James Madison University Admissions Office

Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign

Virginia Baker Chelsea Coffman Matt Rampey Emily Rupertus Taylor Wertheimer Yoky (Shiyao) Yu MKTG 384 M/W/F 10:10-11:00 Dr. Kenneth Bahn

Table of Contents Introduction Target market Market Conditions SWOT Analysis Environmental Trends and Conditions Marketing Objectives Communication Objectives Message and Media Objectives Message Strategies Message Tactics Magazines Pandora Promotional Video We Are JMU 2.0 College Board Social Media Representative Program Media Strategies Media Tactics and Budget Breakdown Calendar Budget Schedule Budget Summary Financial Notes References 1 1 3 5 7 12 13 15 27 32 32 35 36 37 39 41 43 45 47 48 49 50 51 52

1 Introduction In order to design an effective Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign (IMCC) for the James Madison University (JMU) Admissions Office, it is of primary importance to first conduct a situational analysis of JMU Admissions and the target markets it is attempting to reach. The situational analysis is formed first from a description of the intended target market. It then progresses to an examination of the current market conditions. Based on these conditions, a breakdown of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of JMU and its target markets can be assessed. Environmental trends and conditions affecting the target markets include social/cultural, economic, technological, regulatory, and competitive trends. The situational analysis provides a platform and a basis for the IMCC for JMU Admissions. From this analysis, the most effective marketing objectives, communication objectives, message and media objectives, message strategies and tactics, media strategies and tactics can be formed. Additionally, a budget will be proposed for the communications campaign based on research of the selected channels of communication. Lastly, a calendar of the entire campaign will be provided as a summary of the project. Target Market The feasible market segments for this opportunity consist of Affluent African American and Hispanic American families in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Virginia Beach survey was used because the Williamsburg data was invalid. JMU realizes that the data pertains to a different area, yet still focuses on the same target market in respect to buyer persona. There are approximately 14% African Americans in and 6.7% Hispanic Americans currently living in that area (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). Although JMU has grown in diversity, a trend has occurred of African American and Hispanic American applicants from affluent families applying and being accepted,

2 yet not attending JMU. Therefore, the two primary segments for the JMU Admissions Office target market are affluent African American and Hispanic American students, as well as their families in the Williamsburg area (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). Based on recent survey data, JMU has gathered a wealth of information examining how high school students and their parents in its target market make their college decision. The first question was based on university choice and asked how likely an individual was to attend a public in-state university and the average response was neutral. The second part of this same question asked how likely an individual was to attend a public out-of-state university and the average response was likely. The data could, however, be slightly skewed as some students taking the survey have perhaps not done any elaborate research about universities. Nonetheless, this survey was a huge indicator that JMU needs to raise awareness and promote their brand image. There is much improvement needed in this area and increased brand recognition is an enormous opportunity that the university can benefit from (M. McNally, 2012). In the next section, the survey analyzes the target markets attitudes toward college using a Likert scale, which measures responses based on attitudes. Results show that, on average, students agree that, attending a college is important for long-term success. These results make it much easier for JMU Admissions to implement its IMCC, since getting students to understand the impact of higher education on future success is half the battle. Since most students understand the importance of college, they will then begin the information search process and actively seek out relevant information. This is where the JMU Admissions Office needs to step in and influence the target market by designing a successful communications campaign. It should be duly noted that although results show that the target agrees on the importance of college, the survey also indicated that students felt neutral when asked if, staying close to home is a priority.

3 Considering that the target market is less than three hours away from JMU, the IMCC will seek to influence these individuals by portraying the ideal university coupled with a convenient commute home for breaks and family visits (M. McNally, 2012). In the media habits section, the survey measures frequency and usage of different websites, social media, and newspapers. According to the results, the most frequently used platform is social media, specifically Facebook, with an average number of 33 visits per person every month. As a result, the Admissions Office will focus more advertising efforts toward social media platforms. However, JMU will still advertise via print platforms (e.g. newspapers, magazines, etc.) in order to reach every segment of its target market. The survey also contained a section inquiring about the desired benefits a student wishes to gain from a university by measuring their responses on an importance scale. One thing that stood out in this section was that the average student felt that it was important to attend a school based on smaller class sizes and JMU is best suited to meet this need because approximately 88% of classes consist of 49 students or less (U.S. News, 2013). Another outstanding factor was that the average student felt it was important to [form] relationships with professors. Studies and past experience at the university have proven that there is a direct correlation between class size and strength of relationships with professors. As a result of JMUs smaller class sizes, professors find themselves with more free time to respond to the needs of students and build relationships with them (M. McNally, 2012). Market Conditions The problem with this target market, and the reason for this survey, is the recurring issue of minorities being admitted into JMU, but not attending. It was determined that this issue is currently related to two main factors: distance and money (M. Walsh, personal communication,

4 January 14, 2013). However, it was also determined that the accepted minority students may not be attending JMU because they feel as though they will be under-represented around campus if they do chose to attend. This is, in turn, creates a vicious cycle. Minorities are not attending JMU because they fear they will be under-represented. However, by not attending, minority enrollment is not increasing as admissions would like, which may deter future minority students from attending. This cycle is raising concern among the JMU Admissions Office, who prefer accepted/admitted students to actually attend JMU. This trend is creating a need for extra attention to be placed on these students and their families in order to reach the goal of having 30% of JMU students on campus be minorities (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). That being said, this is not a quota, as quotas are not allowed, it is simply a goal. In 2012, 16% of 4,300 incoming students were minorities (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). This percentage was higher than it was in 2004, however, the number of admitted students increased as well. Therefore, this is not really seen as a big improvement. The reason for the admissions office targeting the Williamsburg area is because it is not extremely far from Harrisonburg, and it is heavily populated with these two minority groups. These families are located at a fair distance from the JMU campus. Distance plays a crucial role in not only attending, but visiting the campus in the first place. It has been found that if the student visits the campus, they are more likely to attend JMU (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). Another factor is the familys level of income. Affluent families are those who make $75,000 or greater (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). Students from these families appear to apply to JMU as a back up school to more prestigious Ivy League Schools.

5 Therefore, the goal for this marketing campaign is to interest students in visiting the campus after being accepted in the hopes that this will increase the likelihood that they will chose JMU over their alternatives. SWOT Analysis Strengths JMU has multiple strengths when it comes to diversity. They offer several race-based clubs (Association of Black Psychologists, Black student alliance, Latino student alliance, and Students minority outreach) and have 2,000 more applications than Virginia Tech. The JMU minority rate doubled from 8% (3,200 students) in 2004 to 16% (4,300 students) in 2012, a span of just eight years. This is quite impressive considering Virginia Tech currently consists of only 8% minorities. Also, students choose JMU because it is closer to them. For example, for a student from New Jersey, driving to JMU is an easy five hour trip, but if they choose Virginia Tech, it will take two more hours. Therefore, location serves as a strength for JMU. This perspective is also validated and backed up by Dean Walsh. Weaknesses While every college has its strengths, there are also weaknesses. JMU realizes that it cannot assume everyone in the nation knows about them and they need to not only focus on immediate results, but the long-term benefit as well, which is more valuable to solve the issue that the existing Hispanic and African-American population have been underrepresented (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). One disadvantage is that historically, Harrisonburg has not had as many minorities as the national average ratio. JMUs African American ratio is 6.4%, while the national average is 13.1%, nearly double JMUs ratio (U.S.

6 Census, 2011). This is a huge area for improvement that can be capitalized on if marketing strategies are conducted properly and effectively through the IMCC.

