Sexual assult Crisis Chat campaign (powerpoint presentation)

1. Executive Summary:

a. Brief, informative, using bold-faced keywords, 1-page, summary of all major recommendations in the campaign plan, the message you’re conveying, objectives that are set, reach and frequency goals, etc.

Michigan State University students have been affected by sexual assault, however these students have little knowledge of the available resources (see survey results). MSU SAP stands behind survivors and social injustices by promoting individual human healing and building an empowered inclusive community. (EndRapeMSU). They provide counseling, advocacy, and support groups to MSU students with over 100 volunteers, educating the public on sexual violence and helping those through a crisis.

MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat offers anonymous support to sexual assault victims, from 10am-10pm, 7 days a week. Funded primarily by grants and donations, MSU SAP has limited access to develop a larger awareness of the program. In this campaign using simple, advertising, public relations, and media recommendations will increase awareness by 15%.

2. Situation Analysis:

no first person, refer to clients as victims, consumer, etc.

a. Intro Paragraph: Frames the scope of analysis, recap of client’s basic request/asking’s, helps limit the scope of analysis and frame the discussion that follows, don’t cover material issues that aren’t relevant to current needs.

The Michigan State University Sexual Assault Program (SAP) has assisted thousands of people impacted by violence by providing resources and support to affected victims. SAP provides resources such as immediate crisis intervention, therapy, and advocacy services to victims that have been affected by sexual violence, assault, rape, misconduct, or stalking. Programs offered by SAP include counseling, individual or group therapy sessions, support groups, a 24-hour hotline, advocacy, and crisis-chat to Michigan State students and individuals in the greater Lansing community who have been impacted by rape or sexual violence. SAP is dedicated to standing with survivors against all forms of social injustice by promoting individual healing and building an empowered, inclusive community to bring strength and resilience to all people impacted by sexual violence.

SAP recently introduced a new resource, Crisis Chat option via their website. This function allows users to virtually speak with a Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention (SACI) advocate. The overall aim of this is to create a more private, secure and safe space for survivors to be able to communicate about past traumas. With limited funding for promotional efforts, reaching the masses to promote this new feature has been difficult for MSU SAP. The goal of this campaign is to increase awareness of the Crisis Chat for potential users and to alleviate some of the stigmas for survivors and supporters regarding speaking out.

b. Company/Brand History and Evaluation: Keep relevant and brief, don’t make client read a lot of facts they already know, paragraph or 2 max, draw conclusions: what did you conclude? What problems do you see? What untapped/unexhausted opportunities are there?

Established in 1980, the MSU Sexual Assault Program is the oldest campus-based program in the country. It caters to victims of sexual violence and works to foster a safe and inclusive environment for survivors. MSU SAP employs 20 full-time workers, as well as over 100 volunteers. Each year, the program serves an average of 700 survivors, making a meaningful impact on the community by helping those in crisis and educating the public on the seriousness of sexual violence.

Resources available through MSU SAP include individual counseling, individual or group therapy sessions, support groups, meditative yoga, acupuncture, advocacy, and the newly-developed 24-hour hotline and online crisis chat. These services are provided for free, thanks in large part to volunteers, grant funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Victim Services, Crime Victim Services Commission, and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) program funding which is supported by the crime victim assistance grant. Grants are used to fund positions such as new therapists and advocates to build a system that survivors deserve.

Perhaps the greatest challenge facing the MSU SAP is the lack of resources. Being primarily donation and grant funded with no link to Michigan State University, the program’s abilities to focus on promotional efforts are limited. They use their limited resources to engage with the community as much as possible, offering pamphlets and flyers on the available resources and services regarding crisis chat. They also participate in various on-and-off campus events and stay active on social media. Despite this, MSU SAP still struggles to resonate in the minds of potential consumers.

c. Product Evaluation AKA Crisis Chat line or MSU Sexual Assault Program (SAP): Describe/analyze the product features (crisis chat), benefits, costs, history, What are it’s strengths and weaknesses, keep focused on relevant features to the evaluation, draw conclusions: what did you conclude? What problems do you see? What untapped/unexhausted opportunities are there?

The crisis chat became operational in August 2018, this new resource provided on the MSU SAP website (endrape.msu.edu) it is easily accessible by victims or clients that have access to a computer. The chat is accommodating to people with hearing or speaking impairments, providing people with disabilities a helpful resource to turn to in their time of need. The crisis chat allows survivors to communicate their situation through messaging. Victims can chat confidentially with a Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention (SACI) advocate privately to mention details that may be uncomfortable to speak up about face-to-face or publicly.

