CN FINAL part 1

1.1: Analyzing the Situation

Situation:

The Copper Nickel literary journal needs to greatly increase its sales. They need better

advertising and promotional efforts. This needs to be an on-going process so that the journal can

continue to produce issues each year and complete its goal of being self-sustainable. Copper

Nickel also struggles with clarifying its brand identity. Along with generating more awareness,

there needs to be clarification of the purpose of the journal. The overall vision of Copper Nickel

needs to be formed and promoted in order to create brand identity. The basis of this analysis

comes from interviews with the organization’s leader, Dr. York, a comprehensive analysis of the

Copper Nickel website, a survey of existing Copper Nickel fans, an exploratory survey of

Auraria campus students, a survey of local business owners, and a comparative assessment of

key competitors.

Background:

The Copper Nickel is a literary journal published by the University of Colorado Denver.

It has been operating for seven years and the staff has grown from six to twenty-five people.

Copper Nickel publishes work by both student and professional authors and is considered to be

more of a national literary journal rather than a campus magazine. This can be shown by

circulation figures. The figures state that the last issue sold 200 copies on campus, 100 copies in

Denver, and 500 copies nationally. The quality can also be demonstrated through awards

Copper Nickel has received; however, there needs to be more recognition of these awards. The

reason for integrating professional authors into the magazine is to benefit the students who

publish their work in Copper Nickel. Having their work alongside professional authors in a

publication gives the students more credibility and publishing credit. The journal is highly

selective and publishes about 3% of submissions. Published work ranges from stories, poems,

essays, photographs, art, lists, letters, and recipes. Copper Nickel publishes two issues per year,

one in October and one in February. Ninety-six percent of the staff is composed of

undergraduate students, all on a volunteer basis. The contributors to the journal are compensated

with copies/subscriptions to Copper Nickel.

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The overall vision of Copper Nickel is to be seen as a tool for promoting the value of

literature and the value of reading. They see it as their duty to bring new people into the world

of creative writing and reading so to strengthen the world of literature. Their commitment to

improving this situation is strong because one of their main goals is to have a self-sustaining

budget.

The quality of the Copper Nickel has improved over time. From an institutional

standpoint there has be much progress. At the start of the magazine, there was no money, no

support, and almost no staff. Since then, they have gained a bigger staff, developed a good

reputation, and received funding from multiple grants. In the fall of 2007, Copper Nickel began

receiving institutional money; since then, the amount received has more then doubled. In the

past, Copper Nickel has relied on earned media from outlets such as The Denver Post and

Westword.

There are many different public relations efforts in which the journal is currently

involved. First, as a way to build subscribers, any author that is published in the journal receives

a two-year subscription to Copper Nickel. The goal is to promote word of mouth marketing, and

the journal has gone from zero subscribers in October 2008 to over 200 subscribers currently. In

the last year, 56 subscriptions were not renewed. Copper Nickel is also set to sponsor the

Associated Writing Program Conference in April. This will give them an advertisement in the

AWP journal, which is estimated Dr. York to receive up to 600,000 impressions. The

conference itself will host around 8,000 attendees and, overall, this effort is estimated to bring in

200 more subscriptions. Another effort the journal is making is a literary contest that they are

holding in April and June. For the price of the entry fee, participants receive a one-year

subscription. This contest is estimated to result in 600 new subscriptions. Copper Nickel also

hosts monthly literary events open to the public in hopes of expanding public awareness of the

journal. Lastly, to encourage new subscribers, Copper Nickel is making price cuts from January

to August with a new, one-year subscription price of thirteen dollars. These on-going efforts will

be complemented by the ideas presented in this plan.

Assessment of Situation:

The significance of this situation is considerable. The Copper Nickel is hoping to clearly

identify themselves with the public through this process. They are looking to broaden their

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markets locally and increase their sales in order to become a self-sustaining publication. In the

next three years, Copper Nickel itself is looking to grow. They are in the process of creating

podcasts, videocasts, and making changes to their website so that it includes a PDF version of the

journal, as well as interviews with the authors. Their goal is to have 1,200 paying and renewing

subscribers by the fall of 2013. This is the level at which the journal can become self-

sustainable. As for a strategic business plan, Copper Nickel has a ground sense of what they are

doing, and continually adapt and mirror what seems to be working for others. There is an

internal plan in place and external plan is in the making. In order to properly assess the situation,

it will be crucial to implement benchmarking techniques to measure not only against competitors

but also as a measure of Copper Nickel’s own success.

This situation is an opportunity for both Copper Nickel, as well as the community of

Denver. It will give them the chance to:

Promote the importance of literature and reading locally in and around Denver.

