ITS NOT JUST THE GAMES

Campaign Plan 2015

All Star Public Relations

ALLSTAR
PUBLIC RELATIONS

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
December 4, 2014
To: Jim Fitzpatrick
Director of Development, Torch Run Marketing & Community Relations
From: All Star PR
Re: Its Not Just the Games Campaign
Dear Mr. Fitzpatrick,
Thank you for your interest in All Star PR. Enclosed, please find a public relations campaign for Special Olympics Illinois, as promised. We have crafted and designed a campaign for your organization that we feel
best suits your SOILLs goals.
Here, you will find a campaign that will increase engagement within the McLean County community by boosting the number of volunteers for and total donors to non-games Special Olympics Illinois events
within the community by June 2015. By targeting students, residents and area businesses using a variety of strategies and tactics, All Star PR will deliver a practical, creative and effective campaign for SOILL.
This campaign works within a $2,000 budget. The plan works to:
Enhance SOILLs media relations within the community.
Increase the number of student volunteers.
Increase the number of non-student resident volunteers and donation amounts.
Facilitate mutually beneficial partnerships with area businesses.
Thank you for again your time and consideration. Please contact us regarding any questions or feedback you may have concerning this campaign or other projects. We look forward to continued communication
with you in regards to your goals as an organization and how we can assist you in meeting them. All Star PR will be in contact with you before the end of December 2014 to arrange a meeting about this
campaign. We hope that you consider our campaign and wish SOILL the best of luck in all of its future endeavors.
Best,
Marissa Czarnecki

Nick Hahn

Allison Kramer

Adam Locascio

Cassy Tracy

Haley Westfall

ALLSTAR
PUBLIC RELATIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Campaign Plan 2015

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

KEY MESSAGE PLATFORM..

13
OBJECTIVES.14
OBJECTIVE 1.. 15
OBJECTIVE 2. 17
OBJECTIVE 3 19
OBJECTIVE 4.. 21
EVALUATION & MEASUREMENT22
TIMELINE. 22
BUDGET 23
EVALUATION24
OBJECTIVE 1..25
OBJECTIVE 2..26
OBJECTIVE 3..27
OBJECTIVE 4..28

RESEARCH.. 5
SURVEY 1 FINDINGS..
6
SURVEY 2 FINDINGS..
7
CONTENT ANALYSIS:
MEDIA.. 8
CONTENT ANALYSIS: SOCIAL
MEDIA9
INTERNAL SITUATION ANALYSIS.
.10
EXTERNAL SITUATION
ANALYSIS. 11
TARGET PUBLICS AND SEGMENTATION.
12

CONTACT. 29

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Campaign Plan 2015
Special Olympics Illinois helps create champions in our community every day. However,
research shows that although community members recognize Special Olympics as a
valuable organization, there is low engagement with SOILL throughout the community. The
Summer Games are well-known, as demonstrated by our classmates' research.

Furthermore, in order to increase engagement with one of the most active residents of the
community, a final objective for this campaign is to increase the number of college student
volunteers. This is an audience that will interact with and amplify the message of SOILL
through their passion and social media engagement. A primary, overarching strategy for
this campaign is to form an outreach team. For this strategy, a Student Ambassador Team
made up of individuals from area colleges will be assembled. They are key to the
implementation of nearly every other strategy and tactic throughout the rest of the
campaign. Students are motivated, intelligent and passionate as volunteers and will make
great advocates for this organization. Face to face, personal interactions will be so much
more persuasive than an informational email or a brochure.

The problem is that the rest of the wonderful work SOILL does is not well known.
As a result, we have chosen to focus our efforts on that problem, rather than the Summer
Games. Increased knowledge of, and engagement with, SOILL during other parts of the
year will consequently lead to more interest in the Games. Our campaign is unique and
strategically different in our exclusive focus on SOILL as a year-round organization. The goal
of this campaign is to increase engagement by boosting the number of volunteers and
donors to Special Olympics Illinois within the community by June 2015. All Star PR suggests
a campaign that promotes engagement through education, targeting McLean County
residents, students, and businesses.

In this plan, each objective will be evaluated based on the goal that was set.
The campaign will be considered successful if all of the objectives are met or exceeded. All
Star PR has developed this campaign within the parameters of a $2,500 budget.

The main objective for this campaign is to boost media relations, as local media sources are
a valuable and credible way to reach a wide target audience. Emotionally compelling,
heartwarming stories engage people, promoting awareness, and are part of what
persuades people to work with nonprofit organizations such as SOILL in the first place. We
will deliver those stories to them.

This campaign will be instrumental a long-term plan for Special Olympics Illinois not only in
Area 6, but as a whole. It is a creative and detailed plan that we are confident will produce
the expected results when implemented accordingly.

