315 COMMUNICATIONS The Branding of Most Holy Rosary
315 Communications
Hanwen Liu Yiqing Zhou Ashley Summers Amanda Stern Raven Berzal
Table of Contents 1. Client background 2. Situational analysis, statement of problem/opportunity 3. Target publics 4. Goals and objectives 5. Strategies 6. Core messaging 7. Tactics and tools (production pieces) 8. Timeline, Budget, Evaluation methodology 9. Works cited/references
Client background
Client Background Most Holy Rosary School (MHR) is a Catholic school located in Syracuse, N.Y., that offers enrollment for students from pre-k through sixth grade. MHR school was founded in 1915 as a Catholic high school, and at its peak in the 1960s enrollment surpassed 800 students. Catholic school enrollment began to decline in the 1970s. Enrollment at MHR school has been stable, but has not increased. Ms. Jennifer Petosa, the school’s principal, reported that there are currently 140 students enrolled in MHR school, although the building has the capacity to comfortably hold about 350 students. The school is run by Principal Petosa and Reverend Fred Mannara (“Father Fred”). Father Fred is the pastor of the Most Holy Rosary Church, the parish of the school located on the same campus. MHR school is of the Catholic faith, but would accept any student regardless of religious orientation. Principal Petosa oversees social media and marketing as well as the decision-making regarding the students directly (i.e. curriculum, activities, facilities, etc.), whereas Father Fred is in charge of the budget. There is a small marketing budget; it is not enough to hire someone for a position. The cost of attendance for students in the pre-k program is approximately $5,000 and tuition declines to about $4,500 for K-6 students. Financial aid is available for eligible families beginning in kindergarten. Catholic school teachers’ salaries are less than in public schools, which is a factor in teacher recruitment and retention. MHR’s many marketable attributes include: small class size, a wealth of technology (i.e. new touch-screen desktops in the computer lab and a Chromebook for every sixth-grader), science labs, a large gymnasium, diversity, extracurriculars, high test scores, security measures (i.e. cameras, a single point of entry and a buzzer system at the door) and a rich history. Furthermore, MHR school offers an overall safe and happy environment for both teachers and students. In addition to these attributes, Father Fred makes a free breakfast every morning before school begins for whoever wants it. MHR’s biggest competitors are public schools in the area. Roberts School, the closest elementary school to MHR, just started a universal pre-k program (UPK), which essentially offers free pre-k to everyone. The Westhill school district can also be considered a competitor, but it does not offer UPK. Furthermore, MHR is challenged because its campus is located in a low socioeconomic area with high crime rates. MHR’s mission statement is as follows: “At Most Holy Rosary School, Jesus is our model; students are our focus. We promote academic excellence through meaningful learning experiences in a nurturing environment. Inspired by tradition, we develop strong Christian character for all who embrace our philosophy. Through partnerships with parents and the community, we prepare our students for lifelong success.” -more-
As the economic structure of Most Holy Rosary school is fairly stable, the primary mission of the organization is to expand school enrollment after pre-k. Research from the social media platform, Facebook, indicates that all reviews from students’ parents were overwhelmingly positive. Thus, the experience of parents with Most Holy Rosary seems generally strong. As for Twitter, the link on the school website directs users to Principal Petosa’s Twitter account. Ms. Petosa frequently posts on Twitter to keep her followers updated about the school’s events. Her account has 71 followers. At the beginning of this year, she tweeted about the new official account of Most Holy Rosary school, which now has 16 followers and is fairly active. Ms. Petosa noted she is the manager of both the Twitter and Facebook accounts. She created a hashtag #WhyMHR on Twitter, but the only engaging users of the hashtag are the school account and Mrs. Petosa herself; no parents, students or community members have used the hashtag. There are no users engaging under the school’s Twitter posts. Based on the social media platforms, we can conclude that the school is conducting inefficient one-way informational communication with its audiences on social media. The posts are unorganized without a timeline. Posts seldom attach multimedia, so they are not engaging. The school hasn’t taken advantage of Most Holy Rosary Church’s audience base. Members of the community or those from Most Holy Rosary Church haven’t been aware of the school’s social media accounts. There is no feedback from the audience nor conversation with potential student candidates. Also, Ms. Petosa is the only one who manages these social media accounts. As a result, the school is nearly invisible on social media. The school faces an even bigger challenge reaching potential candidates outside the local community. Besides syracuse.com, there is no news coverage of the school. The school has put little effort into maintaining relationships with the local media. News relating to the school is more about the church. One of the news reports relating to Most Holy Rosary school is about Neal P. McCurn, a U.S. District Judge, passing away. Judge McCurn graduated from Most Holy Rosary school decades ago. Indeed, Most Holy Rosary school can be considered a historic landmark within the city of Syracuse, but the name and reputation of the school remain relatively unknown with the evidence that there is little media coverage on MHR. The school has difficulty in delivering its message about its quality education (according to the reviews of the students’ parents) and programs. Another emphasis Ms. Petosa made is that Catholic school is not only for the Catholic community. It is open to all religions. The religion is part of the school’s culture and history, and the religious events and affairs are dominant on the school’s agenda. The message that, “the school is open to all students” is barely delivered to potential candidates for the school.
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Questions for Client Consideration 1.
