FinalReportonPublicRelationsAudit:ProspectiveStudents

JoinMedia
AbrarAlHeeti,CourtneyLawless,SeungyuKim,KathrynPottala,
BrianaChernak,EricaVedas

Semester2May3,2016

ExecutiveSummary

Thepurposeofthisreportistodetailtheresultsofthemodifiedpublicrelationsaudit.Ourgoalis
toreachouttoprospectivestudentsandconvincethemtochoosetheCollegeofMediaatUIUC.
TheCollegeofMediaoffersfourmajors(Advertising,AgriculturalJournalism,Journalism,and
MediaandCinematicStudies).Thecollegealsoofferstwomaster'sdegreeprogramsinAdvertisingand
Journalism,andaPh.D.programforCommunicationsandMedia.TheCollegeofMediacurrentlyoffers
summercampsforhighschoolstudentslookingtoapply.Thesecampsallowforstudentstogetaglimpse
astowhatTheCollegeofMediaislike.

Wehaveconductedformativeresearchtogatherinformationonthefollowingfourcategories:

1
.Topfiveissuesfacingclient[Quantityofapplicants,Qualityofapplicants,Being
overshadowedbyothercolleges,Relationshipwithprospectivestudents,andReputationamong
applicantsandnation].

2
.SWOTanalysis[Strength:StrongalumniassociationofUIUC,Weakness:locationis
notidealformanystudents,Opportunity:Collegefacingtheincreasingknowledgeofranking,Threat:
otherprogramsatotheruniversitiesandotherprogramswithinUIUC].

3
.Listofinternalandexternalpublics[Internal:Customer(Currentstudentsandtheir
parents)andProducers(FacultyandStaff),External:Customers(Prospectivestudentsand
Parent/GuardiansofProspectiveStudents),Producers(IllinoistaxpayersandDonors),Enablers(College
Rankings/Reviews,Highschoolcounselors),Limiters(CompetingprogramsandotherUIUCColleges)].

4
.AnalysisofrelationshipforonepublicTheCollegeofMedianeedstohaveamore
effectivecommunicationplaniftheywanttoattractprospectivestudentstotheprogram.

Then,wealsohaveconductedtoanalyzedigitalfootprintoftheCollegeofMediawebsite.The
websiteisstaticandlackofappealsbutjustcontainslotsoftexts.Thewebsiteonlyseemstoadequately
servepeoplewhoarealreadyinthecollege.Somoremultimediacomponentsuchasvideosrelatedtothe
CollegeofMediaisnecessaryforattractingmoreprospectivestudents.SocialmedialinkandAlumnilink
arecurrentlyweakpartsofthewebsitebutdonorscurrentlyhaveaprominentlinkatthetopwith
necessaryinformation.Soimprovementtosolvethoseweakpartswillbeneeded.

WehavechosenthetopissueandthegoalwillbetofirstincreaseawarenessoftheCollegeof
Mediainordertoincreaseitsnewandtransferapplicantseachyear.

AsfollowingSMARTobjective,theobjectivewouldbeToraiseawarenessaboutthe
opportunitiestheCollegeofMediahastoofferby30%bybeginningofthe20162017academicschool
year.

Proposedstrategiesareusingsocialmediachannels(YouTube,Facebook,Instagram),holding
specialeventssuchasgeneralinformationmeetingorlunchpicnic,andgeneratingnewsworthy
informationfromalumni.ThesestrategiesarepurposedforraisingpromotiontheexistenceofCollegeof
Media,toraiseparticipationofprospectivestudentsintoCollegeofMedia,andtoincreasepublicityand
attractinterest.

Ourtacticstosupportthestrategieswillbecreating15YouTubevideos,100Facebookposts,75
Instagramposts,HoldingaTwitterQ&Aand5specialeventswithCollegeofMediastaffandfaculty,
increaseCollegeofMediasnewsworthyrankingsby10%,andgenerating5newsworthystoriesor
events.
Wehavecalculatedthetotalbudgettoprocessallthreestrategiesthenitwillcostabout$8,000
($3,000forGoogleAdWords,$2,000forsocialmediawebsites,and$3,000forfoodandsupplies).
1

Finally,werecommendCollegeofMediatorecognizethesignificanceofvarioussocialmedia
platformstoreachoutprospectivestudentsandattractthemtotheCollegeofMediaatUniversityof
IllinoisatUrbanaChampaign.

TableofContents

ExecutiveSummary
Introduction
FormativeResearch
DigitalFootprint
PlantoAddressKeyIssue
Budget
Evaluation
Appendix

1
4
5
8
10
12
13
14

Introduction

TheCollegeofMediahasbeenacollegeattheUniversityofIllinoissince1959.Thecollegehas
beenworkingwithprospectivestudentssincethen.Ithasapproximately700studentsenrolledeachyear,
dividedbyeachclassandintofourmajorsoffered(Advertising,AgriculturalCommunications,
Journalism,andMediaandCinematicStudies).Thecollegealsoofferstwomaster'sdegreeprogramsin
AdvertisingandJournalism,andaPh.D.programforCommunicationsandMedia.Theaveragestudentin
thecollegereceiveda2630ontheirACTora12301400ontheirSAT.
TheCollegeofMediacurrentlyofferssummercampsforhighschoolstudentslookingtoapply.
Therearefourweeklongcampswherestudentslearnaboutcreativity,multimediajournalism,
entrepreneurship,andthesportsindustry.Thesecampsallowforstudentstogetaglimpseastowhatthe
CollegeofMediaislike.Thecampsaretaughtbyprofessorsandstudentslearnthebasicsofdifferent
typesofmedia.
TheCollegeofMediahasstrengths,weaknesses,opportunities,andthreats.Onestrengthisthat
theUniversityofIllinoisatUrbanaChampaignhasastrongalumniassociation,somethingthatis
importantwhenprospectivestudentsarechoosingauniversity.Alumnirelationshipsareimportant
becausetheycanhelpwithgettingajobaftergraduation.AweaknessoftheCollegeofMediaisthatits
locationisnotidealformanystudents.LocatedincentralIllinois,itisnotinacity,andhavingan
internshipduringtheschoolyearatanagencyismoredifficultthancompetitorsinlargecities.Italsois
locatedinastatethathasbadwinterswhichisadownfallforsomestudents.Anopportunitythatthe
collegefacesistheincreasingknowledgeofranking.Thecollegeisrankedhighonmanycollegeranking
databases,andtheirrankcanimproveiftheyimprovetheirrelationshipwithprospectivestudents.A
threatthattheyfaceisotherprogramsatotheruniversitiesaswellasotherprogramswithinUIUC.
ProgramsinbusinessandengineeringwithinUIUCaretoprankedandjobplacementisincrediblyhigh
sostudentsmightchoosetostudybusinessorengineeringoveradvertising.
TheCollegeofMediaexercisesitsmission,vision,andvalueswiththequalityofteachingatthe
university.Ithiresprofessionalsratherthanprofessors,andoffersstudentstheopportunitytolearnfrom
someonewithexperienceandnotatextbook.Theclasssizesaresmallenoughforthestudentstohavea
moreintimaterelationshipwiththeirinstructorsandclassmates.Thecollegeisseenasaprogramfor
studentsthatarehighlydedicatedtotheirstudies,howevertheuniversity'sreputationastheNumber1
PartySchoolhurtstheentireuniversitiesreputationforeducation.TheCollegeofMediasreputationis
overallpositive,butthecollegeissosmallthatitoftengetsoverlooked.
Externally,thecollegehasmanysupporters,thealumninetworkisratherlargeandoverallis
successfulintheircareersinjournalism,advertising,agriculturalcommunication,andmediaandcinema
studies.Howevertheuniversitydoeshavemanycompetitors,internallyatUIUCandexternallyatother
universitiesandcolleges.Externally,UniversityofPennsylvania,NorthwesternUniversity,Universityof
SouthernCalifornia,UniversityofMissouri,andotherscompetewithUIUCinthetop10mediastudies
collegesnationallyaccordingtoBusinessInsider,andinternallyotherprogramscompeteforenrollmentat
UIUC.