Gain the attention of students around Denver and create an amount of pride in

UCD.

Create a more diverse market for Copper Nickel and for the local businesses

interested in helping to promote the journal.

There are also many issues involved with this situation, including:

Budget and time constraints.

Gaining not only the awareness, but also the support of students.

Breaking through the myth that the Copper Nickel is not just for students with a

creative writing background.

Additional Research:

Follow up research that could be done includes a more in-depth analysis of Copper

Nickel’s current business plan and surveys to potential markets asking them to rate the

importance of several factors related to journal subscriptions.

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1.2: Analysis of Organization

SWOT Analysis:

Strengths:

Copper Nickel is known on a national level, with most of their sales coming from outside

of Colorado. The journal is versatile in what they publish; this makes it easier to appeal to more

people. The staff is dedicated to their work. Copper Nickel has a professional and up-to-date

website with information about upcoming events, articles, submissions, etc.

Weaknesses:

Not many people are aware of the journal. There are only two issues per year, which

greatly prohibits the number of possible sales. College students are usually poor and need

incentives to buy things. Copper Nickel has a relatively small budget for PR efforts. There are

time constraints to deal with because it is purely volunteer work by undergraduate students,

many do not have the time to do much advertising/promotional work.

Opportunities:

There are opportunities to get the word out about the journal, which will be beneficial for

both the staff as well as contributors. It can benefit the University of Colorado Denver by

creating a name for itself as home to a prestigious literary journal, which could catch the eyes of

perspective students, investors, and important literary figures (national and local). Copper

Nickel is holding a literary contest with high incentives ($1,000), this can be an opportunity to

get students/contributors interested and involved. Copper Nickel is also sponsoring the

Associated Writing Program conference in April 2010, which will boost their awareness level.

Threats:

There are other magazines and newspapers that are more popular among students. Copper

Nickel must find a way to keep readers interested and eliminate the threat of one-time buyers.

There are only two issues are printed each year; this means the organization needs to focus on

subscriptions so that readers don’t forget about the journal. There is also a threat that readers

won’t see the value, given the relatively high subscription price of $13 per year.

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Internal Environment:

Information in this section is based on research including interviews with the

organizational leader, Dr. York, an informal, exploratory focus group composed of students

within my network, an analysis of the Guide to Profitable Marketing Results, and a

comprehensive analysis of the Copper Nickel website, as well as their social media websites and

those of their competitors. The structure of the Copper Nickel is based on producing a quality

journal, which is evaluated by circulation numbers, awards received, and number of submissions.

About 50% of the work published in the Copper Nickel is from professional writers, 25% is from

emerging writers, and 25% is from students. I believe that the organization is supportive of

public relations efforts and is doing its best to incorporate efforts into their business plans. I will

go into more detail of the internal environment by looking at the performance, structure, and

internal impediments of this organization.

Performance:

The Copper Nickel provides a bi-yearly literary magazine sold at a price of around $5 per

issue. Criteria for determining quality comes from circulation numbers and comparison with

other literary journals. The comparison is found by web 2.0 research and looking at other

journal’s circulation numbers. Dr. York is satisfied with this quality but believes it is now

important to concentrate on creating more awareness. This product offers a benefit of

knowledge and entertainment for anyone interested in creative writing. Some problems with this

product include the low budget and time constraints when it comes to promotion. Some changes

that should be made to fix these problems include better advertising and promotional activity, as

well as expanding the target market. Using strategies from the Guide to Profitable Marketing

Results will greatly help Copper Nickel’s success in selling subscriptions. A few ideas from the

book include:

Create some type of cost versus value comparison (Examples include breaking down the

price by number of articles per issue and relating the cost to other literary purchases)

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o For $13 a year you could read one bestselling author, or buy a subscription and

read from hundreds of authors.

Testimonials and third party endorsements.

Do not use generalities to describe why your journal is best, use a many specifics as

possible.

I believe the organizational leaders of the Copper Nickel are ready and willing to make these

changes particularly because one of their main goals is to become a self-sustaining organization.

Structure:

The purpose of the Copper Nickel is to produce a quality magazine and promote it to their

target publics, which include literary students, professors of literature, and local businesses in

Denver. The internal environment is very supportive for public relations activities. Current

resources the journal has to put towards public relations efforts include staff volunteers, money

(about $2,000), and good relationships with groups such as the Denver Office of Cultural

Affairs, Lighthouse Writers, Colorado Council of the Arts, the Denver Art Museum, and the

Museum of Contemporary Art. Hopefully, within the next three years these resources will

increase as awareness and sales grow. As for a strategic business plan, Copper Nickel has a sense

of what they are doing, and continually adapts and mirrors what seems to be working for others.