Opportunities Identifying weaknesses provides opportunity and JMU has discovered some things that they are looking to benefit from. For example, students are 10% more likely to choose JMU if they actually come to visit and tour the campus. JMU believes that once students see the campus and get a sense of the community, the university will become a lot more appealing than other prior choices. From an image standpoint, the University believes that it holds a huge advantage over competitors. This is still classified as an opportunity since the target market is unaware of it. The goal is to entice potential minority students to check out the campus before making their final decision. The plan is to do this by encouraging potential students to visit JMUs campus through advertisements and offering incentives for coming out and touring the campus. Also, there are several media advertising avenues that JMU can use, such as the Richmond Press, which is a newspaper targeted towards the African American segment. This is an effective way to reach the target market since it is a segmented medium. With a better understanding of the target market and what they are looking for, JMU can show these students how its university satisfies their needs. JMU needs to use more effective marketing approaches to reach out to potential students, promote brand image, and increase awareness for those who are unaware of its school and what it has to offer (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). Threats Some threats include direct in-state competitors such as Virginia Tech, George Mason, and UVA. Out-of-state competitors include the University of Delaware, Penn State, U-Conn, and

7 Ivy League schools. Out of these, Ivy League schools and UVA are not considered major competitors. 30% of students who receive offers from JMU also receive offers from JMUs competitors. Also, JMU realizes that a lot of children from the first generation African-American and Hispanic American families work hard and expect schools to offer scholarships, which is a threat towards them since private universities offer more scholarships than JMU does. Only 18.1% of JMUs population receives scholarships whereas 30.8% and 36.6% of the Virginia Tech and George Mason population receive scholarships, respectively (U.S. News, 2013). One way to overcome this obstacle is to show minority students that the private universities tuition rates are significantly higher. Relative to their competitors, JMU has more affordable pricing overall and in some cases, if the students received scholarships to other universities they would still save money by attending JMU. In order to restructure how they are perceived from a price standpoint, JMU would need to advertise how they are a lot more budget-friendly and that even if students dont receive a scholarship there are other ways to save money through financial aid. ODU and George Mason are 50% more diverse while UVA is 35% more diverse than James Madison. Environmental Trends and Conditions Social/Cultural A current trend in affluent African American and Hispanic families is that they are encouraging their children to go to Ivy League schools. Through growth that JMU has experienced, the university have gone from being the big fish in a small pond, to being the small fish in a big pond. In other words, as JMUs reputation has expanded, they are now competing with larger public universities as well as Ivy League schools. As a result, they have been placed

8 in a larger and far more competitive environment and are struggling to maintain their competitive edge. It can also be observed that JMU is not represented through apparel sales to retail outlets throughout the state. Virginia Tech and UVA both license out their apparel rights to retailers, and therefore their brand becomes more recognized from mere exposure. Minorities are currently hesitant to come to JMU because it is perceived as not having much diversity. However, diversity is often viewed as strictly skin color. At JMU, diversity is viewed as so much more, and this message needs to be communicated to high school students that are starting to think about college. What really helps attract people is JMUs reputation. Once students tour campus, they are most often sold on attending. The issue at hand is getting those in the target market to make the trip to come and visit campus (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). Compared to 1980, when only 44% of African Americans were immediately transitioning to college, now 56% of them transition immediately. For Hispanics, the number in 1980 was 50%, and in 2007 it had increased to 62%. These numbers are important because they show that the problem is not low attendance of minority groups, but the fact that they are not attending JMU. From 1976-2008, total undergraduate fall enrollments increased for all racial/ethnic groups. Hispanics were among the highest rate of increased enrollment (Aud, Fox, and KewalRamani, 2010). Today, a lot of Hispanics are bilingual. While second or third generation students may identify more with American culture and speak English, parents of these students are still heavily identifying with their primary culture and speaking Spanish. JMU may want to consider having

9 members of Student Ambassadors that can speak Spanish available to give tours to these types of families (Hawkins & Mothersbaugh, 2013).

Technological Customer Relationship Management (CRM) could help with virtual presentations from Sonner Hall to high schools. CRM uses technology in order to achieve objectives. With the majority of the population using advanced technology today, CRM can definitely be used as an advantage to reach affluent minority groups. College Board is a huge online resource for students that are beginning to look into colleges. This is where they sign up to take the SAT, a test required by almost every postsecondary institution. All groups, no matter what race, are using this site. Every school has its own bio page, and JMU could tailor this page as much as possible to show the diversity of the school (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). Technology is considered a huge privilege in Hispanic populations. They are extremely grateful for advances in technology, and have become extremely digital savvy. Technological channels, especially social media, are going to be an easy way to reach the intended market. Affluent African Americans are spending an average of 55 hours a week on the Internet. Also TV channels, radio stations, and magazines that specifically cater to members of these ethnic groups through which they can be reached (Hawkins et al. 2013). Economic In Virginia, 65% of families make over $100,000 a year in salary, and 80% make more than $75,000 (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). African American and Hispanic Americans buying power is expected to increase 25% and 33%, respectively, through

10 2014. These rates are both greater than the growth rate for the buying power of Caucasians (Hawkins et al., 2013). Despite the current state of the economy, JMUs target market is doing just fine and going against the status quo. This provides a great opportunity that JMU can benefit from as long as they do a good job of reaching their intended target market. They can also capitalize on this opportunity through providing the target market with relevant information that closes a gap by presenting an end solution that JMU is their ideal choice in selecting a college. JMU is one of the most affordable schools in the United States. According to Kiplingers Personal Finances top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges for 2013, JMU ranks 20th. Value is described as a great education for a reasonable price (JMUs value, 2013). This is a perfect example of how JMU can take certain information and leverage it through the IMCC in order to portray unique benefits and qualities to attract more African and Hispanic Americans. Even though the economy has been bad and tuition is increasing at many higher education institutions, the amount of bachelors degrees obtained by Hispanic Americans is increasing. On The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Educations Top 100 list of institutions awarding the most degrees to Hispanic Americans, the colleges and universities on the list increased the amount of degrees awarded. The top-ranked school, Florida International University (FIU) increased its numbers from 3,900 to 4,100 students (M.A. Cooper, 2012). Regulatory At JMU, there are no quotas for minorities. Admission is based solely on qualification and not on ethnicity, giving every applicant an equal opportunity of being accepted. In addition, the scholarships offered to students are determined by merit and not race. Tours for students interested in JMU do not hold a fee but require reservations (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). A common argument is that this principle deters minority groups away

11 because they do not receive special privileges in terms of scholarships and admission as they would with other universities. JMU directly responds to and combats this misconception by showing how they truly respect equality by not rewarding special privileges based on ethnicity. Even though the target market would benefit from this special treatment, they need to look beyond their own self- interests toward the bigger picture of how JMU holds everyone to the same standard and treats everyone with the same respect. Also, JMU overcomes this scholarship obstacle by providing more affordable tuition as mentioned earlier. Competitive JMU competes mostly with Virginia Tech and George Mason for students because they share many common applicants. On The Hispanic Outlook For Higher Education Magazine Top 100 List, George Mason is the closest school to JMU and the only Virginia school on the list. They rank number 71 for the amount of bachelors degrees awarded to Hispanic Americans. Admission-wise, JMU is more competitive than Virginia Tech, receiving 2,000 more applications. In addition, JMUs biggest out-of-state competitors for students include the University of Delaware, Penn State, the University of Connecticut, as well as various Ivy League schools. The University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary are secondary competitors to JMU because they usually yield more students than JMU due to the prestigious reputation attached with their names. Ivy League schools and other affluent private institutions have the advantage of high endowment and can therefore, give more money out in scholarships. This combined with the prestigious status of the schools makes JMU the third choice for students applying and choosing where to attend.

12 JMUs appeal is complemented with the affordability of its tuition; parents appreciate a school that can be affordable while still maintaining excellent academics and providing a friendly and supportive atmosphere (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). Marketing Objectives The IMCC for JMU Admissions will be directed by the following marketing objectives that demonstrate what JMU can do to not only attract more students of the desired target market to campus, but also to increase the enrollment and retention of its target market. 1. Increase campus tours by 17% by Fall 2014 2. Increase enrollment of affluent African American freshmen by 1.5% by Fall 2014. 3. Increase enrollment of affluent Hispanic American freshmen by 1.5% by Fall 2014. The first marketing objective is to increase campus tours by 17% of the target market from May 2013 to May 2014. By creating demand, JMU will spark the initial interest of its prospective students and further their desires so that they will feel more motivated to take a tour of the campus. This is necessary because once students actually visit the campus, the likelihood of enrollment increases by 10% (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). Marketing the campus tours to African American and Hispanic American families in the Williamsburg area would be an effective method for recruiting more students from the target market. This strategy will increase JMUs appeal by showing that special interest and attention is provided to minority students on campus. Campus tours distinguish JMU from other universities by promoting its brand image on a more personal level since they are student-led. Within the bounds of the IMCC, it is essential to increase the enrollment rate of freshman African American students in order to further diversify JMU. Currently, the African American enrollment rate of the Fall 2012 freshman class is 4%, which JMU is looking to increase by 1.5% to achieve an overall enrollment rate of 5.5%. Based on these statistics, 4% of the population is the equivalent of 173 students from the freshman population. Assuming a similar approximate

