and 62% are using blogs, to gain attention. Overall, 100% of the organizations
interviewed used some form of social media to boost awareness.31 As shown in the survey
included in the appendix of this plan, teenagers age 17 to 22 use Facebook most often but, are
members of other social media websites, including blogs.32 This is why it is so important for
ATSPA to update their website to gain attention and to provide links to the social media pages in
a visible place. Taking advantage of the newly created newsletter, adding the option for website
and social media visitors to receive a copy of ATSPA’s newly created newsletter would keep
publics up-to-date and aware of all that the organization does.
Developing partnerships with community organizations such as local police, YMCA
youth groups and after school programs is a necessary step to succeeding at gaining awareness
throughout the state. These organizations have missions similar to the ATSPA in that they each
strive to promote safety for residents throughout the Commonwealth. They are also trusted
organizations that reach out to children, parents, teenagers and older adults alike. Through these
partnerships ATSPA staff could hold classes and events for local publics, such as students in the
after school programs and adults at parenting classes.
Website. “Social Media Top Charities.” University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. November 2011.
http://www.umassd.edu/cmr/studiesandresearch/socialmediatopcharities/
32
Survey Results. See Appendix. Page 40-41.
31
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Funding and Support
Non-Profit organizations rely solely on state funding and donations to exist. Gaining
public attention and support is one of the most difficult efforts non-profit organizations face.
This reliance on government monies, especially those received from the Pennsylvania state
Department of Health, causes legislative relations to be a key to the ATSPA’s success.
Increasing staff connections with state legislators through face-to-face meetings, monthly
newsletters and invitations to upcoming ATSPA associated events would keep ATSPA’s funding
current in the legislators’ minds. The repetition theory states that if a message is repeated three to
five times, the receiver will usually remember the message, especially if the message is presented
in a positive way.33 This relates to communication with legislators because the continuous
reminders of who the ATSPA is, what the organization does and how important the services
provided are, keeps the organization’s needs on the mind of lawmakers.
The ATSPA has a current base of organizations and residents that request materials from
the organization. These publics are aware of what the ATSPA does and they spread awareness of
the organization through handing out materials at events and holding classes about trauma
prevention. These members of the target publics are crucial to both the ATSPA’s awareness
effort and support effort. Without feedback, however, the ATSPA cannot know how well they
are meeting the needs of these publics. Including a postage-paid feedback survey in each
materials package that is sent out would be a viable, efficient way to receive feedback from those
currently using the ATSPA’s services.
Developing a strong support base is important for gaining future funding. The ATSPA’s
main source of fundraising is an annual golf tournament. Investing more time and money into
this event would increase the profit gained. A study by the Center for Philanthropy at Indiana
University found that 66% of the 800 non-profit organizations surveyed increased time and
money invested into their events and, in turn, had a large increase in profit.34 An increase of
sponsors along with an increase in advertising for the event will result in a more successful
outcome.
Volunteer Opportunities
For the ATSPA to be successful, the organization must reach out to more communities
throughout the Commonwealth. Volunteers would help the ATSPA staff to attend more events
and therefore gain awareness from more residents and communities. These volunteers, consisting
of interested residents and residents affected by trauma, would be trained in basic skills of fitting
helmets, relaying information found within the ATSPA’s materials and assisting staff members
with presentations at conferences and ABLS classes. Increasing volunteer involvement would
also increase the use of word-of-mouth marketing that is each volunteer would become a
33
Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E. (2009), Strategic Public Relations Management. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates
34
Website. NonProfit Research Collaborative. The Center for Philanthropy at Indiana University. October 2011.
http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/research/docs/2011NonprofitFundraisingSurvey_September.pdf
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spokesperson for the organization. This would increase both awareness of the organization and
the staff’s ability to better meet the needs of target publics.35
Increasing promotion to gain awareness from potential volunteers would help the ATSPA
to gain support from members of various target publics. These promotions would consist of posts
on social media pages and the organization’s website, as well as word-of-mouth communication
at events and through media outlets already utilized for PSAs and Press Releases, such as radio
stations and newspapers throughout the state. These “advertisements” would promote the
importance of the ATSPA’s mission and how donating time to volunteer with the ATSPA could
help residents to improve the lives of many others that live in the Commonwealth. This
assumption is based on the idea that people like to give back to their communities if they feel
that they are making a difference.36
Staff and Board Member Relations
The ATSPA must provide services to all publics across the state. The staff is made of
only nine employees that are responsible for reaching out to all Pennsylvania publics. The Board
of Directors is made up of 12 men and women that the ATSPA staff turns to for executive
decisions and meetings. The Board acts as a secondary decision-making body that must approve
major changes and programs. They also provide support and awareness for the ATSPA through
personal and business networking. This support is one the ATSPA relies on for many programs
and services. This responsibility causes overlapping schedule conflicts and a lack of inner office
and inner organization communication.37
For the ATSPA to be successful, communication must improve in-house. Currently, the
staff members have difficulty communicating with each other on a daily basis. They each have
differing schedules consisting of events and meetings.38The ATSPA staff must increase
communications within the office through weekly meetings and e-mail correspondence. Each
staff member must take time to update other staff members on his/her progress on projects and
new findings.
