Civic Choices Make it happen.
Multimedia Campaign Book
page 1 Intro
Make it happen. Civic Choices’ tagline is a simple statement,
meant to provoke and encourage participation. It is a call to action, a call for every person, of any color, any ethnicity, in any city or state, who desires to be counted, to be a part of the discussion, that wants more, that wants better.
Civic Choices knows that education is the first step in the journey for positive change.
Civic Choices Make it happen.
page 2
Introduction, tagline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 1 Core Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 3 Look & Feel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 4 Personas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 5 - 8 Color Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 9 - 10 Typography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 11 - 12
Logo (basics). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 13 - 14 Logo (treatments). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 15 - 16 Competitive Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 17 - 20 Audience (Target Market). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 21 - 22 Imagery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 23 - 24 Broadcast Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 25 Media Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 26 Merchandise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 27 - 28 Out of Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 29 -30 Digital Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 31 - 32 Interactive (Web & Social media). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 33 - 34 Print. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 35 - 36 Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 37 - 38 Potential Growth/Future & Adaptability . . . . . . . . pg 39 - 40 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 41 - 42
Contents
Contents
Core Values page 3
Confidence
Accessibility Encouragement
Pride
Look & Feel page 4
Comfortable
Stylized Stars & Stripes
Patriotic Uncluttered
page 5 Persona
Sally Strong’s kids love to play b neighborhood park was destro kids played in the parking lo of kids almost got hit by a the lots. Sally decided to She called the city a in donations. She repairing the par
Sally used Civics C city council meeti
Choices to learn how to create the petition and how to prepare for the ing. Civic Choices provided Sally with all the tools she needed to succeed.
page 6 Persona
basketball but their oyed in a storm. So, the ots, but one day a couple a car speeding through o do something about it. and asked how she could help. She gathered 8,000 signatures and $12,000 presented the petition signatures to the city council who voted to make rks a priority.
page 7
Carl Nguyen arrived in the United States from his home in Vietnam to attend Stanford University in California. Upon graduating with his Master’s degree, he was hired at an American based scientific research company. The company agreed to sponsor his work visa, provided that he would apply for citizenship. Mr. Nguyen is an educated man but he was uncertain about the process for obtaining citizenship. He researched several organizations and government websites for instructions and tutorials but the information he found was confusing and some of it was sadly out-of-date.
Persona
page 8 Persona One day, Carl saw a Civic Choices infographic advertisement about voting on the city bus. He decided to check out the Civic Choices’ website and was surprised to find information that was easy to follow. In addition, he watched several testimonials from people who used Civic Choices’ materials during their own citizenship process. Carl was able to navigate the tedious process confidently and in a timely manner. He is now celebrating his one year anniversary of being a naturalized American citizen.
page 9 Colors
Red, White, & Blue
with grey & black accents
Pride
CMYK 0 100 100 0 RGB 237 28 36 #ed1c24
Honest CMYK 0 0 0 0
RGB 255 255 255 #ffffff Red, white, and blue will be used to invoke the sense of pride and patriotism people already have. Red portrays a sense of energy and activity, while white helps to reassure people of the credibility of the information relayed by Civic Choices’ materials.
CYMK 100 100 0 0 RGB 46 49 146 #2e3092
Accessible
CMYK 36 28 27 0 RGB 167 169 172 #a7a9ac
Goals
CMYK 0 0 0 100 RGB 0 0 0 #000000 Blue will provide a sense of confidence; empowering Civic Choices’ users. Grey represents the segment of the population that feels neglected by government but a group that has the power to step out of the shadows to play an important role. Black represents the clearly defined information, instructions, and tutorials, etc that can be found with Civic Choices.
page 10 Colors
Confidence
page 11
Easy to read, friendly curvilinear type
Type
Headings Myriad Pro Bold Civic Choices is there to help you find your way. Captions Avenir Civic Choices’ imagery should be easy to identify. Body Copy Superclarendon The text of all materials should be be easy to read.
