SPHINX ADVERTISING

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CARBONDALE

2009 NSAC CENTURY COUNCIL What’s
Your
Story?
CAMPAIGN BOOK
P AGE 1
PAGE 2
 0ur
Story
0u
THE GREAT SPHINX IN EGYPT IS CARVED OUT OF ROCK.
IT HAS THE HEAD OF A PHARAOH AND THE BODY OF A LION,
REPRESENTING WISDOM AND STRENGTH.

CARBONDALE IS THE HEART OF “LITTLE EGYPT” IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.

IT IS THE HOME TO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY,
THE SALUKIS, AND SPHINX DVERTISING
A.
SPHINX MEASURES AND DEFINES SUCCESS BY BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

PAGE 2
WITH CLIENTS AND PROVIDING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
TO THEIR CHALLENGES.
IN THE SPIRIT OF OUR NAMESAKE,
WE BELIEVE THAT THE BEST IDEAS COME FROM
A SYNERGISTIC BLEND OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS.

BRAINS AND BRAWN. YOUTHFULNESS AND YEARNING.

INTELLIGENCE AND INSTINCT. LEARNING AND LIVING.
IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT EACH OF THESE ELEMENTS IS FUNDAMENTAL
IN CREATING AN INVIGORATING AND SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN.

DELIVERING STRONG RESULTS AND POWERFUL IDEAS, WE ARE

SPHINX ADVERTISING
A —AN INTEGRATED MARKETING AGENCY. A
 EXECUT
IVE
SUMMARY TABLE
0F
CoNTENTS
The case study provided by The Century Council directed us to develop ABOUT SPHINX 2
an integrated communications campaign to raise awareness about dangerous EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
overconsumption of alcohol and its consequences among college students. INTRODUCTION 4-5
According to the study, the proposed plan required that the emphasis be placed on SITUATION ANALYSIS 6-12
tactics that can be executed independently and part of a broader cohesive strategy.
COMPANY & COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 6
The suggested budget for the national campaign is $10 million.
CONSUMER ANALYSIS 7
SPHINX ADVERTISING at SIUC dove into the problem head first by investigating the MESSAGE ANALYSIS 8
extent of dangerous overconsumption of alcohol by conducting a series of primary RESEARCH FINDINGS 9-10
research activities and by utilizing the resources offered by the CORE Institute here on CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS 11
campus. Our research suggested that we belong to a typical campus where a majority CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES 12
of students frequently engage in binge drinking, but have the feeling that they are not CREATIVE STRATEGY 13-24
vulnerable to the negative consequences associated with dangerous overconsumption
CREATIVE STRATEGY 15-16
of alcohol.
CREATIVE & GUERILLA EXECUTIONS 17-20
Based on our research inputs, SPHINX ADVERTISING developed and executed a ONLINE MARKETING 21-22
campaign that centered around the strategy of ‘What’s Your Story?’ that highlights RAWATHALON & PUBLIC RELATIONS 23-24
PAGE 3

college students’ personal experiences that arise from the dangerous over- MEDIA STRATEGY 25-30
consumption of alcohol. The campaign is driven by creating one-on-one personal FLOW CHART 29
interactions between students to raise awareness about the afore mentioned problem. EVALUATION 30
REFERENCES 31
The campaign was implemented on campus at SIUC with great effectiveness and
resulted in achieving most of our set objectives. The campaign created a buzz and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 32
was widely reported in the local media. SPHINX ADVERTISING has devised a scalable
plan that will help us execute this campaign at a national level. The plan suggests
that the $10 million be used by offering half of the budget to scholarships to deserving
students who will then become student ambassadors in the 250 largest universities in
the United States. These students will act as ambassadors for The Century Council and
will play the vital role of spreading the message of responsible drinking habits. The
remaining half of the budget will be alloted to executing promotional tactics. CHARTS
&
TABLES
The campaign will solely focus on spreading The Century Councils’ message to all CHART 1 7
college students targeted. No dollar spent during the duration of the campaign will be CHART 2-4 9
spent without the seriousness and importance of the problem in mind. To ensure this, CHART 5-6 10
we have set up a number of evaluations at every level to measure the success of the CHART 7 28
campaign. TABLES 1-2 28
INTRoDUCT
IoN
The Century Council (TCC) is the sponsor of the 2009 National Student
Advertising Competition. The Council, founded in 1991, is a national,
independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating programs that
fight drunk driving and stop underage drinking. This year’s competition is
notable because it is the first time the NSAC will address a social issue; that is,
combating dangerous overconsumption of alcohol by college students.

Even though TCC has been instrumental in creating strategies to assist

campuses across the country, the problem of overconsumption of alcohol
persists. In fact, studies indicate that binge drinking has become a major health
and safety concern for today’s college students.

