Media Kit
The Surfrider Foundation University of Miami club
The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches, for all people, through a powerful activist network. The Surfrider Foundation is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization for all people who protect and enjoy the world’s ocean, waves and beaches. Our success and impact depends on learning from our community, standing in solidarity with our allies and working towards a more just future, both for our organization and the environmental movement as a whole.
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Contents Strategic Plan ............................................... 4 Brochure ............................................................. 6 Poster ..................................................................... 8 Media Advisory
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News Release .............................................. 10 E-Newsletter .................................................. 12 Pitch ........................................................................ 14 Social Media ................................................. 15
Contact Co-President Natalie Vestergom nmv35@miami.edu Co-President, Treasurer Griffin Alexander gna20@miami.edu Marketing Addie Paulson addiempaulson@gmail.com Ecology and Science Chair Madison Mary Sandquist mms375@miami.edu Editor, Photographer, Public Relations Sydney Burnett srb187@miami.edu
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STRAGETIC PLAN News Release
The topic of the news release is Surfrider’s first beach cleanup event of the fall semester that will be followed by future bi-weekly beach cleanups. The objective of the news release is to increase awareness and engagement at student beach cleanups led by Surfrider Foundation. The club’s objective is to use the platform of surfing as a vehicle for spreading awareness on environmental issues and to take on an active role in benefiting the surrounding communities ecologically. The intended audience is undergraduate students at the University of Miami, especially freshmen. Another audience is the city of Miami since this event is a community service event comprised of young volunteers. The angle of the news release is local about young service leaders in the Surfrider UM club that have shown resilience in 2020 through protecting our fragile coastal community. One key idea that I want to get across is how Miami is widely regarded as the most vulnerable city in the United States to the impact of climate change. The city is regularly affected by climate-related issues of water quality degradation, water and land pollution, sea level rise, hurricane storm surge and more. Another key idea that I want to get across is how Surfrider UM is stepping up to continue service leadership as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Furthermore, the club takes on the challenge of cleaning trash off of South Beach, which has iconic filth. The student’s selfless actions show how important the work is and how much the students value their ocean community. The length of the news release is one page to be concise and objective for journalists. The timing of the news release is immediate since the beach cleanup is this weekend with future bi-weekly events to follow. I will be distributing the news release to journalists at the Miami Hurricane and Miami Herald.
Pitch
The topic of the pitch is about how the Surfrider UM club is joining forces with the new Outdoor Adventure Center on campus at Lakeside for discounts on surfboard and paddleboard rentals in exchange for showing an image of a full bucket of trash picked up from the beach or the local community. The objective of the pitch is to get coverage of new program with to-the-point information about the program with rental discounts. The intended audience is people in the University of Miami community, especially University of Miami undergraduate students and other people who live in Lakeside Village. The angle of the pitch is to showcase the launch of the new Outdoor Adventure Center and to encourage students to participate in outdoor activities in Miami. Since the COVID-19 quarantine and curfew started in March, students living on-campus and off-campus have been going outside less. Spending time outdoors is an important factor in mental health and wellness. Some freshmen have been isolated several times and have been stuck inside all semester. This promotional campaign is a way for students to experience the coastal aspects of Miami and get in the water. It is also a way for students to save money on discounts for surfboard and paddleboard rentals by doing a small, independent service activity and photographing it. The timing of the pitch is immediate, and the pitch should be given as soon as possible since the collaborative discount program is beginning now. The discount program for board rentals at the new Outdoor Adventure Center will continue run all semester. The length of the pitch is less than one page, about three paragraphs of text, with concise and specific information about the event. I will be distributing the pitch to a specific journalist at the Miami Hurricane. This journalist is Inés Eisenhour, assistant news editor, who covers news at the University of Miami with a niche for environmental topics. I selected to pitch this piece to the Miami Hurricane newspaper because their primary target audience is UM undergraduate students, and the newspaper’s main distribution is on the UM Coral Gables campus, including in Lakeside Village.