A further objective is to increase volunteerism among residents in McLean county,

specifically among church groups. These groups are altruistically motivated and have a
dedication to philanthropy in the community. Additionally, reaching out to and forming
partnerships with local businesses as ways to generate volunteers, donations and
community messages will be a main component of this campaign.

RESEARCH
Key Research Questions

Key research questions are the questions that need answered through research about Special Olympics that will contribute to
the formation of an effective campaign. Answering these questions help to design a strategic campaign that addresses
specific issues within the organization and fully utilizes its strengths. The research questions utilized are as follows:
What is local awareness about SOILL in the community?
What are local attitudes regarding Special Olympics?
What are attitudes regarding volunteerism?

Both primary and secondary research were conducted for this campaign.
Two surveys using Google Forms were made available to members of the McLean County community that addressed
awareness and attitudes of the organization as a whole, as well as volunteerism within the community. They included
questions concerning area demographics and psychographics with both qualitative and quantitative questions.
In addition, an informal content analysis of local media coverage was conducted as well as an analysis of Special Olympics
social media presence on multiple platforms.
5

SURVEY 1: SPECIAL OLYMPICS SURVEY FINDINGS

66 RESPONSES
AGE RANGE: 16-76
AVERAGE AGE: 44
YEARS
Have you heard of Special
Olympics?

When asked What does Special Olympics do? respondents answered

qualitatively and were gauged on their answers. Responses were categorized in 1
of 3 ways: fully correct, partially correct and wrong.
13 were fully correct, 51 were partially correct and 2 were wrong.
Many partially correct answers only mentioned the Summer Games and
competition aspect of Special Olympics. many also mentioned only
supporting children.
It appears that most respondents have a general idea of what SOILL does,
but do not know the extent.

Have you attended an event for

or donated to Special
Olympics, either monetarily or
with your time?

21%

55%

Do you know where

Special Olympics Illinois
is located?

Do you think Special

Olympics is a year-round
effort or just part of the
year?
2%

Yes
100%

Yes
33%

8%

No
67%
91%
2 of the 44
respondents who said
they knew where
headquarters were
answered incorrectly.

Year-Round
Don't Know

Part of Year

14%
11%

Donated
Both

Volunteer
I have not donated time or money

This number is likely lower. Despite 45% of

our sample saying they had attended,
volunteered or donated,
66% had previously answered that they
did not know where the headquarters
were located. We would expect that had
they been involved with the organization,
they would be aware of the headquarters
location.1
19 respondents elaborated on their
participation. 7 of the 19 contributed by
volunteering and donating. Only 3 just
donated money. 9 had only volunteered.

SURVEY 2: VOLUNTEERISM SURVEY FINDINGS

37 RESPONDENTS
AGES RANGE FROM 18
TO 61
AVERAGE AGE: 22
YEARS

Would you consider volunteering

with Special Olympics Illinois?

1
22%

No
27%

No
54%

2
14%

4 or more
57%

Do you currently volunteer with

any organization or school in the
McLean County area?

Yes
46%

How many events does Special

Olympics Illinois put on annually?

Yes
73%

9 of the 20 respondents
who said they did not
volunteer cited lack of
time as the main reason.

3
8%

This data reinforces the idea of a time

replacement ad for boosted social media
posts, as many non-volunteers cited lack of
time as a main reason they do not volunteer.
It also shows a slight disconnect between
the number of people who know about the
Summer Games and the number of people
who do not connect other annual events
with the organization, as just over half
recognized that SOILL hosts 4 or more
events per year.

CONTENT ANALYSIS
Media Coverage of Special
Olympics

Most articles seem to be very positive or at least neutral. Many articles are not emotionally appealing, but
appear to be educational about SOILL competitions and events. None of the articles analyzed mention
SOILL in Bloomington-Normal. Many mention Illinois State University and seem to confuse ISUs hosting of
the summer games with ISU being the headquarters. ISU affiliation seems to be portrayed as stronger/
more active than in actuality.
This data indicates a need for a media relations strategy as part of a media outreach objective. There is
opportunity for SOILL to have more appealing and engaging stories with a variety of local media outlets.

CONTENT ANALYSIS
Social Media Content

SPECIAL OLYMPICS ILLINOIS

10,459

1,787

TOTAL LIKES

FOLLOWERS

SPECIAL OLYMPICS ILLINOIS AREA 6

552
TOTAL LIKES

SOILL Twitter posts daily. It makes an effort to

recognize partnerships with donors and
promote upcoming fundraisers. They also
retweet other people's individual tweets
SOILL Facebook posts fundraisers at various
restaurants and organizations in the
Bloomington-Normal area. The restaurants
and organizations donate a percentage of all
the proceeds to SOIL.

SOILL Facebook posts pictures and specific

dates on their page for upcoming fundraisers.

SOILL Facebook posts photos of their events,

participating athletes, and volunteers.
9

SOILL Heartland/Area 6 only has Facebook.