Make it happen.
page 12 Myraid Pro and Avenir are suggested by the Americans with Disabilities Act as good typestyles for headings, subheadings, chapter titles, etc. A simple serif font, such as Superclarendon, is easiest to read when dealing with smaller font sizes and blocks of copy. By making Civic Choices’ materials easy for people with vision issues, it increases the readilbilty for everyone. Democracy does not work if it excludes groups of people.
These font choices uphold the principals and core values Civic Choices endorses.
Type
The choices of type are meant to increase readability for users of Civic Choices’ products. The headings and caption typestyles are open and friendly.
page 13 Logo
The logo should consist of the words Civic Choices in Myriad Pro Bold font and in the Confidence Blue (color defined previously). The logo mark should sit in the space after “civic” when Civic Choices is aligned left and set one above the other. Myriad Pro is a simple sans serif font with a clean curvilinear look. The logo mark is a stylized five-pointed star shape made of curved arrows, all pointing inward. The star shape is an allusion to the stars on the American flag, while the arrows represent the flow of government and information to and from the people and their government.
Civic Choices Civic Civic Choices Choices
This is a visual interp “a government and by th
page 14 Choices.
The Civic Choices logo should appear in full color when possible. However, a single color black or white version can be used on products, merchandise or single color publications. Either of these versions can be used as a transparent logo. Opacity should be set 30%.
pretation of the phrase t for the people he people.�
Civic Choices
Civic Choicces Choi Civic Choicces Choi
Logo
The soft edges and curved shapes of the logo is a first step in eliminating any apprehension a user might bring with them when looking for information. The logo and logo mark are the friendly and welcoming face of Civic
Logo cont. page 15
Logo Treatments On the previous page you were given examples of the major variations of the logo. The logo mark may be used without the logotype in various ways. However, do not overuse the logomark to such a degree that it becomes indistinguishable from an asterisk. When the mark is used on its own, it should be presented in an equivalent ratio, 2x2, 3x3, etc. A single arrow may be used in order to show
1x2 ratio
logic flow in infographics. The entire star shape may be used in lieu of a bullet point to highlight specific information. Maintain a perimeter equivalent to one of the arrowheads.
The entire logo, type and mark, should maintain a 1x2 ratio.
Civic Choices
1x2 ratio
Maintain a clear perimeter around the logo equivalent to the
width of the “s� in Choices.
Do not place the logo on a background with a strong linear
desgin or texture, like wood grain or brick patterns. Only use the single color white version on dark backgrounds.
Logo cont. page 16
s
s
Civic s sChoices Do NOT allow type or images encroach on the negative space like this
Civic Choices
Civic Choices
Do NOT place the color version on dark backgrounds.
Always use the single color white version.
Civic Choicces Choi Soft gradients or textures, like sponge, with low contrast and low relief compliment the
Civic Choices logo.
Competitive page 17
Political
Department of Education moving from PASS objectives to STEM, leaves out civics
Economic
Lack of funding to and from non-profits
Social
Increased
of ideas
activity in social media allows easy flow
Technological Only
53% of the population has access to the internet
There are a handful of civics education & engagement organiza market: either primary or secondary schools.
All of them focus on promoting citizen understanding of the gov to engage.
Most of the marketing for those organizations are geared towar in place. Social media is a major part of their strategy.
There is a lack of focus by these organizations in reaching the n age children.
This is where Civic Ch
People want to be involved. They like to think they are involved. -
W- Activities requiring more time = less commitment
O
Capitalize on increased awareness about civics education -
T - Lack of devoted funds for civics & lack
of confident participation
ations around the country but all of them are focused on the student
vernment processes and look to provide opportunities for students
rd school campuses and use the information infrastructure already
non-student market: working adults, and even parents of school
hoices needs to start.
