OSU Foundation Plan Complete

OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary 2. Situational Analysis 3. SWOT Analysis 4. Research 5. Focus Groups + Interviews 6. Surveys 7. The Millenials 8. Goal and Objectives 9. Tactics 10. Appendix 11. Timeline 12. Budget 13. Evaluation and Response

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Through Bill Handy’s Strategic Communications Campaigns’ course, a portion of the class was asked to develop a communications plan to increase the awareness of the Oklahoma State University Foundation. In response, eight students created a campaign, promoting the Foundation’s largest objective: Giving. Through non-traditional marketing tactics, the Foundation finds itself invading the lives of Oklahoma State students, creating a reason for students to know who they are.

PROBLEM: The Foundation is not gaining the support of current students. This is crucial since these individuals are the future alumni and supporters of both the Foundation and the University.

OBJECTIVE: Increase student awareness of the Foundation by 25% by December 2011, with 25% increase each semester for the next seven semesters.

RESEARCH: Our team conducted research from Iconoculture, Inc. and Pew Research, as well as focus groups and primary survey data to gain an understanding of Oklahoma State student communication channels, advertising attitudes, behaviors, motivations and potential influencers.

CREATIVE: Our campaign gives the OSU Foundation an on campus presence and focuses on its giving nature. Through research, we found this is something student can relate to.

PROMOTIONS: Promotions will give our target audience a reason to interact with the Foundation and give not only when they are connected with the University, but also after they graduate. That is why we developed tactics that rewards students, while also allowing them to do something now. Giving is the common thread throughout our tactics and the connection between the Foundation and our target audience.

Our team would like to thank the Foundation for the opportunity to develop this campaign.

We truly believe these tactics will not only promote awareness of the Foundation, but also recognize the giving nature of the University.

Sincerely, Justin Brannon Account Executive

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS Since 1961, the OSU Foundation has been the only entity allowed to solicit and distribute scholarships on behalf of the university.

The Foundation’s goal is to “unite donor and university passions and priorities to achieve excellence.”

The Foundation functions as a channel for alumni and other donors to give to OSU by accepting most forms of donations, including land, stocks, bonds and endowed faculty positions.

With the foundation, donors can be assured their gift to the university is used to continue the traditions and education they remember from their time at the university.

Currently, many Oklahoma State students are not aware that some of their scholarships come from the Foundation and most are not sure what the Foundation is. Lack of awareness presents a problem for the Foundation. This causes a hinderence for future alumni to donate to the university.

Thus, increasing the knowledge about the Foundation on the OSU campus is the focus of this campaign. Using strategic tactics, the campaign will interact with the target audience through the channels most familiar to them.

SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS

PASSION - Provide OSU students with financial support.

RELATIONSHIPS - Realizes needs of students, faculty and administration.

OSUCCESS - Scholarship competition that exposes students to the Foundation.

WEAKNESSES

AWARENESS - Lack of student awareness.

PRESENCE - No consistent channel to connects students with the Foundation.

OPPORTUNITIES

STUDENTS - Current students need to be aware of the Foundation’s mission.

CONNECTION - Create relationships with current OSU students, the future donors.

THREATS

CONFUSION - Students are confused about what the Foundation does.

DETACHMENT- Few student have made a genuine connection with the Foundation.

RESEARCH Research begins with information about the OSU Foundation. The Foundation’s website provides a history of the non-profit organization and current news.

Research sources such as Inconoculture and the Pew Research Center provide a better understanding of the target audience, OSU Foundation’s future donors.

RESEARCH GOALS - Identify target audience and strong influencers.

- Gain understanding of students’ values, motivations and needs.

- Recognize the most effective channels.

FOCUS GROUPS + INTERVIEWS Two focus groups and 25 interviews were conducted. Participants involved were from the Stillwater and Tulsa campuses. Students were asked about their awareness of the Oklahoma State University Foundation and the OSUccess competition. They were also asked questions concerning attitudes, motivations and financial behavior.