SOIL- Heartland/ Area 6 Facebook only has

559 Likes as of 10/27/14

Over the course of our campaign the page

has been unliked 7 times

Content features pictures from past events

Mission Statement, address of headquarters,

contact information is included in About
section. The page only has the year founded,
but no other background information.

ALLSTAR
PUBLIC RELATIONS

INTERNAL SITUATION ANALYSIS

ASPECTS
Strong base of volunteers in the
McLean County community.

STRENGTHS

IMPLICATIONS
Large number of volunteers who are
willing to serve their community.

POSSIBLE ACTIONS
Persuade volunteer-driven individuals
to contribute time to SOIL and Area 6.

Broadcast the special relationship

Special Olympics Illinois holds Special People are aware that Special Olympics between athletes, families, coaches
Olympics Summer Games.
works with those with disabilities.
and volunteers as a way to attract time
& monetary donations.

People only associate SOIL with

Summer Games & competition.

Many people are unaware of the

lifestyle promoted by SOIL for athletes Provide more information about the
variety of support and services
and coaches. The organization is not
provided by SOIL.
associated with the broad network of
support that it provides

Event promotions

Focus on gaining a wider range of

Cater to an internal audience of primary
event attendees & reach out to new
funders, volunteers, and athletes.
donors

WEAKNESSES

10

EXTERNAL SITUATION ANALYSIS

ASPECTS

OPPORTUNITIES

IMPLICATIONS

POSSIBLE ACTIONS
Focus our messaging on education of the
brands activities instead of brand awareness.
Engage the community that is already active
to become brand advocates

Brand awareness

100% of survey respondents have heard of

Special Olympics and 46% of the survey
respondents either volunteer or donate to
Special Olympics.

Established partnership with surrounding

colleges.

ISU grounds used for Summer Games and

SOIL generates volunteers from ISU. However,
there is no current sponsorship with any of the
local universities & colleges

High level of community volunteerism.

Persuade volunteers to choose Special

Volunteer driven community makes it easier to
Olympics and access that pool of motivated
persuade and access volunteers.
individuals.

Limited Volunteers & Time

There are a variety of nonprofit organizations

within Bloomington-Normal and volunteers
have a limited amount of time to donate to
Special Olympics.

Deliver the benefits of volunteering for Special

Olympics over its competitors; target
volunteers that have an emotional attachment
to Special Olympics cause.

Economy

Lack of funds to donate & lack of time due to

employment needs.

Community residents have to hold jobs.

Unemployment rate is relatively low. Many
residents do not have extra time or money.

THREATS

11

Form partnerships to generate volunteers and

possibly financial donations from the local
colleges (ISU, IWU, Heartland, Lincoln
College).

TARGET PUBLICS AND SEGMENTATION

ISU & IWU

20,000 students

Heartland & Lincoln College

5,000 students

McLean County Residents

175,000 non-students

McLean County Businesses

250 businesses

This campaign will operate with a three-tiered target audience in mind. By segmenting McLean County into three key target
publics, a variety of audiences can be reached who will best be able to fulfill the specific objectives set by the campaign.

ENCE

01

02

03

Student volunteers at Illinois State, Illinois Wesleyan, Heartland and Lincoln Community
Colleges with interests in civic engagement, working with special needs, physical and
occupational therapy, athletic training and sports and recreational activities will be
targets. Since the last week of classes is typically in May, students as volunteers will be
primarily utilized for events taking place before the summer months, such as the 2015
Polar Plunge.
McLean County non-student residents will be a target for a number of strategies. This
large audience will be segmented into middle-aged, middle to upper class residents
who can provide not only time as volunteers but monetary donations as well.

Local businesses will be targeted as potential sponsors, able to provide financial support
as well as facilitate community outreach.
12

ALLSTAR
PUBLIC RELATIONS

KEY MESSAGE PLATFORM

Campaign Plan 2015

Special Olympics Mission

Statement:
Provide year-round sports training
and athletic competition in a variety
of Olympic-type sports for children
and adults with intellectual
disabilities, giving them continuing
opportunities to develop physical
fitness, demonstrate courage,
experience joy and participate in a
sharing of gifts, skills
and friendship with their families,
other Special Olympics athletes and
the community.

Special Olympics Promise

Our Key Message Platform:

Special Olympics unleashes the

human spirit through the
transformative power and joy of
sports every day around the world.

Special Olympics is not just the

Summer Games; it is a lifestyle for
the athletes that provides them
with a solid and extensive network
of support and empowerment.
McLean County residents and
businesses can participate in
Special Olympics events (other
than the Summer Games) that
occur throughout the year and
contribute to the overall success of
the organization.

13

ALLSTAR
PUBLIC RELATIONS

PLAN OF ACTION
GOAL: to increase engagement by boosting the number of volunteers and amount of donations to Special Olympics Illinois within the community.