Are you willing to spend money on paid media advertising if the returns are sufficient such as increased brand awareness of MHR and media coverage?
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Would you be open to partnering with a local high school that is known for being “success-driven” in order to to keep students enrolled and as an incentive that their child will succeed in their future?
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What do you see as your ideal outcome of the work our team will produce at the end of this semester?
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How do you market to parents that MHR is offering something different than the other local private Catholic schools or other schools in general?
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Are you willing to put kids’ image and topics on social media to attract public attention?
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What do you think about emphasizing other advantages of the school, such as academics, technology supporting, and security, rather than solely religion since MHR is a Catholic school, but not limited to Catholic students?
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Did you try to market or get touch with non-Catholic families? If yes, what was the result and your impression of it?
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Through research projects, our group found that parents are satisfied with students’ experience in MHR mostly because of the small student-to-teacher ratio. Higher enrollments will reduce this rate which may influence current parents’ satisfaction. Are you willing to increase the number of faculty to maintain the student-to-teacher ratio after higher enrollment ratio?
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In order to achieve the goal of greater brand awareness, would you pay to have a professional communicator run all the communicational work?
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References Petosa, J. (2016, January 23). Personal correspondence. Most Holy Rosary School. (n.d.). In Facebook [Fan page]. Retrieved January 26, 2017, from https://www.facebook.com/mhrsyr/ Ms. Petosa. (n.d.) in Twitter [Personal account]. Retrieved January 26, 2017, from https:// twitter.com/jpetosamhr?lang=en Most Holy Rosary (n.d.) in Twitter [Official page]. Retrieved January 26, 2017, from https:/ twitter.com/mhrsyracuse?lang=en Neal P. McCurn Obituary in Syracuse.com. Retrieved January 26, 2017, from http://obits.syracuse.com/obituaries/syracuse/obituary.aspx?pid=172397908
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Situational analysis, statement of problem/ opportunity
Problem and Opportunity Statement Most Holy Rosary (MHR) School is a Catholic school located in the city of Syracuse, N.Y. MHR is facing an enrollment plateau that we feel can be improved through a community branding initiative. The source of concern derives from factors working against the school that portray it in a less than ideal light. Specifically, the school is located in a low socioeconomic area known for drug use and crime. Furthermore, when you type “Most Holy Rosary” into Syracuse.com, the first article that comes up is about a stabbing on the MHR campus. In an inner-city area, such as Syracuse’s, there’s a limited pool of prospects for Catholic school enrollment to begin with. Thus, MHR needs to work on marketing its favorable attributes (i.e. wealth of technology, gymnasium, high test scores, etc.) because it is generally not perceived in as positive a light as it could be by its audiences. This problem is recognized by potential students and their families/parents both in the community and in the surrounding suburbs, and is consistently a problem year-round. In addition to these audiences, teachers, the administration and current students are ultimately affected by this problem, as well. A lack of enrollment (i.e. tuition) leads to lower salaries for teachers, which makes recruiting, as well as maintaining, a quality staff more difficult. This is a concern to MHR because, although it is not suffering financially due to the enrollment plateau, it would definitely benefit from higher enrollment rates. With more tuition income, the school could provide students with more educational resources. However, at the same time, class sizes would grow as a result (small class size is something MHR prides itself on). Ultimately, the administration desires higher enrollment rates, which we feel are hindered by a lack of positive community branding.
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SWOT Analysis Strengths •
Wealth of technology (i.e. new touch-screen desktops in the computer lab and a Chromebook for every sixth-grader)
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Security measures (i.e. cameras, a single point of entry and a buzzer system at the door)
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Parental involvement (i.e. supervising after-school programs)
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Rich history and historic landmark
Weaknesses •
Ms. Petosa manages social media accounts; school is nearly invisible on social media
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Small marketing budget is not enough to hire someone to oversee social media and marketing
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Conducting inefficient, one-way, informational communication with audiences on social media; posts are unorganized without a platform
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Members of the community or those from Most Holy Rosary Church haven't been aware of the school's social media accounts Opportunities
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Positive reviews on Facebook from students' parents; this shows that the experience of parents with Most Holy Rosary seems generally strong
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The school should take advantage of Most Holy Rosary Church's audience base
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MHR can acquire potential candidates outside the local community through generating media coverage from MHR- sponsored events
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Most Holy Rosary can build and maintain relationships with local media
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Threats •
MHR's campus is located in a low socioeconomic area with high crime rates
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Competition with public schools in the area, such as Roberts School which offers free pre-k to everyone through the universal pre-k program (UPK)
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Negative media coverage can lead to a loss of enrollment interest and revenue
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Central Core of Difficulty Lack of awareness, weak branding, and negative media coverage would harm the reputation of Most Holy Rosary School (MHR) and damage the public’s trust. This could result in lower enrollment rates immediately as well as in the long-run. Since there are multiple options for private Catholic schools and public schools in Syracuse area, potential applicants and their parents can readily shift to other choices. MHR must uphold the highest standards of trust and reputation relative to its competitors. Currently, when one searches online for MHR, negative coverage is prevalent. Since this is a school our stakeholders are sending their young children to, it is crucial that impressions surrounding our client are positive and exude quality and safety. Thus, a positive impression when searching for information online about MHR is vitally important. At present, there is no relationship between MHR and the local news media. Local media have relatively low awareness of the education quality of MHR. MHR remains passive in maintaining relationships with the local media when newsworthy events happen. In order to establish its reputation, MHR needs to be active. This means MHR should actively reach out to the local media and inform them of MHR’s education agenda. Current students and parents are not involved in advocating MHR in the greater Syracuse community. They could also be main contributors to the image of MHR. MHR should encourage current students and parents to spread positive news in the Syracuse community. MHR should also include students and parents in news releases and news reports.
