Final Project
Your individual Final Project for Advertising
and Public Relations is intended to showcase the analytical and creative public
relations skills you’ve learned in MAR342. This project can be an exhibit in
your senior portfolio presented to prospective employers upon graduation.
Requirements:
Five-page
public relations plan outline
Three (3)
creative communication pieces that reflect both the client’s needs and
a variety of public relations writing proficiencies.
Getting Started
Select an organization that you would like to work with to
develop an advertising and public relations mini-campaign.
Arrange a meeting with the person who oversees the
organization’s public relations or marketing. For a small organization, your
contact might be the business owner or program director. Determine a direction
for your campaign that includes a substantial media relations component.
Then, as needed, meet with your organization contact(s) in order to complete
the assignment (including collecting biographical or operational details for
news releases, feature stories or printed materials).
Campaign Plan
Begin by outlining the core elements of a campaign plan.
Choose tools for your project that best serve the client’s needs. Completing a
PR Planning Matrix might help organize your thinking. Then, outline your
proposal document. Flesh out details of the narrative as you work with the
client. The final product should be a readable, hard-hitting sales document
directed to your client (not the instructor).
Key parts of your written should include:
Executive
Homework help – Summary — A very brief overview of the
recommendation that includes an incisive problem or opportunity statement.
Explain why action is needed and the consequences of inaction. (Suggested
length: one-half page)
Situation
Analysis — A narrative that provides
additional details and builds upon your Executive Homework help – Summary. Highlight key
facts that especially shaped formulation of your recommendation. Get custom essay samples and course-specific study resources via course hero homework for you service – Include
other details only as needed to make your case. (One-half to one page)
Organizational
Goals — List outcomes the client would like
to attain (or ought to strive to attain).
Communication
Goals — List outcomes to be achieved by the
campaign itself — stated in terms of awareness, attitude change or
actions, as applicable.
Action
Strategies/Recommendation — Advise client
about whatever steps need to be taken by the client (related to
organizational identity, policies, practice, etc.) prior to the launch of
the campaign in order to maximize its effectiveness.
Audience/Publics — Name 1-4 target groups to which the campaign will be
directed. (Bulleted list. Get custom essay samples and course-specific study resources via course hero homework for you service – Include an optional paragraph to comment about
any of these groups, if required.
Communication
Strategies â An explanation of the key
messages or themes to be communicated. Also list key media, channels or
tools you recommend. IMPORTANT: You should list as many activities as
are needed to achieve the stated goals and objectives. However, you are
only required to produce three of these (see below) for purposes of
the assignment.
Evaluation — Get custom essay samples and course-specific study resources via course hero homework for you service – Include a paragraph about how you recommend your efforts be
evaluated. Your assessment should be grounded in the goals and objectives
you specified and relate to the activities you recommend.
NOTES:
–Your program plan should be single-spaced, with double spaces between
paragraphs.
–Title your paper: Advertising and
Public Relations Proposal for
[Name of Client]. List your name below. Since the document is
short, a separate cover sheet is not required.
–You may include your PR Planning Matrix as an (optional) exhibit.
(Optional
component) Tactics — Get custom essay samples and course-specific study resources via course hero homework for you service – Include a consolidated
three-column chart that lists tasks, timetable (period when
the task will be performed or deadline) and staff assigned. List
yourself for each task you will perform.
(Optional
component) Budget — Separate section should
summarize the estimated costs to carry out the campaign. For each
activity, list the staff time or staff fee and anticipated out-of-pocket
expenses. Then provide a subtotal for each activity and a grand total
for all costs associated with the activities you outlined. Calculate staff
cost (staff fee) by estimating the number of hours required to complete
each task, then multiple that number of hours by a billing rate — $15,
$20, $25, $30 or $35 an hour. Use your best estimate for out-of-pocket
expenses. Be sure that the figures add up correctly.
Creative Components
The creative components you create are the most important
part of the assignment. You should plan to produce three creative pieces (or
sets of pieces). Here are examples of reasonable options in terms of creating
materials (or sets of materials) that are comparable in terms of their
complexity or the time required to complete them:
One or two
news releases (total 2-4 pages) — Stories should be different
types of releases.
Major
feature story (2-3 pages) — A profile, backgrounder, history, trend
story, case study, etc.
Public
service announcement, or PSA, for TV with text included in plan (for
not-for-profit organization) uploaded to YouTube. Provide a link in PR
plan.
Video news
release uploaded to YouTube — Assume a 30 to 60-second narrative (include
description of PSA with visuals, plus B-roll, additional footage, etc. in
your PR plan)
Audio news
releases (2 versions) — Record the story if you wish and upload to iTunes
as a podcast. You can also provide your recording by listing a Web site
link on your script in your PR plan.
Media
interview package — Pitch letter, an outline of questions for an
interviewer, and a Q&A sheet. (The latter illustrates how key talking
points might be covered in an interview.)
Package of
press kit ancillary materials — Fact sheet(s), Bio, Backgrounder(s),
and/or 3-4 photo concepts and captions
Two-page
newsletter* — Complete text (including headlines, body copy and photo
concepts and captions).
Brochure*
— Suggest 6-panel 4×9-inch brochure or a 4-page 8.5×11-inch brochure
(including copy, art concepts, photos and captions, if applicable)
Printed
ephemera — A package consisting of a poster, a 8.5x-11 inch flier and a
smaller printed piece (such as a handbill, door hanger, table tent,
leave-behind or tray liner) — Although using the same graphic usually
would be appropriate, the copy of these printed pieces should be
different.
Advocacy
package — A position paper on an issue relevant to your client and
a complementary direct mail letter package or a newspaper ad presenting
the same talking points in an appropriate format.
Speech —
Script for an 8-10 minute talk before a constituent group (about 4
double-spaced, typewritten pages).
Web site
or blog design concept or redesign. If you create a simple web site or blog
for your organization, you may upload any of the above components.
Other options for format and creative elements
(your choice)
Create a
presentation on Google docs (you can share link to Google doc) or a
PowerPoint or Prezi(should have at least 7 slides)
Create a
podcast (audio recording) using .com/”>Utterli
Create a
blog on .blogspot.com/”>www.blogspot.com or .wordpress.com/”>www.wordpress.com
NOTES:
–Online tools such as Web sites, blogs, videos, and social networking pages
are valuable tools and can be incorporated into your plan and your delivery.
–Print materials (brochures, newsletters, etc.) can be produced using any
publications software (even MS Word). Print materials will be graded based on
the on the appropriateness, organization and quality of the copy–not design or
layout skills beyond the principles discussed in this class.
Grading: The project is
worth 100 points, as follows:
Five-page
plan outline (40 points)
Three
creative pieces (20 points each)
