Case Analysis I: Fight for Five

Fight for Five: 2018 PRSSA Bateman Case Study Competition

Shayla Bailey

PR Strategy - MASC 337

Dr. Yi Grace Ji

February 14, 2019

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Case Analysis I: Fight for Five

I. OVERVIEW OF THE CASE

The Louisiana State University PRSSA Bateman Team, created a campaign for With

Purpose, an organization focusing on pediatric cancer advocacy. The “Fight for Five” campaign

worked to educate and establish a sense of solidarity with the Baton Rouge community through

its two awareness objectives. From the team’s primary and secondary research, it found the key

messaging should come from their “most powerful statistic” (Bonnette, J., Kingston, C., Miner,

K., Morvant, M., & Rabalais, A., 2018, p. 2). Research also revealed their targeted audience:

1. The Primary Audience

o Louisiana high school students (ages 13-18)
o Louisiana college students (ages 18-25)
2. The Secondary Audience
o Louisiana community members
o Louisiana medical community

II. RESEARCH

The campaign took its first step in the research phase by analyzing the situation at hand. It

found that relative to larger organizations working to improve cancer research for kids, With

Purpose, saw an absence of brand differentiation and awareness. The Bateman team conducted

both secondary and primary research, which was composed of formal research.

The campaign employed secondary research in order to gain insight on With Purpose’s

position in the industry, its strengths and weaknesses, and the demographics and psychographics

of the target audience. It looked through pre-existing information from various sources such as

“government websites, legislation regarding pediatric cancer and other similar nonprofits within

the industry” (Bonnette, 2018, p. 2). Research revealed the most effective way to appeal to the

youth and other community members, as well as what created the strongest personal connection

between them and the issue.

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Case Analysis I: Fight for Five

Primary research was also conducted through surveys and focus groups. The survey that was

distributed to LSU students and community members resulted in quantitative data that helped

shape the key messaging. Focus groups also formed a consensus on what would influence

participation in educational events and volunteer opportunities.

I believe the research is adequate. Their secondary research laid a strong foundation for

comprehension of the issue, as well as whom to look at during the primary research process.

Another method that could have been used was casual research, interviewing the parents of

children with cancer and medical professionals in the field. They were the secondary audience

and were not focused on as well as the primary audience was.

III. OBJECTIVES

The Bateman team established two impact objectives (Bonnette, 2018, p. 4, p. 5):

• Demonstrate the power of youth voices within our community by personally engaging
250 high school and college students through participation in campaign activities
between February 15 and March 15, 2018.
• Raise community awareness about With Purpose and our Fight for Five campaign by
creating 500 personal connections with the general public and 10,000 cumulative
impressions through social and earned media between February 15 and March 15, 2018.

Both of these awareness objectives followed the eleven specific elements that should be

found in public relations objectives (Smith, 2017, p. 108-112). They were goal-oriented,

emerging from the organization’s mission to increase awareness of obstacles for those dealing

with pediatric cancer. They checked off the boxes for being time-definite, singular, and

challenging, but still attainable.

In Smith’s book, he offers examples of well-written objectives, in which they all begin

with “to.” I would also argue that the objective to “demonstrate the power of youth voices” is

ambiguous. Their research demonstrated that their messages were most affected when conveyed

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Case Analysis I: Fight for Five

from youth to youth but writing an objective to show what you have already discovered doesn’t

make much sense. Instead, I would have written the objective “To increase youth voices on

pediatric advocacy by…between February 15 and March 15, 2018.” This is more explicit and

leaves less confusion for the reader. The objectives were consistent with previous research: the

first objective tied into the findings of youth talking to youth, while the second objective tied into

their understanding of the formative research and the fact that not all the target audience feels

personally connected to the issue (Bonnette, 2018, p. 3). It took research into consideration and

stated an objective that could help foster a connection for those lacking one.

IV. PROGRAMMING

Within their limited time frame (Feb 15 to March 15, 2018) and budget (total $742.79), the

Fight for Five team utilized multiple action strategies: audience engagement and alliances

(Bonnette, 2018, p. 8). Main features of the campaign’s strategy and tactics included: engaging

with youth audiences to raise awareness and collect handprints, hosting events and promotions to

increase social media attention, and posting content that would inspire the target audience to

interact with Tigers With Purpose (Bonnette, 2018, p. 4-6).