Internal Impediments:

Impediments that come from within the organization include: limited time, lack of PR

staff, and lack of money. Overcoming these impediments will require creative advertising

strategies, time management skills, and budgeting techniques.

Public Perception:

At the moment the Copper Nickel literary journal is not very well known. Dr. York

believes they have a strong reputation of producing a quality journal above college standards,

however this is not apparent to the public. I want to affect this reputation by expanding their

audience and market so they are known throughout Denver as a premium literary journal. I

believe that this can be determined through third party endorsements, circulation numbers, and

reader feedback.

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Reputation

At this moment Copper Nickel seems to be only semi-visible to the market. This product

is not widely used by consumers as it only comes out twice a year and subscription numbers are

low. However, the product is widely visible to people submitting their work to the publication

(up to 3,000 entries every subscription). The product seems to be perceived as a quality literary

journal produced above college standards. This comes from the amount of professional work

published within the magazine and the fact that the national circulation numbers are higher than

local numbers. The organization is perceived as small but dedicated. I believe the public

perception is correct, but once again there does not seem to be much knowledge of the

organization. Communication that has already been done includes release parties, advertising in

the student union, and inviting guest speakers to appear during parties. Within the last three

years, the organization’s reputation has improved based only upon the growing awareness of the

product. I believe that the organizational leadership is very satisfied with this reputation. To see

what feedback readers had to offer, an image survey was sent out to the fans on the Copper

Nickel Facebook page. Fifty-five fans completed the survey. (See Appendix B.)

External Environment:

When looking at the external environment, we focus on competition, opposition, and

external impediments. The major competition with the Copper Nickel are other literary journals.

There does not seem to be any significant opposition, and the only resistance that might be

involved comes from students in opposition to the cost.

Competition

The competition of the external environment does not seem too strong and is limited to

other publications of the same genre. Other literary journals in competition on a local level

include: Matter (Fort Collins), Denver Quarterly (DU), and Sobito Press (CU Boulder). On a

national level the competition includes Gulf Coast (University of Huston) and the Ninth Letter

(University of Illinois). The performance levels range from college publications to local

publications. The reputations of the competition seem to have the same reputation as Copper

Nickel except for Matter, which seems to have more of an independent cult following. Through

web 2.0 research I was able to compare the competition’s external awareness levels.

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Table 1: Competitive Environment Web 2.0

Literary Journal Facebook Fans Twitter Followers

Copper Nickel 277 fans 80 followers, 225 tweets

Denver Quarterly N/A N/A

Matter 407 fans 367 followers, 120 tweets

Subito Press 43 fans N/A

Gulf Coast 541 fans 444 followers, 53 tweets

Ninth Letter 312 fans 201 followers, 85 tweets

As is shown, Copper Nickel has a strong amount of awareness on Facebook and Twitter both

locally and nationally. Within the next three years the competition will probably increase, just as

Copper Nickel is trying to better its organization, so are other literary journals.

External Impediments

Copper Nickel operates both locally and nationally. On a national level, the environment is

growing. Including both subscriptions and single copy sales, circulation rates show that there are

more national sales than local (300 copies sold locally, 500 copies sold nationally). On a local

level, the environment is stable. Dr. York believes that on a local level awareness is high but the

value of the journal is low, especially when dealing with students. Information gathered from an

exploratory focus group comprised of eight UCD students (different majors) showed that none of

the students had heard of Copper Nickel. Impediments dealing with customers include cost and

unawareness of product. Impediments dealing with regulators, which would be the University of

Colorado Denver, include budget and time constraints. Impediments that originate in society at

large include the idea that this literary journal is not exciting, worth spending money on, and that

there is not a lot interest in creative writing in our society.

Additional Research:

In order to get a better grasp on the organization it would be ideal to collect more

information about the public perception and reputation of the Copper Nickel. Further research

including a formal survey to both subscribers and potential subscribers would be very beneficial.

More research pertaining to the quality of the journal would also be helpful. It is my belief that

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we must gain as much evidence as possible to show to the public that Copper Nickel is indeed a

high quality magazine. Evidence of this would include awards received.

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1.3: Analysis of Publics

Publics:

Information in this section was gained through research methods that include interviews

with the organizational leader Dr. York, a comprehensive analysis of the Copper Nickel website

as well as its competitors, an analysis of the Copper Nickel website traffic provided by

quantcast.com, an informal and exploratory focus group composed of eight students within my

network, and an informal survey given to seven local businesses in the downtown Denver area.