13 enrollment rate in the Fall of 2014, JMU needs sixty four additional accepted African American students to enroll in the university. Using various media outlets, JMU will increase awareness among the African American segment in the target market. This integrated campaign will focus its advertising efforts on media outlets popular among African American students and their parents in the Williamsburg area when both actively and passively searching for information. Another key marketing objective of the IMCC is to increase enrollment of freshman Hispanic American students by 1.5%. Currently, the Hispanic American freshman enrollment rate is 4%, which JMU plans to increase to 5.5% by the Fall of 2014. This particular marketing objective will be accomplished through similar means, only slightly altering the media outlets to target Hispanic American families. JMU will effectively segment African American and Hispanic American families in the target market in order to deliver relevant content to the families. This will be accomplished by distinguishing the slightly different segments based on behavioral attributes, geographic location, and ethnicity. Affluent Hispanic Americans and African Americans both respond to marketing in similar ways, but there are a few slight differences. For example, the Hispanic Americans read The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine for information about universities while African Americans utilize Diverse: Issues in Higher Education for the same information. Much like radio advertisements, magazines are a segmented medium and an excellent resource that can be used for the universitys IMCC. Communication Objectives The three following communications goals will guide the IMCC and serve as the foundation for the entire campaign. This will ensure that all communication channels and messages remain consistent and align with the campaigns overall marketing objectives.

14 1. Awareness: Make 70% of the target market understand JMUs unique perspective on diversity in four months. 2. Preference: Have 35% of the target market rank JMU as their top choice university in eight months. 3. Intention to visit: For 17% of the target market to take a campus tour of JMU in one year. The awareness communication objective focuses on making 70% of the target market understand JMUs unique perception on diversity. JMUs view and definition of diversity to the target market in ord. That is, diversity is not just defined by skin color and racial ethnicity, but by unique backgrounds, characteristics, and preferences, as well. JMUs goal is to convey the message that diversity has a deeper meaning than skin color. Although at first glance, JMU does not appear diverse, students who attend the university have a different opinion. One of the campaigns goals is to communicate this opinion and alternate definition of diversity externally in order to attract more affluent African and Hispanic Americans from Williamsburg, VA. The preference communication objective aims for 35% of the target market to place JMU as their top choice when deciding which college to attend. JMU will accomplish this objective by ensuring that the message objectives and message tactics align with this goal. JMU will portray the vast amount of unique benefits and qualities it has to offer, which will entice the target students to enroll. Through the campaigns message tactics, JMU will ensure that the marketing avenues will directly align with the overall marketing and communication objectives. Additionally, through the message tactics, JMU will convey the reasons why JMU should be every individuals number one choice. The final communication objective is to get 17% of the target market to take a campus tour of JMU. Once the awareness objective has been accomplished, Hispanic and African American prospective students will have a deeper understanding of what diversity truly is. As a result, students will feel more comfortable picturing themselves in JMUs environment and

15 perceive it as a diverse college. Also after the preference objective is accomplished, potential JMU students will be reached and informed of all the unique qualities and benefits the university has to offer, and will take the logical next step of taking a tour. The last objective is crucial, because once prospective students reach this point and actually set foot on campus, their intention to visit will increase and achieving enrollment will be much easier. Furthermore, Hispanic and African Americans will be put at ease by seeing JMUs friendly and welcoming campus, and realize that they will fit in. Message and Media Objectives The message objectives will support the marketing and communications objectives and are broken down into awareness, preference, and the intention to visit. Message strategies will be put into place to support the objectives, and tactics will support the strategies. A specific media objective will correspond to each message objective since they are all unique and require different support in order to be successful. The campaign will take place for one year: May 1, 2013 to May 1, 2014, which is the date when the deposit is due. Effective message objectives, strategies, and tactics will make up part of a successful IMCC in order to increase the amount of affluent African and Hispanic Americans at JMU.

16 Awareness

Figure 1- Awareness Communication Tree

Awareness
Majors & Academic Programs

Message Objectives

Basic Facts

JMUSponsored Events

Tour Dates

Brand Image

Message Strategies

Informa onal

Mo va onal

Imita on

Repeated Associa on

Message Tactics

Social Media

College Board

Magazines

Pandora

"We Are JMU 2.0"

1. Inform the target about basic university informa on, such as loca on, website, phone number, and popula on size; upcoming events; and tours 2. Mo vate the target to learn about JMU events and tours

1. Inform the target about basic university informa on, majors, minors, programs, classes, and tours 2. Mo vate the target to learn about tours

1. Mo vate target to a end JMUsponsored events, learn more about tours, and learn about JMU's unique brand image 2. Show the target that JMU is associated with a unique brand image

1. Mo vate the target to learn abot JMU-sponsored events

1. Mo vate the target to learn about JMU's unique brand image 2. Provide a glance of students' JMU experience 3. Associate JMU as a school that is diverse and has a unique brand image

17

The first step in designing the message part of the IMCC will be to increase the awareness of JMU and what it offers. The months that building awareness will take place are May 2013 through August 2013 before the students senior year. JMUs five message objectives aim to increase awareness of the following: 1. Basic Facts 2. Academic Majors and Programs 3. JMU-Sponsored Events 4. Campus Tours 5. Brand Image The first message objective is to teach 70% of the target market that JMU is located in Harrisonburg, VA; the main phone number for the university is 540-568-6211; the websites URL is www.jmu.edu; and there are 18,107 undergraduate students currently enrolled in the school. In order to teach 70% of the target market, a larger amount of the population must be reached because not everyone that is exposed to the message will actually learn it. The corresponding media objective for this message is to reach 90% of the target market about these basic facts, which will be accomplished in many ways using a multitude of media outlets. These media outlets will include various forms of popular social media, primarily Facebook and Twitter, because, according to the distributed survey, the target market uses Facebook and Twitter as a primary source of information. In addition, college websites and other websites such as College Board are the third most popular category of websites used by the target market. They provide basic information that is easy to access and is clearly stated. College Board is also a very useful tool for JMU to reach out to high school students who are looking for colleges because all of the universitys information is placed on its individual profile. For example, such information includes the breakdown of the student body by race, in addition to other basic facts such as number of applicants, retention rate, and total enrollment. These media

18 outlets will be most frequently used during the months of May 2013 to August 2013 in order to reach 90% of the target market during the months they will begin exploring their options of where to attend college. The second message objective is to teach 65% of the target market within four months that JMU has 54 majors and 79 minors, covering a broad range of disciplines, all the way from marketing in the business school to health science and pre-occupational therapy. The message would include a complete list of majors, starting with Accounting and ending with Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication. It would also include the list of minors, from Africana Studies to Writing and Rhetoric. By showing the students and parents what academic programs the university offers, the school can be placed into the consideration set of the students as a university with many different programs, or simply a university that offers a major they are interested in. Educating this percentage of the target market will be accomplished by reaching out to 85% of the target market through the use of the College Board website. This media objective will be accomplished by clearly presenting all of the degrees, major programs, minor programs, and classes that JMU has to offer on the College Board website. Providing this information on the easily accessible website in an organized fashion will increase student awareness of the wide variety of programs offered at JMU, primarily during the months of May 2013 to August 2013, at the start of their college search. The third message objective is to teach 60% of the target market in four months that JMUs a cappella group Low Keys concert is on June 24, 2013. JMU offers many different activities to students, the surrounding community, and even in other areas of the state and country. Additionally, many of these events incorporate a wide variety of clubs and organizations on campus that demonstrate the diversity present among the JMU student

19 population. By making 80% of the target market aware of these events, the message objective will be reached and 60% of the target market will be educated about these events from May 2013 to August 2013. This awareness will lead to prospective students to associate JMU as not only a university, but a community that offers so much more than classes and degrees. Inviting the target market to events in a nearby area makes them feel involved with the university and will see the campus as a diverse place they can one day call home. Events will be featured through magazine articles and Pandora advertisements. The number of Pandora advertisement exposures per month from May to August is 3,500 The fourth message objective is to teach 60% of the target market in 4 months that JMU offers student-led tours and the website to schedule a tour is http://www.jmu.edu/admissions/visit/index.shtml. Many prospective students may not know that JMU offers so many tours or that these tours are 100% student-led. By making the target market aware that these tours exist and all of the benefits to taking a tour, prospective students can begin thinking about visiting the school. Getting the target market to campus for tours is one of the main marketing objectives. In order to make this 60% aware of the tours, the corresponding media objective is to expose 80% of the target market to this information through the use of magazines, websites, and social media. This media objective will include the use of Pandora advertisements, College Board advertisements, and general university information on the JMU page of the College Board website. Pandora advertisements will aid in informing the target market about events such as a cappella concerts that occur every year and bring a large number of prospective students to the campus. Additionally, College Board will help to advertise CHOICES in addition to providing clear and explicit instructions of how to easily sign up and register for a tour. The JMU page on the College Board website will be updated to include a link