The campaign applied interpersonal tactics that included personal involvement and special

events. It also looked at the strategy for owned media, using electronic media and social media

tactics. Personal involvement, which actively looks to involve its publics and encourage two-way

communication (Smith, 2017, p. 263), included partnerships with University Laboratory School,

the Children’s Hospital New Orleans, and other local community businesses. A special event

was the launch of the campaign held at LSU Baseball’s season opener. This tailgate provided the

opportunity of turning a sporting event into a larger community activity and allowing for

participant interaction. Electronic media and social media tactics were heavily used to amass the

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Case Analysis I: Fight for Five

social and earned media objective. The team developed various video content with testimonials

and event recap videos. Their website and blog served as a crucial information tool for the

campaign and social media platforms were used to repost any earned media coverage as well as

to document day-to-day activity (Bonnette, p. 6).

I believe that the strategies and tactics employed were closely tied to their respective

objectives. For example, the tactic to reshare earned media coverage helped them attain the

objective of 10,000 impressions. Each strategy had a given rationale for their strategy and how

research connected the strategies to the objectives and the overarching goal.

V. EVALUATION

Outputs evaluation and awareness evaluation (Smith, 2017, p. 373) were the two types of

evaluative research conducted. Advertising value equivalency is a method for measuring

communication outputs. The campaign found that total ad equivalency was $3,691 (Bonnette,

2018, p. 8). The campaign also focused on message exposure, looking to unveil the number of

people in their key publics that had been exposed to the message. Both objectives could be

verified by evaluative research and were appropriate.

However, I am not sure it was the adequate evaluation that needed to be made since objective

one is somewhat vague. A before-and-after study (Smith, 2017, p. 371), would be a great way to

see how effective the campaign message was. Focus groups and surveys would be another

possible technique to measure objectives.

Some information I might seek to learn is how much of the disseminated message did you

understand, which statistics stood out to you the most, and what is your view on the issue now.

VI. STEWARDSHIP

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Case Analysis I: Fight for Five

Under its impact and longevity sections, the campaign highlights what could be considered a

component of stewardship. Through conversations with the next generation of doctors, nurses,

lawmakers, and pharmacists (Bonnette, 2018, p. 8), the campaign was able to begin the

foundation for relationship nurturing. It calls for organizations to “accept the importance of

supportive publics and keep them at the forefront of the organization’s consciousness” (Kelly,

2001, p. 285). The campaign worked to shape meaningful connections with youth, community

members, medical professionals, and families impacted by pediatric cancer. If With Purpose

continues to foster these relationships, it will help better fund the success of the organization’s

reach and mission.

This campaign was short-term, so it was harder to implement stewardship elements into it. A

stewardship strategy I would suggest is to use the With Purpose chapter the LSU students are

establishing to report to the publics. Organizations have a duty “to keep publics informed about

developments related to the opportunity or problem for which support was sought” (Kelly, 2001,

p. 285). As soon as statistics for pediatric cancer increase for the better, more funds are allocated

to pediatric cancer and a new treatment has been approved, With Purpose should relay this

information to its publics immediately. They can also demonstrate reciprocity by thanking those

that have supported their mission. I think that a public that is recognized and understands their

involvement is making a difference is an important element of stewardship. This

acknowledgment could have build a personal connection between the organization and

community members.

VII. CRITIQUE

I think the weakness of the campaign lies in the objectives and the overall longevity of the

campaign. The first objective aimed to engage with a specific number of students and claimed

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Case Analysis I: Fight for Five

the target audience was reached through social media. Neither of the two strategies underneath

the umbrella of that objective provided any notion that it would be measured by this. And as I

had mentioned earlier, I do not believe that the objective was that clear what it wanted to achieve

and is not as firmly tied to the goal of the campaign. In the Smith textbook (p. 380), he reminds

us that media impressions may only estimate audience size and doesn’t give any real indication if

the audience understood, accepted and/or acted upon it.

The campaign stated that it aimed to create a lasting impression on the community and has

done so through its LSU chapter that was supposed to be established in the fall. The Tigers With

Purpose Facebook Page reveals that the chapter has only just begun being active this February.

The campaign was successful in increasing awareness, but they were not clear on how they could

continue that education.

Despite these minor critiques, the campaign followed the ROPES model process accurately

and fulfilled its goal of raising awareness of the issue in the short period given.

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Case Analysis I: Fight for Five

References

Bonnette, J., Kingston, C., Miner, K., Morvant, M., & Rabalais, A. (n.d.). 2018 PRSSA Bateman

Case Study Competition[Scholarly project]. In PRSA Bateman Case Study Competition.

Retrieved February 11, 2019, from https://prssa.prsa.org/wp-

content/uploads/2018/05/LSU-Summary.pdf

Kelly, K. S. (2001). Stewardship: The fifth step in the public relations process. In R. L. Heath

(Ed.), Handbook of public relations (pp. 279–289). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Smith, R. D. (2017). Strategic planning for public relations(5th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

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