Overview: (3 Parts; 150 Points Each)

Marketing 301 (IMC) Project

Overview: (3 Parts; 150 Points each)

We will be working with the PCAWL to boost awareness and educate the community on the benefits of spaying and neutering their animals. PCAWL is a nonprofit whose goal is “to promote and improve the welfare of animals in Phelps County, primarily through spay and neutering. Although [they] have partnerships with area shelters in programs such as a pet food pantry and a very small foster program, [they] are not formally affiliated with a shelter, nor receive any funding whatsoever from the city. We are 100% volunteer run, with no paid employees” (pcawl.org). So, we will brainstorm new ideas and work on increasing awareness, possibly work on donation letters, promoting PCAWL events, or creating a marketing toolkit on GoogleDrive.

Part 1: Competitive analysis (150 points)*

We will start by understanding the industry. Unlike corporations, non-profits often work together to help solve society problems. We will do a nationwide search in order to address these questions:

1.  What are the most pressing problems facing strays, and what are the benefits of spay and neutering pets?

2.  How are other, similar charities promoting themselves? Check websites, social media, etc.

3.  How does PCAWL compare to similar organizations with regard to outreach? A SWOT analysis would be appropriate

Part 2: Message Development (150 points)*

The next step is to brainstorm about the ways in which we can enhance awareness and educate the public on issues related to pet care. We need to understand that budget is very limited, so what can we do to help? In order to do this we must take the following steps.

1.  Brainstorm about the desired message and tone of the PCAWL. What should be the recurring design elements? How are be best able to reach their target market?

2.  Brainstorm about how to best execute this message. What media do we use? How can we best use our talents to unify their image?

3.  Decide on a plan of action and disseminate the workload appropriately (and based on skill set).

Part 3: Execution (150 points)*

1.  Create the elements of the marketing plan we envisioned.

2.  Design alternates (or options) where appropriate

3.  Present a pitch of our ideas to a representative PCAWL

*These steps will be done primarily in small groups with coordination between the groups in the class. The primary goal is synergy, so if we do not work as a team we will negatively impact our outcome. To ensure teamwork, each person in class will be filling out group evaluation forms. If you are rated as performing below average by your peers your grade will suffer. For instance, if it is determined by evaluation that you only did 75% of your share of the work, you will only earn 75% of the team grade. As long as you put in 100% effort, you should earn the team grade without problems.