Competitive page 18
S
Competitive page 19
Civic Choices
Adults
High s stude
school ents
Elementary Students
Teachers
Competitive page 20
University Students
page 21 Audience
Civic Choices will strive to reach a broad and underserved audience: adults between the ages of 25-60 years of age. Civic Choices will not be in direct competition with other civics educational organizations by focusing on this audience segment. The media mix and strategic ad placements will require a wide scope to reach this multi-generational audience. The strategic values will make a profound personalized connection with Civic Choices’ audience, ensuring Civic Choices’ place as a valuable resource for years to come. If we supply the parents with opportunities and educational materials to supplement their childrens learning experience then the parents are more likely to become involved and they will learn along their children.
Baby Boomers
Gen X’er
Years born
1946-1964
1965-1980
1977-1994
% population
75 million
50 million
79 million
Values
optimism, team
diversity, practical
success, goals
Characteristics Social Media Use
Millennial
idealist, ambitious adaptable, self starter Facebook, email
Facebook, Youtube
eager, loyal Twitter, Snapchat
30-60 year olds Primary social media platform is Facebook. 18% get their news from Twitter. The Millennial generation is increasingly participatory and is driven to have value based experiences. They want to know that their work is meaningful and therefore will be more likely to continue to be a proactive audience. Baby boomers prefer face to face interaction. Gen X’ers are more likely to make phone calls. Millenials will text primarily to communicate with friends, family, and/or strangers.
page 22 Audience
Demographics Male & Female 25 years - 60 years Defining characteristics: desire to be involved
page 23 Imagery
All images used in Civic Choices’ materials will be chosen by the activity portrayed in the image. Imagery needs to show a diverse audience so that any person looking at Civic Choices’ materials will be able to relate to the story being relayed.
Imagery
page 24
TV & Radio page 25
Radio Spot Example Intro music 3:!5 35 seconds of speech
5 seconds of company ident
5 second outro
You’ve heard politicians say things like big government is bad but did you ever think about how laws protect our daily life? *** The National Institute of Standards and Technology, started in the 1830s, keeps the official time for the United States. *** So when your alarm clock goes off at 6:30 in the morning you can be confident that you are in sync with the rest of the world. *** The NIST also defines our currency, the money you spend every day to purchase things like your morning coffee. *** Are you listening to the radio while you drive to work? *** The FCC organizes all broadcasts and signals so they don’t get mixed up with things like military or air traffic. *** The EPA helps to ensure that your city keeps your drinking water clean and safe to drink when you took your medicine this morning. *** to learn more, go to civicchoices.org Make it happen.
Television and radio advertisements will play an important role in Civic Choices’ media mix. The ads will present information about government, illustrating the many ways people benefit from government institutions, policies, and regulations. Another version of the advertisements will be testimonials from Civic Choices’ users, telling their story about how Civic Choices helped them achieve their goal.
TV Logo
Talk radio streaming services
Stationery Brochure Merchandise
Radio Out of Home
Newspapers
Magazines
Print DIY
podcasts
Civic Choices
Tutorials
Testimonials Partnerships Lesson Plans
Social Media
billboards transportation ads Sports events Rally’s
Browser Ads Website Mobile App Interactive Digital
Media Mix page 26
Only 53% of the population in the US have consistent access to the Internet so the media mix will need to be a varied and diverse campaign in order to meet the needs of the Civic Choices’audience. Infographics will be included in all aspects of the mix.
Merchandise page 27
Civic Choices will also have a variety of promotional
merchandise available as prizes, free give aways, and items for sale on the website. These products will all have a practical and utilitarian aspect to them, driving home the point that government is meant to be used by the people for which it is built.
Here are some examples of merchandise.
Merchandise page 28
Out of home page 29
Pew Research estimates that only 53% of the population in the US have consistent access to the Internet. While a large portion of Civic Choices’ audience will be reached via the internet and broadcast media, outdoor advertising and participation in community events will be necessary to reach other audience segments. Here are examples of some outdoor ads and a tradeshow style booth setup that will be able to travel to events like fairs and festivals.