Victims can access the crisis-chat 7 days a week from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm by logging into the MSU SAP website, they then can click the teal box in the bottom right corner of the site and begin chatting at any time with a SACI advocate. SACI advocates are not professional counselors, but they are trained volunteers to support survivors, their friends, and family. Advocates direct them to resources that would be helpful in their situation, whether discussing feelings related to sexual assault, connecting them to on-campus or local resources, giving information on advocacy services, or answering any given question regarding sexual assault. Victims are never forced to disclose any information; they can share any information that they are comfortable with, anonymously. The main goal of the crisis chat is to reduce the negative impacts of a victim’s experience in a comfortable, confidential way.

d. Consumer Evaluation:Know the consumer inside and out, who uses the product, who doesn’t use it, why do they use it or not (want to expand consumer base,) where is it used, where is it purchased, when is it used, looking for problems and opportunities, don’t only look at current users and prospective/potential users, don’t just provide facts client already knows, provide information you found relevant to analysis, your understanding of the consumer, draw conclusions: what did you conclude? What problems do you see? What untapped/unexhausted opportunities are there?

The MSU Sexual Assault Program’s Crisis Chat service for survivors consists of victims that have undergone some sort of sexual assault or the friends and family of affected victims. The majority, at 70% of victims are adult trauma survivors, 30% are childhood trauma victims, and 30% are a part of the LGBTQ community. (CITATION NEEDED) Comment by Lauren Marie Zollo: Add CItation

The web-based chat’s useful chat function appeals to students and nonstudent survivors, international students or students with a language barrier. Additionally, those who feel marginalized and vulnerable, and survivors who have never spoken to anyone about their sexual assault experience are encouraged to use the chat as well. The chat provides clients with crisis intervention to help clients process emotions and thoughts during a crisis, identify their natural supports, and locate resources or other options. The number of clients served by SAP has continued to steadily increase from around 260 in 2007 to over 600 in 2017. The increase in clients is consistent with MSU’s efforts to raise awareness and foster a culture where individuals feel empowered and supported.

Conducted secondary research through survey has provided information found among sexual assault victims that there is a lack of knowledge of the resources available through SAP, but a correlation with those who would actually prefer an online anonymous chat line like the Crisis Chat. Potential users can increase with an increase in knowledge of available resources such as the Crisis Chat.

https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2018/msu-sexual-assault-program-launches-crisis-chat-service-for-survivors/

https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2018/state-grant-funding-helps-expand-resources-in-sexual-assault-program/

https://msu.edu/ourcommitment/our-actions/Safer-Campus.pdf

e. Competitive Evaluation:

who is the competition, how do you know, what are their relative strengths and weaknesses, what have they done that has been successful or unsuccessful, is there any indirect competition, draw conclusions: what did you conclude? What problems do you see? What untapped or unexhausted opportunities are there?

MSU SAP’s competitors are national, local, and indirect. National competitors include the National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAIIN), the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), and the U.S. Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Hotline.

RAINN is the largest national anti-sexual assault organization in the U.S. It is a fully confidential service that provides support in both English and Spanish, through text and SMS by a trained staff confidentially. RAINN gives victims guidance in finding a local health facility with trained staff to handle sexual assault cases, they provide local resources to help with recovery, offer referrals for long-term support, give basic medical advice, and information on local laws. Their website has information regarding types of sexual violence, the lasting effects of abuse, understanding consent and statutes of limitations for the state victims are located in. Their website is easy to navigate and upfront about their services.The organization also provides services in education and training that prepare companies and organizations to handle and support adult survivors of sexual assault.

NOVA is another national organization that deals with victims of crime. They provide services that help connect victims with services and resources through trained victim-advocate and crisis responders. They ensure that all services and core competencies are met to highest standards and promote public policy initiatives to protect the rights of victims. This organization also has a victim assistance hotline, similar to SAP’s Crisis Chat from 9am-5pm Monday through Friday, but with no text or SMS options available.

The U.S. Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Hotline

NSOPW is the only government website that links state, territorial and tribal sex offenders in one national search site. It is a public service that allows anyone to identify local offenders without cost by name, address, zip code, town or county. Their goal is to provide the most up-to-date information possible to ensure accurate data. Their search page is easy to navigate and the results are found quickly. Additionally, they have educational resources on their website about prevention, recognizing sexual abuse and opening the discussion with children. There is no hotline for their organization, as it is just a public database service.

Local:

MSU Safe Place is an on-campus relationship violence and stalking resource at Michigan State University. This organization addresses relationship violence and stalking specifically, and serves students, faculty, staff and non-affiliated members in the Greater Lansing Area. This program is confidential and provides emergency shelter, counseling, support groups as well as professional referrals. Their page can be found on MSU’s official website and provides other information about their services, community outreach and additional resources. They do not have an official hotline, but provide a number to reach their office on their contact page.

End Violent Encounters is a service that supports survivors of sexual, domestic, stalking and elder abuse. They provide a 24-hour hotline, counseling, emergency shelter, personal protection, community training and medical advocacy. Their 24-hour crisis line is there for victim support, connecting survivors to direct services, provide referrals and guide friends and family members in having a conversation with a loved one experiencing abuse.

Indirect competition to the MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat

Societal Factors:

When it comes to reporting sexual assault, both male and female victims are often hesitant to get help.