The case study calls for the development of a communications campaign

that is national but can be implemented by a single campus. True to their
values, the campaign must be research-based and avoid prescribing a
social norm. The expectation is that TCC will be recognized as a leader in
responsible decision-making concerning alcohol. Ultimately, the organization
will be seen as providing solutions to the problem; solutions that will create a

PAGE 4
‘buzz’ among youth.

“I spent Saturday night in the ER getting

my stomach pumped, while my friends had fun...”
 INTRoDUCT
IoN
CoNT
INUED
Defining the problem
SPHINX ADVERTISING rrecognized that this
ecognized
problemthat
of this
dangerous
overconsumption of alcohol has manyy dim
overcons dimensions. Traditionally
um binge ption of
ens
alcohol has
drinking has been defined
dr inking
as thehas
consumption of more than four alcoholic the cons
beverages among women om and five dr drinks among men in about en
amand
twoofi inks ong w am
hours. But this notion of binge drinking tends to be very
hour er srigid and does
.B yr ut this igid and does
not encom
encompass all the nuances of the average
verage college sstudents’ drinking pas
habits. Our research
habits ch ssuggested that we use a definition ugges
of danger
dangerous . O ur ted that we us
overconsumption of alcohol that students’ could relate to onum
overcons a personal ption of alcohol that s
level bas
based on their individual
vidual exper
experiences. This level
el could be as low w ased on their
lev
a ssingle drink for certain studentsingle
and dr
could be several
eral dr
drinks for certain inks ink for
others. However,
other wever, the ultim
ultimate goal of our campaign remains in s creating . Ho ate
awareness about negative
awar ve enes
consequences that arise from dangerous
cons s about negati
equences
PAGE 5

overconsumption of alcohol.

Scope of the suggested plan

SPHINX ADVERTISING rrealizes that bingeealizes
drinking is an issue of grave
ave that binge dr
im
importance to universities
ver and college
por student
s communities,
ities because tance to uni and college s
of the har
harsh realities that exists in the statistics that abound relating to s hr
dangerous overconsumption of alcohol.

This plans book spells out our campaign plansbyy firrst looking at thesprimary t looking at the pr book s
and ssecondary research ch to rreveal
eal the ssituation analysis, followed
wedecondar
by the ev ituation analy
objectives and strategy
ategy of the cam
campaign,
and s leading to activities
vities that were tr that wer
executed on the SIUC campus, which hich guided us to develop elop param
parameters for eter
the national cam
campaign. The cam campaign spells out in detail the logistics that paign s
need to be car
carried out which
hich includes the creative, ve, the m media, the public
rrelations and
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elements that ties the campaign other and v
into a cohesive whole.
 SITUAT
IoN
ANALYSIS
Company Analysis
Founded in May 1991, and headquartered in Arlington, Va. As a national,
independent, not-for-profit organization, The Century Council is dedicated
to fighting drunk driving, underage drinking, and promoting responsible
decision making regarding alcohol drinking habits. In pursuit of this, The
Century Council has developed an arrangement of programs meant to educate
audiences from middle school youth to adults, as well as to reducing drunk
driving.

The Century Council partners with all parties of the community, including
wholesalers and retailers of alcoholic beverages, law enforcement and public
officials, educators, insurers, health care professionals and private citizen
organizations, in the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking. The
Century Council recognizes the problem in society that stems from the lack

PAGE 6
of information on the dangerous overconsumption of alcohol and funds
programs to raise awareness about the consequences to people of all ages. The
Century Council conducts this with the shared goal of having a research-based
communication strategy with a “menu” of creative tactics at different budget
levels.

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 CoNSUMER
ANALYSIS
The consumer analysis focuses on college students as the primary target
audience for this campaign. These students belong to both sexes and are
typically in the age group of 18-23 year olds.

In order to get a better idea of our target audience, SPHINX ADVERTISING

conducted a survey and supplemented this with two focus groups comprised
of drinkers, non-drinkers and numerous in depth personal interviews.

The primary research was conducted by using an online questionnaire

linked to a database at which SPHINX was able to track and monitor the
results and number of surveys taken. The online database was used in order
to reach our target audience most effectively through Facebook, email, and
other online contact sources. The questions were formulated using multiple
choice options, Likert type scale questions, as well as open-ended questions
that probed for answers on an individual basis.
PAGE 7

Our survey was well represented by students among various class

standings and the distribution was similar to the university’s population by
male to female ratio, ethnicity, and various academic majors. There were
a total of 200 participants that completed the survey. Of the 200 surveyed,
59% were female, leaving 41% male. The education breakdown was 10%
college freshman, 20% sophomores, 29% juniors, 36% seniors, and 7%
with a higher education level. All of the participants were between the ages
of 18-23 years old.