Out of home page 30
page 31 Digital
Advertisements will appear on streaming content services like Hulu, Netflix, Vudu, and online gaming sites like Steam, Playgiga, and Origin in order to reach the younger section of the target market.
page 32 Digital Through the increase in mobile devices, digital media outlets will be a great way to reach the various generations targeted within Civic Choices’ market. Internet browser advertisements and banner ads on targeted websites will be created in addition to the website and mobile app.
Civic Choices Make it happen
X
X
Civic Choices Make it happen
Civic Choices
Interactive page 33
Different channels should be used to reach individual audience segments. The content on each channel will differ slightly from each other depending on the age group that primarily uses each channel.
Interactive page 34
Having dynamic resources will be vital to Civic Choices’ success. Through social media, Civic Choices will be able to stay in contact with its audience, and the audience members will be able to connect with each other. The social media platforms and interactive elements will help build communities of support and increase confidence.
page 35
page 36 Civic Choices’ print media will adhere to the style
guidelines and will include business stationery: letterhead, envelopes, business cards, and a set of brochures. Print advertisements will be placed in major newspapers and magazines. In each community, we will identify the channels that promote community events and unique characteristics of each town. Connections will also be made with the local activist organizations and supply materials with those offices.
Audio
page 37
Voice narrations should reflect the diversity of the American population. The diversity of voices will reinforce the idea that Civic Choices is accessible to everybody. Music used in video or audio materials should support the ideas of energy and pride or patriotism. Music should range from 60 to 140 beats per minute. This will inject energy and activity into the materials. Musical accompaniment can consist of patriotic pieces that will be easily recognizable. It could also include piano or brass instrumentation with a strong percussive presence.
Tone & Feel of Audio Lively Energetic Fun Patriotic Options Marches are suggested for some 60 - 140 beats per minute Baroque - styled music with a repetitive and energetic feel Piano Brass Percussion
page 38 Audio
The narration of any video or audio materials produced should reflect the core values of Civic Choices in addition to being energetic.
Future
page 39
There will be many areas to expand and to adapt Civic Choices’ media materials.
Educational materials for kids and parents Study guides & Lesson plans for people seeking citizenship Volunteerism & Activism promotions. Lesson plans for teachers Environmental issues - Global Warming The logo mark for Civic Choices can be adapted by a color change in order to help identify different apsects of focus for Civic Choices. For example, if Civic Choices wants to expand into environmental issues, all materials devoted to climate change regulations can be designated by a green five-pointed star. Fundraising events and materials could be designated purple.
page 40 Future
Potential Areas for Growth and Adaptability Logo
page 41 Summary
A. The purpose of Civic Choices to promote and educate people who have a desire to be involved in their communities. This multimedia campaign is designed to reach these people and enable them to make a difference. i. Civics education is desperately lacking in the American school system. The Department of Education has shifted their focus to promote STEM or Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. This leaves little room for civics in primary or secondary education classrooms. Teachers have to cobble together a mix of resources to support the subject. Civic Choices has the ability to reach a wide audience and fill the need for this type of material and it will be done in such a way that it will not compete but will supplement other sources. ii. There are a handful of organizations that promote civics education: all of them however, are focused on primary and secondary educational institutions. The other source of information for people is government websites and information. These sites can be overloaded with information and thus, are intimidating and hard to navigate. iii. Strength – There is an increased awareness about the lack of civics and the majority of people want to be involved. Weakness – Activities that require more energy and effort result in less commitment from the American Population. Opportunity – Use the increased awareness to show people how easy being involved can be. Threat – There is a lack of non-profit funding available for organizations like Civic Choices and there is a large segment of the population that does not have access to the internet B. Focusing on the idea of government being an institution for and by the people, is the guiding principal of Civic Choices. The relationship is, and should be a two-way street and it should be as equitable as possible. This idea is what led to the development of the Civic Choices logo, in conjunction with the core values of Pride, Accessibility, Confidence, and Encouragement. i. There are two prominent strategies, shown by studies, that can be effective in getting people to be active participants: shame and pride. Marketing and political research shows that shame can be more effective than pride but it comes at a cost: being shamed into action leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths. Meaning, they are less likely to think positively about the organization and less likely to come back to it in the future. Civic Choices will focus on the ideals of pride and patriotism in its materials. ii. Using ideals fundamental to a working democracy: accessibility, pride in ones community, a equitable opportunity, etc will be used to build the foundation of all Civic Choices functions and marketing. The first step will be to develop low cost materials that will enable the highest return on investment. The second step will be to connect with local organizations that could utilize Civic Choices’ materials. These partnerships will be useful in the third stage of being active in community events so Civic Choices can be accessible to people who do not have access to the internet or the digital materials.
