TWO

SCHOOLS

ONE

AMAZING

DEGREE
ELON UNIVERSITY

MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN MANAGEMENT
CORPERATE COMMUNICATIONS

GRIFFIN PR
100 CAMPUS DRIVE | NORTH CAROLINA

Hi!

WHO

WE
ARE

Elon University has sent an RFP to Griffin Public Relations to create a

comprehensive strategic communications plan to help promote, market and
craft a positive reputation for their new Master of Science in Management,
Corporate Communications concentration, towards Elon undergraduate
students. This campaign, which focuses on employing a multi-platform
approach, builds its foundation upon a classic communications model that
utilizes sound research, creative strategies and positive actions to ensure
measurable results.
Griffin Public Relations is a North Carolina based PR agency that provides
council in strategic communications, marketing and reputation campaigns with
the ultimate goal of achieving both organizations communications and business
objectives. Elon University Student Dan Griffin founded Griffin Public Relations in
2016. Dan insisted on building an agency built upon core ethical and
communications principles. Griffin PR utilizes a wide array of quantifiable tactics
to ensure measurable results.

Core Problems & Opportunities

Elon University offers five full-time graduate programs and two part-time programs. The Master of
Science in Management, Corporate Communications program, is one of Elon's newest full-time
graduate programs. However, the M.S in Management is unlike any other graduate program in the
country as it's the first program to be a joint venture between a university's business school and school
of communications. As a result of the program just wrapping up its first year and having a small budget
for marketing and advertising, it's been a challenge to get the word out about this invaluable, unique
graduate program. It has also been a challenge for the program to both build and perpetuate its
reputation when it's first class ever has not graduated yet.
Because the M.S. in Management is a 10-month program, it has the opportunity to be marketed towards
Elon undergraduate students as a 4 + 1 graduate professional degree that they can use to further
advance their career goals. Additionally, the program will have a class of 17 students graduating this
semester. The M.S. in Management program can utilize success stories and employment data to begin
building a reputation for itself. Lastly, the program has the opportunity to catch the eye of influential
Elon alumni, board members and donors that could use the programs unique curriculum as an angle to
gain free publicity.

GRIFFIN PR
100 CAMPUS DRIVE | NORTH CAROLINA

GOAL
To bolster both awareness and reputation for the new Master of
Science in Management, Corporate Communications
concentration program, at Elon University to undergraduate
students with the ultimate goal of increasing enrollment.

OBJECTIVES
ELON STUDENT
AWARENESS
By Spring 2017 ensure that 100%
of Elon University undergraduate
students are aware of the Master
of Science in Management,
Corporate Communications, 4+1
graduate program. Elon
undergraduate students are one
of the most important and
valuable stakeholder groups as
they already understand the
value in earning a degree at the
University.

REPUTATION
MANAGEMENT
INCREASED 4 + 1
ENROLLMENT
Through utilizing the power of
public relations tactics such as
word of mouth, pseudo events
and publicity we want to get the
attention of Elon undergraduate
students, collegiate students
from nearby academic
institutions and young working
professionals, with the ultimate
goal of getting them to have an
interest in enrolling in the M.S. in
Management program

Reputation is any program,

organization or company's most
valuable intangible asset.
Working to construct a positive
reputation that is confluent with
the M.S. in Management's
outstanding brand, which has
undergone feasibility studies, is
important to ensuring the
longevity and public opinion of
the University's newest graduate
program.

You'll benefit from this interdisciplinary

partnership & graduate with an expanded

perspective that will make you
across

marketable

any number of industries.

GRIFFIN PR
100 CAMPUS DRIVE | NORTH CAROLINA

RESEARCH

THE ALPHA &

OMEGA

PRIMARY RESEARCH
IengagedinaconversationabouttheM.S.in
Managementprograminapublicrelationsandcivic
responsibilitytaughtbyProfessorJohnDoorley,
publicrelationsauthorandleadingscholarinpublic
relationsandcorporatecommunications.This
conversationfocusedondevelopingafull
perspectiveofwhattheM.S.inManagement
programis.IalsospokewithKempAllen,the
assistantdirectorofgraduateadmissions,about
thechallengestheprogramhasbeenfacing
regardingenrollment,marketingandreputation.