Customers

Primary customers for the Copper Nickel include literary-oriented college students in and

around Denver and professors of literature, both locally and nationally. Secondary customers

include local businesses and the people who shop there. These businesses include bookstores,

coffee shops, music stores, and boutiques. Based on research from quantcast.com, I was able to

examine the main demographic who visit the Copper Nickel website. The findings indicated

that:

65% of visitors were male

65% of visitors are between the ages of 18-34

85% of visitors are Caucasian

88% of visitors do not have kids

65% of visitors make $30,000 or less

56% of visitors are college graduates

Customers have not necessary changed in the last three years as much as they have

grown. National growth has taken place and continues to expand on the national level with

circulation reaching to 500 copies sold out of state. Within the next three years there should not

be much change in the customers except potential growth and expansion both locally and

nationally. Currently, Dr. York reports that only 10% of subscribers are on campus. Ideal

customers are interested in literature, music, and art. They earn a median income and enjoy

spending money on cultural activities. Ideal customers are adults of any age; most are in college

or have graduated with a degree.

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Producers

The staff of Copper Nickel and the writers who submit materials to the journal are the

main producers of the content. The main organization that provides Copper Nickel with

materials and money is the University of Colorado Denver, which provides a yearly budget of

$15,000. Other sources of money include sales, donations, grants, and fundraising. Currently,

single-issue sales total $4,000 annually. Copper Nickel has three ways to become a donor: if

you make a donation for $100, you become a “Friend” of Copper Nickel. For a donation of

$250, you become a “Sponsor” of Copper Nickel, and if you donate $500, or more, you are

become a “Patron” of Copper Nickel. All of these supporters receive a one-year subscription to

the journal and are recognized on the website as well as in the pages of Copper Nickel. All

supporters also receive an annual report as a way to keep them informed about the organization.

The ways to donate are spelled out on the Copper Nickel website, as is the list of current donors.

Currently, there is one patron, one sponsor, and six friends. Overall, Dr. York estimates that

Copper Nickel has received around $1,000 in direct donations. The producers have not changed

within the last three years and are not likely to in the future. The only expected change is growth

within the donors as awareness increases.

Enablers

The opinion leaders among customers include professors, local literary figures, owners of

galleries and community groups around town. Colleagues of the Copper Nickel include the

Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, the Lighthouse Writers, Colorado Council of the Arts, the

Denver Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Regulators include the University

of Colorado Denver and their fiscal agreements and structure. The Copper Nickel must stay

within University policies; however, there is no editorial regulation. As a result of these

regulations, sometimes the applications for grants do not meet with success. In past years, the

University of Colorado Denver has helped Copper Nickel by providing funding, showing

leniency with no editorial regulations, and providing two advisory boards to back the

organization. The media available to the journal includes all local outlets including newspapers,

news stations, radio, and the Internet. Copper Nickel has already had mentions in local papers

over the years, which has helped to gain exposure on a local level. The enablers are not likely to

change within the next three years.

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Limiters

Copper Nickel has three main local competitors. The first is the University of Denver’s

literary journal: Denver Quarterly. This journal has been running for 40 years and is part of the

graduate program at DU; however, there is no art in this journal. The second competitor is

Matter, an independent literary journal published in Fort Collins that appeals to a younger, “hip”

demographic. The third is Subito Press at University of Colorado Boulder. This is a main

competitor because they hold events in Denver, which creates competition for attendees. On the

national level, the journal has two main competitors; however, Copper Nickel would like to be

see them as peers. These organizations are the Gulf Coast at the University of Houston and the

Ninth Letter at the University of Illinois. Through research, I was able to compare the

competition’s external awareness levels, which can be seen on page eight. It is also necessary to

point out that some of the competitors have displayed their awards for the public to see on

websites such as Wikipedia. This should be taken into consideration when looking at Copper

Nickel’s lack of visible awards.

Copper Nickel does not have any actual opponents; however, if there are people who

believe the journal should not get that much money from the school, they could become potential

opponents to the organization. The biggest threat to the journal would be a “budget meltdown.”

This could happen for two reasons. One, the University could decide that there is no longer

room in the budget for Copper Nickel, or two, because the budget comes from the activity fee via

enrollment. If enrollment dropped so would Copper Nickel’s budget.

Intercessory Public and Opinion Leaders

Publics that are in a position to influence key publics include professors, community

group leaders, and locally known literary figures. Depending on the situation, almost all of the

leaders would speak in behalf of Copper Nickel. Formal opinion leaders for this audience

include local government officials. I do not believe formal opinion leaders would speak about

Copper Nickel because it lacks governmental importance; however, there is a chance it could be

tied to education and the importance of reading. Informal opinion leaders include literary

bloggers and literary columnists both online and in print. (See Appendix B).

