A COMMUNITY

THRIVES ACTIVATION
PLAN
A COMMUNITY THRIVES

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Website: act.usatoday.com
Timeline:
Submission Period: Feb 1 Mar 1
Voting Period: Mar 13 Apr 7
Judging: Apr 8 27
Award Notifications: ~ Apr 28
Categories:
Wellness: Physical or mental health, child
development, welfare, environment, and
nutrition
Education: Teaching, coaching, training,
guidance, and schooling
Arts & Culture: Visual, performing and fine
arts, heritage and history, community
engagement and character, literature, and
film
Who Can Enter:
Legal U.S. residents 13 years or older
How to Enter:
Visit act.usatoday.com/submit-an-idea and upload
your video and complete the entry form.
Video requirements:
Must be 30 sec 3 minutes in length
Topic must align with the selected category in
the application
Video must include a clear understanding of
the idea, why it can help the community, and
how a grant can help fund the idea
Awards Per Category:
One $100,000 grant
Two $50,000 grants

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ACTIVATION PLAN
A COMMUNITY THRIVES

ACTIVATION PLAN
The goal for the A Community Thrives activation plan is to engage and inspire people in the
community to help drive activation for video submissions and voting for our new corporate
social responsibility program.

The local market should:

Target audiences that are more likely to engage and contribute
Promote A Community Thrives through various advertising and editorial tactics
Execute events and campaigns to engage and inspire the local community

Consumers are less likely to submit ideas if there is a lack of inspiration and awareness!

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A COMMUNITY THRIVES

TARGET AUDIENCES

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TARGET AUDIENCES
Local markets should to target community members who already are, or are more likely, to contribute
to charity projects in their community. These members are already proactive and involved in their
community in some way. Below are some examples of groups local markets can target:

STUDENTS
Local high school or college students
(13+ years old).

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS

Groups already doing charitable acts in the
community.

BUSINESSES
Influential and prominent businesses in your
community.

CHURCHES
Local religious communities.

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A COMMUNITY THRIVES

Promoting the Program

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PROMOTING THE PROGRAM
NATIONAL PROMOTIONS
Digital and print ads, social media, and emails will be used to promote A Community Thrives during the
submission and voting periods.

The goal is to generate impressions and awareness for the program, leading to high click thru rates and video
submissions and voting on the program website.

All promotions will drive user traffic to the A Community Thrives website http://act.usatoday.com

National promotions will launch 2 days after the program goes live (Feb 3). This is to give enough time for
Network employees to submit their ideas and populate the site before the public engages with the program.

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PROMOTING THE PROGRAM

DIGITAL ADS
We will be running digital ads across the
network. Ads start Feb 3.

The goal is to generate high impressions

and click thru rates across the network.

Ad Sizes: 300x250, 300x600, 728x90,

970x250

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PROMOTING THE PROGRAM

PRINT ADS
We will be running print ads throughout the submission
and voting periods.

All print ads will direct readers to the ACT website.

Print Ad Sizes: Quarter Page, Half Page, Full Page

Print Ad Locations: News, Life, Sports

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PROMOTING THE PROGRAM

EMAILS
We will be sending out an email to all 1M
subscribers to promote A Community Thrives and
to drive video submissions and voting.

One email will be sent during the submission

period, and one email will be sent during the
voting period. A Community Thrives is a new approach to
social impact programs that was developed
through a collaboration across the entire USA
TODAY NETWORK. While most initiatives
designate fund and support to great charities,
were going to instead fund and support great
ideas. And the volunteering begins with you
pitching your creative solutions to solving our
communities most critical needs.

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PROMOTING THE PROGRAM
Pitch your solutions to solve critical needs
in your community. #ACommunityThrives

SOCIAL MEDIA
We will be posting on A Community Thrives
social accounts to help promote the program
and engage with consumers. Pitch your solutions to solve critical needs
in your community. #ACommunityThrives

A hashtag has been created to help track and

grow awareness for the program. This hashtag
can be used across all social media channels.

#createchangeACTnow

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Please take a moment to follow and
like these social media accounts.

The accounts are:

Twitter.com/ACThrive
Facebook.com/ACommunityThrives
Instagram.com/ACommunityThrives
SUGGESTED LOCAL PROMOTIONS
Below are some recommendations that local markets can do to help increase video
submissions and voting beyond the national promotions. Our goal is to generate at least
10 video submission in each market. If all markets can achieve this goal, we can generate
over 1,000 submissions!

DIGITAL ADS SOCIAL MEDIA

Local markets can use house inventory to promote
ACT digitally on their website.
Our goal is to generate 50M total impressions with
local market digital ads.
Source files will be provided if you wish to localize
or customize the creative for your market.
Local markets can promote ACT on their social
accounts.
We recommend posting 1 3 posts per week and
encourage markets to engage with each other and
consumers about ACT.
A social calendar will be available for local markets
to utilize during the submission and voting periods.

