Civic Garden Center

75th Anniversary
Final Report

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UNIVERSITY OF

Cincinnati
Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati
2715 Reading Road
Cincinnati, OH 45206

April 21, 2016

Dear Staff Members of the Civic Garden Center (CGC):

The following report details the many efforts that our capstone course members went through to provide a book and
promotional materials for your upcoming 75th anniversary in 2017. Our teams chose to focus on the theme of victory
since the Civic Garden Center began as a part of the Victory Garden Movement in 1942and have crafted a number of
materials that are Celebrating Victory, Then & Now. In addition to the book 75: Celebrating Victory Then & Now, we
have also included materials related to its printing, revision, and promotion for the future.

Our class had three teams working on this project: a book development team, a book production team, and a promotion
team. Each has provided you with a detailed audience analysis, as well as a description of their deliverables. We have also
placed all of the deliverables on a provided USB drive for your convenience. The sections below roughly outline the
responsibilities of each of the groups.

Book Development Team

Comprised of Natalie Ochmann, Timothy Seiter, Molly Cohen, and Mary Chitwood, the book development team was
responsible for writing all of the content included in the 75th anniversary book. They interviewed key volunteers and
staff members, took photographs, organized archival footage, and created a narrative for the work.

Book Production Team

This team, made up of Courtney Smalley, Sydney Wessels, Bridgette Soto, and Shanna Hickey, took responsibility for
editing the content, designing the layout, and finding potential printers for the book. The team also created a style guide
to assist the Civic Garden Center with any future revisions to the books content.

Promotion Team
Thomas Hemmer, Karen Cornelissen, James Sparks, and Kristin Shaffer worked together to create a comprehensive
promotion plan for the CGCs 75th anniversary. They wrote and designed a number of materials and plans for a variety
of scenarios, giving the CGC plenty of promotional options.

Our teams sincerely hope that you will appreciate the work that we have performed for your organization over the past
15 weeks. It has been an honor to meet the members of your organization, and we wish you nothing but happiness as
you celebrate 75 years of victories in 2017.

Best,

Members of the 2016 Professional Writing Capstone

 Table of Contents
Book Development Team 2
Audience Analysis 3
Process 4
Interviews 4
Archive Audit 5
Division of Labor 5
Book Contents 5
Style & Structure 5
Recommendations 5
Storyboards 6

Book Production Team 7

Audience Analysis 8
Layout 10
Photography 11
Editing & Style Guide 11
Printing 11
Print Specs 11
Price Comparisons 11
Explanation of Print Specs 12
Printer Contact Information 13
Next Steps 13
Funding 13
Corporate Sponsorship Solicitation 13
Appendices 14
Promotion Team 24
Audience Analysis 25
Electronic Press Kit 25
Media Distribution List 26
Balanced CGC Logo 26
Promotional Poster & Flyer 27
Promotional Save the Date Card 27
Brief History of the Civic Garden Center 28
Interviews 28
Biographies 29
Boilerplate 29
Press Releases 29
Advertising Opportunities 29
75th Anniversary Logo 29
Pricing Portfolio 30
Return on Investment Survey 30
Promotional Schedule 31
Promotional Platforms 31
Promotional Schedule 31

Conclusion 32
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Book Development Team

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 Book Development
Writing and producing a book are often two separate tasks in the publishing industry, so our class took the publishing
approach when creating this book for the Civic Garden Center. Four students were responsible for writing the book,
while four more were responsible for editing the content and placing it into layout. Design choices, archival material
choices, and tone choices were discussed between the two groups to ensure consistency between the writing and editing
tasks.

Our group, led by project manager Natalie Ochmann, became responsible for the following tasks during the books
creation:

Analyzing the books audience

Selecting an appropriate tone
Performing an audit of the archives
Scanning or photographing useful archival material
Scheduling and performing interviews with key CGC members
Writing the books content in accordance with the Production Teams guidelines
Assisting with content edits and restructuring
Providing design inspiration for the final layout
Using archival material for storyboard previews

Our team participated in the creation of the book and designed six promotional storyboards for display at the Civic
Garden Center prior to the book release. Word document versions of the finalized chapters will be available on the
provided USB drive, as well as Photoshop files and .JPG files of the completed storyboards.

Audience Analysis
The audience that we analyzed for this publication was current Civic Garden Center volunteers who are heavily involved
in the organization. Because this group will be the most likely purchasers of the book, we wanted to ensure that its
contents had a style that would be appropriate to their desires. In order to gauge their preferences, we interviewed many
key volunteers, including the Dirt Crew, via phone or in-person interviews. Through these discussions, we were able to
glean a lot of information about our audience.

During the interviews, we asked a variety of questions that would give us both quantitative and qualitative information
about Civic Garden Center volunteers. We pulled from the following questions during our interviews, as appropriate to
the individual volunteers experiences:

How long have you been coming to the Civic Garden Center?
Have you held any roles at the Civic Garden Center?
How did you involved with the Civic Garden Center?
What is your favorite event that youve worked at CGC?
What is one of your favorite memories at CGC?
Whats the best part of your job/volunteer work?
How do you hope the organization evolves? / What are your hopes for CGC in future?
What kind of relationships have you made at CGC any people made significant impact or worth mentioning?
How has CGC changed since you started volunteering?
What work are you most proud of that youve done with the CGC?
What do you recommend someone (visitor) should do at CGC?
What makes the CGC an important/unique place in Cincinnati?
What youve learned since working at CGC?
What do you love about gardening? Favorite month/season to work at CGC?