According to psychologytoday.com, there are a few reasons why:

Shame:

For many victims, shame is a natural reaction to being violated or abused. When a victim feels helpless at the hands of another person, often times they shift the blame on themselves. The societal blame being placed on women for their own sexual assault deters many from seeking help. For men, the feeling that their sexual assault is emasculating also might prevent them from seeking help.

Denial/Minimization:

There are many forms of sexual assault that have been normalized in society. This often causes victims do downplay their cases and convince themselves it is not serious. Female victims of sexual assault often convince themselves that they are the only victim of their perpetrator, thus making it pointless to come forward.

Fear of Consequences:

Women can face losing their jobs, credibility and personal safety upon stepping forward. This prevents many from seeking help.

Low Self-Esteem/ Feelings of Hopelessness:

These violations often wound an individuals self-esteem and self-concept. Many victims surrender to their fate or simply lack the emotional strength to stand up to the pressure of confronting the trauma.

History of Sexual Violation:

Individuals with a history of sexual violation are less likely to speak out about it. This could be because of freezing up during a sexual advance or history of not being believed.

Drugged, Dissociation and Disbelief:

Due to any of these factors, individuals might only have vague memories of assault. This can cause doubts about their own memory and hinder them from getting help.

f. Marketing Environment Evaluation: are there market trends you should consider, will the economy have an impact, is there any laws that restrict your campaign or have an effect on product sales, draw conclusions: what did you conclude? What problems do you see? What untapped or unexhausted opportunities are there?

College Campuses have a high incidence for sexual assault. One in 5 women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college (CITATION NEEDED). Michigan State is no exception. The University has been tormented by the Larry Nassar sexual assault scandal over the last few years. Nassar, a University doctor, was charged with sexually assault after it came to light that he had acted inappropriately with over 500 females under his care, between the years of 1999-2016. The effect on MSU’s campus has lead to increased focus on helping and sympathizing with sexual assault victims. This has prompted opportunities for services such as MSU SAP’s Crisi Chat.

https://www.michiganradio.org/post/timeline-long-history-abuse-dr-larry-nassar

g. Problems and Opportunities:Summary of all problems and opportunities found in analysis, your conclusions, should be nothing new here just a list of problems and opportunities your analysis already identified.

S.W.O.T

Strengths

The Michigan State University Sexual Assault Program (SAP) is a strong organization with stable leadership that has been active in for the past few decades and is the oldest campus-based program in the country.

They have successful employees and volunteers on campus and off campus.

Promote the development of FREE services like individual counseling, group therapy sessions, support groups, meditative exercises, 24-hour-hotline, and online crisis.

Has one of the greatest experiences with Sexual Assault and help many people that have such crisis.

With 20 employees SAP is averaging 700 survivors a year.

Has funding from many programs.

SAP Chat services helps many victims’ adults, children, LGBTQ.

The Nassar situation brought fear to offenders in the University and Lansing area.

They have the growing ability to decrease awareness of bullying.

SAP is surrounded by a University that has strong cultural traditions.

Weaknesses

SAP has a lack of resources to help the victims around campus and in the Lansing community.

Not enough data regarding sexual violence to regulate awareness.

SAP might need more funding from State and University.

Nassar situation brought fear to the University, and Community.

Lack of research.

Victims are afraid that they don’t have enough privacy.

Lack of awareness of SAP and the numerous services that are provided for FREE.

Low collaboration with faulty, students, and law enforcement.

Opportunities

Increase awareness that there is great privacy for the victims.

Increase Partnership to increase awareness of SAP in the LANSING Community.

Partner with different University programs to help reach as much help not just in the community but all around the state.

SAP should mandate all nearby schools to have a bullying/harassment program.

Freshman youth program to help increase awareness for incoming freshmen.

Increase awareness to known victims and how they can help the victims of sexual assault

Law enforcements in the area need to have a stronger connection with the SAP in MSU.

Threats

Funds aren’t enough to help the many victims that are affected with sexual assault.

Low awareness is affecting the victims.

Victims scared to speak out and get help.

SAP in MSU has a great disparity in resources and capacity

The Nassar situation caused many to be more afraid of sexual assault.

Not many people take sexual assault seriously.

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3. Marketing Recommendations

A) Objectives:

The overall objective of our campaign is to increase awareness of the Crisis Chat. Spartan Strategies is aiming to achieve this goal through several marketing, public relations and media practices that will ultimately leave an impression on Michigan State University students. Aiming to increase awareness of the Crisis Chat 15% by the end of our campaign.

Target Market

The target market is Michigan State University students living on and off campus. The age range of the target audience based on MSU students is ages 18-24. More specifically, focusing on educating students involved in Greek Life about MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat. Michigan State University has a total of 39,423 undergraduate students and 10,928 graduate students, 51.9% are female and 48.1% are male (ThisisMSU). Of these students, 12% of men are members of a fraternity and 11% of women are members of a sorority (U.S News). In a one-on-one interview with a sexual assault victim, it was discovered this 22-year-old female was a member of a sorority at Michigan State University (see in-depth interview portion of appendix). Research indicated women in sororities are 74% more likely to experience sexual assault (KPBS.org).