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Organizational Linkages
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In the section of Input Linkages, parents as volunteers contribute a lot to help the operations of Most Holy Rosary School. Unlike PTA as an official association that encourages parents’ engagement with the school, some of the students’ parents volunteer to help MHR’s students get a better education experience with more school-related activities.
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As output linkages, potential applicants and parents are the main targeted audience of our communication plans. They are potentially the main contributors to Most Holy Rosary School’s progress.
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News coverage influences the school’s reputation. The previous news coverage of Most Holy Rosary School was rather negative. There is potential and opportunity to gain media attention and maintain good relationships with the media. Our group’s key objective in this campaign is to boost media coverage and the awareness of the school outside the current community. By utilizing news media, social media and the school’s newsletter and website, we can achieve this objective.
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Not being Catholic schools, Roberts School and the Westhill school district offer similar education programs as Most Holy Rosary School. According to the research of Captiv8, these institutions provide quality educational experiences. These institutions are the major -more-
competitors of Most Holy Rosary School. •
According to regulations, the NY State Education Department provides financial aid of over $26 billion to locales in New York state, including both private and public educational organizations. However, Most Holy Rosary School, as a religion-related educational organization, may not be able to receive financial aid and offer students loans based on federal or governmental resources. Compared to other competitors, such as Roberts School, which has universal pre-K financial aid from the NY State Education Department, MHR is disadvantaged.
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According to Ms. Petosa, Most Holy Rosary School has a relatively active PTA. To some extent, the Parents and Teachers Association is both an input linkage and an enabling linkage. Members of PTA can contribute to the daily work of the school, such as by volunteering in after-school programs. The PTA also serves as an advisory association to enable parents of current students to get involved in school policies and activities. Also, the PTA can help organize fundraising events. The parents as volunteers in the input linkages overlap with the role PTA plays in its relationship with the school.
In the section of Input Linkages, the problem Most Holy Rosary School faces may influence the interest of its teachers. As stated in the first section, decline in enrollment can affect employees’ incomes, which are already less than compensation in public schools. The challenge is convincing teachers to stay at Most Holy Rosary. Most Holy Rosary School needs to convince the teachers that the school is a reliable, rewarding workplace that can ensure their future. In the section of Output Linkages, the Syracuse community will be directly influenced by negative media coverage. Students and parents would have immediate concerns about a safety problem on campus. This also affects potential applicants and their parents because students safety is a primary concern of parents. The safety issue may prevent current students and potential students from attending MHR in the future. In the section of Normative Linkages, public schools in the area, such as Roberts School and the Westhill school districts, will be influenced directly as well. Public schools in the area, according to Ms. Petosa, are the direct competitors of Most Holy Rosary School. Potential applicants and their parents may not choose MHR because of the negative media coverage and branding challenges. As a result, public schools in the same area could have higher enrollment rates. In that case, the competitors of Most Holy Rosary School may be more threatening. Other groups in Diffused and Enabling Linkages will have less influence at this stage since they are not directly related to MHR regarding financial income. However, these groups will be affected in future since they are either near the campus or have relationships with MHR.
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References Breidenbach, M. (2015). Teen stabbed in fight at Most Holy Rosary Church gym in Syracuse. Syracuse.com. Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/crime/index.ssf/2015/12/ teen_stabbed_in_fight_at_most_holy_rosary_church_gym_in_syracuse.html Captiv8, Most Holy Rosary School Research, December 2016, from Blackboard Finance & Business in NY State Education Department Website. Retrieved February 1, 2017, from http://www.nysed.gov/finance-business Petosa, J. (2016, January 23). Personal correspondence.
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Target publics
Target Public ADULTS IN CITY OF SYRACUSE DEMOGRAPHICS In terms of community branding, our target audience is adults in the Syracuse area. In the city of Syracuse there are approximately 53,626 people who are between the ages of 25 and 54. The majority of these citizens fall within the 25 to 34-year-old age group, categorizing them as young adults. The most common race or ethnicity is white, followed by black and hispanic. The median household income is $31,881. The most common occupation within this age group is administrative, followed by sales, education, food and serving, and management. PSYCHOGRAPHICS The adults in Syracuse that we are targeting will have interest in improving the Syracuse area and local education systems. This public will most likely be family-oriented. Families that have young children tend to pay attention to local school systems as well as the education environment. This will be beneficial in order for them to make plans and prepare for their children’s academic future. A lack of brand awareness and negative media coverage will have significant impact on our targeted public since they are the decision makers for their young children. INFLUENTIALS The majority of Syracuse adults range from low income, to middle class, to upper middle class. Family is a priority to these Syracuse adults. Most Syracuse adults aspire to have a steady familial environment with stable incomes. Supporting their families is a priority to Syracuse adults. For households who have children, another consideration is their education. Like other typical middle-class Americans, Syracuse adults consider having stable jobs as one of their top priorities to support their lives. They fear losing their jobs or having a decline in their salaries. Healthcare is also a basic need for Syracuse adults. They aspire to maintain the health care that can support their medical bills. According to research by Sperling’s, 55.96% of Syracuse adults are religious and 36.15% of these Syracuse adults are Catholic. This is a relatively significant portion of the entire population. Church and religion play influential roles in Syracuse adult decision-making. Catholics’ ultimate goal is to go to heaven by following God’s words. This fact will, to some extent, benefit MHR as a Catholic school if MHR shapes its reputation as a religious institution that provides quality education.