Chart 1. College standing of survey respondants

40% Other
36%
35%
Senior
29%
30%
25% Junior
20%
20% Sophomore
15%
Freshman
10%
10%
5%
5%
0
MESSAGE
ANALYSIS
PSA Effectiveness
Public service announcements serve an important purpose in society in that
they communicate important messages about issues that hinder the well being
and safety of the community. The dangerous overconsumption of alcohol has
potential consequences that have serious repercussions, such as alcohol induced
accidents, alcohol poisoning, being a public nuisance, and general decline in
social standing. When PSAs highlight these issues, there is a general tendency
to ignore these messages because of the feeling that they do not apply to ones
self, but are meant for others with serious alcohol problems. This results in the
lack of effectiveness and attention of PSAs. Our research revealed that our target
audience takes public service announcements (PSA) less seriously than their
original intent, thus making them less effective. The Truth campaign against
smoking had some effect because of its shock value, but did not make college
students want to stop smoking.

PAGE 8
The PSAs on HIV/AIDS seem to have a strong impact on youth due to the
prevalence of the virus in our target audience. They work because the dangers
are real and can affect anyone at anytime if they are not protected. Furthermore,
political PSAs that urge voter registration and voter turnout to this target audience
have had a fair amount of success. These messages stressed the importance of
voting and that every voice counts.

As noted by the Century Council, NBC’s The More You Know campaign is
one of the more popular and successful PSA campaigns in recent times. The
PSA reached over 53 million people each week dealing with serious societal
issues and motivated viewers to take action.
 RESEARCH
FINDINGS
Drinking Patterns Chart 3: Frequency of alcohol consumption.
50%

Conclusions from our primary research indicated that college students go 42%

40%
beyond the traditional definition of binge drinking; yet they claim to make
responsible choices when it comes to transportation, such as calling cabs
30%
versus getting behind the wheel. The majority of the college students surveyed
23%
revealed that they drink an average of two to three nights a week, and drink
20%
between five to seven drinks per night. At the same time, 33% of the college
students surveyed believe that five to seven drinks is excessive. Although the 10%
12%

10% 8%
college students seem to be drinking in excess of the binge drinking definition, 4%

the majority state that they know what their limits are and stick to them when 0%
1%

they drink and take full responsibility for their drinking habits. Ev
ery
da
y
s aw
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k
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ee
k

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aw
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rin es
’t d ag Ot
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ay ay n n I d bev
6d 3d to no lic
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Le alc

Chart 2: Universities should promote Attitudes towards Drinking

the consequences of excessive drinking
PAGE 9

Even though the vast majority of the college students that were surveyed
confirmed the fact they drink in excess, they also agreed that it is a serious problem on
Strongly 28% college campuses that needs to be addressed. They strongly feel that drinking is part of
Agree
the college experience, but certain individuals abuse this privilege by over consuming.
Students responded that they would attend alcohol free events, such as concerts, if they
occurred on campus. The college students also felt that universities should do more to
promote awareness about the negative consequences of excessive drinking.
Neutral

28% C hve ar d tr i 4n : ki Exces n

35%
31% 32%

30%
Agree
25% 23%

24% 20%

15%
12%
Disagree 10%
14% 5%
1%
Strongly
Disagree 6% 0%
Strongly A
gree Agree Neutr
al Disag
re e
Stron
gly D
isagre
e
Consequences of drinking
Although 67% indicated that drinking has not negatively impacted an important obligation of their own, but 91% said that they know
someone whose personal life has been adversely affected by alcohol. This is despite the fact that our primary research showed that the great
majority of the college students experience more than one negative consequence when they drink. A staggering 36% stated that they have been
cited for underage drinking, and another 50% said that they had been in physical altercations, yet still engage in excessive drinking behavior.
Chart 5: I have experienced these
consequences due to drinking.
DUI

5% Hangover Chart 6: Perception of popular media options their effectiveness in

87% Hospital Visit communicating messages about responsible drinking.
6% Public Indecency Ticket
3%
Under Age Drinking Ticket
36%
Physical Altercations
30%

50%
Verbal Altercations Engaging
6%
Other

X YouTube

PAGE 10
0 20 40 60 80 100

Secondary Research X Twitter

Binge drinking is a serious subject with serious X Facebook Personal
consequences; therefore, we needed to find out how to most X Interactions
effectively reach our target audience. It was apparent the traditional
media sources and other online sources are not as effective X T.V.
in communicating the seriousness of the issue as one on one Not Most
interaction has proven to be. SPHINX had a guest speaker from Effective Effective
one of the leading alcohol and drug research and development X Magazine
centers in America, the CORE Institute, to help us better understand
college students’ attitudes toward drinking. Our secondary research X Radio
with the CORE indicated that messages resonate more with our X Newspaper
target audience when it comes from one on one interaction. Our
survey reinstated that information with about 90% of the college
students stating that they pay attention to messages that come
directly from their peers, friends, parents, teachers, etc. Our
survey also concluded that 66% of the students stated that when Boring
they are exposed to messages about the negative consequences of
binge drinking, it makes them want to be more responsible while
drinking.
 CHALLENGES
&
SoLUT
IoNS
C: “College students tend to ignore responsible drinking messages on
traditional media.”