20 on the page that leads directly to the tour registration for easy, convenient access for the target market. These magazine advertisements occur most frequently during the months of May 2013 to August 2013. There will be one magazine advertisement per month from May through August. The final awareness message objective is to teach 65% of the target market that JMUs brand image is unique in that the university encourages its students to lead in all situations and to bring positive influence to the campus, the United States, and the world. This is a crucial objective because JMU has a very unique and strong personality that other universities cannot replicate. The university focuses on standing out, leading in all situations, and being the change. JMU stresses that all its students are individuals and that its diversity stems from their students that come from different areas and backgrounds. The universitys unique image needs to be projected to 85% of the target market between May 2013 and August 2013 through the media objectives in order to expose prospective students to the unique student population and community at JMU. This media objective will be achieved through the We Are JMU-2.0 promotional video that will be placed on the JMU page of the College Board website, tweeted from the Twitter account once a day, and posted on the Facebook page for anyone to watch and promoted once a week through statuses, as well as shown to high school students by the JMU representatives. In addition, articles in the higher education magazines will be published to display the schools achievements and on goings.

21 Preference Figure 2- Preference Communication Tree

Preference
Unique Perspec ve on Diversity Student Happiness & Involvement

Message Objectives

Welcoming Atmosphere

Quality Dining

Quality Educa on

Message Strategies

Informa onal

Mo va onal

Imita on

Repeated Associa on

Message Tactics

Social Media

Collegeboard

Representa ve Program

"We Are JMU 2.0"

1. Inform the target about quality dining and educa on 2. Mo vate the target to learn about JMU's unique perspec ve of diversity, welcoming atmosphere, quality dining, quality educa on, and student happiness

1. Inform the target about quality dining and educa on

1. Inform the target about JMU's quality dining and educa on 2. Mo vate the target to learn about JMU's unique perspec ve of diversity, welcoming atmosphere, quality dining, and quality educa on 3. Use student tes monials that the target can relate to in order to teach them about JMU's unique perspec ve of diversity, welcoming atmosphere, quality dining, quality educa on, and student happiness 4. Teach the target through associa on that JMU is diverse and welcoming place where people are happy

1. Mo vate the target to change their perspecitve of diversity and learn about JMU's welcoming atmosphere 2. Make the target associate JMU as unique school where students are happy and welcoming 3. Use student tes monials that the target can relate to in order to teahc them about a new way to define diversity, the school's welciming atmosphere, and student happiness

22 The second step of the campaign is designing the preference objectives and using media that complements these objectives in order to develop the most effective plan for increasing preference for JMU. The months that building preference occur are September 2013 through December 2013. The five objectives focus on increasing preference by teaching the target market about: 1. JMUs Unique Perspective on Diversity 2. Friendly and Welcoming Atmosphere 3. Quality Dining 4. Quality Education 5. Student Happiness and Involvement The first message objective for preference is to teach 35% of the target market within eight months about JMUs unique perspective on diversity, which is that diversity does not just include race but also includes every students different backgrounds, activities, and personalities. This objective is key because many members of the target market are sometimes hesitant about enrolling in JMU because they believe it lacks the diversity they are looking for in a university. This belief is often because they are looking at diversity as simply race, rather than how the JMU community views it. JMU realizes there is so much more to diversity than just race and that is what needs to be expressed to these individuals. The main message in this campaign is that JMU believes that every student at the school comes from a unique background, has a unique personality, and lives a unique life. This message will be expressed by reaching 70% of the target market between September 2013 and December 2013 through the We Are JMU-2.0 promotional video that will be placed on the JMU page on the College Board website, posted through social media, and shown by the representative program. In order to change peoples attitudes on something, the way in which they see things needs to be altered, which is done through repositioning and education. In order to change the way the target market sees and

23 defines diversity, the way in which it is presented must be changed and presented in a different way. The second preference message objective is to teach 35% within eight months of the target market that JMU is a friendly and welcoming campus. People always say that JMU students will hold the door for a complete stranger, even if they are a football field away, because that is the JMU way. A university being known for something as incredible as this is something that should be communicated to the target market so they can recognize how welcoming JMU is to all different groups of people. This will be accomplished through the media objective of reaching 70% of the target market through the We Are JMU-2.0 promotional video, social media sites, and the newly created representative program between the months of September 2013 to December 2013. The third preference message objective is to teach 30% of the target market within eight months that the university is currently ranked #4 on the Princeton Review Best Campus Food list. JMU offers many different on-campus dining options that range from buffet style dining to quick service, and everything in between. Excellent food will attract prospective students because the campus is where they will be spending the next four years of their life and the food will be all they will be able to eat for at least their first year on campus. Between the months of September 2013 to December 2013, the media objective is to expose 60% of the target market to this information through the use of social media, College Board, and the JMU representative program where JMU students visit Williamsburg high schools to educate them about the university and everything it offers in the Fall of 2013. The fourth preference objective is to teach 35% within eight months of the target market that JMUs academics are of high quality. The university is ranked high on many lists for its

24 excellent academics, which include its degree programs, classes, professors, and learning environment. Affluent African American and Hispanic American groups are highly concerned with prestige and a high quality education, so communicating this message objective to them is key. This will be accomplished through reaching out to 70% of this target market between September 2013 and December 2013 through the JMU representative program, the College Board website, and social media. The fifth preference objective is to teach 30% of the target market within eight months that JMUs students are happy and involved in over 350 different clubs and organizations. JMU offers a variety of sports, clubs, and organizations to its student population, because the school recognizes that learning happens in places other than the classroom. The school focuses on making the students happy and helping the students make the most out of their time at JMU. The target market for this campaign would appreciate how many different options they have for extra-curricular activities, including multicultural Greek organizations and clubs, such as Kappa Delta Phi and the Latino Student Alliance. Many students even join more than one organization to broaden their horizons and their involvement on campus. These extra- curricular activities are a very important aspect of JMU life and are key in attracting students to the university. This message needs to be effectively taught to the target market by reaching out to 65% of this group between September 2013 and December 2013 through the use of the We Are JMU-2.0 promotional video, social media, and the representative program.

25 Intention to Visit Campus and Take a Campus Tour Figure 3- Intention to Visit Campus and Take a Campus Tour

Intention to Patronize
Experiencing What JMU Offers Would be Beneficial

Message Objectives

Tour is Beneficial

Message Strategies

Argumenta ve

Mo va onal

Imita on

Command

Message Tactics

Magazine & College Board Tour Promo on

Madison Experience Program

"We Are JMU 2.0"

Social Media

1. Challenge the target to take the next step in their informa on search by taking a tour and experiencing JMU. 2. Command the taret to take a tour and improve their informa on search

1. Challenge the target to take the next step in their informa on search by taking a tour and experiencing JMU 2. Mo vate the target to sign up for a tour and experience JMU 3. Use tes monials to convince the target that signing up fo ra tour and experiencing JMU would be beneficial for them 4. Command the target to take a tour to improve their informa on search

1. Challenge the target to take the next step in their informa on search by a ending a tour and experiencing JMU 2. Mo vate the target to sign up for a tour and experience JMU 3. Use tes monials to convince the target to sign up for a tour and exprience JMU

1. Challenge the target to take the next step in their informa on search by taking a tour and experiencing JMU 2. Command the target to take a tour to improve their informa on search

26 The third part of the campaign is getting the target markets intention to visit. This will take place from January 2014 to May 2014 when students are taking campus tours, finding out where they are accepted, and deciding where to attend school. The campaigns intent to take a campus tour messages is: 1. Taking a Campus Tour Is Beneficial for Furthering the College Search 2. Experiencing What JMU Has to Offer Other Than Academics is Important when Choosing a College The main marketing objective for this campaign is to get people on campus before they completely decide on which college they would like to attend and they send in their commitments to that respective university. According to Dr. Walsh, once students get onto campus and take a tour, their preference for JMU significantly increases. If JMU is ranked second on someones list, for example, by visiting the campus generally leads to it moving up to number one on their preference list (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). Making JMU their top choice can be done through many ways, but the focus of this campaign is to get them on campus for a student-led tour by the Student Ambassadors organization. In order to encourage the students and their families in the target market to register for a campus tour, one of the campaigns intention to take a campus tour message objectives is to teach 17% of the target market within one year that taking a campus tour would be beneficial for their college information search. This will occur over the course of the year; however, the media objectives will take place from January 2014 to May 2014. May 1, 2014 is the day the deposits and commitments are due for incoming freshmen, so getting them on campus before this date is key. The media objective of reaching 35% of the target market will help to reach this goal of getting students on campus through social media, the campus representative program, and the We Are JMU- 2.0 promotional video.

