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Background Research
Initial Communication Overview
Throughout the course of this semester, we have been in contact with Executive Director
of WGRCC, Rob Dial. Rob took this position on July 1, 2014. Two of our group members,
Jazmin Manning and Alice OBrien, met with Rob on September 18, 2014. This was our groups
first meeting with him. We discussed WGRCCs plan for rebranding and Rob gave us material
informing us of said plan. We spoke briefly about what our PR Campaigns class is all about and
laid a foundation upon which we could have a mutually beneficial relationship over the course of
this semester. Rob gave us an overview about what WGRCC does, what counties they reach,
their mission/vision, and what they hope to accomplish in the near future. Their main goals are
to rebrand their organization, advance their outreach/awareness efforts, re-vamp their
organizations website, and usher in a new era of positive relations with the West Georgia area.
At our next meeting on October 9, 2014, all four group members met Rob and the
WGRCC office. During this meeting, we talked about all that Rob wanted WGRCC to achieve in
the next year specifically certain events. These events included: The Clothesline Project, Taking
Back the Night, Night In Lights, and Walk In Her Shoes. He told us of the need for college
students to be aware of the Title IX rules and regulations, and how that applies to WGRCC. We
presented him with a tentative schedule that outlined what we hoped to accomplish this
semester. We also spoke about their need for social media and how our group can aid them
through this endeavor. Lastly, we agreed that our primary means of communication would be
conducted via e-mail.
Archival Research
Our group requested information regarding many aspects of WGRCCs organization. We
received multiple pamphlets regarding sexual abuse/rape awareness and advocacy. Rob
provided a list of sponsors, possible topics for social media posts, as well as the green light for
us to create and manage their social media platforms over the course of this semester. He also
provided us with images for their event, Night In Lights. WGRCC already has a website, and he
urged us to print off certain pages to archive in our binder. He also gave us a stylus pen that had
WGRCCs logo on it. This was representative of certain items WGRCC could use as public
incentive to aid them in their efforts to generate community awareness and involvement.
Following this, our group met up after class without Rob in order to formulate a plan of attack
regarding this campaign.
Mass Media Sources
Our group searched multiple databases via GALILEO research engines, and we could
find no mention of WGRCC. We used multiple variations of keywords and still yielded no results.
Because of this, we realized that WGRCC is not a well-known/publicized organization. When
searching Google, we found many more results. The first result that popped up was WGRCCs
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website. They did not have their own domain, and we saw this as a problem. Their
website contains a lot of good information, but it is far from being aesthetically pleasing. There
are very few pictures, no videos, and an abundance of text. There was another link that opened
a single page that included contact information, WGRCCs mission/vision, and a link in which
one could donate money to support their organization. Other results included YouTube videos of
certain WGRCC events (with very low views), Twitter profiles that our group created, a survey
assessment from 2011, and a link that vaguely shows how a person can locate WGRCCs main
office. The lack of search results showed our group how great the need for WGRCC to establish
themselves via mass media truly is.
Historical Research and Case Studies
As stated above, our efforts to conduct research yielded very few results. We found no
historical research or case studies pertaining to WGRCC. This could be because WGRCC is
such a small operation, but we expected to find much more than we did. Because of the lack of
information found, we have had to rely primarily on the information Rob has provided us, and we
have little else to go off of.
Other Research
Due to the lack of WGRCCs mass media presence, we were not able to find any other
usable, informative sources.
Target Publics
The primary target publics relating to our campaign is members in the Carroll County
demographic. We chose this as our primary target public because WGRCCs main office is
located in Carrollton. WGRCC has a need to reach all four of the counties they serve equally,
but by focusing on Carrollton right now, they will be able to see timely results. The primary target
publics can be broken down into specific categories, including: UWG students, faculty and staff,
members of Greek organizations and athletic teams, and members of the Carrollton community.
Due to the fact that sexual assault victims are usually in the age range of college students, Rob
wants to focus some of WGRCCs efforts to reaching the campus of UWG. Because Carrollton
is a small town that is home to a college that boasts over 14,000 students, WGRCC has the
opportunity to reach an extremely large audience.
The secondary target publics would be the remaining three areas WGRCC covers,
which are Coweta County, Haralson County and Heard County. Although WGRCCs office is
located in Carroll County, their services are spread equally across the remaining three counties.
The specifics regarding these secondary target publics include members of the communities of
the remaining three counties, as well as high schools in those counties.

