audience engagement proposal
TRANSCRIPT
Audience Engagement Proposal For the Center for Performing and Visual Arts
at Sonoma State University
All research and planning done by: Primitivo PR Student-‐Run Public Relations Firm at Sonoma State University External PR team Led by Frances Telles
2
Table of Content
Executive Summary 3 Situational analysis 3 Swot analysis 4 Campaign plan 5-‐8 Campaign timeline 9 Evaluation plan 10
3
Executive Summary
As a team at Primitivo Public Relations, Student-‐ Run Public Relations firm at Sonoma State University, we have conducted research on students’ views of the current Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts at Sonoma State University. After conducting research on over 900 students we have created this proposal to provide insight and various strategies to implement that we believe would achieve the goal. Our goal is to increase the number of students in attendance at student performances and art galleries that the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts at Sonoma State University oversee and create a campus culture of familiarity with these entities.
This proposal outlines the entirety of the potential the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts have to provide students at Sonoma State University. According to research we conducted about students and their relationships with the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts during the fall of 2014, we have concluded that students enjoy being with their friends on the weekend and would like to see more engaging content. Due to the fact that ticket prices for student performances and galleries is already free, we need to appeal to things all college students enjoy incentives and creative advertisement.
The freshmen class is an easy public to target all at once due to the fact that they are all grouped together in one place at Summer Orientation. Using this to our advantage, we can appeal to their eagerness to get involved and familiarize themselves with campus.
With social media gaining rapid popularity and access to many students at Sonoma State, it is vital to take advantage of the relationship you can build to benefit the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts. Fortunately, you have the power to share information and make it accessible to everyone. Providing interactive social media platforms, storytelling via videos and using other SSU Communications entities to our advantage we can engage students and create a campus culture of being familiar with the Arts.
We are confident that with the right plans of action, the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts can create an institution that values the importance of arts in the lives of students. Increasing attendance at all student-‐based performances and galleries can help create a natural Arts environment at Sonoma State that will encourage currently enrolled and prospective students to attend on campus Arts events.
4
Situational Analysis
After completing research on Sonoma State students to understand their current relationship with the Center of Performing Arts and Visual Arts, we have concluded that students are interested in student performances and galleries but are uninformed, uninterested or unmotivated to attend the free events. The following SWOT analysis will highlight where the current Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts is at and what the future holds for the programs that will ensue. SWOT Analysis Strengths • All student-‐based events are free • Arts are good for overall growth as a
young adult • Entertainment/ Something to do in
free time • Are put on by students for students • Posters for advertisements according
to research people are appealed to • Teachers offering extra credit or
requirements to attend programs put on by the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts
Weaknesses • Not enough active and creative
advertisements so people do not know they are going on
• No knowledge of IRA fee that makes performances and galleries free
• No incentives to go to performances and galleries (e.g. food)
• Not modern content that people have heard of
• At inconvenient times or days • Performances are too long • No social media presence
Opportunities • Create an inclusive campus
community interested in the Arts • Integrating class requirements with
the arts • Thriving Arts community that
connects people that attend Sonoma State
• Creating a well-‐known school for the Arts that can bring in prospective students and acclamations
• Increase student involvement on campus
• Having student-‐based performances and galleries that are modern and appealing to students
Threats • Not appealing to what students like • Students not finding importance in
the Arts • Investing money and time into
Audience Engagement and students still not interested
• Students not enjoying performances and galleries they go to and therefore do not go back
5
Campaign Plan Overall Goal: To increase the number of students in attendance at student performances and galleries that the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts at Sonoma State University and create a campus culture of familiarity with these entities. Objective 1: Create initiatives and better advertisements to currently enrolled Sonoma State University students to create a campus culture of attending student performances and galleries. Strategy: Like stated above in the previous strategy, Sonoma State University students have access to attend all student-‐based performances and galleries for free. Unfortunately, 75% of the surveyed students in a Fall 2014 survey do not know that they can attend the performances for free included in their IRA (Instructionally Related Activities Fee). Also, Sonoma State University students often feel there is nothing to do on campus in their free time but they’re often not aware of the many things to do on campus. Student-‐based performances and galleries the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts put together offer an abundance of events every week for students to attend. In the Fall 2014 survey, we also learned that 80% of students “Hangout with their friends,” on the weekend. To appeal to this the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts should create initiatives that involve going to performances and galleries as friends. To increase the overall audience attendance of Sonoma State students at student based performances and galleries, the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts need to appeal to what the students want and use effective ways of advertisement to get them there. Tactic 1: The first campaign to incentivize students to attend free student based performances and galleries is the “Bring a Friend,” campaign. This campaign will encourage students to go to a performance because they will be able to bring a friend from outside Sonoma State that would normally have to pay for a ticket. This campaign will need to be known to all students through more than word of mouth and posters. Having this incentive announced in all GE courses that are in the Arts, department is a good start. Also having representatives of the Theater department go into AS meetings, club and organizations meetings, and residential staff meetings to spread the word about this opportunity.