The marketing campaign will focus majorly on these students who are most at risk for experiencing sexual assault, or may have already experienced sexual assault and are looking for a comfortable outlet to talk about these issues. Targeting Michigan State University students, means they are only located in East Lansing from the month of September-May. However, targeting this demographic will provide the Crisis Chat with more awareness and increase the number of users. Additionally, using an ambassador program to involve the most at risk target market for sexual assault at Michigan State University will be the most effective way to increase awareness of the Crisis Chat.

Other Goals (intended effects)

The main objective of the campaign is to increase awareness and usage of the MSU Crisis Chat. Promotion for the Crisis Chat in locations where the target market will view this information, or directly providing it to them, will be key in the success of our objective. The marketing campaign will use social media by boosting posts during at-risk times for sexual assault. This will be during Welcome Week, Halloween, Tailgating Season, and Sexual Assault Awareness month. Providing this information during these times will remind students that MSU SAP is available.

Additionally, ads will be placed on each floor of every dorm at Michigan State University. Increasing awareness for students early on in their college career will provide them with resources they may need currently or in the future. An ambassador program will also be created involving two ambassadors to speak at all sororities and fraternities across the Michigan State University campus, to provide these students with the specific information about the benefits of the Crisis Chat and how to obtain this resource. By directly speaking to sororities and fraternities this will allow men and women to potentially gain the courage to talk to someone about their experiences or use it in the future.

On MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat website, an instructional video displaying a sample conversation between a victim and a counselor will be provided to show victims what to expect and make them more comfortable using the chat. These marketing tactics will achieve our objective and increase awareness of the MSU SAP Crisis Chat 15% by the end of the campaign.

Measurement

Measuring the effectiveness of this campaign will be very straightforward. The objective of the campaign can be measured through an examination of current users of MSU SAP Crisis Chat to users at the end of the campaign. A brief survey of awareness of the Crisis Chat will be conducted post campaign and sent out in a similar fashion to the pre-campaign survey.

B) Strategy

Product

Our product is the Crisis Chat, offered through MSU SAP’s website. The product was recently introduced by the program to offer a more accessible, private form of communication for survivors struggling to come forward. One of the biggest problems with this product is that not many people know of its existence yet. Heavy promotion of this product is crucial in order to increase awareness and use of the Crisis Chat software.

Another problem with the existing product is that a large number of survivors feel uncomfortable discussing their trauma, especially through an online portal. Survey results show that more than half of respondents report they are unwilling to use an online chat-line. It is important to reframe this thought process among potential users, in order to get more people online.

Price:

MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat is a free online service for sexual assault victims, funded through grants. Offering the program for free makes it easy for anyone to use this resource. It also makes the process more confidential, as victims do not need to go through their insurance companies or ask a parent/family member for financial assistance to seek the help they need.

Promotion

The MSU Sexual Assault Program is active on and around campus, to promote their mission to students and area residents. The program participates in activities such as AOP, the Student Resource Fair, Men and Women’s Health Fairs, and Sparticipation each year. They also collaborate with Take Back the Night, an international anti-violence organization. However, as the survey showed, there is an alarming lack of awareness among the student body surrounding this program and the Crisis Chat, in particular. Among survey respondents, none responded that they had heard of the Crisis Chat. Also alarming, more than half of survey respondents said they would be uncomfortable using a chat-line to discuss a past experience. For this reason, the promotion will focus heavily on increasing awareness among the population at MSU, as well as presenting the message that the Crisis Chat is a viable alternative to in-person therapy.

Promotion for the Crisis Chat will center heavily around an instructional video. MSU SAP also touts a social media following, and it will be important to start leveraging this to increase product awareness. The overall goal of promotional efforts is to increase awareness of the Crisis Chat by 15%. This will be measured with a post-survey given to respondents following the conclusion of this campaign.

Distribution:

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4. Advertising Recommendations

Objectives:

The overall advertising recommendations and objective of this campaign is to help increase awareness of the Crisis Chat to Michigan State University students living on or off campus. The primary group of students targeted in this campaign will be males and females involved in Sororities and Fraternities at MSU. Recommended advertising initiatives will be used to help increase awareness of Crisis Chat, as the majority of Michigan State students are unaware of this feature on MSU SAP’s website. An increase in advertising on MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat feature will be achieved through posted flyers on at each dorm on every floor and the distribution of business cards will be used to help individuals and survivors who may need advocacy services.

Target Audience:

This campaign is aimed primarily at college students aged 18-24 studying at Michigan State University. There are currently 50,351 enrolled students on MSU’s campus (SOURCE). Within this group, a major focus will be on Greek Life. MSU boasts 63 different Greek Life organizations, making up around 12% of the total student population (SOURCE). Data shows that these students are more likely to experience sexual assault during their college years. As a result, this group will be a prime target of this campaign.

