10 pages-

COM 656: Final Project Guidelines and Grading Guide

Overview The final project for this course is a digital media communications PR campaign. The current public relations environment requires effective integration of a range of digital tools (social media channels, such as Facebook, and new media platforms, such as Pinterest) to reach the desired target audiences. The societal demand for real-time information delivered in an authentic way pushes communications professionals to achieve proficiency across the spectrum of social media channels. Understanding the environment and language of each digital channel is key to an effective, integrated communications campaign. To this end, you will create a digital media campaign that illustrates the power of reaching an audience through these dynamic tools. This project is divided into four milestones, which are due in Modules Two, Four, Five, and Seven. These milestones will inform your final submission. The final written report is due in Module Nine. This report should be 10–14 pages in length.

Prompt Create a report that includes the research and evaluation that will inform your digital media communications campaign. Your report will consist of a campaign proposal that includes an analysis of the effectiveness of digital tools for their ability to reach an audience, especially focusing on the language and stylistic elements endemic to those platforms. The primary focus should be social media channels; the secondary focus should be new media platforms. Then, using that information, create your own campaign employing the digital tools you have studied, including samples and a return on investment (ROI) report. Specifically, all of the following critical elements must be addressed in your campaign proposal:

1. Background Provide an overview of the company selected for the campaign. This background will provide context for the digital communications campaign that you will create.

2. Evaluation of Digital Tools

Include an evaluation of various social media channels/new media platforms relevant to your campaign. Your evaluation must substantiate your recommendation of tools for the specific campaign. Be sure to evaluate the tools for the following:

a. Communication Styles. Language and stylistic elements. b. Effectiveness. How do these digital tools reach a target audience and create community?

3. Recommendation of Digital Tools

a. Select 3–5 Digital Tools. Based on the evaluation, narrow down the list of social media channels/new media platforms and select 3–5 of these tools (including both social media channels and new media platforms) that you recommend for the campaign.

b. Employment of Digital Tools. Recommend how to directly employ the 3–5 digital tools in the campaign.

4. Target Audience Identify the campaign’s target audience and describe how each digital tool can be used to reach the audience.

5. Challenges Identify potential challenges and include an overall recommendation of how these digital tools can be used to respond to any possible challenges in the campaign.

6. Opportunities

Identify potential opportunities and include an overall recommendation of ways in which these digital tools can be used to take advantage of the opportunities that will contribute to the overall success of the campaign.

7. Current Social Trends

Evaluate the current social trends related to the campaign. How do the social media channels/new media platforms match these trends?

8. Brand Imaging Strategies How can the social media channels/new media platforms be employed for brand imaging? Describe the strategies that you will use to capture a consistent theme and enhance the consumer experience with this media.

9. Predict Future Trends

Predict future trends regarding the use of social media channels/new media platforms. How can the selected digital tools be used to address these potential trends?

10. Sample Copy

Create a sample copy for your chosen social media channels/new media platforms and include an analysis of why this approach would be effective.

11. Return on Investment (ROI) Report Design a one-page ROI report that incorporates effective standards for measuring the outcomes of your campaign.

Milestones Milestone One: Digital Tools In task 2-2, you will submit an overview of the company approved by the instructor for the campaign. This background will provide context for the digital communications campaign that you will create. You will then evaluate the application of the communication styles of three to five digital tools. This milestone will inform your final project. Based on your evaluation, you may or may not choose to use these digital tools in your digital campaign. For each tool, discuss the effectiveness in reaching a target audience and propose how to develop that audience into an online community. This milestone is graded with the Digital Tools Rubric.

Milestone Two: Case Study of New Media Tools In task 4-2, you will conduct a case study of how a current company uses new media tools for a digital media PR communications campaign. You should select a different company than the one you selected for your final project (though perhaps in the same industry or field). This will provide you with a different perspective, and you can apply what you learn from this milestone to your project. Be sure to evaluate all or some of the digital tools discussed in Milestone One. Evaluate the engagement and effectiveness of this company’s connectivity, engagement, and community building with the company’s target audience through social media, and make recommendations for improvement to the company’s social media use and approach. Identify unique challenges and opportunities for the company, and recommend how new media tools can address these challenges and opportunities. This milestone is graded with the Case Study of New Media Tools Rubric. Milestone Three: Campaign Outline In task 5-2, you will submit an outline for your digital media communications PR campaign. The outline should develop the campaign and the brand imaging strategies. You will identify current social trends and the final three to five digital tools you will use in the campaign. You must describe the target audience, brand imaging strategies, and future trends. This milestone is graded with the Campaign Outline Rubric. Milestone Four: Sample Copy (or Assets for Engagement Efforts) and Return on Investment Report In task 7-2, you will submit a sample copy (or assets for engagement efforts) that is written appropriately for the digital platforms used in your campaign. Also design a one-page return on investment (ROI) report that incorporates effective standards for measuring the outcomes of your campaign. This milestone is graded with the Sample Copy-ROI Rubric. Final Project Submission: Digital Media Communications PR Campaign In task 9-2, you will submit a digital media communications PR campaign that illustrates the power of reaching an audience through the dynamic tools of new media—social media channels and digital platforms. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This milestone will be graded using the Final Project Rubric (located in this document).

