strengthening communities. enhancing lives.€¦ · the joint council for economic opportunity of...

Strengthening Communities. Enhancing Lives.

54 Margaret St. Plattsburgh NY, 12901 (518) 561-6310

Head Start

Nutrition Assistance

Day Care

Senior Outreach

Energy Services

H.E.A.P.

Community Outreach

Gleaning

Executive Summary The Joint Council for Economic Opportunity of Clinton and Franklin Counties, Inc. (JCEO) hired the CMM 466 Public Relations Campaign class for the Fall semester of 2012 to assist their promotional efforts and to build their presence within the communities they serve. Through conducting primary and secondary research, the students of this course were able to find that JCEO needed a helping hand with their overall brand, especially with their Safe-Sleep Project and social media presence. JCEO also requested the students to provide them with the materials necessary to build a volunteer-based advisory board for their organization. The first thing that students did was come up with a slogan that they felt described JCEO and their mission. The slogan “Strengthening Communities. Enhancing Lives.” gives consumers a memorable message to think of when they hear the name JCEO. Throughout the semester, the students have worked to create a strong branding message for JCEO. The students also wanted to provide JCEO with the tools necessary to build their presence in the media. They did this through the creation of an online media room website which contains all content necessary for press coverage. The students were able to provide links from their webpage, media room and social media sites to easily navigate from one page to the next. Along with these promotional efforts, the students created all materials necessary for the recruitment of members to a volunteer-based advisory board. They have also provided JCEO with instructional materials for social media use. Along with the students’ goal to build brand awareness of JCEO, they also wanted to help provide JCEO with the promotional tools necessary to build up the community’s awareness of JCEO’s involvement in the Safe-Sleep Project. The students created a media kit specifically for this project, including backgrounders, a boiler plate, past press coverage, new press releases and all contact information relevant to this project. Also, the students created a promotional postcard that provides consumers with the knowledge that JCEO is the provider of the HALO SleepSack Swaddle. In doing so, it is in the students’ hope that this will create more awareness of JCEO as a whole, as well as in their involvement with the Safe-Sleep Project.

54 Margaret St. Plattsburgh NY, 12901 (518)561-6310

Client Information

Joint Council for Economic Opportunity was created in 1966, and designated Clinton County's official anti-poverty agency two years after the signing of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. The original mandate, which holds true today, was to provide resources and services that promote people's dignity and self-sufficiency. For 45 years JCEO has been providing comprehensive services to the low income community in Clinton and Franklin County. Today, as one of the 58 Community Action Agencies in New York State, JCEO continues to implement the philosophy of self help through practical, timely and innovative programs and services that help people develop problem solving skills.

JCEO is a private, non-profit human service agency that serves the residents of Clinton and Franklin Counties through its main administrative office as well as 11 Community Outreach Centers and 17 Head Start Centers. The agency is governed by an 18-member board of directors, consisting of six members each from the private, public and consumer sectors of the local community.

Programs currently administered are Community Outreach, Day Care, Energy Services, Head Start and Senior Outreach. Community Outreach at JCEO runs the following programs: family development, Medicaid transportation, housing assistance, food pantries, volunteer recruitment, and the school supply drive. The Day Care program offers referrals and assistance for parents/guardians seeking childcare, registration information and training for home day care providers, the food program, and funding to meet health and safety requirements. Energy Services includes the Home Energy Assistance Program and the Weatherization Assistance Program. Head Start is an Early Childhood Education program, and Senior Outreach includes the following: Telephone Reassurance/Friendly Visitor, Rural Transportation Program, Senior Care Service/Senior Repair Service and HIICAP Insurance Counseling.


Situation Analysis

Clinton and Franklin counties are in the North Country region of New York State. Nearly 15 percent of the total population lives below the poverty line, including 10 percent of seniors and 10 percent of families. According to a study done by Cornell University, the number of people living in poverty has increased in the past 10 years and is well above the number of people living in poverty throughout the country. JCEO provides services to benefit the men, women, families and seniors living below the poverty line.

One of JCEO’s current projects is a program that provides a special gift of a HALO SleepSack Swaddle to new parents through the Safe Sleep Project. Community Action Angels, a statewide volunteer initiative, negotiated with HALO Innovations, Inc. a non-profit rate for JCEO to purchase the swaddles. JCEO purchases more than 900 swaddles annually. The Safe Sleep Project is a statewide initiative that is facilitated in Clinton and Franklin counties by JCEO.