The Board of Directors is a group of professionals from throughout the state. Their
locations and busy schedules make face-to-face meetings difficult. The ATSPA’s reliance on
conference call meetings make in-depth conversations difficult to have. Scheduling meetings
three months in advance and surveying the board members to find the most convenient dates to
meet could result in higher involvement from the board as a whole.
35
Personal Observation by Ashley Price. August 2011.
Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E. (2009), Strategic Public Relations Management. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates
37
May-Bennett, Judy. Personal Interview by Ashley Price. November 2011.
38
Personal Observation by Ashley Price. June 2011.
36
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V. Goals, Objectives and Tactics
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Goals, objectives and tactics must be clearly defined for a campaign to be successful.
Goals are conceptual statements of what the ATSPA plans to achieve.39 They are basic problem
solving statements that use information gathered in the situation analysis to lay the groundwork
for steps of a public relations campaign. The objectives are quantifiable statements that include a
deadline for which the project should be planned around. Tactics are tasks that must be
accomplished to achieve a stated objective.40
Goal 1: Increase awareness among target publics of the ATSPA’s mission and its services.
Objective 1A: To have each of the 33 member hospitals join in the effort to increase
awareness of the ATSPA through advertisements by December 31, 2012.
Tactic 1A a: To contact the trauma unit director of each of the 33 member
hospitals, by phone, to set up face-to-face meetings to discuss joining together in
the effort to increase awareness of the ATSPA’s mission.
Tactic 1A b: To draft a letter to the Director of each of the member hospitals,
impressing the positive exposure each hospital would gain by agreeing to
advertise with a non-profit organization such as the ATSPA.
Tactic 1A c: To contact the trauma nurse coordinators at each hospital to rally
their support for the advertising effort, and to ask them to speak with their
directors about the benefits of advertising the trauma units.
Tactic 1A d: To meet with each member hospital director to discuss erecting
billboards sporting the hospital’s name alongside the ATSPA logo and mission to
increase awareness for both the organization and the hospital.
Objective 1B: To dedicate at least 10 hours a week to internet communication by redesigning the website and creating a trauma prevention blog by December 31, 2012.
Tactic 1B a: To contact the website designer to discuss updating and re-designing
the website. These updates will include new programs, PSAs, links and
photographs, as well as visible links to the ATSPA’s social media outlets and a
sign-up section to receive the organization’s monthly newsletter on the website’s
main page.
39
Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E. (2009), Strategic Public Relations Management. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates
40
Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E. (2009), Strategic Public Relations Management. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates
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Tactic 1B b: A blog, promoting and explaining trauma prevention, will be created.
This blog will run alongside the Facebook and Twitter pages in that it will be
updated with the same information as those media outlets, in addition to stories of
people who have been affected by trauma and other information as seen fit. This
blog will be updated at least twice a week with a full update on trauma news,
prevention, tips, and events.
Objective 1C: To develop a relationship with at least one police station, one YMCA and
one after school program in each county in Pennsylvania by December 31, 2012.
Tactic 1C a: A list of police stations, YMCAs and after school programs that
reach out to large areas will be compiled. One of each from each county will be
chosen to be contacted.
Tactic 1C b: To draft and send a letter reaching out to each target organization.
This letter would include a brief synapsis of what the ATSPA does as well as
encouragement to partner with the organization to spread awareness about trauma
prevention. This partnership will consist of correspondence involving teaching the
public about trauma prevention and gaining awareness through word-of-mouth
advertising, otherwise known as building the ATSPA’s reputation by getting
people to talk about it.
Tactic 1C c: Packets of materials, one of each important brochure, flip chart and
care card, will be sent to each target organization, as well as instructions on how
to get additional materials from the ATSPA website.
Goal 2: Motivate publics and legislators to support the ATSPA through funding,
volunteering and feedback.
