Communications Audit

By Lucy Harrison
Katie Campbell, Account Director
Joseph Luhning, Research Director
Gabrielle Moulis, Co-Strategy Director
Lucy Harrison, Co-Strategy Director
Amy Gonzales, Writing Director
Hannah McLain, Design Director
Caroline Alred, Co-Event Director
Emma Corona, Co-Event Director

COMMUNICATION AUDIT
INFORMING THE PUBLIC
Capital Area Special Olympics Louisiana (CASOL) is one of 14 Louisiana chapters of the
international Special Olympics organization. Because CASOL has a small staff of seven
individuals, the organization is primarily promoted by word-of-mouth during local CASOL events.
However, CASOL does utilize four platforms in order to communicate with its publics: Facebook,
Instagram, the CASOL section of the Special Olympics Louisiana website and its e-newsletter.
Through the use of these platforms, CASOL seeks to inform the public about the services that it
provides to mentally handicapped athletes in Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana,
Iberville, Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge Parishes.
CASOLs Facebook page features an overview of the organization that provides a broad
description of the significance of Special Olympics within the global community. Although the
page lists the various parishes served by CASOL, there is otherwise little information regarding
CASOLs role in the local community. However, CASOL did bring awareness to the organizations
reliance on locally raised funds by promoting the hashtag Raised Here Stays Here, meaning
that money raised for Special Olympics in the capital area stays in the capital area. Because
CASOL is not government funded and relies solely on fundraising and donations, this is an
important message to promote. However, the page has not been updated since December 2015,
meaning that CASOLS public is unaware of what the organization is currently working on in
2016. When analyzing the organizations Facebook page, it seems more like a platform for
sharing photos from CASOL events rather than a means of branding the organization and
promoting it to the public. By updating the overview section of the page and posting more
regularly, CASOL could take strides toward using Facebook to more adequately inform the public
about its business.
The only posts on the CASOL Instagram page are related to a fundraising event held in
November 2015. While the pages description includes a link to the CASOL website, there is no
other information that relays the organizations business to the public. Like the CASOL Facebook
page, the Instagram account has not been updated since December 2015. Currently, CASOLs
Instagram page does not adequately inform the public about the organization.
CASOLs web page is embedded in the Special Olympics Louisiana website. While the Special
Olympics Louisiana website is organized and informative regarding the purpose and messaging
of Special Olympics, CASOLs specific page could be utilized more effectively. The organizations
website is informative regarding its staff. There is a chart relaying each staff members name, his
or her role within the organization and his or her contact information. The site also includes
registration forms for potential athletes and coaches, helpful resources for those who want to get
involved with CASOL. One of the sites most informative features is the yearly calendar of CASOL
events, a helpful visual that showcases the organizations community involvement. However, the
site does not include any information about CASOL as its own separate chapter of Special
Olympics Louisiana. By including a short paragraph explaining the the individual significance of
CASOL, such as its local funding and unique health screening for participating athletes, CASOL
can distinguish itself from other Special Olympics chapters and better inform the public of its
significance in the community.

The CASOL e-newsletter effectively informs the public about the purpose of the organization and
its upcoming events. Aimed towards families of mentally disabled individuals, volunteers, donors
and sponsors, the newsletter is used to raise both awareness regarding CASOL athletic events
and fundraising efforts. However, the messaging could be improved in order to better
communicate with its key publics. The newsletter also includes a brochure featuring photos of
CASOL athletes and a donation card. While the brochure features strong images and messaging,
it could be condensed more effectively.
GRAPHICS
Due to a need for state approval, CASOL does not have its own specific graphic. The CASOL
website, Facebook, Instagram and e-newsletter all utilize a variation of the same Special
Olympics red and white graphic shown below:

Although this image is used consistently across communication platforms, there is an overall lack
of graphics and images present in CASOL communication. CASOL should consider putting time
and effort toward developing its own distinct logo in order to make CASOL communication more
recognizable to the public. By designing a graphic that is specific to Capital Area, the
organization could more easily indicate when event proceeds will strictly benefit the CASOL
chapter.
The photographs shared on the CASOL Facebook and Instagram accounts are also inconsistent.
While the Facebook page features pictures of CASOL athletes competing in sporting events, the
Instagram page mostly highlights items sold at the November 2015 fundraising event. CASOL
should consider linking its Facebook and Instagram accounts in order to share the same images
on both platforms, creating consistency across its external communications.
KEY AUDIENCES
CASOL sought to reach out to families of mentally disabled individuals in order to increase family
involvement in CASOL events and connect with potential athletes. The website includes an event
calendar and registration forms for both potential athletes and coaches, while the Facebook and
Instagram page showcase both athletic and fundraising event participation. The organization
also reached out to potential sponsors and supporters by launching the Raised Here Stays Here
slogan on Facebook that promoted CASOLs reliance on locally raised funds, as well as through
the e-newsletter and attached donor brochure.
KEY MESSAGES
The most consistently communicated message was the Raised Here Stays Here slogan. While
the meaning behind the slogan is implied, it is never specifically communicated or explained by
CASOL. Raised Here Stays Here is a valuable message that simply needs to be amplified and
communicated externally. Overall, CASOLs messaging on all communication platforms was
primarily informative, focusing on providing information regarding organizational contact
information and upcoming events. While these platforms occasionally include emotional appeals,
messaging is typically more informative.