Deliverable Milestones

Milestone Deliverables Module Due Grading

1 Digital Tools Two Graded separately; Digital Tools Rubric

2 Case Study of New Media Tools Four Graded separately; Case Study of New Media Tools Rubric

3 Campaign Outline Five Graded separately; Campaign Outline Rubric

4 Sample Copy (or Assets for Engagement Efforts) and Return on Investment Report

Seven Graded separately; Sample Copy-ROI Rubric

Final Project Submission: Digital Media Communications PR Campaign

Nine Graded separately; Final Project Rubric

Final Project Rubric Requirements of submission: The report should be a double-spaced Word document with one-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font, and it must follow APA format. It should be 10–14 pages in length (not including title page and references) and should include no fewer than eight resources. The inclusion of images in the final PR campaign, as well as video (video links), is recommended; however, it is critical that the text component of the final PR campaign constitute 80% to 90% of the content. This project uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. To view the integrated rubric in Blackboard, navigate to the final submission item, click on the title, and then click the “View Rubric” button. For more information, review these instructions.

Critical Elements Exemplary Proficient Needs Improvement Not Evident Value

Background

Meets “Proficient” criteria and includes insightful examples to substantiate the selection of the company (5)

Proposes logical reasoning for the selection of the company and a context for a digital media communications campaign (4.5)

Selects a company but does not establish a context for the digital media communications campaign (3.5)

Does not include background (0)

5

Evaluation: Communication Styles

Meets “Proficient” criteria and substantiates evaluation with clear and specific examples (6)

Evaluates varied digital tools for their language and stylistic elements (5.4)

Includes an overview of varied digital tools but does not evaluate the language and stylistic difference (4.2)

Does not include evaluation of communication styles (0)

6

Evaluation: Effectiveness

Meets “Proficient” criteria and uses clear and specific examples to compare the digital tools for their ability to create an online presence (6)

Evaluates the digital tools for their effectiveness in an online community and their ability to reach a target audience (5.4)

Does not sufficiently evaluate the digital tools for their effectiveness in an online community and their ability to reach a target audience (4.2)

Does not include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the digital tools (0)

6

Recommendation: Select 3–5 Digital Tools

Meets “Proficient” criteria and includes unique and varied digital tools (6)

Proposes 3–5 digital tools that match the needs of a digital media communications campaign for the selected company and substantiates recommendations using research (5.4)

Proposes 3–5 digital tools but does not establish how the tools will meet the needs of the selected company and/or does not use research (4.2)

Does not propose 3–5 digital tools (0)

6

Recommendation: Employment of Digital

Tools

Meets “Proficient” criteria and includes unique and innovative methods of employing the digital tools that are relevant to the campaign (9)

Explains how the selected digital tools will be specifically employed in the campaign, using clear and specific examples (8.1)

Explains how to employ the selected digital tools but does not use specific examples (6.3)

Does not explain how the digital tools will be employed (0)

9

Target Audience

Meets “Proficient” criteria and uses clear and unique examples on how to use the digital tools to reach the target audience (6)

Identifies the campaign’s target audience and appropriately describes how the digital tools can be used to reach the audience, using research to substantiate ideas (5.4)

Does not identify the campaign’s target audience or does not sufficiently describe how the digital tools can be used to reach the audience (4.2)

Does not identify the campaign’s target audience (0)

6

Challenges

Meets “Proficient” criteria and includes unique examples of how to use the digital tools to address potential challenges (6)

Proposes how to use the digital tools to address potential challenges the company may face as obstacles to creating a positive online presence (5.4)

Does not sufficiently address potential challenges the company may face as obstacles to creating a positive online presence (4.2)

Does not recommend how to address challenges (0)

6

Opportunities

Meets “Proficient” criteria and includes examples from research to substantiate recommendations (6)

Identifies opportunities and recommends how to advantageously use the digital tools to create a successful campaign (5.4)

Does not sufficiently identify opportunities or recommend how to advantageously use the digital tools to create a successful campaign (4.2)

Does not identify opportunities or recommend how to advantageously use the digital tools (0)

6

Current Social Trends

Meets “Proficient” criteria and substantiates evaluation with clear and relevant examples (9)

Evaluates the impact of current social media trends as they relate to the digital tools and the target audience (8.1)

Does not sufficiently evaluate the impact of current social media trends as they relate to these platforms or to the target audience (6.3)

Does not evaluate the impact of current social media trends (0)

9

Brand Imaging Strategies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and includes unique ideas for brand imaging, substantiated with research (9)

Proposes how to employ the digital tools with brand imaging strategies, using clear and specific examples (8.1)

Proposes how to employ the digital tools with brand imaging strategies without including examples, or ideas lack appropriateness (6.3)

Does not propose brand imaging strategies (0)

9

Predict Future Trends

Meets “Proficient” criteria and substantiates predictions with clear and relevant examples (9)

Predicts future trends in social media as they relate to these platforms (8.1)

Does not sufficiently predict future trends in social media as they relate to these platforms (6.3)

Does not predict future trends (0)

9

Sample Copy

Meets “Proficient” criteria through a particularly detailed, insightful analysis in support of the approach (9)

Creates a sample copy for the chosen platforms that includes an analysis of why this approach should be effective (8.1)

Creates a sample copy for the chosen platforms but does not analyze why this approach should be effective (6.3)

Does not create a sample copy (0)

9

Return on Investment (ROI) Report

Meets “Proficient” criteria and makes connections to possible next steps based on varied outcomes (9)

Designs a one-page ROI report that incorporates effective standards for measuring the outcomes of the campaign (8.1)

Designs a one-page ROI report but does not incorporate effective standards for measuring the outcomes of the campaign (6.3)

Does not design an ROI report (0)

9

Articulation of Response Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to- read format (5)

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization (4.5)

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas (3.5)

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas (0)

5

Earned Total: Comments:

100%