PRINT ADS EDITORIAL

Local markets can publish two print ads during the
submission period and two print ads during the
voting period.
Local markets can promote ACT with editorial content.
Publish stories about charities or community
projects in your area. Stories should relate to the
ACT categories of Wellness, Arts & Culture, and
Education.

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SUGGESTED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
Below are just a few examples of social media posts that local markets can publish on their
social accounts to help promote ACT. Images will be available for you to use as well.

Facebook
A Community Thrives is a new approach to social impact programs that was developed
through a collaboration across the entire USA TODAY NETWORK. While most initiatives
designate funds or give support to great charities, we are going to fund and support
great ideas. And the volunteering begins with you pitching your creative solutions to
solving our communities most critical needs. act.usatoday.com
Do you have an idea to help your community, but you need a little help? Thats where we
come in. Find out how we can help make your community thrive at act.usatoday.com

Twitter
If you have a plan to help your community, we want to hear from you. Find out more at
act.usatoday.com. #CreateChangeACTnow
Together we can help make the world a better place. One community at a time. Find out
more at http://act.usatoday.com #CreateChangeACTnow

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A COMMUNITY THRIVES

ACTIVATION EXAMPLES

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ACTIVATION EXAMPLES

DRIVE ENGAGEMENT
Each market can focus their promotional efforts for A Community Thrives around the
categories of Wellness, Arts & Culture, and Education that consumers will be submitting
their ideas for.

The local market can decide on what type of activities and tactics they want to use to
promote the program and drive video submissions and voting.

It is highly encouraged for the local markets to work with the target audiences in their
community on these activities.

These target audiences most likely have:

Projects planned or currently running in the community
Staff or volunteers available to help run activities
Ideas to submit for A Community Thrives

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ACTIVATION EXAMPLES: WELLNESS
During the submission or voting period, the local market can focus content around Wellness,
which includes health and environment activities and pursuits in their community.

Working alongside your local governments Parks & Recreation department, local green
organizations, or any other organization/club working in this category to help develop content or
execute on events for the community.

EVENT SUGGESTIONS
Clean Up Day: Clean up litter in a neighborhood
or area in your community.

5k Walk/Run: For a cause or to promote healthy

lifestyles in your community.

Food/Clothing Drive: Collect donations and

distribute to the homeless and poor in your
community.

Community Garden: Plant and grow food

alongside community members at a local park.
Encourage consumers to think about what they
eat and how to eat healthier.

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ACTIVATION EXAMPLES: ARTS & CULTURE
During the submission or voting period, the local market can focus content around Arts & Culture,
which includes creative and cultural activities and pursuits in their community.

Working alongside your local governments arts and culture department, local art galleries, or any
other organization/club working in this category to help develop content or execute on events for
the community.

EVENT SUGGESTIONS
Art Show: Showcase local art work made by
community members.

Talent Show: Celebrate different talents in the

community.

Potluck: Bring consumers together and share

meals from different cultures and heritages in the
community.

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ACTIVATION EXAMPLES: EDUCATION
During the submission or voting period, the local market can focus content around Education,
which includes academic activities and pursuits in their community.

Working alongside your local governments education department, local schools, or any other
organization/club working in this category to help develop content or execute on events for the
community.

EVENT SUGGESTIONS
Science Fair: Local students present ideas and
solutions centered around STEM.

Book Drive: Donate new or used books to

schools, families, libraries, nursing homes, and
other places of need in your community.

Jobs in the Classroom: Community members

visit local schools to talk to students about their
career, job, and life.

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ACTIVATION EXAMPLES: ENGAGEMENT
Local markets can promote ACT at the events through various promotional tactics.
Nontraditional tactics can be very effective to generate action and engagement.
Suggestions for nontraditional tactics are listed here.

NONTRADITIONAL TACTICS
Local markets can speak during these events to address attendees about ACT, and also
have 1:1 conversations with people to help drive awareness and engagement. Journalists
can attend these events to record videos for attendees that want to submit ideas for the
program.

Local markets can use iPads and tablets during the event for attendees to submit
applications or vote on entries. Have a station/table set up for attendees to visit and learn
more about ACT, and while theyre there they can submit a video or vote.

Pamphlets, postcards, and posters can be displayed and passed around with
information about ACT. Information included can be submission and voting period dates,
how to submit a video, and social media and website URLs for the program.

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MARKETING TOOLKIT
Click here to access digital, print, and social media ads and imagery.

DIGITAL ADS PRINT ADS

SOCIAL MEDIA ADS

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A COMMUNITY THRIVES

NEXT STEPS

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NEXT STEPS

We will be sending out an email to everyone a few days before the submission period starts
(Feb 1) as a reminder to prepare your idea and video submission if you wish to submit one.

We would like to populate the website with videos before national promotions begin and the
public starts accessing the site. Remember, national promotions will begin two days after
the launch date (on Feb 3).

So start thinking of great ideas and get ready to share them!

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 Connect. Act. Thrive.
It starts with you.

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THANK YOU
If you have any questions or suggestions about A Community
Thrives, please contact act@usatodaynetwork.com