CQ Rescue Organizations Campaign - Assignment Example

CQ Rescue Organization’s Campaign Executive Summary The plan aims to highlight the detailed features of the CQ Rescue organization’s campaign regarding promotion of the activities of CQ Rescue in saving the precious lives of humans. The main objectives are to raise funds, promote goodwill and increase the public awareness about importance of rescue helicopter service. A strategy to explore four areas is adopted; the four areas being engineering and mining organizations, professionals with an interest in human cause, new business owners and the social media network users. The main tactics to align with the proposed strategy include contacting potential financial supporters using emails, regular mails and holding meetings. The purpose of these tactics is to introduce to the potential sponsors, the role CQ Rescue is playing in saving precious lives as well as provoking their interest in mutual ventures like promotion of their businesses by offering them enhanced exposure in return for their financial contributions to CQ Rescue. This plan also contains a detail of the expected budget; the expenses shown in budget are further split into two months i.e. July 2014 & August 2014 to provide an idea of the anticipated expenses for the months during which the campaign is intended to last. The campaign will start from 1st July 2014 and end on 31st August 2014. To gain an idea about the success of the organization’s developed plan, certain vital parameters are selected to measure the success or failure effectively. It is hoped that the implementation of this plan will bring forth additional funding for the organization to make possible the assistance of people who need emergency transport services in times of need. Situation analysis RACQ CQ Rescue is a community helicopter rescue service with an operating base in Mackay on the Central Queensland Coast of Australia. It aims to provide vital medical care to seriously injured patients in Mackay and often critically ill patients who need urgent transport from this region to Townsville. The staffs of CQ Rescue consist of four pilots, four air crewmen and two rescue crewmen. RACQ CQ Rescue and Queensland Ambulance Service work together to provide an Intensive Care Paramedic being made available to fly with the RACQ CQ Rescue crew 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a Community Helicopter Provider, RACQ CQ Rescue relies heavily upon the community to provide funding for operational purposes. These funds are sourced through sponsorships, business donations, workplace giving programs, annual appeals, bequests, and fundraising events. At this point in time, CQ Rescue is facing difficulties in acquiring sufficient funding for its operational purposes. Since CQ Rescue operates in a 300km radius from Mackay, promotions across other regions of service operations are limited. The following section of this Public Relations Plan sets the objectives that need to be accomplished in order for CQ Rescue to overcome its difficult financial sourcing and its lack of public exposure and awareness. Objectives Raise Funds As mentioned earlier CQ Rescue currently faces funding relating issues. Therefore, it is crucial for CQ Rescue to obtain regular sufficient financial assistance for its intended operational purposes. As opposed to the present scenario, the process of generation of funds should be self-sustaining and independent from the influence of factors like inflation of political interference. Promote Goodwill In order to promote goodwill it is very important for CQ Rescue to create good rapport with its target publics. This will drive to loyal relationships between CQ Rescue and the community which will encourage them to participate constantly with any initiative CQ Rescue holds. Increase Public Awareness One of the biggest issues CQ Rescue is facing at present time is the lack of public exposure and public awareness. Therefore, it is important to help its target audience to be familiar with the organisation and to perceive it as an organisation that brings in positive inputs and value to its community. The public should be made aware about the role of CQ Rescue as a life-saver; this is essential to win public empathy. Target public The followings are the potential target publics for CQ Rescue: Engineering and Mining Companies that are currently operating in the area CQ Rescue should target mining and engineering businesses with financial ability to fund the organisation on regular basis. Some mining and engineering companies operating in Mackay are already sponsoring CQ Rescue and represent most of the Platinum and some of the Major Sponsors; however, it will be important to attract a major number of these organisations because of the help and reliability that they have provided to CQ Rescue in terms of financial funding. Start-up businesses in the area that wish to create brand exposure and obtain a positive brand image Sponsors of CQ Rescue have won favourable reputation among the community of Mackay. It will be important to get involved with new businesses that wish to create exposure and obtain a positive brand image within the community. In return for funding CQ Rescue may offer to expose the business logo or name across its helicopters and mention them within activities or events that are directed to the public. Professionals between 30 and 55 years of age who