Date: 12/11/2012
Class: MK620 PR Management
Assignment: Introducing ping4alerts! to College Students & Universities - Find a marketing position that is appealing to students.
Description:
For this project, our goals were to secure 100 universities and 500,000 downloads through the creation of a “thought leadership” positioning for the mobile app Ping4alerts!
In order to achieve a high profile campus launches, and to create a sharing coefficient of 2X, were asked to develop a PR coverage in higher education, and key social media content and strategy.
We followed a strategic planning process in which we reviewed ping4alerts! current positioning, the marketing objectives, and how to get students interested in the mobile app by creating a conversation strategy (creative brief).
To do that we conducted a secondary research using Mintel, Nielson, and Emerson Library data base regarding the mobile apps industry, market share and competitive set.
We moved on conducting a primary research using One-on-One Personal Interviews, and online survey.
One-on-one interviews were meant to help the research team to learn about users’ attitudes and beliefs surrounding mobile applications usage, and the specific features that Ping4Alerts application supports. The online survey was meant to gather more data to support our findings.
As our findings converged toward the idea of transforming ping4alerts! into an aggregator app in order to appeal to college students, we suggested to the client a new positioning through the creation of a new app category “Student Lifestyle App”. If the client wants to achieve his marketing objectives, ping4alerts! should be developed and upgraded to the level of “information hub”.
A PR strategic plan and a scavenger hunt event were created to support the launch of ping4alerts! as a student aggregator mobile app.
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12/11/2012 Ping4Alerts Mobile App
1. Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP presents
2. Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
PAIGE WALID LONG RICARDO
3. Assignment
Introducing ping4alerts! to
College Students &
Universities
marketing
Find a
position that is
appealing to students.
4. Our Research
WHAT WE DID
• Secondary research
• One on one personal interviews
19 colleges and universities
across the USA
• Online survey
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
5. Findings Secondary Research
WHAT THE MOBILE APPS MARKET LOOKS LIKE?
A Fast-growing market Competitive set
US$ 36.7 billion by 2015 Current university alert
with 182.7 billion systems (Connected,
downloads Blackboard)
Download habits Most popular types of apps
Relate to interests in new Games, News, Weather,
technology and on-the- Maps, Navigation, Social
go lifestyle. Networking
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
6. Findings Primary Research
WHAT MATTERS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS
Hear about apps and try them through
personal recommendations (WOM)
Want to stay
connected and receive
relevant information
Want to control the
amount of information
they receive from
mobile apps
Prefer to be contacted by mobile
apps via push notifications
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
7. Findings Primary Research
REACTIONS TO ping4alerts!
72% find
43% Of students would download
the app as is.
Public
Safety alerts
56% would like additional services
Appealing
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
8. Findings Primary Research
DECODING OUR FINDINGS
What students value
• Convenience
• Organizational tools that simplify their
lives
• Relevant Public Safety information.
• Customizable notifications settings
What does that mean?
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
9. Findings Primary Research
DECODING OUR FINDINGS
Start a new category
that allows ping4alerts!
to more meaningfully fit
into the needs of
students in their daily
lives.
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
10. Findings Primary Research
WHAT STUDENT WANT : ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Transportation 49.4%
Academic information (class
44.9%
schedules, rooms…)
Local weather 44.9%
Campus news & events 38.2%
Maps 36.0%
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
13. Strategic Plan
R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S
“It would be nice to
integrate my
professional
academic life and
my social life. Those
needs are not
fulfilled right now”
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
14. the
Category
ping4alerts!
“Student Lifestyle App”
15. Strategic Plan
POSITIONING STATEMENT
For college students who want to simplify and
control information that is relevant to
them, ping4alerts! is the only student-life
information hub.
Unlike other smart phone apps, Ping4alerts! is the
only student-lifestyle app that aggregates and
customizes all sources of information, such as
campus news and events, safety
alerts, transportation, weather, and local
merchant deals.
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
16. Strategic Plan
MARKETING OBJECTIVES
• Achieve high profile campus
launches.
500,000 Secure
Downloads 100 Universities
• Achieve PR coverage in higher
education.
• Develop key social media content
and strategy.
• Create sharing coefficient of 2X.
Viral Co-Efficient Create “thought
of 2X leadership” positioning
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
18. Conversation Strategy
WHO ARE WE TALKING TO ?
• Campus leaders and influencers
• Resident Assistants (RAs)
• Students
• When? How?
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
19. Findings
WHY WOULD THEY BE INTERESTED
RA’s and Organizational Leaders
• keep students informed.
Students
• Constantly connected
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
22. Conversation Strategy
SCAVENGER HUNT : SHARABLE EVENT
Scavenger
Hunt
Participants/teams gather at the starting point.
Clues
The event will take place around populous
sites.
The event will have heavy social media
integration.
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
24. Conversation Strategy
PR EXECUTION TIMELINE
• Beginning of the Year
• Summer
• Fall/School Year
(Orientation push)
• Third week of school:
Scavenger hunt event
• Winning school and press
releases through the end
of the year
LARGE SCALE GO ONLINE & GET INSIDE The Hunt to get The Winning
AWARENESS SOCIAL SCHOOLS started school is…
Blogs and Social With RA’s and
Press Releases Networks Student Leaders
National and local
news
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
25. Conversation Strategy
HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS?
• 500,000 downloads
• 100 Universities in Year One
• Number of PR mentions in National and
Local news
• Increase in website traffic
• Increase Social Media Likes/Followers
Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
26. Global nfluencers
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING GROUP
Thank You
Questions?