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Primary Research
Analysis of Background Research
We learned that the new Executive Director of WGRCC, Rob Dial, plans to implement
new events around the surrounding counties in order to raise awareness and advance public
knowledge on the subject of sexual assault. Along with his goal of putting on these events, Rob
also plans to have fundraisers to raise money for the organization and raise awareness for
events such as Walk In Her Shoes. An opportunity that could potentially become a strength for
them would the presence of new social media platforms (ie. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). This
will not only improve their organizations image, but it will also help raise awareness about
sexual assault within the community. Rob also plans to make information about WGRCC more
easily accessible and provide up-to-date information in order to reach members of these
communities.
Overview of Research Method Choices
Our original means of research was conducted via face-to-face meetings with Rob Dial,
and followed with e-mails as our primary source of communication. To gather more information,
we viewed their website that is currently undergoing renovation and inspected their Facebook
page to get an idea of what content they had posted in the past. We also did various Google
and database searches in efforts to find information about WGRCC.
The advantages to meeting face-to-face allowed us to communicate efficiently and
effectively because there is less chance for miscommunication and we were able to talk through
ideas. Another advantage is our follow ups via e-mail. These e-mails helped us solidify the goals
we plan to put into action. They also serve as reference in which we can look back on in case of
any miscommunication. A disadvantage to meeting face-to-face is that it is difficult to schedule a
time that works well with everyones busy schedules. A disadvantage to follow up e-mails is the
potential time-lapse in seeing/ responding to messages between the sender and receiver.
The advantages of being able to access their website and Facebook are as follows: 1- It
gave us good insight as to what content WGRCC had posted in the past. 2- It allowed us to see
where WGRCCs greatest need was so that we can formulate a plan to remedy this. The
disadvantage is that their website and Facebook are out-of-date, so the information we were
able to view could have been posted a long time ago. Both WGRCCs website and their
Facebook page need improvement in order to appeal to people of all ages.

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Lastly, the advantages of conducting research via Google and databases are as follows:
1- It allowed us to see what information (if any) was already available via mass media. 2- It
allowed us to see that WGRCC has a big need to provide their audiences with pertinent, timely,
updated information. 3- Lastly, it gave us an idea how we can begin to plan an effective
campaign plan for WGRCC. This disadvantage of this research is simple. We did not find much
information about WGRCC when searching these platforms, but this could also be seen as a
positive because as stated above, it let us know what areas we need to focus on.
Research Method 1: Face-to-Face Meeting and Follow up E-mails
Our face-to-face meetings were carried out by contacting the Executive Director, Rob
Dial, and finding a location at which we could meet. While there, we were able to discuss ideas
and update him on our progress with the project. Our e-mails have been frequent and have
informed Rob of our groups private meetings, as well as ideas our group had been talking
about.
Face-to-Face and E-mail Results
By meeting in person, we were able to explore topics based off of our different ideas. We
could thoroughly discuss them with Rob and were able to use eachothers feedback. Our faceto-face meetings and e-mails were beneficial to us considering communication is of great
importance in executing a successful project. Not only can our communication be clear and
concise, but brainstorming via these communication avenues can help us refine our ideas
and/or create new ones.
Research Method 2: Website and Facebook
Before our first meeting with Rob Dial, we collected some information about the nonprofit and what their mission and vision entailed. Based off of this, we could immediately tell that
they needed some creative and technical assistance with these two online outlets. The website
looked dull and lacked the attention it needed, but we found out that they had already
outsourced the task of re-designing their website to another UWG student. Their lack of a
Twitter and Instagram hindered their social media presence, thus limiting their outreach
capability.
Website and Facebook Results
During our research, we observed that their website and Facebook page were two of
their weaknesses. Because of this, our group agreed to create both a Twitter and Instagram
page. In doing this, we helped WGRCC in their efforts to allow their audiences to have full
access to their information at all times via multiple social media platforms. We have learned that
social media has become our generations source of communication and outreach. Without
utilizing social media effectively, WGRCCs outreach attempts are limited, so we had to fix that.