FOCUS GROUPS + INTERVIEW FINDINGS: - Awareness of the OSU Foundation in focus groups and interviews is extremely low.

- 45% of students relate the Foundation to “money” and 36% relate the Foundation to “alumni” thus creating a disconnect between students and the Foundation.

SURVEYS A survey was created to quantify the attitudes and behaviors of the target audience. The sample included students from all undergraduate colleges on the Stillwater Campus, undergraduate students on the Tulsa Campus, and graduate students from both the Tulsa and Stillwater campuses. The survey included questions about preferred communication channels, advertising attitudes, behaviors, motivations and potential influencers.

MOTIVATION:

BEHAVIOR:

After learning the goal of the Foundation is to help with student costs, 60 percent of surveyed students are more likely to donate after graduation.

Of the participants surveyed, 41.2 percent initially claimed they would not donate to the Foundation.

INFLUENCERS:

COMMUNICATION:

Likelihood of participation increases when informed by influencers, such as friends, professors and roommates.

Students are more likely to seek out campus information from e-mail, advisers, in-class announcements and Facebook.

A CLOSER LOOK AT

THE MILLENNIALS: Traditional marketing is not sufficient to reach students. They are living in a world that is cluttered with different messages, especially on a college campus. This campaign will implement strategic, integrated marketing techniques to increase awareness among students and hopefully begin to foster relationships. According to research, students are liberal, self-expressive, upbeat and open to change. The campaign will utilize of these inherent traits by catching their attention with nontraditional, guerilla techniques and allowing them to become engaged with the Foundation. Research also shows that the millennial generation is extremely benevolent and is looking for ways to give back to their community. Give them the opportunity.

GOAL Generate student awareness of the Foundation.

OBJECTIVE Increase student awareness of the Foundation by 25% by December 2011, with 25% increase each year for the next three years.

TACTICS

LIGHTS ON STILLWATER Lights on Stillwater is an event created twenty years ago to enhance the interaction between OSU students and the Stillwater community.

Businesses and organizations have a chance to interact with more than 5,000 students, faculty and staff. Because the event is held on Library Lawn, students can easily access this area, and it provides adequate space for businesses. Useful promotional items (t-shirts, sunglasses and frisbees) will keep the Foundation on the minds of students throughout the year. There will also be a chance to enter a raffle for an iPad 2, with participants entering their name and email address. Most college students keep things like these around because they are useful and fun.

Cost: $8,627.50 Volunteers: 7-10

TACTICS CLASSROOM VISITS Foundation members will visit orientation and lowerlevel general education classes to inform students about the Foundation and its role at the university. By educating freshmen and sophomores on the Foundation and its role, it will cause a trickle-down effect. As underclassmen become upperclassmen, younger students will be able to hear about the Foundation from older students, whom they look up to.

Cost: $0 Volunteers: 10

TACTICS

FOUNDATION FRIDAY Creating traffic on the Foundation’s social media pages will increase the student’s awareness of the Foundation in their online environment. Students who follow the @OSUFoundation or like the OSU Foundation Facebook page will automatically be entered in a weekly Foundation Friday giveaway. Winners will be chosen at random and will go to the Foundation to receive their prize. This tactic will launch at the beginning of the fall semester and continue through the 2011-2012 school year.

Cost: $1207.90 Volunteers: 1-3

TACTICS SHOW US YOUR SUCCESS The goal of the campaign is to have students make an emotional connection between success and the Foundation.

The refrigerator door is always a great place to show success.

In this campaign, we will mimic the refrigerator door by using a magnetic display wall placed on the lawns of OSU campuses.

This will give students the opportunity to physically show their success. To entice students to stop and show their success, there will be free food and drinks.

Social media and volunteer efforts will compliment this campaign.