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MEDIA HABITS
 Those who reside in the city of Syracuse are exposed to a wide range of media. Adults in the Syracuse region have access to local and national news through television or newspapers. In addition, they also have access to a wide range of social media platforms. Since Syracuse adults have access to such a wide range of media, we will want to explore ways to generate the greatest attention across these platforms.  
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Reference http://www.bestplaces.net/religion/city/new_york/syracuse
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Goals and objectives
Goal and Objectives Goal: Increase brand awareness of MHR among Syracuse adults. 1.
Objective a: To increase news coverage by local media by having 10 news articles published about MHR by May 2018 in order to promote brand awareness in the Syracuse community. 1.
Strategy a.1: Assign a professional to establish media relations. 1.
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Tactics a.1.1: Invite local journalists and reporters to visit the school regularly as well as during special programs and events.
Strategy a.2: Increase awareness and involvement of MHR by local media. 1.
Tactics a.2.1: Send out news releases to local media for special programs and events.
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Tactics a.2.2: Produce a multimedia package which includes videos, photos and digital newsletters for special programs and events.
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Tactics a.2.3: Conduct news conferences which cover special events as they occur.
Objective b: Gain 500 followers of MHR by May 2018. 1.
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Strategy c.1: Establish MHR’s social media presence in primary education. 1.
Tactics c.1.1: Target the desired customer base by conducting surveys across social media platforms.
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Tactics c.1.2: Collect and analyze audience comments and attitudes toward MHR on social media platforms.
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Tactic c.1.3: Inform current parents and graduates of MHR’s social media accounts.
Strategy c.2: Encourage MHR to be more active with regard to social media platforms. 1.
Tactics c.2.1: Use social media to post more photos and videos.
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Tactics c.2.2: Tag parents with social media accounts in posts to encourage activity with MHR’s social media accounts.
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Strategies
Strategies Goal: Increase brand awareness of MHR among Syracuse adults. Objective a: To increase news coverage by local media and publish 10 news articles about MHR by May 2018 in order to gain a strong presence of MHR in the Syracuse community. a. “Meet” Father Fred media series: We will gain news coverage by local media by incorporating Father Fred as the brand ambassador of MHR. We will have a volunteer videographer sourced locally or from a surrounding university to help us create this web series. Father Fred’s story with MHR school is unique. Therefore, we will have monthly updates on Father Fred to encourage our audience to return to our social media and learn more about him along with MHR. This will also generate media attention because Father Fred is a unique spiritual leader and father figure to the school. b. Kids Code Day MHR is advanced in terms of its technological equipment. The advanced technology provided by MHR is one of its great advantages. This is part of the quality education MHR can provide for potential students. Kids Code Day is a great opportunity to show the public how well MHR is prepared to provide quality education. MHR will invite other schools in Syracuse to participate in a Kids Code Day competition. At the Kids Code Day, we will invite local students at surrounding schools to participate in the coding day. With local press and parents present, MHR has the opportunity to showcase its advanced technologies. MHR’s primary students are already able to code at an early age. This will show the high quality education the children receive. Parents and press in Syracuse will have a chance to witness the education students receive in MHR. As students from other schools attend the competition, MHR students can also show how they benefit and are shaped by MHR’s education. The great personality and characteristics of MHR students are points that need to be communicated to the local community and Syracuse adults. The scene of MHR students getting along with students from other schools is a notable point to show to the press and parents. A professional can record a video of the competition. The video will be included in the press kit that MHR will distribute to the local press. MHR will also publish the video on its official website and across multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, -more-
Twitter, and Instagram. MHR students need to wear their uniforms to set them apart in the video. c. Spelling Bee MHR can hold a Spelling Bee as an annual event, cooperating with other schools in the area. As a large-scale event that involves many students in the area, it is attractive for journalists to cover. Videos of students participating in the Spelling Bee and interviews of parents’ positive comments can help MHR enhance its positive brand awareness. Links and websites of news coverage should be posted on MHR’s own platforms as well, including Facebook, Twitter and the official website, to reinforce MHR’s role in the event. This will help MHR to get more exposure, showing that MHR takes care of not just children in the school, but also children in the area through its efforts to make Syracuse a better community. Objective b: To gain 500 followers to MHR’s social media accounts by May 2018. 1.
Student of the week 1.