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Research Method #3: Google and Database Searches
After meeting with Rob the first time, our group decided that we needed to conduct more
research to further our understanding of WGRCC and their services/events. We knew the most
timely means to do this was by utilizing Google and database searches. As stated above, we
conducted various searches in attempts to gain more general knowledge.
Google and Database Search Results
Unfortunately, the information we gained from this research was scant at best. We were
hoping to find an abundance of information upon which we could use in our efforts to create this
campaign, but that was not the case. We spent a long time trying multiple variations of keyword
searches, but got few results. However, this only affirmed our belief that WGRCC needs to work
hard at establishing their organization amongst the online world.

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Campaign Objectives
Goal #1- Establish profiles on multiple social media platforms in order to send updates to
WGRCCs audiences. (INFORMATIONAL)
Objective- To increase awareness by 10% of original social media demographic. (Ex- If
Facebook already has 150 likes, then increase that number to meet the 10% goal.)
If a group of four students can achieve this in a two month period, imagine what
WGRCC can do as time continues!
Strategy- Create Twitter and Instagram accounts linked to WGRCC.
This semester, we will use this as our primary means of getting information to
desired audiences in a timely manner. Social media updates are extremely easy to
access and cost effective (free).
Tactics- Update platforms with pertinent information, applicable to the four counties WGRCC
serves.
Bring WGRCCs Facebook page to 200 likes by December 5th, 2014.
This will allow us to reach a broader demographic that represents
members of our community. It will aid us in measuring user interest and help to
increase awareness.
Follow 10 prominent community leaders/organizations on Twitter.
This will allow us to retweet certain tweets, thus forging a digital
bond between said organizations and WGRCC.
Partner with The Carrollton Menu in order to utilize
their vast pool of followers.
Goal #2- Gauge community awareness pertaining to WGRCC and the services they offer.
(ATTITUDINAL)
Objective- To get responses (via online media) from 15 community members.
If we can do this with little to no training on how to create effective surveys,
WGRCC will be able to expand upon this and utilize it to its full potential.
Strategy- Provide a reason for community members to stay plugged in to WGRCCs social
media platforms and website.
This will aid us in our efforts to gauge community interest/knowledge of WGRCC
and their services provided/reputation.
Tactics- Create a simple survey in which participants can express prior knowledge of WGRCC
or show their lack of knowledge.
Send to classmates, sorority sisters, athletes, friends, family, etc. (Short-term)
Send to prominent community/business leaders via e-mail or social media.
(Long-term)

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Goal #3- Raise awareness for WGRCCs Walk In Her Shoes event.
(INFORMATIONAL)
Objective- To help create a brochure, invitation, or flyer of event by November 13, 2014.
This can be done fairly easily using Microsoft Publisher
Strategy- Research other rape crisis organizations and their awareness materials
Do they align with what Rob wants?
Tactics- Spread the word about Walk In Her Shoes
Use social media platforms in order to do this
Provide Rob Dial with the materials we created during this campaign
Ongoing Evaluation
According to our book, ongoing evaluation refers to methods of evaluation that can be
done while the program is underway in order to revise or fine-tune it to deal with unexpected
problems or wrong turns. This is necessary when creating and evaluating a successful public
relations campaign because it enables the researcher(s) to observe the impact in which their
campaign had over an extended period of time. Upon evaluating our research objectives, we
decided that both Goal 1 and Goal 3 (listed above) should be part of an ongoing evaluation
plan.
Establish profiles on multiple social media platforms in order to send updates to
WGRCCs audiences
During our initial research, our group found that WGRCC had a Facebook page, but did
not have a Twitter or Instagram account. Facebook is a very useful social media platform in
which to generate awareness, but that awareness can be maximized by adding and utilizing
both Twitter and Instagram. We created a WGRCC Twitter page, as well as a WGRCC
Instagram page and are in the process of gaining followers on both pages. We believe that once
this is achieved, all three platforms can be used to reach the four counties that WGRCC serves.
We believe this should be an ongoing evaluation because a social media campaign will not
reach its full potential when in its infancy. However, over a period of time, one will be able to see
how truly effective the implementation of a new social media campaign was.
Our group would advise WGRCC to evaluate the effectiveness of their social media
platforms quarterly. If WGRCC were to do this four times a year, they will be able to accurately
assess what they are doing right, what they are doing wrong, what is working, and what needs
to be changed. There are multiple ways in which WGRCC can measure this. One way is by
looking at the number of followers each social media platform has. By monitoring this, they can
see what months brought in more followers than others. Once they have these results, they can
look back on what content was posted and what outreach methods were utilized in order to
emulate these methods in the future. WGRCC could also create a standardized survey that they
issue to the general public via all three social media platforms. This survey could ask questions