27 The second message objective for intent to take a campus tour is to teach 17% of the target market within one year that Madipalooza is on April 14, 2014, the same weekend that CHOICES takes place. JMU offers much more than just academics, including events such as Madipalooza and The Big Event, that take place around the same time as CHOICES. These events show the diversity on the JMU campus because of various organizations involved, as well as give the prospective students a feel of what the JMU community is truly like. This message objective will be reached through the media objective of reaching 30% of the target market through the representative program, social media, and We Are JMU- 2.0 video. Message Strategies In order to appeal to the target market, the proper message strategies must be implemented in order to communicate the message with the desired outcome of audience response. Different strategies are used for awareness, preference, and intent to take a campus tour, so the right strategies must be put into place for an effective campaign. The six strategies that will be used for JMUs campaign are informational, argumentative, motivational, repeated association, imitation, and command. Informational strategies deliver facts to the target market about its brand and attributes. Argumentative not only deliver facts, but also use them to challenge the target market to do something. For the motivational strategy, facts that are not obvious are delivered. Repeated association involves a small message, like a slogan or subtitle, with an associated stimulus. Imitation involves testimonials. The command strategy is when the campaign tells the target market what to do. These strategies will be implemented with the right media in order to be most effective in attracting more affluent African and Hispanic Americans to JMU.

28 Multiple strategies will be used for a single objective, and it is possible for the same strategies to exist for awareness, preference, and intention to visit campus. In order for the campaign to be successful, one objective may utilize more than one strategy and a combination Figure 4 of the most appropriate ones for the objective and situation.

The informational, motivational, imitation, and repeated association message strategies will be put into place in order to get the five messages across to the desired amount of the target market in order to increase awareness. Not only will the target market learn the basic information about JMU such as its location and majors, but they will also gain further interest by learning unexpected and different information about the school. Advertisements for JMU-sponsored events, such as a capella concerts, on Pandora will not only provide the information about the event, but will also teach the target market things that they did not know about before, maybe that JMU even has a cappella groups. Everyone knows that JMU offers academics since it is a university, but they do not know that the school offers other things such as concerts. Making them aware that JMU offers a variety of diverse options primes them to learn about JMUs unique perception of diversity. In addition to teaching the target market that JMU offers events for the community off and on-campus they may not know about, the campaign will teach them that JMU offers tours through Student Ambassadors on many flexible dates. This will spark the thought about taking a

29 tour of the campus, which is the overarching goal of the campaign. Lastly, JMUs brand image is the most important part of awareness. Brand equity is a huge asset, especially with universities. Through public relations and marketing, people learn about JMU in a certain perspective and learn the personality of the school and the JMU brand. By presenting the target market with information they might not know about through imitation strategies and repeated association, they can associate the school as a well-liked university that supports the students academic goals Figure 5 and objectives while challenging its students to Be the Change.

For the preference message objectives, the informational, motivational, imitation, and repeated association message strategies will be utilized. People prefer hard facts when learning about quality, so in order to teach the target market about JMUs quality dining and education, College Board and magazines will present facts about them. For example, JMU is ranked #4 on Princetons Review for Best Campus Food. JMU is ranked high on many different lists for academics and overall top universities. The school is ranked #2 for the top public universities in the South and has the highest graduation rate of 82% within six years out of all the regional universities in the South. Presenting these facts utilizes not only the informational strategy but also the motivational strategy. The school does not advertise a lot of these achievements, so by

30 teaching them to the target market, they are delivering facts that may not be known in order to motivate them to learn more about the university and place it at the top of their university preference list. JMU is known as a very friendly campus. By associating JMU with friendly and welcoming, repeated association can occur. This association strategy can be utilized to teach the target market not only about the schools atmosphere, but also student happiness. When most people think of JMU, they think of a happy place, so these associations should be taught to the target market. Imitation is also a useful strategy because it can educate people through testimonials and opinions of current students, faculty, alumni, and parents of students. In order to be most effective for African and Hispanic Americans, testimonials from current minority students at JMU will be presented to them through social media and We Are JMU- 2.0. Hearing positive things about the university from people they can relate to will make them consider JMU even more. Testimonials will be used for all preference messages because word of mouth is an effective technique (Hawkins & Mothersbaugh, 2013). Finally, one of the most crucial objectives on moving JMU to the top of students university preference lists in the target market is by teaching them about the schools unique perspective and definition of diversity. Most usually think diversity just relates to race and nationality; however, there is so much more to diversity. One of the cornerstones to the campaign is changing the target markets view of diversity. This is done through testimonials and the video designed after the We Are JMU video played during 1787 Orientation. First, this video will utilize the motivational strategy because it is presenting new information about diversity to the target market. Second, it will utilize the imitation strategy by delivering

31 testimonials from many different people about JMUs appreciation for standing out and being different. Third, it will utilize repeated association by associating JMU with diversity and change. By teaching the target market about JMUs assets such as dining, education, atmosphere, student happiness, and diversity, the target market will move JMU up on their university preference list and desire more information about the school. Figure 6

For intention to visit campus, the strategies are more than just informational. They are motivational, argumentative, imitation, and command. The main messages the campaign wants to get across are that attending a tour and partaking in campus events before committing to a school would be most beneficial. Through the argumentative and motivational strategies, the campaign challenges the students and parents to take their information search to the next stage by actually visiting the school instead of just reading about it. Through the imitation strategy, the target market can get advice about visiting schools and how helpful they can be when deciding on which university to attend. By encouraging students and their parents to attend JMU and events on-campus, the university is using the command strategy by telling them what would be best to do. What this part of the campaign is trying to accomplish is motivating the target market to get on campus because when students do, they move JMU up on their university preference list.

Message Tactics

32 Magazines In the past, private schools have had the same problem with underrepresentation of affluent minority groups. Some placed advertisements in magazines that target parents, which turned out to be an effective tool (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). When researching schools, parents look for information in education publications. Two magazines that target to Hispanic and African Americans interested in higher education include The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine is a magazine targeted towards Hispanic Americans and higher education institutions that provides the best information about the college community. The magazine reaches a large minority group and has an average pass along of 50,000 readers. In addition to the print magazines, The Hispanic Outlook publishes some of the print articles online. The magazine covers a broad range of topics including events, news, and trends with a focus on the importance of positive communication, education, and role models. In addition, the magazine discusses different issues Hispanic Americans face in college. Regular columns in the magazine include !Punto Final!, Political Beat, Targeting Higher Education, Hispanics on the Move, FYI, and Uncensored. In !Punto Final!, academics express opinions on issues or topics about higher education and Hispanic Americans. Political Beat, which is only offered online, provides continuous articles from board members about current issues. Hispanics on the Move displays promotions and advancements within the Hispanic American community. Organizations offer information about the academic community in FYI. Finally, Uncensored is a monthly column of short comments about issues in higher education for Hispanic Americans. In addition to these regular features, Hispanic Outlook also publishes 11 theme issues that go into depth about a certain topic, such as Financing a College

33 Education or The Top 100 Issue. These theme issues are sent to high school guidance counselors, who can read the magazines and relay the information back to their students interested in furthering their education after high school. JMU is currently on The Top 100 list, but that does not mean the magazine would not be an effective tool. JMU could publish an article in the FYI section about JMU. This article could discuss different attributes of JMU, including population size, majors, and other informational facts. This magazine is vital resource for the target market when searching for universities. They may not know much about JMU, so making them aware of the basics is the first step in campaign. It could also discuss the different multicultural clubs that JMU offers, such as La Unidad Latina, Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Incorporada, and Latino Student Alliance. Testimonials from members of these organizations could discuss their experiences in their organizations and JMU as a whole. JMU is a unique school that offers a diverse set of extracurricular activities . This relates back to JMUs different perception of diversity not limited to race but encompassing everyones different backgrounds and involvement. In addition to sharing their testimonials in the FYI column, members of these organizations will talk about upcoming events their organizations are hosting, which relates back to the objective of increasing awareness about JMU-sponsored events. Many different articles could be published in this column, including an article about why college tours are beneficial and describing JMUs tour program. In addition, the advertisement about JMUs promotion for registering for a tour and attending Madison Experience Weekend, which features CHOICES and Madipalooza, will be placed in this magazine. Seeing JMU in this credible education information source will increase the awareness of JMU and its unique brand image as well as teaching the target that a campus tour would be beneficial.