After surveying residents of Clinton and Franklin counties, 85% of new parent survey respondents are unaware of the Safe-Sleep Project, or that JCEO is providing this service.

While working in collaboration with JCEO, SUNY Plattsburgh public relations students have developed methods that will gain JCEO recognition for the Safe-Sleep Project. Along with gaining awareness for JCEO and the Safe Sleep Project, these students also developed guidelines to recruit members for a volunteer-based advisory board. Lastly, they designed a plan to increase JCEO’s social media reach within Clinton and Franklin counties.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: provide valuable services needed within the community, services are catered to low- to moderate-income families of which there is a high population of in the area they serve, well organized, communicate well within their organization

Weaknesses: limited awareness, limited budget, lack in social media presence, too broad/diverse, unaware of visibility in community

Opportunities: opportunity to get people involved through the creation of a volunteer-based advisory board, can increase promotional efforts, increasing volunteers may also increase donations, social media

Threats: inconsistency, small staff with limited resources and a wide span of services, competitors within the community


Campaign Mission, Key Messages & Publics

Campaign Mission: To rebrand JCEO in a cohesive manner that will provide their

consumers with a clear definition of services.

Campaign Key Publics:

! Low- to moderate-income residents and families within Clinton and Franklin counties ! Consumers of JCEO’s services ! Volunteer workers ! Potential donors (business leaders, government workers, business owners, etc.) ! Single parents

Campaign Key Messages:

! Strengthening communities. Enhancing Lives. ! Working together to provide low- to moderate-income families with the support they

need thus increasing their self-reliance ! Dedicated to raising awareness while promoting services ! Volunteer-based organization driven by community involvement

! JCEO is dedicated to providing resources and services that enhance lives in the North Country region of New York State


Research Findings

Primary Research

The students distributed a survey throughout Clinton County. These are our findings:

! Approximately 56% of people in Clinton and Franklin Counties knew of JCEO. ! 68% of people surveyed knew what SIDS was ! 24% of our entire audience said that they would consider volunteering in the future ! Only 3% of our audience have volunteered for JCEO in the past three years ! 13% of survey takers gave birth at CVPH within the past three years ! Only half of those who gave birth at CVPH within the past three years received a HALO

SleepSack Swaddle

! Only 1/3 of people who received a HALO SleepSack Swaddle knew that it was provided by JCEO


Secondary Research:

Community Action Angels

! Statewide initiative that connects people who want to give back to their community with those in need

! Founded in Wyoming County, New York in 1996 ! Identify the needs of the disadvantaged and be proactive in meeting these needs through

volunteerism and multiple needs-focused collaborations and partnerships ! Provide the training and tools necessary for agencies to effectively engage volunteers and

create new partnerships ! More than 100,000 people have received assistance because of volunteer leveraged

resources ! More than $800,000 in grants have been awarded to Community Action Angel programs

CVPH Medical Center and the Foundation of CVPH

! Provide quality healthcare for the North Country

! Funds programs to provide and support community health education and wellness as well as patient care enhancement initiatives


HALO Innovations, inc. and the HALO Sleepsack Swaddle

! Founded in 1994 by Bill Schmid ! To create a healthier and safer sleeping environment for babies and children ! Percentage of all sales are donated to First Candle/SIDS Alliance and the Canadian

Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths to fund ongoing SIDS research, education and family support

! Sleepsack Swaddle blanket replaces loose blankets in the crib that can cover a baby’s face and interfere with breathing

! SleepSack wearable blanket is used in more than 900 hospital nurseries and neonatal intensive care units nationwide

Non-Profit Presence on Social Media

! Social Media is about opening up a dialogue with people and letting them offer their opinions into the equation. Most brands are just not really ready for that.

! The businesses that have embraced Social Media are reaping the rewards, while others are trying to very carefully craft their success in an overly calculated way.

! In 2010, online giving for non-profits rose by 34.5% over 2009. Also, 88% of organizations had at least one online gift of $1,000 or more.

! Social media provides targeted messaging for many projects and diverse demographic groups.

! 74% of nonprofits are on Facebook. ! Twitter users who increased fundraising goals at least 3X, resulted in nearly 10X more

raised than those who don’t use Twitter.