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The people who are most likely to follow MHR’s social media accounts are parents of current students. Therefore, in an effort to make parents want to follow MHR, MHR will feature a student of the week every week. Students will be nominated by their peers and teachers for things like outstanding behavior, high test scores, helpfulness and other attributes. This will not only motivate parents to follow, but work toward bringing MHR’s positive attributes (Catholic values, high test scores, technology, etc.) into the spotlight. We will go beyond current parents and students by hosting events at our school such as our “Kids Coding Day” and Spelling Bee with live updates, which will help boost followers. In addition, we will also generate media content to be shared for the public to see about the history of MHR and the interesting life of Father Fred.
Daily updates 1.
In an effort to further urge parents to follow MHR on social media, MHR will post daily updates. Parents that care enough to enroll their students in a private education are likely the type of parents that worry and think about their children while they’re at school. Therefore, they would be interested in following MHR to receive daily updates about what is going on at the school that day and have a sense of peace at mind.
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Bi-Monthly blog posts about the 5 parent ambassador experiences at MHR 1.
MHR’s 5 parent ambassadors will be asked to do five bi-monthly blog posts during their time as an ambassador. This will generate attention to MHR’s site and awareness about the environment and culture at MHR. By having personal insights from Father Fred and other key players at MHR people can learn interesting facts about the school.
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Core messaging
Main Messages CAMPAIGN THEME/GOAL: Increase brand awareness of MHR among Syracuse adults OBJECTIVE A: “To increase news coverage by local media and publish 10 news articles about MHR by May 2018.” TARGET PUBLIC: Journalists and Local Media MESSAGE (S): 1. MHR provides significant benefits in terms of technology and small class size to students. 2.
Father Fred’s story of devotion to Catholic education and to the students hasn’t been recognized by both the media and the public. Under Father Fred’s leadership, MHR will focus on its advanced technology education, children’s nutritious meals, shaping students’ characters and virtues, and nurturing students’ interests in literature. Father Fred provides MHR with a new education agenda that has not yet been done in MHR’s history.
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MHR has been deeply rooted in the history of the city of Syracuse. However, the school has encountered a problem: decreasing enrollment rates each year.
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The historic Catholic school seeks revival. We can demonstrate the power of Syracuse education at MHR.
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Kids Code Day shows MHR’s efforts to adapt to modern primary education. Other Catholic schools don’t have similar agendas to provide students with advanced technology and education.
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The best way to experience the warm, welcoming and inclusive community is to visit MHR. MHR is an environment filled with adorable and polite children should be recognized. We will host school events to gain media attention and shed a light on these student’s accolades. Compared to other Catholic schools, MHR has a quite diverse composition of students from different ethnic religions and races. You will see this amazing community when you visit MHR. Also, the Spelling Bee event provides a chance for MHR students to interact with students from other schools. MHR students’ great personalities will warm your heart.
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It is worth the trip to MHR during MHR special events such as Kids Coding Day and our Spelling Bee. You can hang out with the children while featuring them in your stories.
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Father Fred’s delicious homemade sandwiches and hot chocolate are popular at MHR’s special events such as Kids Code Day and Spelling Bee contests. You sure don’t want to miss this!
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PRETEST: I plan to attend at least one open house and Kids Code Day to report stories about MHR education agenda. I also plan to cover Father Fred’s story about his devotion to Catholic education. 
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CAMPAIGN THEME: Increase brand awareness of MHR among Syracuse adults OBJECTIVE A: To gain 500 followers on MHR’s social media accounts by May 2018. TARGET PUBLIC: Syracuse adults (including MHR parents and potential parents) as well as MHR alumni MESSAGE (S): 1. To MHR parents: student’s well-being and safety are important. 2. You are interested in their daily activities and educational accomplishments. 3. As a small and tight-knit educational community, MHR alumni feel a sense of pride and connection to their alma mater. 4. This is why they choose to continue and begin to start following MHR’s social media accounts after graduation. 5. MHR’s social media accounts will keep followers updated on school cancellations, delays, special events. The accounts will offer content, such as student spotlights. 6. MHR provides relevant educational information about parenting and parenting skills 7. MHR blog posts will focus on these content areas from these specialists: teachers, principals, Father Fred, etc. They are posted each week and are promoted on social media. Blog posts are specialized in different aspects of parenting and education. These posts will provide you with good insight and tips about parenting and education. PRETEST: I plan to send a survey to MHR’s contact list of past and present students and parents of MHR. This will help determine the type of information they want to see on social media and in potential blog posts.
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Tactics and tools
Description of Tactics 1.
Kids Coding Day 1.
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Father Fred 1.
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MHR will gain news coverage by local media by incorporating Father Fred as the brand ambassador of MHR. Father Fred has been devoted to MHR for many years. He is dedicated to enriching the MHR experience of students and faculty. For example, he makes breakfast for anyone who wants it every morning. He also is often seen in the kitchen making sandwiches for lunch for the MHR students. Our team will reach out to journalists by sending a short documentary highlighting Father Fred as a unique spiritual leader and father figure to the school. The documentary of Father Fred is divided into five series with five topics. The five topics include technology in primary education, MHR’s nutritious meal recipes, MHR’s education agenda to foster students’ interests in literature, virtue education, and cultural and religious diversity at MHR.
Spelling Bee 1.
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“Kids Coding Day” competition will highlight MHR students’ coding abilities. MHR will also invite students from surrounding schools to participate in this kid-friendly coding competition. This event will attract media attention because it incorporates students from various schools and highlights important new skills. Attracting the local media enables MHR to promote its advanced technology to the public. In addition, we hope to invite WCNY, which is a prominent and involved news outlet in Syracuse, to help host this event and partner with us in future events hosted by MHR.