34 The second magazine that the JMU Admissions Office will be suggested to advertise in is called Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. It is the only news magazine that focuses on matters of access and opportunity for all in higher education. This magazine received the 2002 Folio award as the best education publication in America. Its mission is to provide information that is honest, thorough and balanced. Launched in 1984 as Black Issues In Higher Education, Diverse focuses on the role and issues of African Americans in higher education. They have 20,00 print subscribers and five readers per copy for pass along readership, so articles and advertisements in this magazine will reach a broad amount of people. Total print version readership is more than 200,000 readers. Diverse is the most widely read trade magazine for and about underrepresented groups in higher education. In fact, many minority higher education professionals refer to Diverse as our bible. (Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, 2012). The advertisement for JMUs promotion for registering for a tour and attending the Madison Experience Weekend will Figure 7- Rough Draft of the Magazine Advertisement be placed in this magazine in

35 addition to The Hispanic Outlook. Since this magazine is a credible source like The Hispanic Outlook, JMU will benefit from using it as a media tool when increasing awareness of JMUs unique brand image and tours. Pandora Pandora Radio is an automated music recommendation service, and the custodian of the Music Genome Project. The Music Genome Project is an organized effort to capture the essence of music at the fundamental level. By using almost 400 attributes to describe songs and a complex mathematical algorithm to organize them into five genomes: Pop/Rock, HipHop/Electronica, Jazz, World Music, and Classical. Pandora plays musical selections of a certain genre based on the user's artist selection. The user then provides positive or negative feedback for songs chosen by the service, which are taken into account when Pandora selects future songs. While listening, users are offered the ability to buy the songs or albums at various online retailers. The 400 attributes are combined into larger groups called focus traits. There are 2,000 focus traits. Examples of these are rhythm syncopation, key tonality, vocal harmonies, and displayed instrumental proficiency. There are two different types of subscriptions offered by Pandora: a free subscription that is supported by advertisements and a paid subscription that does not have ads. Most users choose the free subscription, and these are the users that will be targeted through the Pandora ad. An audio ad will be created that features Low Key, one of the co-ed a cappella groups on campus. The ad will open with a short sound clip of their song Wayfaring Stranger. The clip will then fade out into a spoken voice informing listeners that not only will Low Key be touring around Virginia over the summer, but so will many of the other a cappella groups on JMUs campus. The ad will encourage them to visit the groups websites for tour information.

36 This ad will support the objective of teaching the target market about events on- and offcampus. Since a cappella groups perform on- and off-campus, this ad will highlight both aspects of the objective. Additionally, a cappella has been cited as a huge recruitment resource for JMU (M. Walsh, personal communication, January 14, 2013). By publicizing the groups through a channel as large as Pandora, JMU can reach a wider audience than groups would by simply traveling on their own. This, in turn, will spark interest in JMU and make the university stand out in the minds of prospective students and hopefully encourage them to come to campus. Promotional Video- We Are JMU 2.0 When first year students come to JMU for 1787 August Orientation, they participate in a program called We Are JMU. This program highlights JMUs alternative view of diversity and the pride the students take in this. The first segment of the program is the actual We Are JMU video, which can be found at http://vimeo.com/12592601. This segment shows students on campus saying a personal statement about themselves on one whiteboard, and then flipping that whiteboard over to another, which contains the phrase I am a JMU Duke, or I love JMU. The second segment of the video, entitled Post Secret, can be found at http://vimeo.com/12097658. This segment shows postcards handwritten by students, given them a chance to anonymously share secrets about their identity that no one knows. For the Admissions Office IMCC, a We Are JMU- 2.0 video will be filmed. It will contain updated whiteboard messages and post cards from JMU students. Additionally, this video will be posted on JMUs College Board profile, and will be shown during the representatives visits to the Williamsburg high schools. While this is an excellent program to show to first years during 1787, JMUs challenge is changing their audiences view of its diversity. Students who have already enrolled in the university are clearly not too concerned

37 about JMUs diversity rate since they have already chosen to come here. By implementing the We Are JMU- 2.0 program into high schools and prospective students, their perspective of diversity will change before they even choose to attend JMU. This video therefore supports the message objective of teaching the target market about JMUs unique perspective of diversity, as well as the objective of teaching the target market about JMUs welcoming atmosphere and unique brand image. Indirectly, this video also encourages the target market to take a tour and experience JMU by attracting them to the university and its brand image through brand equity. College Board The College Board is a non-profit membership association in the United States that was formed in 1990 as the College Entrance Examination Board. It is composed of nearly 5,900 colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented postsecondary education institutions to measure a student's ability. The College Board is headquartered in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. David Coleman is the current president of College Board, who, in October 2012, replaced his predecessor Gaston Caperton, former Governor of West Virginia, who had held this position since 1999. In addition to managing tests for which it charges fees, the College Board works with programs that claim to increase achievement by poor and minority middle and high school students. In addition to providing registration for standardized tests, College Board is a popular website many high school students use to research colleges they are interested in. Each university or college can design their own profile page that is displayed to students who research that school. JMUs page will be edited to highlight the universitys diversity. This will include posting the We Are JMU- 2.0 video on the page. The video will be posted under the Student

38 Body tab, which is under the Campus Life tab. The Student Body tab is where JMUs current racial breakdown is listed. By having the video on this page, prospective students can view JMUs minority statistics but also view that numbers are simply numbers and that JMU encourages a deeper meaning of diversity. Again, this video relates back to the message objective of teaching the target market about JMUs unique perspective of diversity. Navigating to this page would still be relatively easy, considering it only takes two clicks to get there. In addition to editing the Student Body page, the main profile page will contain an incentive for students to register for a campus tour: the first 200 students that register in the month of March 2014 will receive a $20 gift card to the bookstore. This incentive will go live on March 1 and contain a link directly to the reservation page for tours. The incentive will last until the first 200 students have registered for a campus tour. This incentive relates back to the message objective of teaching the target market that a campus tour would be beneficial to them, because the benefit lies in the gift card they receive by registering for the tour in addition to the benefit of actually taking the tour. Additionally, it also ties to the message objective of teaching the target market when tour dates occur, since when they click the link they will be taken to the page of all tour dates. The last edit to JMUs College Board page will be in the basic facts about the university and the list of majors that JMU offers. While these are already listed on JMUs profile, the campaign will ensure these facts are updated to provide the most current and accurate information to prospective students. The facts and list of majors will relate directly back to the message objectives of teaching the target market basic facts about JMU, and teaching the target market about all majors offered at JMU.

39 Social Media Facebook is an online social networking service that was founded in February of 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, and his college roommates at Harvard University. The website's membership was initially limited by the founders to Harvard students, but was expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League and Stanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities before opening to high school students, and eventually to anyone aged 13 and over. Facebook now allows any users who declare themselves to be at least 13 years old to become registered users of the site. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and exchange messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile. Additionally, users may join commoninterest user groups, organized by workplace, school or college, or other characteristics, and categorize their friends into lists such as "People From Work" or "Close Friends". As of September 2012, Facebook has over one billion active users. JMUs existing Facebook page will continue to be utilized in this campaign to reach the intended target market, since Facebook is so popular with students and their parents. A wide variety of information will be able to be communicated quickly to students and their parents. This includes information about JMU events, basic information about the school, and external articles published about the school. Sharing basic information about JMU on Facebook supports the first awareness message objective of teaching the target market basic information about the school. The JMU Facebook will publish statuses about upcoming events either on-campus or off-campus and invite people to them, which supports the third awareness message objective that strives to teach the target market about on- and off-campus events. Status reminders will be posted to remind the target