participate in not-for-profit organisations and charity activities CQ Rescue should target professionals between 30 and 55 years of age who participate in not-for-profit organisations and charity activities. Mature professionals with this particular interest are likely to be motivated by what CQ Rescue does for the community which will result in possible funding or donations from them. Social media users between 18 and 65 who “like” or support not-for-profit organisations and charitable events Social Media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have demonstrated that they can help CQ Rescue in terms of organisation exposure. However it will be crucial to promote the organisation to social media users that already present interest in or participate with not-for-profit and charitable organisations. Strategies (KEY MESSAGES) Establishing contacts with engineering and mining companies for fund-raising Due to the fact that the organization’s previous experience with such companies has been satisfactory, and we have some experience about the way these companies work in matters of charity and donations, the organization’s prime target will be to approach such companies and widen the organization’s sponsor base. The purpose of this strategy is to establish a sponsor base that is itself strong in financial terms and it is hoped that they will prove to be a source of satisfaction for considerably lengthy period of time. The organization’s message for engineering companies will be “Engineers can also save a life; just like doctors”. For the mining companies, the organization’s message will be “A ‘nickel’ from your mine will save a life”. Establishing relationships with start-up businesses It is hoped that this strategy will help the organizations in an extraordinary way. Since new businesses are always emerging, their need to earn a good name in a short period of time will be utilized to generate income for the organization. However, it should be remembered that this will be an ongoing process; as businesses quite often change their names, shapes and status. “Save a life, to bring new life to your business”. Engaging professionals between 30 and 55 years of age There is no shortage of individual professionals who contribute their efforts towards the growth of not-for-profit organizations. The organization’s strategy will be to contact such professionals to get their input in any possible way. The organization will not limit itself to attaining financial assistance; instead if their professional skills are of any use to us, we shall try to engage them as far as possible. For this class, the organization’s message will be “Your profession is extraordinarily life-saving”. Approaching the 18 to 65 years old social media users This is an extremely effective tool for promoting the message. Since internet is widely used throughout the world and its users are increasing with the passage of time, it will be wise to utilize the users as the driving force behind promotion of the organization’s message about the life-saving service. The variation in the age of social media users should not be considered a hindrance, as the use of social media is not labour intensive; it is rather ‘engaging’ for all. The message for this target group will be “Share if you care” Tactics Establishing contacts with engineering and mining companies for fund-raising The first step in this regard will be to make a list of the organization’s target companies. By looking at their spending details, we will shortlist the companies that have been involved in providing donations for various human causes. Once this has been achieved, contacts with them will be established using emails, snail-mails, telephone calls and holding meetings with concerned authorities of the shortlisted companies. The letters sent via ordinary mail will include the organization’s promotional brochures / pamphlets to explain in detail the purpose and working of the organization. The request for meetings will be sent via emails to make sure their working is not interfered with. Once a company accepts the organization’s request to hold a meeting, a selected team of three members from the organization will be sent for the meeting. The agenda for meeting regarding fund-raising will be set prior to the start of meeting to make sure such encounters are productive. Establishing relationships with start-up businesses Doing this will involve the use of emails, regular mail, telephone calls and meetings. As it will be a continuous process, the organization will keep a keen eye on the businesses that emerge in the society with the passage of time. The organization will invite such businesses to become part of the noble cause of saving human lives in return for the promotional activities that we will perform on their behalf. These activities will include printing the logo of interested companies on the bodies of the organization’s helicopters, printing the logos of such supporters in newspaper advertisements that originate from the organization Engaging professionals between 30 and 55 years of age Interested professionals will be given a choice between providing assistance in the form of financial support or by putting to use their profession. Computer professionals for example may be given the task of promoting the organization’s cause on the internet platform. Likewise, medical professional may be given the task of promoting the cause at