In my public relations capstone: PRL 425 Cases and Campaigns at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, four peers and I spent a semester building and presenting a fully developed campaign to our client Syracuse Stage. We applied management, strategic planning, problem solving, tactics and research to client needs. In this course I mastered the elements of an integrated public relations campaign using principles and strategies of public relations, social media and branding.
The following information is part of a class assignment from August 2024 through December 2024 at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University. All information is intended to be sourced appropriately.
Executive Summary
Syracuse Stage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that that reinvests its revenue back into its theater productions. Syracuse Stage relies upon its patrons and community members to support its operations and allow it to continue creating the professional-quality arts and entertainment that it has provided for over 50 years. Each year, an annual fundraiser called “Cast Party” is hosted to raise the necessary funds to keep this organization alive.
My team was assigned the target audience “Stage patrons who attend shows but do not donate.” The goal was to build a campaign leading up to the “Cast Party” event to encourage this audience to purchase tickets, attend and donate at the event.
The ‘A’ Team produced “The Show Must Go On” campaign— a strategy that celebrates past and present Stage experiences to capitalize on nostalgia and remind patrons of the joy that theater brings to their lives. The strategy serves as a call to action to support the arts through charitable donations at “Cast Party,” keeping the Stage – and “the show” – alive for years to come.
The campaign consists of numerous objectives that focus on obtaining placements in local media; increasing the average size of “Cast Party” donations; driving traffic to the “Cast Party” webpage; expanding “Cast Party” support from Stage season ticket holders; and increasing the response rate of direct mail “Cast Party” invitations.
To view the full campaign planbook click here
SWOT Analysis, Audience Personas, Goals & Objectives, Strategy and Key Messages
Spec Creative Examples
The success of The ‘A’ Team’s campaign will be determined by the quantifiable success of its objectives, as well as whether or not “Cast Party” receives an increase in donations from Stage patrons who had not donated prior to the campaign.
All of the remaining tactics and descriptions can be found in the planbook. The planbook also includes a Gantt chart for implementation, a budget and an evaluation plan.