Thomas Jennings Open Learning Village Strategic Communications Plan
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Transcript of Thomas Jennings Open Learning Village Strategic Communications Plan
Table of Contents Organization Description 1
Mission Statement 2
Vision Statement 2
Opportunity Statement 2
SWOT Analysis 3
Goals and Objectives 4
Appendix 9
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Organization DescriptionThe Thomas Jennings Open Learning Village (TJOLV) believes that learning is infinite, which
is why the organization created innovative open learning courses that are perfect for people
who are interested in both personal and professional development. TJOLV prides itself in
fostering a virtual, participatory environment for a large community of learners. TJOLV has
firm confidence that sharing experiences and interacting in open discussion with a critical
eye, helps to grow knowledge.
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Mission StatementTo provide meaningful professional development and personal interest courses for learners
in an open, collaborative, and engaging online environment. For Life.
Vision StatementTo be recognized as the world-class leader in online education delivery and practice for
professional development and personal interest courses
Opportunity StatementAn opportunity to provide a superior online educational experience through innovative and
unique methods.
Open. For Life.
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SWOT AnalysisWeaknesses• Low Visibility
• Lack of proprietary content
• Use of proprietary content
• Brand recognition
• Staff
• Marketing budget
• Revenue
• Facilitator apathy
Opportunities • Worldwide audience
• Course diversity
• Unique markets
• Partnerships
• Language diversity
• Training courses
Threats• Online competitors
• Cyber security
• MOOCs
• Pace of technology
• Curriculum theft
• State regulations
• Complacency
Strengths• Online
• Flexible
• Low overhead cost
• Diverse
• Adaptable
• Courses
• Delivery methodology
• Cost stability
• Facilitators
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Goals and ObjectivesPrimary Audiences
Students
Goal:
Increase awareness among potential students
Objective:
Increase course enrollment rates by 35 percent within one year
Strategies:
Use alumni relationships to increase enrollment rates
Build partnerships with other education-centered entities
Tactics:
• YouTube promotional video
• Attend education fairs (see appendix B)
• Off er alumni reference tuition discounts
• Use Facebook to give short course descriptions for upcoming courses
• Highlight alumni and their achievements aft er completion TJOLV courses
• Post alumni testimonials on Facebook and Instagram (see appendix C)
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Alumni
Goal:
Increase strength of the TJOLV alumni group
Objective:
Increase the number of people who join the TJOLV alumni network by a third within
one year
Strategy:
Maintain contact and communications with alumni families
Tactics:
• Course Exit Survey (Course Evaluation and contact information) (see appendix D)
• Create a TJOLV Alumni Facebook group
• Create e-Invites and/or flyers and send them to alumni members
• Solicit alumni testimonials and stories from the alumni Facebook group for the
website
• Solicit alumni testimonials and stories from the alumni Facebook group for
e-Newsletter
• Alumni of the month feature
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Interns
Goal:
Create internships to take care of social media activity, e-newsletter and blog
production, and other administrative duties
Objectives:
Create two internship opportunities for Summer 2015
Strategy:
Use ConnectVA.com, local universities and high schools, and TJOLV website to post
internship opportunities
Tactics:
• Write job descriptions for interns based on the needs of TJOLV
• Reach out to local educational institutions to inform them of unpaid internship
opportunities
• Create and document internal procedures about interns
• Involve interns in key areas of TJOLV development, including event planning,
e-newsletter creation, blog production, website editing, and photography
• Sponsor TJOLV appreciation events for interns at the end of their tenure
Potential Facilitators
Goal:
Secure more facilitators in order to teach more classes
Objective:
Acquire 5 new facilitators within one year
Strategies:
Utilize developing network to gain more professors
Build partnerships with other educational entities
Tactics:
• Student Exit Surveys that ask if students would like to teach a course in the future
(see appendix D)
• Submit teaching openings to ConnectRVA.com
• Submit teaching openings to Indeed.com
• Develop internships for aspiring educators
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Learning Institutions
Goal:
Establish partnerships with learning institutions (high schools, colleges, universities
etc.)
Objective:
Reach out to at least one new learning institution each month
Strategy:
Host and/or present opportunities to collaborate in order to boost recognition for all
contributing organizations.