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Research findings:

After researching the different publics for the Copper Nickel, I have found that the

journal contains many publics. The major publics include literary students, local businesses that

focus on art and literature, professors of literature, donors, and the University of Colorado

Denver. From this I am able to determine that the three key publics for this campaign are literary

college students nationally, professors of literature nationally, and local businesses that focus on

art and literature. The major opinion leaders/intercessory publics include professors and deans,

community group leaders, literary bloggers and columnists, and locally known literary figures.

Key Publics

College Students

This is both an apathetic and latent public; some students know what Copper Nickel is;

however they do not care to show interest in the product. Other students are not even aware that

Copper Nickel exists. Through an informal and exploratory focus group composed of eight non-

literary students within my network, I was able to gain information pertaining to the

psychographics of this public. (See Appendix B). Ideally, larger research would be needed to

create a more scientific and accurate conclusion. Therefore I am using this information for

speculation purposes only. From this informal information I can assume that:

There is a lack of awareness about the Copper Nickel

Students would rather spend their money on things other then a book

Most students do not find it important to read for pleasure

Students are influenced by their friends

If students were to go looking for the Copper Nickel, the first place they would

check is a bookstore.

Copper Nickel should focus only on literary-oriented students. I can also determine that

the type of media used for this public should include eye-catching posters and visual media that

contain bold headlines and clever taglines. The demographics for this public are as follows:

Age Income Gender Race Socio-Economic

Status

Geographic Location

Major

18-34 $0-$30,000 Male and Female

All Ethnicities Middle-Upper class

Auraria Campus

Literature, English,

Communications, Arts, Music

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WIN Analysis:

Wants: When purchasing something, literary college students tend to want

convenience, stimulating material, incentives for buying, and something

they can actually benefit from having.

Interests: Literary college students are interested in their school, cultural

activities, opportunities to publish their work, and expanding their

knowledge about literature.

Needs: These individuals need to be reminded about the product,

opportunities to share their interest in literature with others, have peers

recommend it to them, and be assured that it is worth the price.

Benefit Statement:

Copper Nickel can provide literary students with a journal that not only

contains material written for and by students, but also with a product that

encourages literary growth.

Professors of English

Professors of English would be classified as an aware public. Most are aware that the

Copper Nickel exists, they just do not have time and are not organized enough to help. Media for

this public should include print advertising that includes messages based on facts, logic, and

originality. The demographic for this public has a wide range and there is no particular

significance in demographics besides having a college education.

WIN Analysis:

Wants: Professors want things that are worth their money, products that

are useful and stimulating, and things that can be used for many different

purposes (personal use, teaching material, etc).

Interests: Professors are interested in materials that are both enlightening

and resourceful. They are interested in their school and furthering their

knowledge in different ways.

Needs: Professors need things to be cheap, resourceful, easy to obtain,

organized, and professional.

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Benefit Statement:

The Copper Nickel provides professors of English with a professional

journal full of exciting work that one will benefit from not only personally

but in the classroom as well.

Local business focusing on art and literature

This would be classified as a mainly latent public. Many local businesses are not yet aware of

the Copper Nickel literary journal and what it has to offer. Examples of these businesses

include: the Denver Public Library, Tattered Cover, Denver Art Museum, the Art District on

Santa Fe, Capitol Hill Books, West Side Books, Stella’s Coffee Haus, Paris on the Platte, The

Market, and Leela's European café. From a survey conducted with these groups, I have found

that the coffee shops (Stella’s Coffee Haus, Paris on the Platte, The Market, and Leela's

European café) only stock free publications. This problem can be overcome by setting up

drawings in the store where the winner can receive a subscription to Copper Nickel. When

surveying the bookstores, I found that some of them already stock Copper Nickel, and the ones

that do not have stopped due to lack of sales. This indicates that we need to focus on boosting

sales in these areas in order to keep the journal on shelves.

WIN Analysis:

Wants: These businesses want to be involved with the local sector and be

identified with their love of art, music, and literature.

Interests: They are interested in attracting customers, adding to their

repertoire, and making a name for themselves.

Needs: Businesses need things to be organized and easily obtainable.

They need it to benefit them and not be responsible for any backlash that

might ever occur.

Benefit Statement:

The Copper Nickel is a quality literary journal that will add distinction and

recognition to any business involved, all while being produced right here

in downtown Denver.

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Section 2.1: Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics

Position:

Copper Nickel wants to be known as a quality literary journal dedicated to promoting the value

of literature and reading in our society.