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 What drew you to the CGC? Are you a native of Cincinnati?
How would you describe the spirit of CGC?
Do you have any gardening advice?

These questions not only provided us with excellent pull quotes for the book, but also provided us with insight on how
the Civic Garden Center has affected the lives of people in the community. Plus, through knowing how the volunteers
became involved, we could gain knowledge on how this book might attract casual visitors of the CGC.

In general, this audience is over 60 years old, retired, and female. Their geography around the city of Cincinnati is
varying, but what brings these women together is their love of gardening and gabbing with like-minded friends. They
have pride in the work that they dobut only as a team. When asked about personal accomplishments, these ladies are
humble and like to bring others to the forefront rather than themselves. That being said, the volunteers are incredibly
intelligent about gardening (many having attained master gardener status), and continue to learn more about their hobby
through their volunteer work. Considering this audience, the content in the book had to have the following features:

1. Maintains a focus on the Civic Garden Center as a team; references to individual efforts have to be minimized.
2. Presents information about the Civic Garden Center with a nostalgic, feel-good tone that accurately
describes the love that generations have put into it.
3. Remains conversational and inserts the voices of the Civic Garden Center.
4. Highlights all of the accomplishments of the Civic Garden Center as well as its importance within the city of
Cincinnatigives attention to the CGC as a hidden jewel.
5. Uses in-depth references to plants, flowers, or gardening that only practiced gardeners would recognize or
appreciate.

We made sure to incorporate this audiences desires through the use of pull quotes, compelling narratives, interstitial
highlights of important events or people, and garden-centered references. Most of the pull quotes used throughout the
book are from volunteers we interviewed and supplement the information on the pageeven in the chapters about the
1940s-1960s where we had no surviving volunteers. Throughout the book, we pause to tell particularly compelling
stories about individuals or events that move beyond the Civic Garden Center; for instance, we discuss the wave of
environmentalism in the 1970s and Dorothy Dardens efforts in the Over-the-Rhine Peoples Garden in the 1980s. This
type of information appeals to readers who may not be aware of the CGCs influence throughout history. We also
mention particular flowers or plants that grow throughout the Civic Garden Centers grounds, which would appeal to
both non-CGC gardeners as well as those with an in-depth knowledge of the space.

Process
Each week, our team would hold a meeting to discuss project progressions and complications. Natalie Ochmann would
then assign tasks to each team member for completion in the following week. This stable schedule allowed our team to
keep each other accountable while producing such a lengthy product. In the end, we were able to complete an eight
chapter, decade-by-decade book with a simplistic, feel-good narrative. The following sections describe our method of
creation in more detail.

Interviews
Interviewing members of the CGC was essential to making sure this project came to life. The archives provided
historical context and important information for the events that shaped the CGC, but the only way to capture the CGCs
spirit was by talking to the members that helped it become what it is and still maintain it. The insights of these people
who were kind enough to help us with the book really added a dynamic, human lens with which readers can see the
history of the CGC unfold.

Our group interviewed members and important figures at the CGC at every level of the organization, including Bennett
Dowling (horticulturist), Terry Lemmerman (former board member and volunteer), Judy Mitchell (volunteer), Connie
Booth (volunteer), Michelle Dragga (current CGC librarian), David Gamstetter (volunteer), Greg Potter, and members
of the Dirt Crew, the largest volunteer organization at the CGC. We transcribed these interviews and made them
available to our fellow group members so that any applicable quotes or information could be utilized throughout the
book.

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Archive Audit
Using the CGCs archives helped us put together a timeline of events that occurred at the CGC and gave us context to
these events occurring. We used pictures, newspaper clippings, CGC brochures, and more to piece together the history
of the organization and back up what we had learned through either online research or interviews with members of the
organization.

The archives consisted of about six boxes and two filing cabinet drawers of newspaper clippings, photographs, Civic
Garden Center promotional material, internal memos, and two filing cabinet drawers. These documents helped us date
events and ascertain what happened in certain decades beyond what we had in the Excel file we obtained with a list of
events and important dates organized by year. These documents were both quoted and summarized in the text.

Division of Labor
Initially, the division of labor between the book development and book production team was slightly blurred, so the
tasks were unclear. However, as the semester progressed we soon became more aware of what the final deliverable
would be and adjusted team tasks. Our group became responsible solely for the writing and archival material, and the
book production team took on the editing and layout design.

Each of our group members wrote two complete chapters of the book, and interviewed a few key members of the CGC
and volunteers who had information or key insights about the CGC. Natalie was responsible for writing the chapters
about the 1940s and the 1980s, Tim was responsible for the 1950s and 1990s, Mary completed the 1960s and the 2000s,
and Molly finished the 1970s and the 2010s. We also divided the task of interviewing members of the CGC, which
meant that everyone interviewed at least one member of the current CGC staff and two previous volunteers or
important figures related to the CGC.