Message:

This campaign aims to raise awareness of the Crisis Chat function among MSU students. Based on survey findings, a very small portion of the student body is currently aware of this program. Only 25% of respondents said that they have heard of the Crisis Chat. By promoting its offerings through advertising around campus, visibility will be increased and more students may, in turn, start to make use of the feature.

A large number of survey takers, 63% in total, also noted that they would feel uncomfortable even using a chat-line to discuss their experience with sexual assault. As noted in previous sections, survivors are unwilling to come forward because they fear for their privacy and suffer from feelings of shame and denial. By promoting the Crisis Chat as a safe and confidential method for expressing oneself following a traumatic sexual experience, MSU SAP may draw a larger response from potential users.

Intended Effects:

To increase usage of the Crisis Chat feature offered by MSU SAP. The first step of this process involves increasing awareness of this among the MSU student body. Then, consumers need to know this is a safe and confidential option. By advertising heavily across MSU’s campus and tailoring the message to potential users looking for an outlet to discuss their experience, this campaign will be able to reach the largest amount of consumers and draw more users to the service.

Measurement:

The best way to measure consumers’ awareness is through a survey distributed to MSU students. The survey should be run at the midway point of the campaign and post-campaign to determine the effectiveness of the advertising. More details can be found in the “Evaluation” section.

B.) Creative Strategy

Target Audience

Targeting Michigan State Students aged 18-24, more specifically in Greek Life and freshman students with creative advertising will illustrate that the MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat is a helpful tool for sexual assault victims to turn to. This target group will in turn after learning about the Crisis Chat and it’s advocacy features use the chat and spread the word to friends and other students that may be in need of advocacy services, ensuring that Michigan State is a safe environment for its students.

Key Benefit and Support

Michigan State University offers a variety of sexual assault services for individuals on campus and off of campus. Crisis Chat offers advocacy services for all individuals of different identities. This online resource provides victims with advocacy volunteers that direct students to important resources to help them through their times of struggle in a confidential way sharing any information they feel comfortable with.

Communicating the offered services to freshmen and Greek Life members through print advertising will reduce the negative impacts of whatever they may have experienced or currently be experiencing. Overcoming the hesitation of sexual assault concerns, students will realize that the Crisis Chat is a safe, helpful tool to turn to when in need of support. Educating freshman will help them realize that sexual assault is an issue on all campuses and is an especially important subject to be aware of at Michigan State given previous circumstances (ie. Larry Nassar Case) to help them be cautious on campus and know where to turn to if they have been affected by any sort of sexual assault. Along with informing freshman on Crisis Chat, Greek Life ambassadors will give all 63 Greek Life chapter members at Michigan State, business cards with information on how to use Crisis Chat. The business cards will give these students an outlet to turn to if they have been affected by sexual assault or know of anyone who has been affected. A well-executed advertising campaign will help foster a supportive and helpful community at Michigan State University, ensuring that individuals gain strength and get the support that they deserve.

Objectives

The objective of the creative advertising strategy is to provide victims and students at Michigan State University with the knowledge and information that MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat provides through the use of print advertisements including flyers and business cards. Making these advertising initiatives will allow victims that are unaware of this service to cope with their distressing emotions through the online chat resource in a confidential way. The creative advertising strategy will raise awareness of the Crisis chat by 15% by the end of the campaign, connecting students to on-campus and local resources, giving them the necessary information on advocacy services, and answer any questions a victim or a friend of a victim may have about sexual assault.

Tone & Manner

The creative message will have a supportive, welcoming, and hopeful tone. The posters will pertain to incoming freshmen, as freshmen are especially vulnerable to assault during the first six weeks of their college career (NPR.org). Business cards will be distributed to Greek Life members, as they are also at a high risk of sexual assault during their college careers. The posters and business cards will have a bright color scheme, drawing students in and capturing their attention through the use of supportive blue tones, calming purples and inviting pinks. Text chat bubbles will be featured on these printed materials as well, highlighting on the chat feature and resonating with millennials who are keen on text. The Michigan State Spartan logo will also be placed on flyers and business cards to invoke familiarity with students. Overall, the tone, color scheme, logo, and text bubbles will be used on all campaign materials to maintain continuity and familiarity on all of MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat campaign initiatives.

C.) Executions:

The distribution of print advertisements for MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat will further unify the Michigan State community and provide students with necessary knowledge on how to combat sexual assault through MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat service. Creative executions will inform students on how to visit the Crisis Chat website, show them the ways in which they can follow Crisis Chat on social media, inform them on the dates and times that the chat is available, and let them know that resources are available and confidential.

Posters will be strategically placed on every floor of the 27 undergraduate dorms. The posters will be 18x27 in size, making them large will ensure that the attention is being grabbed. Crisis Chat posters will be hung up in dorms at the beginning of the semester to resonate with freshman right away and increase their awareness of sexual assault. This signage will give students the information stated in the previous paragraph in an eye-catching way, increasing the visibility of Crisis Chat. Word bubbles will be used to urge students and survivors to seek help, learn about sexual assault, and ask questions.