KEY AUDIENCE AND MESSAGE DELIVERY

CASOL effectively reaches its target audience of families of the mentally disabled through
Facebook, the e-newsletter and the website. Both Facebook and the website keep these families
informed regarding upcoming athletic events, with Facebook providing them with the opportunity
to view images after the event. The Facebook page and the e-newsletter also keep the families
aware of fundraising efforts and events. Because the majority of CASOLs Facebook followers are
these families, Facebook is the organizations most effective communication platform. By
improving its messaging and overall image, the website could improve its message delivery. The
e-newsletter effectively delivers to this key public by combining information with emotional
appeals, such as images of local athletes. The families of people with intellectual disabilities are
not reached via Instagram, as this platform is not properly developed or consistently utilized.
CASOL also seeks to communicate with financial supporters, such as sponsors and donors. These
supporters typically do not engage with CASOL on Facebook, as this content is geared more
towards families of CASOL athletes. Additionally, the CASOL website is focused more on events
and organizational contact information, failing to provide registration forms for potential
sponsors. The e-newsletter, however, effectively reaches organizational financial supporters
through fund-focused messaging and emotional appeals that inspire monetary donations. Like
families of mentally disabled individuals, financial supporters are not reached via Instagram due
to a lack of development and consistent utilization.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Special Olympics Louisiana has received extensive media coverage in terms of statewide events
from major publications, such as The Advocate and Nola.com. However, the Capital Area chapter
itself has not received substantial media coverage in recent years. In November 2015, CASOL
received media coverage on WBRZs Breakfast with 2une In when two Manship seniors
promoted Raise the Roof, a fundraising event benefitting CASOL along with two other local
nonprofits. When promoting the event, the students explained the meaning behind the Raised
Here Stays Here concept while encouraging attendance at Raise the Roof. This media
coverage effectively promoted a fundraising event for CASOL while also communicating to the
public why such events are necessary to keep CASOL operating. This coverage had a very
positive tone. The students seemed enthusiastic about putting the event together, and appeared
passionate about the key message being promoted. However, the segment aired at 6 a.m. and
received no audience feedback when shared on the CASOL Facebook page and WBRZs website,
so its impact is questionable.
Other than these two instances of media coverage, CASOL has not received noteworthy media
coverage since 2014, when The Advocate published an article detailing CASOLs partnership with
high school students from Zachary to add a horseshoes event to CASOLs sports program. This
coverage effectively introduced a new Special Olympics sport while bringing particular attention
to the Capital Area chapter and the parishes it serves. The tone of this coverage is personal,
featuring various quotes from CASOL employees and student volunteers that illustrate the
importance of unifying mentally challenged individuals through athletics. However, this is not
high-impact coverage, as this article was not shared on any other media platforms and received
only one comment from the audience on The Advocates website. Additionally, this article did not
promote the Raised Here, Stays Here message. While this article was published before this
message was developed, it did not include any information regarding CASOL fundraising efforts.

CASOL has hosted various events since its 2014 coverage in The Advocate from athletic
competitions for CASOL participants, to fundraising events benefitting the organization. However,
the organization has missed media opportunities by failing to receive visible media coverage
during or after the aforementioned events. By focusing on getting the media to the events
themselves, rather than solely concentrating on promoting them beforehand, CASOL could
increase public acceptance of its key message by demonstrating how the funds that are raised
here are put to use.
STORYTELLING
While Special Olympics Louisiana effectively told the organizations story, providing a mission
statement, overall purpose and values of the organization as a whole, CASOL failed to tell its own
individual story. While it made progress by implementing the Raised Here Stays Here message,
CASOL still lacks significant public support and awareness. The community is aware of the
general benefits of Special Olympics programs, but is unaware of how CASOL brings these
benefits to the capital area and why it deserves local financial support.

WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DIDNT

What worked:
Images of CASOL athletes- Facebook posts with pictures of local athletes represented the heart of
CASOL and gave a visual representation of who truly benefitted from its services and fundraising
efforts. These posts received the most audience engagement and feedback.
Event calendar- Located on the CASOL website, this calendar was informative and organized,
promoting future events and highlighting events from past years.
Raised Here, Stays Here- Devised by last semesters campaign group, this slogan helped bring
awareness to CASOLs lack of government funding reliance on locally raised funds. With
additional explanation and promotion, this phrase has the potential to make a significant impact.
What didnt:
CASOL Instagram- While a decent idea, the CASOL Instagram account was not maintained or
promoted properly and has not effectively promoted the organization or its purpose.
E-newsletter brochure- The brochure was too bulky and crowded with images and information.
Although increasing donations is important, a better design and format would be more effective.
Social media upkeep- Consistency is key on social media, and CASOLs irregular posting on
Facebook and Instagram did not do the organization any favors in terms of increasing awareness
and action.
AUDIENCE KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTION
Overall, the audience had a positive perception of CASOL. The organization easily recruited
volunteers, and staff members stated that CASOLs volunteer return rate is incredibly high.
However, outside of those who work directly with the organization, there is little community
knowledge regarding CASOL and its role within the capital area. The organization had a low
follower base on Facebook and Instagram, and these accounts received little to no audience
feedback. Thus, while its positive perception is significant, it is clear that CASOL needs to
improve public knowledge of its organization.
INTERNAL AUDIENCE OPINION
The CASOL staff seemed to agree that they were not prepared to establish any additional
communications platforms, and would instead prefer to focus on improving their e-newsletter
and Facebook page. Empower suggested improving the messaging of the e-newsletter and
devising weekly Facebook posts, such as an Athlete of the Week feature that spotlights

different CASOL athletes. One issue that seemed prevalent among staff members was not having
enough time to regularly post on Facebook. Empower recommended looking into Hootsuite
software in order to schedule Facebook posts in advance.