Objective 2A: Increase support from state legislators by contacting each lawmaker at least
six times during the calendar year ending December 31, 2012.
Tactic 2A a: Face-to-face meetings with state legislators will occur at least once
every twelve months to update them on the work the ATSPA is doing and what
the organization plans to do in the coming months.
Tactic 2A b: To send quarterly newsletters to each legislator, updating him/her on
trauma prevention tips, news, events and where the ATSPA has been.
Tactic 2A c: To contact legislators, by mail, to formally invite each to upcoming
ATSPA events, especially the golf tournament fundraiser. These invitations
should be followed with a phone call two weeks after the invitation is sent.
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Objective 2B: To receive feedback from 25% of publics who request ATSPA materials
throughout the calendar year ending December 31, 2012.
Tactic 2B a: A feedback survey will be created and will be sent with materials
requested by organizations and residents throughout the state. This survey will
focus on the quality of ATSPA’s materials, the value of the subject matter and the
awareness of all of the ATSPA’s services. It will research quantitative data such
as income and age, as well as qualitative date such as awareness of the ATSPA’s
services and opinions involving forms of communication. An example of this is a
question that asks the survey taker which social media outlet/website is easiest to
use.
Tactic 2B b: A letter will be sent along with each survey, requesting feedback to
help the ATSPA staff better the organization’s services. This document should
also stress the importance of feedback to help the ATSPA to remain in the state
budget and to continue providing materials free of cost. This letter, along with the
survey, will be placed inside material packages with a postage-paid envelope to
ensure the convenience of the resident or organization.
Tactic 2B c: Feedback surveys that are received will be tallied into an ongoing
database by a staff member. This data will then be shared in the annual report
each year.
Objective 2C: To gain support of organizations through sponsorship of the ATSPA’s
annual fundraising golf tournament, by increasing sponsors, through phone calls and
face-to-face requests, by 50% before the next tournament in August 2012.
Tactic 2C a: A list will be compiled containing organizations that have been
contacted to sponsor the tournament in the past. This list will be used to tally the
number of past outreach attempts. That number will then be doubled and a new
list of organizations in a wider radius will be compiled from business lists online.
Tactic 2C b: This list will then be used as a contact list for all staff members who
take part in soliciting sponsors. This contact will be made through phone calls,
faxes and visits to local businesses to request sponsorship and donations for the
annual golf tournament.
Goal 3: Increase community involvement through the use of volunteers.
Objective 3A: To gain 10 more volunteers for future ATSPA events by promoting
volunteer opportunities through social media and media outlets every month, throughout
the year ending December 31, 2012.
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Tactic 3A a: To create a flyer promoting volunteer experiences with the ATSPA.
This flyer would include a brief explanation of the ATSPA’s mission and how
volunteers can help the organization. This flyer will be sent to media outlets,
member hospitals and given out at events
Tactic 3A b: To include posts encouraging residents to “spread the word” about
trauma prevention by becoming an ATSPA spokesperson (volunteer), on social
media pages and within media outlet updates. These promotions should be sent
out at least twice a month. See example in Appendix.
Objective 3B: To reach out to students for volunteer experience by visiting at least two
colleges in each of the surrounding 10 counties by December 31, 2012.41
Tactic 3B a: For staff member to research high schools and colleges throughout
the state that are within 50 miles of a member hospital and compile a list.
Tactic 3B b: To contact each of the schools through the guidance counselors and
principals through e-mails, phone calls and mail. This contact effort would consist
of background information on the ATSPA and would express an interest in
visiting the school to speak with students about trauma prevention and volunteer
opportunities.
Tactic 3B c: To create, and present, a presentation for college students outlining
the importance of the ATSPA’s mission and how students can aid the
organization in its efforts.
Tasks:
 20 Powerpoint Slides
 Videos of trauma victims’ stories
o Include videos used for the 2011 FBLA presentation.
 Pictures of ATSPA events
 Copies of “C2H5OH” brochure, as well as a CareCard will be handed
out to each student. This shows the students what types of materials the
ATSPA dispurses.
 Contact residents who have spoken with ATSPA staff in the past about
injuries from trauma, such as those quoted in printed materials, to speak
with these groups.
 If they cannot attend, add their testimonials to the presentation
slides.
 Include information about Interning opportunities as well as which
events volunteers can assist with.
41
State Map. See Appendix. Page 37.
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Goal 4: Improve in-house communications through increased interaction between staff
members and with Board of Director’s members.