Notes de l'éditeur
Secondary ResearchUS Department of EducationLearned about the Clery ActLearned about school population by size - (Arizona State University is the biggest one with over 65,000 students) - (New England area has the most schools condensed in one area)CENSUS BureauWe wanted to find out the population around the schools to decide where the first lauch will be (Urban or Rural)
Marketing ResearchWe Used Mintel, Nielson, App industryCompetitionEnvirnoment
ANIMATION + EXPLANATIONHave one point come up one at a time,talk about each thing in depth. Tell them what it means, it should take about two minutes. SET US UP.
72% of student found the concept appealing but only 43% would be interested in downloading it.56% of our respondants would like additional features.A disconnect between what people say and what they actually do.Ping4 is moderately appealing to college students. Ping4 would be more engaging and likely to remain on phones if it offers additional relevant information services.
What students feelConvenient ways to organize their lives and stay informed.Feel overwhelmed and bombarded apps if they are given irrelevant information.Positive attitude toward Public Safety notifications.Deals and coupons are intrusive to Ping4’s main focus.What does that mean?Ping4’s leverageable benefits are customizable notification options, timely and relevant information based on geo-based services, and public safety notifications.
To appeal to students, research suggest that ping4alerts should start a new category. Because our findings show that students would like additional services
Here talk about where we are now, about conflicts internally, overview/summary of research, assignment, OK>>>taking all of this into account we came up with a strategic plan
Desirable target audience descriptionCategory: student lifestyleapps is new category that we compete. So not a public safety app, what students want is more of an aggregator lifestyle (this allows us to break away from competitors and create and own the category of lifestyle app that also meets the clery act)To get downloads and engagement:Because our target market needs are not met, so we havethe opportunity to create a new category “Student Lifestyle” and serve as information hub.
Transportation.Academic Information (class schedules, assignments…)Campus news and events.Local weather forecasting.Navigational tools (maps).Based on our findings on students’ wants, these features would increase engagement, and encourage students to download ping4 and keep it on their mobile devices.How we position to studentsInformation hub customized to youCategory“Student Lifestyle”Best ProspectsStudents in large, urban-based campuses who value safety and staying informed.
Category: student lifestyle apps is new category that we compete. So not a public safety app, what students want is more of an aggregator lifestyle (this allows us to break away from competitors and create and own the category of lifestyle app that also meets the clery act)To get downloads and engagement:Because our target market needs are not met, so we havethe opportunity to create a new category “Student Lifestyle” and serve as information hub.
Taking our research into account, we revisited our marketing objectives.And we revisited our position which led us to position ping4alerts as ….. NEXT SLIDE
Talk about importance of social connections and importance of WOM; WHY we talk to them;Indirect communicationRA’s will introduce ping4alerts during orientation sessions, and initial dormitory welcome meetings.Student Government and Organizational Leaders will promote and market ping4alerts! Through their social network.Direct communicationSocial mediaBlogsWebsitesRA’s and Organizational LeadersIt is their responsibility to keep students informed, and disperse information from campus officials.Keep them informed and allow them to perform their job better.StudentsRelevant information and personal safety alerts are appealing to them.Keep them connected to the academic, social and local information.Ping4alerts! Will serve as a personal information ‘hub”.
Ping4 will sponsor and host a campus wide scavenger hunt contest to create incentive for the schools to achieve the most downloads. School officials, RAs, and organizational leaders will encourage students to download the app in order to win a sponsored scavenger hunt. Once the winning school is announced, based on the percentage of downloads and other factors, Ping3 will invite local and national press to the event to showcase Ping4’s new technology at work. The contest creates buzz among students and campuses that purchase rights to the app and want to increase downloads.Form themVenue through which they will be contacted with public safety alerts.An aggregate app that serves as an information hub.Form them - EventTry the technologyTalk about its featuresParticipate with a fun activity for prizesForm them – Ping4AlertsVenue through which they will be contacted with public safety alertsAn aggregate app that serves as an information hubFor us!Awareness, Downloads, PublicityOnce we secure the downloads, the aggregate services will sustain the conversation with students through their daily engagement with ping4alerts! as their own personal informational hub.
Participants/teams gather at the starting pointOnly the first clue will be handed on a piece of paperOther clues will harness the technology of Ping4Alerts to draw contestants to check-in stations (geo-location, transportation, check-in, etc.)Once they meet the “location challenge” participants will receive “ping” informing them of the next stationThe team that completes all the challenges the fastest winsThe event will take place around populous sitesThe more people that are exposed to the event will be exposed to the productThe event will have heavy social media integration Teams that use their circle of friends during the event may gain an advantagePeople at home will be able to be part of Ping4’s event without being physically presentSome of the challenges will need to be completed on a social site
Once we secure the downloads, the aggregate services will sustain the conversation with students through their daily engagement with ping4alerts! as their own personal informational hub.
1. Press Releases : National and local news ----- Boston Globe, The Herald, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, New York Times2. Online Releases : 24-7pressrelease.com, www.prweb.com,Educational websites, Schools websites, Blogs, Schools’ blogs,The Huntington Post3. Social Media: Facebook.com, twitter.com, YouTube channel.4. INSIDE SCHOOLS get RA’s and Student Leaders talk to students during orientation periods (3 weeks push)5. The Scavenger Hunt Event: Social media integration to unlock clues.6. Winning school announcement : Press releases to national news,YouTube channel
This completes our presentation, there are three important things we want to remind you of: 1. new position beyond public safety app. 2. students want to simplify their lives and information available, too much out there 3. mobile apps go viral if they are good, so our program needs to be good and our social engagement will be the primary way to create and sustain the conversation. THANK YOU.