MHR will host an annual spelling bee with local Syracuse schools. The student participants will utilize MHR’s Ipads and technology to respond to questions during the competition. In addition, MHR will have local “celebrity” judges attend and help with the spelling bee. The event will be given a Twitter hashtag which will help MHR gain recognition. By hosting the spelling bee at MHR, MHR will gain media attention since a wide range of audiences will be in attendance and social media and technology are utilized.
Create a Larger Social Media Presence and Gain 500+ Followers 1.
Our team will increase MHR’s social media presence by posting highlights of the week that include student and teacher achievements and outstanding behavior. Social media posts will also highlight information -more-
about special events. 5.
Create Blog Posts 1.
MHR will have one faculty member each month create blog posts. The blog posts will be written about various specialties. For example, the art teacher can write a blog post about “how art creativity reduces aggression in children” or the chef can write about “healthy lunch offerings and benefits.” These blog posts will be a great way to expose MHR to audiences outside of MHR and within the Syracuse area since people will be attracted to relevant information. The blog posts can generate attention to MHR’s media sites and build brand awareness of MHR. Draft of Written Material (Please See Examples Below)
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Kids Coding Day - Event Promotion Poster
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Father Fred - Documentary Script Father Fred’s special ingredients to enrich Most Holy Rosary School FADE IN: EXT. MOST HOLY ROSARY CHURCH - MORNING FATHER FRED walks from Most Holy Rosary Church, where he lives, to the Most Holy Rosary School right next to the church. Steps into the front gate. DISSOLVE TO: INT. MOST HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL - RECEPTION - DAY FATHER FRED greets the person at the reception desk and walks through the hallway to the dining hall. (camera follows Father Fred) DINING HALL - DAY FATHER FRED turns on the light of the kitchen and take food out of fridge to make sandwiches. Prays in front of the cross at the DINING HALL. DISSOLVE TO: DINING HALL - DAY Sits at one of the long dining tables. Introduces himself. Begins to talk about his first day as a priest at Most Holy Rosary School. (to the camera) EXT. MOST HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL GATE - MORNING STUDENTS OF MHR walk into the school. INT. DINING HALL - DAY STUDENTS OF MHR comes in and greets FATHER FRED. FATHER FRED gives sandwiches to STUDENTS. (conduct daily routine) -more-
FATHER FRED sits down again. Talks about his first thing (make sandwiches for the STUDENTS) to do on daily agenda. (to the camera) Then walks to Mrs. Petosa’s office. INT. MRS. PETOSA’s office - DAY MRS. PETOSA, principle of Most Holy Rosary School. FATHER FRED walks in and discusses Kids Coding Day with MRS. PETOSA. They run through the details and agenda of the event that will be held in Most Holy Rosary School. DISSOLVE IN: SCHOOL KITCHEN - DAY FATHER FRED prepares lunch for the STUDENTS with other COOKS. Chats with the COOKS. DINING HALL - DAY STUDENTS come in and sit at the tables. FATHER FRED leads the prayer before lunch. VISUAL - STUDENTS eating. AUDIO - FATHER FRED talks about his experience at MHR. DISSOLVE IN: INT. Most Holy Rosary School - DAY FATHER FRED walks through the school to see STUDENTS in class. Walk in the HALL OF HISTORY. VISUAL - Camera follows FATHER FRED looking at the pictures on the wall. AUDIO - FATHER FRED talks about the pictures on the wall and his life of leading Most Holy Rosary School. DISSOLVE IN: Bell RINGS. STUDENTS out of class. Departure from the main entrance of the school -more-
FATHER FRED stands at the gate. Says goodbyes to STUDENTS. VISUAL - FATHER FRED farewell to STUDENTS. AUDIO - FATHER FRED talks about his experience and life with STUDENTS at MHR. DISSOLVE IN: INT. MOST HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL - NIGHT VISUAL - FATHER FRED walks through the entire school and checks each room. Walks to the entrance. About to leave. Turn off the light at the entrance. AUDIO - FATHER FRED talks about his aspirations for the school and STUDENTS at MHR. DISSOlVE IN: EXT. MOST HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL - NIGHT VISUAL - (Back Shot) FATHER FRED walks back to the church. AUDIO - FATHER FRED talks about his aspiration of life and for the school and STUDENTS at MHR. Talking Points (five series): 1. Advanced technologies in primary education 2. MHR’s special nutritious meals and secret recipes developed by Father Fred 3. MHR’s education agenda to foster students’ interests in literature 4. MHR’s roles in shaping students’ characters and virtues in addition to traditional education 5. Diverse cultural and religious environment at MHR and how students thrives in this diverse environment
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Spelling Bee - Event Promotion Poster
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4. Social Media - Mock Post Twitter/Facebook Page: ◦ Syracuse #KidsCodingDay is coming! @SyrMHR welcomes all talented children in Syr. (Attached with the link and posters) ◦
Making lunch for children is always challenging. The best and easiest recipe recommended by the chef of @SyrMHR! (Attached with the link and food pictures)
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#FatherFredMHR, as the spiritual leader of @SyrMHR, still works in the school kitchen to serve children and faculties. Challenges of supporting a school never end. (Attached with the mini documentary)
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#MHRSpellingB is coming on 1/13! A secret guest will be there! Guess who he/she is?(Attached with links and posters)
Instagram: ◦ (The view of MHR and children) The temperature is still low, but you never feel cold with kids’ smiles ^ ^ #MHRlives ◦
(Children having lunch) Father Fred’s secret menu! I can’t wait to try! #MHRlives
5. Blog Posts - Mock Blog Post (SEE ATTACHED) MHR’s faculty and staff bring unique skillsets to the table and have knowledge and advice to offer. We plan to utilize their knowledge by requiring faculty and staff members to submit one blog post (relevant to their field) per month. Each member will have a specific submission deadline to adhere to. We expect to receive a total of about 20 submissions per month. Of the 20 posts, MHR will choose which to publish each week, as MHR will post 3 blogs per week. The articles that are not used within a given month will be stored in a content library for future publishing. An example of a blog post a faculty member would submit is one created by the chefs discussing “healthy school lunch ideas.” Another example would be an art teacher submitting a blog titled “how a creative outlet reduces aggression in children.”
