Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club

Lesson8 SMARTObjectiveMediaProduct1 FinalProjectGuide AdditionalInformationmountaineerboysgirlsclub

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This week’s assignment has two parts:  A written assignment related to Lesson 8, and a draft of your strategic communications plan for your client, the Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club (

https://www.mbgcafterschool.com/

)   

Part I: Written Assignment:  Answer the following questions related to this week’s lesson. Be sure to explain each of your responses: –What media classes would you recommend for your client (and why do you think their audience would be receptive to them)?  –What media vehicles would you recommend for your client (and why do you think their audience would be receptive to them)? –What media mix would you recommend for your client (i.e., what combination of media classes/vehicles; what proportions of each)? For each portion of the media mix, would you recommend a reach emphasis or a frequency emphasis (and why)?   

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Part II: Draft of your Strategic Communications Plan: You should build as much of the Strategic Communications Plan as possible. Using the “Final Project Outline/Grading Template” file as a guide, fill in as many sections as possible. The more detailed and complete your draft is, the more help the instructor will be able to provide. Also, by putting together as much of the Strategic Communications Plan as you can, you’ll get an idea of how much work, editing, and research you’ll need to do for the final version, with time left to make changes before the Final Project due date.

This order IS and should be the detailed and complete draft of the final strategic communications plan, therefore please ignore the very least 2 sentences that say otherwise.

Lesson 8: Media Mix, Reach vs. Frequency
In this week’s lesson, all of the topics that have been studied in the preceding weeks will begin to take

form as we approach finalizing our strategic plans and media-based products. Everything up to this

point has been studying, learning, analyzing and planning to help support your specific client’s overall

goals. The focus now shifts to taking these concepts that you have learned and putting them together

to form a media-based product (communication tactic) that is deliberate and well-reasoned in its

development.

Audience Reception of Media and Messages
As reviewed in last week’s lesson, determining the audience’s general profile and analyzing common

consumer behaviors are important tasks. They can provide insight to media and message choices that

have the greatest chances of being received and spurring action.

Different groups of audiences are more likely to engage with different types of media. For example,

the older/retiree population is more likely to be effectively reached via traditional print media than

electronic media. Therefore, an organization such as AARP might infer that a form of media such as an

ad in a print newspaper is more likely to effectively reach their target audience than a series of posts

or tweets on social media.

Similarly, different groups of audiences are more likely to be responsive to different types of

messages. For example, if an organization’s audience tends to have very cautious and methodical

purchasing behaviors, then an informative webpage, where the audience can research the product or

service, may serve the audience better than a billboard that may be seen only for a moment.

Such behaviors and characteristics of the audience (along with the communications budget available)

help communicators determine the best media to use for their messages and the best types of appeals

to increase attention and desired actions. Having a media message that seems perfectly designed with

attention-grabbing imagery, catchy music, celebrity endorsements and so on will ultimately be a

failure if it does not reach or interest the target audience.

Please read the supplemental article, “Stand Out from the Crowd—7 Tips for Creating a Marketing

Message that Sticks,” by Beesley. It can be found in this week’s reading collection.

The Media Mix
There is a wide variety of traditional and new media technologies available for communicating with

audiences, and the best ones for your client should have been identified in last week’s analysis. There

is no predetermined set of media channel options to follow; the right kind(s) are dependent upon the

unique characteristics and preferences of the specific audience. Generally speaking, an organization

would consider media options based on class and vehicle:

● Media Class—This is the broad category of media that has been identified as likely to

be most effective for the audience, such as newspaper, television, radio, social,

website, point-of-purchase, special event, etc.

● Media Vehicle (aka communication tactic)—This is a specific option for

communication within the media class (e.g. The Daily Athenaeum as a newspaper; a

media kit for a special event; a YouTube video for social ….)

After identifying the best media classes to pursue and the respective vehicles related to them, the

amount of use of each type of media communication method must be decided. This is called the
media mix; the combination of media classes and vehicles that is intended to produce the
highest level of audience awareness, interest and potential action.

Reach vs. Frequency
There are two factors that may help determine an appropriate media mix. The first is reach. Reach is

the number of individuals within the target audience who receive a message delivered by a media

vehicle. Example: A newspaper print ad (media class) in The Daily Athenaeum (media vehicle)

targeting male WVU students (target audience) runs for an academic week of 5 days, Monday through

Friday. In that time, it is read (received) by 40% of the WVU male student population. This 40%

figure would be its reach.

The second factor in the media mix is frequency. Frequency is the average number of times an

individual is exposed to a message delivered by a media vehicle in a certain amount of time. Example:

A newspaper print ad (media class) in The Daily Athenaeum (media vehicle) targeting male WVU

students (target audience) runs for an academic week of 5 days, Monday through Friday. In that time,

it is read (received) an average of two times (frequency) by 40% of the WVU male student population.

An organization may concentrate its efforts more on reach more or frequency; it depends on their

specific communication goals and objectives. For example, a national retailer wanting to advertise a

huge upcoming sale could run a television ad one time during the Superbowl and reach millions of

individuals within the target market (this is an example of more reach emphasis). Alternatively, a

smaller, local retailer wanting to advertise their upcoming sale could opt to run a television ad locally

5 times a day for 15 days—a frequency emphasis).

You can see how the choice of emphasis is appropriate for the organization in each example if you

change them around—a national retailer would not be best served by a frequency emphasis contained

to a small geographical area, because such a strategy would quickly saturate a relatively insignificant

portion of the target market while neglecting the remaining significant portion. Similarly, even if a

small, local retailer whose customers reside in the community could afford the millions it would take to

run an ad during the Super Bowl, it would not need a nationwide reach, and thus the money spent

would be largely wasted.

Other Considerations
In addition to thinking about reach and frequency, savvy communicators understand that repetition is

often needed to help gain attention and ensure people receive your message. Therefore, the repetition

of key messages and consistent campaign branding is important. The timing of messages also can be

important. Linking your messages to timely news “hooks” or events or appropriate times of the year,

when your audience may be more likely to be interested in your client’s products or services, are all

part of the strategic plan and its timetable.

