Fall 2021 Diplomacy Lab Project

Fall 2021 Diplomacy Lab Project Analyzing Youth Engagement in the Netherlands Project Impact: Instagram
Menu Description Amidst Virtual Fatigue due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dr. Tina Zappile, Chair & Associate Professor of Political Science
Tori Robbins, POLS/COMM/Honors/ENVL/PUBH
Erin Kee, POLS/Writing
Stacey Clapp, Director of Digital Engagement
• Increase in followers
Eileen Tizol, Marketing Director • Increase in post likes
• Addition of highlights
Project Plan • Use of emojis and hashtags
• Links in bio
1. Meet with Embassy Staff for initial briefing and to establish project goals
Instagram Followers
2. Meet with Stacey Clapp and Eileen Tizol to discuss social media strategies 3,500

and best practices 3,000

2,763
2,977
2,500 2,681

Number of Followers
3. Write Part 1: Social Media Strategies and Best Practices, share with Embassy 2,000

4. Reconnect with Embassy Staff to review Part 1, shared information, and 1,500

1,000

goals 500

5. Write Part 2: Social Media Analysis & Trends in the Netherlands and Part 3: 0
September November March
Month
Social Media Campaigns, share with Embassy
6. Monitor Embassy’s social media pages Before & After

Final Reports
Bid
A small team of political science and communication students will tackle this
project under the supervision of a Political Science faculty in collaboration
with our university’s Marketing Director, Director of Digital Engagement,
and the Director of the Hughes Center for Public Policy and Polling Institute.
Additionally, we anticipate involvement of a Computer Science faculty and/or
senior staff in our IT office for additional support. Interest in this project
developed organically by our students who connected with Dutch college
students through a virtual international Model UN experience during the
pandemic. There, our students adapted their own communication strategy
(including social media) to effectively work with the Dutch team, and their
collaboration was successful as a result. Dr. Zappile and university staff will
use their own expertise in political science, communications, marketing, and
social media technology to work with this small group of advanced
undergraduate research students to compile existing data on social media use
in the Netherlands, run small focus groups and/or deploy a small survey to
Dutch college students for additional insights specific to political news and
information, develop recommendations and ideas for at least one marketing
campaign on U.S. foreign policy goals, and complete a final report by the
December deadline.