Greek Life ambassadors will visit each Sorority and Fraternity at Michigan State, they will inform members on MSU SAP’s crisis chat, give a tutorial on how to use the chat, and promote the chat through the distribution of small business cards. The cards will feature the 24/7 hotline number, put an emphasis on the Crisis Chat, include the MSU SAP website link, list other available resources that MSU SAP offers, and stress confidentiality. Business cards will be useful as they are small and can fit in a students wallet so they always can have the information on hand when they feel threatened or have been affected by sexual assault.

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5. Public Relations & Other Marketing Communications (Sales Promotion, Direct Marketing, etc.)

Intro:

The goal of public relations and promotions is to raise awareness about the crisis chatline. Through strategic implementation, the campaign will make the chat a more approachable resource for people who need it.

(PAGE 1)

Target Audience:

College students 18-24 who are at increased risk of sexual assault/ harassment. These groups includes college females, females in sororities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The typical target audience is students who frequent house parties, bars and fraternity houses, and other informal social gatherings on campus.

The Message:

“Help is out there for those who have questions or need guidance toward the next steps in healing. Whether it be questions about consent, therapy or counseling; the chatline is made accessible to everyone who needs it. We know confronting these issues is often traumatizing or scary to speak about, so texting might help you give us more accurate information regarding your personal case. As always, conversations are completely confidential.”

Intended Effects:

Students will become aware of this resource on campus and will not be hesitant to reach out for help. Along with this, friends, and family members of sexual assault victims will have a resource that they can refer.

(PAGE 2)

Strategy:

Execution:

Ambassador Program:

The MSU Sexual Assault Program will create an ambassador program that will help bring awareness to sexual assault incidents on campus. These ambassadors will target Fraternity and Sorority houses on campus, since women in sororities are 74% more likely to experience rape during their college careers ( nsvrc.org ). These ambassadors will give presentations at the beginning of each semester to each house and deliver an educational presentation about sexual assault. Each presentation will be broken into three parts:

Part One:

The first part will educate students about consent and basic statistics surrounding on-campus sexual assault. Since minimization of sexual assault is a large reason why many cases go unreported, having a working knowledge of your personal boundaries is the first step in recognizing when someone violates them. The second portion of this segment recognizes the statistics of how women are at a larger risk of sexual assault on campus. This is important to address, as many people don’t realize the rate at which they happen, giving many license not to believe women when they step forward.

Part Two:

This portion addresses the preventative measures surrounding sexual assault. In this portion, it is important to stress assault is never the victim's fault, however there are preventative measures in place it evade danger:

1) Pouring your own drink/not setting your drink down at a social gathering

2) Use the buddy system

3) Share your location with friends you trust

4) Communicate with your friends about your plans for the night before going out

5) Do not walk/rideshare alone at night

6) If you are concerned for a friend, call 911 or an on-campus RA

These measures don’t prevent all sexual assault cases, but heightened awareness of your surroundings puts you in a better position to get yourself out of a dangerous/uncomfortable situation.

Part Three:

Here, the introduction of the crisis chat line takes place. Information about the chatline, a brief tutorial and business cards with the endrape.msu.edu url will be passed out. During this part, ambassadors will stress confidentiality and encourage use of the hotline for any incident- whether the individual thinks it is big or small.

(Page 3)

Press:

In the beginning of each semester, a press release will be sent out via email to build awareness of the crisis chatline. The targeted journals include WKAR and WLNS.

Comment by Lauren Marie Zollo: Hi Lindsay if this looks wonky when you copy it into the book lmk i'll email it to you!

Measurement:

At the end of each semester, on-campus ambassadors will send out survey to all undergraduate students about their use of the chatline. Sample questions:

1) In the past semester, have you been inclined to use the crisis chatline

a) Yes

b) No

c) Indifferent

2) In the past semester, have you been inclined to refer a friend to use the crisis chatline?

a) Yes

b) No

c) Indifferent

3) Do you recognize the MSU SAP crisis chatline as a helpful resource for sexual assault victims?

a) Yes

b) No

4) Have you seen flyers advertising the crisis chatline around campus?

a) Yes

b) No

5) Do you think campus ambassadors helped your personal understanding of the crisis chatline?

a) Yes

b) No

These questions would measure student use of the chatline so it can be assessed and improved upon.

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6. Media Recommendations

Media Vision:

MSU SAP Crisis Chat has been around for almost 40 years and holds an impactful mission statement and message. This campaign stands behind this message, however it seeks to improve the lack of awareness of the Crisis Chat. The media strategy will use traditional print advertisements, an ambassador program, social media platforms, and an informational video to appeal to a larger audience and benefit sexual assault victims.

Key Media Problem:

The biggest problem MSU SAP faces is a lack of awareness surrounding their social media presence. They currently have an active Facebook and Twitter feed, where they post updates daily. Their Facebook boasts 1,929 likes and their Twitter has 1,723 followers. After conducting our survey, though, we found that 0% of respondents followed these accounts. This points to issues in awareness surrounding SAP’s presence on campus. Students that don’t know the program exists will have a hard time accessing the Crisis Chat function.

