2. LAB 16
Department of Strategic Communication, Roy H. Park School of Communications, Ithaca College
953 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
Ann-Marie Adams, Director
Lab16
Department of Strategic Communication
Roy H. Park School of Communications
Ithaca College
950 Danby Road
Ithaca, New York 14850
November 7, 2016
Ms. Caroline Basso, Director of Development & Marketing
WSKG Public Media Group
601 Gates Road
Vestal, New York 13850
RE: LAB16 Strategic Public Relations Proposal
Dear Caroline,
It is my pleasure to endorse the effort by the student-run public relations agency Lab16 in
developing this strategic proposal for your review and potential implementation in building a brand for
the WSKG Public Media Group and in elevating the fundraising initiatives of the organization.
The content of this document is intended to inform, educate and guide WSKG in making future
decisions that will directly benefit the programmatic initiatives of your nonprofit Public Broadcasting
organization serving Central, Western, and the Southern Tier of New York State and Northeast
Pennsylvania.
The strategic consulting experience of Lab16’s 17 staff members created a transformational
learning environment for the students enrolled in this senior capstone course. It also provided each
student with a rich learning opportunity to integrate theory with practice while making real-time
strategic communication decisions. Your agreement to bring the WSKG Public Media Group forward
as a client in simulation ensures that these students have the requisite knowledge and skills to enter the
workforce upon graduation.
Please feel free to contact me via email at aadams4@ithaca.edu or cellular telephone at
843.321.0430 should you need any additional information pertaining to this proposal or the work of
Lab16. I will be in touch in the next seven days via email to solicit your participation in a short survey
of your “client” experience.
Thank you for placing your confidence in the professional skillsets of these remarkable young people.
Sincerely,
Ann-Marie Adams, CEO/Director
Adjunct Professor, IC STCM440 PRLAB “Lab16”
3. 3
Executive Summary
WSKG Public Media Group (WSKG) was invited to participate as a client in the
Department of Strategic Communications’ Public Relations Lab “Lab16” during the
2016 Fall semester. Lab16 is a senior capstone course of the Roy H. Park School of
Communications designed to operate as a real world public relations agency to en-
hance learning in an experiential setting.
The agency was tasked to design and develop strategic initiatives that work to en-
hance the brand image and fundraising efforts of WSKG. As such, the agency has
designed a campaign to establish and validate the organization’s brand formation
and to elevate its brand awareness within target segments that would directly benefit
the bottom line of the nonprofit organization.
We believe that WSKG currently lacks a clear branding strategy and that a strategic
branding campaign is immediately necessary for its short-term success and, ulti-
mately, to increase its fundraising capacity. WSKG must capitalize on its unique
brand proposition as a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in delivering key program-
ming to Central, Western, and the Southern Tier of New York State and Northeast
Pennsylvania. The organization must also sustain its mission by communicating its
brand promise to key stakeholders in its branding and fundraising efforts.
The strategic initiatives suggested in this proposal will allow WSKG to communicate
these key messages to its publics through the use of strategically chosen communica-
tion channels, to include its website, social and mobile platforms.
6. 6
The WSKG Public Media Group (WSKG) is a private non-profit organization
headquartered in Vestal, New York that began broadcasting in October of 1975.
The WSKG service area encompasses 21 counties across Central New York and
Northwestern Pennsylvania. The public media group produces and delivers
programing, both locally and regionally, with a focus on news, arts, history,
science, and education. WSKG supplants its programming by subscribing to
broadcast works produced and distributed by the Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS), American Public Television (APT), National Public Radio (NPR),
American Public Media, Public Radio International and many others.
WSKG Mission Statement:
Guided by your aspirations, WSKG serves to inspire with the highest quality
educational programming, explore the arts, culture and heritage of the
region and beyond, engage in thoughtful consideration of news and issues of
importance, and entertain with the very best in multimedia programming.
WSKG Vision:
Striving to be your trusted partner, enriching the lives of the people and
communities we serve.
WSKG Values:
• Diversity: in opinion, thought and culture.
• Creativity and Innovation: in thinking, programming, and content
development.
• Integrity: in how we conduct our business, in the programming we
create.
• Courage: to be different, accept failure, to take a stand.
• Transparency: to open the activities of the station to public inquiry.
• Accountability: in all our actions.
• Open Mindedness: in how we approach issues and opinions.
• Responsiveness: to community interests, needs and new ideas
7. 7
WSKG Financial Operations
WSKG Public Media is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. As such,
WSKG is exempt from federal income tax if it’s activities are charitable, reli-
gious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering amateur
sports competition, or preventing cruelty to children or animals.
WSKG Staffing
WSKG’s interim President and CEO Brian Frey was appointed to manage the
Board of Trustees and the WSKG staff. WSKG is a bureaucratically structured
organization with a pyramidal command structure. It is very organized with a
high degree of formality in the way it operates. The organizational chart clearly
denotes departments, and the manner in which decisions are made through an
organized process (See Appendix A). WSKG has a Marketing and Development
department that includes ten staff members whose work directly contributes to
WSKG’s fundraising efforts. At the senior management level there is Caroline
Basso who is Director of Development & Marketing, and she works with a vari-
ety of gift officers and promotions and development assistants who support the
functions associated with outreach, advocacy and advancement.
WSKG Current Financing Initiatives
Currently, WSKG uses a variety of tactics to support their financing operations.
Most not-for profits use the following mechanisms to raise funds:
• Attracting individual support and donation.
• Soliciting gifts from major donors.
• Holding a capital campaign.
• Promoting legacy gifts and planned giving.
• Holding special events.
• Raising money from the sale of goods and services.
• Applying for foundation grants.
• Applying for government grants.
• Requesting corporate gifts.
