copper nickel integrated communication plan
DESCRIPTION
Integrated communication planTRANSCRIPT
Copper Nickel Literary JournalPublic Relations Plan
By: Samantha SilverApril 2010
Professor Hamilton BeanAdvanced Public Relations
1
Executive SummaryThe public relations plan for Copper Nickel Literary Journal presents an analysis
of the situation, organization, key publics, goals, objectives, strategies, tactics, and the
evaluation. Copper Nickel is a journal that takes pride in its dedicated staff and pure love
of literature. The journal has a unique submission process, which makes it possible for
student to have their works published next to the works of famous authors. This is just
one of the many reasons Copper Nickel has gone from a small campus journal with
almost no staff, to a journal with national recognition and a staff of nearly 25. Copper
Nickel is currently doing many public relations efforts in order to spread the word
throughout Denver. They consistently hold events on and off campus to celebrate the
works of local and national authors, put on a literary contest with a grand prize of $1,000,
are active on Facebook and Twitter, and are currently sponsoring 2010 AWP conference
in April. These efforts are spearheaded by the leader of Copper Nickel: Dr. Jake York,
and all of them align with the journal’s vision to spread the importance of reading and
literature in society. The public relations efforts mapped out in this plan will complement
and strengthen the current efforts in an attempt to achieve the overall goal of selling more
subscriptions.
2
Table of Contents
Section One: Research1.1: Analyzing the Situation……………………...….pg. 4-61.2: Analyzing the Organization……………………..pg. 7-121.3: Analyzing the Publics…………………………...pg. 13-19
Section Two: Recommendations2.1: Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics………pg. 20-262.2: Budget……………………………...……………pg. 27-30
Section Three: Evaluation3.1: Evaluation Plan…………………………………..pg. 31-35
3
1.1: Analyzing the Situation
Situation:
The Copper Nickel literary journal needs to greatly increase its sales. They need
better advertising and promotional efforts. This needs to be an on-going process so that
the journal can continue to produce issues each year and complete its goal of being self-
sustainable. Copper Nickel also struggles with clarifying its brand identity. Along with
generating more awareness, there needs to be clarification of the purpose of the journal.
The overall vision of Copper Nickel needs to be formed and promoted in order to create
brand identity. The basis of this analysis comes from interviews with the organization’s
leader, Dr. York, a comprehensive analysis of the Copper Nickel website, a survey of
existing Copper Nickel fans, an exploratory survey of Auraria campus students, a survey
of local business owners, and a comparative assessment of key competitors.
Background:
The Copper Nickel is a literary journal published by the University of Colorado
Denver. It has been operating for seven years and the staff has grown from six to twenty-
five people. Copper Nickel publishes work by both student and professional authors and
is considered to be more of a national literary journal rather than a campus magazine.
This can be shown by circulation figures. The figures state that the last issue sold 200
copies on campus, 100 copies in Denver, and 500 copies nationally. The quality can also
be demonstrated through awards Copper Nickel has received; however, there needs to be
more recognition of these awards. The reason for integrating professional authors into
the magazine is to benefit the students who publish their work in Copper Nickel. Having
their work alongside professional authors in a publication gives the students more
credibility and publishing credit. The journal is highly selective and publishes about 3%
of submissions. Published work ranges from stories, poems, essays, photographs, art,
lists, letters, and recipes. Copper Nickel publishes two issues per year, one in October
and one in February. Ninety-six percent of the staff is composed of undergraduate
4
students, all on a volunteer basis. The contributors to the journal are compensated with
copies/subscriptions to Copper Nickel.
The overall vision of Copper Nickel is to be seen as a tool for promoting the value
of literature and the value of reading. They see it as their duty to bring new people into
the world of creative writing and reading so to strengthen the world of literature. Their
commitment to improving this situation is strong because one of their main goals is to
have a self-sustaining budget.
The quality of the Copper Nickel has improved over time. From an institutional
standpoint there has be much progress. At the start of the magazine, there was no money,
no support, and almost no staff. Since then, they have gained a bigger staff, developed a
good reputation, and received funding from multiple grants. In the fall of 2007, Copper
Nickel began receiving institutional money; since then, the amount received has more
then doubled. In the past, Copper Nickel has relied on earned media from outlets such as
The Denver Post and Westword.
There are many different public relations efforts in which the journal is currently
involved. First, as a way to build subscribers, any author that is published in the journal
receives a two-year subscription to Copper Nickel. The goal is to promote word of mouth
marketing, and the journal has gone from zero subscribers in October 2008 to over 200
subscribers currently. In the last year, 56 subscriptions were not renewed. Copper Nickel
is also set to sponsor the Associated Writing Program Conference in April. This will give
them an advertisement in the AWP journal, which is estimated Dr. York to receive up to
600,000 impressions. The conference itself will host around 8,000 attendees and, overall,
this effort is estimated to bring in 200 more subscriptions. Another effort the journal is
making is a literary contest that they are holding in April and June. For the price of the
entry fee, participants receive a one-year subscription. This contest is estimated to result
in 600 new subscriptions. Copper Nickel also hosts monthly literary events open to the
public in hopes of expanding public awareness of the journal. Lastly, to encourage new
subscribers, Copper Nickel is making price cuts from January to August with a new, one-
year subscription price of thirteen dollars. These on-going efforts will be complemented
by the ideas presented in this plan.
5
Assessment of Situation:
The significance of this situation is considerable. The Copper Nickel is hoping to
clearly identify themselves with the public through this process. They are looking to
broaden their markets locally and increase their sales in order to become a self-sustaining
publication. In the next three years, Copper Nickel itself is looking to grow. They are in
the process of creating podcasts, videocasts, and making changes to their website so that
it includes a PDF version of the journal, as well as interviews with the authors. Their
goal is to have 1,200 paying and renewing subscribers by the fall of 2013. This is the
level at which the journal can become self-sustainable. As for a strategic business plan,
Copper Nickel has a ground sense of what they are doing, and continually adapt and
mirror what seems to be working for others. There is an internal plan in place and
external plan is in the making. In order to properly assess the situation, it will be crucial
to implement benchmarking techniques to measure not only against competitors but also
as a measure of Copper Nickel’s own success.