Finally, one needs to keep in mind the objectives the communications are intended to achieve. Such

outcomes may include:

● Increased awareness

● Increased sales

● Positive publicity

● Increased donations

● More volunteers

● Enhanced image

● Word-of-mouth

● Healthier behaviors

● Votes for a particular issue or candidate

● Positive associations/emotions/attitudes …

Sometimes, if an organization is fortunate enough, these positive outcomes could happen even

without their trying. An example would be local Morgantown restaurant Atomic Grill, and their

Memorial Day 2014 special that they advertised via social media. The creative special helped them

realize a number of the outcomes listed above. You can read a brief version of the story in this People

Magazine article. It can be found in this week’s reading collection.

References

● Beesley, C. (2010, Jun 24). Stand out from the crowd—7 tips for creating a

marketing message that sticks. U.S. Small Business Administration. Retrieved from

https://www.sba.gov/blogs/stand-out-crowd-7-tips-creating-marketing-message-stic

ks

● Heigl, Alex. (2014, May 20). West Virginia restaurant responds brilliantly to request

that servers ‘show more skin.’ People Magazine (Online). Retrieved from

http://www.people.com/article/atomic-grill-sexism-remark-response

● MarketingCharts. (2014, Aug 19). How is the marketing media mix changing?

MarketingCharts. Retrieved from

http://www.marketingcharts.com/traditional/how-is-the-marketing-media-mix-chang

ing-45058/

Specific: Due to the early-morning TV commercials and print flyers posted all around
Morgantown, the Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club will see an increase in parents visiting the
official club website.

This should lead to an increase in donations and/or enrollment.

Measurable: An increase of 50 new parents supporting the afterschool program.

Attainable: An increase of 50 new parents who live in Morgantown, or in one of the immediate
neighboring towns, supporting the afterschool program.

Relevant: An increase of 50 new parents who live in Morgantown, or in one of the immediate
neighboring towns, supporting the afterschool program which will in turn better extend the
Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club reach towards having a positive impact and influence on the
community and its young folks.

Timely: By December 31, 2021, an increase of 50 new parents who live in Morgantown, or in one
of the immediate neighboring towns, supporting the afterschool program which will in turn better
extend the Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club reach towards having a positive impact and influence
on the community and its young folks.

When you put it all together, the SMART objective for my client is: Due to the early-morning TV
commercials and print flyers posted all around Morgantown, The Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club
will see an increase in parents signing up to support the afterschool program by signing up for
the email newsletter and pledging a monthly donation. By December 31, 2021, there will be an
increase of 50 new parents who live in Morgantown, or in one of the immediate neighboring
towns, supporting the afterschool program which will in turn better extend the Mountaineer Boys
& Girls Club’s reach towards having a positive impact and influence on the community and its
young folks.

The media products of our TV commercials and Radio commercials advertising the
Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club will help support this objective because it’s visually how we’re
going to be convincing the parents that this afterschool program is an amazing and safe space
for the children of the community, and that it’s important for the community to recognize how
important it is to support afterschool programs, such as the one provided by the Mountaineer
Boys & Girls Club, for the betterment of our children and the community.

Parents are busy people with busy lives. They don’t want any of their time wasted. Therefore,
when advertising to parents, it’s mandatory to stand out quickly and effectively. The
advertisement should immediately catch their interest and keep them interested as well.

A creative strategy that comes to my mind is a “You deserve more” print/flyer ad campaign,
directed at parents while also including children as well. The idea of this campaign is to get it
across to parents that more is out there, “more” being defined as more positive influence for
their children, less stress for parents and members of the community worried about their kids
going down the wrong path when not being attended to in a healthy and positive manner, etc.
The Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club is ultimately the better child care choice, out of all the other
choices parents have for supporting similar options.

The “You deserve more” ad campaign will be big and bold, catching the attention of parents
instantly. The rest of the ad space will inform parents of the many specific and broad benefits
they can expect from trusting The Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club with their child.

The key messages that my client should be translating to the Morgantown community include
trust, positive influence, peace of mind (eliminating stress) and positive mentorship. Ultimately, I
want the target audience of my client to fully understand and appreciate the huge benefits of
The Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club, so much so that they sign up for our newsletter and maybe
even pledge a monthly donation to the afterschool program.

Final Project Guide – JRL 485 – MDS Capstone

1. Strategic Communications Plan (50 Points)

a. All components are included and adequately described using information from the course and

other related, cited materials.

i. Business Description?

ii. Overall problem or opportunity?

iii. Larger Industry Overview?

iv. Segmented target audience including demographics, psychographics, and likely existing

perceptions? Rationale for choosing this particular segment?

v. Internal and external operating environment operating environment, detailed through a

SWOT and PEST analysis?

vi. Realistic overall goal, with specific type of goal noted and SMART communications

objectives that support it.

vii. Relevant key messages, media and other communications strategies to employ with

justifications as to why and how they could be used?

viii. Description of how your media product/s incorporate the key messages and helps

support a SMART objective?

ix. How you would measure success and whether those measurements are qualitative or

quantitative?

x. What timeframe you would propose to implement your communications plan and

measure results?

2. Executive Summary (20 points)

a. A one-page synopsis (should include subheads and bullets) of your communications plan that

would be suitable for a busy executive to read and understand the overall communications

effort. Should include the problem/challenge the organization faces, the overall goal the

communications plan should support, the plan’s specific objectives, how the media product/s

you develop support at least one of the objectives and how you would evaluate your product/s

success.

3. Media Product/s (50 points)

a. Suitability of product to client’s goal

b. Suitability of product to plan’s target audience

c. Relevant to your professional goals

d. Media-oriented knowledge/skills are evident

e. Finished product is of high quality; adequately developed and designed

4. Professionalism (30 points)

a. Excellent writing (no typos, grammatically correct)

b. Good design and readability (e.g. plan and/or media product is well presented with headings,

subheadings, white space, adequate font size and style, cover sheet with student name, page

numbers, and has a good style and appearance.

c. Consistent style throughout.