8. 8
Financing Continued
The vast majority of WSKG’s donors are Baby Boomers, with 82 percent
of their donor base at 76 years old and older. Baby Boomers make up the
largest share of donations to charities, surpassing every other age group,
contributing to 43% of all giving. Together with the generation born be-
fore 1946, they are responsible for the vast majority of giving to charities.
The individuals who are between 52 and 70 years old, are possibly retired,
and have money to donate both small and large amounts. They care about
giving back to the community and supporting philanthropic efforts as a
means of giving back.
Currently, the following methods of payment are available to contribute to
WSKG:
1. Donation form and money transfer.
2. Donors can contribute to WSKG by visiting WSKG’s website and making a
direct donation.
3. Donors can also contribute by donating a car, boat, or RV, volunteering,
partnering a business with WSKG for a sponsorship, donating securities
(stock, mutual funds, bonds), and being part of a drawing.
9. 9
Below are a few of the outlets WSKG utilizes to solicit gifts:
Website/Social Media Solicitation
• On the WSKG website there is a “Donate” link in the upper right hand
corner where donors are able to choose to make a one-time payment
or be an ongoing sustainer where there is a monthly withdrawal from
their bank account or credit card.
• Social media is also used to stream their funding efforts.
Events
• For their Fall Fundraiser, WSKG did a giveaway fundraiser where
donors had the opportunity to win a MacBook Air. This was
publicized on WSKG’s social media accounts.
• For the “One Day Wednesday” fundraising event on Wednesday,
October 19th, 2016, WSKG created a hashtag on Twitter, #1DayWSKG,
to help spread the word and encourage people to continue donating.
Twitter has been utilized for this purpose for past fundraising activities
as well.
WSKG designs and develops events and activities to raise funds from do-
nors. Just recently, on October 19th, WSKG celebrated “One Day Wednes-
day” where for every $20 contribution, a pair of winter socks was donated
to the United Way of Broome County. The gift to WSKG also helped the
men, women, and children who need assistance in the counties served by
WSKG Public Media. In addition, WSKG has put on a number of success-
ful events and activities to raise funds from donors such as concerts, silent
auctions, and donor receptions.
11. 11
WSKG’s service area includes 21 counties in New York and Pennsylvania. Each
of these markets houses several direct competitors for capturing an audience for
WSKG. Below we have highlighted some of WSKG’s competitors in the major
markets of Syracuse and Binghamton, New York and Scranton, Pennsylvania. (see
map, APPENDIX C for a full illustration of competitors)
Syracuse, New York
In Syracuse, New York, the most popular news broadcasting station is WSYR
Channel 9. This station is owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group and covers
Syracuse and other areas of Onondaga County. Other stations in Syracuse include
WSTM/WTVH Broadcasting and WAER Radio. Syracuse is also home to WCNY
Broadcasting and Radio, a PBS affiliate. Like WSKG, WCNY serves a broad
market that includes 19 counties in Central NY.
WSYR Channel 9 Broadcasting
Syracuse Channel 9 (LocalSYR) is a television news station located in Syracuse,
New York owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group. Its coverage area is primarily
Syracuse and the surrounding areas in Onondaga County. Syracuse Channel 9
covers local news, weather, business news, political news, entertainment news,
and more.
Facebook: 249,401 followers
Twitter: 640 followers
WSTM/WTVH Channel 4 Broadcasting
WSTM/WTVH CNY Central is a news broadcasting station located in Syracuse,
New York and owned by CBS. Its coverage area includes the New York counties
of Onondaga, Cortland, and Tompkins. It covers local news, sports, weather, and
traffic.
Facebook: 114,126
Twitter: 55,723
12. 12
WCNY Broadcasting and Radio
WCNY TV is Central New York’s member supported PBS affiliate station
that has been around since 1965. Its mission is to connect with and give
back to the community. It serves 19 counties in Central New York and
includes 5 digital channels including WCNY, Create, World, and Plus, and
includes one cable-only channel. Through cable, fiber, and satellite services,
it reaches 1.8 million people. WCNY Radio is an NPR affiliate that is made
up of 4 stations that play classical music, jazz, and oldies, as well as hourly
news broadcasts. It is available on the radio and through online streaming.
Classic FM is available on 91.3 in Syracuse, 89.5 in Utica and Rome, and
90.9 in Watertown. Jazz and oldies are available only through HD radio or
streaming. WCNY also offers an educational program called Enterprise
America which is an experiential learning center for school-aged children.
It serves more than 2,000 students each year. Enterprise America offers
STEM education as well as civic and financial literacy skills.
WCNY has many support and donation programs to raise money and
other supplies to fulfill the station’s needs. It has a membership program
that encourages members to donate between $5 and $250 a month, a
matching gift program, a vehicle donation program, underwriting, and
more. There are also many volunteer opportunities so that the community
can give back and get involved in the station.
Facebook: 4,238
Twitter: 6,041
WAER 88.3 Radio
WAER Radio is a public radio NPR affiliate in Syracuse, New York. Its
coverage area is primarily the greater Syracuse area.
It covers local news and Syracuse University sports, and plays eclectic
music.
Facebook: 1,731
Twitter: 2,071
13. 13
Greater Binghamton, New York Area
In Binghamton, New York, the most popular news broadcasting station
is WBNG Channel 12. This station is owned by CBS Broadcasting and
covers Binghamton and other areas of Broome, Tioga, Tompkins, Otsego,
and Cortland Counties as well as the Scranton, PA area. Binghamton is
also home to WIVT Broadcasting, WICZ-TV Broadcasting, WNBF Radio,
and many more. The Binghamton, New York market is unique because
it covers a large area that generally includes the New York counties of
Broome, Tioga, Tompkins, Otsego, and Cortland as well as some areas in
Pennsylvania. As such, television and radio stations in Ithaca, New York
and surrounding areas have been included in this market.