ECTIVES
Generate 10 positive feature
local news stories about
SOILL by June 2015.

Expand SOILLs volunteer

base of McLean County
student residents by 35% by
May 2015.

STRATEGIES

TACTICS

Media Relations
Event

Host Day of Champions event

Invite local reporters to attend Polar Plunge

Media Relations

DJ for a day
Assemble a team of Student Ambassadors

Outreach Team

Reach out to department heads via email

Two-Way Outreach

Reach out to RSOs

Reach out to fraternity and sorority life

Increase non-games event

participation by McLean
County non- student
residents by 50% by June
2015.

Public Affairs

Student Ambassador attends weekly local church meetings

Social Media
Outreach

Digital billboard on Veterans Parkway

Emotionally compelling and informational video
Utilize Facebook with a boosted post campaign

Acquire partnerships with

10 local businesses in
McLean County by June
2015.

Business Relations

Facebook donate button

Email prospective partners with SOILL information
Invite local businesses to SOILL events

14

Engage local businesses via their social media audiences

PLAN OF ACTION: OBJECTIVE ONE

Campaign Plan 2015

Generate 10 positive feature

local news stories about
SOILL by June 2015.
Strategy 1: Media
Relations Event
Tactic 1:Host Day of
Champions event.
(May 2, 2015) Invite
local reporters (The
Pantagraph, The
Vidette, The Normalite,
WEEK, TV-10, local
personalities like Susan
Saunders, Lenore
Sebota, Scott Laughlin,
Mike Williams) to

attend this training

session/social with
athletes and coaches to
learn how to play
games and interact
with the athletes. Pair
them with Student
Ambassadors, athletes
and coaches acting as
tour-guides. While
there, they can
interview athletes and
coaches. Let them play
around and see what
the organization is all
about. Provide pizza
from Monicals and

cookies from Cookies

By Design after. Offer a
Special Olympics
cooler for reporters/
influencers who are
interested in coming.
Coolers contain
informational literature
about SOILL and a
formal invitation to the
event. This event will be
held at the Special
Olympics Illinois
Headquarters (605 East
Willow Street in
Normal).

15

PLAN OF ACTION: OBJECTIVE ONE

Campaign Plan 2015

Generate 10 positive feature local news stories about SOILL by June

2015.

*With this tactic, it is important to either A. Have access to Tony Hill,

who we believe did a wonderful job in the promotional video we
viewed for SOILL or B. An opportunity to interview current SOILL
athletes and find a candidate who would be a good fit for having
some radio time.

Strategy 2: Media Relations

Tactic 2: Invite local reporters to attend the Polar Plunge. Send
them a popsicle (Chill out at Polar Plunge) in an SOILL cooler.
Invite them to attend the event and after party free of charge.
Entice them with our Polar Plunge Greek Life competition,
which will attract a variety of interesting participants and will
hopefully provide SOILL with record-breaking donation
amounts. Send an Ambassador with the popsicle gift cooler to
personally invite them.
Tactic 3: Set up spots at local radio stations (101.5 WBNQ, 100.7
WWHQ, 107.7, 103.3 WZND, 104.1, WJBC) for SOILL athletes to
be co-hosts/ DJs of the day. Promote SOILL and give listeners a
feel for what the organization is about. Use Tony Hill and a
Student Ambassador for this. (See Appendix C)

16

PLAN OF ACTION: OBJECTIVE TWO

Campaign Plan 2015

Expand SOILLs volunteer base of

McLean County student residents by
35% by May 2015.
Strategy 1: Outreach Team
Tactic 1: Assemble a team of Student
Ambassadors: 5-6 student interns
whose role is to act as spokespeople
on behalf of SOILL, providing possible
donors and volunteers with information
about events (ex. Polar Plunge) and
opportunities to volunteer. Begin
selection process in January, email
department heads and presidents of
RSOs and Greek Life organizations and
advertise as an unpaid internship
opportunity. Facilitating

communication and acting as a

mailman for SOILL are two of the main
tasks associated with this new role. For
this task, they will only need to be
friendly and be educated on the goals
of SOILL, what the organization does
and the ability to communicate that
effectively. The Ambassador Team will
report to Jim Fitzpatrick and Jill
Bertelsen.
This team will require 10-15 hours of
service per week, with 1 meeting each
week to dictate tasks and direct
members. The 10-15 hours of service
will include physical outreach and
distribution of information, as well as
on-site tasks such as online

17

communication and creating give-away

and promotional material. At each
weekly meeting, ambassadors will be
expected to file a report of their weekly
activities, i.e. who they contacted, who
responded and who they visited to a
supervisor that attends the meeting.