ii. Voice & tone will be welcoming and friendly: Openness and activity are key terms that should be able to describe every piece of material produced for Civic Choices. The typography will be open and friendly and meet ADA standards for accessibility. The color scheme will promote pride, patriotism, and confidence. Copywriting will use simple everyday language to increase the readability of the text. iii. Positive reinforcement will help in reminding people that they are important, that they matter, and that they are in key in determining the future of their communities. Civic Choices will provide an empowering message instead of didactic educational materials. Civic Choices will provide encouragement and support instead of shaming and intimidating people. 2. Creative development A. The proposed media mix will need to be wide and varied, in order to reach all segments of the selected target market. Social media and web content will be necessary to reach the younger segments of the audience although there are portions of the older generations who will successfully be reached. TV & Radio spots will be a vital component in order to reach audience segment that may not have access to internet or mobile smart devices. Developing partnerships with local organizations will enable Civic Choices to create events in communities around the country. Promotional merchandise and advertisements in high traffic areas, like airports, public transportation sites, etc. will reach a wide and varied audience as well. B. Examples of the assets created for the Civic Choices media mix can be seen in the Civic Choices Campaign Book. 3. The assets already created can be used as templates to create further materials. The logo mark coloration can be changed to represent different areas of focus. Areas to expand can include creating educational materials, study guides, and videos to assist teacher, parents, and those seeking citizenship.
4. A government by and for the people. You are important, you can make the difference. Make it happen.
page 42 Summary
C. Research Conclusions i. The target audience will consist of working adults, ages 25-60. There are no organizations that focus on this market segment. If parents become involved in the community, their children will learn through example. If single adults are more involved, they will naturally recruit friends and neighbors to be involved as well. Sally Strong and Carl Nguyen have been developed as a means to help focus the content and message for Civic Choices. These two characters are representative of Civic Choices’ audience and the American people at large. Sally Strong is a single mother with two children. Carl Nguyen came to the US on a student Visa and continued to stay under a work Visa until he was able to become a naturalized citizen. Each character has a specific goal they are working to accomplish.
Am I able to Vote? Are you human? Yes
No
Are you a US Citizen? I’m not sure
Yes
No
Were you born in the US or on a US military base? Yes
Is at least one of your parents a citizen?
No
Are you at least 18 years old?
Yes
No
No
Yes
Have you registered?
Yes
Do you want to vote?
No
Yes
No
Do you have internet access?
Yes
No
Is there an election Is there a public library near you? Yes
Yes
No
No
Is there a military
Is the a DMV or tag agency near you?
near you? Yes Yes
No
No
Do you have a photo ID? Yes
No
Are you able to get one? Yes
No
Do you have something with your current address?
Yes
No
Congratulations, you are eligible to vote! Complete your registration & check the location for your local polling station.
Maybe next time. Check out the Civic Choices website to learn how to become eligible before the next election.
Civic Choices Brand Campaign Book Prepared by Erin Brown for Master’s Thesis Project Full Sail University May 27, 2016