Below is information regarding a Public Relations campaign I ran for the Montgomery County Community College's athletic program in the spring of 2014. I chose to use this to showcase my writing in a Public Relations setting.
You can find the accounts I ran here:
CarpeStang Twitter Account
CarpeStang FaceBook Account
You can find the accounts I ran here:
CarpeStang Twitter Account
CarpeStang FaceBook Account
Client Background
The Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) athletic program has been around for five years now, after returning from a 20 year long hiatus. The program is devoted to creating a culture that helps young men and women pursue sports after high school. MCCC has seven sports teams, three men and four women. The men participate in soccer, basketball and baseball, while the women partake in volleyball, soccer, basketball, and softball. Due to the timing of this course, this campaign will focus on promoting the spring sports: men’s baseball and women’s softball.
This campaign will be overseen by members of MCCC’s faculty, including: Amanda Rogers - Sports Information Director, Bruce Bach - Director of Athletics, Alana Mauger - Director of Communications, Erin Jellesma - Coordinator of Publications and Web and Leon Hall - Director of Institutional Research & Assessment.
Client History
From 1967 to 1989, sports thrived at MCCC, but a number of factors forced the college to discontinue the athletic program. Current Director of Athletics, Bruce Bach, attended MCCC and returned to the college after earning his degree to serve as the Intramurals Coordination in 1996. In 2001, Dr. Karen A. Stout was appointed President of the College and she began to investigate a way to bring back the athletic program.
After a 20-year hiatus, the Mustang athletic program returned in the 2008-2009 season with temporary teams in men’s soccer, basketball, and baseball and women’s soccer, basketball and softball. Bruce Bach was hired as the Director of Athletics and has since held the position. In 2010, the college added a women’s volleyball team. The Mustangs currently are full members in the EPCC (Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference’s) and in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The sports teams have become quite competitive, participating in Division III Region 19 of the league. The volleyball team earned a Region 19 championship in 2011 and both soccer teams and basketball teams have reached the playoffs over the last three seasons.
Public Relations Efforts
Due to the limited budget the athletic program has, past public relations efforts have been financially strapped and have struggled to create a big enough buzz around campus. The program utilizes MCCC’s facilities and newspaper to promote the teams with little to no success in increasing attendance at their baseball and softball games.
On average per year 150 schedule posters are hung up around campus, three articles are featured in the colleges newspaper, The Montgazette, two articles are featured in the alumni magazine, and there are three pep rallies hosted at the College Hall building. There are also 15 student email newsletters regarding athletics and 28 faculty and staff email blasts about results and upcoming games. Over the course of the year, there are 10 different in game promotions, giveaways, and partnerships with campus organizations. The Mustangs mascot or teams will also make appearances and do community service on campus roughly 30 times a year. Lastly, on the web, there are 250 tweets and Facebook posts generated to inform the community about MCCC sports. In addition, the program has its own personal website and generates 100 press releases and game recaps.
All of these efforts are done professionally and with creativity, the problem lies within generating a big enough buzz around athletics to get people to attend their games. This campaign will hope to create enough talk around campus to get students interested in the sports teams and more importantly, increase attendance.
In celebration of the campus’ 50th year anniversary, the athletic department will be engaged in two events this spring. On April 3rd, there will be a 1960’s themed student / faculty softball game and on April 26th, there will be an Armed Forces themed double header and barbeque. This campaign will promote both of these events, as well as having both teams participate in the Earth Week fashion show.
Problem Analysis
The MCCC athletic department wants to increase attendance at their sporting events and promote two events the teams are having regarding the 50th anniversary of the college. On April 3rd there is a student / faculty softball game and on April 26th, the baseball team is hosting a Veterans Day themed doubleheader. This campaign will hope to increase traffic to the baseball and softball games, as well as promote these two events.
Throughout the past four years, the baseball team has averaged a total of 406 people per year. This averages to only 25 people in the stands per game. The softball team has had a similar problem. 356 people have attended a game in the last four years, averaging out to 60 people per game.