40 market of important dates, such as when applications are due, the deadline to register for CHOICES, and how to sign up for tours. This relates back to the message objective of teaching the target market about tour information. In addition to these continuous reminders, JMU will share articles that external sources publish through enhancers, which allow articles to be shared in an easy and efficient fashion on social media. These articles will include anything from an upcoming event or university achievement, anything that publicizes the university. Also, during the month of December, the Facebook page will feature a different JMU student every week through a short video clip where they share their experience at JMU. This will appeal to the students because they will learn about real stories, not just basic facts. This will teach the target market about JMUs unique brand image, which is the fifth awareness message objective. Twitter is an online social networking service and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based messages of up to 140 characters, known as "tweets". The network was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and by July, the social networking site was launched. The service rapidly gained worldwide popularity, with over 500 million registered users as of 2012, generating over 340 million tweets daily and handling over 1.6 billion search queries per day. Since its launch, Twitter has become one of the ten most visited websites on the Internet, and has been described as "the SMS of the Internet. Users can read tweets, while registered users can post tweets through the website interface, SMS, or a range of apps for mobile devices. While the JMU Twitter publish tweets every day, the core of the campaigns tweets will take place in November. November will focus on creating a new discussion of diversity; one that is centered on getting followers to view diversity in the same way JMU does. Each week, a

41 Diversity Tweet of the Week will be tweeted, along with the hashtag #WeAreJMU. The first week, the tweet will ask students, What does diversity mean to you? #WeAreJMU. The second week, the tweet will say Check out an alternate perspective of diversity- #WeAreJMU and link students to watch the We Are JMU- 2.0 video. Week Threes tweet will say Did you watch last weeks video? What did you think? #WeAreJMU. The last tweet of the month will encourage students to reflect on how their concept of diversity has changed over the month by saying, Still think JMUs not diverse? Think again. #WeAreJMU. This diversity sub-campaign relates back to the message objective of changing the target markets view on diversity. Through these tweets, prospective students of the target market will be able to see JMUs perspective on diversity, as well as engage in conversation with other students about their views of diversity. Through this conversation, JMU would seek to change the diversity perspective. Representative Program A representative program will be implemented in the target high schools of Williamsburg. Four student representatives will be selected from the student body to serve as ambassadors of JMU. Four representatives will be selected from the applicants: two boys and two girls. The application will go live the first week of classes in the Fall of 2013. After applicants make it past the paper application, they will go through a round of group interviews to assess their dynamic in a group setting. The group interview will evaluate their sense of teamwork, and how well they can collaborate with others. Following group interviews, candidates will be chosen for individual interviews. The individual interviews will take place with Dean Walsh of the Admissions Office, as well as other administrators of Admissions. Upon selection, the student representatives will each receive a one-time $1,000 scholarship.

42 After going through a training program in September, the representatives will travel in coed pairs during the first week of October to all twelve Williamsburg area high schools- public and private (see chart below). The representatives will show the We Are JMU- 2.0 video to prospective students, as well as give testimonials about JMUs friendly and welcoming campus, student happiness, and overall brand image. Additionally, they will encourage prospective students to apply to JMU, and serve as an easily available resource to answer any application questions prospective students may have. In the spring, one month before the Madison Experience Weekend, the representatives will travel to back to the Williamsburg schools again for one week to advertise JMU, show the We Are JMU-2.0 video again, and recruit accepted students to attend Madison Experience Weekend. Since CHOICES takes place on a Friday and a Figure 8- High Schools Visited for the Representative Program Monday, with Madipalooza on Williamsburg Area High Schools Public Jamestown High School Lafayette High School Warhill High School Bruton High School Tabb High School Grafton High School Accepted students that York High School sign up for the Madison Experience Weekend will be given the choice to stay on campus in a residence hall in order to give them the opportunity to see what campus life is truly like. Accepted students will also receive meal vouchers for the weekend provided for them, which allows them to experience the Private Providence Classical School Williamsburg Christian Academy Walsingham Academy Upper School Holloman Child Ed- dev of York Living World Academy the Saturday in between, this weekend presents the perfect opportunity to highlight the academic aspects of JMU, as well as the fun, experiential aspects.

43 excellent quality of dining. The sign up for this weekend will be on a first come, first serve basis, with the maximum number of students being 150. Media Strategies The most effective media strategy for this campaign is a wave strategy, which focuses on cycles of moving in and out of high media reach through various media outlets. This strategy will maximize efficiency and productivity with minimal funding. While a wave strategy sacrifices some reach, it will maximize the return on investment because it concentrates advertising efforts during the most relevant and critical time periods. Beginning in May, the Pandora advertisement will air for four months, reaching 3,500 individuals ten times a month. Additionally, JMUs basic facts will be updated on College Board, and social media will be used for a variety of objectives through videos, articles, status updates, and tweets. June and July will follow the same schedule as May. In August, the Pandora ad will still be running, social media will continue to serve as an excellent resource, and College Board will serve as an aid to students beginning their college searches. Additionally, print testimonials will be run in Diverse and Hispanic Outlook. Lastly, in August, students that wish to serve as representatives for the representative program will be informed on how to apply. The applications for the representative program will be due on September 13th, and the We Are JMU- 2.0 video will be posted on JMUs College Board profile. The first week of October will kick off with the selected representatives traveling to the Williamsburg high schools to help prospective students with the early application process. Early applications will be due November 1, 2013. During the month of November, each week will

44 feature Diversity Tweet of the Week. December will also focus on utilizing social media, through the posting of video clip testimonials on the Facebook page. The new year will begin with a two page-spread in each previously mentioned magazine to advertise JMU as much as possible before the regular application deadline on January 15, 2014. In February, the ads will continue to run in the two magazines, but only as one-page ads. Additionally, early admission CHOICES will take place in this month. The one-page magazine ads will continue to run in March, and College Board will also begin the promotion of campus tours by offering a $20 gift card to the first 200 students that register for a campus tour. The JMU representatives will return to the Williamsburg high schools to encourage prospective students to sign up for the Madison Experience Weekend. The following week, sign-ups take place for the Madison Experience Weekend. In April, the campaign will conclude with the Madison Experience Weekend, and the magazine ads will run for this last month. In order to best utilize resources and minimize costs while still maximizing the target markets exposure to the entire campaign, specific percentages of the budget have been allocated to each media outlet. The Pandora advertisements will make up 4.16% of the total budget, social media will make up 0% of the total budget, and the College Board website will make up 9.15% of the total budget. Together, these three media outlets will make up the Internet budget, which will be 13.31% of the entire budget. Aside from the Internet budget, this campaign will use the budget to fund the We Are JMU-2.0 video, which will not cost anything and will, therefore, make up 0% of the total budget. Lastly, the representative program will require payments for travel, lodging, food,

45 scholarship, and the Experience Madison Weekend for the representatives and will, in turn, take up 31.32%. Media Tactics and Budget Breakdown The media tactics chosen for this campaign are personal techniques, Internet, and print. Each of these three tactics will allow for frequent and easy communication with the majority of the target market. The percentage allocated for each tactic will be explained in further detail below. The total budget for the campaign will be $43,715.00. Personal 1. Representative Program 2. Testimonials The personal budget is broken down into two tactics: the representative program and personal testimonials. The representative program will cost $13,690. This program will require payments to the representatives as well as compensation for travel, lodging, and food. The testimonials will take place during the campus tours, recorded video clips place on the Facebook page, and personal stories from the campus representatives during their presentations to high school students. These testimonials will represent $0.00 out of the budget. Internet 1. Social Media 2. College Board 3. Pandora 4. We Are JMU-2.0 Promotional Video The Internet budget will make up $5,820.00 of the budget and will include four tactics: social media, College Board, Pandora, and the We Are JMU- 2.0 promotional video. The social media tactic will represent $0.00 out of the overall budget because it includes the use of student testimonials and word of mouth on Facebook and Twitter, which will not be any sort of paid advertisements and will, therefore, not cost any money. The College Board website will cost

46 $4,000 out of the overall budget due to the $20 gift cards that will be given away for registering for a campus tour. The paid advertisements on Pandora will cost $1,820.00 out of the total budget because cost per impression that will be paid in order to reach the target market. This percentage was calculated based on reaching 3,500 listeners ten times per month. The We Are JMU- 2.0 promotional video will cost $0.00 because it will be created by a JMU student volunteer and will be placed on the College Board website for free, as well as shown during the representatives presentations free of cost. Print 1. Magazine The print budget will cost $24,205.00 of the overall budget and will include one tactic: magazine, that will be distributed through two different outlets, The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Magazine. The advertisement in the Hispanic Outlook magazine will be various sizes and will cost $9,375 and Figure 9 the Diverse magazine will be various sizes and will cost $14,830.
Media Budget
Video 0% Pandora AD 4%