Tactics:
• Attend Education Fairs (see appendix B)
• Host Virtual Topical Seminars/Conferences, Scholarly Forums/Panel Discussions
Media
Goals:
Increase exposure to media
Develop relationships with the media
Objectives:
Have media presence at least once a month
Build strong relationships with at least one print
and one broadcast media outlet within a year
Strategy:
Showcase TJOLV as a unique rescue organization
Tactics:
• Send press releases to Richmond Times-Dispatch, Style Weekly, RVA Magazine, CBS 6,
NBC 12, Chesterfield Observer, WRVA-AM, WTVR-FM (see appendix F)
• Schedule informal meetings with listed media
• Invite media events sponsored by TJOLV
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Appendix
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Appendix A: Marketing Collateral
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Fact Sheet
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Event Banner
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Press Release
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Appendix B: Upcoming Events
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Appendix C: Website Renovation
Quality photos will give TJOLV’s website a more sophisticated, professional presence.
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Note: Strayer University does a great job at highlighting their students and soliciting
testimonials. Professional head shots make for a better visual appeal.
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Note: Strayer University refers to their education as an “experience,” which implies that it
will be unlike any other educational entity.
Note: Strayer University has a “Request Info” button.
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Appendix D: Exit Survey Sample
Note: surveymonkey.com or questiopro.com are recommended applications for
administering surveys. They are both free and they have the ability to convert survey
information to percentages, charts and graphs.
Note: The exit survey is also a suggested mechanism for asking students if they would like to
teach a future course at TJOLV.
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Appendix E: Media Relations PlanIntroduction: Why do interviews with the media? The benefits of sharing information about
TJOLV with media are invaluable. Having an article on the front page of The Richmond
Times-Dispatch or a story featuring an TJOLV expert on WWBT-TV are worth more in raising
TJOLV’s profile and credibility than any advertisement could ever accomplish. Media
attention also can help bring in future students, interns, facilitators and raise TJOLV’s profile,
both locally and nationally. You also can provide an important service to the media and the
public by providing context and perspective to a news report.
The Media Interview – Are You Ready? Do you feel comfortable doing interviews with
television, radio and print journalists? Do you know how to explain TJOLV without using
jargon? Television journalists are always looking for experts who can explain an issue in
language everyone can understand. Print journalists are no diff erent. If you use complicated
jargon, the reporter will take that information and interpret it for his or her readers, creating
a greater chance for misinformation in the story.
• Deadlines: Reporters represent the public’s right to know and they attempt to be as
objective as they can. However, the constant pressure to meet deadlines makes their job
extremely diff icult. Deadlines force reporters to prepare a story, whether or not they can
present both sides.
• Radio: Radio reporters work under tight deadlines. Because they are limited to
approximately 30-60 seconds to present their stories on-air, they look to experts for lively
voice clips of about 15 seconds, which describe the “bottom line” of what the issue is and
why it is relevant. During a radio interview, try to sum up your point into succinct sentences.
Relax and talk as you would in normal conversation.
• Television: Images are the essential ingredient for a TV story, therefore, anticipate
questions about TJOLV. TV reporters have limited time in which to present their stories so
they simplify information to keep stories to an average length of 90 seconds.
• Print: Print reporters work for daily and weekly newspapers and magazines. Oft en, they
want a lot of detail because they do not have the benefit of using visual and audio imagery.
They rely on vivid description to communicate their stories.
Ground Rules:
• Call back promptly. Reporters oft en are on a tight deadline, but this doesn’t mean that
you have to carve out time for a full interview immediately. You should be able to ask for 15
minutes to pull your thoughts together.
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• Ask your own questions. Find out what information the reporter is looking for and what
information he or she already has gathered. This will help you determine how well-versed
the reporter may or may not already be on the subject and how much detail you should
provide in your interview. Also, ask how this information will be used. Is the reporter
looking just for a comment on an issue for a news brief? Or, is he or she needing extensive
background information for a longer feature story?