Book Contents
The core deliverable of the content team is the creation of the written aspect of the commemorative book. Making the
deliverable comprised of two categories: decisions on style and decisions on structure. In creating the content of the
book, we focused on synchronizing the process and the content among the four group members. While we were able to
complete the main chapters of the book, we do have some recommendations for the CGC before the book goes to
print. These subjects are outlined in detail below.

Style & Structure

The process included collectively deciding on the content of the book and the way the content was written. We decided,
as much as is possible, to create a fluid narrative. By this, we mean that we strove to create a holistic picture around the
facts and figures of the CGC history. Like the nature of the garden, we strove to use sensory language and words that
evoked strong imagery. Through interviews and the extensive Excel document with which we were provided, we
highlighted key people and events. In these goals, we faced the challenge of a limited access to the archives (since we
were not there every day). Additionally, some events had only a brief account of the history. Gaging this as well as the
level of importance of the event, we categorized events as either main or peripheral.

For the text of the book, we tried to create a cohesive style and tone. We kept our chapters to 1400-2000 words each
and sectioned them by narrative-enhancing subheadings. Each chapter covers one decade. And, since the CGC started
as a Victory Garden, we wove the theme of victory throughout. Practically speaking, we decided to include the actual
word victory at least once per chapter. And, as mentioned above, we covered one central story per chapter and then
included smaller, peripheral stories. In doing this, our goal was to spotlight the biggest accomplishments of each decade
while also preserving the smaller accomplishments and stories. And finally, since the book is commemorative, we strove
for an easy-to-read style that gives off a warm sentimentality.

Recommendations
To ensure the success of the 75th anniversary, we also have a few recommendations for the use of the content. As you
read the transcript, make sure the content, tone, and style of the book accurately represent the CGC and includes all key
people and events. And, because of time, there is currently no introduction to the book. We felt that this section

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was a great space for the staff of the CGC to insert their own voice. We suggest that Vicki Ciotti includes a letter-styled
introduction that includes the CGCs purpose for the commemorative book.

Storyboards
In our initial client meeting with Jared Queen, he mentioned that he would be interested in 6-12 posters or scrapbook-
like storyboards that could sit on an easel in the Civic Garden Center, display archive photographs in small, narrative
chunks, and promote the upcoming book release. Because of our teams knowledge and access to the Civic Garden
Centers archival material, we chose to design six promotional storyboards that would give CGC visitors a sneak peek at
the upcoming book release. Team member Natalie Ochmann was responsible for the selection of the photos, the copy,
and the layout design for all six storyboards.

Each storyboard takes on a different theme and presents older photos in a modular design, including text that presents
the theme as well as the 75 logo and the tagline Celebrating Victory, Then & Now. We chose the following themes
for the promotional storyboards:
Community
Christmas Caravan
Childrens Gardening
Cornelius Hauck
Growth
Cover Reveal

We chose a variety of themes to highlight different aspects of the CGCs programming, people, and events, and
recognize that some topics, like the Annual Plant Sale, do not have their own storyboards. The storyboards presented do
capture the breadth of the CGCs events and history since 1942, including photos from almost every decade. All of the
boards include some text that promotes the book; for instance, the Growth storyboard states:

Inspiring Growth.
Starting the Victory Garden Movement, the Civic Garden Center has always helped plants and people grow. Find out
more in our upcoming book release!

The storyboards were designed to be printed on a 24 x 36 corrugated poster, which can be purchased at most office
supply stores. We recommend that the Civic Garden Center puts out one of these storyboardsin the above order
each month during the six months that lead up to the books release. If the Civic Garden Center wishes to add or
subtract from the posters, we have included the Photoshop files for each on the provided flashdrive. The last one to be
released should be the cover reveal, as it will garner interest for not only the content of the book, but the book itself. We
changed the language on this storyboard to include a harder sell and tie the book to the logo and tagline for the years
events:

Celebrating Victory, Then & Now

Are you getting excited for the release of our book? Check out the cover! Help us commemorate 75 victorious years of
the Civic Garden Center by reserving your copy today.

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Book Production Team

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 BOOK PRODUCTION
Over the past three months, our team has collaborated to produce a book celebrating the Civic Garden Centers 75th
anniversary celebration, 75: Celebrating Victory, Then & Now. We collaborated with the content team, Jared, and other
members of the CGC to create a print-ready book. This report contains the materials that we developed to help you print
and fund the book, as well as explanation of the choices that we made in regard to design, photography, and editing.

Audience Analysis
Our audience analysis was based off of responses we received from emails, survey monkey, and handing out questions to
the Dirt Crew. The results were as follows:

What part of town do you identify as home?

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4
7

Cincinnati East Cincinnati North Cincinnati Central Southeastern Indiana

What first sparked your interest in becoming involved with the CGC?
Love of gardening
Master gardening program 1998
Needed volunteer hours to complete Master Gardening requirement
Their support for community gardens
Love outdoors
A friend asked me to join
I first visited about 25 years ago with a friend, and it was love at first sight. The grounds were amazing,
even back then. I was new to gardening, so I was particularly interested in the classes they offered
The programs
Hort Classes
I am a horticulturalist
A friend introduced us 25+ years ago, then my garden club

What is your favorite part of being a member in the CGC community?