Newsletter
The topics to be included in the newsletter are (1) the fall 2020 semester beach cleanup schedule, (2) tips about plastic pollution and (3) previous Surfrider beach cleanup events showcased with powerful imagery, which in turn will promote future events. The objective of this comprehensive and visual newsletter for students is to have a space dedicated to increase awareness about local, regional and national campaigns and events run by the Surfrider Foundation. Since the intended Surfrider UM • 4
audience of the newsletter is undergraduate students at the University of Miami, especially freshmen, the focus will be primarily on campaigns and programs run in Florida or in Miami. The overall angle will be geared toward students to create a healthy dialogue and promote a positive message of personal accountability when it comes to protecting the oceans, waves and beaches. By layering the content with social media campaigns, discounts, events and schedules, national initiatives and the organization’s legal initiatives that are most relevant to University of Miami students. The overall key idea that I want to get across is how the oceans, waves and beaches belong to all of us and it is our job to protect them. The length of the newsletter is 1-2 pages and can be used at least twice a year. The timing of the newsletter is urgent, as there are active campaigns and events being showcased. I will be distributing the newsletter to University of Miami undergraduate students, especially active members of the Surfrider Foundation University of Miami club.
Brochure
The topic of the brochure is about plastic pollution. The objective of the brochure is to increase awareness about plastic pollution. The second objective of the brochure is to link how plastic pollution in Miami is mitigated by Surfrider UM initiatives. The intended audience is undergraduate students at the University of Miami, especially freshmen who are looking for more information about getting involved in the community. The angle of the brochure is to have a few take-away key statistics about plastic pollution with bold and interesting visual elements like illustrations and photos. These statistics are going to educate the reader, and then there will be a short paragraph about the “Good News”: how Surfrider initiatives focus on plastic pollution on the coastlines and in the waterways. A key idea that I want to get across is how much of an impact that Surfrider has already had on plastic pollution by picking up millions of plastic bags and bottles. There should also be a call to action, such as “Reduce your Plastic Footprint Today.” This can be followed with more information on how to reduce plastic intake from everything as small as microbeads to as large as gallon jugs. Apart from these elements, there should be bullet points about efforts to reduce plastic pollution before it reaches the ocean. The length of the tri-fold brochure is two pages, one on the front and one on the back. The timing of the brochure is good for the next year or two years because this should be an informative piece that has solid information that will not need to be updated often. I will be distributing the brochure to active members of the Surfrider Foundation University of Miami club and University of Miami undergraduate students.
Poster
The topic of the poster is about a beach cleanup event. The objective of the poster is to raise awareness about and promote a specific beach cleanup event. The intended audience is undergraduate students at the University of Miami, especially freshmen looking to get involved in service in the coastal community. The angle of the poster is to show an inclusive environment that makes a difference in a plastic epidemic. The poster will educate viewers about the harmful effects of single-use plastics and plastic microbeads. The poster will advocate for change at the source, like local grocers and restaurants. Outside of who/what/where/when/why/how, a key idea that I want to get across is the actual physical outcome of previous beach cleanups (ie. how much trash was picked up off of South Pointe Beach Park at the last cleanup). I feel that this would show people that they can make an immediate and direct action difference about pollution in our community. The length of the poster is one page. The timing of the poster will be based upon the specific event, but will provide an excellent template for creating future event posters. I will be distributing the poster to locations on the University of Miami campus for viewing by active members of the Surfrider Foundation club and other undergraduate students, especially freshmen looking to get involved.