! Social Media is where your audience lives and will continue to live as social media is continuously growing.


! Social Media has become a critical communication platform for nonprofits.


HALO Innovations, inc. and the HALO Sleepsack Swaddle

! Founded in 1994 by Bill Schmid ! To create a healthier and safer sleeping environment for babies and children ! Percentage of all sales are donated to First Candle/SIDS Alliance and the Canadian

Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths to fund ongoing SIDS research, education and family support

! Sleepsack Swaddle blanket replaces loose blankets in the crib that can cover a baby’s face and interfere with breathing

! SleepSack wearable blanket is used in more than 900 hospital nurseries and neonatal intensive care units nationwide

Non-Profit Presence on Social Media

! Social Media is about opening up a dialogue with people and letting them offer their opinions into the equation. Most brands are just not really ready for that.

! The businesses that have embraced Social Media are reaping the rewards, while others are trying to very carefully craft their success in an overly calculated way.

! In 2010, online giving for non-profits rose by 34.5% over 2009. Also, 88% of organizations had at least one online gift of $1,000 or more.

! Social media provides targeted messaging for many projects and diverse demographic groups.

! 74% of nonprofits are on Facebook. ! Twitter users who increased fundraising goals at least 3X, resulted in nearly 10X more

raised than those who don’t use Twitter.



! Social Media has become a critical communication platform for nonprofits.

Secondary Research Continued:


Safe Sleep Project

Safe Sleep Project Key Publics:

! parents/future parents ! CVPH Medical Center and their employees ! Media ! Planned Parenthood

Safe Sleep Project Key Messages:

! JCEO provides CVPH Medical Center with HALO SleepSack Swaddles that reduce the chance of SIDS and Hip Dysphasia in infants

! JCEO is providing safe sleep environments to infants in the North Country region of New York State


Goal: To increase awareness of JCEO as the provider of HALO SleepSack swaddles to CVPH Medical Center


Safe Sleep Project Continued:

Objective 1: Increase awareness of the program by 50 people in the next three months

Strategy 1: Create informational postcards

Tactic 1: Insert a post-birth congratulations postcard into the hospital swaddle packages and number each card

Tactic 2: Provide local area doctor’s offices with a universal informational postcard, also numbering each card

Rationale: By distributing these informational postcards we will not only be getting JCEO the recognition for providing HALO SleepSack swaddles to new parents but we will also be informing consumers of the importance of safe sleep habits in newborns

Objective 2: Get five parents to engage on Facebook over the next three months

Strategy 1: Utilize post-birth congratulations card

Tactic 1: Place Facebook icon on the info cards with a shortened URL and related QR code

Tactic 2: Add copy to the cards prompting new parents to share photos to the Facebook page

Rationale: By providing parents with an easy way to access the Facebook page and prompting them to “like” and “share” we are creating an interactive Facebook page



Objective 3: Gain 10 to 15 generated interactions (likes, comments or shared posts) or other clicks (on images) from status’s posted by our social media team in the next three months

Strategy 1: Develop strategic Facebook posts

Tactic 1: Create Facebook posts related to SIDS and swaddles directing people the JCEO’s media room or website

Rationale: By providing informative Facebook posts, the students are creating an easy way for JCEO to gain interaction while also be educating JCEO’s followers and prompting them to other websites for more information.

Objective 4: Gain one story in the media on the Safe Sleep Project

Strategy 1: Write a news release and other related pieces

Tactic 1: Distribute and pitch media kit to news outlets

Elements include:

! Fact sheets/backgrounders on CVPH Medical Center, Community Action Angels and JCEO

! All logos ! Fact sheets on SIDS and Hip Dysplasia ! Fact sheet the HALO SleepSack Swaddle distribution program ! Past news stories ! Contact information sheet with all involved parties ! Post-birth postcard and informational postcard ! Do’s and Don’ts of SIDS

Rationale: By creating the media kit to local news outlets, the students are not only providing a single press release but hopefully are giving the reporter “research free” news stories with all necessary elements



Strategy 2: Create media kit

Tactic 1: Post media kit to media room Rationale: By posting the media kit to the media room, the students are providing as much information as they can to reporters in one location, making research for their story an easy process