TOTAL Points Possible: 150

Lesson 3: Industry Overview, Markets, Segments
Industry Overview
Every product or service has different groups of audiences that are recognized as the most likely to

need or want it. For this reason, promotions/communications need primarily be focused on these

audiences. Typically, these audiences are identified and defined by narrowing the market based on a

variety of factors. Primary and/or secondary research can help further narrow and define audiences to

help ensure message effectiveness.

As you may recall from previous courses, primary research involves the discovery of new or unique
information that has not been collected before, such as information gained by the researcher through

interviews, focus groups, surveys, new political opinion polls, or audience observation. Secondary
research involves finding information that has already been gathered or collected by others, such as
sales data, magazine subscribers, television or radio audience numbers and engagement (e.g. Nielsen

ratings/data), government data (e.g. Census numbers, public health figures), previously conducted

public opinion or political polls (e.g. Gallup or Pew Research polls), etc.

Markets
The total market for a product or service is an umbrella term that refers to the overall potential
demand for a product or service. It is overly generalized with broad implications, so the total market

must be reduced to find the best audience for the product or service. For example, the potential
market for a music video intended to spread the word about a specific artist would be anybody who
enjoys hearing about new music. However, if the video will be available to view only online (like on

the artist’s website or on YouTube), then the market must be narrowed even further to the available
market – that is, those from the potential market who have the financial means for, and access to,
the product or service. In this case, it would be anybody who enjoys hearing about new music, who

also has access to the Internet.

But just because somebody enjoys hearing about new music and has access to the Internet, does not

mean that they will automatically see the music video the next time they open up a web browser.

Therefore, the market becomes even narrower, this time being reduced to the qualified available
market – anybody who enjoys hearing about new music, who also has access to the Internet, and
who also actively engages in at least one of the outlets in which the video will be available on (e.g.,

YouTube, Facebook and so on).

Finally, from the qualified available market, we can separate the group one more time to arrive at the

final audience whom the video is intended to reach – the target market. The target market would be
anybody who enjoys hearing about new music, who also has access to the Internet, and who also

actively engages in at least one of the outlets in which the video will be available, and who has an

interest in the genre of music being featured in the video. If one of the members of the target market

does end up watching the video, then that individual becomes a part of the penetrated market –
those in the target market who have purchased or engaged

in the product or service

.

Segments
After figuring out which audience comprises the target market, there can be even smaller, more

specificgroups that can come from the target market. These groups are known as segments.
Segments are a specific group of the market that has similar needs, purchasing habits, characteristics,

etc. Segmentation divides the market. It is an important concept to be cognizant of, because different

groups of consumers can have different desires and different perceptions for the exact same product.

For example, a target market of people who use body wash can be divided into distinct segments

whom all have similar characteristics to each other:

● How body washes generally market to women:

○ Pink or soft-colored bottles

○ Perfume or flowery scents

○ Moisturizing effects

○ “Shapely” bottles to appeal to them (notice how many bottles are shaped like

a woman’s figure)

● How body washes generally market to men:

○ Black, gray or dark-colored bottles

○ Ocean/water/rain or musk scents

○ Odor-blocking effects

○ Ergonomic or “tool”-shaped bottle design

● How body washes generally market to kids:

○ Bright, colorful bottles often labeled with a character

○ Fun, fruity, novelty scents

○ Tear-free formula

○ Swirling, playful bottle design

Note that segments are not always based only on such demographics as gender or age. They can
also be based on the geography of the market (e.g., pepperoni rolls being marketed and sold in West
Virginia or winter gear being marketed in Colorado).

In addition to demographics and geography, professional communicators need to think about more

individual characteristics as well (i.e., hobbies, interests, family type/size, political and religious

leanings, supported social causes). These more nuanced characteristics that involve a person’s values,

attitudes and lifestyles are called psychographics. Examples of these audience segments might
include physical activities (e.g., shoes and how there is a different shoe for every different physical

activity or sport), desired social image (e.g., having an expensive, fast car or carrying a coffee cup

with the Starbucks logo) and so on.

Finally, there are behavioristic segments that are based on individual purchasing habits and usage
behaviors. The different segments are detailed in more depth below, along with examples for each.

The main thing to look over here is the difference between the two concepts (markets and
segments). After going through the process of identifying markets and narrowing it down to the
qualified available and target markets, the different segments should be derived from whatever you

conclude (i.e., the different sets of groups that can be found in those markets).

The target market should receive the most focus, as those in the target
market are most likely to be interested in or respond to a good or service.

However, those in the qualified available market are also interested in and
eligible to obtain the good or service, too. They are not as likely to respond as

those in the target market, but they could still become customers. Therefore,

they should not be ignored.

Markets: A Walk-through with Example
It’s probably easier to understand markets after seeing one written out in an actual example. Let’s use

the local Morgantown bar and nightclub Bent Willey’s for illustration:

1. Total Market

Total market is comprised of all potential customers

This means any person who may or may not be interested in acquiring the good

or service… You are considering ALL potential / possible consumers. Any level

of interest from this market is not gauged at this point.

2. Potential Market

Potential market includes all people from the pool of potential consumers who actually express interest

in the

product or service

In this example: Any person with an interest in evening/late night recreation

Keep the market broad here… You don’t want to exclude too many people right

from the start.

3. Available Market

Available market includes all people who have interest, plus the financial means for, and access to, the

product or service

In this example: Any person with an interest in evening/late night recreation,

and has the discretionary income available to participate, along with a way to

get to the Bent Willey’s establishment

Do they have the discretionary income to spend (meaning not only do they have

money, but do they have the extra money left over to spend on the good or

service after all bills and obligations are paid?). Discretionary spending typically

refers to non-essential goods and services; the “fun” things that we want but

don’t necessarily need.

And if someone has the money to spend, that doesn’t really mean anything if

they can’t get to the place to spend it! So that is where access comes into play.

This doesn’t always mean some form of transportation to get to a physical

storefront or establishment. If there’s a product that someone wants available

only on Amazon.com, then access would be considered a device (desktop,

laptop, smartphone) with enabled Internet access.