WBNG-TV Channel 12 Broadcasting
WBNG is a news station in Binghamton, New York that is owned by CBS
Broadcasting. Its coverage area includes the New York counties of Broome,
Tompkins, Otsego, Tioga, and Cortland and the greater Scranton, PA area.
WBNG covers local news, sports, weather, entertainment, and more.
Facebook: 89,345
Twitter: 18,960
WIVT News Channel 34 Broadcasting
News Channel 34 is a news broadcasting station in Binghamton, New York
that is owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group (ABC/NBC). Its coverage
area includes the New York counties of Broome, Tompkins, Otsego, Tioga,
and Cortland as well as the greater Scranton, Pennsylvania area.
Facebook: 7,687
Twitter: 4,246
14. 14
WICZ-TV Channel 40 Broadcasting
WICZ-TV is a Fox affiliate news station in Binghamton, New York owned
by Stainless Broadcasting Company. Its coverage area includes the New York
counties of Broome, Tompkins, Otsego, Tioga, and Cortland as well as the
greater Scranton, Pennsylvania area. It covers local news, sports, and weather.
Facebook: 22,281
TWC News/Spectrum News Broadcasting
TWV News Southern Tier is a news broadcasting station located in
Binghamton, New York. It is owned by Time Warner Cable. Its coverage area
includes Binghamton, Ithaca, Corning, and Elmira. It is available to watch on
television and online. It covers local news, politics, sports, and weather.
Facebook: 8,013
Twitter: 2,112
WNBF 1290 Radio
WNBF News Radio is a radio station located in Binghamton, New York. Its
coverage area includes the greater Binghamton area. It covers local news and
sports.
Facebook: 1,718
Twitter: 389
WICB 91.7 Radio
WICB is a student operated radio station out of Ithaca College in Ithaca, New
York and is an affiliate of Westwood One News and AP. Its coverage area is
Central New York.
WICB mainly plays music but also has news and sports sections throughout the
day. It is available on the radio and through iHeart Radio.
Facebook: 3,199
Twitter: 4,690
Instagram: 508
15. 15
WVBR 93.5 Radio
WVBR is a radio station owned by Cornell Radio Group. It is student and
volunteer-run. Its coverage area includes Tompkins, Tioga, Cortland, Seneca,
Cayuga, Schuyler, and Chemung counties in New York. It primarily plays rock
music but also has a variety of other shows including talk radio.
Facebook: 2,590
Twitter: 1,895
WRFI 88.1 Radio
WRFI is a community radio station that is community owned and operated.
Its coverage area includes Ithaca and Watkins Glen. Its programming includes
music, news, and a variety of other programs.
The station relies on donations and grants for funding, and its fiscal sponsor is
Innovative Charitable Initiatives, a 501 C 3 tax exempt charitable organization.
Facebook: 1,354
Scranton, Pennsylvania
In Scranton, Pennsylvania, WSKG’s major competitors include WNEP
Broadcasting and WILK-FM Radio.
WNEP Channel 16 Broadcasting
WNEP is a news broadcasting station located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It
is owned by ABC. Its coverage area includes the greater Scranton area and
Allentown. It covers local news, sports, politics, and weather. Facebook: 244,753
Twitter: 93,528
Instagram: 13,000
WILK-FM 103.1 Radio
WILK-FM is a news radio station located in Pittston, Pennsylvania. Its coverage
area includes Northeastern Pennsylvania. It covers local news, sports, and
weather.
Facebook: 9,884
Twitter: 2,829
See APPENDIX C for a map WSKG Coverage Area
17. 17
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats
• Partnership with recognizable brands of
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and
National Public Radio (NPR).
• Presence in several social media outlets.
• WSKG has an extremely versatile
programming network.
• WSKG has committed listeners who are
or could become primary donors/
sustaining members.
• Recognizable radio personalities via NPR
programming.
• Established, consistent presence in
broadcasted communities.
• Trustworthy and respected source of
information for both listeners and non
listeners.
• Website design is not user friendly.
• Currently does not drive to appeal to a young
demographic.
• WSKG appears to primarily focus attention
on educational programming and classical
music.
• Lack of awareness with a millennial audience.
• WSKG’s budget for branding, public
relations, marketing, advertising, outreach
and advocacy is very low.
• Inconsistent branding platforms across all
media associated with WSKG.
• Headquarters located in area outside of
largest donation base.
• Design and develop outreach targeting
Generation X and Millennials.
• Scan the environment of the collegiate
entities in the service area for relevancy.
• Increase social media involvement across all
handles.
• Expand brand and personality presence with
key visible events across the service area.
• Become more involved in Ithaca community
through local events.
• Utilize college campuses for fundraising
initiatives.
• The demographic of Generation X (ages 34-
54) is visibly absent at all levels internally and
externally to the organization.
• Broadcast competition for the marketplace of
the service area is high.
• Online streaming and podcasting will
become the norm rather than the alternative.
• The prevalence in promoting Jazz and
Classical music formats limit the potential
audiences WSKG could be reaching and
engaging in the long term.
• The lack of a solid branding platform will
continue to dissipate the image and identity
of WSKG.
• Limited range of fundraising efforts could
lead to a stale cash flow.
19. 19
WSKG appears to have successfully captured the Baby Boomer generation; born
between 1946-1964, due to the funding stream that programming currently receives
from its listeners. We believe to be successful in its long term planning the next
group to engage actively is Generation X, born between 1965-1980 as a primary
audience followed by the Millennial generation, born from 1977-2000. These two
large demographics can seem daunting which is why our team, along with the help
of National Public Media, have split these two demographic groups into smaller
market segments.