FormativeResearch
Topfiveissuesfacingclient
ThetopfiveissuesfacingprospectivestudentsintheCollegeofMediaarethequantityof
applicants,qualityofapplicants,theproblemofbeingovershadowedbyothercolleges,liketheCollege
ofBusinessandCollegeofEngineering,therelationshipwithprospectivestudents,andthereputation
amongapplicantsandthenation.
TheCollegeofMediaislookingtoincreaseitsnewandtransferapplicantseachyear.The
collegeisfacinganopportunitywithapublicrelationscampaign,itcanincreasethequantityand,more
importantly,thequalityofapplicantstotheCollegeofMediaatUIUC.
Currently,theCollegeofMediaisoftenovershadowedbylargercollegesatUIUC,suchas
BusinessandEngineering.However,withtheboomoftechnologyanddigital,companiesneedtohire
employeesthatarehighlyeducatedinmediaandwhounderstandthefastmovingtechnologyindustry.
TheCollegeofMedianeedstoimproveitsrelationshipwithprospectivestudentstoincreaseits
applicantsandbuildagreaterreputationattheuniversity,andtoimproveitsrankingnationallyasa
CollegeofMedia.Ithasresourcestohelpitsstudentslearnandnetworkwithalumniandfuture
employers.
TheCollegeofMediamustusesituationalethicswhendealingwithpotentialstudents.Each
studentandeachyearisdifferent,anddecisionmakingfortheCollegeofMediawhenfocusingon
prospectivestudentsshouldbetreatedthatway.Ethicsshouldbemodifiedforeachcasedependingon
whattheCollegeofMediaisdoingandwithwhomtheyaredoingit.

SWOTAnalysis
S
:OnestrengthisthatUniversityofIllinoisatUrbanaChampaignhasastrongalumni
association,somethingthatisimportantwhenchoosingauniversity.Alumnirelationshipsareimportant
becausetheycanhelpwithgettingajobaftergraduation.
W
:AweaknessoftheCollegeofMediaisthatitslocationisnotidealformanystudents.Located
incentralIllinois,itisnotinacity,andhavinganinternshipduringtheschoolyearatanagencyismore
difficultthancompetitorsinlargecities.Italsoislocatedinastatethathasbadwinters,whichisa
downsideforsomestudents.
O
:Anopportunitythatthecollegefacesistheincreasingknowledgeofitsranking.Thecollegeis
rankedhighlyonmanycollegerankingdatabases,anditsrankcanimproveifitimprovesitsrelationship
withprospectivestudents.
T
:Athreatthatitfacesisotherprogramsatotheruniversities,aswellasotherprogramswithin
UIUC.ProgramsinbusinessandengineeringwithinUIUCaretoprankedandjobplacementisincredibly
high,sostudentsmightchoosetostudybusinessorengineeringoveradvertising,journalism,mediaand
cinemastudies,oragriculturalcommunications.

InternalandExternalPublics

Ourinternalpublicsconsistofcustomersandproducers.TheCollegeofMediasprimary
customersarecurrentstudentsandoftentheirparentsorguardians.Thestudentsandguardiansare
receivingbenefitsfromthecollege.Studentsaremoreprimaryconsumersastheyarereceivingthe
benefitdirectly,theyarelearningandalsoobtainingadegreefromawellknownprogram.Parentsare
5

secondarycustomersbecausetheirchildrenarebenefitingfromtheservices,sotheyarealsobenefiting.
Parentsalsopayfortheirchild'scollegeinmanycases,sotheyareacustomerastheyarepayingforthe
services.Professors,advisors,teachersassistantsareallproducersthatinfluencetheCollegeofMediaand
theimagethatithastoprospectivestudents.Ifthefacultydoesagoodjob,studentswillwanttobea
studentofthecollege.Iftheyarenotassupportiveandknowledgeable,thentheenrollmentwillbe
affected.OurotherinternalproduceristheUniversityofIllinoisstaff.Staffarethosehiredbythe
Universityforanyjob,fromcustodiantochancellor,whoaffecthowtheUniversityrunsonadaytoday
basis.
Ourexternalpublicconsistsofcustomers,producers,enablers,andlimiters.Ourfirstexternal
customeristheprospectivestudent.Thisexternalpublicconsistsofthehighschoolortransferstudents
interestedinjoiningthe2020CollegeofMediaclass.Thispublicisyoungandmostlikelyanxiousabout
makingacollegedecisionandarelookingforthebestcollegeexperiencepossible.Itislikelythatthey
knowcurrentstudentsattheUniversityofIllinoisandarelookingtothemtoseeiftheycouldpicture
themselvesasanIllini.Parentsorguardiansofprospectivestudentsarethesecondexternalcustomersof
theCollegeofMedia.Notonlyaretheyconcernedwithfinancialinformation,butalsothesafetyoftheir
childrenwhoareleavinghomeforthefirsttime.Thispublicislikelytobehardertoconvinceduetotheir
parentalnature.
OurexternalproducersconsistofIllinoistaxpayersandUniversityofIllinoisdonors.Illinois
taxpayersprovidefinancialsupporttoprogramsintheCollegeofMedia.Donorstothecollegearealso
producers,astheydonateasumofmoneytothecollegeinsupportofwhattheCollegeofMediaisdoing
forstudents.Oftennationalrankingsaltertheamountthatdonorsdonatetotheuniversity,sowhenthe
rankingofCollegeofMediaprogramsfluctuates,sodoestheamountofmoneythecollegereceivesfrom
donors.
TheprogramsintheCollegeofMediaareinfluencedgreatlybyenablers.Websitesthatcontain
collegerankingsarealargeindicatorofenrollmentforthecollege.Ifthecollegeisrankedwell,people
willwanttoenrollintheprogramifthecollegeisnot,enrollmentwillshowthat.Otherenablersarehigh
schoolcounselorswhoinformhighschoolstudentsabouttheprogramsavailable.Counselorscanpromote
programstostudentswhotheyfeelshouldapplytotheprogram.Additionally,alumnipromotethe
CollegeofMediathroughdonations,andtheyrepresenttheUniversityandtheCollegeofMediatothe
outsideworld.
ThecollegeslimitersarecompetingprogramsaswellasothercollegeswiththeUniversityof
Illinois.Theprogramislimitedbyotheruniversitiesandcollegesaroundthecountry,specificallythose
withabetterreputationandreachtoprospectivestudents.Theprogramisalsolimitedbyothercolleges
withinUIUCaswellasotheruniversitiesandcollegesaroundthecountry.Ifothercollegesoruniversities
havebetterprogramstheywillreceivemoreapplicantsthantheCollegeofMediaatUIUC.