4. Qualified Available Market

Qualified available market includes all people who have interest, financial means, access, and any

needed qualities to be eligible for the product or service

In this example: Any person with an interest in evening/late night recreation,
and has the discretionary income available to participate, along with a way to

get to the Bent Willey’s establishment, and who is of required legal age to enter

the establishment

In this example, you could go even farther and specify that the person must be

of legal age with a valid form of identification.

QAM often deals with age as an eligibility requirement (e.g., 21 to purchase

alcohol, 18 to buy tobacco, 18/21/25 to reserve a hotel room [varies by hotel],

etc.)

The QAM is not always narrowed down by legal age requirements, though. For

example, a quality of the QAM for a political figure campaign could be “has a

current voter’s registration card.”

5. Target Market

Target market meets all criteria #2-5

Target market includes all people who have interest, financial means, access, eligibility, and would be

the most interested or most likely to respond…. Meaning, whichever market that makes the most

“sense” for the organization to focus on

In this example: Any person with an interest in evening/late night recreation,

and has the discretionary income available to participate, along with a way to

get to the Bent Willey’s establishment, who is of required legal age to enter the

establishment, and who enjoys loud music, dancing, or an energetic

environment.

6. Penetrated Market

Penetrated market includes those who have purchased the product or have been served by the

organization

In this example: Any person who has paid admission to enter the establishment

and/orpurchased a product at the establishment

Segments: A Walk-through with Examples
As detailed above, segments typically fall under 4 distinct categories:

1. Geographic Segments (location)

● By specific division

○ Country, state, county, city, borough, etc.

● By general location

○ Region, direction, route

● By quantifiable measurement

○ Distance, miles, radius

● By territory

○ License (such as a license to practice in certain states)

2. Demographic Segments (profile of a population–think statistics or
census-related info)

● Age

● Gender

● Ethnicity

● Occupation or profession

● Employer

● Income

● Education

● Marital status

● Children

● Generation (Baby Boomers, Generation X, etc.)

3. Psychographic Segments (consumer lifestyles, preferences, attitudes)

● Leisure activities

● Hobbies

● Interests

● Personal values

● Political views

● Social causes

● Personality and character traits

4. Behavioristic Segments (purchasing habits and usage behaviors)

Why someone makes a purchase or engages in a service

● Buying laundry detergent (because you ran out of it and need to wash your clothes)

● Buying a car seat (because of the birth of a child)

● Buying a movie ticket (because you’re out with friends and that’s what they want to

do)

● Going to the doctor (because you proactively want a flu shot to prevent the illness,

or because you reactively need antiviral medication after getting the illness)

Loyalty & desired benefits

● Price-based (lowest price, discounts or rebates offered)
● Brand-based (reputation, perceived quality)

● Influence-based (positive reviews, word-of-mouth)
● Incentive-based (frequent shopper/rewards program, referral bonuses)
● Experience-based (previous positive experiences, strong customer service)
● Convenience-based (close location, open 24 hours, variety of selection)

Motivation

● Rational motivation (based in logic or reasoning; quantifiable or objective)

○ Motivators: Quality, practicality, efficiency, utility, security, savings

○ Decisions are influenced by: Reviews, testimonials, statistics, product

demonstrations

Examples:

○ Taking a vehicle in for service when a dashboard warning light comes on

○ Purchasing a pair of steel-toe boots after getting hired for a job in

construction

● Emotional motivation (based in feelings or perceptions; personal or
subjective)

○ Motivators: Appearance, prestige, fear, empathy, happiness, habit, vanity,

insecurity

○ Decisions are influenced by: Feelings, emotions, impulses, reactions

Examples:

○ Donating to a humane society after seeing a sad animal commercial

○ Purchasing a pack of cigarettes because of habit and perceived need

Purchasing Behavior

How much planning (financial planning, price comparisons), research (reading reviews, asking for

opinions), decision-making (complexity of choosing between options, finding acceptable substitutes) is

involved?

● Impulse

purchases

○ No conscious planning beforehand; spontaneous purchases

○ Example: Picking up a candy bar while waiting in line at a checkout register

● Routine purchases

○ Very little planning and decision-making involved; almost automatic

purchases

○ Examples: Milk, cleaning products, toilet paper

● Limited purchases

○ Occasional-purchase items; require some level of research and

decision-making

○ Example: Clothing—when, for example, you are familiar with what jeans are

but you are not familiar with a specific brand of jeans

● Complex purchases

○ Can be complex for a variety of reasons (unfamiliarity, expense of purchase,

infrequently purchased product, high commitment purchase); require

extensive research and decision-making

○ Examples: Vehicles, homes, college education

Lesson 5: SMART Objectives &

Creative Strategy

SMART Objectives
To achieve success, one must define what “success” means and outline the specific steps needed to

achieve it. In previous lessons, you decided on your client, identified what their overall goal is, to

whom their messages should be geared to help achieve the goal, and what internal and external

factors might affect their success. Now that you have a better understanding of the what and whom of

your project, you can begin setting reasonable and obtainable objectives. These objectives should

directly support the achievement of your client’s end goal.

When setting your project’s objectives, you should follow the SMART acronym. SMART objectives

contain the following elements. They are:

Specific

● Measureable

Attainable

Relevant

Timely

Specific – Objectives should be clearly and specifically stated and include the “who, what and where”
of your work.

Measureable – Objectives should be quantifiable, if at all possible. (If you can’t measure the results,
how do you—or your client—know if the objectives were met?)

Attainable– The objectives should be reasonable and feasible. Even though, for example, a goal of
raising $50,000 for a local rural hospital sounds better than raising “only” $5,000, one must consider

if a goal of $50,000 can be reasonably attained or if it is a bit too ambitious. If $50,000 is too much

given the size and income levels of the community, then you’ve set yourself up to fail. Conversely,

setting easily achieved objectives can undermine the purpose and effect of your project. Therefore,

while the objective should be realistic, it should also be challenging. Otherwise you bring little value to

your client.

Relevant – Objectives should directly support the client’s overall goal and align with its “brand
personality” and overall mission or values.

Timely – Objectives should state a reasonable and appropriate timeframe. If it becomes apparent
that they cannot reasonably be achieved, then they should be reassessed and revised.