S: Our campaign utilizes social media and one on one interactions to

communicate the message about the negative consequences of the dangerous
overconsumption of alcohol.

C: “The media environment for college students is highly cluttered with

messages from numerous brands vying for their attention.”

S: We will carry out various guerilla marketing tactics in order to cut through
the clutter to reach out to our target audience.

C: “It is difficult to relay a message of responsible drinking to college students,

and not come across as having an anti-drinking agenda.”
PAGE 11

S: Our campaign stresses the aspect of responsible drinking by showcasing

the negative effects of the dangerous over consumption of alcohol.

C: “Instilling responsible drinking habits into the minds of future college

students.”

S: Our campaign also focuses on future college students in order to encourage

responsibility early on.

C: “Existing college campus culture, which stresses on the overconsumption

of alcohol as part of the college experience.”

S: Our campaign identifies events, and other activities, that suggests drinking,
when done moderately, is the best way to have fun.

“My friends trusted me to be the DD...

now they’re all dead and it’s my fault.”
 CAMPAIGN
0BJECT
IVES
Campaign Objectives
1) To create national awareness of the consequences of the dangerous overconsumption of alcohol among college students in the 250 biggest colleges
and universities in the United States.

2) To encourage students to make more responsible decisions while they drink.

3) To build and create a campus culture that takes proactive measures to hinder the problems that arise from the dangerous overconsumption of
alcohol.

Creative Objectives
1) To communicate messages that college students can relate to on a personal level.

2) To deliver edgy, passionate, and graphic messages that will remain and resonate in the minds of our target audience for a prolonged duration.

PAGE 12
3) To create messages that stand alone on an individual level and also are part of a broader, cohesive strategy.

Media Objectives
1) To reach 40% of the target audience an average of five times and 60% of the target audience at least three times over the course of the campaign.

2) To increase interaction between members of the target audience using social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and the RAW website.

3) To break through the clutter of everyday advertising faced by college students by choosing media options that are effective and accountable.

4) Use a pulsating pattern of scheduling to execute the campaign with periods of heavy intense media activity followed by sustained reminder activity.

5) To maximize media coverage and effective spending by using strong public relations initiatives.

6) Use social media to build interaction and buzz among target audiences.
 Creative
Strategy
PAGE 13
What’s
Your
Story?

Campaign

PAGE 14
 CREAT
IVE
STRATEGY
Target Audience
The primary target audience for this campaign will be college students, with a
heavy focus on full-time college students in the United States. These tech-savvy,
trendsetting individuals are connected 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and have
grown up with the Internet involved in their daily lives.

The secondary target audience includes prospective college students, from high
school or junior colleges. The tertiary target audience would include university
administration, law and order officials, parents, professors, and other stake holders
in the university community.

Key Selling Idea

SPHINX ADVERTISING has devised a strategy that taps into the individual experiences
PAGE 15

of college students related to the negative consequences of the dangers of over

consumption of alcohol. We call this the ‘What’s Your Story?’ campaign. The
strategy is driven from the imputs that we found through our research that suggested
that college students are more likely to be influenced by one on one interaction
with their peers and elders. Executions to carry out the strategy have been planned
out with the goal of highlighting personal stories that will resonate and reflect the
average college students experiences with excessive drinking.

Support
In order to create a personal connection with our communication initiatives, the
‘What’s Your Story?’ campaign utilizes guerilla marketing and ambient marketing
tactics that push our message into the face of the target audience. These tactics will
allow the target audience to interact and reflect in their own personal stories while
driving home the message of being more responsible while drinking.

“I thought she was teasing when she said no.

Now I have a record and both our lives are ruined.”
Tone
The tone for the creative executions is intense, aggressive, and gritty with a no
holds barred approach that will show the negative consequences of the dangerous
over consumption of alcohol. A side that college students seem to deny and no
one thinks or realizes can happen to themselves. The tone of the campaign will
forcibly confront them with this ugly side that tends to be avoided but is a huge
reality.