Goals:

1. Reinforce Copper Nickel’s image and reputation as a quality literary journal

within target marketso Objective: Provide the press with news and information about Copper Nickel’s

authors, awards, and events to gain more local exposure. (80% increase of press by

Spring 2011). Baseline: Currently there has been little press about Copper Nickel.

The 100% increase will be measured by the amount of news Copper Nickel sends to

the press and the amount that is then published.

Strategy: Use verbal communication to convey the message that the Copper

Nickel is a quality literary journal. (See Appendix B for a complete list of media

outlets)

Tactic: News release about upcoming events and awards (low cost, high

visibility)

o Denver Post key publics: professors and local businesses

o Westword key publics: literary students, professors, and local

businesses

o The Advocate key publics: literary students and professors

o The Metropolitan key publics: literary students and professors

Tactic: Photo and caption (low cost, high visibility, potential to gain

support and donors through emotional appeal)



businesses

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o Auraria campus newspapers key publics: literary students and

professors

Strategy: Messages will rely on facts, documentation, and personal testimonies.

(Verbal Communication)

Tactic: Pitch to bloggers (third party endorsement, low cost)

o Key publics: Literary students and professors

Tactic: Event listing for upcoming events on the website (moderate cost,

high visibility)

o Key publics: Literary students and professors

2. Increase awareness of the Copper Nickel literary journal within target

marketso Objective: To have an effect on the awareness of key publics, specifically to generate

attention towards Copper Nickel and its Facebook and Twitter websites (50%

increase of fans within six months; 138 fans for Facebook and 40 followers on

Twitter). Baseline: Currently 277 Facebook fans and 80 followers on Twitter.

50% increase based on number of fans of Copper Nickel’s competition: Matter (this

number will match the competition’s number of fans: 407).

Strategy: Messages will be enhanced with the concept of “creative unity”

(Copper Nickel is produced for and by students) throughout the campus

(Nonverbal Communication)

Tactic: Chalk messages on campus- See Appendix A (low cost, moderate

visibility)

o Key publics: literary students and professors

Tactic: Engage in Facebook/Twitter dialogue (low cost, interaction,

moderate impact)

o Key public: Literary students

Tactic: Booth/Stage at CamJam Festival, April 27th, 2010 produced by

UCD student council and UCD Concert Promotions and Venue

Management class. (low cost, news value, high visibility)

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o Objective: To have an effect on the action of college students, specifically to obtain

submissions for the Spring 2011 Copper Nickel literary contest (600 submissions by

closing date May 15th). Baseline: Currently have zero submissions. 600 submissions

based on the number Dr. York would like to have.

Strategy: a value proposition stating that Copper Nickel is a quality journal that

will add distinction and recognition to writers involved

Tactic: Invitations to literary students from campuses along the front

range to submit their work/subscribe to Copper Nickel (low costs,

moderate impact)


Tactic: Personal success stories (low cost, high impact)


Tactic: Flyers, Posters, Chalk messages on campuses (medium cost,

moderate visibility)

o Key publics: literary students

3. Attract new customers within key publics o Objective: To have an effect on the action of professors, specifically to increase the

addition of Copper Nickel to their syllabi. (30% by Spring 2011). Baseline:

Currently Copper Nickel has 24 campus subscriptions. Ideally, this would be

measured by a promotional code, which would be sent to professors across the

country along with a letter about Copper Nickel. It would then be assessed by

looking at the number of times the promotional code was used within the year.

Strategy: A value proposition stating that this journal is beneficial to students in

literature classes and can be used as a valuable resource to expand literary

knowledge (Rational Appeal)

Tactic: Create a Copper Nickel Wiki to increase credibility (moderate

impact, low cost)

o Key Publics: Literary professors

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Strategy: Messages will include power words such as “beneficial to

curriculum”, “connects academia to the real world”, and “stimulates student

creativity”.

Tactic: Letter to literary professors across the country explaining why

they should add Copper Nickel to their syllabus (low cost, high visibility)

o Key public: Literary professors

o Objective: To have an effect on the action of local businesses, specifically to increase

the number of local businesses that would participate in some sort of advertising for

the Copper Nickel (50 advertisements within six months). Baseline: Currently there

are zero advertisements up in local businesses. The number 50 is based on the

number of students working at Copper Nickel, which is around 25. Each student will

be in charge of placing two advertisements in local businesses. (This will directly

impact the awareness of the latent local resident public who shop at these businesses)

Strategy: A conjecture proposition that states that Copper Nickel is a quality

literary journal that will add distinction and recognition to the businesses

involved.