Learning new things
The beauty, the history and the community
Working on the grounds and seeing the changes week by weekand of course being with gardening
friends
I am only a couple of weeks into being a volunteer here but already I enjoy the people and working in
the gardens
See spring growth helped by much work
Working outside and being with each other and making wonderful friends
Learning from the other dirt crew members

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 The people
Dirt Crew
Fresh air
Outstanding staff
Learning and teaching opportunities
Jared. Watching and reading about all the intercity gardens
Working with wonderful people, making new friends
I love being a small part of the very important role that the CGC plays in the greater Cincinnati region,
through the community gardens, the many programs for children, and the public educational
opportunities. I also enjoy the wonderful people I have met there and the serenity and beauty of the
grounds.

Are you familiar with the history of the CGC? If not, are you interested in learning more?
I am not familiar with the history, but learning more about it would be interesting (2)
Not very familiar, would like to know more
Interested in learning more (7)
Not familiar with CGC history (4)
I know a bit (2)
Always interested in learning more (2)

What are your priorities when choosing which charitable organizations to support (either
financially or through your time, talent, or presence)?
The mission of the organization, helping less fortunate people
My interest in them and their need
The value they bring to the community
Degree of good rendered to our community
Wherever there is need and knowing where and how money is spent
The good will it offers
Need of organization, prefer local
An honest organization, those who do good work without personal interest
I prefer to support organizations that make a significant difference in the community in a very tangible
way. I also seek organizations that spend their resources wisely. The CGC does both very efficiently.
Local, attainable goals, community support
Outcomes
Passion and connection
Things that I am passionate about

What are some of your other hobbies and interests besides gardening?
Quilting/Sewing/Knitting/Other Crafts (6)
Bicycling (2)
Travelling (6)
Reading/Book clubs (8)
Tutoring/Teaching (2)
Exercising/ Walking (7)
Spending time with friends with similar interests (2)
Singing/Listening to music (4)
Writing
Golf (2)
Photography (2)

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 Spending time with cats
Home construction
Spending time with family
Going to Church
Cooking/Baking (5)
Dancing
Boating
Films
Fly fishing

What kind of books or magazines do you like to read?

Books:
Fiction (4)
Mystery (2)
Gardening (2)
Novels
Cooking
Historical Novels
Software Guides
Biographies
Mysteries
Historical Fiction
Magazines:
News
Cooking (2)
History (2)
The New Yorker
Home and Garden
National Geographic
Gardening (5)
Knitting
Nature
Wine/food

Layout
The layout and design of this book were created with the goal of a coffee table book feel in mind. We used the Cincinnati
Ballet Celebrates 50 book, Taft Art for All book, and few others as layout and design inspiration. We used a 6 column grid
to create the layout, which allowed for flexibility in photo and text placement so we could create a variety of appealing
spreads. We attempted to use a 50/50 photo-to-text ratio. We used Garamond, one of CGCs preferred fonts for the
body text. To keep a nostalgic feel, we incorporated a sans-serif font called Quicksand for the headings. The font we used
for pull quotes is a handwritten, cursive font, chosen to add a more personal feel. We increased the font sizes, margins,
and leading (the space between lines) to maximize readability for our older audience. The color scheme references the
CGCs existing style guide.

We decided to use a timeline to create visual unity throughout the book. Originally the timeline was at the top of the
page, but we later decided that a timeline in the right sidebar looked much cleaner and created a better flow from page to
page and decade to decade. The numbers in the timeline gradually move down the page as the decades change, so that as
the reader flips through the book, it appears that the numbers are moving. We felt that this would lend a great
kinesthetic quality to the book and engage the reader.

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Finally, we integrated the leaf from the CGC logo in each spread of the book. The curving lines create movement that
guides the readers eye from page to page. The change in size, number, and orientation of the leaves allows variety in the
spreads while maintaining dynamic balance.

Photography
For the cover, we decided to create a flower arrangement in the shape of a 75 on a plain white background. We wanted
the cover to be simple, yet eye catching. For each of the decade breaks we created different flower arrangements, again on
white backgrounds. We liked that the cover tied in with the decade breaks, creating unity throughout.

For the photos for the book, we used pictures from the CGC photographer, Jennifer Smith, and older photos from the
CGC archives. We used photos from the following categories:
Hauck Botanic Garden/CGC Grounds
The Plant Sale
Community Gardens
Volunteers
Flavors of Community Gardens

Editing & Style Guide

Every strong editing process begins with an initial read through. Each chapter was sent to an editor as the writer
completed it. Our team was able to correct grammar and writing mistakes that would affect the readers perception of
the book. After our first round of edits, we discovered that each writer seemed to have their own voice and presence.
Although this was partially embraced because each decade was different from the last, it was clear that a style guide was
needed to create unity in all chapters of the book. Two members of the production team collaborated to make a clear
and helpful style guide that would be of great value to the final writing and copyediting pieces of the book.

The style guide includes formatting information about the book, which will be helpful to the CGC if you wish to add any
content to the book. By including the chosen fonts, formatting of pull quotes, and citation choices, the CGC can easily
reference the choices the production team made on these topics. Another section included in the style guide is the
writing style section. This includes special terms that appear frequently in the book. The makers of the style guide have
insured unity in the book by making executive decisions about these terms and having those choices available to writers,
editors, and the CGC. The writing style section also discusses punctuation and other notes that will be helpful for
understanding, adding, or editing content in the book.

