Kernodle Center

Branch out!
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Table of contents
3 Meet the team 16 Strategies
4 Outline 17-18 Creative Concept
5 Organizational Goals 19-30 Tactics & Media Channels
6 Key Research Findings 31-36 Budget
7 Secondary Research 37 Evaluation
8 Methods 38-46 Calendar
9-13 Primary Research 47-54 Addendum
14 Target Audience
15 Goals

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Introduction: Meet the Team

Ali Scheinfeld Molly Thebau Izzie Reid

Tactical Planning Research Director Research Director
Manager

Olivia Archer Ben Harriton

Strategic Planning Manager Creative Director
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Outline

✗ Organizational Goals ✗ Creative Concept

✗ Research & Implications ✗ Tactics
✗ Campaign Goals ✗ Objectives & Measurements
✗ Target Audience ✗ Budget & Timeline
✗ Strategy

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Organizational Goals
✗ Increase volunteer
turnout
✗ Increase engagement
with First-year
students
✗ Improve diversity
within the organization
✗ Increase the Kernodle
Center’s presence on
campus

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Key Research Findings

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✗ Microblogging is more effective than large
chunks of text
✗ Research suggests that non-profit
organizations lack engagement through
websites; smaller blocks of text are more
effective
✗ College students prefer to use Instagram
✗ Other campaigns have shown how sharing and
using hashtags on Instagram are much more

Secondary Research
effective than other medias like email and
websites
✗ Community Service benefits all parties
involved
✗ Beneficial in many ways including mental
health for volunteers
✗ Diversity and inclusion are NOT the same
✗ An organization can be diverse but but not
inclusive if some workers are not comfortable
in the workplace

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 Research Questions
Methods
● How can organizations best engage the
target audience online?
○ Instagram & other social media ● Focus Group with first-year students
○ Web
○ Transfer Students
● How can students be enticed to volunteer
their time with a busy schedule? ● 2 male identifying, 3 female identifying

● What are the best practices for increasing ● 1 transfer, 4 First-years

DEI within nonprofit staff/volunteers?
● Activity
● What are the most effective practices for
service-learning departments on college ● Insight through direct quotes
campuses?

● How do college students divide their time

among organizations on campus?

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Primary Research

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Students want to See organizations on campus...
✗ Focus group participants
unanimously agreed that students
are more likely to become involved
in an organization they “see” on
campus
✗ They also notice media coverage
and posts of activities on
Instagram
✗ Students also noted that speakers
from organizations that talk in their
classes help increase awareness
“
To make me wanna join it, I
think it’s fun to see stuff they’re
doing on campus. To see how they
are with each other...on social media
it can seem nice sometimes, but if
you actually see them on campus
you can be like ‘I wanna be a part of
that.’”
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How do First-Year Students prioritize their time?
✗ General consensus of
participants is that first-year
students get involved in
organizations for social
reasons
✗ Volunteer organizations
“ I was just trying to get my
surroundings and meet new
people, volunteering was not my
priority.”
are not a priority at the
time; settling in and
meeting people is the
priority

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Email is not the best way to reach students...
✗ Focus group participants stated
that email is not the most

“
reliable method to reach
students The ones that I take seriously are
mainly ones from my professors. Not a
✗ Students prefer to use email for
lot of the ones talking about clubs
communication with professors
because they always take me to the
and check social media more Elon main homepage every time I click
often than email on them.”
✗ Participants did agree that they
judge the email based on the
subject line before considering
reading the content

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College students pay attention to Instagram
✗ Participants agreed that Instagram is the
social media platform they used the most
✗ Participants estimated they spend

“
roughly 2-3 hours a day on social media
with Instagram being the most frequently A lot of people use it
used [Instagram] the most to share
✗ Agreed that Instagram is a great way to what’s going on on campus.”
learn about events on Instagram
✗ The participants follow a collection of
Elon related accounts including…
✗ Elon Outdoors, Elon Dining, Elon
University, and many Elon sports teams

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Target Audience
✗ First-year students at Elon University
✗ First-year students of color ⇢ bring more
diversity to Kernodle Center
✗ Students are focused on meeting people
but understand the importance of giving
back
✗ They join organizations for social reasons,
especially in the first semester
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Goals
✗ Educate students of the many
benefits that the Kernodle Center
has to offer.
✗ ✗
✗ Improve the Kernodle Center’s
visibility/accessibility on campus.
✗
✗ Create a safe space at the
Kernodle Center where BIPOC
students feel welcome.
✗ Differentiate the Kernodle
Center from other Elon
organizations.
✗ Increase followers of the
Kernodle Center Instagram
✗
account.
✗ Challenge the idea that
service is solitary and
individual activity.
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Strategies
✗ Educate students of the many
benefits that the Kernodle Center
has to offer.
✗ ✗
✗ Improve the Kernodle Center’s
visibility & accessibility on campus.
✗
✗ Create a safe space at the
Kernodle Center where BIPOC
students feel welcome.
✗ Differentiate the Kernodle
Center from other Elon
organizations.
✗ Increase followers of the
Kernodle Center Instagram
✗
account.
✗ Promote the idea that service
is a group activity.
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Creative Concept
Branch Out with the
Kernodle Center!