Analysisofrelationshipforonepublic
:
TheCollegeofMediaskeypublicisprospectivestudents,becausetheycanbringinmore
revenuefortheprogramaswellashelpitcontinuetogrow.Prospectivestudentscanbeactivepublics
manystudentsknowabouttheprogramandapplytotheprogram.Therearealsoprospectivestudents
whoareawareoftheprogramandhavenotyetappliedorlearnedmoreaboutit.Inadditionto
prospectivestudentswhodontknowabouttheuniversityareapatheticstudentswhoknowbutdonot
careabouttheprogram.
6

MoststudentsinthestateofIllinoisandmanyotherstatesareawareoftheUniversityofIllinois.
However,moststudentsarenotasinformedabouttheCollegeofMedia.Theuniversitypromotesits
businessandengineeringprogramsasthosearethetwolargestcolleges,butwiththegrowthofmedia
recently,theCollegeofMedianeedstoattractmorestudentsthanitcurrentlydoes.Mediaissomething
thatisineveryone'sdailylives,anddigitalmediaissomethingthatmanycompaniesarestillgrasping.
Studentsshouldbeawareofdigitalmedia,andhavingadegreefromtheCollegeofMediawouldallow
themtohavethatinsight.
TheCollegeofMedianeedstodomoretogetitsnameoutinthepublicandtoincrease
awarenessoftheprogram.Itneedstohaveamoreeffectivecommunicationplanifitwantstoattract
prospectivestudentstotheprogram.
Thereisalargerangeofprospectivestudentsthatthecollegecouldbringawarenessto.The
degreesofferedwithinthecollegecouldattractavarietyofstudents.TheCollegeofMedianeedsto
widenitsstrategyandspeaktothelargegroupofpeopleinitskeypublicifitwantstoincrease
enrollment.Prospectivestudentstothecollegecomefromallkindsofdemographics,butmoststudents
aremostlikelyfrommiddleclassorupperclassfamilies.Theyoftenaremoreintelligentthanaverage,
andareactiveonsocialmedia.

DigitalFootprint

TheCollegeofMediawebsiteseemstocurrentlylackanycomponentthatwillappealto
prospectivestudents.Thereareresourcesforcurrentstudentsonthere,suchasfacultylistingsandarticles
abouttheirachievementsandtheachievementsofstudentsandalumni,butthereisntanythingthatjumps
outonthehomepagethataprospectivestudentwillbedrawninto.Ifthereweremoreofamultimedia
component,suchasvideosofstudentstalkingaboutwhattheyloveabouttheCollegeofMediaorphotos
ofstudentsworkingonassignmentsorgoingontripswiththecollege,thatwoulddrawmorepeoplein
andwouldkeepthemexploringthewebsitelonger.Rightnow,thewebsiteisntveryappealingand
mainlyconsistsofalotoftext.Thehomepageincludesnomovement.Thesiteonlyseemstoadequately
servepeoplewhoarealreadyinthecollege.

Intermsofalumni,thewebsitehasalinkatthetopspecificallyforalumni,whichisgood
becauseitprovidesadirectlinkforvisitorstoclickon.Thepageitleadstoincludesarticlesaboutalumni,
butwefeelitshouldalsoincludeasalistforprominentalumni,which,asanaddedbenefit,willalsobe
goodforprospectivestudentsastheywillbeabletolookatthosepeopleasexamplesforwhattheycan
becomethroughoftheCollegeofMedia.Itwouldbeagoodideatoalsoincludeadonationlinkonthe
alumnipagetopotentiallyencouragemorecontributionstothecollege,sincealumniwilllikelyclickon
thatpagedirectly.

Donorsdocurrentlyhaveaprominentlinkatthetopthatsaysgiving,whichalreadyincludes
necessaryinformationsuchaswaystogiveandgivenow.Thisisoneofourwebsitescurrentstrong
points.

Socialmedialinksarecurrentlyallthewaydownatthebottom,andareveryeasytomiss.There
isalikelihoodthatpeoplewontscrollallthewaydowniftheyareboredbythecontentonthepage,and
eveniftheydo,theymaystillmissthelinksbecausetheykindofblendintothesurroundings.Also,the
linksaresimplyiconsforFacebook,Twitter,LinkedIn,FlickrandYouTube.Whatwouldworkbetterisif
therewasafeedfromFacebook,InstagramandTwitterontherightorlefthandsideofthewebpage,so
thatuserscouldseethemostcurrentpostingsandsimultaneouslybeconnectedtooursocialmedia
outlets.Theyllbemorelikelytocheckusoutonthosepagesandmayalsofollowus.AsforFlickr,
YouTubeandLinkedIn,wecanlinktothosepagesrightunderourlivefeedssoasnottocrowdthepage
toomuch,buttheywillstillbemorevisibleonthesideofthepagethantheywouldbeonthebottom.Our
mainconcernforYouTubeisthatthewebsitecurrentlylinkstotheUniversityofIllinoischannel.We
thinktheCollegeofMediashouldlinktoitsownchannelsoastoboostviewership.
Thereare1,866peoplewholiketheCollegeofMediaonFacebook.Wefeelthisnumberisrather
lowgiventhenumberofpeoplewhohaveattendedthiscollege.Wehave30followersonFlickr,1,879
membersonLinkedIn,1,756Twitterfollowersand272followersonInstagram.Themainthingswed
liketoboostareourfollowersonTwitterandourlikesFacebook.Thesearesuchmajorplatformsfor
communicationthuswedliketoimproveinthoseareas.Oursocialmediaplatformsseemtofairly
reflectthecontentofourhomepage,astheyshareinformationonfacultyandstudentsandwhattheyve
beendoing,suchasgivingtalksorgoingontripsthroughthecollege.Theyalsosharerelevant
informationaboutupcomingevents,whichisimportant.
The
homepage
ofoneofourcompetitors,theUniversityofMissouri,hasalotmorephotosand
movementthanoursdoes.Itismoreengaging,andithasmoreplacesforuserstoclickandlearnmore
aboutthecollege.Thereisaprominentlinkatthetopforprospectivestudents,sotheyimmediatelyknow
8