Printing
Print Specs
Size: 8.5 x 11
Orientation: oblong / landscape
Length: 100 pages
Stock: 100# glossy
Color: full color
Cover: hardcover OR softcover 12pt C1S with soft touch coating
Binding: case bound OR perfect bound

Price Comparisons

Table 1 Printers and Pricing

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Explanation of Print Specs
Orientation. Landscape books cost slightly more to produce, because the pages dont fit as well on the parent sheet so
there is more wasted paper. However, the cost difference is not very significant and a landscape orientation is normally
preferred for coffee table books.

Quantity. Printers can print in any increment, based around any multiple (100, 500, 50, etc.) However, unit cost rises
drastically as quantity decreases.

Binding.
Perfect binding This method is used for softcover books
Case binding This method is used for hardcover books and is slightly more expensive.
Pages in perfect bound books are printed on large parent sheets that fit a certain number of pages, normally a multiple of
four (16, 32, etc.). After printing, the parent sheet is folded and sliced, and glued into the spine. This is why perfect-bound
books appear to have multiple groups of pages glued into the spine. If you choose to go with the soft cover option, ask
your printer how many pages fit on a parent sheet so that you can make sure the number of pages in the book is based
around that multiple (x). If you find that the number of pages you already have is slightly over a multiple of x, you may
want to delete a couple of pages. If the number of pages is significantly over a multiple of x, but hasnt quite reached the
next multiple, you should consider adding pages (with dedications, extra photos, a donor list, etc) in order to fill up the
entire parent sheet and get your moneys worth. This is not to say that you cannot print a book with an irregular number
of pages, it's just that filling up each parent sheet that you pay for will give you the most bang for your buck.

Paper Stock
Finish (the two most common options)
o Glossy Glossy finishes increase the saturation and depth of colors while improving image
contrast. 1 This option is often the cheapest. To achieve a glossy finish, clay is rubbed into the
paper to create a thin coating on top.
o Matte Matte is a non-reflective finish that costs slightly more than glossy. It is good for text-
heavy pages because it increases readability. It also allows the reader to feel the fibrous texture of
the paper more easily.
Weight
o 100# paper feels thick and polished. It is also heavy enough that readers will be able to safely flip
pages without the risk of tearing.
o 80# paper is about the lightest weight that can be flipped without risk.

Varnishes & Coating

The three categories of varnishes and coatings:
o Varnishes Varnishes are applied just like ink, by the press. They can even be tinted a certain color.
o Aqueous coatings Aqueous coatings are water-based. They dry faster than varnishes, which
translates into a faster turnaround time for the finished product.
o UV coatings UV coatings are applied as a liquid and then exposed to UV light, which makes the
liquid harden.
Rather than suggest a glossy stock, some printers will offer you the option to do a gloss varnish. Gloss
varnishes are often applied to single pages and spreads (flood gloss) or just to images (spot gloss), in order
to make them pop. These options add significantly to the price because applying gloss to specific parts of
the parent sheet requires much more work than using a glossy stock.
Soft touch coating can be applied via either the aqueous or UV method. There is a slight variation in price
between the two methods.

Resources
For more information, check the following sources:
Printing Industry Exchange on binding Printing and Binding Options

1 See The Print Guide on varnishes and coatings Choosing the Right Print Coating

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 Overnight Prints on paper stock Choosing the Best Paper for Your Prints
The Print Guide on varnishes and coatings Choosing the Right Print Coating

Printer Contact Information

Listed below are the printers that we contacted and their contact information. We did not hear back from the last four
printers on the list. Our impression is that UC Printing Services and RR Donnelly would do an excellent job of handling
this project while considering the best interests of the CGC. Karen at UC is especially happy to explain various aspects of
printing and printing options.

Table 2 Printers and Contact Information

Next Steps
After choosing a printer, we suggest that you call them to let them know you will be taking over the project and give them
an estimate of when you would like to have the final printed books. Turnaround time is normally around 2-3 weeks after
the final proof is approved. Total turnaround time for UC Printing Services may take up to one more week because UCs
staff will need to put out another request for bids to its vendors when you are ready to print.

Funding
Corporate Sponsorship Solicitation
Together we have written a letter to solicit corporate sponsorships and compiled a list of local companies that we think
would be excellent partners for the book project. The list of potential corporate sponsors is based on the results of the
CGC supporter survey, which showed that in addition to gardening, CGC supporters are interested in

Reading
Exercise (including walking and biking)
Cooking and baking
Quilting, knitting, sewing and other crafts
Music and singing

We believe that in addition to reaching out to its already established business connections (for example, those that donated
to THE Plant Sale last year), the CGC should consider reaching out to new business partners in these areas. We compiled
a selection of local vendors of these products and services because of the CGCs focus on the Cincinnati community,
CGC supporters indication in the survey that they are interested in supporting local causes, and the fact that sponsorships
and partnerships are often forged more easily between two local organizations than they are between a local organization
and a national company. In the realm of cooking and baking, we chose restaurants that are known for sourcing organic
and local ingredients because of the empathy between gardeners and farmers.