The first part of this campaign will be to distribute a survey asking students their knowledge of MCCC’s athletic department. The hypothesis to why attendance is so low is that students either are too busy with schoolwork and other obligations, have a lack of interest, or are completely unaware of the sports teams’ existence. This information will provide a basis for further our efforts to increase awareness and hopefully attendance at the games.
A character named CarpeStang (“Seize the Mustang”) has been created to promote the two teams and will utilize creativity and social media to entice the students at MCCC. Posters will be created and hung around campus and CarpeStang will have its own personal Twitter and Facebook account. This character will reach out to the Veterans Club to help team up with them for the Armed Forces Day Baseball game.
There are three main steps in this campaign: Get the students’ attention, let them in on the “secret” and letting others know about it. In stage 1, CarpeStang will post a series of puzzling and cryptic posters around campus that are loosely related to baseball and softball. These posters will draw attention around campus. In stage 2, CarpeStang will post another puzzling poster with its Twitter handle and Facebook account information on it, directing students to follow it on social media. The character will then inform followers that a flash dance mob will take place at the student / faculty softball game on April 3rd. Information regarding specific dance moves, rehearsals, and day of expectations will be sent out to interest parties via Twitter direct messages and Facebook messages. This dance mob will be filmed, and used to promote the Armed Forces Day baseball game on April 26th. In stage 3, the video of the flash dance mob will be posted on Youtube and will be shared on its Twitter and Facebook pages. Signs around campus will be made to get even more people to check it out. A challenge will be presented by CarpeStang to try to top the dance in a dance-off competition at the Armed Forces Day baseball game. Information will be provided involving the competition and how people can enter. Select members of the Armed Forces servicemen will judge the competition. The winner will get their video featured in upcoming Mustangs and CarpeStange promotions and on the Mustangs website.
Campaign Action and Communication Plan
This public relations campaign focuses on increasing the awareness of Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) spring sport teams by utilizing two specific events this spring and creating a social media campaign. The events will take place on April 3rd and April 26th of this year. Both events are taking place to celebrate the college’s 50th anniversary. On April 3rd there will be a staff and faculty versus student’s softball game which will feature a 1960’s theme. On the 26th, the baseball team will be playing a double header against Villanova and will have a Veterans Day theme. In between games a barbeque will take place while throughout the day, Veterans will be honored. This campaign hopes to connect with the college’s Veterans club and engage them with this event. The specific objective of this program plan is to get more people to attend the baseball and softball games on campus. Another objective is to get students and faculty to follow our social media accounts, “CarpeStang” to keep those followers in the loop.
CarpeStang will create six posters that are unique and cryptic, but all relate to the spring sports. The first three posters will be created and put up around campus with just a picture, design and the CarpeStang brand. The following week, three more posters will be placed around the campus with the Twitter handle “@CarpeStang” on them to let people begin to follow our efforts. Following the posters, tweets will indicate that all of the six posters are related and CarpeStang will challenge students to figure out the puzzle.
CarpeStang will then post links to its Facebook page and people will then see that there is going to be a Flash Mob event on the 26th in between the baseball team’s games. All of these efforts are to increase the awareness of MCCC’s spring sports and to hopefully raise attendance for the game on the 26th and for all MCCC sports games in the future.
This campaign will also connect with MCCC’s student clubs for help with the flash mob solving CarpeStang’s puzzle. With the help of these individuals, these events have a chance at having success.
The flash mob idea fell through but instead, CarpeStang connected with the Veterans club who will be holding two raffle contests at the April 26th event. There will be a 50/50 raffle drawing and another raffle drawing to win great prizes featuring the local professional sport teams.
For this campaign there will be many forms of publicity including a survey on students and faculty on their knowledge of MCCC’s sports, social media posts from “CarpeStang”, a feature story, two press releases (one for both events), and CarpeStang posters.
Social Media – This campaign has connected with Amanda Rogers, MCCC’s Sports and Information Director. As well as Alana Mauger, who is the Director of Communications at MCCC to make sure our social media efforts are successful and written well. Erin Jellesma, coordinator of Publications and Web has also been contacted to make sure the poster ideas are well done. In order for the campaign to generate more awareness, these tools must be used efficiently. By utilizing MCCC’s social media to promote the event, students will be given the chance to learn more about it. Posts to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will be made to connect with as many individuals as possible.