wheretoclick.Itincludesanoverview,informationaboutundergraduateandgraduateadmissions,and
detailsonschoolvisitsanddailytours.
NorthwesternUniversityhasphotosandseveralmorelinksatthetopofits
homepage
thanour
websitedoes.Thereismoreofanincentiveforuserstoscrollandexplorethecontentmore.Thereisalso
aseriesoflinksforprospectivestudents,sotheyknowexactlywheretoclick.

PlantoAddressKeyIssue

TheCollegeofMediaislookingtoincreaseitsnewandtransferapplicantseachyear.Many
incomingfreshmanarentawareofthedifferenttypesofcareersthatcanarisefromhavingamajorinthe
CollegeofMedia,thereforethegoalwillbetofirstincreaseawarenesstoprospectivestudentsinorderto
increasenewandtransferapplicantseachyear.Thereisalargerangeofprospectivestudentsthatthe
collegecanreachbecausetheCollegeofMediaoffersdegreesthatattractavarietyofprospective
students.IftheCollegeofMediawantstoincreaseitsenrollment,itneedstowidenitsstrategyandspeak
tothelargergroupofitskeypublic.It'scommonforstudentsinthestateofIllinoisaswellasoutsideto
beawareofthehighlyrecognizedinstitutionoftheUniversityofIllinois,however,mostofthese
prospectsarenotawareoftheCollegeofMediaandwhatithastooffer.Thiscouldbebecausethe
universityheavilypromotesitstwolargestcolleges,businessandengineering,andtheCollegeofMedia
isoftenoverlooked.ThekeyissueistoincreaseawarenessoftheCollegeofMediainordertoincrease
newandtransferapplicantseachyear.
Inordertohaveasuccessfulcampaign,theCollegeofMedianeedstodevelopclear,specific,and
measurableobjectivesthatidentifytheorganizationsimpactonawareness,acceptance,andactionofthe
keypublic.Agooddealofattentionisgiventoobjectivesdealingwithacceptanceofthemessage,
becausethisisthemostcrucialareaforpublicrelationsandmarketingcommunicationstrategists.Here
aretheCollegeofMediasproposedobjectivesandstrategies.

Objective:
ToraiseawarenessamongprospectivestudentsabouttheopportunitiestheCollegeofMedia
hastoofferby30%bybeginningofthe20162017academicschoolyear.
Strategy
:
Usesocialmediachannels(YouTube,Facebook,Instagram,Twitter)topromotetheexistenceof
theCollegeofMediaatUIUCtoprospectivestudents.
Holdspecialevents,suchasgeneralinformationmeetingsoralunchpicnicwithCollegeof
mediastaffandfacultytohelpprospectivestudentsengageinparticipation.
Generatenewsworthyinformationfromalumnitoincreasepublicityandattractinterest.
Tactics:
Create15YouTubevideostopromoteCollegeofMediaeventsandtofeaturecurrentstudents
andalumnisharingadvice,answeringquestions,andjustsimplyexperiencethelifeasamember
oftheCollegeofMedia.
Create100FacebookpoststhatwillbeusedtoshareabouteventsgoingonintheCollegeof
Media,sharephotosofcurrentstudentsandwhatachievementstheyvemadethroughthecollege,
andcontestswithfreegiveawaysforthewinners,aswellasusingFacebooktocrosspromotethe
YouTubevideosandInstagrampostswithmoreinformativeinformation.
Create75InstagrampoststhatshowoffstudentslivesthroughtheCollegeofMedia,through
eventsaswellasstressingthealumnipresencearoundandtheopportunitiesthatareshared.
HoldaTwitterQ&AeachSundaywherepotentialstudentscantweettheirquestionstoCollegeof
Mediastwitteraccountandreceiveresponses.
Hold5specialeventswithCollegeofMediastaffandfaculty.
IncreaseCollegeofMediasnewsworthyrankingsby10%.
Generate5newsworthystoriesorevents.
10

Rationale
:WebelievethatheavilyfocusingontheCollegeofMediassocialpresencewilleffectively
increaseawarenessbecauseofhowinteractivetheplatformis,aswellasthelargeroleitplaysin
prospectivestudentsdecisionmakingprocess.Sociallyinteractivestudentscangetamorehonestlookat
theirfutureexperience,anditisimportantthattheCollegeofMediaisstronglyrepresentedonthevarious
websites.

