SUSTAINABILITY PRAmy YoungJuly 20, 2010

Agenda

What is PR (and why do I care)? Sustainability Committee challenges and

how to frame solutions Quick data Campaign Audiences Thinking about the Brand How to do a lot with a little Student ideas Discussion, next steps, questions, etc.

What is PR?

An umbrella term for persuasive communication that encompasses market research, marketing, advertising, event planning and management, and overall public communication strategy

We think about: audience, media choice, timing, market forces, social/political/historical context, persuasion techniques, and relationship-building

Challenges and Considerations Sustainability is not sexy

Consider: spokesperson(s), visual appeal/aesthetic, humor/wit, media choice

Sustainability makes people feel guilty about the way they live Consider: tone of voice, spokesperson(s)

Challenges and Considerations Sustainability is shoved down people’s

throats Consider: higher quality and less quantity,

tone, using students to message for you Resource limitations

Consider: cheaper and greener media Lack of understanding

Consider: visual and message consistency All-or-nothing

Consider: giving tips on baby steps through RAs, on FB, on water bottles

Quick Data

Because I already gave Chrissy the proposals, I am doing this “aggregate” from memory: Very few people on campus know what your logo

means or stands for and if you aren’t married to it, ALL of my students suggested changing it

Students at PLU understand they should say they are sustainable, but feel it is too hard and/or they just say they care but don’t

Very few people know that the Community Garden, Bike COOP, etc. are actually connected

Most students will tell you that sustainability feels crammed down their throats to the point where they just give up or roll their eyes

Campaign Audiences

Students: The major target for the Sustainability Committee (on-campus living, learn good habits now, largest market on campus)

Faculty/Staff: The secondary target (transportation/parking, resource usage, ability to model good habits for others)

Community around PLU: The tertiary target

The Brand

Apple's brand Let’s work through this together: Brand platform consists of five “planks”:

Brand Vision: How does the SO see the world? Brand Mission: How will the SO act on its

insight? Brand Values: What is the code by which the

SO lives? Brand Personality: What human characteristics

would you like associated with the SO? Brand Tone of Voice: How should the SO speak

to its audience(s)?

How to do a lot with a little

Word of mouth: use your “mavens” Go viral: “mavens” blast videos, tips,

stories, links. Media choice: utilize cheap or free media

like Facebook (more than 95% of students at PLU are on FB), have a student write the blog as an internship, multi-media

Utilize on-campus resources like MediaLab and Amy’s classes and great designers (JP Avila, Chad Hall, Cameron Cowles, etc.)

Think CONSISTENCY

Best Student Ideas

Overall strategy: visual consistency, high message discipline, thinking about student audience in terms of “cool factor”

Tag line: Be That Guy Viral videos Student postcard Free coffee Wednesday (logo stickers) UC mural Team bike event Tips on reusable grocery bags or water bottles Better organization and visual appeal on website

Discussion

Let’s talk…