This situation is an opportunity for both Copper Nickel, as well as the community
of Denver. It will give them the chance to:
Promote the importance of literature and reading locally in and around
Denver.
Gain the attention of students around Denver and create an amount of
pride in UCD.
Create a more diverse market for Copper Nickel and for the local
businesses interested in helping to promote the journal.
There are also many issues involved with this situation, including:
Budget and time constraints.
Gaining not only the awareness, but also the support of students.
Breaking through the myth that the Copper Nickel is not just for students
with a creative writing background.
6
1.2: Analysis of Organization
SWOT Analysis:
Strengths:
Copper Nickel is known on a national level, with most of their sales coming from
outside of Colorado. The journal is versatile in what they publish; this makes it easier to
appeal to more people. The staff is dedicated to their work. Copper Nickel has a
professional and up-to-date website with information about upcoming events, articles,
submissions, etc.
Weaknesses:
Not many people are aware of the journal. There are only two issues per year,
which greatly prohibits the number of possible sales. College students are usually poor
and need incentives to buy things. Copper Nickel has a relatively small budget for PR
efforts. There are time constraints to deal with because it is purely volunteer work by
undergraduate students, many do not have the time to do much advertising/promotional
work.
Opportunities:
There are opportunities to get the word out about the journal, which will be
beneficial for both the staff as well as contributors. It can benefit the University of
Colorado Denver by creating a name for itself as home to a prestigious literary journal,
which could catch the eyes of perspective students, investors, and important literary
figures (national and local). Copper Nickel is holding a literary contest with high
incentives ($1,000), this can be an opportunity to get students/contributors interested and
involved. Copper Nickel is also sponsoring the Associated Writing Program conference
in April 2010, which will boost their awareness level.
Threats:
There are other magazines and newspapers that are more popular among students.
Copper Nickel must find a way to keep readers interested and eliminate the threat of one-
time buyers. There are only two issues are printed each year; this means the organization
7
needs to focus on subscriptions so that readers don’t forget about the journal. There is
also a threat that readers won’t see the value, given the relatively high subscription price
of $13 per year.
Internal Environment:
Information in this section is based on research including interviews with the
organizational leader, Dr. York, an informal, exploratory focus group composed of
students within my network, an analysis of the Guide to Profitable Marketing Results,
and a comprehensive analysis of the Copper Nickel website, as well as their social media
websites and those of their competitors. The structure of the Copper Nickel is based on
producing a quality journal, which is evaluated by circulation numbers, awards received,
and number of submissions. About 50% of the work published in the Copper Nickel is
from professional writers, 25% is from emerging writers, and 25% is from students. I
believe that the organization is supportive of public relations efforts and is doing its best
to incorporate efforts into their business plans. I will go into more detail of the internal
environment by looking at the performance, structure, and internal impediments of this
organization.
Performance:
The Copper Nickel provides a bi-yearly literary magazine sold at a price of around
$5 per issue. Criteria for determining quality comes from circulation numbers and
comparison with other literary journals. The comparison is found by web 2.0 research
and looking at other journal’s circulation numbers. Dr. York is satisfied with this quality
but believes it is now important to concentrate on creating more awareness. This product
offers a benefit of knowledge and entertainment for anyone interested in creative writing.
Some problems with this product include the low budget and time constraints when it
comes to promotion. Some changes that should be made to fix these problems include
better advertising and promotional activity, as well as expanding the target market.
8
Using strategies from the Guide to Profitable Marketing Results will greatly help Copper
Nickel’s success in selling subscriptions. A few ideas from the book include:
Create some type of cost versus value comparison (Examples include breaking
down the price by number of articles per issue and relating the cost to other
literary purchases)
o For $13 a year you could read one bestselling author, or buy a subscription
and read from hundreds of authors.
Testimonials and third party endorsements.
Do not use generalities to describe why your journal is best, use a many specifics
as possible.
I believe the organizational leaders of the Copper Nickel are ready and willing to make
these changes particularly because one of their main goals is to become a self-sustaining
organization.
Structure:
The purpose of the Copper Nickel is to produce a quality magazine and promote it
to their target publics, which include literary students, professors of literature, and local
businesses in Denver. The internal environment is very supportive for public relations
activities. Current resources the journal has to put towards public relations efforts
include staff volunteers, money (about $2,000), and good relationships with groups such
as the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, Lighthouse Writers, Colorado Council of the
Arts, the Denver Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Hopefully, within
the next three years these resources will increase as awareness and sales grow. As for a
strategic business plan, Copper Nickel has a sense of what they are doing, and continually
adapts and mirrors what seems to be working for others.
Internal Impediments:
Impediments that come from within the organization include: limited time, lack of
PR staff, and lack of money. Overcoming these impediments will require creative
advertising strategies, time management skills, and budgeting techniques.
Public Perception:
9
At the moment the Copper Nickel literary journal is not very well known. Dr.
York believes they have a strong reputation of producing a quality journal above college
standards, however this is not apparent to the public. I want to affect this reputation by
expanding their audience and market so they are known throughout Denver as a premium
literary journal. I believe that this can be determined through third party endorsements,
circulation numbers, and reader feedback.
Reputation
At this moment Copper Nickel seems to be only semi-visible to the market. This
product is not widely used by consumers as it only comes out twice a year and
subscription numbers are low. However, the product is widely visible to people
submitting their work to the publication (up to 3,000 entries every subscription). The
product seems to be perceived as a quality literary journal produced above college
standards. This comes from the amount of professional work published within the
magazine and the fact that the national circulation numbers are higher than local
numbers. The organization is perceived as small but dedicated. I believe the public
perception is correct, but once again there does not seem to be much knowledge of the
organization. Communication that has already been done includes release parties,
advertising in the student union, and inviting guest speakers to appear during parties.