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Budget

WerecommendthattheCollegeofMediausesocialmediachannelstopromoteitselfandwhatit
canofferprospectiveUIUCstudents.Inordertoachieveourobjectivethroughtheuseofsocialmedia,
wewouldspend$3,000usingGoogleAdWordstoincreasethelikelihoodthatsomeonesearchingUIUC
willseethelinktoourpage.Thiswillalsohelpprospectivestudentslookingforamajorinsomething
mediarelated.WewouldalsobudgetforFacebook,TwitterandInstagram.Wewouldspend$2,000total
onthosesocialmediawebsites.Webelievethatsocialmediaisalargepartofprospectivestudents
decisionmakingprocess.Becauseitissointeractive,studentscangetamorehonestlookintotheir
experienceanditisimportantthattheCollegeofMediaisstronglyrepresentedonthevariouswebsites.
Socialmediawouldalsorequireanemployeeofthecollegetoactivelyengagewiththesocialmedia
outlets.WewouldalsouseYouTubetoshowprospectivestudentssomeoftheeventsthecollege
organizesallyearsotheywouldhaveabetterlookatthefacultyandhowhelpfultheyareforcareer
advancement.WewouldsuggestthattheCollegeofMediahireaninterntoassistwiththesocialmedia
publicizing.Acollegestudentinterningwouldgivethesocialmediasitesanadvantage,andthe
prospectivestudentswouldbeconnectingwithacurrentstudentwhocangivepersonalstoriesandhelp
themmakeadecisiontheyfeelconfidentin.
WealsorecommendthattheCollegeofMediahostspecialeventswithprospectivestudents
duringadmittedstudentsdays.Webelievethatthiswouldgiveprospectivestudentsaswellastheir
parentspeaceofmindregardingcollegeasawholeandchoosingtheCollegeofMedia.Theseevents
wouldtakeplaceontheadmittedstudentsdaysaswellasdailyvisitdays.Thecollegewouldhave5
lunchesthroughouttheyearwheretheywouldofferdifferentfoodoptionsforstudentswhowere
attending,aswellasguidanceprovidedbyeitherCoMprofessorsoradvisors.Tobudgetthis,itwouldbe
approximately$3,000forfoodandsupplies(plates,utensils,napkins,tablecloths,etc.)andthenthecost
forstafftoattendwouldvary.Theseeventswouldalsorequirearoom.PreferablyinGregoryHall,the
college'shomebase.TheseeventswouldhelpstudentsseetheirfutureattheCollegeofMedia,andthey
wouldbeabletomeettheprofessorsandadvisorswhowouldshapetheireducationifthedecidethatthe
CollegeofMediaisrightforthem.
Lastly,wesuggestthecollegesendpressreleasesregardingnotableCollegeofMediaalumnito
generatepublicityregardingtheprogram.Thiswouldnothaveacost,otherthanthecostofanemployee
writingandsendingthereleases.Earnedmediawouldincreaseawarenessbecauseprospectivestudents
willhearaboutthecollegebutwithoutitbeingfromaflyerthatissenttotheirhouse.
Ifthecollegecompletesthesethreestrategies,itwillcostaround$8,000.Combiningeach
strategywillgiveitthreeimpactsonprospectivestudentswhichwillallowforprospectivestudentsto
remembertheCollegeofMediawhentheyaremakingadecision.

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Evaluation

WewillcomparethenumberofstudentsthatapplytotheCollegeofMediabeforeandafterthe
campaign.Wewouldusethepublicnumberstoseeifthecampaignincreasestheawarenessofthe
CollegeofMediaandifmorehighschoolstudentsapplyafterthecampaignawarenesshasincreased.

WewouldalsousedigitalmetricstomeasurethesuccessoftheCollegeofMediaswebsitesaswellasits
socialmediapages.Wewillevaluatethebouncerates,thetimeonthesites,thepagesvisitedtoseehow
manypeoplelookatthepagesaswellashowlongtheystayedonthesites.Wealsowillevaluatethe
metricsontheCollegeofMediaswebsiteversusthemetricsonthesocialmediapages.Thiswouldhelp
thecollegeinthefutureseeifitshoulduseownedmediaorsocialmedia.Wearetryingtoraise
awarenessbecausethecollegeisunknownamongmanyhighschoolstudents.Beforewecanincreasethe
enrollmentinthecollege,weneedtoraiseawarenesstoprospectivestudents.

Wealsorecommendthatthecollegeusethemessageexposureandmessagerecallmethodstotestandsee
ifthekeypublichasseenthecollegesmessages,andiftheyhaveseenthemessages,howwellthey
rememberthemessagesthattheyreceived.Thiswouldbeconductedamongstudentswhogetaccepted
intotheCollegeofMediaaswellasstudentswhoenrollintheCollegeofMedia.

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Appendix
OriginalAudit
Group6AbrarAlHeeti,CourtneyLawless,
SeungyuKim,KathrynPottala,BrianaChernak,EricaVedas

ADV410
GroupProject:Part1
February11,2016

a.)
AgencyName:
JoinMedia.Wechosethisnamebecauseourprimarygoalistoreachouttoprospective
studentstojointheCollegeofMedia.

b.)
Primarycontact:
EricaVedasericavedas@yahoo.com

c.)
GroupMemberExpectations:
Expectation#1:
Workwillbedividedevenlyamonggroupmembers.
Expectation#2:
Thegroupshouldbecontributedtoequallybyallmembers.Ifamembercannotmakeit
toameeting,thatmembershouldcheckwithothertoseewhatcanbedone.
Expectation#3:
Thegroupshouldbeintocontactwithoneanotherweekly,eitherinpersonoronline.
Expectation#4:
Beforeaprojectdeadline,groupmemberswilleithermeetinpersonorviaGoogleDoc
tofinalizetheproject
Ifamemberfailstocomplytotheexpectations,thegroupwillhaveonechanceofforgiveness
andafterthatwillhaveadeductionofpointsdependingonhowtheexpectationthattheyviolate.

d.)
KeyPublic:

OurkeypublicisprospectivestudentsoftheCollegeofMedia.Thesearestudentswhowillbeapplying
tocollegesfortheupcomingacademicyear.
ProspectivestudentsprobablyhavealittleinformationaboutUIUC,butamajoritydonot
havesignificantknowledgeofthecampusandwhatUIUChastoofferthem
ProspectivestudentsmightknowpeoplewhocurrentlyareorhavestudiedatUIUC
Prospectivestudentshaveaccesstoinformationabouttheuniversityonlineandin
publicationsaboutuniversities

14

Group6AbrarAlHeeti,CourtneyLawless,SeungyuKim,KathrynPottala,BrianaChernak,Erica
Vedas

ADV410
GroupProject:Part2
March15,2016

Whatwevecompleted:
OurgrouphasbegunthePublicRelationsauditforJoinMedia.Wehaveanalyzedthesituation,
theorganization,andthepublics.Throughtheresearchthatwehavedonethusfar,wehavelearnedthat
theCollegeofMediacandomoretogaintheattentionofprospectivestudents.
Wehavedividedeachsectionofthepublicrelationsaudittodifferentmembersofthegroup.Itis
dividedintothefollowingsections:
Step1:KatePottala
Step2:KatePottala
Step3:KatePottala
Step4:AbrarAlHeeti
Step5:SeungyuKim
Step6:EricaVedas
Step7:BrianaChernakandCourtneyLawless
Step8:Kate
Step9:Group
WehavecompletedpreliminaryresearchabouttheUIUCCollegeofMedia,wehavelearned
whatitbelievesisimportant,andtheirmission,visionandvalues.WealsocompletedaSWOTanalysis
tolearnwhattheyaredoingwellandwhattheyneedtoimproveupon.Wehaveexaminedthetarget
public,prospectivestudents,andfoundoutthattheyareeagertolearnaboutwhatprogramstheCollege
ofMediahastooffer,andarelookingatcompetitorsatdifferentschools.
Wehavealsobeguntodevelopthemessagestrategy,Step6,oftheaudit.Wewillusemessaging
togettheCollegeofMediasmission,visionandvaluesacrosstoprospectivestudentsthroughsocial
media.WehavealsobeguntooutlinetheCommunicationTacticsinStep7.Wewilluseorganizational
media,newsmedia,advertisingandpromotionalmediatocommunicatetoprospectivestudents.Wehave
beguntolookintoStep4,ordevelopingobjectivestopromoteawareness,acceptanceandactionfromour
keypublic.Ourmainstrategiessofarincludehostinginformationaleventsaboutthecollegeand
spreadinginformationviasocialmedia.
Whatweneedtodo:
OurgroupstillneedstoputtogetherwhatJoinMediashoulddowiththeirstrategyandtacticsto
achievetheobjectiveofgettingmorestudentstoapplytotheCollegeofMedia.Wemustdevelopthe
mosteffectivestrategyfortheCollegeofMediatoobtainthatobjective.Therearemanyideasastohow
wecanachievethis,butitsnecessarytodoresearchtoseewhatstrategiesandtacticsarethemost
effectivefortheCollegeofMedia.
WealsoneedtocompleteStep8,whichinvolvesimplementingthestrategicplanthrough
developingbudgetsandschedules,andStep9,evaluativeresearch,wherewewillevaluateandassess
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howsuccessfulwewereinmeetingourobjectives.