Tag Line
The tag line for this campaign is ‘Responsibility Always Wins’ or RAW for
short. This tag line emphasizes the key selling idea behind our ‘What’s Your Story?’
campaign. RAW also refers to the gritty and alternative nature of the campaign
that relies on provoking thought and reaction through the use of unconventional

PAGE 16
tactics.

Logistics of the Campaign

For this campaign to be successfully implemented, The Century Council will
set up an internship program at various colleges around the United States. The
internship program will require the selection of a student who will serve as the
chapter president for the particular college. The president’s role encompasses
the management of Ambassadors whose role is to carry out the message of The
Century Council on their campus. The president along with the ambassadors will
be conferred the honorary title of ‘RAW Ambassador’ and also be offered an
academic scholarship. A committee will select ambassadors based on academic
achievement and leadership experience. This student will receive a $5,000
scholarship with the runners up receiving $1,000 in scholarships. This will be for
internship credit conducted through their advertising or marketing school. Century
Council will provide the team with a budget, based on the school size, for them
to execute tactics for large programs in both spring and fall semesters. A selected
faculty member will oversee the whole RAW Ambassador program including the
budget. This faculty advisor will act as a liaison between the student ambassador
and The Century Council.
 CREAT
IVE
EXECUT
IoNS
&
GUERILLA
TACT
ICS
In order to ensure that the strategy we suggest in our plans book is the best possible option for The Century Council, we
implemented some of the tactics in the SIUC campus to test and evaluate their effectiveness.
The following is a brief run down of some of the initiatives that were carried out in the SIUC campus and are also suggested
for the national campaign.

RAW AMBASSADORS
The students that are awarded the position of RAW Ambassadors will be responsible for the various events that take
place on campus. They will be accountable for developing, creating, and documenting the tactics used on campus. The
ambassadors have the opportunity to bring The Century Council’s message to the forefront of the campus environment. They
will have the opportunity to do so by networking and establishing a collaborative relationship with the student organizations on
campus. SPHINX partnered with organizations such as Hammered and the Greek community.

RAW WEEK
PAGE 17

The following tactics will be utilized for the duration for

RAW week in order to most effectively spread the message of
the dangers of over consumption of alcohol. RAW week will
occur in the month of February to coincide with alcohol awareness
month.

RAW STAMPS
To ensure that college students everywhere are being informed
about the risks of binge drinking we wanted to spread the RAW
message. By making stamps with the word RAW we can go to
special events (specific to that college) at bars throughout the country
and stamp students attending these events. The idea is not only to
generate buzz about RAW through word of mouth, but also to
have the students take the RAW oath to help them understand what RAW
0AT
H
the stamp is all about; informing them of the risks and dangers of binge
drinking. By taking the oath it’s a way for the students to pledge that
they too, will exercise responsibility while drinking.
 5IVSTEBZ
'FCSVBSZ

 DAILY EGYPTIAN /FXT
RAW POSTERS & NEWSPAPER AD
A newspaper advertisement will be used
to create buzz and capture the attention of
students’ on campus. Campus newspapers
have a high readability among and pass
along among college students. An interactive
advertisement will be created for the
newspaper to create buzz amongst the student
reading the paper.

Five posters with five different personal

stories will go along with the ‘What’s Your
Story?’ them
theme. Thes
These posters will be displayed
yed e pos e.
around campus on and in every building

PAGE 18
and surface that generates high traffic. The
posters illustrate how everyone has a story
when it comes to binge drinking. The goal of
this is to create buzz around campus and get
students to think about the consequences of
binge drinking and similar stories they, or their
friends have participated.

NEWSLETTER INSERT
RAW Ambassadors will send out a monthly newsletter via campus
newspaper to inform students on activities done around campus that are
non-drinking events. The newsletter will provide a calendar of events that
will give students a sober event to attend in that month around campus.
The ultimate goal of this newsletter is to promote a healthier lifestyle when
drinking and show how smarter choices can affect your future in a positive
way by pointing out how negative ones can really ruin yours.
 MOCK PASS OUT
A demonstration will be conducted to represent the large number
of college students who fall victim to alcohol abuse. The mock pass
out will become an improv to affect the onlookers of the show. A
large group of students will congregate in a particular spot that will
gain attention from students. The demonstration will begin when
RAW Ambassadors and volunteers fall to the ground as if poisoned
by alcohol at the same time. A representative from a campus health
center will speak at this event to provide the gathered crowd with
drinking statistics that will drive the message of responsible drinking.

LINE UP
PAGE 19

‘What’s your story?’ The headline as

asks on-
lookers to gaze back into their own personal
experiences with binge drinking. Each poster
will be held by a RAW ambassadors and don
a personal story of how they where affected
by binge drinking. Walls of students holding
these stories will cause congestion in heavy
flowing traffic areas on campuses and force
the audience to be effected by the realities of
danger overconsumption of alcohol. Powerful,
proactive, real and personalized stories will
grasp the attention of anyone walking by. The
line-ups can last anywhere from 15 minutes to
an hour and still have a powerful impact.