Within the last three years, the organization’s reputation has improved based only upon
the growing awareness of the product. I believe that the organizational leadership is very
satisfied with this reputation. To see what feedback readers had to offer, an image survey
was sent out to the fans on the Copper Nickel Facebook page. Fifty-five fans completed
the survey. (See Appendix B.)
External Environment:
When looking at the external environment, we focus on competition, opposition,
and external impediments. The major competition with the Copper Nickel are other
literary journals. There does not seem to be any significant opposition, and the only
resistance that might be involved comes from students in opposition to the cost.
Competition
10
The competition of the external environment does not seem too strong and is
limited to other publications of the same genre. Other literary journals in competition on
a local level include: Matter (Fort Collins), Denver Quarterly (DU), and Sobito Press
(CU Boulder). On a national level the competition includes Gulf Coast (University of
Huston) and the Ninth Letter (University of Illinois). The performance levels range from
college publications to local publications. The reputations of the competition seem to
have the same reputation as Copper Nickel except for Matter, which seems to have more
of an independent cult following. Through web 2.0 research I was able to compare the
competition’s external awareness levels.
Table 1: Competitive Environment Web 2.0
Literary Journal Facebook Fans Twitter Followers
Copper Nickel 277 fans 80 followers, 225 tweets
Denver Quarterly N/A N/A
Matter 407 fans 367 followers, 120 tweets
Subito Press 43 fans N/A
Gulf Coast 541 fans 444 followers, 53 tweets
Ninth Letter 312 fans 201 followers, 85 tweets
As is shown, Copper Nickel has a strong amount of awareness on Facebook and Twitter
both locally and nationally. Within the next three years the competition will probably
increase, just as Copper Nickel is trying to better its organization, so are other literary
journals.
External Impediments
Copper Nickel operates both locally and nationally. On a national level, the
environment is growing. Including both subscriptions and single copy sales, circulation
rates show that there are more national sales than local (300 copies sold locally, 500
copies sold nationally). On a local level, the environment is stable. Dr. York believes
that on a local level awareness is high but the value of the journal is low, especially when
dealing with students. Information gathered from an exploratory focus group comprised
of eight UCD students (different majors) showed that none of the students had heard of
11
Copper Nickel. Impediments dealing with customers include cost and unawareness of
product. Impediments dealing with regulators, which would be the University of
Colorado Denver, include budget and time constraints. Impediments that originate in
society at large include the idea that this literary journal is not exciting, worth spending
money on, and that there is not a lot interest in creative writing in our society.
Additional Research:
In order to get a better grasp on the organization it would be ideal to collect more
information about the public perception and reputation of the Copper Nickel. Further
research including a formal survey to both subscribers and potential subscribers would be
very beneficial. More research pertaining to the quality of the journal would also be
helpful. It is my belief that we must gain as much evidence as possible to show to the
public that Copper Nickel is indeed a high quality magazine. Evidence of this would
include awards received.
12
1.3: Analysis of Publics
Publics:
Information in this section was gained through research methods that include
interviews with the organizational leader Dr. York, a comprehensive analysis of the
Copper Nickel website as well as its competitors, an analysis of the Copper Nickel
website traffic provided by quantcast.com, an informal and exploratory focus group
composed of eight students within my network, and an informal survey given to seven
local businesses in the downtown Denver area.
Customers
Primary customers for the Copper Nickel include literary-oriented college
students in and around Denver and professors of literature, both locally and nationally.
Secondary customers include local businesses and the people who shop there. These
businesses include bookstores, coffee shops, music stores, and boutiques. Based on
research from quantcast.com, I was able to examine the main demographic who visit the
Copper Nickel website. The findings indicated that:
65% of visitors were male
65% of visitors are between the ages of 18-34
85% of visitors are Caucasian
88% of visitors do not have kids
65% of visitors make $30,000 or less
56% of visitors are college graduates
Customers have not necessary changed in the last three years as much as they
have grown. National growth has taken place and continues to expand on the national
level with circulation reaching to 500 copies sold out of state. Within the next three years
there should not be much change in the customers except potential growth and expansion
both locally and nationally. Currently, Dr. York reports that only 10% of subscribers are
on campus. Ideal customers are interested in literature, music, and art. They earn a
13
median income and enjoy spending money on cultural activities. Ideal customers are
adults of any age; most are in college or have graduated with a degree.
Producers
The staff of Copper Nickel and the writers who submit materials to the journal are
the main producers of the content. The main organization that provides Copper Nickel
with materials and money is the University of Colorado Denver, which provides a yearly
budget of $15,000. Other sources of money include sales, donations, grants, and
fundraising. Currently, single-issue sales total $4,000 annually. Copper Nickel has three
ways to become a donor: if you make a donation for $100, you become a “Friend” of
Copper Nickel. For a donation of $250, you become a “Sponsor” of Copper Nickel, and
if you donate $500, or more, you are become a “Patron” of Copper Nickel. All of these
supporters receive a one-year subscription to the journal and are recognized on the
website as well as in the pages of Copper Nickel. All supporters also receive an annual
report as a way to keep them informed about the organization. The ways to donate are
spelled out on the Copper Nickel website, as is the list of current donors. Currently, there
is one patron, one sponsor, and six friends. Overall, Dr. York estimates that Copper
Nickel has received around $1,000 in direct donations. The producers have not changed
within the last three years and are not likely to in the future. The only expected change is
growth within the donors as awareness increases.