Audit

Step1:AnalyzingtheSituation:Kate
TheCollegeofMediahasbeenacollegeattheUniversityofIllinoissince1959.Thecollegehas
beenworkingwithprospectivestudentssincethen.Theyhaveapproximately700studentsenrolledeach
year,dividedbyeachclass.
Thecollegeofmediaislookingtoincreaseitsnewandtransferapplicantseachyear.Thecollege
ofmediaisfacinganopportunity,withapublicrelationscampaign,theycanincreasethequantityand
moreimportantlythequalityofapplicantstotheCollegeofMediaatUIUC.
CurrentlytheCollegeofMediaisoftenovershadowedbylargercollegesatUIUC,Businessand
Engineering.However,withtheboomoftechnologyanddigital,companiesneedtohireemployeesthat
arehighlyeducatedinmediaandunderstandthefastmovingtechnologyindustry.
TheCollegeofMedianeedstoimprovetheirrelationshipwithprospectivestudentstoincrease
theirapplicantsandbuildagreaterreputationattheuniversity,andimprovetheirrankingnationallyasa
CollegeofMedia.TheCollegeofMediahasresourcestohelptheirstudentslearnandnetworkwith
alumniandfutureemployers.
TheCollegeofMediamustusesituationalethicswhendealingwithpotentialstudents,each
studentandeachyearisdifferentanddecisionmakingforthecollegeofmediawhenfocusingon
prospectivestudentsshouldbetreatedthatway.Ethicsshouldbemodifiedforeachcasedependingon
whattheCollegeofMediaisdoingandwithwhomtheyaredoingitwith.

Step2:AnalyzingtheOrganization:Kate
TheCollegeofMediahasamissiontoprovidestudents
programsthatareprofessionally
relevant,yetbroadenoughthatstudentslearncritical,analyticalandproblemsolvingskills.
Theirvision
istodevelopwellroundedindividualswithasoundbasiceducationandsomespecializedknowledgeof
advertisingmethodsandpractices.Theyhavevaluesthatbeginwiththe
facultyincorporatingthese
valuesintheirteachingandscholarshipthatisfocusedonunderstanding,evaluatingandcommunicating
themanyfacetedaspectsofadvertising.
TheCollegeofMediacurrentlyofferssummercampsforhighschoolstudentslookingtoapply.
Therearefourweeklongcampswherestudentslearnaboutcreativity,multimediajournalism,
entrepreneurship,andthesportsindustry.ThesecampsallowforstudentstogetaglimpseastowhatThe
CollegeofMediaislike.Thecampsaretaughtbyprofessorsandstudentslearnthebasicsofdifferent
typesofmedia.
TheCollegeofMediahasstrengths,weaknesses,opportunities,andthreats.Onestrengthisthat
UniversityofIllinoisatUrbanaChampaignhasastrongalumniassociation,somethingthatisimportant
whenchoosingauniversity.Alumnirelationshipsareimportantbecausetheycanhelpwithgettingajob
aftergraduation.AweaknessoftheCollegeofMediaisthatitslocationisnotidealformanystudents.
LocatedincentralIllinois,itisnotinacity,andhavinganinternshipduringtheschoolyearatanagency
ismoredifficultthancompetitorsinlargecities.Italsoislocatedinastatethathasbadwinterswhichisa
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downfallforsomestudents.Anopportunitythatthecollegefacesistheincreasingknowledgeofranking.
Thecollegeisrankedhighonmanycollegerankingdatabases,andtheirrankcanimproveiftheyimprove
theirrelationshipwithprospectivestudents.Athreatthattheyfaceisotherprogramsatotheruniversities
aswellasotherprogramswithinUIUC.ProgramsinbusinessandengineeringwithinUIUCaretop
rankedandjobplacementisincrediblyhighsostudentsmightchoosetostudybusinessorengineering
overadvertising.
TheCollegeofMediaexercisestheirmission,vision,andvalueswiththequalityofteachingat
theuniversity.Theyhireprofessionalsratherthanprofessorsandofferstudentstheopportunitytolearn
fromsomeonewithexperienceandnotatextbook.Theclasssizesaresmallenoughforthestudentsto
haveamoreintimaterelationshipwiththeirinstructorsandclassmates.Thecollegeisseenasaprogram
forstudentsthatarehighlydedicatedtotheirstudies,howevertheuniversity'sreputationastheNumber
1PartySchoolhurtstheentireuniversitiesreputationforeducation.TheCollegeofMediasreputationis
overallpositive,butthecollegeissosmallthatitoftengetsoverlooked.
Externally,thecollegehasmanysupporters,thealumninetworkisratherlargeandoverallis
successfulintheircareersinjournalism,advertising,agcommunication,andmediaandcinemastudies.
Howevertheuniversitydoeshavemanycompetitors,internallyatUIUCandexternallyatother
universitiesandcolleges.Externally,UniversityofPennsylvania,NorthwesternUniversity,Universityof
SouthernCalifornia,andotherscompetewithUIUCinthetop10mediastudiescollegesnationally
accordingtoBusinessInsider.InternallyotherprogramscompeteforenrollmentatUIUC.