Raw Concierges
SPHINX realizes that it is important to
connect with freshmen so that responsible
drinking messages resonate with them early
on. RAW Ambassadors will act as RAW
concierges, or door men, at dormitories on
campus with a table set up with various
information about responsible drinking
and the dangers of the overconsumption
of alcohol. They will do this at time when
students usually leave to go out and return for
the night. This will be to keep the message of
responsible drinking in the minds of college
students at all times.
Message in a bottle
The RAW Ambassadors will use a unique form
of guerilla marketing to help spread the message of
responsible drinking on campus. Ambassadors will stuff
informational pamphlets into empty beer cans and pass
them out to students in high traffic areas. The information
will have statistics on the dangers of overconsumption of
alcohol and ways of prevention. This will be done year
round to help keep the message fresh in college students’
minds.
BEER PILE
PAGE 20
RAW Ambassadors will place large piles of beer cans in
different locations that generate high traffic, across campus in order to
demonstrate the extreme amount of alcohol that is consumed by college
students. Signs will be placed next to the beer can piles displaying
various statistics on the amount of money college students spend on
alcohol. The ‘What’s Your Story?’ cam
campaign will bring attention not
only to the physical harm that binge drinking can cause, but also to the
large economical impact of binge drinking on college students. RAW
Ambassadors will approach students to discuss their reactions to the
displays, and also raise the question, “How much is too much?” The
beer cans will create a buzz among students.
 0NLINE
MARKET
ING
YOUTUBE VIDEOS
Documentation from the RAW events will be posted
on the RAW channel through YouTube to create buzz and
increase awareness. With the popularity and evolution of viral
marketing, SPHINX found it essential to incorporate YouTube into
the campaign. The videos will be used in two ways, to spread
the message of responsible drinking habits and to monitor the
effectiveness of the campaign.
PAGE 21
RAW Twitter
Using the growing social network Twitter, RAW Ambassadors will establish an account to provide a live feed to their
weekend needs. The twitter account will provide followers a real time update on the activities that is happening around
that don’t involve alcohol. The feed will help students gain awareness of non-alcoholic activities around campus by other
students. An application will have the exact locations of the students on a campus map. Also the twitter profile will have
live feeds and updates on the action at the events and future events that will be non-alcoholic events. The Twitter page is an
online space where students and businesses can discuss and share events going on around the campus where alcohol is not
the top priority.

PAGE 22
Facebook Application & RAW Website
A RAW website will be used as a social networking tool. It will be implemented as a Facebook application to help get
the word across. Suggestions for the website includes a video contest to make the website more interactive and to get people
involved. It will also involve a calendar of events section, a past events section for those who want to see photos, and lastly,
a contact us section for anyone interested in contacting the RAW Ambassadors. We will also be converting the website in
to a Facebook application so that people can send it to their friends, which will in turn spread the message of responsible
drinking via social networking.
 RAWATHAL0N
A series of radio liners will be ran on the days prior in order to create buzz about
the sober and fun event as an alternative option to binge drinking activities. We will
feature a marathon of events that showcase the effects of the over consumption of
drinking alcohol and promote responsible drinking. In an allotted amount of time,
we will have students crush beer cans as fast as they can to symbolize crushing the
problem of binge drinking. We will have a strength contest to see who can throw
a keg the farthest which is symbolic of tossing binge drinking out of the college
experience. We will also feature a three-legged race run across the finish line.
Our premier event will be the obstacle course with beer goggles allowing students
to run through an obstacle course with their vision impaired. We will have local
businesses provide food and drinks for the event on campus. Once the event has
concluded, an alcohol addiction specialist will be onsite to speak to participants
about the consequences of excessive drinking. We will also have a large graffiti
wall, asking ‘What’s Your Story?’ for students to write their own personal experiences
about drinking. cost to a minimum we will team up with the student ran radio
stations where they offer us free air time for our liners, and we will in turn attach
PAGE 23

their logo with some of our printed literature.

The liners themselves will be simple spots in which an adolescent voice over can
tell an unfortunate story involving binge drinking, followed by the question, ‘What’s
Your Story?’ The end of the liner would be information on the RAW events and a
website for the audience to learn more. The overall time of these liners would be no
more than 30 seconds, with the hopes of teasing the audience, thus intriguing them
to find out more.