Progress toward meeting objectives should be regularly assessed, and they should be adapted, if

necessary. For example, if a particular strategy/tactic is not having its desired effect, it’s best to

rethink and revise your approach before the objective deadline. Remember that communications are

fluid and dynamic: situations can change, which may necessitate new or different approaches. The

end result is the key: Your work should help move an organization toward its goals. Outlining SMART

objectives that support the goal will provide you with a road map and work plan to help ensure

success.

An example of how to develop a SMART objective follows:

Specific

● Simple goal:

○ I will write a fundraising plan.

● Specific objective:

○ I will develop a major fundraising plan for ABC Family Practice in Morgantown,

WV.

Measurable

● Simple goal:

○ I will write a fundraising plan to raise money.

● Specific, measurable objective:

○ I will develop a major fundraising plan to raise at least $5,000 in donations

for ABC Family Practice in

Morgantown, WV.

Attainable
● Simple goal:

○ I will write a fundraising plan to raise money from donors.

● Specific, measurable, attainable objective:

○ I will develop a major fundraising plan to raise at least $5,000 in donations

from the local community and businesses for ABC Family Practice in

Morgantown, WV.
Relevant
● Simple goal:

○ I will write a fundraising plan to raise money from donors that will help out

my client.

● Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant objective:

○ I will develop a major fundraising plan to raise at least $5,000 in donations
from the local community and businesses for ABC Family Practice in

Morgantown, WV, which will enable them to extend free or discounted

services to the uninsured population in need.

Timely
● Simple goal:
○ I will write a fundraising plan to raise money from donors that will help out

my client this year.

● Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely (SMART) objective:

○ I will develop a major fundraising plan to raise at least $5,000 in donations
from the local community and businesses for ABC Family Practice in

Morgantown, WV, by June 1, 2016, which will enable them to extend free or

discounted services to the uninsured population in need.

Creative Strategy

Throughout the day, various forms of media and messages attempt to capture the interest of an

audience. Because there are numerous factors that can cause an intended message to be

ineffective—such as competing messages, pre-existing audience attitudes and perceptions, and other

mental and physical distractions—a message must differentiate itself from all of the noise if it is to

reach a desired audience.

With a variety of advertisements, promotions, solicitations and communications being presented to us

throughout each day, it is easy to become desensitized or disinterested. For example, how often do

you concentrate on the countdown timer to skip the ad preceding a YouTube video, while remaining

oblivious to the ad itself? How often is a television commercial break used as an opportunity to do

something around the house or to fast forward through it? How often do we continue walking past

someone handing out flyers in front of the Mountainlair (or if we do take a flyer, place it in the trash

as soon as we can)?

There are simply too many messages throughout everyday life for us to pay attention to all of them.

We actively and passively filter through them to process a relatively select few. Because of an

oversaturated media market, messages that employ a level of creativity often find a greater level of

success in capturing an audience’s attention.

In the Reinartz & Saffert (2013) reading assignment this week, the authors discuss the importance of

creativity in advertising and communications to boost a message’s effectiveness. While the article

gives primary focus to creativity within the realm of advertising, the points made are applicable to

reaching audiences in general terms. Please read Creativity in Advertising: When it Works and When it

Doesn’t by Reinartz & Saffert. It can be found in this week’s reading collection.

The article uses the definition of creativity, “the extent to which an ad contains brand or executional

elements that are different, novel, unusual, original, unique, etc.” In an expandable supplemental

section to the article, “Predicting an Ad’s Effectiveness,” five predictors of a message’s effectiveness

are identified. These predictors

include

the following:

1. Originality – Is the message “out of the ordinary,” unique and/or a departure from
stereotypical thinking?

2. Flexibility – Does the message contain different ideas that move from one subject
to another?

3. Elaboration – Does the message contain numerous details and/or more details than
expected? Does it make basic ideas more intricate?

4. Synthesis – Does the message connect objects or items that are unusual or that are
typically unrelated?

5. Artistic Value – Does the message make an idea come to life in a visually or
verbally distinctive way?

An example of creative strategy is a local one. Last year toward the end of Spring semester, a couple

of seemingly homemade and hand-drawn flyers were seen around the campus. One said:

“FOUND – MY SOULMATE at Bookholders last Wed. around 6:20.

He looks like Johnny Depp and Justin Bieber (THE PERFECT MAN!!) PLUS he was

super strong holding all those books.

COME BACK TO ME!! Email me at manofmydreams21@gmail.com”

What was even more eye-catching about this flyer was the illustration in the center that really wasn’t

very artistic, but showed that the flyer’s creator at least tried. Next to the illustration it said, “kinda

what he looks like.”

A similar flyer about “MISSING: The angel who rocked my world last night” asked for the girl to meet

at Bookholders on Friday at 4:30pm—and to “bring money or sell your books there too so you have

cash for drinks.”

These “missed connection” flyers posted around campus were part of a promotional / buzz marketing

campaign by the store BookHolders. While some people were immediately skeptical of the flyers upon

first impression, others actually thought that they were real. Photos were sent to friends and

circulated around social media. Some people probably messaged the email address and/or showed up

at Bookholders on Friday at 4:30pm out of curiosity. The BookHolders promo was a success because

of creative strategy. If it had just been a regular flyer that said, “SELL YOUR BOOKS BACK AT

BOOKHOLDERS!” the level of interest and audience reach would have been much less.

Drawing upon elements of creativity as they relate to your areas of study and expertise will enable

you to create an effective message for your client while demonstrating your unique personal skills.

This is what this week’s discussion will be based on.

References

Saffert, P., & Reinartz, W. (2013). Creativity in advertising: When it works and when it doesn’t.

Harvard Business Review (Online).

Retrieved from

https://hbr.org/2013/06/creativity-in-advertising-when-it-works-and-when-it-doesnt

Lesson 7: Audience Analysis, Consumer Behavior
Process

Audience Analysis
Our next step is to make sure that the client’s message has the highest chance of reaching the

audience with effectiveness. This means that the message does not only reach the audience in terms

of being seen or heard, but the chances of the underlying idea provoking interest and action in the

audience are maximized.