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Creative concept contd.
✗ “Branch Out”
✗ Highlight opportunities
✗ Volunteer
✗ Social
✗ Professional
✗ Design elements from Elon’s campus
✗ Constant growth and change

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 Tactics
&
Media Channels

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Tactic #1: Squirrel Mascot
✗ How?
✗ We recommend that the Kernodle
Center hire a student to wear a squirrel
costume and act as the mascot for the
Branch Out campaign
✗ The squirrel will pop up around campus
several times a week to interact with
students and hand out Kernodle
Center-branded prizes
✗ Why?
✗ To generate exposure for the Kernodle
Center across campus in a creative way
✗ To drive traffic to the Kernodle Center’s
social media and office

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Media Channels: Squirrel Mascot
✗ On-campus, in-person contact
✗ The mascot will wear a Kernodle Center-branded t-shirt when
interacting with students
✗ Instagram
✗ “Spot the Squirrel” story highlight
✗ Encourage students to post content with the squirrel and tag the
Kernodle Center
■ Any student content may be reposted on the Kernodle
Center page

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Tactic #2: More targeted instagram use
✗ How?
✗ Organize and increase use of Instagram highlights
✗ Post photos of volunteers and staff in action on feed, post
infographics and posters on stories and highlights
✗ Select an identifiable profile photo
✗ Engage with students via resharing stories
✗ Use Instagram analytics to develop future engagement
strategies
✗ Why?
✗ To solidify the Kernodle Center brand
✗ To inform students of Kernodle Center activities and events via
social media
✗ To provide easily accessible and visually appealing resources to
involve students

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Media channels: More targeted instagram use
✗ Instagram
✗ Identifiable hashtags for feed posts
■ Ex: #BranchOut
■ Ex: #KCinAction
✗ Identifiable highlight reels for different types of information
■ Ex: Spot the Squirrel
■ Ex: Infographics
■ Names of community partners

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Tactic #3: DEI Council
✗ How?
✗ Hire 5-7 BIPOC-identifying students to sit on the council
■ These may be current Kernodle Center volunteers or new
employees
✗ Why?
✗ To generate diversity and inclusion conversations within the
Kernodle Center environment
✗ To position the Kernodle Center as an inclusive and accessible
place
✗ To create a designated group to consult on DEI activities, issues,
and areas for improvement

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Media Channels: Dei Council
✗ Instagram
✗ Promote DEI Council work and progress
✗ Story takeovers by council members
✗ Council-selected anti-racism resources posted to stories and
feed
✗ Website
✗ Introduce the council via the Kernodle Center website
■ Member bios
■ The council may consider crafting its own mission
statement for the work it does within the Center

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Tactic #4: Update mission statement
✗ How?
✗ The DEI Council will revise the Kernodle Center’s mission
statement to:
■ Acknowledge the current social and racial injustices in
our community
■ Emphasize the rich perspectives and backgrounds of
Kernodle Center volunteers
✗ Why?
✗ To position the Kernodle Center as a more inclusive place
and clearly reflect its values and commitment to diversity
and inclusivity
✗ To help BIPOC students feel comfortable volunteering with
the center

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Media channels: updated mission statement
✗ Mission statement will be updated on all platforms it appears on:
✗ Instagram
✗ Facebook
✗ YouTube
✗ LinkedIn
✗ Website
✗ Graphics/visual materials
✗ Announce the new mission statement via Instagram: feed or story
post

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Tactic #5: volunteer contest
✗ How?
✗ The Kernodle Center will engage student organizations, teams,
and clubs in a semester-long volunteer contest
✗ Points will be awarded for each hour of service completed
✗ Organizations will be placed in brackets based on size
■ 1-10 members
■ 11-25 members
■ 25+ members
✗ The winning team from each bracket will receive a prize at the
end of the semester
■ Second and third place winners will receive smaller prizes

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Tactic #5: volunteer contest
✗ Why?
✗ To encourage students to work together to give back to the
community and meet like-minded individuals
■ Position volunteering as a social activity
✗ To reach new students and introduce them to the Kernodle
Center
■ Encourage them to continue working with the Center after
the competitions, individually or with others
✗ To create a direct line of communication between the Kernodle
Center and the majority of the Elon student body