Volunteers will pass out “Show Us Your Success” magnets with the Branding Success logo to be placed on the “fridge” while promoting the campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

Cost: $2291.50 Volunteers: 12-15

TACTICS WITHOUT THE FOUNDATION This guerilla tactic is geared toward showing students how the Foundation is beneficial to the University by tagging the listed items with “Without the Foundation” material.

- Computers and Laptops - Textbooks and Library Books - Students and Professors - Classrooms and Buildings

Cost: $2005.00 Volunteers: 15+

TACTICS

SCVNGR HUNT The Foundation will actively engage students by posting on its Facebook or tweeting directions to clues or locations on campus where they will receive prizes. The effectiveness of this tactic should be high because it incorporates a call to action for participants while actively promoting the giving nature of the Foundation.

Cost: $269.16 Volunteers: 1-3

TACTICS

PAY IT FORWARD The Foundation will supply 500 one-dollar bills to hang from hallway ceilings. Five classroom buildings on OSU campuses will be chosen to hang 100 dollars in each. While the students are in class, volunteers will hang the bills from the ceiling. Once students exit classrooms, they will “snag” a dollar. While students have the dollar in hand, the Foundation will promote its giving by giving students the opportunity to give to a local charity of their choice. Once they donate the “snagged” dollar, they will receive another gift from the Foundation. This campaign will provide students an interactive, memorable experience to relate to the idea of “paying it forward.”

Cost: $5070.00 Volunteers: 30+

TACTICS DEAD WEEK DELIGHTS Dead week is often a stressful time for students with finals being right around the corner. The Foundation will provide nutritional snacks, as well as scantrons and writing utensils, helping students prepare for the week ahead. The snacks are also combined with OSU’s efforts for a healthier campus.

Cost: $5280.50 Volunteers: 7-10

TACTICS

GRADUATION Graduating and earning a degree is a student’s biggest success.

Since 2006, the average amount of bachelor degrees given has been 3,770 per year. This is a great opportunity for the Foundation to recognize one of the greatest successes in college and gain awareness one last time before students leave OSU. The Foundation will give students a simple congratulations card saying “The Foundation congratulates you on your success!”

The cards will be given when the student is handed his or her diploma or placed on each chair prior to the ceremony.

Cost: $4,794.00 Volunteers: 30+

TACTICS OKLAHOMA STATE MEDIA After each tactic executed, a feature story or news article will be released through all Oklahoma State communication mediums. These articles will feature direct quotes from students and a OSU Foundation spokesperson. Key messages in each article will include the purpose of the Foundation, previous accomplishments and why students should give back to the Foundation, post graduation.

Cost: $0 Volunteers: 5-7

APPENDIX A: WITHOUT THE FOUNDATION

LIFE SIZE CUTOUTS

APPENDIX B: WITHOUT THE FOUNDATION

LIBRARY BOOK SLEEVES

Many books including this one would not be possible to check out.

To see how you can keep books like this one on Edmon Low’s shelves, visit www.osugiving.com. www.osugiving.com

APPENDIX C: WITHOUT THE FOUNDATION

DOOR POSTERS

RENOVATIONS TO MURRAY HALL WOULD NOT EXIST.

www.osugiving.com

APPENDIX D: WITHOUT THE FOUNDATION

DOOR POSTERS

LIBRARY COMPUTERS WOULD RUN WINDOWS 98 FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS.

www.osugiving.com

APPENDIX E: SHOW US YOUR SUCCESS EXAMPLES

APPENDIX F: SCVNGR HUNT Make your way to the Foundation HQ and speak to Leesa Wyzard. She’ll point you in an “#OSUccess” ful direction.

Check out a book at Edmon Low library, then head to the 5th floor where you’ll see this: http://twitpic. com/kDn93

Stock up on free resume paper and business cards from OSU Career Services and receive 3pts!

APPENDIX G: PAY IT FORWARD SLEEVE

FRONT

This dollar is a gift to you by the OSU Foundation.