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Pitch Letter
Dear (reporter’s name), As an historic institution in the city of Syracuse, Most Holy Rosary School has been established for almost a hundred years. At a time when Catholic school enrollments keep declining, Most Holy Rosary School still provides quality education. Under the leadership of Father Fred, Most Holy Rosary continues its mission in unexpected ways. For decades, Father Fred, as the leader of Most Holy Rosary community, has devoted himself to the education of students at Most Holy Rosary School. Father Fred strives to make Most Holy Rosary a warm, welcoming and inclusive community. Recently, our team made a documentary about Father Fred to tell the untold story behind his charismatic leadership at Most Holy Rosary. This is the first time Father Fred has come forward to tell his efforts to develop modern education system at Most Holy Rosary School. The documentary reveals the story of how Father Fred advances the century-old legacy of Most Holy Rosary School. The documentary is divided into five series. The five topics are technology in primary education, MHR’s secret nutritious meal recipes, MHR’s education agenda to foster students’ interests in literature, virtue education, and cultural and religious diversity at MHR. We would like to invite you to spend a day with Father Fred to cover Father Fred’s story and experience the educational environment at Most Holy Rosary School. Also, our team will send you an intro of the documentary for you to preview. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 315-xxx-xxxx. Thank you for your time. We look forward to seeing you at Most Holy Rosary School. Sincerely,
PR Team Most Holy Rosary School ### -more-
Timeline, Budget, Â Evaluation methodology
Budget and Timeline Timeline
! Budget 1.
Kids Coding Day: Kids Coding Day will be the first event of the year for MHR. MHR should start planning this event in June 2017 and reaching out to surrounding schools. We suggest MHR hold this event in October of 2018 in order to begin building a presence in the Syracuse community as a technologically advanced school. We have ranked this as the highest priority on our list because this is a very important message that our team wants to begin promoting to the community.

2.
Spelling Bee:
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The Spelling Bee hosted by MHR is ranked high on our list as well due to the amount of time needed to produce and create this event. We hope to start reaching out and creating content for our Spelling Bee within the first two months of the school year. We would like to hold this Spelling Bee for MHR in January of 2018. 3.
Father Fred: We will ask Newhouse for a volunteer or have a consultant document Father Fred. This would be an excellent way for outside audiences and sources to gain awareness of the characteristics of MHR. In the video series Father Fred will speak about MHR’s high quality teaching and technology. He will also be documented in another video on how the school helps prepare students to be successful. Another video would have Father Fred answer 10 questions about a subject leading up to our events such as the Spelling Bee and Kids Coding Day.
4.
Create a Larger Social Media Presence and Gain 500+ Followers Another form of communication that is highly effective is the use of social media. By using MHR’s weekly events and sharing student and teacher achievements, MHR will be able to produce content for free. In addition, MHR may reach out to Newhouse’s public relations organizations, such as Hill Communications, to help develop a successful social media presence for free.
5.
Create Blog Posts Creating blog posts will be an effective form of communication for MHR. Reaching out to faculty and parents will be a way to create free blog content for MHR. This tactic is a branding opportunity that MHR can use to display the internal environment of MHR. This will not need significant funding, but will require staff and parent time.
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Tactics Kids Coding Day · · · · · · ·
Food & Beverage: $400-$800 Posters-15 copies total: $230 Staff time Kids have the opportunity to learn how to code Can become aware of the event by poster sightings Event might not be possible or a success People would not be unaware of the event
Spelling Bee · · · · · · ·
Food & Beverage: $400-$800 Posters- 15 copies total: $230 Staff time Fun community activity gaining positive recognition of MHR Generates students’ excitement Without posters, people might not be aware of the event Not as enticing to attend event if refreshments are not offered
Father Fred · Consultant time shooting documentaries with camera): free if MHR would work with local Syracuse University student. · Show the culture and close knit community of MHR · Helps highlight the school’s enriching experiences and dedication of teachers and faculty · Unchanged reputation/ awareness of the MHR community and relationships between staff and students Create a Larger Social Media Presence & Gain 500+ Followers · Staff time · Increased time spent on MHR social media platforms attracts the public eye to MHR students’ and faculty’s achievements · Social media platforms are a opportunity cost due to the lack of a significant following. This is because social media is an opportunity for MHR to promote itself to the Syracuse community Create Blog Posts · Staff time · If teachers spend time each week blogging, attention will be attracted to MHR’s media platforms
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· If blog posts are not written and time isn’t expended, it will be hard to increase positive brand awareness of MHR
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Evaluation methodology
Evaluation 1.