Enablers
The opinion leaders among customers include professors, local literary figures,
owners of galleries and community groups around town. Colleagues of the Copper
Nickel include the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, the Lighthouse Writers, Colorado
Council of the Arts, the Denver Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Regulators include the University of Colorado Denver and their fiscal agreements and
structure. The Copper Nickel must stay within University policies; however, there is no
editorial regulation. As a result of these regulations, sometimes the applications for
grants do not meet with success. In past years, the University of Colorado Denver has
helped Copper Nickel by providing funding, showing leniency with no editorial
14
regulations, and providing two advisory boards to back the organization. The media
available to the journal includes all local outlets including newspapers, news stations,
radio, and the Internet. Copper Nickel has already had mentions in local papers over the
years, which has helped to gain exposure on a local level. The enablers are not likely to
change within the next three years.
Limiters
Copper Nickel has three main local competitors. The first is the University of
Denver’s literary journal: Denver Quarterly. This journal has been running for 40 years
and is part of the graduate program at DU; however, there is no art in this journal. The
second competitor is Matter, an independent literary journal published in Fort Collins
that appeals to a younger, “hip” demographic. The third is Subito Press at University of
Colorado Boulder. This is a main competitor because they hold events in Denver, which
creates competition for attendees. On the national level, the journal has two main
competitors; however, Copper Nickel would like to be see them as peers. These
organizations are the Gulf Coast at the University of Houston and the Ninth Letter at the
University of Illinois. Through research, I was able to compare the competition’s
external awareness levels, which can be seen on page eight. It is also necessary to point
out that some of the competitors have displayed their awards for the public to see on
websites such as Wikipedia. This should be taken into consideration when looking at
Copper Nickel’s lack of visible awards.
Copper Nickel does not have any actual opponents; however, if there are people
who believe the journal should not get that much money from the school, they could
become potential opponents to the organization. The biggest threat to the journal would
be a “budget meltdown.” This could happen for two reasons. One, the University could
decide that there is no longer room in the budget for Copper Nickel, or two, because the
budget comes from the activity fee via enrollment. If enrollment dropped so would
Copper Nickel’s budget.
Intercessory Public and Opinion Leaders
Publics that are in a position to influence key publics include professors,
community group leaders, and locally known literary figures. Depending on the
15
situation, almost all of the leaders would speak in behalf of Copper Nickel. Formal
opinion leaders for this audience include local government officials. I do not believe
formal opinion leaders would speak about Copper Nickel because it lacks governmental
importance; however, there is a chance it could be tied to education and the importance of
reading. Informal opinion leaders include literary bloggers and literary columnists both
online and in print. (See Appendix B).
Research findings:
After researching the different publics for the Copper Nickel, I have found that the
journal contains many publics. The major publics include literary students, local
businesses that focus on art and literature, professors of literature, donors, and the
University of Colorado Denver. From this I am able to determine that the three key
publics for this campaign are literary college students nationally, professors of literature
nationally, and local businesses that focus on art and literature. The major opinion
leaders/intercessory publics include professors and deans, community group leaders,
literary bloggers and columnists, and locally known literary figures.
Key Publics
College Students
This is both an apathetic and latent public; some students know what Copper
Nickel is; however they do not care to show interest in the product. Other students are
not even aware that Copper Nickel exists. Through an informal and exploratory focus
group composed of eight non-literary students within my network, I was able to gain
information pertaining to the psychographics of this public. (See Appendix B). Ideally,
larger research would be needed to create a more scientific and accurate conclusion.
Therefore I am using this information for speculation purposes only. From this informal
information I can assume that:
There is a lack of awareness about the Copper Nickel
Students would rather spend their money on things other then a book
Most students do not find it important to read for pleasure
Students are influenced by their friends
If students were to go looking for the Copper Nickel, the first place they
16
would check is a bookstore.
Copper Nickel should focus only on literary-oriented students. I can also
determine that the type of media used for this public should include eye-catching posters
and visual media that contain bold headlines and clever taglines. The demographics for
this public are as follows:
Age Income Gender Race Socio-Economic
Status
Geographic Location
Major
18-34 $0-$30,000 Male and Female
All Ethnicities Middle-Upper class
Auraria Campus
Literature, English,
Communications, Arts, Music
WIN Analysis:
Wants: When purchasing something, literary college students tend
to want convenience, stimulating material, incentives for buying,
and something they can actually benefit from having.
Interests: Literary college students are interested in their school,
cultural activities, opportunities to publish their work, and
expanding their knowledge about literature.
Needs: These individuals need to be reminded about the product,
opportunities to share their interest in literature with others, have
peers recommend it to them, and be assured that it is worth the
price.
Benefit Statement:
Copper Nickel can provide literary students with a journal that not
only contains material written for and by students, but also with a
product that encourages literary growth.
Professors of English
Professors of English would be classified as an aware public. Most are aware that
the Copper Nickel exists, they just do not have time and are not organized enough to help.
Media for this public should include print advertising that includes messages based on
17
facts, logic, and originality. The demographic for this public has a wide range and there
is no particular significance in demographics besides having a college education.
WIN Analysis:
Wants: Professors want things that are worth their money,
products that are useful and stimulating, and things that can be
used for many different purposes (personal use, teaching material,
etc).
Interests: Professors are interested in materials that are both
enlightening and resourceful. They are interested in their school
and furthering their knowledge in different ways.
Needs: Professors need things to be cheap, resourceful, easy to
obtain, organized, and professional.
Benefit Statement:
The Copper Nickel provides professors of English with a
professional journal full of exciting work that one will benefit from
not only personally but in the classroom as well.
Local business focusing on art and literature
This would be classified as a mainly latent public. Many local businesses are not yet
aware of the Copper Nickel literary journal and what it has to offer. Examples of these
businesses include: the Denver Public Library, Tattered Cover, Denver Art Museum, the
Art District on Santa Fe, Capitol Hill Books, West Side Books, Stella’s Coffee Haus,
Paris on the Platte, The Market, and Leela's European café. From a survey conducted
with these groups, I have found that the coffee shops (Stella’s Coffee Haus, Paris on the
Platte, The Market, and Leela's European café) only stock free publications. This
problem can be overcome by setting up drawings in the store where the winner can
receive a subscription to Copper Nickel. When surveying the bookstores, I found that
some of them already stock Copper Nickel, and the ones that do not have stopped due to
lack of sales. This indicates that we need to focus on boosting sales in these areas in
order to keep the journal on shelves.
