CMST 3SM3
Building Publics Using Social Media
Problem Set
Objective
Gain an understanding of how to develop a communication plan for digital and social media to solve a specific communication challenge.
Overview
In this assignment, you pick ONE of FOUR scenarios and solve a social media problem by developing a digital and social communications plan, using the R.A.C.E. formula.
Research
Action Planning
Communication
Evaluation
Deliverables:
• Case study solution – maximum 1250 words, excluding cover page, abstract, references, and appendices.
• Cast study solution should be written in the third person, as though you are an expert reporting to the organization, which is your client.
• Be creative in your presentation of the report. You are not obliged to follow APA for the
assignment format – only for the format of the bibliographical references you include. You can be as creative in the presented format of your report as you choose – you are only bound by the limits of good taste and decorum. In the past, students have successfully presented this report in many formats (e.g., traditional written report format, slide deck, commented video, interactive PDF, etc.).
• Sections assignment should contain, following the method outlined in Bégin & Charbonneau (2012):
1. Title Page (title, your name, student number, date, course number, instructor name)
2. Abstract (maximum 150 word summary of your paper)
3. Description of organization
4. Research – Do some research for your solution to the problem. This could look similar to a verybriefreview of the most important and relevant literature. Who are the key stakeholders? Who is the audience?
5. Analysis – Analyse the research to find insights in the data. This section should include a SWOT. Your SWOT must be presented as four-quadrant table.
6. Communication – Describe the strategy you think would solve their problem, based on the research and analysis you have done. Set a GOAL. Set SMART Objectives. Your GOAL and SMART Objectives must create value for the organization/influencer. Include a timeline for the execution of your proposed plan. Your Timeline should be presented graphically as aline with events indicated.
7. Evaluation – please identify any metrics, milestones, key performance indicators, etc. you
would recommend for evaluating whether your communication strategy has been successful. These should directly evaluate your SMART Objectives. Your evaluation should highlight the value your strategy has added to the organization/influencer.
8. Limitations – describe the limits on the validity of your solution. Examples: small dataset, lack of access to information, lack of time to do thorough study, personalbias, etc.)
9. Conclusions, Key Learnings– Brief general overview of your RACE analysis. What have you learned from the process? What would you flag or recommend to a future public relations professional hoping to solve a similar problem?
10. References (use APA formathere)
11. Appendices (any documents or supports you wish to append to support your plan)
OPTION 1 – COMMUNICATION BY THE NUMBERS
The Bruce Trail Conservancy,a small to medium-sized charitable organization based in Hamilton, Ontario, is devoted to protecting a green ribbon of nature all along the length of the escarpment. It faces challenges with social media – how does the BTC develop a social media strategy that will help them drive (i) donations and volunteerism, (ii) encourage healthy living and environmental conservation and (iii) raise awareness and membership of its member clubs.
Your challenge is, using the RACE formula described above, develop a quantitative analysis of the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s social media activity that makes the case highlights the three objectives described above. First, you should summarize using basic descriptive statistics. Then you should examine these statistics to propose a set of metrics, KPIs, and milestones that will highlight the value of the social media campaign to the BTC. Good metrics and KPIs should be easy to understand and should move lead the behaviour of employees, volunteers, donors and other stakeholders to advance each of those three goals.
OPTION 2 – THEORY AND STRATEGY
The SoBi bike share collective in Hamilton, Ontario was recently purchased and then defunded by Uber, which is a large multinational ride-sharing platform. Uber claimed that SoBi was unsustainable economically. After that situation, SoBi was rescued due to a large donation and some support from the City of Hamilton.
Your challenge is, using the RACE formula described above, develop a marketing communications strategy and plan for SoBi that will help put them on a sound economic and reputational footing.
What theoretical or approach will you take to form. your strategy? How will you project the value, social importance and viability of SoBi so that it remains a going concern? How will you keep key stakeholders onside? Remember that you are developing a communications plan, not a new business plan for SoBi.
OPTION 3 – IMAGE AND BRAND MANAGEMENT CROSSROADS
You are the public relations manager for a prominent social media influencer whose life is undergoing a major change. They have made all their reputation and a very valuable in a certain area (eg. mommy blogging, professional athlete, fashion model, financial investor, etc.). Now they are facing a major life change that will necessitate a change in brand and image on social media. A change in brand could have serious consequences for their abilities to keep followers, which could have very negative impact on their revenues (advertising, sponsorships, sales, plus video monetization from YouTube, etc.).
First, select the influencer whom you want to “work for” in this assignment. Your job is to apply the RACE model to develop a communication strategy to help them through their brand and image change, while keeping their followership strong and their revenues flowing!
OPTION 4 – SOCIAL MEDIA CRISIS
In the 2015 federal election, Ms. Alex Johnstone was a candidate for the NDP in the riding of Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas in Hamilton, Ontario. A political website found a tweet in which she appeared to make light of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp during a visit there when she was much younger. When questioned, she told a Hamilton Spectator reporter that she didn’t know about Auschwitz. This went viral and caused a massive social media storm for Ms. Johnstone. This caused her significant reputational damage. You are Ms. Johnstone’s director of communications. How would you apply the RACE model to build a social media communications plan to respond this crisis in away that helps herget out of the crisis with as little reputational and political damage as possible.
For this crisis, you should consult the literature on crisis communications. Please start with the Balance Zone Model, devised by Dr. Terry Flynn.