Generation X
Generation X (Gen X) follows NPR almost exactly as much as Baby Boomers (21-
22%) which is promising in expanding the WSKG brand to this audience. As a whole
Gen X has a stable income and the ability to donate both small and large amounts
which is important because although they tend to be more money conscious
than their predecessors, they enjoy volunteering and giving philanthropically as
a means of giving back. They are independent and focused on work to achieve
success. This focus on work and success makes them enjoy structure and timeliness.
This particular insight may help to influence the WSKG branding, as it would be
important to Gen X to have consistency and structure in a brand they like. Unlike
the WSKG current target audience, Gen X prefers to go in depth on breaking
news while also getting their news online as opposed to traditional radio. It is also
important that the WSKG website develop a mobile component because Gen X is
the highest percent of generational groups that use tablets to get their news. These
characteristics lead us to believe this is the natural progression for WSKG Public
Media Group’s primary audience.
When it comes to Gen X, research has shown that they are ageing into WSKG’s key
demographic and are in a stable enough place to donate and engage with WSKG.
With the help of content developed by National Public Media (NPM) we have
segmented WSKG’s consumer base into these profiles: The Affluent Business Leader,
The Cultural Connoisseur, The Life- Long Learner, The Civic Influencer, and The
Champion of Wellness. (APPENDIX D)
20. 20
• The Affluent Business Leader is a segment of Gen X that has finally
come to fruition. They are a group of people who are stable enough in
their careers to give back and be involved in the community. This group
is 129% more likely than the average consumer to have $150,000+ in
investment portfolios, tends to work in upper management or be a senior
level executive, and are 122% more likely than the average consumer to
be an officer of a club or organization. This leads us to believe this group
is more likely to not only donate to WSKG but also be an active and loyal
member of the WSKG community.
• The Cultural Connoisseur is probably the audience you are most likely
to encounter in the arts and culture sector and are usually artistic, creative
and most important connected. These are the influencers of the target
demographic being 15% more likely than the average consumer to give
advice to friends and family about travel, restaurants, music, books, and
movies. This group is constantly out and about keeping a pulse on what
is happening locally and typically are 26% more likely than the average
consumer to spend $1,000-$2,500 on tickets for leisure activities just over
the course of 6 months. This group is also well educated and is 247% more
likely than the average consumer to have a post- graduate degree.
• The Life-Long Learner is the target profile that is going to be most
engaged with the heavy emphasis on education content. A lot of this target
is heavily involved in education on some level where they are 461% more
likely than the average consumer to have a doctorate degree and 50% of
listeners of NPR.org have a college degree or higher. This group considers
themselves to be intellectuals and enjoy learning about art, culture and
history, all of which are content verticals of WSKG.
Market Segments
21. 21
• The Civic Influencer is the target that surrounds the community
influencers and civic leaders of the areas WSKG reaches. They are 53%
more likely than the average consumer to work in local, state or federal
government positions and are the first to know about the latest in politics
and current events. This target would be most drawn to the increasing
news presence on WSKG and looks to be an active community member.
From a fundraising standpoint this target group is 41% more likely than
the average consumer to have donated $1,000+ in the last 6 months to a
non-profit organization.
• The Champion of Wellness is the final target audience profile we are
suggesting for the Gen X population. This target is one that looks to
lead a lifestyle of wellness and sustainability. Although there is no direct
relation to the content provided by WSKG however, this target is about
being mindful and connecting what is going on around them to their lives
personally. This group is also more physically active that most, 81% in fact,
make a conscious effort to improve their physical and mental health.
Market Segments
22. 22
Millennials
WSKG should engage with Millennials as a secondary target. It may take
more work to get Millennials on board, but they are such an important group,
especially in relation to media. Millennials are the biggest generation in
history, far outnumbering Gen X and just surpassing Baby Boomers. In relation
to news media, Millennials are only 2% behind Gen X on using NPR as a
tool for news, but the percentage drops significantly between generations for
consumption of PBS (Millennials 9%, Gen X 12%, Boomers 26%). Millennials
get a lot of their news online. They do not often seek out specific times to
catch up on the news, but often continuously get news throughout the day via
online media and social media. This means that they are connected and keep
up with the news, but in a very different way than previous generations. Some
key factors to the Millennial generation are that they put a high emphasis on
social ability, fun, immediacy, and diversity. Although they are global thinkers,
they may not be as motivated or focused on work as their parents, so it is very
important that you grab their attention or it will be lost. Millennials want to
participate and add their skills and knowledge to any project or team and value
experience and personal expression. To get Millennials involved in anything,
particularly fundraising, it has to be low involvement and as easy as possible,
usually connected to technology. This generation is going to eventually turn
into a primary audience for WSKG and should be taken seriously in the long
run. This particular audience is pretty expansive in age range and because
of this the key characteristics will most likely change over time. Keeping the
primary and secondary audience in mind we have compiled some profiles that
might help narrow down these large groups into smaller target segments.
Millennials can sometimes be difficult to pigeon hole across the board however,
with the help of National Public Media we are able to create two different
yet relevant profiles for you to look for: The Curious Explorer and The Early
Adopter.
23. 23
• The Curious Explorer target profile is all about reaching the curious
explorers and eager travelers. We view this target as apart of the Millennial
generation because of their sense of wanderlust. Around 84% of NPR listeners
agreed that curiosity, wanting to explore and learn about new things, is very
important. A large portion of this target spend their domestic vacations at
National Parks showing an interest for our nation’s history and interest in
exploring what is right in their backyard. This target has also taken 11-15
personal domestic trips over the past 12 months and although they might be
hard to track down they have the potential to be dedicated listeners no matter
where they are in the world.