Step3:AnalyzingthePublic's:Kate
TheCollegeofMediasprimarypublicisprospectivestudentstotheuniversity.Theyarelooking
togetmorestudentstothecollege.TheCollegeofMediahoweverhasamuchwiderpublicthanjust
prospectivestudents.Theirmessagingalsoreacheshighschooladvisors,parents,coaches,donors,people
whousesocialmedia,printmedia,andtelevision.TheCollegeofMediaspublicscanbebrokeninto
customers,producers,enablers,andlimiters.
Thecollegeofmediasprimarycustomersarecurrentstudentsandoftentheirparentsor
guardians.Thestudentsandguardiansarereceivingbenefitsfromthecollege.Studentsaremoreprimary
consumersastheyarereceivingthebenefitdirectly,theyarelearningandalsoobtainingadegreefroma
wellknownprogram.Parentsaresecondarycustomersbecausetheirchildrenarebenefitingfromthe
servicessotheyarealsobenefiting.Parentsalsopayfortheirchild'scollegeincasessotheyarea
customerastheyarepayingfortheservices.Anothercustomerishighschoolstudentswhoareeither
applyingorwanttoapplytothecollegeorarequalifiedtoapplytotheprogram.Thesestudentsare
seekingtheservicesthatthecollegecanprovide.EmployersofthestudentsoftheCollegeofMediaare
secondarycustomers,eventually,theywillbehiringstudentsthereforetheyarereceivingtheservicesof
thecollegeindirectlyandovertime.
Producersareanothertypeofpublicforthecollege.ProducerswithintheCollegeofMediaare
faculty.Professors,advisors,teachersassistantsareallproducersthatinfluencetheCollegeofMediaand
theimagethatithastoprospectivestudents.Ifthefacultydoesagoodjob,studentswillwanttobea
studentofthecollege.Iftheyarenotassupportiveandknowledgeablethentheenrollmentwillbe
affected.Theyhavesecondaryproducersthatpaymoneytothecollege.Illinoistaxpayersprovide
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financialsupporttoprogramsinthecollegeofmedia.Donorstothecollegearealsocustomers,they
donateasumofmoneytothecollegeinsupportofwhatthecollegeofmediaisdoingforstudents.Often
nationalrankingsaltertheamountthatdonorsdonatetotheuniversity,sowhentherankingofCollegeof
Mediaprogramsfluctuates,sodoestheamountofmoneythecollegereceivesfromdonors.
TheprogramsintheCollegeofMediaareinfluencedgreatlybyenablers.Websitesthatcontain
collegerankingsarealargeindicatorofenrollmentforthecollege.Ifthecollegeisrankedwell,people
willwanttoenrollintheprogram,iftheprogramisnot,enrollmentwillshowthat.Otherenablersare
highschoolcounselorswhoinformhighschoolstudentsabouttheprogramsavailable.Counselorscan
promoteprogramstostudentswhotheyfeelshouldapplytotheprogram.
TheprogramislimitedbyothercollegeswithinUIUCaswellasotheruniversitiesandcolleges
aroundthecountry.Ifothercollegesoruniversitieshavebetterprogramstheywillreceivemore
applicantsthantheCollegeofMediaatUIUC.
TheCollegeofMediaskeypublicispotentialstudents,theycanbringinmorerevenueforthe
programaswellashelpitcontinuetogrow.Potentialstudentscanbeactivepublics,manystudentsknow
abouttheprogramandapplytotheprogram.Therearealsoprospectivestudentswhoareawareofthe
programandhavenotyetappliedorlearnedmoreaboutit.Aswellasprospectivestudentswhodont
knowabouttheuniversityandapatheticstudentswhoknowbutdonotcareabouttheprogram.
MoststudentsinthestateofIllinoisandmanyotherstatesareawareoftheUniversityofIllinois,
howevermoststudentsarenotasinformedabouttheCollegeofMedia.Theuniversitypromotesits
businessandengineeringprogramsasthosearethetwolargestcolleges,butwiththegrowthofmedia
recently,theCollegeofMedianeedstoattractmorestudentsthanitdoes.Mediaissomethingthatisin
everyone'sdailylives,anddigitalmediaissomethingthatmanycompaniesarestillgrasping.Students
shouldbeawareofdigitalmediaandhavingadegreefromtheCollegeofMediawouldallowthemto
havethatinsight.
TheCollegeofMedianeedstodomoretogettheirnameoutinthepublicandtoincrease
awarenessoftheprogram.Theyneedtohaveamoreeffectivecommunicationplaniftheywanttoattract
prospectivestudentstotheprogram.
Thereisalargerangeofprospectivestudentsthatthecollegecouldbringawarenessto,the
degreeswithinthecollegecouldattractavarietyofstudentstothecollege.TheCollegeofMedianeedsto
widentheirstrategyandspeaktothelargegroupofpeopleintheirkeypubliciftheywanttoincrease
enrollment.Prospectivestudentsforthecollegecomefromallkindsofdemographics,studentsmost
likelyareinmiddleclassorupperclassfamilies.Theyoftenaremoreintelligentthanaverage,andare
activeonmedia.

Strategy

Thesecondphaseoftheplanningprocess,Strategy,dealswiththeheartofplanning:makingdecisions
dealingwiththeexpectedimpactofthecommunication,aswellasthenatureofthecommunicationitself.

Abrar:

Step4:EstablishingGoalsandObjectives.

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InordertoreachouttoprospectivestudentsandconvincethemtochoosetheCollegeofMedia,wewill
firstenhanceourawarenessobjectivebybeingmoreactiveonsocialmedia.WelluseourInstagramand
Facebookaccountstosharephotosofcurrentstudentsandwhatachievementstheyvemadethroughthe
college,andwellholdcontestswithfreegiveawaysforthewinners.Wellmakesuretopostatleastonce
perdayoneachplatform,andwellaimtoincreaseourfollowersby10%insixmonths.

Wellalsohostinformationaleventsonourcampusafewtimesduringtheyearwhereprospective
studentscantalktoalumniofthecollegeinordertogetexcitedabouttheirprospectsiftheyjointhe
CollegeofMedia.Weaimtohaveatleast50peopleateachevent.Wecanalsotourtheminourfacilities
andshowthemtheworkofcurrentstudents,whetherthosestudentsareinadvertisingorjournalismor
mediaandcinemastudies.

WellmakealistservwherethosewhoareinterestedinlearningmoreabouttheCollegeofMediaandall
itseventscanstayuptodateonaregularbasis.Wellalsofacilitateamonthlydigitalandprintnewsletter
tosendouttothemwithallthatinformation.

Hopefully,byraisingawarenessoftheopportunitiesthecollegeprovides,prospectivestudentswill
committoMedia.

SeungyuKim
Step5
:ActionandResponsestrategies

Preferentially,wewillneedtoplanactionstrategiesandcommunicationstrategiesofproactivestrategyto
achievethegoalsandobjectivesoftheCollegeofMediaatUIUC.