Press Release (2) - By writing a press release to the local media, people who do not attend the college will become aware of staff and faculty / student softball game on April 3rd and then Veterans Day Baseball Doubleheader on the 26th.
CarpeStang Posters – Following the “I Hate Steven Singer” cryptic advertising, CarpeStang will be mysterious and generate a buzz around campus. By finding all six posters, one will then have to understand how they relate. The posters will also lead people to check out CarpeStang’s Twitter, which will lead to its Facebook and Instagram accounts which will have all the information regarding both events, but more specifically the April 26th Veterans Day BBQ and double header.
Component 1: Carpe Stang Social Media
Facebook post – All these posters are related... But how? Can you figure out this puzzle? (Posters posted below)
Another post will be written to describe the Flash Mob and how to get involved.
Twitter post - Fear not, this is only a test. A test one only willing to put these six posters together. They are related, but how? #MCCC #CarpeStang
Twitter post 2 – #Montco is not ready for me. Who am I? What is the meaning of this?
*Additional posts to CarpeStang’s social media will be similar to those above*
Component 2: Press Release 1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2014
Media Contacts
Amanda Rogers
Evan Rostron
267 – 280 – 2658
evan.rostron@gmail.com
BLUE Bell, PA. – Travel back to the days of tie-dyed t-shirts, peace signs and psychedelic music! In celebration of Montgomery County Community College’s 50th anniversary, the Athletic department will be hosting a Faculty / Staff versus Student softball game on April 3rd from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Participants and spectators are encouraged to wear tie-dyed attire as we are traveling back in time to 1964 the first year of MCCC.
The Faculty / Staff team consists of over 20 members and is led by captains Erin Jellesma, Coordinator of Publications and Web, and Jenna Klaus, Assistant Director of Civic and Community Engagement. The student team is still forming. If interested in playing contact Amanda Rogers, Sports Information Director at arogers@mc3.edu or Evan Rostron at evan.rostron@gmail.com
So if you are looking for a hip and groovy time, put on your high tops and join us!
About Montgomery County Community College’s Athletic Program
After a 20-year hiatus, the Mustang athletic program returned in the 2008-2009 season with temporary teams in men’s soccer, basketball, and baseball and women’s soccer, basketball and softball. Bruce Bach was hired as the Director of Athletics and has since held the position. In 2010, the college added a women’s volleyball team. The Mustangs currently are full members in the EPCC (Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference’s) and in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The sports teams have become quite competitive, participating in Division III Region 19 of the league. The volleyball team earned a Region 19 championship in 2011 and both soccer teams and basketball teams have reached the playoffs over the last three seasons.
Component 3: Press Release 2 –
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2014
Media Contacts
Evan Rostron
267 – 280 – 2658
Blue Bell – Come salute our Veterans April 26th at Montgomery County Community College in a Veterans themed baseball doubleheader! Wear your red, white and Blue to this event and show our local Veterans the support they have earned fighting for our country! The Mustangs baseball team will be taking the field at 12 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. against Villanova. In between games there will be a barbeque, as well as ways to enter the raffle contests hosted by MCCC’s Veterans Club.
The Veterans Club will be holding a 50/50 raffle contest, as well as a raffle drawing to win great prizes such as: Claude Giroux autographed puck, Carlos Ruiz bobble head, Philadelphia Soul tickets, and an Evan Mathis signed photograph. Tickets for the raffle will be $1 for one ticket and $5 for six tickets. The winners of the raffle prices will be announced at the Mustangs last home game, April 30th against Salem Community College at 3:30 p.m.
Make sure to bring the whole family out this Saturday to this great event! Bring your own chairs!
Component 4: CarpeStang Posters
Found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
I will attach them to this paper as well.
Evaluation Plan
This public relation campaign was put in place to increase the awareness of the spring sports of Softball and Baseball at Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) and to get more students, faculty, staff and community members to attend their games. Alongside Amanda Rogers, the Sports Information Director, my job was to help her with two specific events regarding the teams. One was a faculty, staff and students 1960’s themed softball game and the other was a Veterans Day themed event for the baseball team. Public relation efforts focused on creating a social media account called “CarpeStang” to draw interest from students and those on campus, posters, and press releases.