18
WIN Analysis:
Wants: These businesses want to be involved with the local sector
and be identified with their love of art, music, and literature.
Interests: They are interested in attracting customers, adding to
their repertoire, and making a name for themselves.
Needs: Businesses need things to be organized and easily
obtainable. They need it to benefit them and not be responsible for
any backlash that might ever occur.
Benefit Statement:
The Copper Nickel is a quality literary journal that will add
distinction and recognition to any business involved, all while
being produced right here in downtown Denver.
19
Section 2.1: Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics
Position:
Copper Nickel wants to be known as a quality literary journal dedicated to promoting the
value of literature and reading in our society.
Goals:
1. Reinforce Copper Nickel’s image and reputation as a quality literary
journal within target marketso Objective: Provide the press with news and information about Copper
Nickel’s authors, awards, and events to gain more local exposure. (80%
increase of press by Spring 2011). Baseline: Currently there has been little
press about Copper Nickel. The 100% increase will be measured by the
amount of news Copper Nickel sends to the press and the amount that is then
published.
Strategy: Use verbal communication to convey the message that the
Copper Nickel is a quality literary journal. (See Appendix B for a
complete list of media outlets)
Tactic: News release about upcoming events and awards (low
cost, high visibility)
o Denver Post key publics: professors and local businesses
o Westword key publics: literary students, professors, and
local businesses
o The Advocate key publics: literary students and professors
o The Metropolitan key publics: literary students and
professors
Tactic: Photo and caption (low cost, high visibility, potential to
gain support and donors through emotional appeal)
20
o Denver Post key publics: professors and local businesses
o Westword key publics: literary students, professors, and
local businesses
o Auraria campus newspapers key publics: literary students
and professors
Strategy: Messages will rely on facts, documentation, and personal
testimonies. (Verbal Communication)
Tactic: Pitch to bloggers (third party endorsement, low cost)
o Key publics: Literary students and professors
Tactic: Event listing for upcoming events on the website
(moderate cost, high visibility)
o Key publics: Literary students and professors
2. Increase awareness of the Copper Nickel literary journal within target
marketso Objective: To have an effect on the awareness of key publics, specifically to
generate attention towards Copper Nickel and its Facebook and Twitter
websites (50% increase of fans within six months; 138 fans for Facebook and
40 followers on Twitter). Baseline: Currently 277 Facebook fans and 80
followers on Twitter. 50% increase based on number of fans of Copper
Nickel’s competition: Matter (this number will match the competition’s
number of fans: 407).
Strategy: Messages will be enhanced with the concept of “creative
unity” (Copper Nickel is produced for and by students) throughout the
campus (Nonverbal Communication)
Tactic: Chalk messages on campus- See Appendix A (low cost,
moderate visibility)
o Key publics: literary students and professors
Tactic: Engage in Facebook/Twitter dialogue (low cost,
interaction, moderate impact)
21
o Key public: Literary students
Tactic: Booth/Stage at CamJam Festival, April 27th, 2010
produced by UCD student council and UCD Concert Promotions
and Venue Management class. (low cost, news value, high
visibility)
o Key public: Literary students
o Objective: To have an effect on the action of college students, specifically to
obtain submissions for the Spring 2011 Copper Nickel literary contest (600
submissions by closing date May 15th). Baseline: Currently have zero
submissions. 600 submissions based on the number Dr. York would like to
have.
Strategy: a value proposition stating that Copper Nickel is a quality
journal that will add distinction and recognition to writers involved
Tactic: Invitations to literary students from campuses along the
front range to submit their work/subscribe to Copper Nickel (low
costs, moderate impact)
o Key public: Literary students
Tactic: Personal success stories (low cost, high impact)
o Key public: Literary students
Tactic: Flyers, Posters, Chalk messages on campuses (medium
cost, moderate visibility)
o Key publics: literary students
3. Attract new customers within key publics o Objective: To have an effect on the action of professors, specifically to
increase the addition of Copper Nickel to their syllabi. (30% by Spring 2011).
Baseline: Currently Copper Nickel has 24 campus subscriptions. Ideally, this
would be measured by a promotional code, which would be sent to professors
across the country along with a letter about Copper Nickel. It would then be
22
assessed by looking at the number of times the promotional code was used
within the year.
Strategy: A value proposition stating that this journal is beneficial to
students in literature classes and can be used as a valuable resource to
expand literary knowledge (Rational Appeal)
Tactic: Create a Copper Nickel Wiki to increase credibility
(moderate impact, low cost)
o Key Publics: Literary professors
Strategy: Messages will include power words such as “beneficial to
curriculum”, “connects academia to the real world”, and “stimulates
student creativity”.
Tactic: Letter to literary professors across the country explaining
why they should add Copper Nickel to their syllabus (low cost,
high visibility)
o Key public: Literary professors
o Objective: To have an effect on the action of local businesses, specifically to
increase the number of local businesses that would participate in some sort of
advertising for the Copper Nickel (50 advertisements within six months).
Baseline: Currently there are zero advertisements up in local businesses. The
number 50 is based on the number of students working at Copper Nickel,
which is around 25. Each student will be in charge of placing two
advertisements in local businesses. (This will directly impact the awareness of
the latent local resident public who shop at these businesses)
Strategy: A conjecture proposition that states that Copper Nickel is a
quality literary journal that will add distinction and recognition to the
businesses involved.