• The Early Adopter is the other target we have pulled out of the Millennial
generation. This target is the tech savvy audience that wants to know
everything from the next upcoming gadget to what is going on around the
world. This target reads mainly the science, news and technology reports and
is 22% more likely than the average consumer to use their phones to visit news
sites, stream TV or video or listen to a podcast. This is why we would like to
see WSKG start to reach out to this target group by making sure they have an
integrated mobile platform, streaming application and are actively trying to
reach this target. This target’s life and sometimes even job revolves are new
technology which means we have to be right beside them trying to integrate
the platforms they use everyday into effective communication tools for WSKG.
Market Segments
These expanded target profiles will help give you a better understanding of
who is tuning into WSKG and what they are tuning in for. These two markets
are going to need your attention because as we mentioned earlier, your current
demographic is aging out while these two groups are aging into being your
ideal target markets. Taking into account the latest census data and the far
reach of WSKG over several different counties, we believe there should be a
total potential listeners in Generation X around 171,905 people and around
171,905 Millennials. For further breakdowns by county see APPENDIX E.
24. 24
Campaign Objectives
Lab16 recommends the following strategic initiatives to immediately
address the desire to establish the brand identity and increase funding
support for the organization
• Build the brand canopy of WSKG Public Media Group.
• Design and develop strategies with accompanying tactics that
elevate the financial resources of the organization.
Furthermore, the agency believes the objectives listed above directly
support the following organizational priorities:
• Migrate and publish all content on available distribution
platforms.
• Develop and implement an audience cultivation strategy to
leverage arts, news, history, youth focused, and science content
verticals.
• Diversify revenue portfolio, increasing funding for production of
content and building operating reserves.
25. 25
Strategies
Based on our SWOT analysis, we believe that WSKG will gain better
traction in the service area through a comprehensive branding
campaign that seeks to raise awareness. WSKG needs to establish its
position in the market and pick specific aspects of its programming/
product that will differentiate it from others in the market to build one
cohesive brand through all subsets of WSKG.
WSKG has the advantage of its public media mission; however, the
organization has not effectively capitalized on this strength. It needs to
create a brand that is memorable by giving its nonprofit a personality.
WSKG needs to unify all aspects of its brand under that personality so
that consumers have positive associations with its name. The best way
to make itself an identifiable non-profit is through constant promotion
and publicity with consistent messages that reinforce WSKG’s desired
image and identity.
Until investors, donors, stakeholders and consumers know that WSKG
is an active brand, they will not go out of their way to engage or
support the organization.
26. 26
Campaign
A variety of aesthetic and strategic changes should be made to WSKG
in order to implement a brand canopy and elevate financial support.
In terms of aesthetics, we believe that WSKG needs to recreate its
slogan and mission statement so that both are easily understood
and resonate with their publics. Also, because much of the brand
experience comes from a consumer’s interaction with WSKG, we
suggest that WSKG solidify its organizational voice. This can be done
through a redesign of WSKG’s website because its current layout
does not communicate to audiences that WSKG is an easily digestible
entity to understand and embrace. The plethora of information on its
pages hinders the company’s overall transparency and functionality.
Ultimately, we will suggest the website be made to resonate with
the suggested target audiences and communicate the organization’s
personality.
This investment will go far in establishing presence and procure
funding streams. One key aspect to building the brand canopy and
elevating fundraising that we wish to emphasize in our campaign
is the use of social media. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are all
possible outlets for WSKG to use as well as YouTube. We believe that
interacting with the community through social media will help WSKG
solidify its voice and gain attention in the market.
27. 27
Research Methods
Key Messages
In order to better understand the public media market WSKG’s positioning
in it, we have conducted extensive primary and secondary research. From
our primary research, it was learned that the average listener, watcher and
donor is 72 years old. 82% of the WSKG donor database is 86 years old.
For secondary research, we analyzed information from surveys that WSKG
conducted and reviewed studies conducted by NPR, and studies that focused
around the current target market trends we see to help give WSKG a really
good understanding of the public radio audience and where to bridge that gap.
We analyzed predictions for the future of the industry to ensure WSKG will be
well prepared for any future challenges it may face. Lastly, we looked at WSKG’s
current public relations outputs through its website, Facebook page, Twitter,
LinkedIn and press releases.
In order for WSKG to establish itself as trustworthy brand with a unique and
publicly responsible product, our campaign would communicate the following
key messages in conjunction with this campaign:
• WSKG collaborates with national outlets like National Public Radio and
the Public Broadcasting Service to create a space where audiences
congregate, connect and contribute to a shared understanding of the wider
world.
• WSKG creates and delivers exceptional content daily by offering core news
and cultural programming that sparks conversation, and satisfies listeners’
curiosity.
• WSKG utilizes high quality journalism standards that engages and
collaborates with their audience to strengthen the social, civic, and cultural
fabric of our democracy.
29. 29
Objective One:
Build the brand canopy of the WSKG Public Media Group
Strategy 1: Activate the use of a single consistent logo across all platforms.
Strategy 2: Activate a single platform from which all programming is repre
sented on the website.
Strategy 3: Establish and engage an active social media strategy.
Strategy 4: Implement a satellite office is the biggest market in the WSKG
coverage area.
Strong brands build interest, engagement and advocacy.
• Good brands generate powerful, visceral, position emotions in people.
• When articulated well, a brand provides immediate personal relevance
that transforms the potentially foreign and unrelatable into the
personally relevant and intimate.
• A brand satisfies both internal motivations (needs, aspirations and
self image) and external ones (concern over others perceptions and the
universal need for acceptance).
• Good brands are rooted in insights that motivate audiences to share.