Creating an effective message begins with consideration of the unique attributes of the audience. This

can be completed through an audience analysis. An audience analysis looks at the profile of a typical
audience member—e.g., gender, age, lifestyle, preferences, timing, push vs. pull scenario and so

forth. For example, the profile of a typical audience member of the West Virginia Black Bears minor

league baseball team might be as follows (please note that the following is a hypothetical example for

illustrative purposes only):

● Gender – This is not necessarily specific for the Black Bears, as both males and
females have an interest in the team and attend the baseball games. However, it

should be noted that on average, more males than females attend games.

● Age – This is also not specific for the Black Bears, as all ages can and do attend the
baseball games. However, it should be noted that the target market for the Black

Bears is sport enthusiasts ages 18-24.

● Lifestyle – This means specifying different kinds of categories or generalizations for
groups of the audience. In this example, groups of audiences could include sports

fans (people who attend because they enjoy baseball), families (people who attend

games for a family activity or as a reward for their children), socializers (people who

are not necessarily interested in the game or the team, but attend games because

their friends do), etc.

● Preferences – This indicates characteristics or offerings of the good or service that
fulfill something a typical audience member is looking for. In this example, audience

preferences could be watching a sporting event in a live environment (as opposed to

watching it at home on TV) or attending a game because it fulfills a certain form of

entertainment need (e.g., affordable entertainment, family friendly entertainment,

entertainment within a certain distance from their home, etc.).

● Timing – This takes a look at when purchase or engagement decisions are made. In
this example, the decision to attend a Black Bears baseball game can be determined

ahead of time with the audience member purchasing a game ticket in advance. Or

the decision to attend a game may be made spontaneously with the audience

member tagging along with friends who already have tickets and purchasing their

own at the gate (given tickets still remain).

● Push vs. pull scenario – Effective communication with the audience is imperative,
as the Black Bears franchise is in a “push scenario”:

○ Push scenario: Sales and engagement are based on the organization or business
“pushing” (marketing, promoting, encouraging use of) their good or service to the

audience. The Black Bears baseball team is in a push scenario because the baseball games

are not dictated by consumer demand; they go on as scheduled whether there is a large

audience or not, and they want to fill the available seats. The Black Bears must most often

rely on convincing an audience to attend their games through promotions and appeals to

fans and local residents.

○ Pull scenario: Sales and engagement are based on the audience “pulling” (requesting,
needing, desiring) the good or service from the organization or business. The Black Bears

baseball team does not fall under a pull scenario because they do not provide their service

(i.e., the experience of a live minor league baseball game) in response to consumer

demand, as iTunes does, for example. (When people want to purchase a particular song,

they access the iTunes website and they receive the product (song) on demand.

Please read the brief Robertson article, “Difference Between Push & Pull Marketing” as well as the

Marketing-Schools.org article, “Pull Marketing,” which includes related job titles and salaries. Both are

included in this week’s reading’s collection.

Consumer Behavior Process
The individual portions of an audience analysis can collectively provide an improved idea of overall

consumer behavior—the mental and emotional processing of evaluating and selecting goods and
services, and the physical act of purchasing, using or engaging in a good or service. Consumer

behavior typically progresses through the following processes:

1. Problem recognition: The consumer identifies a physical or emotional need or desire

that he/she wants to satisfy. Can be provoked internally or externally.

○ Example:
Looking for something to do on a Saturday because you are bored at home (internal), or

looking for something to do on a Saturday because your friend texts you and asks if you

want to do something (external).

2. Information search: The consumer locates and researches options that might satisfy

the problem. This also involves internal processes (i.e., the consumer using what is

already known) and external aspects (i.e., the consumer seeking new, outside

information).

○ Examples:
You find out that a new movie you’d like to see in IMAX is playing in an IMAX theater in

Pittsburgh in an hour. However, you already know that it will take you at least 90 minutes

to get there, so that option is out (internal information).

You are interested in possibly checking out a new restaurant that just opened up in town,

but you aren’t sure if it’s any good, so you research them online and read customer reviews

(external information).

4. Alternative evaluation: The consumer evaluates all options and chooses one. The

process of choosing an alternative can be compensatory (finding the optimal choice)

or non-compensatory (settling on something that will do).

○ Example:
In your external information search, you find out that there’s a Black Bears baseball game

in the evening that you and your friend can both get to on time, it’s affordable, it’s

something that both of you are interested in checking out, you can get food from the

concession stand, etc. (optimal choice).

You can’t make up your mind on what to do that evening and end up taking a nap instead

(not ideal, but will do).

5. Purchase decision: This involves the actual act of the consumer purchasing a good or

engaging in a service, which can be affected by last-minute external factors.

○ Example:
You go up to the gate at the baseball game and successfully purchase your admission

ticket.

You go up to the gate to purchase a ticket and hear thunder in the distance. You reconsider

your decision to attend the game because now it seems like it might rain.

6. Post-purchase behavior: The consumer evaluates how the purchase satisfied the

original problem, which can result in loyalty to the good or service, or dissatisfaction

and poor word-of-mouth for the good or service.

○ Example:
You attend the game and have a great time (and it doesn’t rain). You end up attending

more games in the future.

You attend the game and have an awful time (because the loudspeaker for the announcer

wasn’t working, or the crowd and fellow spectators around you were obnoxious, or because

you perceived the game to just be really boring and slow). You end up wishing that you had

chosen a different option for something to do on a Saturday evening, choose not to attend

another Black Bears game in the future, and/or tell others that going to a game is not

worthwhile.

Here is a different example of consumer behavior, this time with a good or product:

● Problem recognition:
You consider getting a snack because you feel hungry (internal);

You consider getting a snack because a friend asked you to walk over to the Mountainlair

convenience store (external).

● Information search:
You’re searching for a snack that is 300 calories or less, and you already know that certain

convenience store offerings have high calorie contents (accessing internal information). However,

with snack offerings that you are not familiar with, you read the nutritional labels for more

information (external information search).