Rawathalon will also be featured in the campus newspaper in order to reach our
RAW!
 target audience most effectively. The advertisement will showcase each event and
the incentives such as the t-shirts, medals and a trophy.
WHAT’S

YoUR

SToRY!
 PUBLIC
RELAT
IoNS
Our campaign that was implemented on the SIUC campus, involved an extensive effort to ensure that the local media
covered all of the activities that were carried out. The campaign generated multiple stories and photo opportunities in the campus
newspaper and news station, and the regional newspaper. This coverage helped our campaign achieve a far greater reach than the
individual tactics by themselves. Thus expanding our message to the local community, as well as on the SIUC campus.

The cause espoused by The Century Council is an ideal fit for news coverage because it highlights the problems of the
dangerous overconsumption of alcohol that plagues our society. This emphasis on public relations should be placed on every team
in different campuses as proof that the campaign has been carried out in an effective manner. The ambassadors are required to
submit periodic reports of the coverage that their activities have received in the local media.

PAGE 24
 Media
Strategy
PAGE 25
PAGE 26
 MEDIA
STRATEGY
Media objectives
1) To reach 40% of the target audience an average of five times and 60% of the target audience at least three times
over the course of the campaign.

2) To increase interaction between members of the target audience using social networks such as Facebook, Twitter,
and the RAW website.

3) To break through the clutter of everyday advertising faced by college students by choosing media options that are
effective and accountable

4) Use a pulsating pattern of scheduling to execute the campaign with periods of heavy intense media activity followed
by sustained reminder activity.

5) To maximize media coverage and effective spending by using strong public relations initiatives.
PAGE 27

6) Use social media to build interaction and buzz among target audiences

Media Plan
The media plan for the campaign hinges on the ability to create social interactions among our audience through the
use of nontraditional media. This would include ambient, guerilla marketing, public relations, and online initiatives.

Media Strategy
The strategy stresses on using half of the budget towards awarding scholarships to students who will be the brand
ambassadors for The Century Council at their respective schools. The second half of the budget will be allocated to the
campus RAW Ambassadors so that they may organize, execute, and promote various events and activities that will
engage students across the campus.
BUDGET
With the allocated budget of $10 million, 50% will go to scholarships leaving the other 50% to implementing the RAW promotions on
250 of the largest universities in the United States.

Table 1 Table 2

TARGET MARKET OF TO
TA TOPR250 UNIVERSITIES IN
GET
THEM
PUNI
UNITED
250 UNISTATES
ATES

Chart 7
C h ar t 7

PAGE 28
 FLoW
CHART
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May % of Budget Cost
2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 28 4 11 18 25 1 8 13 18 22 1 8 15 29 5 12 19 26 3 10 17 24
RAW Alloca!on of Funds
250 Scholarships $5,000 each 12.50% $1,250,000.00
3,750 Scholarships $1,000 each 37.50% $3,750,000.00
RAW Promo!on Money 50% $5,000,000.00
Total $10,000,000.00

Academic Year for a Campus 
of 20,000 Students
Year‐Round RAW Promo!ons
RAW Website ‐ Design 1% $250.00
RAW Twi"er 0% FREE
RAW Facebook 0% FREE
RAW Monthly Newsle"ers
‐ For a Campus Newspaper with a
  Circula!on of 20,000 54% $10,800.00
RAW Ambassador Handouts
‐ 5 RAW Ambassadors Pass Out 
   100 Handouts Each Month 2.62% $525.00
Subtotal $11,575.00

RAWatholon
PAGE 29

Keg toss ‐ 2 Empty Kegs 2% $398.00
Can Crushing ‐ 2 can crushers 0.02% $40.00
Drunk Goggle Obstacle Course
‐ 2 Drunk Simula!on Goggles 1.50% $300.00
3 Legged Race 0% FREE
Sponsored Food Tent 0% Sponsorship
Health Service Speaker 0% Volunteer
T‐shirts ‐ 350 Shirts 10% $2,000.00
4 Medals 0.16% $22.00
1 Trophy 0.10% $20.00
Posters ‐ 200 Color Single‐sided 1% $200.00
Subtotal $2,980.00

RAW Week
RAW Stamps ‐ 10 Self‐inking Stamps 0.75% $150.00
RAW Posters ‐ 200 Color Single‐sided 1% $200.00
RAW Newspaper Adver!sement
‐ 1 Full Page Ad with One Color in
  Campus Newspaper 3.50% $700.00
Message in a Bo"le ‐ 100 Color 0.50% $100.00
RAW Concierge ‐ Rent 5 tuxedos 5% $1,000.00
RAW Line‐up ‐ 50 Posters 0.45% $90.00
Beer Bo"le Pile 0% Provide Your Own
Mock Pass‐out 0% Volunteers
Health Service Speaker 0% Volunteer
Subtotal $2,240.00
Total of all Categories $16,795.00
Con!ngency $3,205.00
TOTAL $20,000.00
 EVALUAT
IoN
1. EVALUATION: Use performance studies and surveys within the
top schools to evaluate effectiveness.