Whether from self-interest mutual benefit or altruism ~ sharing helps
people feel appreciated, knowledgeable, well-connected or even heroic
In an effort to better understand and design strategies for the organization
we developed a flowchart of the brand components of the organization.
See APPENDIX B
30. 30
Strategies
STRATEGY I: Activate the use of a single consistent logo across all
platforms.
Currently, the WSKG Public Media logo is different from the logo on the
WSKG news website. This creates confusion amongst listeners/viewers. By
creating a consistent design across all platforms, consumers will constantly
be reminded who WSKG is and what their position is in the marketplace.
Tactics that support this strategy include, but are not limited to:
1. Develop and implement a style guide for reference by internal
audiences to ensure that branding remains consistent across websites
and media platforms including design, overall message, color scheme,
tone of voice, purpose, etc.
2. Include and require brand usage in new employee orientation.
3. Require all contract providers to follow the stipulated guidelines
4. Create a single tag line that ties directly to the work of the organization.
31. 31
STRATEGY II: Activate a single platform from which all programming is
represented on the website.
Tactics that support this strategy include, but are not limited to:
1. All brands and sub-brands should fall under one page. WSKG has
various “sister stations” and sub-brands which can get confusing for
users if they do not realize that they all fall under the WSKG umbrella.
2. Hire a web developer/designer. This will be someone who is skilled in
creating a web space that has one unified look, and will be able to keep
the layout consistent amongst all sub-groups.
3. Make it known on the website that WSKG is part of PBS and NPR, on
the top of the page. Most competitors make it known on the top of their
website. It is definitely not worth hiding.
4. Mobile optimize your website, for the on the go users because 65.4%
of users who took your survey stream WSKG on a mobile website or a
mobile app.
32. 32
STRATEGY III: Establish and engage an active social media
strategy
Tactics that support this strategy include, but are not limited to:
1. Stream podcasts on Facebook and Youtube
2. Giveaway/Competition on Twitter. People can tweet at WSKG on
Twitter about events in their local community that they
believe are newsworthy and incorporate the hashtag
#WSKGNews. Winners will be able to get WSKG to cover a
local event, and possibly receive a small prize.
3. Engage and/or contract social media influencers with large
numbers of followers and high engagement to post about the
WSKG brand Building a network of influencers will improve the
brand awareness and value of the organization.
a. Action Item: Influencers are people who have a strong
social following and influence within an industry. They go out
onto their platforms and share promoted content with their
followers. Influencers can help the brand speak to a specific
audience through a more genuine voice. We recommend that
WSKG starts with five to ten influencers. These influencers
should promote an article or segment from WSKG at least
once a week through their social channels. WSKG will
provide Bit.ly links to the influencers for each item they can
promote to easily track the effectiveness of the influencers. The
contracts with each influencer will stand for 6 months. After
the 6-month period, WSKG will analyze the social impact
of each influencer and decide whether to keep their current
influencers, or bring in new ones.
33. 33
STRATEGY IV. Implement a satellite office in the biggest market in the
WSKG Coverage Area
Tactics that support this strategy include, but are not limited to:
1. From the research we conducted, it was learned that about 52% of the
WSKG market funds comes from Tompkins County, but more specifically
Ithaca, New York. Because of this large market, it is important to have
representation in this area. Within this office, a satellite station should
be put in place with the long term goal to split their stream with local
personalities to create a more personalized listening experience for the
listeners in those areas. Making the content relevant to them.
34. 34
Elevate the financial resources of the organization
Strategy 1: Focus on a smaller donation
Strategy 2: Create an outreach effort for raising funds that targets a younger
audience using mobile applications.
Strategy 3: Become more involved in the communities encompassed by
WSKG’s coverage area.
Strategy 4: Create a satellite location in Ithaca, New York.
Raising money for a nonprofit organization is always a challenge, whether
in good times or bad. Choosing the methods that are truly best suited to
your organization is key to success. When reviewing options, try not to
rely on only one type of fundraising, especially if it means depending on
sources that could dry up all at once, such as government or foundation
grants. By the same token, scattering efforts and trying every type of
fundraising method simultaneously is a recipe for trouble. The wise
nonprofit will carefully plan an array of fundraising methods to employ in
the coming one to five years, based on its internal strengths and assets.
Maintaining positive relationships with younger audiences is the focus of
this proposal. The tactics suggested ask WSKG to:
• Become tech savvy.
• Shift focus on the cause.
• Convey genuine gratitude.
• Recognize younger donors before, during and after donating.
• Adopt the sharing is caring social engagement policy.
Objective Two:
35. 35
Strategies
STRATEGY I: Focus on smaller donations. This will engage a younger
generation in donating by accepting and encouraging small donations.
Tactics that support this strategy include, but are not limited to:
1. Updating the website donation page to start at a $10 donation. When
redesigning the website, it is very important to make sure the website along
with the donation page is mobile optimized. Because we live in an age where
mobile phones are part of our everyday lives, having the donation page easy to
read and use on a phone will help draw the donations faster.
2. Along with updating the donation page, it is also advised to highlight the
different fundraising events on the homepage of the WSKG website, on a
subpage that’s specifically focused on the major events and on the donation
page, as well as on WSKG’s social media accounts. These events are a big part of
getting donations to WSKG and because of that, promoting them on the correct
pages on the website, is crucial.
3. Once a donor reaches the online donation page, they will be prompted
to submit their donation amount, followed by the option to submit their
demographic information. This will help in keeping track of WSKG’s donor
profile. The donor will also provide an email in the form, which will be used to
send a thank you email including information on how the donor can continue
to support WSKG. All the information that is gathered should be stored
in a database. This can be built internally or using a database platform like
Salesforce sales plan, Lightning Professional can help keep all contacts and
members in one area. This way you can personalize and build a relationship
with these members from multiple levels.