Tactic 2: Create media kit in PDF format for ease access

Rationale: In formatting the media kit in PDF format, it will be easy for anyone to download these pieces directly onto any type of computer


Advisory Board Recruitment Advisory Board Key Publics:

! Retired professors or business professionals ! Stay-at-home parents with professional experience ! College students (Project HELP or Greek organizations) ! Church leaders/members ! Family members and friends of JCEO Board members and employees

Advisory Board Key Messages:

! The JCEO Advisory Board is comprised of dedicated and talented community members who contribute their unique skills and abilities for the improvement of programs and services

! The Advisory Board supports the mission of JCEO and assists in its development




Advisory Board Recruitment Continued:

Goal: To create a volunteer-based advisory board for JCEO

Objective: To gain three members of a volunteer-based advisory board by December 2012

Strategy 1: Traditional media

Tactic 1: Create a description of what the advisory board will be

Tactic 2: Develop a packet of information for potential members including: background of JCEO, an invitation letter, information about volunteering for JCEO and an application for becoming a member

Rationale: Since the Advisory Board is a new part of JCEO, the students decided to start from the beginning and develop the concept of it by providing a written description for potential and current members.

Strategy 2: Social Media

Tactic 1: Have the social media team create a private Facebook group for advisory board members

Rationale: A private Facebook group will allow the Advisory Board members to connect easily with one another and with Kathy Bishop as well. This will make it easy for them to find meeting times that work for all members.

Strategy 3: Personal/Face-to-Face

Tactic 1: Gather names and contact information from Kathy Bishop of people that JCEO would like to have on their advisory board

Tactic 2: Attend a board meeting for JCEO or other local non-profit organizations and deliver a pitch to recruit members

Rationale: By developing a pitch that can be delivered face-to-face we believe it will enhance our abilities in persuading community members to join the Advisory Board.


Social Media Intiative:

Social Media Key Publics:

! Volunteers/potential volunteers ! New parents and soon to be parents ! Low- to moderate-income residents and families of Clinton and Franklin counties ! Business leaders ! Other non-profit organizations in the area

Social Media Key Messages:

! Strengthening communities. Enhancing Lives. ! Working together to provide low to moderate income families with the support they need

thus increasing their self-reliance ! JCEO is dedicated to providing resources and services that enhance lives in the North

Country region of New York State

Goal: To increase interaction and visibility on social media platforms


Goal: To increase interaction and visibility on social media platforms Objective 1: To gain 100 Facebook “likes” by December, 2012

Strategy 1: Utilize various social media techniques and provide informative documents to teach JCEO staff how to use these various tools and techniques

Tactic 1: Come up with a list of potential statuses for JCEO to use (ones that will be exciting and interactive)

Tactic 2: Provide JCEO with effective methods to gain interaction on Facebook for non-profits

Tactic 3: Create a content calendar for JCEO

Tactic 4: Create a more eye-catching design for JCEO’s Facebook page (new cover photo and new profile pictures)

Tactic 5: add photo albums of events that JCEO has held and provide JCEO with a step-by-step process of how they can do this in the future

Tactic 6: Create a small group for Advisory Board members on Facebook

Tactic 7: Create a HootSuite account for JCEO and provide a step-by-step process of how to best utilize this tool

Rationale: Primary research revealed that 66.6 percent of women who gave birth at CVPH Medical Center within the past three years were either unaware that JCEO provided a HALO SleepSack Swaddle for their newborn or didn’t receive one at all. In order to build awareness of the Safe Sleep Project, as well as all other services JCEO provides to the community, we wanted to make their online presence larger and more interactive. Today, 74 percent of non-profits are on social media sites. In 2010, online giving for non-profits rose by 34.5 percent. Eighty-eight percent of organizations had at least one online gift of $1,000 or more. Our research also indicated that 6.5 percent of people that have volunteered within the past three years, have not volunteered for JCEO. Therefore, we want to target these volunteers via social media.

Social Media Intiative:


Conclusion:

Through these efforts, the students believe that they have provided JCEO with the necessary knowledge, tools and skills to be able to build their presence within not only the communities they serve but within the media. It is in the hopes of these students that JCEO will be able to benefit from their efforts and for JCEO to be able to better serve their consumers.

strengthening communities. enhancing lives.€¦ · the joint council for economic opportunity of...

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