Maggi Craig

mlcraig@bsu.edu
Journalism 265
Semester Project

Strategic Communications Plan or

Creative Brief
Client:
Secretary of State in Indiana, Connie Lawson

Organizational (Marketing/Business) Goal:

To find out why college students in Indiana arent voting

Public Relations Goal:

To find ways to campaign, educate and raise awareness in
Indiana to get college students to vote

Marketplace environment:
Connie Lawson is perceived as a respected leader that gets
things done for her community and has received recognition for her
work in public works. She not only works tirelessly to improve
Indiana voter turnout, but on financial investors and protecting
investors. Lawson is currently the Secretary of State in Indiana. With
improving voting, Lawson hopes to figure out exactly what is
keeping college students from voting in elections, and help solve the
problems that arise for them. Lawson is looking to improve the
number of college student voters that turn out for Mays primary
election.

The following are three adjectives that describe client:

- Respected
- Motivated
- Committed

The following are competitors (groups who raise money from

same audiences):

- Generation 18
- Rock the Vote Campaign
- Campus Vote Project

What this organization does better than competitors:

 This organization has reached out to young people to come up
with the ideas that they think will reach out to audience that is just
like them.

Organizational Strategy:
On April 4, an event will be held in Ball State Universitys
student center in the ballroom focused around educating college
students on why they should be voting. The event is free and open
to the public. Booths serving to educate college students will be set
up and offered by SGA, Civil Liberties Union, College Republicans,
University Democrats and Pi Sigma Alpha Honorary. Emma Floit, Ball
States 2015 Homecoming Queen winner, will be serving as the
spokesperson for our event, sharing her own experience of voting
and educating college students on how their vote will impact the
future. A fact sheet will also be passed out during the event
educating college students about why they should cote and
absentee voting for out-of-state students. A media alert, PSAs, radio
interview and a follow-up news release after the event will be
broadcast around East Central Indiana to spread the word.

Organizational Preparedness:
The client is not charging for its servcies, but does accept
donations in the form of incentives to get college students to vote.
The client has been to Indiana University Southeasts campus
and worked with their Student Government Association, College
Democrats and College Republicans to get students to vote. She is
willing to help as many students in Indiana as she can to educate
them on what their vote really means.
The client has trouble getting to every community and college
campus to spread the word about this issue, as well as the fact that
she has numerous other issues to work out as the Secretary of
State. Thats why she has reached out to college students in the
state of Indiana to help her in the areas that she might not be able
to get to.
The client has hired me to work with the community to develop
a plan in order to get more college voters to come out and vote on
the primary election day in May.

Target Public(s):
I would like to specifically reach college students in Indiana,
and even more local, students at Ball State University.

Tactic(s)/Tools/Materials Needed
A pitch email to a reporter about the event
 A media alert about the event
A profile on a spokesperson that will be at the event speaking
about voting
A radio interview with questions and answers from
spokesperson
A follow-up news release about the event
A fact sheet about why students should vote in Muncie and
their rights if they are not permanent residents of Indiana
Four PS, 10 second, 20 second, 30 second and 60 second,
about the event

Deadline Date(s):

Media Alert: Feb. 10

PSAs: Feb. 20
News Release: April 2
Radio Interview: Feb. 25
Fact Sheet: April 4 (Day of Event)
Pitch Email: Feb. 10

Anticipated Distribution:
Newspapers, Radio Stations, Television stations, fliers on
campus, social media

Message(s):
Within the next four years, issues brought up in an
election (getting a job, renting or owning a house,
getting married, paying for healthcare, etc.) can affect
you
Many people fought for your right to vote
No one else votes with college students in mind, i.e.
student loans and job demand

Approvals needed:
Internal Review: Ball State University Journalism Professor-
Sheryl Swingley
Client: Secretary of State Connie Lawson will be approving all
plans and actions made from here on out. She will be available for
conference calls weekly until the event to hear my progress and
approve of any and all steps I make in the progress.

Potential crises with this project:

 There could be potential backlash from the community. I
discovered in my research, many communities did not want the
college vote in their communities. Many communities argued that
college voters did not know enough about the candidates or the
election to vote ethically, thus messing up the overall vote coming
from their community. Communities feel that college students can
vote superficially and not really care about who they are voting
because the issues at hand are not directly affecting college
students at the moment.

I will meet this crisis head on by reassuring the community

that all is being done to make sure that eollege students are as
educated as possible. My event will be educating college voters by
other political organizations here on campus, who are also college
students. This will give college voters the chance to ask the
questions and express the concerns they might have about voting
without being initimidated by older people in politics; they would be
talking to people just like them.