36. 36
STRATEGY II: Create an outreach effort for raising funds that targets a
younger audience using mobile applications
Tactics that support this strategy include, but are not limited to:
1. Millennials’ favorite form of business communication is text messaging (See
Appendix F), so making text-to-donate a part of your fundraising tactics would
bring in revenue from a millennial audience. WSKG can implement a texting
bot that will push donation requests and other information to this audience.
The bot will first tell the receiver of the text what the donation will be used
for and if they would like to donate. If the receiver decides to proceed, the bot
will continue the conversation that will lead to an instant donation, or provide
information on how they can donate in the near future.
There are many vendors and applications that can be used in setting up a text-
to-donate campaign. Text To Pledge, Give By Cell, and Simple Give all have
several different plans and pricing options depending on needs, budget, and
how many donations are expected.
If WSKG does not want to manage a text-to-donate campaign, companies such
as Revolution Messaging, Donordigital, or Media Cause can set up and manage
a text-to-donate campaign for you. For a fee, companies like this will set WSKG
up with a short code number and keywords and will send out fundraising text
messages for you.
37. 37
STRATEGY III: Become more involved in the communities encompassed
by WSKG’s coverage area
Tactics that support this strategy include, but are not limited to:
1. Tabling at major community events within the 21 counties you serve
like Apple Harvest Festival, Binghamton’s Spiedie Fest, New York State Fair
and more . This will get the WSKG brand in the mind of the community
and gives them a chance to donate at your table, which may be more
convenient to donate in person than going out of their way to go online.
(See APPENDIX G)
2. Hosting a trivia night at a local bar is a fun activity that gets a younger
audience than the current average donor. Again, this will get the name
WSKG placed in the positive light that adds to the community. The event
itself will bring in funds from some of the revenue for the drinks bought at
the event.
STRATEGY IV: Create a satellite location in Ithaca, New York.
Tactics that support this strategy include, but are not limited to:
1. As mentioned in the branding section, Ithaca, New York is one of
WSKG’s biggest markets. On a fundraising level, securing a satellite office
in Ithaca, New York will allow for the relationship of local businesses to
support WSKG and the Ithaca Community to grow even more than before
because there will be a stronger presence. Having a team in Ithaca will
allow for better access to the many resources Ithaca has to offer, through
the colleges, the local venues and many festivals/events Downtown Ithaca
puts on every year. Once an established presence has been made and
evaluated in Ithaca then WSKG should also consider creating other satellite
locations in the other geographic markets. This could lead WSKG into the
communities they reach and get them involved on a local level.
39. 39
WEBSITE
In addition to having uniform materials, the website should also look as if it
falls under the WSKG brand umbrella as defined by the style guide. To ensure
that this happens, a web designer will work with the editor to discuss the layout
of the website and its subgroups. This can be done by having a weekly meeting
in which the web designer and editor discuss the success of the website as well
as any style issues that arise. These meetings are vital to assure there is no mis-
communication or confusion.
To see how the website fairs with users, a survey will be developed about a
month after the launch to direct members to determine the ease of use and
how users interact with the new website. This feedback will help identify what
users liked and did not like about the new site and will help the web designers
in going forward. Another way to gather great insight on web traffic and other
measurement tools is creating an account with Google Analytics. This is a free
account that is super easy to use. Each company gets to customize their reports
and enable real time tracking to their website everyday.
Measurement and
Evaluation: Branding
40. 40
SOCIAL MEDIA
First social media will be monitored through analytics platforms like Hoot-
suite or Sprout Social and Facebook Analytics. By using social media ana-
lytics platforms, you can manage multiple social media accounts under one
umbrella. It allows you to schedule when posts go out on the different plat-
forms, as well as analyze how specific posts are doing throughout a given
period of time. Weekly reports are available to the account owner as a way
to figure out what went right and what did not going forward. Facebook
Analytics is a key component when running a Facebook page. You are able
to monitor engagement as well as target ads to the specific target audience
you want to reach for different campaigns.
LOGO
A style guide will be established to ensure all branding is uniform across all
media platforms.To assure this style guide is being implemented correctly, an
employee will be assigned to serve as editor. This editor will look over materials
from all platforms before publishing to guarantee there is no confusion on style
and layout. The editor will serve as a second means to make sure that all brand-
ing remains consistent as defined by the style guide.
Before making a concrete logo change, the first step is to make a pre-change.
There will be a focus group and a survey conducted to see what relays well
and what doesn’t within that group of people. After a logo has been created, a
month later a communication audit will be conducted to see how they are im-
plementing the logo for optimal brand awareness.
41. 41
Measurement and
Evaluation: Fundraising
SMALL DONATIONS
For small donations collected at events, ask donors to fill out a form that
includes name, address, age, and any other basic information you may need to
know about them. Once the information is gathered, import it into Salesforce.
Everything that is stored in Salesforce, will help build the relationship
WSKG needs to have with their members. This program will allow a better
understanding of the specific demographics around the donors at each event,
to make improvements for future events. By building the relationship with the
donors, the small donations will come in more frequently.
TEXT/MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Most text-to-donate vendors will provide you with a mobile analytics
program that shows you how many donations you received and any available
demographic information about donors. This will allow WSKG to monitor
the success of text-to-donate programs and to see which demographics are
donating most to better target mobile efforts.
EVENTS
With the implementation of Salesforce, WSKG can add each event they are
hosting or participating at to the database, and log everyone who attended.
By using salesforce, the donor/member profile becomes more and more
personalized and it allows WSKG to monitor which events were successful, how
much money was donated and much more.
43. 43
Phase 1
Branding
• Website Redesign: January 2017 - August 2017
• Design and develop a style guide for logo: April 2017 - September 2017
Fundraising
• Fundraising efforts will not begin until Phase 2.