Adequacy of Formative Research In order to evaluate the success of our campaign, we will conduct a new situational analysis to see the effects and changes made compared to the new situational analysis. In the situation analysis that 315 Communications created initially, it shows that that Most Holy Rosary School is only promoted as a Catholic elementary school located in the Syracuse area. The lack of awareness of MHR’s technology and other positive qualities will affect its reputation and enrollment rate. In the new situation analysis, a SWOT analysis and a key public analysis are necessary to understand the changes in both the internal and external environments. The situation analysis should be conducted right after the campaign is over by a PR professional or agency. By comparing the two situation analyses, the success or failure of the campaign will be reflected, and a strategic plan for next year can be developed.
2.
Summary and Analysis of Process Information Since the campaign will last a year, the summary and analysis of process information should be conducted every quarter. Information and data that needs to be collected include outcomes directly related to the objectives and results of the past quarter. Outcomes related to the objectives are how many followers MHR gains on Twitter and Facebook accounts as well as how many media placements are earned during the past quarter. This information could be retrieved from social media platforms and records. Feedback of the content over the past quarter will be conducted through Google analytics, audience demographics and preferences can be measured by user's session duration and clicking rate. Surveys and focus groups are two other important methods in evaluating the impressions and feedback of the content.
3.
Impact of the Campaign a.
Objective 1: To gain 500 followers on MHR Twitter and Facebook accounts
As per our recommendation, the MHR social media accounts will be significantly more active and attractive to both MHR parents and those outside of MHR. We expect an increase in MHR parent followers due to guaranteed daily updates. These updates include the “student spotlight” that highlights things like high test scores, random acts of kindness and impressive art projects. We expect an increase in non-MHR parent followers due to the relevant content we will share. This content will be articles/posts -more-
from outside sources such as recipes, local events, and parent stories about their children and MHR that are relevant to parents in the Syracuse area, in addition to our own original content published on our blog. This objective can be measured by documenting the amount of followers each account has by May 2018. b.
Objective 2: To increase news coverage by local media by earning 10 media placements (including but not limited to newspaper, magazine and online articles and local TV coverage) by May 2018
We have outlined and will recommend the execution of newsworthy events to be sponsored by MHR. These events, such as the Spelling Bee equipped with tablets and Kids’ Coding Day, will highlight the positive attributes of the MHR experience (i.e. technology and facilities) and the impressive student body. For each of the newsworthy events we have outlined, we will produce a custom pitch letter to distribute to local media. In addition to the pitch letter, we will provide a complete press kit and produce a promotional poster. MHR will measure how effective these tactics were by the success of the event overall (i.e. attendance of participants, audience and media alike) and ultimately how many media placements we garner. Since MHR does not have access to professional media “clipping” software, we will keep a list of which magazines/newspapers/radio stations/local access channels/online platforms we reach out to/we find relevant and review them recurrently to keep track of placements. We will then record and file these clippings. 4.
Recommendations
Following the end of our time with MHR, we recommend continuing to plan and execute newsworthy events. This pertains to not only the Spelling Bee and Kids’ Coding Day that we have already outlined, but more events of this kind that attract media and audiences to the school that will ultimately garner media placements. In addition, we recommend the establishment of an Instagram and Pinterest page for MHR. The Instagram can feature student/faculty spotlights, in addition to the facilities. To gain non-MHR parent followers, it can also feature content relevant to parents, such as quick tips about meals and kid-friendly activities. A Pinterest can be yet another platform to share outside articles and our own blog posts, in addition to other material relevant to Syracuse adults.
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Works Cited
Works Cited Petosa, J. (2016, January 23). Personal correspondence. Most Holy Rosary School. (n.d.). In Facebook [Fan page]. Retrieved January 26, 2017, from https://www.facebook.com/mhrsyr/ Ms. Petosa. (n.d.) in Twitter [Personal account]. Retrieved January 26, 2017, from https:// twitter.com/jpetosamhr?lang=en Most Holy Rosary (n.d.) in Twitter [Official page]. Retrieved January 26, 2017, from https:// twitter.com/mhrsyracuse?lang=en Neal P. McCurn Obituary in Syracuse.com. Retrieved January 26, 2017, from http://obits.syracuse.com/obituaries/syracuse/obituary.aspx?pid=172397908 Breidenbach, M. (2015). Teen stabbed in fight at Most Holy Rosary Church gym in Syracuse. Syracuse.com. Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/crime/index.ssf/2015/12/ teen_stabbed_in_fight_at_most_holy_rosary_church_gym_in_syracuse.html Captiv8, Most Holy Rosary School Research, December 2016, from Blackboard Finance & Business in NY State Education Department Website. Retrieved February 1, 2017, from http://www.nysed.gov/finance-business http://www.bestplaces.net/religion/city/new_york/syracuse
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