6
Tactic 2: Creative advertisement will be key in getting students interested in the Performing and Visual Arts departments at Sonoma State. For example, potential strategies might include, having performers walk around campus in costume acting as their characters will entice students to want to attend shows. Also having students perform music in the Student Center during finals will be a good way for student musicians to showcase their talents. To advertise dance there could be a “Mystery Button,” in the middle of campus. If a student goes up and presses the button music starts to play and dancers who were blending in with the crowd begin to dance as if they were in a flash mob. These creative advertisement techniques could bring students to all of the different types of entertainment opportunities Sonoma State Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts departments have to offer. Tactic 3: Once students attend these performances our goal is to keep them coming back. In order to make them feel welcomed and satisfied with their entertainment at the end of the night the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts can provide incentives to entice students, like having a raffle for a prize. It could be anything to get money towards books for school to an iPad. Having opportunity to win something makes students feel like they are welcomed. Objective 2: Make awareness of student performances and galleries at Sonoma State better known to students, especially freshmen. Strategy: All student-‐based performances and galleries put on by the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts at Sonoma State University are free of charge to all students. We feel spreading this knowledge to students would be the first step to get them to come to shows. Most freshmen are eager to get involved and try new things on campus to get to know the university better. By appealing to the freshmen students unfamiliarity to student performances and galleries there is a better chance of getting students to come to these events. Also, Summer Orientation is an opportunity to have all freshmen in one place and engage them. The Go Play video is a good start to get them more familiar with what the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts department has to offer them. Using Summer Orientation to our advantage and remembering that most freshmen live on campus we can spread awareness of all the Center for Performing and Visual Arts at Sonoma State University has to offer to the students here. Tactic 1: By appealing to freshmen Sonoma State University students we have the opportunity to influence their choices. In addition to the “Go Play” video at Summer Orientation, there needs to be other ways for students to see the venues for the
7
Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts. The Student Activities office puts on a scavenger hunt to familiarize the freshmen students with the Sonoma State campus. Incorporating the Entertainment venues on campus into this scavenger hunt would be a great opportunity for students to see where to go if they choose to attend shows, performances or galleries. Tactic 2: According to our research conducted in Fall 2014, 45% of the almost 600 students who had previously attended a student performance or gallery went because they were satisfying a requirement or receiving extra credit for a class. Going through with the integrated art programs being developed right now and gearing them towards freshmen year programs will be a good opportunity to get students familiar with the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts program. Tactic 3: For students who live on campus they are separated into cohorts. By teaming up with the Residential Life team and encouraging CSA’s to bring their students to student performances or galleries this would be a good opportunity to bring freshmen to these entertainment events with their roommates and friends. Incentivizing these CSA’s to create their programs surrounding student performances or galleries would be a good way to create positive relationships that will keep them coming back. An incentive could be a pizza party, a drawing into a raffle, etc. Objective 3: Use social media and other forms of new media to engage Sonoma State University students and create a positive image for the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts, geared toward students, for students. Strategy: Sonoma State University students are active on the Internet and on social media. This is an almost free and effective mechanism to have access the mass amounts of students who actively use social media. Although social media is an effective way to access students, using other forms of new media like videos and radio advertisements, can make the student based performances and galleries more appealing to students at Sonoma State. Tactic 1: With social media platforms, you can advertise all student based performances and galleries from the start of the projects to the end. With the social media platform you can create events students can invite their friends to and promote ads that have important information on how to attend student based performances and galleries. Tactic 2: Creating a mini-‐documentary series of the students involved in the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts is a great way for students to connect with the
8
students who perform and create art at Sonoma State. Highlighting actors, musicians, artists, and etc. can help create an emotional connection and general interest in the performances and galleries that are available at Sonoma State University. This mini-‐ documentary series can use Sonoma State students to showcase their filming talents as well. To find students to film this series you can create a contest for students to submit their mini-‐ documentaries. The winner will then be able to film the rest of the series for a stipend. Tactic 3: There are many programs at Sonoma State whose services the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts department can take advantage of. The student-‐ run radio station KSUN has air space that does not get used. Setting a block of time aside each week for music performed by Sonoma State students would be a low cost way to provide students with access to the talent Sonoma State students possess. Also the Center for Performing Arts and Visual Arts can purchase ad space to advertise student plays, performances, galleries, etc. at Sonoma State.
9
Evaluation Plan Evaluation for this Audience Engagement Proposal can be gauged in multiple ways. Obvious ways is through the increase of student ticket sales and student attendance at student performances and art galleries that are put on but the Center of Performing Arts and Visual Arts. Another option of evaluation is through a survey sent out to students asking of their opinions on the implantation of plans this proposal implemented.