Target Audience

The media strategy will target Michigan State University students who live on and off campus, focusing primarily on students in Greek Life. The online strategy will target MSU students who use Facebook and Twitter. These students will take advantage of the information on the boosted posts, posted at higher risk times, and print advertisements conveniently located in Michigan State dorms. Social media will also allow potential users of the Crisis Chat to see a sample interaction on the chat in the example video, allowing victims to know what to expect with the Crisis Chat. For more information on the media strategy target audience see the “target market” section of the plansbook.

Other Objectives

The objective of the media strategy is providing victims with the information about MSU SAP Crisis Chat on frequently used social media platforms, print ads and an educational video displaying a sample conversation of the Crisis Chat. This will allow victims to virtually collect this information and resource when it may be hard for an individual to talk or reach out to someone in person. Furthermore, the media strategy will assist in raising awareness of the Crisis Chat to increase awareness by 15% by the end of the campaign.

Reach and Frequency

The media will produce a reach of 7% for MSU students and sexual assault victims seeking potential resources. The target audience for the media campaign will produce an average of 5 impressions per week, and 10 impressions per week during the time of boosted posts as well as the launch of the MSU SAP Crisis Chat informational video.

Timing/Continuity

The media elements of the campaign will be continuous from August to May, with boosted posts on Facebook and Twitter for the MSU SAP Crisis chat in selected months. The instructional video of a sample MSU SAP Crisis Chat conversation will be launched in the beginning of September in alignment with the start-up of Michigan State University classes. Crisis Chat informational posters will be posted on each floor of every dorm at MSU during the move-in period. The timing of the social media portion of the campaign is selected to promote MSU Crisis Chat at times of increase partying and risk for sexual assault to occur, as well as sexual assault awareness month.

Others (e.g., geographic, creative, etc.)

The media placements of the campaign reach our target market of MSU students and Greek life members who live in the dorms/on campus and via social media. Greek life students not living in dorms/on campus will be more specifically targeted through our ambassador program. For more information, please see the “public relations” portion of the campaign. The social media portion will primarily reach MSU students as well as other sexual assault victims in Lansing seeking resources.

Strategy / Vehicle Selection

Online

MSU SAP should continue to advertise on social media acknowledging sexual assault survivors and sexual assault statistics. However, there is a lack of recognition and promotion of the availability of the Crisis Chat. Using social media as a cost-effective resource for advertising the Crisis Chat can drive engagement and interaction for sexual assault victims at Michigan State University.

All of our surveyed participants had little to no knowledge of MSU SAP’s Facebook or Twitter pages, which correlates with little or no knowledge of the MSU SAP Crisis Chat. Contrastingly, all our surveyed participants have Facebook and Twitter accounts (See Appendix). Increasing posts about the Crisis Chat and boosting these posts will reach a larger number of MSU students and create an increase of awareness of the chat. Social media posts about the Crisis Chat will be boosted during Welcome Week, Tailgating Season, Halloween, and Sexual Assault awareness month. This will directly target MSU students, as well as students in Greek life, during periods of high partying in a college environment that can lead to sexual assault. This campaign will also include a sample conversation front and center of the MSU SAP website, as well as in a boosted post Facebook and Twitter.

The informational video located on the home page of MSU SAP’s official website will show sexual assault victims what to expect from the Crisis Chat. Considering MSU SAP is primarily grant funded, MSU SAP should apply use of a free program like google analytics during and after the campaign to track/alter posts based on engagements, likes and shares. Using google analytics will help guide MSU SAP’s social media to reach the target audience and improve engagement.

Print

Traditional print advertisements placed in MSU dorms will be crucial for providing incoming MSU students with the awareness of the MSU SAP Crisis Chat resource. Ten eye catching flyers will be posted in each of the 27 dorms at the start of the September semester to create a spread of awareness across all on campus students. Resident assistants frequently post informational posters about events at MSU and meetings, so students frequently view boards in the dorms, especially during the beginning of the semester. Considering there is a lack of knowledge of the MSU SAP Crisis Chat, targeting incoming MSU students will help make them aware of this resource during the entirety of their college career. Print ads are also a cost-effective form of advertising, that will attract attention and help achieve the objective of increasing awareness. The posters can be printed by a variety of services like UPS or Office Depot, for a reasonable price. See “budget” section for more information regarding price. Providing traditional print ads directly for our target market will guarantee an increase of awareness of MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat.