Tactic: Flyers and posters- See Appendix A. (Moderate cost, high
visibility)
o Key public: Local businesses
23
Tactic: Copper Nickel fishbowl placed in local businesses- put in
your business card for a chance to win a subscription (low cost,
high visibility)
o Key publics: local businesses and latent local public
Tactic: Use Copper Nickel as the faux magazines high-end
boutiques place on their coffee tables as decoration.
o Key publics: local businesses and latent local public
Tactic: Partner with College Business Committee of the Arts to
help promote Copper Nickel to local businesses
o Key publics: local businesses
4. Sell Subscriptionso Objective: To have an effect on the action of key publics, specifically to
increase sales of Copper Nickel subscriptions (80% increase the first year and
then 50% increase each subsequent year until Fall 2013). Baseline: Currently
have 204 active subscribers, ultimate goal is to gain 1,200 subscriptions by
Fall 2013 at which point Copper Nickel will have a self sustaining budget.
This is based on the historical trends of this journal as they went from having
zero subscribers in Fall 2008 to having 204 subscribers in Spring 2010.
(Note: This objective also aligns with goal number 3)
Strategy: Messages will be enhanced with a consistent brand image of
the Copper Nickel symbol and excerpts from the journal
Tactic: Promotional bookmarks, coasters, and pens hand
delivered to dorms, student union, literary classrooms, professor’s
offices, and local businesses (moderate costs, high visibility)
o Key publics: Literary students, professors, local businesses
Strategy: The use of humor to create a buzz and excitement around the
journal and to spark interest in the audience (Emotional Appeal)
24
Tactic: Posters (high visual impact, High visibility, moderate
costs)
o Key publics: Literary students, professors, local businesses
Tactic: Display ad in local and campus newspapers
(Moderate/high costs, high visibility)
o Denver Post key publics: professors and local businesses
o Westword key publics: literary students, professors, and
local businesses
o Auraria campus newspapers key publics: literary students
and professors
Strategy: Spokespersons will be well known literary figures. (Nonverbal
Communication) –see Appendix B: Message Sources
Tactic: Letter to former subscribers (low costs, high impact)
o Key publics: literary students and professors
Strategy: The virtues of improvement through enhancing one’s literary
knowledge. (Emotional Appeal)
Tactic: Poetry/Creative writing workshop open to the public.
(hands on, low cost, news value, interaction and feedback)
o Key publics: literary students, professors, and local
businesses
Tactic: Podcast (low costs, moderate visibility)
o Key publics: literary students and professors
Tactic: Dial-a-Message: daily poems (moderate impact, moderate
cost, interactive, direct to website)
o Key publics: literary students, professors, latent local
public
Strategy: Appeals to negative emotions such as a level of guilt for
spending more time watching TV than reading. (Emotional Appeal)
Tactic: Flyers (low costs, moderate impact, high visibility)
o Key publics: literary students, professors, local businesses
Tactic: Radio commercial (high cost, high visibility)
25
o Key publics: literary students, professors, local businesses
Strategy: Creative and literary settings will be featured such as galleries,
bookstores, bookstores, art rooms, local venues, etc. (Nonverbal
Communication)
Tactic: Existing social events (moderate cost, moderate visibility,
interaction and feedback
o Key publics: literary students and professors
Tactic: Poetry reading on Auraria campus stage (moderate cost,
moderate visibility, interaction)
o Key publics: literary students and professors
26
Section 2.3: Budget
Overview
The budget for the Copper Nickel public relations plan relies on three
components. The first is student volunteers. These are students who are a part of the
Copper Nickel staff and who want to further their help by contributing to the promotional
aspect of the journal. The second component is the project manager, Dr. York. He is in
charge of the overall plan and implementation of the tactics. The need for student
volunteers will be decided upon his discretion. The last component is the rough PR
budget that Dr. York estimated. He felt that there would be around $2,000 to spend on
public relations each year. The tactics have been divided into four categories: Media,
Advertising, Mail, Online/Phone, and Events. To create optimal accuracy, I have
calculated both time and money into the budget and created a calendar to map out what
tasks need to be done and how long they will take to complete. At the end of the budget
there is the overall project costs and hours spent, as well as the break-even point.
MEDIA TACTICS
Tactic Frequency Administrative/Research Costs (Per occasion)
Setup/Formation Costs (Per occasion)
Production Costs(Per occasion)
Distribution Costs(Per occasion)
Total (Cost and Hours)
News Release 3 times a year
$0Hours: 1
$0Hours: 6
$0 $0Hours: 1
$0Hours: 8
Pitch to Bloggers
3 times a year
$0Hours: 3
$0Hours: 1
$0 $0Hours: 1
$0Hours: 5
Event Listings (online)
Monthly $0 $0Hours: 1
$0 $0Hours: .5
$0Hours: 1.5
Partner with Colorado Business Committee of the Arts
Once $0 Membership: $150Hours: 5.5
$0 $0 $150Hours: 5.5
MEDIA TACTICS TOTAL…………………… Costs: $150
Hours: 20
27
ADVERTISING TACTICS
Tactic Frequency Administrative/Research Costs(Per occasion)
Setup/FormationCosts(Per occasion)
Production Costs(Per occasion)
Distribution Costs(Per occasion)
Total (Costs and Hours)
Chalk Messages on Campus
4 times a year $0Hours: 1
$0Hours: 2
Chalk: $10Hours: .5
$0Hours: 5
$10Hours: 8.5
Posters (Quoted Kinko’s)
3 times a year $0 $0Hours: 1
x10: $310Hours: 2
$0Hours: 2
$310Hours: 5
Fishbowl in Businesses Monthly $0Hours: 1
$0Hours: 1
x10: $50Hours: .5
$0Hours: 1.5
$50Hours: 4