The campaign objective is to get more people to attend the softball and baseball team’s games. With the “CarpeStang” account made, the next objective was to gain the attention of students, faculty and staff. This campaign tried to do this by crafting six cryptic posters that were related to baseball but one would have to really think hard to make the connection. These posters were hung around campus, but unfortunately were taken down shortly after they were put up numerous times.
Instruments and Criteria
To evaluate this public relation campaign, interactions on social media, interviews, attendance, and press coverage will be measured. The amount of people who interact and followerd the “CarpeStang” accounts on Twitter and Facebook, as well as the social media posts that receive retweets, comments, likes, etc was observed to understand their efficiency. With the campaign over, these accounts did not receive many followers on either social media outlet at all. On Facebook we had 10 people like us and on Twitter we only received 44 followers. This was the main idea revolving this campaign as we believed that creating this social media account and crafting cryptic posters would entice students to try and figure out the point of “CarpeStang.” We were wrong. This idea would work tremendous on a college or university with dorms and students living on campus as those students would be more inclined to participate and interact with things happening on campus compared to a commuter community college like MCCC.
Attendance to the Veterans Day event will be monitored to see how the community reacted to the public relation efforts. The event saw attendance increase for the game but it was not nearly the outcome we wished to have.
A survey was handed out before the campaign to figure out students’ knowledge of the sports team at MCCC. As expected, most were unaware of the athletic department. Our goal was to increase awareness and attendance. A post survey could maybe be beneficial, but I did not have time to complete one and hand it out, plus this campaign failed to spread the word and increase attendance.
Assessment
This campaign failed miserably. Working with Amanda as my client was very helpful to see exactly what a Sports Information Director at a College does on a daily basis but we came up short on our campaign. It also did not help that she left the College weeks before our Veterans Day event to take a job with the Philadelphia Eagles. At least I now have a connection with her to a local professional sports franchise and will make sure to keep in contact with her as I pursue my goal of working in sports.
We changed our ideas numerous times, going from a wing eating contest, to a funny video of the baseball coach hyping up students to come out and see games, to a flash mob idea, to working with the Veterans Club and having their raffles. I suppose in PR one needs to be flexible, but with all these changes, nothing really got done.
The college held my project back two months as we waited for approval on every single thing. Even a simple survey had to be “evaluated” and “approved” by everyone. With those two months lost, we had to scramble and throw ideas together quickly and it never flourished. Due to the holdback, Amanda and I decided to focus solely on the Veterans Day baseball game because of the time lost.
I suppose I could be seen as making excuses but I truly believe that this College does not want to advance and grow with the times and are still held up on being conservative, which hinders creativity. On any liberal college campus I truly believe my ideas would work wonders. When I go to West Chester and get involved with my Communications and Public Relations courses I will try out the cryptic “character” idea and see if it works, as I believe it would. If a professional sports team decided to do my idea, their fans and followers would be enticed to see how these posters relate and what the purpose of this account would be, especially if there was a prize to be won. Another issue we had at MCCC was that the athletic department does not have any funding or money so it was quite difficult to come up with ideas. Without funding, we really only could make posters, send emails and put information on the school website. That can only get one so far. Without food or a big attraction, community college students will not waste their limited time to go out and see a community college baseball or softball team.
It is incredibly difficult for one to try to get community college students involved in their school. The majority of students are apathetic to their school and could care less about what is going on around campus. The only idea I would suggest to anyone who tries to do this “campaign” on campus again would be to fund-raise and then use the money to bring a local professional athlete to a game to raise attendance, or to have food or prizes at the game. Without a big name, food, prizes, or free stuff, community college students are not going to be interested.
I learned many things over these two courses and I have appreciated all the help I’ve received from my professor, Amanda Rogers, Alana Mauger, as well as anyone else who helped me along the way. If there is any career that is “right” for me I believe that Public Relations is where I belong. Or at least it is what I am good at. I enjoy writing and being creative, so hopefully in the future I can achieve my dreams of doing PR for a sports franchise.
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