PLAN OF ACTION: OBJECTIVE TWO

Campaign Plan 2015

Expand SOILLs volunteer base of McLean

County student residents by 35% by May
2015.
Strategy 2: Two-Way Outreach
Tactic 2:Reach out to major
department heads via email (See
Appendix A) and encourage them to
educate their students about Special
Olympics, specifically the Polar Plunge.
Offer to host informational sessions
about what SOILL does, what
volunteers can do and how they can
get involved. Provide a signup sheet for
scheduled information sessions. Send a
Student Ambassador and athlete to the
information sessions with pamphlets
and popsicles to promote Polar Plunge.

Tactic 3: Reach out to registered student

organizations centered around
philanthropy, volunteerism, special
needs advocacy, civic engagement and
athletics via email at the local colleges
and universities. Send email to
presidents of RSOs, telling them about
Polar Plunge and SOILL in the
community. Include the video. If they are
interested, have a Student Ambassador
attend one of their meetings with our
video, pamphlets and popsicles
promoting Polar Plunge.

Tactic 4: Reach out to fraternity and

sorority life offices at ISU and IWU to
participate in Polar Plunge.

18

PLAN OF ACTION: OBJECTIVE THREE

Campaign Plan 2015

Increase non-games event

participation (both number of
volunteers and amount of
donations) by McLean County
non-student residents by 50%
by June 2015
Strategy 1: Public Affairs
Tactic 1: Have a
Student Ambassador
attend weekly local
church meetings.
Create a tactile display
board containing
information based on
what SOILLs
volunteers do and how

they help our

organization stay
productive. Included
will be pictures of
volunteers and
athletes, along with
quotes that embody
what SOILL is all about.
We will provide
brochures and a signup sheet for potential
volunteers to leave
their contact
information for us to
follow up.

Parkway. Billboard will

have two child athletes
smiling with the quote
Help us become
champions today!
Volunteer with Special
Olympics. More info at:
www.soill.org. With
the dates and location
of events throughout
the year.

Tactic 2: Digital
billboard on Veterans

19

PLAN OF ACTION: OBJECTIVE THREE

Campaign Plan 2015

Increase non-games event

participation (both number of
volunteers and amount of
donations) by McLean County
non-student residents by 50% by
June 2015
Strategy 2: Social media
outreach
Tactic 1: Create an
emotionally compelling and
informational video about
SOILL. Feature local children,
athletes and volunteers
providing information about
the year-round goals of the
organization, as well as
information on how the
community can help. Use
this everywhere on social
media (and with other
strategies as well.) This video

can contain a story featuring

a child athlete, transitioning
to an adult athlete and onto
a volunteer.

Tactic 2: Utilize Facebook with

a boosted post campaign to
reach as many residents as
possible within the area with
image-based, emotionally
appealing posts that dont
look like ads. Use the video
here. We will also tweet links
to our video, as well as the
current PSA that SOILL
currently has in production.
Also utilize this feature with
the integrated hashtag
PlungeFor to gain
recognition by as many
parties as possible.

Tactic 3: Utilize promoted

tweets with image-based,
emotionally appealing posts
that dont look like ads. We
will also tweet links to our
video, as well as the current
PSA that SOILL currently has
in production. Integrate the
hashtag PlungeFor to gain
recognition by as many
parties as possible.
Tactic 4: Utilize the SOILL local
Facebook page to place an
appealing donate button/link
in the biography section to
draw donors in by a simple
click. Also frequently post the
donation button link on our
tweets every week with a link
to the Special Olympics
website.
20

PLAN OF ACTION: OBJECTIVE FOUR

Campaign Plan 2015

Acquire partnerships* with 10 local

businesses in the McLean County area
by June 2015.
*Partnerships: agreement for the mutual support of
both organizations by offering volunteers or
monetary donations from that organization in
exchange for recognizing these organizations at
SOILL events.
Strategy 1: Business Relations
Tactic 1: Email area local business with
information about SOILL and how they can
become a partner with our organization. (See
Appendix for list of businesses) Inform
businesses that if they are interested, we would
be more than happy to host an information
session at their convenience about who we are as
an organization and how they can help us further
the work that we do in the community. If
interested, send Student Ambassadors door-to-

door around local interested businesses

promoting partnerships. With a partnership,
SOILL will allow said businesses to set up tents
and provide their promotional materials at SOILL
events, as well as acknowledging their
sponsorship on the website, social media sites
and any SOILL literature. In return, SOILL will ask
for businesses to help promote the organization
in a variety of ways. Monetary donations,
merchandise/gift card donations, allowing
employees to volunteer and featuring SOILL
programs and events at the place of business
would all be welcome. Ambassadors would carry
a goodie bag with SOILL literature and candy to
the businesses.
Tactic 2: Invite area businesses to SOILL events,
providing them with free entry if necessary, to
come see what the organization is all about and
tell them how they can help. Partner them with
Student Ambassadors and provide them with a T-

21

shirt and set of SOILL literature to take with them

when they leave.
Tactic 3: Tie-in with the social networks of
partnered businesses to reach their networks as
well as SOILLs. Encourage businesses to hold a
contest amongst followers. Each week, 1 business
is given a post from SOILL to share. The first 5
followers who share the material each day are
entered to win a prize. This is done for 4 weeks
with 4 businesses. At the end of the 4 weeks, a
winner is drawn and a prize is given.