Copper Nickel Faux magazines
Once $0Hours: 2
$0 $0 $0Hours: 1
$0Hours: 3
Advertisement in Westword (Quoted)
Bi-yearly $0 $0Hours: 2
$160.00 per week
$0 $160Hours: 2
Promotional flyers Bi-yearly $0 $0Hours: 4
x500: $55Hours:1
$0Hours: 3
$55Hours: 8
Promotional bookmarks Yearly $0 $0Hours: 4
x500: $185 $0Hours: see flyers
$185Hours:See flyers
Promotional pens Yearly $0 $0Hours: 4
x500: $250 $0Hours: see flyers
$250Hours:See flyers
Promotional coasters Yearly $0 $0Hours: 4
x500: $145 $0Hours: see flyers
$145Hours: see flyers
ADVERTISING TACTICS TOTAL……………………Costs: $1,165 Hours: 30.5
MAIL TACTICS
Tactic Frequency Administrative/Research Costs**(Per occasion)
Setup/Formation Costs (Per occasion)
Production Costs *(Per occasion)
Distribution Costs *(Per occasion)
Total (Cost and Hours)
Invitation letter to literary students
Yearly $0Hours: 3
$0Hours: 2
x100: $25Hours: .5
x100: $40Hours: .5
$65Hours: 6
Letter to literary professors
Bi-yearly $0Hours: 3
$0Hours: 2
x100: $25Hours: .5
x100: $40Hours: .5
$65Hours: 6
Letter to former subscribers
Yearly $0Hours: 1
$0Hours: 2
x60: $15Hours: .5
x60: $24Hours: .5
$39Hours: 4
28
MAIL TACTICS TOTAL…………………… Costs: $169
Hours: 16*Costs include price of paper, envelopes, ink, and stamps** List development time includedONLINE/PHONE TACTICS
Tactic Frequency Administrative/Research Costs (Per occasion)
Setup/Formation Costs (Per occasion)
Production Costs(Per occasion)
Distribution Costs(Per occasion)
Total (Cost and Hours)
Facebook and Twitter dialogue
Monthly $0 $0Hours: 1
$0 N/A $0Hours: 1
Copper Nickel Wiki
Once $0Hours: 1
$0Hours: 2
$0 N/A $0Hours: 3
Podcast Monthly $0Hours: 2
$0Hours: 3
$0Hours: 2
N/A $0Hours: 7
Dial-A-Message weekly poem
Weekly $0Hours: .5
$0Hours: 1
Setup: $20Monthly fee: $10 ($120 a year)Hours: .5
N/A $140Hours: 2.
ONLINE TACTICS TOTAL…………………… Costs: $140
Hours: 13
EVENT TACTICS
Tactic Frequency Administrative/Research Costs (Per occasion)
Setup/Formation Costs (Per occasion)
Production Costs(Per occasion)
Distribution Costs(Per occasion)
Total (Cost and Hours)
Booth at CamJam 2010
Yearly $0Hours: 1
$0Hours: 1
$100 per table $0Hours: 5 (length of festival)
$100Hours: 7
Poetry/Creative writing workshop
Yearly $0Hours: 2
$0 (Volunteer based)Hours: 3
Flyers: $50Snacks: $30Various materials: $50Hours: 5
N/A $130Hours: 10
Poetry reading on Auraria Campus Stage
Bi-Yearly $0Hours: 3
$0Hours: 4
Stage rental: $50Equipment rental: $50Hours: 3
N/A $100Hours: 10
29
ONLINE TACTICS TOTAL…………………… Costs: $330
Hours: 27
OVERALL TACTICS TOTAL……………………Costs: $1,954 Hours: 106.5
Break-Even Point
In order to see if this project and budget is reasonable Copper Nickel must look at
the break-even point.
Break-Even Point: BEP= c/v
Total Project Cost (c): $1,954Outcome Value (v): $13 (one year subscription)
BEP: 1,954/13= 151.
This means that in order for this project to pay itself off, Copper Nickel must secure an
additional 151 one-year subscribers. In this case, benefits outweigh costs because
Copper Nickel will be promoting their journal and selling more subscriptions, which will
help to achieve the journal’s ultimate goal of having a self-sustaining budget. If needed,
there are many ways to cut costs. Printing less flyers, as well as cutting down the
number of promotional materials made will help to cut costs in a major way. Also, by
using the campus’s available resources Copper Nickel might be able to cut some of the
out-of-house work such as the posters and turn it into an in-house project, which would
save money.
30
3.1: Evaluation
Overview
Within the Copper Nickel public relations plan there are six main objectives. In order
to properly evaluate the public relations efforts an evaluation will take place for each
objective. This evaluation will include methodologies used, evaluation categories, and a
proposed evaluation schedule.
1. Copper Nickel will evaluate its objective of increased press and media exposure in the
following plan:
Measurement of message exposure, in which Copper Nickel will count not only
how many press releases are sent out, but also how many releases are then
published.
Measurement of message content, in which Copper Nickel will focus on whether
or not the messages were perceived as positive and whether or not they related to
the main goal of reinforcing Copper Nickel’s image and reputation as a quality
literary journal within target markets. This can be measured in volunteer focus
groups where people are asked their opinion of Copper Nickel before reading the
any articles and then asked the same question again after reading the articles.
The proposed schedule for these evaluations will include an implementation report, a
progress report, and a final evaluation. The implementation report will take place the
week the press releases are sent off the press. It will track how many were actually
completed and sent, who was in charge of sending them, and how much money was spent
in doing so. The progress report will take place about a month after the first set of press
releases has been sent out. This will track how many releases were published and will
offer feedback on what the press releases should include for next time. The final report
for this objective will gauge how well the tactics achieved their purpose. This will
include an overall summary of how many press releases were sent out over the course of
one year and how many turned into actual news stories. This report will took at the total
amount of money spent on these tactics and gauge overall success.
31
2. Copper Nickel will evaluate its objective of increased Facebook exposure in the
following plan:
Measurement of message exposure, in which Copper Nickel will evaluate the
amount of increase in Facebook fans after public relations efforts have begun.
There will be a benchmark set in place with the current number of Facebook fans
Copper Nickel has, as well as the number their competition Matter currently has.
