1. SUSTAINABILITY PR Amy Young July 20, 2010

2. Agenda  What is PR (and why do I care)?  Sustainability Committee challenges and how to frame solutions  Quick data  Campaign Audiences  Thinking about the Brand  How to do a lot with a little  Student ideas  Discussion, next steps, questions, etc.

3. What is PR?  An umbrella term for persuasive communication that encompasses market research, marketing, advertising, event planning and management, and overall public communication strategy  We think about: audience, media choice, timing, market forces, social/political/historical context, persuasion techniques, and relationship-building

4. Challenges and Considerations  Sustainability is not sexy  Consider: spokesperson(s), visual appeal/aesthetic, humor/wit, media choice  Sustainability makes people feel guilty about the way they live  Consider: tone of voice, spokesperson(s)

5. Challenges and Considerations  Sustainability is shoved down people’s throats  Consider: higher quality and less quantity, tone, using students to message for you  Resource limitations  Consider: cheaper and greener media  Lack of understanding  Consider: visual and message consistency  All-or-nothing  Consider: giving tips on baby steps through RAs, on FB, on water bottles

6. Quick Data  Because I already gave Chrissy the proposals, I am doing this “aggregate” from memory:  Very few people on campus know what your logo means or stands for and if you aren’t married to it, ALL of my students suggested changing it  Students at PLU understand they should say they are sustainable, but feel it is too hard and/or they just say they care but don’t  Very few people know that the Community Garden, Bike COOP, etc. are actually connected  Most students will tell you that sustainability feels crammed down their throats to the point where they just give up or roll their eyes

7. Campaign Audiences  Students: The major target for the Sustainability Committee (on-campus living, learn good habits now, largest market on campus)  Faculty/Staff: The secondary target (transportation/parking, resource usage, ability to model good habits for others)  Community around PLU: The tertiary target

8. The Brand  Apple's brand Apple's brand  Let’s work through this together:  Brand platform consists of five “planks”:  Brand Vision: How does the SO see the world?  Brand Mission: How will the SO act on its insight?  Brand Values: What is the code by which the SO lives?  Brand Personality: What human characteristics would you like associated with the SO?  Brand Tone of Voice: How should the SO speak to its audience(s)?

9. How to do a lot with a little  Word of mouth: use your “mavens”  Go viral: “mavens” blast videos, tips, stories, links.  Media choice: utilize cheap or free media like Facebook (more than 95% of students at PLU are on FB), have a student write the blog as an internship, multi-media  Utilize on-campus resources like MediaLab and Amy’s classes and great designers (JP Avila, Chad Hall, Cameron Cowles, etc.)  Think CONSISTENCY

10. Best Student Ideas  Overall strategy: visual consistency, high message discipline, thinking about student audience in terms of “cool factor”  Tag line: Be That Guy  Viral videos  Student postcard  Free coffee Wednesday (logo stickers)  UC mural  Team bike event  Tips on reusable grocery bags or water bottles  Better organization and visual appeal on website

11. Discussion Let’s talk…