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Due to the responses on the CGC supporter survey, we were able to say with confidence in the solicitation letter that our
supporters have expressed interested in your companys work. This line should serve as an attention getter and motivate
readers to pick up the phone. Other persuasive techniques used in the letter include Robert Cialdinis reciprocation (Lets
scratch each others backs.) and consistency (Weve already connected, and good human beings are consistent with their
past choices.). 2

Sponsorship amounts were left blank in the letter, as we felt you, the Development Director, would have a much clearer
idea of what numbers to target, based on how much you would like to spend on printing, how much you would like to
sell the book for, and how much profit you would like to generate. Especially after printing bids were much lower than
expected, we felt it made more sense for you to make these decisions than for us to make suggestions.

Moving forward, we suggest that you investigate the new potential corporate partners on our list by taking two steps: first,
ask CGC staff if they are connected to any of the businesses on the list, and if so, if they would be willing to make a quick
inquiry about a potential partnership, or allow you to include their name in the solicitation letter. If no personal connection
exists, call the number listed and ask to whom you should address your proposal. Take down the persons name and
reference the call in the letter, especially if that person seemed to hold a position of some authority.

We hope the content of this report will help you understand the decisions we made when producing the book and help
you pursue printing and funding options.

Appendices
Style Guide
Solicitation Letter for Fundraising
Solicitation List for Fundraising
Printing Quotes
o Arnold Printing - Hardcover
o RR Donnelley - Hardcover
o University of Cincinnati Printing Services - Hardcover
o Arnold Printing - Softcover
o RR Donnelley - Softcover
o University of Cincinnati Printing Services - Softcover

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Influence by Robert Cialdini

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 CIVIC GARDEN CENTER
STYLE GUIDE
Format
Font
Headings - Quicksand (24 pt.)
Body Text - Garamond (14pt.)
Quotes
Each quote should be in quotations, not separated from the paragraph it is
associated with.
Exception: Pull quotes, which will be in cursive
Citing Sources
Only cite if absolutely necessary (not from the CGC website, archive, or public
information)
Make sure to cite things if you think readers will want to find the source (outside
of CGC website, archive, or public info)
Citing with be done with a superscript, and a references page at the back of the
book
o References page will be single spaced and two columned if necessary

Writing Style
Special Terms
the Civic Garden Center or the CGC
t is not capitalized
Do not include of Greater Cincinnati
Do not use the Center due to other centers mentioned in the text
Capitalize when used as an adjective (i.e. Garden Center members)
the Community Gardens Program
community garden when used as a generic N
Jalapeos
garden coordinator
the Youth Education Program
square-foot when used as an ADJ before a N, as in square-foot garden
 oversized (no hyphen)
U.S. (with periods)
the Plant, Herb, and Hosta Sale before X year
THE Plant Sale after X year
the Christmas Caravan or the Caravan
Punctuation
Em dashes: limit to use only in dramatic cases or when absolutely necessary (i.e.
when nothing else looks good)
Use the Oxford comma
Make sure there is only one space in between sentences
Decades in the plural do not use apostrophes or superscript s (i.e. the
1980s)
When words appear in quotes to emphasize their underlying meaning the
quotes should be double, not single (i.e. Sooty Acres, not Sooty Acres)
Other Notes
Highlight the theme of Victory when possible
Use past tense primarily, unless speaking of the direct present
Use formal, descriptive language
Get (too informal) = received, retained, acquired
Some (too vague) = a bit, a few, a number, a portion, several
Numbers one through ten are spell out, and numbers 11 and up are signified by
Arabic numerals
 2715 Reading Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45206
[Date]

[Company Name]
Attn: [Contact Name]
[Address]

Dear [Name],
[If a point of connection existsa CGC staff member knows someone in the company, you have
already contacted the company over the phone, etc.mention it here.]
The Civic Garden Center is about to celebrate its diamond anniversary and we are excited to
announce a special projectthe release of a beautiful coffee table book commemorating our 75
years serving the greater Cincinnati area. 1,000 copies of the book will be printed and sold to our
dedicated supporters, who come from all parts of Cincinnati and all walks of life. Our supporters
have expressed interest in your companys work, and wed like to get you in on the project.
Will you consider making a [insert sponsorship amount] in support of this project?
In exchange, we would love to feature [company names] logo in the book, for readers to see and
remember each time they flip through its pages.
The CGC strives to build up the Cincinnati community through gardening, education and
environmental stewardship, but we would not be able to do so without support from generous
donors like you.
Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to email or call should you prefer to
discuss this opportunity in more detail.

Sincerely,

Jared Queen
Director of Development and Marketing
(513) 602-5252
jqueen@civicgardencenter.org
 Phone First Name Last Name Address City State Zip
Local Bookstores
Duttenhofer's Books (513) 381-1340 214 W McMillan St Cincinnati OH 45219
The Bookshelf (513) 271-9140 7754 Camargo Rd Cincinnati OH 45243
Iris Book Caf (513) 381-2665 1331 Main St Cincinnati OH 45202
The Booksellers on Fountain Square (513) 258-2038 505 Vine St Cincinnati OH 45202
The Ohio Book Store (513) 621-5142 726 Main St Cincinnati OH 45202
Roebling Point Books & Caf (513) 607-1206 306 Greenup St Covington KY 41011
Joseph Beth Booksellers (513) 396-8960 2692 Madison Rd Cincinnati OH 45208