2. EVALUATION: Use current marketing metrics to calculate

impressions on the target audience.

3. EVALUATION: Use click through rates and calculations of the

number of people posting/commenting/blogging on all of the sites
to determine effectiveness.

PAGE 30
4. CREATIVE EVALUATION: Creative executions will be
evaluated by copy testing various creative elements in order to
insure it’s effectiveness among the target audience. There will
be a post creative execution survey distributed to measure the
effectiveness of the campaign. These evaluative tests will be used
for pursuasive ability and effectiveness.

“The fun I had Freshman year

isn’t worth failing out and living back at home.”
 REFERENCES

The Century Council Home web page
http://www.centurycouncil.org/
Sphinx Advertising primary research
The CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey (Core Institute
at Southern Illinois University)
www.siu.edu/~coreinst/results.htm
NIAAA
www.collegedrinkingprention.gov
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Dept. of
Health and Human Services)
www.oas.samhsa.gov/
PAGE 31
Syndicated research studies and software
US Census Bureau 2006
Simmons Media Research
Academic and Scholarly publications
Song, E., Reboussin, B., Foley, K., Kaltenbach, L.,
Wagoner, K., & Wolfson, M. (2009, January 15).
Selected Community Characteristics and Underage
Drinking. Substance Use & Misuse, 44(2), 179-194.
Colby, S., Colby, J., & Raymond, G. (2009, January).
College versus the real world: Student perceptions
and implications for understanding heavy drinking
among college students. Addictive Behaviors, 34(1),
17-27.
Xaverius, P., Tenkku, L., Salas, J., & Morris, D. (2009,
January). Exploring Health by Reproductive Status:
An Epidemiological Analysis of Preconception
Health. Journal of Women’s Health (15409996),
18(1), 49-56. Retrieved March 24, 2009,
doi:10.1089/jwh.2007.0629
Wilson, R. (2008, December 5). Despite Alcohol
Crackdown, the Party Goes On. (Cover story).
Chronicle of Higher Education, 55(15), A1-A21.
Retrieved March 24, 2009, from Academic Search
Premier database.
McCulloch, A., & McMurran, M. (2008, December).
Evaluation of a treatment programme for alcohol-
related aggression. Criminal Behaviour & Mental
Health, 18(4), 224-231.
POPE, J. (2008, September 8). College Presidents
Spark Debate on Drinking Age. Community College
Week, 21(2), 8-8.
Sharma, M., & Kanekar, A. (2008, August). Binge
Drinking Interventions among College Students.
Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education, pp. 3,8.
Kerr, W., Greenfield, T., Bond, J., Ye, Y., & Rehm, J.
(2009, January). Age–period–cohort modelling of
alcohol volume and heavy drinking days in the US
National Alcohol Surveys: divergence in younger
and older adult trends. Addiction, 104(1), 27-37.
Eshbaugh, E. (2008, December). Factors that Predict
Self-Perceived Problem Drinking Among College
Students. Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education,
52(3), 72-88.
 ACKNoWLEDGEMENTS
This campaign was a true collaborative effort involving
numerous departments across campus including:

School of Journalism, Dept. of Cinema and Photography,

Dept. of Radio and Television, Dept. of Speech Communication,
American Marketing Association, Saluki Advertising Agency, and
Public Relations Student Society of America.

We are extremely grateful to Dir. William Freivogel,

Ms. Karen Waldron, and Ms. Sherida Evans at the
School of Journalism for their help in organizing our trip
and representing Southern Illinois University Carbondale at NSAC.
We would like to thank our professors in the School of Journalism
for laying a strong foundation towards our future careers in advertising.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Dean Gary Kolb,

Ron Graves, Clare Mitchell , the Daily Egyptian, Jerry Bush, Zach Englum, the JRNL 301

PAGE 32
students, the Hammered Student Group and
our photographer Madelyn Kime.

AAF Officers
President: Karyn Graham
Vice President: Cole Singleton
Creative Director: Jenna Smith
Design Manager: Tiffany Cochran
Media Director: Erin Kressner

Presentation Team
Eugene Wilson
Nicole Williams
Erin Kressner
Andrew Disper
Heather Fegan

Thanks to the following AAF Members:

Kristina Kaganer, John Robbens, Anthony Gladney, Kate Lulinski, Kelsey Marlow, Kristina
Skoniecke, Jake Feasby, Katilin Marlow, Izzy Lara and Erin Koelkebeck.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR FACULTY ADVISOR PROF. NARAYANAN IYER

Responsibility
Always
Wins