TheperformanceofCollegeofMediaisnecessaryforraisingawarenessobjectivethroughsocialmedia.
Tobemoreactiveonsocialmedia,CollegeofMedianeedstoinformtheimportanceofsocialmediato
employeessuchasfacultiesandeducatethemtousesocialmedia(Youtube,Facebook,andInstagram)
morefrequentlytopromotetheexistenceofCollegeofMediaatUIUCtoprospectivestudentsandto
figureouttheprospectivestudentsinterestsandneeds.Facilitiescommunicationwithprospective
studentsandtheirparentsorotherpublicsthroughsocialmediacanraisethecredibilityofCollegeof
Mediawhenfacilitiestrulyansweranyquestionsfromprospectivestudentsortheirparentsaboutany
informationwithnotonlyfactsbutreasons,too.

Also,toincreaseawarenessofCollegeofMediatoprospectivestudents,wewillprogressspecialevents
thatgeneratetheprospectivestudentsparticipation.Suchasgeneralinformationmeetingorlunchpicnic
withprofessorsandfacultiesfromCollegeofMediacaninformvariousinformationtoprospective
students.Throughspecialevents,studentswhohavenotrecognizedanysocialmediarelatedtoCollegeof
MediawillbeabletoknowFacebookpage,InstagramaccountandYoutubeaddressofCollegeofMedia
throughinformationreleasedfromthesespecialevents.Thiswillbesignificanttospreadandrelease
informationaboutCollegeofMediatothepeoplewhoparticipatedthespecialeventsandfurtherother
prospectivestudentswhohavenotheardaboutCollegeofMediaatUIUC.

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Asacommunicationstrategy,creatingnewsworthyinformationwillbeimportant.Powerfulalumni
associationthatbenefitsfuturejobsforstudentsandstructuredprogramsfromCollegeofMediacanbe
newsworthyinformationforNewsmedia.ExposedinformationofCollegeofMediathroughNewsmedia
willincreasepublicityandthenattractsinterestsfromprospectivestudents.

Erica:Step6:
Asstatedbefore,theCollegeofMediasmissionistoprovidestudentswithprogramsthatare
professionallyrelevant,yetbroadenoughthatstudentslearncritical,analyticalandproblemsolving
skills.Theirvisionistodevelopwellroundedindividualswithasoundbasiceducationandsome
specializedknowledgeofadvertisingmethodsandpractices.TheCollegeofMediaislookingtomake
prospectivestudentsmoreawareofthesemissionstheyhavetoofferthroughinformativemessaging.
Manyincomingfreshmanarentawareofthedifferenttypesofcareersthatcanarisefromhavingamajor
intheCollegeofMedia,thereforethegoalwillbetofirstincreaseawarenesstoprospectivestudentsby
utilizingtherightoutletstogetthemessageacross.Theoverallgeneralmessagewillbeinformativethe
majorsCollegeofMediahastooffer,thecareerrelatedinstructors,thedifferenttypesofcourses,andof
personalexperiencesfromcurrentstudents,alumni,andinstructors.Thesemessageswillbedisplayedina
varietyofwaystoourpublic,marketinaudience.Ourcorepublicistheprospectivestudents,ourmarket
arethestudentswhowanttoattendUIUC,andouroverallgeneralaudiencearetheprospectivestudents,
highschooladvisors,parentsandcoaches.ThemessageswillbedisplayedacrossEmail,home
addresses,YouTube,Facebook,andInstagram.Theemailandhomeaddressedmessageswillconsistsof
standardinformativecontentabouttheCollegeofMediaitselfsuchasthemajors,courses,etc.The
YouTube,FacebookandInstagramcontentwillbefocusedmorearoundthepersonalexperiencesof
students,alumni,andprofessionalinstructors.TheYouTubevideoscanhelpstandoutfromthecrowd
andcanfeatureambassadorssharingadvice,answeringquestions,andjustsimplyexperiencethelifeasa
memberoftheCollegeofMedia.TheInstagramusageprovidesawaytoshowoffathrivingstudentslife
andgivestheentirecommunityachancetoengageandinteract.BothYouTubeandInstagramwill
provideourpublicwithamoreauthenticandlessfilteredviewofthetypesofexperiencestheycanexpect
whenjoiningtheCollegeofMediathanwhatyouwouldfindlookingatthewebsite,emails,etc.Asfar
asFacebook,itwillbeusedtocrosspromotetheYouTubevideosandInstagrampostsaswellasthemore
informativeinformationthatstudentsareseeking.Alongwithallthesesources,therewillbeacontent
managertoengageandinteractwithanyofourpublicthatasksquestionsorpostcommentsonour
contentinordertoincreaseamutualrelationshipbetweentheCollegeofMediaandourpublic.

Tactics

DuringtheTacticsphase,variouscommunicationtoolsareconsideredandthevisibleelementsofthe
communicationplanarecreated.

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BriandCourtney:Step7
:SelectingCommunicationTactics.
1. Organizationalmedia(controlledmedia):YouTube,email,Facebook,Instagram,Twitter
a. TheCollegeofMediaYouTubeaccountwillshowoffeventssuchasMediapolooza,
currentstudentsandalumnisharingtheirexperiencesandhowtheCollegeofMedia
helpedthemgetwheretheyarecurrently.
b. Emailswillreachouttohighschoolsandifwecanobtainstudentemails,emails
informingprospectivestudentsaboutopportunitiesthattheCollegeofMediapresents,
andinformativeinformationsuchasmajorsandcareers.
c. FacebookwillbeusedtosharepostsabouteventsgoingonintheCollegeofMediaand
toshareitemsontheInstagramandlinkstotheYouTubevideos.
d. TheInstagramwillshowoffstudentslivesthroughtheCollegeofMedia,itwillshowoff
theeventsthatareavailablethroughusingyourCollegeofMediaresources,anditwill
stressthealumnipresencearoundandtheopportunitiesthatareshared.
e. HoldaTwitterQ&AwherepotentialstudentscantweettheirquestionstoCollegeof
Mediastwitteraccountandreceiveresponses
2. Newsmedia(uncontrolledmedia):
a. FindawaytopromoteUniversityofIllinoisnewsworthyrankingsfromPrinceton
Review,BusinessInsider,etc.
b. NewscoverageofMediapalooza
3. Advertisingandpromotionalmedia:
a. Inordertoadvertisetoprospectivestudents,socialmediaisoneofthebestoptions.
ControllingtheiraccountsandhavingcurrentCollegeofMediastudentssharetheposts
onFacebookwillallowtheprospectivestudentswhoarefriendswithcurrentstudentssee
allthegreatthingstheCollegeofMediaoffers.
b. FindawaytosendoutflierstoschoolsinthestateofIllinois
i.
IncluderankingsfromBusinessInsider,USNews,

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