TIMELINE

22

TIMELINE

START BOOSTED
POSTS
REACH OUT TO
DEPARTMENT HEADS
STUDENT
AMBASSADOR KICK
OFF

POLAR PLUNGE

BEGIN ATTENDING
CHURCH MEETINGS

RY

SUMMER GAMES

JUNE
BEGIN STUDENT
OUTREACH

BUSINESSES
PARTNERSHIPS

REVEAL
BILLBOARD

BEGIN DJ OF THE
DAY

BUSINESS SOCIAL
MEDIA COMPETITION

INVITE REPORTERS TO
POLAR PLUNGE
BEGIN VIDEO
PRODUCTION

23

DAY OF
CHAMPIONS

BUDGET
OBJECTIVE 1

Generate 10 positive feature local

news stories about SOILL by June
2015.

OBJECTIVE 2

OBJECTIVE 3

OBJECTIVE 4

Expand SOILL's volunteer base of

Objective 3: Increase non-games event
Acquire partnerships with 10 local
McLean County student residents by participation (both number of volunteers and businesses in the McLean County area by
amount of donations) by McLean County nonJune 2015
35% by May 2015.
student residents by 50% by June 2015.

Cost Budget= $2,000

Hours Budget= 260 hours

2%
17%

40%

46%

16%

60%

19%
Objective 1
Objective 3
Misc.

Objective 1
Objective 4

Objective 2
Objective 4

24

Objective 2
Misc.

Objective 3

EVALUATION
Campaign Plan 2015

In this plan, each objective will be evaluated based on the numerical goal that was set.
The campaign will be considered successful if all of the objectives are met or exceeded.
Each tactic will be individually evaluated based on specific criteria for the tactic. Many of the evaluation criterion
will be based on data from Sprout Social, which we highly recommend getting as a means for current evaluation
of this campaign as well as future endeavors. See budget for details.

25

EVALUATION
Objective 1

Objective 1: Generate 10 positive feature local news stories about SOILL by June 2015 will be considered
successful if at least 10 positive feature local news stories are generated by June 2015.
Tactic 1: Invite reporters to attend training session. This tactic will be considered successful if reporters from
2 major news outlets produce feature stories by June 30, 2015.
Tactic 2: Invite reporters to attend Polar Plunge 2015. This tactic will be considered successful if 3 feature
stories are produced by March 21, 2015.
Tactic 3: Set up spots at local radio stations for SOILL athlete DJ of the Day will be considered a success if
2 feature stories from the participating radio stations are generated by June 30, 2015.
Tactic 4: Day of Champions social media event. This event will be considered successful if 3 Twitter/
Facebook users who actively post about SOILL and individually can reach over 500 local accounts can
spread published online stories about the event by May 7, 2015.

26

EVALUATION
Objective 2

Objective 2: Expand SOILLs volunteer base of McLean County student residents by 35% by May 2015.
Tactic 1: Assemble Student Ambassador Team to act as spokespeople on behalf of SOILL. If a team of 5-6
can be assembled and on assignments by January 21, 2015, this tactic will be considered successful.
Tactic 2: Reach out to major department heads and encourage them to educate their students about
SOILL. If 2 department heads or major influencers from each college in McLean County participate, this
tactic will be considered successful. Participation will be defined as an agreement from department heads
to email students and encourage them to volunteer with SOILL.
Tactic 3: Reach out to RSOs. If 35% of the targeted RSOs participate (volunteer or donate), this tactic will be
considered successful.
Tactic 4: Reach out to fraternity and sorority life offices at ISU and IWU. If 50% of Greek organizations
participate in the Polar Plunge competition, this tactic will be considered successful.

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EVALUATION
Objective 3

Objective 3: Increase non-games event participation (both number of volunteers and amount of donations) by McLean County
non-student residents by 50% by June 2015.
Tactic 1: Construct emotionally compelling and informational video, featuring primarily children. If this video, posted on the
Area 6 Facebook page beginning on April 9, 2015, generates 1500 impressions per month until July 9, 2015 driving an
overall impression rate of 4,500 impressions. Recommendation: Evaluate via Sprout.
Tactic 2: Student Ambassadors attend weekly local church meetings. If individuals in 7 local church groups agree to donate
to the organization or participate in the Summer Games, this tactic will be considered successful.
Tactic 3: Digital billboard on Veterans Parkway. Utilize how did you hear about us surveys for donors and volunteers. If
10% of donors and volunteers who participate after January 1, 2015 say via the billboard, by July 1, 2015, this tactic will be
considered successful.
Tactic 4: Utilize Facebook with a boosted post campaign. If each post reaches 3,000 people in the McLean County area
over the seven day span, this tactic will be considered successful.
Tactic 5: Utilize SOILL Facebook by placing an appealing donate button/link in target areas and posts. This tactic will be
considered successful if 400 clicks a month are recorded.