Local Exercise
Fleet Feet Sports Cincinnati (513) 731-2665 3235 Madison Rd Cincinnati OH 45209
Bob Ronker's Running Spot (513) 321-3006 1993 Madison Rd Cincinnati OH 45208
Pendleton Pilates (513) 478-3232 2716 Erie Ave Cincinnati OH 45208
CORE (513) 621-7800 1423 Vine St Cincinnati OH 45202
Modo Yoga Cincinnati (513) 321-9644 3527 Columbia Parkway Cincinnati OH 45226

Local Food
The Learning Kitchen (513) 847-4474 7659 Cox Lane West Chester OH 45069
Jungle Jim's (513) 674-6000 5440 Dixie Highway Fairfield OH 45014
Nectar (513) 929-0525 1000 Delta Ave Cincinnati OH 45208
The Wildflower Caf and Coffeehouse (513) 492-7514 207 East Main St Mason OH 45040
Bouquet Restaurant and Wine Bar (859) 491-7777 519 Main St Covington KY 41011
Sprout Market and Eatery (513) 721-6977 941 Pavilion St Cincinnati OH 45202
Edible Ohio Valley (513) 297-0810 Amy Paul PO Box 355 Terrace Park OH 45174
The Golden Lamb (513) 932-5065 27 South Broadway St Lebanon OH 45036
Park + Vine (513) 721-7275 1202 Main St Cincinnati OH 45202

Local Crafting
Sewn Studio (513) 321-0600 3212 Madison Rd Cincinnati OH 45209
Michael's (513) 871-3170 3862 Paxton Ave Cincinnati OH 45209
Jo-Ann Fabrics (513) 871-0790 3866 Paxton Ave, Suite B Cincinnati OH 45209
Hobby Lobby (513) 347-6900 5045 Glencrossing Way Cincinnati OH 45238
Hancock Fabrics (859) 431-2220 1751 Monmouth St #2 Newport KY 41071

Local Music
Mike's Music (513) 281-4900 2615 Vine St Cincinnati OH 45219
Shake It Records (513) 591-0123 4156 Hamilton Ave #1 Cincinnati OH 45223
Cincinnati Music Academy (513) 891-7714 Paul McCready 7420 Montgomery Rd Cincinnati OH 45236
Queen City Music Studio (513) 201-8593 1021 Delta Ave Cincinnati OH 45208
Everybody's Records (513) 531-4500 6106 Montgomery Rd Cincinnati OH 45213
Monday, March 28, 2016
Estimate : 25173 - 1
COURTNEY SMALLEY
CIVIC GARDEN CENTER
2715 READING RD
CINCINNATI OH 45206

We are pleased to submit the following quote as requested, based on the specifications provided:

Description:
DESCRIPTION: CASEBOUND BOOK
SIZE:11 X 8 1/2 (OBLONG) 100 PAGES + CASEWRAP COVER
PRINTED: 4/4 + GLOSS AQU TEST / 4/0 + LAMINATE COVER
STOCK: 100#TX GLOSS / 80# C1S LITHO FOR CASEWRAP
ART SUPPLIED: HI-RES PDF
APPROVAL: SPINJET / EPSON
FINISHING: FOLDED - CASEBOUND
DELIVERY: FOB CINCINNATI

Quantity 1,000 2,000

Price 16,742.00 25,232.00

If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to call. Thank you for the opportunity to serve
you.

Sincerely,

DREW SMITH

Payment Terms:
 www.rrdonnelley.com
03/11/2016
Estimate: 823086
Estimator: JoDanelle Buggs

Civic Garden Center

c/o Courtney Smalley

We are pleased to submit this estimate based on the following specifications and prices:
Description: Oblong Book
Quantity: 1,000 / 2,000
Pages: 100 page + Hard Cover
Flat Size: 22 x 8.5
Final Size: 11 x 8.5
Artwork: Print Ready PDF
Proofing: Digital Dylux and Contract Digital Proofs
Stock: Cover: 100# White Matte Text
Text 100# White Gloss Text
Ink: Text - 4/4- 4color process with bleeds ; Cover prints 4/0 - process
Finishing: Matte Film Laminate Cover, Mount to Binder Board, Trim, Fold Text, Collate Smyth Sew, use standard end
sheets, case bind
Packaging: Convenient Cartons
Delivery: FOB Nashville, TN 37211 (freight costs are additional)
Producing Plant: Florence, KY 41042
Additional Notes: Disk With Current Lasers (Mac)

Quantity 1,000 2,000

Price $15,275 $19,390

Addl for freight $200 $270
to Cincinnati

We look forward to working with you on this project. Please reference quote number on all correspondence. Additional costs not
reflected in this estimate may be applicable if project deviates from original specifications. Alteration costs will be brought to your
attention for approval, prior to production. Quote valid for 30 days.