Tactic: Flyers and posters- See Appendix A. (Moderate cost, high

visibility)

o Key public: Local businesses

Tactic: Copper Nickel fishbowl placed in local businesses- put in your

business card for a chance to win a subscription (low cost, high visibility)

o Key publics: local businesses and latent local public

Tactic: Use Copper Nickel as the faux magazines high-end boutiques

place on their coffee tables as decoration.

o Key publics: local businesses and latent local public

Tactic: Partner with College Business Committee of the Arts to help

promote Copper Nickel to local businesses

o Key publics: local businesses

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4. Sell Subscriptionso Objective: To have an effect on the action of key publics, specifically to increase

sales of Copper Nickel subscriptions (80% increase the first year and then 50%

increase each subsequent year until Fall 2013). Baseline: Currently have 204 active

subscribers, ultimate goal is to gain 1,200 subscriptions by Fall 2013 at which point

Copper Nickel will have a self sustaining budget. This is based on the historical

trends of this journal as they went from having zero subscribers in Fall 2008 to

having 204 subscribers in Spring 2010.

(Note: This objective also aligns with goal number 3)

Strategy: Messages will be enhanced with a consistent brand image of the

Copper Nickel symbol and excerpts from the journal

Tactic: Promotional bookmarks, coasters, and pens hand delivered to

dorms, student union, literary classrooms, professor’s offices, and local

businesses (moderate costs, high visibility)

o Key publics: Literary students, professors, local businesses

Strategy: The use of humor to create a buzz and excitement around the journal

and to spark interest in the audience (Emotional Appeal)

Tactic: Posters (high visual impact, High visibility, moderate costs)

o Key publics: Literary students, professors, local businesses

Tactic: Display ad in local and campus newspapers (Moderate/high costs,

high visibility)



businesses

o Auraria campus newspapers key publics: literary students and

professors

Strategy: Spokespersons will be well known literary figures. (Nonverbal

Communication) –see Appendix B: Message Sources

Tactic: Letter to former subscribers (low costs, high impact)


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Strategy: The virtues of improvement through enhancing one’s literary

knowledge. (Emotional Appeal)

Tactic: Poetry/Creative writing workshop open to the public. (hands on,

low cost, news value, interaction and feedback)

o Key publics: literary students, professors, and local businesses

Tactic: Podcast (low costs, moderate visibility)


Tactic: Dial-a-Message: daily poems (moderate impact, moderate cost,

interactive, direct to website)

o Key publics: literary students, professors, latent local public

Strategy: Appeals to negative emotions such as a level of guilt for spending

more time watching TV than reading. (Emotional Appeal)

Tactic: Flyers (low costs, moderate impact, high visibility)

o Key publics: literary students, professors, local businesses

Tactic: Radio commercial (high cost, high visibility)

o Key publics: literary students, professors, local businesses

Strategy: Creative and literary settings will be featured such as galleries,

bookstores, bookstores, art rooms, local venues, etc. (Nonverbal

Communication)

Tactic: Existing social events (moderate cost, moderate visibility,

interaction and feedback


Tactic: Poetry reading on Auraria campus stage (moderate cost, moderate

visibility, interaction)


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Section 2.3: Budget

Overview

The budget for the Copper Nickel public relations plan relies on three components. The

first is student volunteers. These are students who are a part of the Copper Nickel staff and who

want to further their help by contributing to the promotional aspect of the journal. The second

component is the project manager, Dr. York. He is in charge of the overall plan and

implementation of the tactics. The need for student volunteers will be decided upon his

discretion. The last component is the rough PR budget that Dr. York estimated. He felt that

there would be around $2,000 to spend on public relations each year. The tactics have been

divided into four categories: Media, Advertising, Mail, Online/Phone, and Events. To create

optimal accuracy, I have calculated both time and money into the budget and created a calendar

to map out what tasks need to be done and how long they will take to complete. At the end of

the budget there is the overall project costs and hours spent, as well as the break-even point.

MEDIA TACTICS

Tactic Frequency Administrative/Research Costs (Per occasion)

Setup/Formation Costs (Per occasion)

Production Costs(Per occasion)

Distribution Costs(Per occasion)

Total (Cost and Hours)

News Release 3 times a year

$0Hours: 1

$0Hours: 6

$0 $0Hours: 1

$0Hours: 8

Pitch to Bloggers

3 times a year

$0Hours: 3

$0Hours: 1

$0 $0Hours: 1

$0Hours: 5

Event Listings (online)

Monthly $0 $0Hours: 1

$0 $0Hours: .5

$0Hours: 1.5

Partner with Colorado Business Committee of the Arts

Once $0 Membership: $150Hours: 5.5

$0 $0 $150Hours: 5.5

MEDIA TACTICS TOTAL…………………… Costs: $150 Hours: 20

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ADVERTISING TACTICS

Tactic Frequency Administrative/Research Costs(Per occasion)