28

EVALUATION
Objective 4

Objective 4: Acquire partnerships with 10 local businesses in the McLean County area by June 2015 will be
considered successful if we acquire 10 local business partnerships by June 2015.
Tactic 1: Reach out to area businesses promoting partnerships. If 50 contacted businesses request more
information about forming a partnership by March 1, 2015 and 75 total contacted businesses request more
information before July 1, 2015, this tactic will be considered successful. Of those businesses, at least 10
will need to agree to a partnership to meet the objective.
Tactic 2: Invite area business to SOILL events with free entry. If 5 local businesses respond to our invitation
and attend Polar Plunge 2015, Summer Games 2015 or other events, this tactic will be considered
successful.
Tactic 3: Tie-in with the social networks of partnered businesses to reach their networks as well as SOILLs. If
3 local partnered businesses participate in a social media sharing contest by March 19, 2015 and 6 local
partnered businesses have participated in a social media sharing contest by July 1, 2015, this tactic will be
considered successful.

29

CONTACT US

AL L STAR
PUBLIC
RELATIONS
Marissa Czarnecki

Adam Locascio

Nick Hahn

Cassy Tracy

Allison Kramer

Haley Westfall

ALLSTAR
PUBLIC RELATIONS

APPENDICES
Appendix A: Video Script

31

APPENDICES
Appendix B: Surveys

Survey 2: Volunteerism included the following questions:

What gender do you identify with?
How old are you?
Do you currently volunteer with any organization or school in the
Bloomington-Normal or McLean County area?
If you are a volunteer, with which organization(s) or school(s) do you
volunteer?
If you do not currently volunteer, why? Please explain.
If you do currently volunteer, why? Please explain.
What word or words come to mind when you think about Special
Olympics?
Would you consider volunteering with Special Olympics Illinois?
If yes, why? If no, why not?
Would you consider making a monetary donation to Special Olympics
Illinois?
If yes, why? If no, why not?
How many events does Special Olympics put on annually?
What do you feel the qualifications are for volunteering with Special
Olympics Illinois?
Are there other organizations you would prefer to volunteer with
instead of Special Olympics?
If yes, which organizations?
If yes, why? If no, why not?

Survey 1: Special Olympics Survey included the following

questions:
What is the highest level of education you have achieved?
Have you heard of Special Olympics?
Do you know where Special Olympics Illinois is
headquartered?
If yes, where are they located?
What does Special Olympics do?
Do you think Special Olympics is a year-round effort or just
part of the year?
Do you volunteer for any non-profit or school?
Have you attended an event for or donated to Special
Olympics, either monetarily or with your time?
If applicable, please describe your contribution or
involvement.
Would you consider donating time or money to Special
Olympics?
If yes, why? If no, why not?
How old are you?
What gender do you identify with?
What is your annual income?
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APPENDICES
Appendix C: Promoted
Facebook Posts

33

APPENDICES
Appendix D: Full Timeline

34

APPENDICES
Appendix E: Full Budget

35

APPENDICES
Appendix F: Email Templates
BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP INVITATION TEMPLATE (PRELIMINARY)

To Whom It May Concern:

Special Olympics Illinois is looking to form partnerships with local businesses in the McLean County area. We have selected [BUSINESS NAME] as one that is influential in the community and that we feel would benefit from a mutually advantageous relationship with SOILL. Please see
the attached file for background information about our organization.
We would like to extend a partnership offer to you as an integral part of a business relations strategy within the community. This partnership would allow your business not only to help facilitate an organization that serves so many in the community, but also provide a means for
[BUSINESS NAME] to gain a reputation as a philanthropic organization.

This partnership could include:

1. An in-business fundraiser, using your custom Polar Plunge and Special Olympics Illinois designed merchandise with a portion of the proceeds going back to our organization. [if applicable]

2. Social media recognition from your followers as well as our own. We would advertise your Special Olympics themed merchandise, products or services on our page, and you could do the same on yours.

3. [BUSINESS NAME] promotion at Special Olympics Illinois events. Accessing our diverse range of volunteers, participants and donors can help with community outreach and [BUSINESS NAME] advertising.

4. Donations from your business with the [BUSINESS NAME] logo and information on them, to be placed in gift baskets that we send out to local donors and businesses. If attracting new clients and gaining local recognition is something you are looking for, this would be an excellent
way to advertise your products and reach more individuals. Any product or service voucher, coupon or special offer would be incredibly appreciated.