Now it is your turn to give back.

Bring this dollar to library lawn between 12 and 2pm and donate to a local charity of your choice. You will then receive another gift from the Foundation!

BACK

APPENDIX H: GRADUATION CARD

The Foundation Congratulates you on your success! www.osugiving.com

TIMELINE

August September October November December January February March April Without the Foundation Show Us Your Success Foundation Friday SCVNGR Hunt Pay It Forward Lights on Stillwater Dead Week Delights Graduation Classroom Visits Oklahoma State Media

May

BUDGET

Item

Quantity

Cost Per Item

Total Cost

Printed 6’ x 2.5’ Banner

1

$100.00

$100.00

Foundation Tent

1

$200.00

$200.00

Booth

1

$75.00

$75.00

iPad 2 Giveaway

1

$600.00

$600.00

Sunglasses

500

$1.18

$590.00

Joe’s Cups

1000

$0.50

$500.00

T-Shirts

750

$8.75

$6,562.50

$10 Giftcards to the Student Store

30

$10

$300.00

Joe’s Cups

120

0.5

$60.00

Sunglasses

30

1.18

$35.40

T-Shirts

30

8.75

$262.50

Magnetic Paint

2

$22.00

$44.00

Wooden Board

4

$30.00

$120.00

Magnets

10,000

$10/50

$2,000.00

Giveaways (T-Shirts):

10 (1/day)

$8.75

$87.50

$20 Giftcards to Student Store

2

$20.00

$40.00

Cardboard Cutouts

5

$100

$500.00

Computer Posters

100 (2-Color) $1.95

$195.00

Book Sleeves

1500

$0.78

$1,170.00

2’ x 3’ Door Posters

56

$2.50

$140.00

LIGHTS ON STILLWATER

FOUNDATION FRIDAY

SHOW US YOUR SUCCESS

WITHOUT THE FOUNDATION

BUDGET SCVNGR HUNT

Quantity

Cost Per Item

Total Cost

$10 Giftcards to the Student Store

12

$10

$120.00

Joe’s Cups

60

$0.50

$30.00

Sunglasses

12

$1.18

$14.16

T-Shirts

12

$8.75

$105.00

Dollar Bills

500

$1

$500

String

2

$10

$20.00

Labels

500

0.15

$75.00

T-Shirts

500

8.75

$4,375.00

PAY IT FORWARD

Table Setup

$100.00

DEAD WEEK DELIGHTS Pencils

1500

$0.13

$195.00

Scantrons

1000

$0.09

$85.50

Mixed Fruit Pack

1250

$2.00

$2,500.00

Granola Pack

1250

$2.00

$2,500.00

6,000

$7.99/10

$4,794.00

GRADUATION CARDS Inserted cards in diplomas

TOTAL TACTICS COST:

$29,545.56

EVALUATION AND RESPONSE In December 2011, a survey will be handed out both in person and online to evaluate the success of the Foundation’s initiatives, as well as the response from the student body. The survey will also be repeated in May 2012. As in the initial survey, students will be from the Stillwater and Tulsa campuses. Here is a sample of the survey questions:

1. Which of these goals best describes your view toward the OSU Foundation?

2. Please indicate the extent to which you associate the following with the OSU Foundation.

3. How did you hear about the OSU Foundation?

4. Which events or student campus campaigns in the past semester stood out to you and why?

5. After the events, are you more inclined to donate to the Foundation?

6. Upon graduation, my total annual donation to the Foundation will be:

OSU FOUNDATION TEAM

JUSTIN BRANNON @jaybran

COURTNI SCHMELING @c_schmel

JEN YEUNG @jen_yeung

JESSIE MCEVER @mcnever

AMY WILSON @AMESkat

JUSTIN HITCHCOCK @J_Hitchcock

DANIEL GROSSMAN @DLGFTW

DAVOD NEMATPOUR @davodn