● Alternative evaluation:
You find a snack that’s 300 calories or less and satisfies whatever food craving you’re having

(optimal), vs. you find a snack that only satisfies either the desired level of calories or the specific

food craving, but not both (not ideal, but will do).

● Purchase decision:
You go to the register and successfully pay for your snack.

You go to the register to pay but consider putting the item back on the shelf after your friend says,

“Those snacks are terrible!”

● Post-purchase behavior:
You buy the snack anyway and think that it’s great, so you continue to purchase more in the future.

You buy it and end up agreeing with your friend that the snack is terrible. You feel buyer’s remorse

for having wasted your money and warn others to spare themselves and avoid purchasing it.

These are examples of the processes involved in consumer behavior. For a more detailed description

of what is involved, please see this week’s reading, “The 5 Stages of Consumer Buying Decision

Process” by Perreau. It can be found in this week’s reading collection.

References

● Johnston, E. (2016, May 18). 5 steps to understanding your customer’s buying

process. B2BMarketing. Retrieved from

https://www.b2bmarketing.net/en/resources/blog/5-steps-understanding-your-custo

mers-buying-process

● Marketing-Schools.org. (2012). Pull marketing. Marketing-Schools. Retrieved from

http://www.marketing-schools.org/types-of-marketing/pull-marketing.html

● Robertson, T. (n.d.). Difference between push & pull marketing. Houston Chronicle.

Retrieved from

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-push-pull-marketing-31806.html

Lesson 9: Qualitative and Quantitative Measures
Measurable Objectives and Results
In the lessons for weeks 5 and 6, we discussed the importance of setting realistic goals and SMART

objectives. As you’ll recall, the “M” in SMART means that your communications efforts should be

measurable, so you may justify your work by demonstrating results that help move your client toward

the organization’s goals.

When developing any communications plan or campaign, it is important to learn, to the best of your

ability, the following:

● What does my target audience already KNOW about my

organization/product/service/political candidate ….

● What do they think/feel about it? (In other words, what are their ATTITUDES toward

it? Are they positive, negative, or neutral/no opinion?)

● What are they currently doing or not doing? (In other words, what BEHAVIOR or

action do you want people to take (such as volunteer, donate, buy a product, vote

for a candidate, take employee training…) or not do (such as smoke or eat junk

food)?

This knowledge can help you further segment your target audience. For example, people who are

already doing what you want them to do (your call to action from lesson 5) may not need to be

reached. Those who are already negative about your organization/cause/issue, etc. may be tough to

change. Those who are neutral may be a good segment on which to focus, for they might be

persuaded to think well of your organization and to act, if they can be reached repeatedly with a

message that resonates with them. But how can we know if our communication is effective?

In today’s lesson, we’ll discuss some of the most common forms of communication measures. These

include both qualitative measures, meaning results that can’t be expressed by numbers, and

quantitative measures, meaning results that are expressed numerically. Let’s look at some examples

of each.

Qualitative Measures
Before and after an advertising campaign, a professional communicator might ask local residents what

adjectives they would use to describe a local community college. They might hold focus groups of 6 to

12 people before and after the campaign or use an “intercept” survey, stopping people at the local

mall to gain some idea of its success. Or they might ask before and after a promotional campaign

what two local nonprofits are “top of mind”—meaning what organizations are thought of first—and

what people know about them to see if their campaign made a difference.

Such research is not scientifically rigorous (i.e. you can’t be certain that what you learn from a few

people in focus groups, or from people who happen to be at the local mall on a certain day, represents

the feelings of everyone in your target audience). Although this qualitative information isn’t

scientifically valid, it is nonetheless better than no information at all and can give you insights into

whom your ad campaign actually reached and whether or not it had an influence.

For example, if your campaign’s key messages state that the local nonprofit “cares,” “is always there,”

and “improves lives” and people use these words more often to describe the group after the

campaign, you can have some assurance that the messages got through to some people. You also

might get an idea as to whether the campaign reached your target audience or not, based on the

types of people who used those descriptors before and after the campaign. In such a scenario, you

might also ask whether people recalled seeing/hearing any ads about the nonprofit, and if so, what

they recall about the ads. Although using small focus groups or convenience intercept samples will

never be a scientific method, such information is better than no information and can provide you with

indicators of success. One just has to remember its limitations and not make sweeping claims about

success that cannot be justified.

Other forms of qualitative measures could include public observation, where, for example, you might

watch to see what people purchase or examine in a grocery store before and after a point-of-purchase

promotional display, or how residents use a pubic park before and after local and social media

coverage that featured the park’s new facilities.

Some large companies pay for ethnographic research, whereby people are observed in their natural

environments over a period of time, with their knowledge and consent, of course. They may be

observed in their own homes and/or when they are in bars or restaurants or socializing with friends.

Such research is highly expensive, as you might imagine. Videos are made and researchers then

analyze the many hours and days (and sometimes weeks) of observation to discern patterns of

audience behavior over time—patterns the audience members themselves might not even recognize.

One example of this type of research was a pharmaceutical company who manufactured diabetes

medication and was trying to understand how people ate and what foods they purchased before they

took training to learn how to better control their diabetes and then again afterward to see if people

actually changed their behaviors.

Although the company could have given a questionnaire to participants, people do not always

recognize their own actions and often may respond in a way that makes them look or seem “better” in

the eyes of others. (This is called social desirability bias, and it’s important to be aware of this when

you develop questions about potentially sensitive topics and when you analyze responses to such

questions.)

“Taste tests,” where you gather information about how your product is described and/or how it

compares with other similar products, are another qualitative measure commonly used to inform

marketing campaigns. Other qualitative research measures include in-depth interviews with people in

your target audience to learn what they know about your organization/product/service, their attitudes

toward it, and their current or intended behaviors relative to it. Researchers typically conduct in-depth

interviews of up to 90 minutes with people who represent the target audience and continue

interviewing people until nothing new is being heard/learned. This might occur after only six people

are interviewed or after 20! In-depth interviews can also be used to gain initial insights prior to

developing a standardized survey.