Representative 31%

Pandora AD Video Magazine Social Media College Board

Testimonials 0%

Magazine 56% College Board 9%

Testimonials Representative

Social Media 0%

47 Calendar Figure 10
Weeks Activties Weeks Activties
May 1, 2013 Pandora ad will reach 3,500 listeners JMU Facts updated on College Board. Social Media used for a variety of May 6, 2013 objectives through videos, articles, status updates, and tweets for the next four months. May 13, 2013 May 20, 2013 May 27, 2013 June 3, 2013 Pandora ad will reach 3,500 listeners June 10, 2013 Continue Social Media Updates June 17, 2013 June 24, 2013 July 1, 2013 Pandora ad will reach 3,500 listeners July 8, 2013 Continue Social Media Updates July 15, 2013 July 22, 2013 July 29, 2013 August 5, 2013 Pandora ad will reach 3,500 listeners August 12, 2013 Continue Social Media Updates August 19, 2013 Testimonials will run in both magazines Informing students about August 26, 2013 Representative Program and how to apply September 2, 2013 Video will air on College Board Applications due for Representative Program by Sept. 13 November 4, 2013 Diversity Tweet of the Week

November 11, 2013 Diversity Tweet of the Week

November 18, 2013 Diversity Tweet of the Week November 25, 2013 Diversity Tweet of the Week December 2, 2013 Facebook JMU Experience Testimonial December 9, 2013 Facebook JMU Experience Testimonial December 16, 2013 Facebook JMU Experience Testimonial December 23, 2013 Facebook JMU Experience Testimonial December 30, 2013 Facebook JMU Experience Testimonial Two full page spreads will run; one for January 6, 2014 Diverse and the other for The Hispanic Outlook January 13, 2014 Applications for Fall 2014 due Jan. 15 January 20, 2014 January 27, 2014 February 3, 2014 One page advertisement will run in both magazines

February 10, 2014 February 17, 2014 Choices February 24, 2014 One page advertisement will run in both March 3, 2014 magazines / College Board will offer $20 for first 200 to register for a campus tour March 10, 2014 Representative Program will be conducted for 5 days Sign up for Experience Madison Weekend until 150 spots are filled

September 9, 2013 September 16, 2013 September 23, 2013 September 30, 2013 October 7, 2013 October 14, 2013 October 21, 2013 October 28, 2013

March 17, 2014 March 24, 2014 March 31, 2014 April 7, 2014

One page advertisement will run in both magazines

Representative Program will be conducted for 5 days

April 14, 2014 Choices / Experience Madison Weekend April 21, 2014 April 28, 2014

Prospective students apply for Early Action by Nov. 1

Figure 11

48

Monthly Budget
May 1% June July 1% 1% September August 0% 1% December November 0%

October 8% April 26%

January 24%

May June July August September October November December January February March April

March 28%

February 10%

Figure 12
Schedule Activties
Month May June July August September October November December January February March April Pandora Video AD $455.00 $455.00 $455.00 $455.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Budget Schedule
Represent ative Program $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $3,440.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $3,440.00 $6,810.00 Budget Total

Magazine

Social College Media Board $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $4,000.00 $0.00 $0.00

Testimon ials $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Total $455.00 $455.00 $455.00 $455.00 $0.00 $3,440.00 $0.00 $0.00 $10,540.00 $4,555.00 $11,995.00 $11,365.00 $43,715.00

Percent 1.04% 1.04% 1.04% 1.04% 0.00% 7.87% 0.00% 0.00% 24.11% 10.42% 27.44% 26.00% 100.00%

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $10,540.00 $0.00 $4,555.00 $0.00 $4,555.00 $0.00 $4,555.00

49 Budget Figure 13

Budget
Comunication Activties
Pandora AD AD Creation AD Airing Cost 1 Total Video Creation Total Magazine Creation The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine 2 Diverse: Issues in Higher Education 3 Total Social Media Facebook Twitter Total College Board Gift Cards Total Testimonials Representative Program Travel 4 Lodging 5 Food 6 Scolarship 7 Experience Madison Weekend 8 Total

Individual Cost
$0.00 $1,820.00

Total Cost

Percent

$1,820.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $9,375.00 $14,830.00 $24,205.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $4,000.00 $4,000.00 $0.00 $320.00 $1,360.00 $1,200.00 $4,000.00 $6,810.00 $13,690.00 $43,715.00

4.16%

0.00%

55.37%

0.00%

9.15% 0.00%

Total

31.32% 100.00%

50 Summary This Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign for the JMU Admissions office was designed to increase the number of affluent African American and Hispanic incoming freshman students. This goal is to be achieved by increasing the number of prospective students taking campus tours. JMU is seen by this target market as a back-up school and are therefore are being accepted yet not enrolling. The likelihood of these students enrolling increases when they have actually visited the campus. The IMCC will last for one full calendar year using different strategies and tactics to communicate to the target market. Social Media, College Board, Pandora, magazine ads, as well as the implementation of the Representative Program, will be used to teach prospective students about JMU. Aspects of the university such as dining, academics, and organizations will be communicated, and JMUs unique outlook on diversity will play a major role in appealing to these students. Prospective students will be encouraged to visit the campus through promotions on College Board, the representative program, and Experience Madison Weekend. Communicating to the target market of affluent African American and Hispanic prospective students and their parents through these tactics will encourage them to visit the JMU campus and in turn enroll in the university.

51 Financial Notes 1 3,500 listeners per month in Williamsburg for $13 (per 1,000 impressions)audio ads reaching listeners 10 times per month (A. Black, personal communication, April 19, 2013 from Pandora). 2 A full page spread is $3,600 (one time) and a full page ad is 1,925 per issue (3 issues) (The Hispanic Outlook In Higher Education 2013). 3 A full page spread is $6,940 (one time) and a half page ad is $2,630 per issue (3 issues) (Diverse: Issues In Higher Education 2013). 4 Driving round trip from Harrisonburg to Williamsburg is 364 miles which is $160 in gas. There will be two trips (iCommute 2009). 5 Lodging at Crowne Plaza Williamsburg is on average $85 a night. Two rooms are needed for a 4 night visit. There will be 2 visits (Booking.com 2013). 6 On Average, food for one person for one week is $150. There are 4 students and 2 trips (Mendes 2012). 7 $1,000 scholarship each for 4 students for the Representative Program. 8 14 Punch Meal Plan costs $2,034, divided among 16 weeks and 14 punches is $9.08 per meal. The potential students will be eating 5 meals during the weekend and there will be a maximum of 150 applicants (James Madison University 2013).

52 References Aud, S., Fox, M., and KewalRamani, A. (2010). Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups (NCES 2010-015). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. (2013). JMUs value recognized by Kiplingers. Retrieved from http://www.jmu.edu/news/2013/01/02-jmus-value-recognized-by-kiplingers.shtml Booking.com (2013). Crowne Plaza Hotel Williamsburg (accessed April 15) [Retrieved from http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/crowne-plaza-Williamsburg Cooper, M.A. (2012, May 7). Top 100: Hispanic degree learners by the numbers. Retrieved from http://www.hispanicoutlook.com/top100.htm Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2012. Web. 4/22/2013. Retrieved from http://diverseeducation.com/ Hawkins, D. I., & Mothersbaugh, D. L. (2013). Consumer behavior: Building marketing strategy. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. iCommute (2009). Commute Cost Calculator (accessed April 5, 2013) [retrieved from http://www.icommutesd.com/commuters/calculator.aspx] James Madison University (2013). Meal Plan Prices (accessed April 20) [retrieved from http://www.jmu.edu/cardctr/mealplan.shtml] McNally, M. (2012). [James Madison University: College decision process]. Unpublished raw data. Mendes, Elizabeth (2012). Americans Spend $151 a Week on Food; the High-Income, $180 Gallup (accessed April 15, 2013) [retrieved from

53 http://www.gallup.com/poll/156416/americans-spend-151-week-food-high-income The Hispanic Oultook In Higher Education (2013). Rate Card No. 24 (accessed April 1, 2013) [retrieved from http://www.hispanicoutlook.com/download/rates.pdf] U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts. (2011). Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html U.S.News & World Report LP.(2013). Retrieved from http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/jmu-3721 U.S.News & World Report LP. (2013). Retrieved from http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/virginia-tech-3754