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BROCHURE
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POSTER
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media Advisory
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NEWS RELEASE
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E-NEWSLETTER
Informative articles with bold photos
Weekly updates on past and future events and initatives
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pitch To: Inés Eisenhour, Assistant News Editor for the Miami Hurricane Subject line: Trade a Bucket of Trash for Board Rental Discounts at Outdoor Adventures, a collaborate program with Surfrider Foundation UM club Dear Inés Eisenhour, I loved your recent article about how UM frats continue to party despite Covid-19, and I know that you live on campus in Lakeside Village as well. At Outdoor Adventures, the new on-campus gear rental center and adventure space located in Lakeside Village, any UM student can receive 1 free day on any board rental when they present a photograph of themselves with a bucket full of trash picked up from the local beaches or community. Do you paddleboard? If you pick up a bucket of trash to present at Outdoor Adventures, I am willing to bring you on a paddle boarding route in Key Biscayne using your free day board rental discount. This collaborative discount program uses the platform of surfing as a vehicle for spreading awareness on environmental issues and to take on an active role in benefiting the surrounding communities ecologically. The Surfrider Foundation University of Miami club is joining forces with Outdoor Adventures to offer this special promotion on gear rentals for surf and paddle boards during the spring 2021 semester. The Surfrider Foundation UM club leverages its network of 340 members to promote awareness to UM students and faculty, as well as the rest of the South Florida community. At Outdoor Adventures, students can rent quality name-brand gear to kayak, standup, surf, camp, hike and snorkel. Advanced reservations for gear rental will start at the beginning of the spring semester. The center is currently restricted to student only use as a measure to slow the spread of COVID-19. My name is Sydney Burnett, and I am a public relations specialist and photographer for the Surfrider Foundation University of Miami club. I am writing to you because you cover the beat on news at the University of Miami and spearhead marketing for the University of Miami Student Government Eco Agency. I would be able to help organize exclusive interviews with executive board members, as well as provide photos for the story myself or help any photographers that you assign. Thank you for your time Inés Eisenhour! For more information, I have included my contact information below. Best regards, Sydney Burnett Public Relations Specialist and Photographer The Surfrider Foundation University of Miami Club srb187@miami.edu (561) 818-7650
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SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: @umsurfrider
Facebook group: UM Surfrider
Recent activity: Average is 2 weekly post Followers: 205 Type of content: Beach cleanup event announcements Post-event beach cleanup status report Promotion of photo contest Campaign UM events How many likes or responses: Average likes: 10 Average comments: 1-2 Average shares: 1
Recent activity: Last post on December 4, 2019 Followers: 524 Type of content: Political engagement event postings Surf instructor job postings Club member posts Surf forcasts, Surfboards for sale Student opportunities for marine research Events related to marine community How many likes or responses: Average likes: 10 Average comments: 1-2 Average shares: 1
EXAMPLE PUBLISHING CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER
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SOCIAL MEDIA BLOG POST - ENTRY 1
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BLOG POST - ENTRY 2
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SOCIAL MEDIA facebook POST - ENTRY 1
facebook POST - ENTRY 2
Tackling global plastic pollution can be an overwhelming task as so many convenience items today contain plastic. However, raising awareness and building a robust strategy around a single item can have huge ripple effects that change the way we look at the “throw away” culture that has become so commonplace. Help us spread the word by sharing on your timeline and encouraging others to stop the use of single-use plastic. Do you pick up at least three pieces of trash every time that you go to the beach? Share this post on your timeline to spread the word to #take3forthesea. At our last beach cleanup, students of Surfrider UM picked up 45 cigarette butts, 15 face masks and 70 pieces of microplastic at South Beach Pointe Park. Not to mention that there were perfect beginner wave conditions and not a cloud in the sky! #SurfriderFoundObjectsPhotoContest
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facebook POST - ENTRY 3
We SNATCHED that cigarette butt off the shoreline! We hope you don’t smoke, but if you do, please don’t leave your butts on the beach. Comment what type of trash or plastic pollution that you pick up most on the shoreline! We must work together to tackle marine debris pollution.
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SOCIAL MEDIA instagram POST - ENTRY 1
Another successful Surfrider UM beach cleanup resulted in bucket loads of trash, aluminum and plastic picked up off South Beach Pointe Park. Through Surfrider’s efforts, billions of pieces of plastic pollution ranging from microbeads to single-use plastic bags are no longer littering our coastal communities and polluting the ocean.
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instagram POST - ENTRY 2
Do you like pizza? So do we - but not on our beaches. When people don’t pack out their trash at the beach, they create a direct threat to valuable marine biodiversity and the vulnerable marine ecosystem on our coastlines.
twitter post - entry 1
twitter post - entry 2 263 tons of microbeads are potentially discharged into the U.S. wastewater stream annually. Check to make sure your toothpaste and bathroom products do not contain microbeads!
twitter post - entry 3 Surfrider’s volunteers won’t stand idly in the face of this plastic epidemic. Join us today at South Beach Pointe Park and help us free our ocean from the devastating effects of plastic pollution!
The oceans are feeling the impacts of COVID-19 between litter of masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. Let’s do our part! Reduce your use of disposable, single-use waste. If you need it, make sure it ends up in the trash!
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