Objective 4A: To increase in-house communications through monthly staff meetings and
weekly e-mail newsletters for each month during the calendar year ending December 31,
2012.
Tactic 4A a: For a staff member to draft, distribute and have all staff sign an
annual statement of goals involving in-house communications.
Tactic 4A b: A monthly meeting will be scheduled and carried out, which is to be
attended by all staff members. These meetings will focus on events,
advertisements and on-going campaigns that the ATSPA staff members are
working on.
Tactic 4A c: Each staff member will write up a synapsis of what he/she has
accomplished since the last meeting and what he/she plans to accomplish before
the next. This will then lead to discussions of future plans and suggestions to
improve downfalls in current efforts.
Tactic 4A d: A weekly e-mail will be sent out on Monday mornings to all staff
members updating them on what occurred the previous week and what will be
occurring during the upcoming week. This e-mail will be forwarded to all staff
members. This will allow staff members to stay up-to-date and to also inform
others of changes in plans by simply choosing the command to “reply to all”
when writing a reply message.
Objective 4B: To increase Board of Directors members’ attendance at board meetings by
25% by December 31, 2012.
Tactic 4B a: Board members will be contacted at the beginning of each calendar
year to set up six dates for board meetings throughout the year.
Tactic 4B b: Arrangements will be made by a staff member to have at least one
meeting each year in a location closer to board members that are not often able to
attend meetings due to distance. This sacrifice of travel on the behalf of the staff
will encourage more board members to find time to travel to meetings as well.
Tactic 4C c: Reminders of each board meeting through the mail and e-mail four
weeks before the scheduled meeting. Board members should RSVP through mail
or e-mail. Each board member, even those who provided an RSVP, will be
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contacted at his or her office two weeks before the meeting to confirm his/her
attendance and will receive a reminder call a week in advance.
Tactic 4C d: Attendance records will be compiled after each meeting by a staff
member. These attendance records will be used at the end of the year for
evaluation.
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VI. Timeline and Budget
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The proposed timeline for the main tactics to occur is as follows.
Weekly Activities:
A group e-mail will be sent to all staff members complete with updates for the coming week.
Monthly Activities:




Surveys will be sent along with each materials package
Staff meetings will be held, complete with staff member updates
Record feedback from materials requests
Visit high schools and colleges to spread awareness and gain volunteers
Quarterly Activities: (March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31, 2012)



Newsletters will be sent to legislators.
Send board meeting reminders.
Carry out board meetings.
Semi-annual Activities: (June 30 and December 31, 2012)

Schedule meetings with legislators
January:


For staff member to draft, distribute and have all staff sign an annual statement about inhouse communication goals by January 31, 2012.
(Tactic 4A a)
For staff member to create a list of high schools and colleges within 50 miles of member
hospitals by January 31, 2012.
(Tactic 3B a)
February:


For staff member to have created a feedback survey for materials requests by February
15, 2012.
(Tactic 2B a)
For staff member to begin contacting Counselors and Principals to arrange presentations
at schools across the state by February 15, 2012.
(Tactic 3B b)
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March:




For staff member to have contacted member hospitals to arrange face-to-face meetings by
March 15, 2012.
(Tactic 1A a)
For staff member to have contacted the website designer about updating the website and
to have begun updates on the website by March 31, 2012.
(Tactic 1B a)
For staff member to have contacted trauma nurse coordinators for support by March 31,
2012.
(Tactic 1A c)
For staff member to have compiled a list of possible organization outreaches by March
31, 2012.
(Tactic 1C a)
June:
 For staff member to have created a blog and begun adding content by June 15, 2012.
(Tactic 1B b)
 For staff member to have created a list of past sponsor outreaches by June 30, 2012.
(Tactic 2C a)
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The below expenses are anticipated in implementing this PR campaign.
*Website Re-design
(Outsourced)
$40/hour x 10 hours
Advertising
(Billboards)
33 hospitals x
$150/month divided in half [$75 will be paid each hospital]
$400.00
Staff Position
(40 hrs/wk)
20 hrs for volunteer recruiting and event attendance +
20 hrs in office for blog, correspondence with key publics,
research for future/current projects, etc.
Paper
$25,000.00
Postage
$.42 x 5,000
(mailings, surveys, materials)
Travel
(meetings and events)
$2,100.00
Total:
$30,675.00
$2,475.00 (per month used)
$200.00
$500.00
*This cost could be cut if web design was completed in-house by current or new staff member. The duties of redesigning the website could be included in the new staff position duties.