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Media channels: volunteer contest
✗ In-person exposure
✗ Kernodle Center volunteers or staff will visit student meetings to
educate about volunteer opportunities and competition details
✗ On-campus exposure
✗ Flyers
■ The squirrel may hand out flyers to students
✗ Storm boarding
✗ Instagram
✗ Advertise the contest
✗ Post contest updates
■ Consider a weekly-updated scoreboard via stories
■ Repost any content from organizations via stories
✗ Any organization that volunteers 25+ hours will receive a shoutout
on the Kernodle Center Instagram

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 Low Budget
Squirrel Costume Squirrel Salary “Extend a Branch” Volunteer Contest
- $70 - $675 - $638.50 - $3,425
Stickers and Swag DEI Council Salary “Log On”
- $150 - $3,375 - $680 TOTAL: $10,438.50
Tents Instagram Analytics “Tree-umphant”
- $55 per tent - $0 - $450
Printing Logo Design “Treevia”
- $120 - $50 - $750

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 Low Budget Breakdown
Squirrel Costume Squirrel Salary
- Less realistic costume - Salary for the semester based on 5-7 hour work
weeks
Stickers and Swag
DEI Council Salary
- 50 count stickers and phone wallets
- 5-member council per semester
Tents - Roughly $675 per council member per semester
- Works for good weather days Instagram Analytics
Printing - Free limited analytics with business account
- Printing cost for flyers Logo Design
- Contest/student made design from
99designs.com

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 Low Budget Breakdown
“Extend a Branch” “Treevia”
- Beads: 50 strands for $0.74 each - Food: 30 large Pandora’s Pizzas
- String: 25 bundles for $8.78 each - Prizes: $5 Oak House gift cards
- Cornhole
- Food: Frito-Lay variety pack Volunteer Contest
- Giftcards - 500 shirts: $6.85 each from Custom Ink
“Log On”
- Kernodle Center/Elon Sweatshirt
“Tree-umphant”
- Biodegradable Lanterns
- Markers
- Autograph tree
-
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 High Budget
Squirrel Costume Squirrel Salary “Extend a Branch” Volunteer Contest
- $400 - $945 - $1,221 - $4,720
Stickers and Swag DEI Council Salary “Log On”
- $250 - $4,725 - $1,700 TOTAL: $18,622
Tents Instagram Analytics “Tree-umphant”
- $250 - $99/month OR - $851
$1,200/year
Printing “Treevia”
Logo Design
- $360 - $1,500
- $500

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 High Budget Breakdown
Squirrel Costume Squirrel Salary
- $350-$400 for life-like squirrel costume - $945 (5-7 hours/week)
from shopmascot.com
DEI Council Salary
Stickers and Swag
- $4,725 for 7-member
- $250 for 100 ct stickers and phone council/semester
wallets from Quality Logo Products and
Totally Promotional Instagram Analytics

Tents - $99/month OR $1,200/year

for Instagram Insights.
- $250/ tent from Uline.
Logo Design
Printing
- $500 for professional artist
- $360 (60 cents/page)

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 High Budget Breakdown
“Extend a Branch” “Tree-umphant”
- Beads: 100 strands $0.74 each - Biodegradable lanterns
- String: 50 bundle $8.78 each - Markers
- Cornhole - Autograph tree
- Food: 6 lb. hot dog pack, $89 each and 72 hot
dog buns, $44 per pack “Treevia”
- Gift cards
- Food: 60 large Pandora’s
“Log On” Pizzas
- Prizes: $10 Oak House gift
- Kernodle Center/Elon sweatshirts from bookstore cards (50)
(25 for $1,700)
Volunteer Contest
- 500 shirts: $9.44 each from
Custom Ink

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Evaluation
✗ Tactic #1: Squirrel Mascot
✗ 50+ story mentions or uses of #spotthesquirrel on Instagram
✗ Tactic #2: More targeted Instagram use
✗ At least 10 feed posts and 20 stories within the first month of
school
✗ Tactic #3: DEI Council
✗ Council conducts survey to gauge community response
✗ Tactic #4: Updated mission statement
✗ Council conducts focus group to gauge perceptions
✗ Tactic #5: Volunteer contest
✗ Engage 70% of Elon clubs, teams, and organizations in the
contest

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Calendar

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May 2021

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June 2021

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July 2021

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August 2021

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September 2021

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October 2021

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November 2021

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December 2021

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Addendum

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Branding
&
Style Guide

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Kernodle Center “swag”

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Kernodle center “swag”

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Instagram post ideas

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DEI council press release

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DEI council press release

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Second event flyer
- Volunteer memories
- Social media engagement
- Reposted by KC
- Introduce #BRANCHOUT
- KC swag

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Third event flyer
- Pop-up tent
- Community
- Snacks, music, friends

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Thank you