5. [BUSINESS NAME] could use this partnership and its intrinsic, altruistic value to show customers your dedication to philanthropy and community involvement.

Thank you for your time and consideration! We are more than open to questions, comments or suggestions for this partnership. Please note that the ideas mentioned above are not set in stone; we would appreciate any form of partnership that you are comfortable with. Feel free to
contact me any time if you would like more information! You can call or email at (309) 888-2012 and (email address). We look forward to hearing from you!

Best,
[Student Ambassador]

36

APPENDICES
Appendix F: Email
Templates Continued
BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP INVITATION TEMPLATE (FOLLOW UP)

To Whom It May Concern:

Thank you for consideration of a Special Olympics Illinois partnership! We feel that this is a unique opportunity to form a lasting relationship. This partnership is mutually beneficial and will help foster
community engagement and involvement with both Special Olympics Illinois and [BUSINESS NAME].

We understand you may have many questions, comments or concerns regarding this partnership. To address your individual needs, we invite you to schedule a time to meet with members of our Student
Ambassador Team so that we can personally address and customize the dynamics of a partnership that you are willing to begin with Special Olympics Illinois.

We have ambassadors who would love to speak with you regarding this partnership or any other projects you see fit for the future. Please let us know when you are available for a face-to -face meeting.
Otherwise, please note that we have ambassadors on hand on the following dates and times:

INSERT DATES AND TIMES OF STUDENT AMBASSADOR SHIFTS

Thank you again for your time and consideration, and we hope to hear back from you soon!

Best,
[Student Ambassadors]

37

APPENDICES
Appendix F: Email
Templates Continued
RSO SOILL VOLUNTEER INFORMATION EMAIL TEMPLATE (PRELIMINARY)

To Whom It May Concern:

Special Olympics Illinois is looking for student volunteers and participants for year-round philanthropic events. SOILL is the perfect organization if members of your student group are
looking to give back to others. Not only is it a worthy cause, but it also serves community members year-round, with multiple fun and entertaining events to choose from. Please see the
attached file for background information about our organization, and what Special Olympics is all about.

All it takes to give back is a few hours of your time. It does not require extensive or exhaustive training, or any monetary contributions. All you need to contribute to our organization is the
drive to help others and make a real difference in the community that you now call home.

We would love to send a Student Ambassador to your next meeting to tell you how you can help Special Olympics Illinois. Call us at (309) 888-2012 or simply respond to this email if you are
interested in learning how you and your organization can make a difference. Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your time.

Best,
[Student Ambassador]

38

APPENDICES
Appendix F: Email
Templates Continued
Greek Affiliated Volunteer Email Template (Preliminary)

To Whom It May Concern:

Special Olympics Illinois is looking for student volunteers and participants for year-round philanthropic events. We are the perfect organization for your members to complete philanthropic service
within the Bloomington Normal Community. Not only is it a worthy cause, but it also serves community members year-round, with multiple fun and entertaining events to choose from.

Specifically, Special Olympics Illinois Area 6 hosts an annual Polar Plunge fundraiser to raise money for providing year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type
sports. Funds raised from Polar Plunge allow our organization to give children and adults with intellectual disabilities opportunities to develop physical fitness, confidence and joy with their families,
other Special Olympics athletes and the community at large.

We invite you, the members of (school) (organization), to participate in this years Polar Plunge at Miller Park, held February 21, 2015. Participating in this event offers you a unique opportunity to give
back to the community and our organization, as well as win prizes and bragging rights. By competing against other Greek life organizations, you will be able to have fun and network while
fundraising for a good cause.

We would love to send a Student Ambassador to your next meeting to tell you how you can help Special Olympics Illinois. Call us at (309) 888-2012 or simply respond to this email if you are
interested in learning how you and your organization can make a difference. Thank you for your time.

Best,
[Student Ambassador]

39

APPENDICES
Appendix F: Email
Templates Continued
Department Head SOILL Volunteer Call (Preliminary)

To Whom It May Concern:

Special Olympics Illinois is looking for student volunteers and participants for year-round philanthropic events. SOILL is the perfect organization if members of your student body are
looking to give back to others. Not only is it a worthy cause, but it also serves community members year-round, with multiple fun and entertaining events to choose from. Please see the
attached file for background information about our organization. All it takes to give back is a few hours. It does not require extensive or exhaustive training, or any monetary contributions.

We would love to host your driven, passionate students as volunteers for our organization that serves so many within the community. If you could pass this message on to your student body,
it would be greatly appreciated.

We would love to set up a meeting between you and one of our Student Ambassadors to tell you how you and your students can help Special Olympics Illinois. Call us at (309) 888-2012 or
simply respond to this email if you are interested in learning how you and your students can make a difference. Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your time.

Best,
[Student Ambassador]

40