Setup/FormationCosts(Per occasion)



Total (Costs and Hours)

Chalk Messages on Campus

4 times a year $0Hours: 1

$0Hours: 2

Chalk: $10Hours: .5

$0Hours: 5

$10Hours: 8.5

Posters (Quoted Kinko’s)

3 times a year $0 $0Hours: 1

x10: $310Hours: 2

$0Hours: 2

$310Hours: 5

Fishbowl in Businesses Monthly $0Hours: 1

$0Hours: 1

x10: $50Hours: .5

$0Hours: 1.5

$50Hours: 4

Copper Nickel Faux magazines

Once $0Hours: 2

$0 $0 $0Hours: 1

$0Hours: 3

Advertisement in Westword (Quoted)

Bi-yearly $0 $0Hours: 2

$160.00 per week

$0 $160Hours: 2

Promotional flyers Bi-yearly $0 $0Hours: 4

x500: $55Hours:1

$0Hours: 3

$55Hours: 8

Promotional bookmarks Yearly $0 $0Hours: 4

x500: $185 $0Hours: see flyers

$185Hours:See flyers

Promotional pens Yearly $0 $0Hours: 4


$250Hours:See flyers

Promotional coasters Yearly $0 $0Hours: 4


$145Hours: see flyers

ADVERTISING TACTICS TOTAL……………………Costs: $1,165 Hours: 30.5

MAIL TACTICS

Tactic Frequency Administrative/Research Costs**(Per occasion)


Production Costs *(Per occasion)

Distribution Costs *(Per occasion)


Invitation letter to literary students

Yearly $0Hours: 3

$0Hours: 2

x100: $25Hours: .5

x100: $40Hours: .5

$65Hours: 6

Letter to literary professors

Bi-yearly $0Hours: 3

$0Hours: 2

x100: $25Hours: .5

x100: $40Hours: .5

$65Hours: 6

Letter to former subscribers

Yearly $0Hours: 1

$0Hours: 2

x60: $15Hours: .5

x60: $24Hours: .5

$39Hours: 4

MAIL TACTICS TOTAL…………………… Costs: $169 Hours: 16

*Costs include price of paper, envelopes, ink, and stamps** List development time included

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ONLINE/PHONE TACTICS






Facebook and Twitter dialogue

Monthly $0 $0Hours: 1

$0 N/A $0Hours: 1

Copper Nickel Wiki

Once $0Hours: 1

$0Hours: 2

$0 N/A $0Hours: 3

Podcast Monthly $0Hours: 2

$0Hours: 3

$0Hours: 2

N/A $0Hours: 7

Dial-A-Message weekly poem

Weekly $0Hours: .5

$0Hours: 1

Setup: $20Monthly fee: $10 ($120 a year)Hours: .5

N/A $140Hours: 2.

ONLINE TACTICS TOTAL…………………… Costs: $140 Hours: 13

EVENT TACTICS






Booth at CamJam 2010

Yearly $0Hours: 1

$0Hours: 1

$100 per table $0Hours: 5 (length of festival)

$100Hours: 7

Poetry/Creative writing workshop

Yearly $0Hours: 2

$0 (Volunteer based)Hours: 3

Flyers: $50Snacks: $30Various materials: $50Hours: 5

N/A $130Hours: 10

Poetry reading on Auraria Campus Stage

Bi-Yearly $0Hours: 3

$0Hours: 4

Stage rental: $50Equipment rental: $50Hours: 3

N/A $100Hours: 10

ONLINE TACTICS TOTAL…………………… Costs: $330 Hours: 27

OVERALL TACTICS TOTAL……………………Costs: $1,954 Hours: 106.5

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Break-Even Point

In order to see if this project and budget is reasonable Copper Nickel must look at the

break-even point.

Break-Even Point: BEP= c/v

Total Project Cost (c): $1,954Outcome Value (v): $13 (one year subscription)

BEP: 1,954/13= 151.

This means that in order for this project to pay itself off, Copper Nickel must secure an additional

151 one-year subscribers. In this case, benefits outweigh costs because Copper Nickel will be

promoting their journal and selling more subscriptions, which will help to achieve the journal’s

ultimate goal of having a self-sustaining budget. If needed, there are many ways to cut costs.

Printing less flyers, as well as cutting down the number of promotional materials made will help

to cut costs in a major way. Also, by using the campus’s available resources Copper Nickel

might be able to cut some of the out-of-house work such as the posters and turn it into an in-

house project, which would save money.

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CN FINAL part 1

Documents

Transcript of CN FINAL part 1