regarding the publics thoughts of WGRCCs social media efforts. If the number of followers
have increased, there will be a much higher chance of receiving useful feedback. WGRCC

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could also conduct focus group research in order to get an accurate representation from
the general public. This information could be very useful in WGRCCs attempt to monitor and
maintain their social media presence.

Raise awareness for WGRCCs Walk In Her Shoes event

When researching certain events that WGRCC puts on each year, we came across a
fantastic event called Walk In Her Shoes. We believe this event has the potential to generate a
huge amount of awareness for WGRCC, but in the past, it has not been executed well. This
event should be part of WGRCCs ongoing evaluation because in order to determine the events
true effectiveness, they must be able to compare it to the event in previous years. Our group
decided this event should be evaluated yearly considering the event only happens once each
year. In order to measure the effectiveness of this event, WGRCC should look at the numbers of
both how many participants and observers participated/ were present. WGRCC could also look
at how much news coverage the event received as a good indicator of success or failure.
Summative Evaluation
Importance of Summative Evaluation
According to our book, summative evaluation refers to the evaluation that is done
immediately after the programs conclusion; it is often the most detailed part of the evaluation
section. The importance of this is to ensure that the objective statement explains the goals
clearly and evaluates the conclusion and the measurements to observe the strengths and
weaknesses of each outcome.
Objective Statement 1: Establish profiles on multiple social media platforms in order to
send updates to WGRCCs audiences.
Collectively, we started multiple social media platforms that will continuously be
beneficial to their organization. By updating and maintaining each, WGRCC will post and reach
out to their audience, keeping them informed of events and functions around the existing
counties that they service. Social media is a perfect tool to reach a mass amount of people at
the palm of ones hand. Now that there are smart phones, the access to internet and these
social networks allows for ease of access to all. Social media is a great way and place to
promote events and fundraisers. Creating awareness is important to their organization and their
platforms will be a way to initiate that. Posting pictures and status on a consistent basis (at
least 3-4 times a week) to the accounts, will keep their audience informed and aware of
WGRCCs efforts. Another way to establish a relationship and positive feedback is to gain
followers and likes consistently by monitoring the platforms quarterly and determining what is
working and what is not. Providing facts, good-to-know/interesting information and related
topics will continue to keep and create an ongoing awareness and presence for the
organization.

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Objective Statement 2: Inform communities of WGRCCs rebranding efforts, due to
launch December 5, 2014.
WGRCCs main focus on informing their audience will solely be on social media, flyers
and newsletters. Not only will WGRCCs social media become beneficial to the organization in
the long run, but announcements of fundraisers and events will become easier to inform the
communities that are not close to their main office. WGRCC is planning on announcing their
rebranding at their next fundraiser, Night in the Lights, on December 5, 2014. Their fundraiser
will not only raise the awareness of their main focus but also inform the community that the nonprofit organization is revamping themselves to become more inviting to others in their
communities. This announcement of their rebranding will be measured in how many attendants
come to the fundraiser and how many respond when put on all social medias.

Objective Statement 3: Raise awareness for WGRCCs Walk In Her Shoes event
As a group, we agree that the best way to raise awareness for WGRCCs event, Walk In
Her Shoes would be by creating brochures and flyers dedicated to this event. We would also
utilize the social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to spread the word about
the event. With social media being so prominent, especially in a college town, spreading the
word via social media would be the best way to inform college students. This event will be
measured in many ways, including the turnout of people attending the event, the turnout of
applicants signed up for the event, the variety of demographics and also the sponsors of the
event. We believe that by advertising this event through brochures and flyers and continuously
posting about it via social media platforms, the turnout will be increasingly better than in the
past.