SECONDARY RESEARCH
How is the M.S. in Management, Corporate Com. Different?
Unlikeanyotherknownprofessionalgraduateprogram,Elon'sM.S.inManagement,Corporate
Communicationsprogram,isthefirstofit'skind.Theacceleratedprogramisajointpartnershipbetween
theuniversity'sMBAandcommunicationsprogram.AccordingtoBillBurpitt,theassociatedeanofElon's
LoveSchoolofBusiness,"TheM.S.inManagementisagreatprogramforpeoplewhoknowwherethey
wanttogobutneedspecializedskillstogetthere."Theprogram,unliketraditionalMBAprograms,seeks
applicantsrightoutoftheirundergraduateprograms.Thecorporatecommunicationstrackfeaturesa
courseloadoffivecommunicationscoursesandfourbusinesscoursemakingstudentswhograduatewith
thedegreemuchmoremarketabletofutureemployers.

Importance of messages
AccordingtoBobSevier,seniorvicepresidentofstrategyatSTATMATS,whenmarketingyouracademic
programyouneedtochartoutyourFBO,features,benefitsandoutcomes,inallofyourmessages,"By
chartingouttheFBOyouarecreatinganarrative...storieshelpusseetheimportofchoicesweneedto
make.Sevieralsopointsoutthat,"Adifferentiatedcurriculumisthemostpowerfulandlastingofall
marketingadvantages."

Best way to market an academic program

WhentaskedwithpromotingfiveuniquebusinessprogramsEmoryUniversity'sAssociateDeanof
MarketingandCommunications,AngeleBostick,turnedtoprogrammatic.Usingprogrammaticadvertising
solutionsBostickwasabletotargetdifferentaudiencesegmentsandtailortheschool'smessages,
geographicoutput,andgraphicelementsinrealtime,"TheAdReadyPlatformenabledustoautomatethe
entireprocessfromideatoexecution,accomplishingthetaskinafractionofthetimeandatafractionof
thecost."UsingaprogrammaticplatformEmorywasabletocutcostsandthetimeittookthemtogettheir
messagetothemarket.TheadsdistributedthroughtheprogrammaticmodeloutperformedEmory's
previousadvertisements.
GRIFFIN PR
100 CAMPUS DRIVE | NORTH CAROLINA

Recomended

TACTICS
TACTIC 1: Earned Media - Large Scale
Our challenge is to bring as much attention to the M.S. in Management program as possible in the most
cost effective way. Public relations which is often cited as 'the poor mans advertising' is the best way to
go about this challenge. Earned media attention, when it works, is much more powerful and effective
than advertising as it is positive publicity that is a form third party advocacy, which in turn makes the
promotion authentic and genuine. To accomplish this the M.S. in Management program will send out
informational packets and digital brochures to influential Elon University donors, alumni and board
members in hopes of earning the program media attention through one of these channels.

TACTIC 2: Earned Media - Geared Towards Undergraduate Students

The M.S. in Management program should utilizing Elon University's extracurricular media interest and
engagement groups, Elon's Schools of Communication is filled with student run media initiative that
produce real content for students, the Elon community and for the Triad area of North Carolina.
Students in the M.S. in Management program should be on the various news and talk channels, such as
ELN Morning, Elon After Hours, Elon Local News and Etalk, promoting the program and their
experiences. The benefits of doing this are twofold. One the program will be disseminating information
to one of their most important stakeholder group, undergraduate students. Second, the people
producing, directing, editing and organizing these shows are engaged communications and business
students that would be most interested in learning about the program
.
The program also has the opportunity to utilize student run full-service communications agency Live
Oak Communications to come up with strategic plans and content in real time for a low cost.

TACTIC 3: Real-Time Bidding (RTB) Advertisements

Real-time bidding (RTB) platforms, like The Trade Desk, would allow the M.S. in Management to market
it's program by disseminating informative content through multiple channels including television, video,
social media, mobile and more at once in a strategic and cost effective way. RTB utilizes and gives
access to a digital market place filled with display ad inventory. Using data management capabilities
such as audience segmentation and audience mapping you can make sure your marketing campaign
is reaching the right targets for the the right place in real time. If you find yourself not reaching the right
market or lacking in impressions you can alter your campaign at anytime.

Tool 1
Conduct a focus group with Elon
undergraduate students and
measure their level of awareness
and interest in the M.S. in
Management, Corporate
Communications program, twice a
semester. Use this qualitative data
to measure success of oncampus marketing efforts.

EVALUTAION
Tool 2

Distribute a survey to
prospective graduate students,
undergraduate students, major
collegiate review periodicals
and students in the program to
gauge the programs reputation
by measuring its performance,
behavior, communication and
intrinsic identity.

Tool 3
Utilizing quantitative analytic and
data management tools that come
with RTB platforms, ensure that
marketing efforts are both
producing meaningful impressions
and conversions such as 'intent-to
buy' and that you are reaching
your intended audiences.