EN4510 BAEPC Professional Communication

Projects

Prepared by final year project team for AWA:Kandice Au | Emily Cheng | Sarella Chiu | Vivian Kwok | Jessica Tse

for

2 May 2013

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Contents

• Project Overview

• Our Achievements

• Challenges & Remedies

• Reflections

• Conclusion

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PROJECT OVERVIEWBackground of AWA & its needsNeeds of AWA & our objectivesOur tasks & timeline for the project

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• Founded in 1956 as a non-profit charitable organization

• Supports Hong Kong charities and schools through community service and monetary grants

• Provides donations annually benefiting children, the elderly, handicapped, women and families, community and students

• Organizes educational and social activities for its members

Background of American Women’s Association of Hong Kong

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Needs of AWA & our objectives

To raise funds for charitable

organizations

To create brand awareness and

increase engagement

through use of social media

To expand membership and

attract different demographic

To be actively involved in communications and logistics

planning for AWA’s major fundraising events

To recommend ways of improving member satisfaction and

increasing public awareness of the organization

To expand AWA’s presence through use of social media and

development of a strategic public relations plan

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• Externally to AWA:Assistant planners for fundraising events &

logistic support Consultants for strategic social media planning

• Internally:Project ManagerCommunications & Logistics ExecutivesMarketing & Editorial ExecutivePublic Relations Executive

Roles for the project

Our tasks & timeline for the projectEvents

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Suggested springfund-raising events e.g. Garden Chocolate Tasting Party

Assisted in Charity Bazaar 2012(1 Nov)

Oct

Sep

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Set up for “Strike a Pose” Yogathon

Our tasks & timeline for the projectStrategic social media planning

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Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

Researched on the use of social media platforms

Presented to the board on specific platforms

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OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

Major achievements and evaluation

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Charity Bazaar 2012• Pre-event & Post-event: provided substantial PR support• Event day: acted as the major logistics assistants and official

event photographers• Post-event: represented all volunteers to contribute a feature

article recapping the event; submitted evaluation report cum suggestion report

Achievements

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Suggestion of Spring Fundraising Proposals• Garden party with chocolate tasting• Art jamming with kids• Wine tasting in an art gallery• Dress rehearsal of the American Ballet Theatre’s

performance at the HK Arts Festival

Achievements

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“Strike a Pose” Yogathon• Constructed the framework of the event• Interviewed Mr. Wilfred Mohr, the Dutch Consul

General • Supported marketing work through design of

poster, web banner and constructed a 4-page feature article published on AWAre in March 2013

Achievements

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Strategic Social Media Plan• Prepared a research report and a presentation for

detailed suggestion and execution of social media (establishment & maintenance)

Achievements

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Evaluation

• Quality of actual work: feedback from host supervisors, academic supervisors and exhibition visitors

• Performance of managing changes, challenges and relationship within the team and with AWA

QualitativeQualitative criteria

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Evaluation

• Increase in the number of followers on social media channels

• Increase of AWA membership• Increase of AWA’s online presence

through event listing

Quantitative criteria

• Chief project nature: Consultancy but not execution

• Correlation between our work done and statistical results

• Instant or long term effect

Limitations

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CHALLENGES AND REMEDIES

Challenges & Remedies1. Change of management

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1

Event planning

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar

New PR Director appointed

in Semester B

Oct Apr

Loss of line manager

Yogathon on hold

Social media

plan part 2

Social media

plan part 1

Line manager issue settled

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3

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Remedies regarding change of management

• Keeping contact with representatives of AWA

• Suggesting as many recommendations as possible in limited time

• Providing various contingency plans in response to challenges

Challenges & Remedies2. Expectation discrepancies• Reason: Mutual misunderstanding• Remedy: Maintaining team morale under

adverse conditions

3. Time management• Reason: Lack of prompt response• Remedy: Adapt to their organizational

culture

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REFLECTIONApplication of skills learnt from coursesSkills learnt from project experience

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Application of skills learnt from courses

• From knowledge to action

• Business correspondences

• Event Proposal

Communication Strategies in

Business Projects

• Audience Analysis• Media Pitching

Public Relations Writing in English

• Event MarketingAdvertising

Copywriting in English

• Internal and external communication

Cross Cultural Organizational Communication

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Skills learnt from experience

Marketing:• Experience:

Event concept, defining event objectives, generating incentives of participating in events

• Skills learnt: Market positioning strategies Market analysis: understanding

psychographics

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Public Relations:• Experience:

Press release and features writing, event pitching, event listing and social media planning

• Skills learnt: Analyzing audience: the publics Social Media Optimization

Skills learnt from experience

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Similarities between marketing and PR

• Both are means to shape audience’s perceptions• Editorial positioning is required in all marketing

and PR publicity

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CONCLUSION

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Conclusion• Major Achievements:

Maintained smooth operation of the Charity Bazaar

Recommended promotional strategies for AWA to enhance its community profile

Provided a Yogathon framework and generated significant interest amongst AWA members

• Evaluation and its limitation• 3 Challenges and 6 remedies• Synthesizing the concepts we learnt and

associating with the world of work

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Conclusion

Initiative

Time Management

Team Cooperation

High Flexibility

Strategic Mindset

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Q & A