• You’re an expert, but are you the right one? Determine whether you are the most
knowledgeable and responsible person to deal with the subject. While good reporters will
have done their own research on the issue they are reporting, and will have spent some time
locating the expert they want to speak with, you may discover that you are not really the
best person to give the interview. If you can, suggest another expert.
Select a Designated Spokesperson: Every organization needs a spokesperson – someone
who is willing to stand up and enunciate your group’s successes and achievements. For most
organizations, it is usually either the chairman/president or the CEO/Executive Director or in
some cases both.
A spokesperson, as the public face of TJOLV, will oft en be called upon to discuss other issues
that may not be strictly relevant to the group. While it’s important to set some limits on what
your spokesperson can and can’t say, you need a spokesperson who’s an opinion leader and
as such they are expected to have opinions on a wide range of issues.
Qualities for a good spokesperson include:
• Eloquence or a “gift of the gab.” The ability to communicate knowledge and generate
interest when talking about your group.
• Having good judgement and being able to exercise restraint when needed.
• Being a good listener with on-camera or photographic presence.
• Being well-informed about your group’s issues, activities, events and aims.
• The ability to think quickly on your feet.
• Being credible and able to develop a good rapport with those in the media.
• Willingness to expand, practice and perfect media techniques, public speaking and
presentation abilities.
• Absolute clarity on when the opinions expressed are authorized by the organization
and when they are not.
• Being intuitive enough to know when a reporter has an axe to grind, and being adept
enough to know how to counteract that without looking defensive.
Interview Strategy: Buy time to prepare. The reporter may be on a deadline, but you don’t
have to talk with him or her the second you get the phone call. Arrange to call back at a
specific time. This will give you an opportunity to collect your thoughts or finish what you’re
doing.
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Make notes about the points you want to cover. This will help you avoid rambling or
wandering off subject. This is especially important for a television or radio interview, as
quotes used in this format will be very short, so you need to communicate important
information as succinctly as possible. Your notes also can help you bring the reporter back
around to the most important information if he or she gets off track.
Beware of talking “off the record.” You can ask that what you say not be used, but even if a
reporter agrees, know that you might still see the information turn up in print.
Pay attention to what you are wearing if you are giving a television interview. You want to
be sure that you are presenting a professional image to the public. Stay away from fussy
necklines and prints, and stay away from short skirts. Avoid anything that would take
attention away from what you have to say.
Handling Diff icult Questions and Situations: If you are dealing with a controversial topic
come up with talking points that can be distributed to others who may be called upon to
answer the same questions. Stick to the talking points and everyone will say the same thing.
Make notes to help you stay on track during the interview. Keep coming back to what it is
you want to say, and by all means, do not allow yourself to be pulled into talking about
something you do not know about. Take the question back to what you know and what
you want to say…”I don’t feel qualified to answer that question, but I do know that it is
important….”
Avoid saying, “No comment.” In nearly all circumstances, it is better to manage a situation by
facing it head on and providing the information that you are at liberty to give. “No comment”
sounds as if you have something to hide. If you cannot really say anything, explain that it
would be inappropriate for you to comment, because you do not have all of the facts, and
that you are working on pulling that information together. If you don’t provide the correct
information when it is available, a good reporter will get it from someone else. And then,
what gets printed may not be the version you want to see.
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Appendix F: Local Media and Outreach Contact List
RVANews.com
Send a press release and relevant information to
[email protected]. This will go to the editing and
publishing manager.
STYLE Weekly
Lori Waran, Publisher
Phone: (804) 358-0825 x326
Email: [email protected]
Fax: (804) 358-1079
GRID
Paul Spicer or Leslie Strickler
Phone: (804) 503-9231
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Facebook.com/RichmondGrid
Twitter: Twitter.com/RichmondGrid
Fax: (804) 285-8225
RVA MAGAZINE
(804) 349-5890
CBS 6
Torri Strickland
NBC 12
Candice Smith
FOX
(804) 230-1212
Fax Number:
(804) 230-2789
ABC
News Room: (804) 330-8814
WRVA-AM
Aaron Sutten
Promotions Director
(804) 474-0047
WTVR-FM
Nikki Corl
Promotions Director
(804) 474-0048
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Richmond Free Press
Commonwealth Times
Chesterfield Observer
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