Media Selections:

Media Schedule

August- January-

(days) (days)

01-31: Social Media Posting 01-31: Social Media Posting

01: Boosted Posts- “Welcome Week” 09: Greek Ambassador Program

09: SAP Press Release

September- February-

(days) (days)

01-31: Social Media Posting 01-31: Social Media Posting

01: Boosted Posts- Tailgating

01: Dorm Flyers

01: Greek Ambassador Program

01: SAP Press Release

October- March-

(days) (days)

01-31: Social Media Posting 01-31: Social Media Posting

31: Boosted Posts- Halloween

November- April-

(days) (days)

01-31: Social Media Posting 01-31: Social Media Posting

01: Boosted Posts- Halloween 01: Boosted Posts- SAAM

December- May-

(days) (days)

01-31: Social Media Posting 01-31: Social Media Posting

01: Boosted Post- Video Roll Out

Flowchart:

7. Evaluation

a. Market Goals:

B. Advertising Goals:

C. Sales Promotion Goals:

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8. BUDGET

Specific Expenses:

Advertising Expenses

Print Ads

The MSU Sexual Assault Program should set aside $5,940 for print promotions, in the form of posters to be distributed to the 27 undergraduate dorms on campus. Each dorm will be alloted 10 18x24 size posters, provided by MSU SAP, to hang throughout the residence halls. The cost of these posters is approximately $22 a piece. Additionally, MSU SAP will create business cards to disperse to various Greek life organizations on campus through its ambassador program. The cost of these cards comes in at $0.04 per card. Each semester the program will print 3,000 cards, making the grand total cost for this initiative $240.

Social Media

Advertising for the campaign will also include the cost of boosting of posts prior to major holidays and events, equaling a cost of $650. The four events we will be boosting posts for include Welcome Week, Tailgating, Halloween, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The posts will be boosted on MSU SAP’s active Facebook and Twitter pages. Each boosted post on Facebook amounts to $100, and each post on Twitter is $50. There will also be a one-time boosting fee for the instructional video roll out. There will be a larger budget dedicated to this posting, in order to reach a larger audience and raise awareness of the Crisis Chat function. $500 has been set aside to boost this post on Facebook, and $200 to boost on Twitter.

Public Relations and Promotions Expenses

Ambassador Program

Home to 63 sororities and frats on campus, MSU SAP should designate an ambassador program to discuss with members the prevalence of sexual assault in Greek Life organizations, as well as available resources in a time of need. The program will assign 2 ambassadors to travel to the different chapters on campus at the start of each semester, and providing them with a semesterly stipend of $1,200 a piece. The total cost of this program will amount to $4,800 in wages. The ambassadors will also be responsible for handing out business cards to students that spell out a list of available resources, including the Crisis Chat function.

Instructional Video

A small budget has been set aside for the production of the instructional video. By getting an MSU student to volunteer in putting together the video, costs can be virtually eliminated. The only real amount to factor in would be an editing software, such as Adobe Creative Cloud. A one month subscription comes in at around $31.79.

Agency Commission

This cost is derived from total billable hours. It includes time spent putting together the instructional video and promotional print ads. Over 8 months, the allotted amount is $1,000.00.

Total Budget: $12,361.79

Contingency Budget: $638.21

General Ledger

Pie Chart

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9. Conclusions

We, Spartan Strategies believe this is the best plan to increase awareness and usage of MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat, throughout the campaign and well after. Through secondary research we discovered our target audience and created a campaign to directly target them through print advertisements, an instructional video, an ambassador program, and distributing brochure advertisements. This plan reaches the target audience through all directions and is simple to implement. MSU SAP’s Crisis Chat would greatly benefit in achieving their goals by executing our campaign and increase awareness by 15%.

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10. Appendices

· Survey Results

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· In-Depth Interview

Interview Questions:

Age: 22

Class Status at MSU: Senior

On Campus or off campus? On campus

Gender: Female

Q: Do you think people have a solid idea of consent?

A: I think some people have an idea of consent but when alcohol is added in the mix the lines can be blurred for some people

Q:Do you think there are any campus factors that contribute to sexual assault incident? I think the sorority and fraternity environment can really lead to the perfect opportunity to be sexually assaulted or sexually assault someone.

Q:What resources did you know of on campus?

A: Not really any, but I also didn’t really look into it.

A:Were you personally hesitant to reach out for help?

A: Would you mind specifying why? Yes mostly because I was ashamed and felt like it was also my fault for what happened

Q:What do you look for in a resource?

A:My friends

Q:What are you most comfortable doing? Texting? speaking with someone over the phone? Group counseling?

A:Probably texting or talking to someone I know extremely well. I think group counseling would also be helpful.

Q:What do you wish people understood more about sexual assault survivors?

A: That it's really hard to open up about details so if someone is confiding in you please be extremely supportive and let them tell their story from their perspective. Also it is hard for someone to reach out for help themselves so if you see them going through really dark times, it may be necessary to step in and help them get the courage to talk to someone.

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Bibliography:

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/michigan-state-2290/student-life

https://opb.msu.edu/functions/institution/documents/FallEnrollment.pdf

https://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/oct/21/fraternities-and-campus-sexual-assault-problem/

https://www.npr.org/2014/08/13/339888170/smartphone-apps-help-to-battle-campus-sexual-assaults

https://msu.edu/about/thisismsu/facts.php