Evaluation can also be done with a survey geared towards target publics in which
they are asked before any public relations efforts where they would go to find out
more information about Copper Nickel, and then again after the tactics have been
implemented.
Measurement of message content, in which Copper Nickel will evaluate how well
their messages have been received. This evaluation can include feedback from
current Facebook fans on whether or not the tactic of engaging in a dialogue on
the page was successful. This can also be measured simply by looking at how
many people respond to the questions being posed.
The proposed schedule for these evaluations will include an implementation report, a
progress report, and a final evaluation. The implementation report will take place a week
after the first messages have been chalked on campus and the after the first question on
Facebook has been posed in hope of creating a dialogue. The report will include how
many messages were chalked on campus and what the posed question was. It will also
include the amount of time and money that what used. The progress report will take
place three months after the implementation report. It will track how many new
Facebook fans have since joined and look at the trends associated with the questions
being posed on Facebook in order to find out what types of questions are fostering the
most responses. The final report will take place sixth months from the initial startup. It
will look at the number of fans Copper Nickel has on their Facebook page and compare it
to the original benchmarks that were set. It will also look at the total amount of money
that was spent.
3. Copper Nickel will evaluate its objective of recruitment for literary contest
submissions in the following plan:
32
Measurement of message exposure, in which Copper Nickel will evaluate how
many submissions are obtained through benchmarking. The journal will look at
the amount of submissions and the rate at which they are obtained prior to sending
out letters to literary students. They will then benchmark that against the amount
and rate at which submissions are being obtained after the letters are sent.
The proposed schedule for these evaluations will include an implementation report, a
progress report, and a final evaluation. The implementation report will take place the
week the letters are sent out. It will look at how many letters were actually sent and what
the content in the letter looked like. The progress report will take place three months
after the initial letters are sent out. It will look at the amount of submissions obtained and
whether or not specific students who received letters submitted work. It will include
feedback and possible changes to the content if necessary. The final report will take place
the deadline of the contest. It will look at the overall amount of submissions and
compare that amount to last year’s numbers. It was also look at the total amount of
money spent on this project.
4. Copper Nickel will evaluate its objective to have professors add the journal to their
syllabi in the following plan:
Ideally this would be measured by a promotional code, which would be sent to
professors across the country along with a letter about Copper Nickel. It would
then be assessed by looking at the number of times the promotional code was used
within the year.
Feedback can also be gained by including an online survey web address in the
letter in which the professors can comment on the idea and why they chose to
include or not include Copper Nickel in their syllabi.
The proposed schedule for these evaluations will include an implementation report, a
progress report, and a final evaluation. The implementation report will take place when
the letters are sent out to the professors before the start of the semester. It will include
the number of letters sent out and the content of the letter. The progress report will take
place during winter break. It will look at how many professors used the promotional
33
code and the feedback from the survey. It will offer changes to the letter based on the
feedback received. The final report will occur in the summer after the end of second
semester. It will look at the spring semester’s numbers and see how many professors
used the promotional code and took the survey. The report will also include the total
amount of money spent on the project and produce a Break-Even Point. This will help to
decide if it is worth it to continue the letters.
5. Copper Nickel will evaluate its objective to have local businesses participate in
advertising in the following plan:
Surveys to the local latent public who shop at these businesses. This can gauge
the public’s awareness of Copper Nickel after advertising efforts.
Employee feedback will also be helpful in the form of informal interviews. The
employees who work at these businesses will be able to provide insight on
customers reactions, questions, and comments about the advertisements.
Direct observation in the form of counting the number of business cards that
people put into the Copper Nickel fishbowl each month.
The proposed schedule for these evaluations will include an implementation report, a
progress report, and a final evaluation. The implementation report will take place a
month after the advertisements are put up in the businesses. It will include interviews
with the employees and any feedback the have. It will also include the number of
business cards that people put into the Copper Nickel fishbowl. The progress report will
take place four months after the initial placement of the advertisements. It will include
interviews with employees, before and after surveys from the latent local public and any
feedback they have to give. The report will also include the average amount of business
cards that are in the fishbowl each month. At this time the report will offer any
suggestions and changes that may be needed to the plan. It will also include the amount
of money that has been spent on the project so far. The final report will be six months
after the initial startup. It will include the same components as the progress report with
the addition of a judgment assessment on whether or not to continue the advertisements
based on cost and overall effectiveness
34
6. Copper Nickel will evaluate its objective to increase subscription sales in the
following plan:
Benchmarking of overall subscription sales. How many subscriptions did Copper
Nickel have before any public relations efforts compared to how many they have
gained since the public relations plan has been in effect. Also benchmarking
against their main competitor’s subscription rates.
Online survey to former subscribers sent with the letter to gain feedback on why
they did not re-subscribe.
Direct observation though counting the number of attendees to the poetry/creative
writing workshop and poetry reading on Auraria campus stage. Included with this
is the direct observation of how many copies/subscriptions are sold on those days.
The proposed schedule for these evaluations will include an implementation report, a
progress report, and a final evaluation. The implementation report will take place once
every tactic has been initiated at least once. This should be around three months time. At
this time the report will look at the actual numbers of tactics that were fully completed.
This includes the number of postcards sent out, the number of advertisements in
newspapers, the number of promotional materials produced, and the number of podcasts
produced. This report will also include the amount of money spent so far on these
efforts. The progress report will take place six months after the tactics have been
implemented. This report will look at the effectiveness of each tactic based on various
evaluation techniques listed above. At this time the report will offer feedback and
necessary changes to certain tactics as needed. The final report will take place one year
after the initial tactics have been implemented. It will provide an overview of which
tactics seem to be successful and which are not gaining attention. This evaluation of
these tactics will come from judgment assessments and other methods listed above. This
report will also contain the amount of money spent on these tactics and the Break-Even
Point. At this time Copper Nickel will be able to see if their amount of subscription sales
has either matched the Break-Even Point, or gone below or above it.
35