Phase 2
Branding
• Social media contests and giveaways will occur every few months
• One podcast per month on Facebook or YouTube
Fundraising
• Send one text per month asking donors to donate via text-to-donate.
Phase 3
Branding
• Social media contests and giveaways will occur every few months
• One podcast per month on Facebook or YouTube
Fundraising
• Continue sending one or more text per month encouraging subscribers to text-to-donate;
consider increasing frequency if successful
• Attend 1+ community event per month
Phase 4
Branding
• Social media contests and giveaways will occur every few months
• One podcast per month on Facebook or YouTube
Fundraising
• Continue sending 1+ fundraising text per month
• Continue attending 1+ community event per month
45. 45
BRANDING FEES:
Salesforce: $900/per year
Style Guide: $3,000 - $5,000
Website Platform: $300-$500/per year
Design: Approximately $10,000 - $25,000
Hootsuite Business Platform: $99.99/mo per user
FUNDRAISING FEES:
Text-To-Donate: $50-100/month
Giveaways for contests: $50 ($300 for 6 months)
Event Costs: Tabling $0 (application required)
TOTAL: $32,999.88/year
The total represented above, depicts the highest monetary value, this total
is not set and place and will definitely fluctuate. See APPENDIX H for an
overview of the fees.
Estimated Fees
46. 46
About the Agency
The strategic consulting experience creates a transformational learning
environment for the students enrolled in this senior capstone course
(PRLAB ~ Lab16) in the Department of Strategic Communication at Ithaca
College.
The agency simulation of Lab16 allows for situated cognition – or learning
in context – a concept at the forefront of contemporary educational
reform. As higher education moves away from strictly content-laden
curricula to curricula that emphasizes experiential learning, it is critical
that strategic communication majors have the requisite knowledge and
skills to use simulation as an apprenticeship that leads directly to securing
employment.
Lab16 operations consist of a set of activities that naturally overlay a
business setting with a focus on three elements: business coaching,
executive briefings and longitudinal assessment. The instructor assumes
the role of a strategic consulting coach while mentoring students through
a series of executive briefings. These briefings enable the instructor to
evaluate 17 students according to a rubric designed after Bloom’s revised
hierarchy of learning. As well, an element of learner self-reflection is core
to the success of this simulation.
Lab16 provides a rich learning opportunity for students to integrate theory
with practice while making real-time strategic communication decisions in
an environment that embraces failure as much as it applauds success.
53. 53
Appendix A: WSKG Organization Chart
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
L. Kiley
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
D. Miller
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
W. Oliver
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
H. Struck
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
K. Vaughn
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
P. VerValin
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
M. Willis
Board of Trustees,
Chairperson
C. Walcott
Board of Trustees,
Vice Chairperson
G. Vergason
Board of Trustees,
Secretary/Treasurer
G. Small
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
R. Chowdhury
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
K. Fitzgerald
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
X. Gao
Board of Trustees,
Trustee
B. Guenther
Board of Trustees,
Interim President
& CEO
B. Frey
Director of
Development &
Marketing
C. Basso
WIOX Studio
Coordinator
J. Piasek
HR Manager &
Executive
Assistant
R. Vytlacil
Director of News & Public
Affairs Content Dev., TV
Ops. & Programming
C. Compton
Director of History &
Heritage Content Dev
& Special Projects
B. Frey
Director of Youth
Focused Content Dev.
Services &
Programming
J. Stapleton
Director of Science
Content Services
& Programming
N. Coddington
Director of
Engineering, IT &
Broadcast Ops.
D. Fulton
Director of Arts & Culture
Development, TV Ops. &
Programming
A. Rangel
Dev. &
Audience
Services
Assistant
D.
Buglione
Planned Gifts
Officer/ Bldg
Services
Coordinator
C. DiRienzo
Assistant
Dir. of
Dev. Ops
M.
Grasso
Mgr of
Audience
Outreach &
Non-Profit
Sponsorship
G. Keeler
Promo-
tions
Assistant
P.
Westcott
Bldg
Services
Coordinat
or
B.
Laubish
Major
Gifts
Officer
S.
Hanrahan
Bldg
Services
Assistant
M.
Ashley
Underwriti
ng Acct..
Exec.
V.
Conklin
Underwriti
ng Acct.
Exec.
R. Potter
Assistant
Producer
S. Johnson
Administrative
Assistant
J. Brazeal
WIOX
Production
Coordinator
Teitelbaum
WIOX Public
Relations &
Promotions
Coordinator
Hensley
WIOX News
Coordinator
Garrett
Managing
Editor
B. Jaspers
Reporter/Host
M.
Sandreczki
Host/Producer
C. Sarakas
Host/Reporter
S. Gager
Host/Reporter
G. Altieri
Radio Ops. &
Programming
Coordinator
D. Davis
Youth Media
Coordinator
A. Cartie
Broadcast
Engineer
Adler
On Call
Broadcast
Engineer
R. Kulesza
On Call
Broadcast
Engineer
M. Saia
Associate
Producer/
Director
A. Pioch
Host
S. Goodyear
Host/Producer
B. Snyder
Mgr of TV
Programming
& Traffic
S. Mosteller
Operations/
Traffic
J. James
Brian Frey, Interim President & CEO
Effective as of August 30, 2016
Manager
of
Members
hip Ops.
J.
Efthymious
WIOX Office
Coordinators
Shaw &
Hotaling
56. 56
APPENDIX D : Target Audiences
For a more in depth look at the NPR study, click here: http://nationalpublicmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/NPR.
org-and-On-Air-Audience-Profiles_comScore-Oct-Dec-2015_MRI-2015.pdf