 A print budget for materials has not been included due to the grant-cut from the Pennsylvania
Department of Health. Printed materials that are currently available have been included in
past budgets. Future materials will be available via downloadable files.
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VII. Evaluation and Contingencies
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This campaign can only be deemed successful if the goals, objectives and tactics are
revisited and deemed complete. In order to be successful, this campaign must:
Goal 1: Increase awareness among target publics of the ATSPA’s mission and its services.
Goal 2: Motivate publics and legislators to support the ATSPA through funding,
volunteering and feedback.
Goal 3: Increase community involvement through the use of volunteers.
Goal 4: Improve in-house communications through increased interaction between staff
members and with board of director’s members.
Once the tactics have been carried out through the indicated timeline, they can then be
reviewed alongside the objectives. If by the completion of the timeline, December 31, 2012, these
objectives have not been met, the tactics must be revised through further research and testing.
If any of these goals are not met, a tentative plan will be dictated below to act as guidelines for
how the ATSPA staff will improve their efforts.
Contingency 1: If by June 30, 2012, the ATSPA has not successfully partnered with 15 of the 33 member
hospitals to create joint advertising, the staff will then have to review all methods they have used to create
this partnership and identify further steps that can be taken to persuade this effort. These efforts may
include further research into the benefits both organizations will receive, a re-write of the plausible budget
and further face-to-face meetings to gain further trust.
Contingency 2: If the ATSPA has not improved its online presence through the creation of a blog, as well
as a website redesign, by June 30, 2012, the staff will have to reconsider the website contractor’s efforts
as well as those of the staff member responsible for the blog. If the blog is not gaining a response, further
advertisement should be considered, such as in-house printed business cards that the websites and social
media outlets the ATSPA uses, followed by encouragement to “Check us out!”
Contingency 3: If by the end of the last quarterly Board of Directors meeting, attendance has not
increased by 50%, the ATSPA staff will need to reevaluate their methods of contact. They will have to
reorganize their invitation method, as well as their scheduling and updating methods.
Contingency 5: If by May 15, 2012, the ATSPA staff has not reached out to at least one school in each of
the ten surrounding counties to build a volunteer base, the staff will need to reevaluate the efforts put
forth to gain volunteer awareness. Additional efforts to gain volunteers could include visits to volunteer
services at each of the colleges in those counties.
Contingency 4: In addition to this plan, the ATSPA may want to plan more ATSPA sponsored events.
These events could include presentations about trauma prevention at various organizations such as:




Elementary and high schools
Nursing programs
Parenting classes
Retirement homes
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Gaining partnerships with police stations, YMCAs and after school programs, as suggested in the
Goals, Objectives and Tactics section of this plan, would aid the ATSPA in organizing these events.
Correspondence with the aforementioned organizations would also allow the ATSPA staff to be more
aware of what events are already occurring throughout the state.
The ATSPA could also focus events on fundraising efforts. Some examples of fundraising events
can include:



An ATSPA fundraising banquet dinner that focuses on a Pennsylvania resident who has been
severely affected by trauma. The resident could speak to those in attendance about his/her
experience and how knowledge of the ATSPA and its services could have prevented the trauma.
The dinner could be held at golf course or restaurant willing to rent the space for a discounted
price to help aid in the fight against preventable trauma.
Raffles could be held at community events for products or services donated by local businesses.
A Walk-A-Thon or Race-for-Trauma-Prevention event could be held at a local school or town
center. This would be advertised through internet outlets, media releases and signage, as well as
word-of-mouth marketing. This word-of-mouth marketing would be carried out through letters to
influential members of the public in Pennsylvania, such as legislators, as well as to local
universities and high schools to attention from members of the teenage market. This event would
be a pay-to-enter event and would include at least one resident from Pennsylvania who is a victim
of trauma willing to tell his/her story.
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VIII. Appendices
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Member Hospitals:
1.
Abington Memorial Hospital
2.
Albert Einstein Medical Center
3.
Allegheny General Hospital
4.
Altoona Regional Health System
5.
Bryn Mawr Hospital
6.
Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital
7.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
8.
Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh
9.
Community Medical Center
10.
Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center
11.
Crozer-Chester Medical Center
12.
Frankford Hospital
13.
Geisinger Medical Center
14.
Good Samaritan
15.
Hahnemann University Hospital
16.
Hamot Shock Trauma
17.
Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
18.
Lancaster General Hospital
19.
Lankenau Hospital
20.
Lehigh Valley Hospital
21.
Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh
22.
Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation
23.
Pocono Medical Center
24.
Pottsville Hospital & Warner Clinic
25.
Robert-Packer Hospital
26.
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
27.
St. Luke's Hospital
28.
St. Mary Medical Center
29.
The Reading Hospital & Medical Center
30.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
31.
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
32.
UPMC Presbyterian Trauma Services
33.
York Hospital
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 The ATSPA is responsible for all 67 counties in the Commonwealth.
However, as a trial run for volunteer outreach (as stated within the
Tactics section of this plan), the staff will visit schools in 10 counties that
surround the ATSPA office in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County. These
counties include:
1. Adams
2. Franklin
3. Perry
4. Dauphin
5. Juniata
6. Lebanon
7. Northumberland
8. York
9. Lancaster
10. Huntingdon
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Internet Media Survey
I am currently working with the American Trauma Society of Pennsylvania to increase awareness among teenagers
and college students.
Please take a moment to help us learn about your online preferences and how to best reach you through online
media outlets.
Please e-mail the finished questionnaire to ap4365@ship.edu.
1.
How long do you spend online each day?
□
□
□
□
2.
0-1 hours
□
□
□
□
□
2-3 hours
4-5 hours
6 + hours
3. Of which social websites are you a member?
(Check all that apply)
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
Which social media website do you visit most
often?
4.
Facebook
Blogger
Flickr
Twitter
Blogster
Facebook
Flickr
Twitter
Blogster
Other _____________________________
Where do you learn most about current events?
□
□
□
□
□
Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Online News (Local and National)
Search Engines (Yahoo!, Google, MSN)
Blogs (Blogster, Blogspot, Blogger)
“Surfing” Websites (StumbleUpon, Flickr, etc.)
StumbleUpon
LinkedIn
Google+
Friendster
5. How likely are you to visit the following genres of websites each day?
Please rate from 1-5, 5 being the most likely and 1 being the least likely.
____
____
____
____
____
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Online News (Local and National)
Search Engines (Yahoo!, Google, MSN)
Blogs (Blogster, Blogspot, Private Blogs)
“Surfing” Websites (StumbleUpon, Flickr, etc.)
Additional Opinions:
About You (optional):
Name
E-mail
Age
Zip
Code
Thank you for your participation!
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Survey Results
30 Participants, ages 17-22
Convenience Sample - Chosen and sent from Facebook “friends” list.
1. How long do you spend online each day?
0-1 hours - 4
2-3 hours – 19
4-5 hours – 5
6 + hours – 2
2. Which social media website do you visit most often?
Facebook – 28
Twitter – 1
Flickr – 0
Blogster – 0
Other – 1 (LinkedIn)
3. Of which social websites are you a member?
Facebook – 30
Blogger – 3
Twitter – 13
Flickr – 4
Blogster – 3
StumbleUpon – 12
LinkedIn – 4
Google+ - 9
Friendster – 2
4. Where do you learn most about current events?
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) - 11
Online News - 6
Search Engines - 11
Blogs – 2
“Surfing” Websites - 0
5. How likely are you to visit the following genres of websites each day? (1-5 scale, 5 being most likely)
5
4
3
2
1
Social Media:
Online News:
Search Engines:
Blogs:
“Surfing” Websites:
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0
3
0
0
3
4
11
5
7
0
7
13
8
2
0
9
1
10
10
0
10
2
7
11
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
Survey Analysis
According to the findings from this survey:
 Facebook is the most popular social media website, as well as the most visited
website, for men and women ages 17 to 22.
 Online news websites are the least visited websites in comparison to social media
websites, blogs and search engines.
 All those who took this survey have Facebook accounts and most have accounts with
other social media websites as well.
 Most men and women ages 17 to 22 spend 2 to 3 hours per day online.
* This survey did not contain enough members of the population to properly predict outcomes from the
entire population of men and women between the ages of 17 and 22.The results are to be used as general
guidelines for this population, not as factual evidence of preferences.
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American Trauma Society
PA Division
Sample Social Media Post
Do you want to make a difference?
Are you looking for a way to help out in your community?
Why not volunteer to be a spokesperson for the
American Trauma Society of Pennsylvania?
Help us “Spread the Word” about Trauma Prevention!
Here’s how:
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit our blog
and website and learn about how the ATSPA works to prevent
Trauma in Pennsylvania. Then visit here each week to see tips
and updates on Trauma.
Tell all of your friends about the ATSPA and keep
checking back for volunteer and intern opportunities!
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