hospital settings by distributing the organization’s literature. In this regard, professional journalists can provide a new life to the organization by making sure that people who read them get to know about the organization’s rescue service. Approaching the 18 to 65 years old social media users The use of famous social media networks like Twitter and Facebook will be utilized to convey the message to social media users of this age range. Special video messages and picture messages will be produced for influencing the internet users in a positive way, this will be accomplished by using ‘Facebook Ad Targeting’, which is a tool offered by Facebook to businesses in order to target specific type of customers, in our case, it will still be useful to use it in order to reach our audience. The video will portray the working of rescue team and a short list of success statistics to make sure the message is conveyed in a short period of time; yet effectively. The organization’s produced content will contain a request to convince the viewers about sharing the video to benefit others. Calendar (or timetable) Gantt chart Strategy Tactics July 1st week July 2nd week July 3rd Week July 4th week Aug 1st week Aug 2nd week Aug 3rd week Aug 4th week Establishing contacts with engineering and mining companies Sending emails Sending regular mail Sending invitations for meetings Holding meetings Establishing relationships with start-up businesses Sending email / regular mails/ telephone calls / meetings Arranging meetings to offer promotion in return for funding Printing logos on helicopters Printing logos in newspaper advertisements Engaging professionals between 30 and 55 years of age Meeting with professionals Allowing professionals to work for us Allowing professionals to assist financially Approaching the 18 to 65 years old social media users Preparation of promotional video Preparation of internet related content (pictures/ posts) Convincing social media users to ‘share’ the organization’s posts. Budget A detailed account of the expected budget is given in tabulated form; Strategy Tactics Items Costs July 2014 August 2014 Establishing contacts with engineering and mining companies Sending emails Computers Computer operator Salary Internet connection Charges Research for email addresses $10,000 Sending regular mail Computers Printers Stationary Mail expenses $3000 Sending invitations for meetings Invitation card printing Stationary Mail expenses $1000 Holding meetings Telephone calls to arrange appointments Traveling expenses Refreshments Printing minutes of meetings $20,000 Establishing relationships with start-up businesses Sending email / regular mails/ telephone calls Stationary Mail expenses Invitation cards printing Telephone calls for appointments $3000 Arranging meetings to offer promotion in return for funding Travelling expenses Refreshments Printing minutes of meeting $20,000 Printing logos on helicopters Hiring services of logo printers $5,000 Printing logos in newspaper advertisements Hiring designers for developing advertisements Expenses for paid advertisements in prominent newspapers $10,000 Engaging professionals between 30 and 55 years of age Meeting with professionals - Invitation cards printing - Telephone calls for appointments - Travelling expenses - Refreshments - Printing minutes of meeting $15,000 Allowing professionals to work for us Stationary & Printing Developing guidelines for professional to work accordingly $1,000 Allowing professionals to assist financially Nil $0.00 Approaching the 18 to 65 years old social media users Preparation of promotional video Hiring professional video producers $5,000 Preparation of internet related content (pictures/ posts) Outsourcing to freelancers on internet $3,000 Convincing social media users to ‘share’ the organization’s posts. Payments to social media websites for promotional campaign $5,000 TOTOL $40,000 $61,000 Measurement Monitoring Monitoring of the activities will be carried out along the following lines; Regarding “Establishing contacts with engineering and mining companies”, the percentage of responses against the emails and letters sent will be calculated. A 20% response rate is expected; below 20% responses will be considered as suboptimal response, after which an alternate plan will be developed. Regarding “Establishing relationships with start-up businesses”, a 40% response rate will be considered optimal; below optimal response will result in development of alternate plan. Regarding “Engaging professionals between 30 and 55 years of age” a 10% response rate will be considered satisfactory. Below this level of response will call for an alternate plan development. Regarding “Approaching the 18 to 65 years old social media users”, the response will be measured by the ‘shares’ of social media users. It is expected that 30% of users will respond positively to our request. Below this response will alert the organization to adopt an alternate strategy. Evaluation The evaluation of campaign will be carried out based on the following parameters; On average, if 10% of the organizations, professionals and social media users demonstrate a positive response, the campaign will be regarded as successful. A rise in generation of funds post-campaign will be evaluated. It is expected that the level of funds will rise to double the present figures, within a period of 4 to 6 months after the campaign is over. Read More