Analyzing media coverage or social media mentions also can be a form of qualitative research. You

might read an article that mentions your organization and determine whether that article contained

your key messages, included any competitors’ messages, and whether it was positive, negative or

neutral overall toward your organization. Companies or sports teams that have experienced crises of

reputation (or losing seasons) might want to engage in image campaigns to try to enhance their

reputations among key consumer audiences to help retain—or rebuild–support. In such a case,

demonstrating more positive media coverage and social media mentions after a campaign would be

one way to document indicators of success. Of course, the ultimate measurable indicator would be

rebounded sales, which are numeric, and that leads us to quantitative measures.

Quantitative Measures
Whereas qualitative measures deal with words (e.g. feelings, attitudes, sentiments, and why people
act the way they do), quantitative measures deal with numbers (e.g. how many, how much, how
much of a difference). Common quantitative measures used in assessing communications objectives

include the following:

● sales

● donations

● volunteers

● special event sponsors

● votes

● attendees/participants

● increased knowledge about your organization, cause, issue, etc., measured through

scientific surveys

● improved attitudes about your organization, cause, issue, etc., measured using

scales, such as Likertor semantic differential scales, on scientific surveys

● media placements

● media impressions, which reflect the number of potential viewers/readers/listeners

(i.e. if the Daily Athenaeum published a feature story about your organization, the

impressions for that single media placement would equal the paper’s circulation

figure; media outlets reveal their circulation or broadcast reach, typically based on

Nielsen ratings, to people who wish to advertise with them; they also do the same

for their media websites and can break down the demographics of their media for

you).

● social media presence (number of posts)

● social media engagement (number of “likes,” “retweets,” etc.)

● health or safety statistics (after public health campaigns or training)

● legislative votes cast (after lobbying or public affairs campaigns)

Quantitative & Qualitative Examples

Let’s say you work for a national advocacy group that is about to undertake a national advertising

campaign to increase its membership, finances, and visibility. With a nationwide media buy (the cost

of which is very expensive), it makes sense to understand before the campaign is developed not only

who your target audience is, but what they already know about your organization, their attitudes

toward it, whether they actively or passively support the organization’s ideals, and whether they might

respond to your call to actionto join the group, donate to the cause and/or speak out on its behalf, if

you are able to reach/educate them through media they use and through messages that resonate with

them. (As mentioned previously, these three types of objectives—knowledge, attitudes, and most

importantly, behaviors—typically make up the heart of what matters to most clients, and, therefore,

are important to measure, as our resources allow.)

A nationally based, scientifically rigorous survey may cost $50,000 or much more, depending on

whom you hire to conduct it and whether the population you want to learn about is broad and easy to

reach (e.g. anyone over 18) or narrow and more difficult to reach (e.g. health care professionals who

earn more than $250,000 a year). Our large, nationally based advocacy group may be able to afford a

scientific nationwide survey (i.e. one that uses a random sample and obtains an adequate number of

responses to warrant confidence in the results and a relatively small margin of error) before the

campaign to help it better segment its target audience and develop key messages, strategies and

tactics that are likely to be effective. Such pre-campaign research helps ensure efficient use of dollars

in the ad campaign itself and its cost is small relative to the amount of money to be spent on

nationwide media buys.

However, the group might opt to conduct focus groups instead of a nationwide survey to gain insights

into possible target audiences and/or to test possible key messages and emotional and rational

appeals. They might even decide to do both: to use focus group findings to inform what types of

survey questions to ask! Pre-campaign research is always important to help communicators have the

best possible chance at success in reaching, informing and/or persuading their audiences.

However, the advocacy group’s objectives (1. to increase membership, 2. to increase financial

contributions and 3. to increase visibility) could be easily measured numerically (quantitatively)

whether or not pre-campaign research was done quantitatively or qualitatively. They only need look at

the following:

● numbers of members before and after the campaign

● amount of contributions typically received in a certain number of months and the

amount received during/immediately after the campaign of like length

● the number and types of media placements and number of impressions; the number

of new website hits; the number of new social media followers …

You can see that it should be easy to assess whether or not the advocacy group’s campaign objectives

were met, as all of their objectives are easily measured.

However, a small local business or nonprofit may not have the resources to conduct even a short,

local advertising campaign, let alone conduct scientifically based research before or after its

communications. Does this mean, then, that the smaller organization should not develop strategic

communication plans? No: It simply means that they must recognize their limitations and find other

ways to gather helpful information prior to communicating; to communicate in creative, low-cost

ways; and to use indicators of success, when necessary.

Therefore, communication professionals need to keep in mind their resource limitations when they set

their SMART objectives. For example, it is relatively easy to measure media coverage (placements,

impressions, sentiment, hashtag mentions, etc.), donations/sales, number of attendees or sponsors at

a special event; however, it is another thing to state you will improve knowledge within a target

audience by 35%. If you cannot conduct scientific pre- and post-tests (or conduct a census, where all

members of your population are included), then you cannot confidently state that you improved

knowledge by that percentage across the population.

Success Indicators
So how does a smaller organization handle such challenges? In these cases, you will have measurable

objectives, where possible, and more general objectives when statistical differences can’t validly be

computed. For example, you might state that you intend to increase knowledge about a local

hospital’s new treatment capacities as part of an overall awareness campaign to attract new patients.

Because you cannot afford to conduct scientific surveys before and after the campaign to establish a

baseline of knowledge and how much it increased, your measurable objectives should instead relate to

increased media placements and impressions that contain the key messages about the new treatment

options; increased treatment web page visitors; and enhanced social media presence and interaction.

These CAN be measured before and after, and although we won’t know for sure that knowledge

increased (as we can’t ask a random sample the questions that would let us know this for sure), we

can assume that the increases in the activities above would lead to greater knowledge in the

population overall. Therefore, meeting these objectives would provide us with success indicators.

To try to further demonstrate increased knowledge among your target audience, you might conduct

intercept surveys in a community square or just informally ask people at various locations around

town if they had heard about the new treatment options. Again, because these methods are not

scientific, the information would be anecdotal and not definitive; however, if some people within your

target audience said they had heard about the new treatment options—and they could accurately

recall them—you would have an additional qualitative success indicator that knowledge did indeed

increase.

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