Other terms and conditions can be viewed here: http://www.rrdonnelley.com/terms/rrd-terms-conditions.aspx

Sincerely,
Matt Barden

Quantity: Purchase Order No: Requested Delivery Date:

Signature: Date:
University of Cincinnati Printing Services

Hard Cover Booklet

8.5 x 11 Landscape size

22 x 8.5 (open size)

100 PG + Cover

Cover 100LB with UV Coating

Text 100LB Text weight

4/4 process printing

Cover only has Soft Touch Satin UV Coating outside cover only

1000 = $13266.01

1200 = $14574.60

1500 = $16413.13
Monday, March 28, 2016
Estimate : 25173 - 2
COURTNEY SMALLEY
CIVIC GARDEN CENTER
2715 READING RD
CINCINNATI OH 45206

We are pleased to submit the following quote as requested, based on the specifications provided:

Description:
DESCRIPTION: PERFECT BOUND BOOK
SIZE:11 X 8 1/2 (OBLONG) 100 PAGES + COVER
PRINTED: 4/4 + GLOSS AQUEOUS TEXT / 4/0 + SOFT TOUCH AQUEOUS ON COVER
STOCK: 100#TX GLOSS / 12 PT C1S
ART SUPPLIED: HI-RES PDF
APPROVAL: SPINJET / EPSON
FINISHING: FOLDED - PERFECT BIND
DELIVERY: FOB CINCINNATI

Quantity 1,000 2,000

Price 11,825.00 14,281.00

If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to call. Thank you for the opportunity to serve
you.

Sincerely,

DREW SMITH

Payment Terms:
 www.rrdonnelley.com
03/14/2016
Estimate: 823086-2
Estimator: JoDanelle Buggs

Civic Garden Center

c/o Courtney Smalley

We are pleased to submit this estimate based on the following specifications and prices:
Description: Oblong Book
Quantity: 1,000 / 2,000
Pages: 100 page + Cover
Flat Size: 22 x 8.5
Final Size: 11 x 8.5
Artwork: Print Ready PDF
Proofing: Digital Dylux and Contract Digital Proofs
Stock: Cover: 12pt C1S Cover
Text 100# White Gloss Text
Ink: Text - 4/4- 4color process with bleeds ; Cover prints 4/0 process + overall Soft Touch UV
Finishing: Score cover, fold text, collate, perfect bind and final trim.
Packaging: Convenient Cartons
Delivery: FOB plant Florence KY
Producing Plant: Florence, KY 41042
Additional Notes: Disk With Current Lasers (Mac)

Quantity 1,000 2,000

Price $10,707 $12,715

We look forward to working with you on this project. Please reference quote number on all correspondence. Additional costs not
reflected in this estimate may be applicable if project deviates from original specifications. Alteration costs will be brought to your
attention for approval, prior to production. Quote valid for 30 days.

Other terms and conditions can be viewed here: http://www.rrdonnelley.com/terms/rrd-terms-conditions.aspx

Sincerely,
Matt Barden

Quantity: Purchase Order No: Requested Delivery Date:

Signature: Date:
University of Cincinnati Printing Services

Perfect Bind

8.5 x 11 Landscape size

22 x 8.5 (open size)
100 PG + Cover

Cover 100LB with UV Coating

Text 100LB Text weight
4/4 process printing
Cover only has Soft Touch Satin UV Coating outside cover only

1000 = $8949.98
1200 = $9410.99
1500 = $9936.20
Promotion Team

24
 Promotion
As the promotional team for the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnatis 75th anniversary book, our main goal was
to create a marketing strategy and press kit that the CGC could use to effectively spread the word about both the book
itself and its subsequent release. In order to accomplish this goal, we created the following promotional documents.

Audience Analysis
Electronic Press Kit
Promotional Logos
Pricing Portfolio
Return on Investment (ROI) Survey
Promotional Plan

For the purposes of this report, we will now discuss each of these documents and the roles they each play in executing a
successful marketing strategy that creates the highest possible return on investment (ROI).

Audience Analysis
In order to create the most effective marketing strategy possible, we created an audience analysis survey that asked
respondents 14 questions. Seven of these questions were designed to provide us with data on respondents gardening
habits and familiarity with the CGC while the other seven questions gathered demographic information on each
respondent.

After collecting and compiling all of the data, we noticed that while 43.75% of respondents enjoyed gardening, only
12.5% of respondents had actually heard of the CGC. When broken down by age, roughly 38.1% of respondents
between the ages of 18 and 32, 100% of respondents between the ages of 31 and 43, 28.57% of respondents between
the ages of 44 and 56, and 50% of respondents over the age of 57 said they enjoyed gardening. This data led us to
believe that although the percentage of 18 to 31 year olds may be the second lowest, there is untapped potential to be
found there. Whats even more attractive about this particular demographic is that they will be around for a while. If you
are able to secure this younger demographic and get them to join the CGC, you could create a movement that would
revitalize the the CGC for years to come.

Electronic Press Kit

For this project, the very first thing we wanted to create for you was an effective press kit. A press kit is a package of
promotional materials that you can send out to the press to inform them about the 75th anniversary book and its release.
The press kit that we created for you can be found on the flashdrive that accompanies this report. We decided to create
the press kit in an electronic format because electronic press kits allow you to quickly disseminate all of the important
features of your event to a large variety of places that may pick up and distribute the story for you through email
distribution lists.

Almost all press kits contain the following documents:

A background on the company submitting the press kit
Promotional images
A press release
A media distribution list

But the absolute best press kits usually contain one or more of the following documents as well:
Biographies of the decision makers
Promotional flyers and posters
Sound bites or quotes

25
Not every feature you see here is absolutely essential to the success of a story. But for this project, we thought the most
essential documents to include were a media distribution list, promotional posters and flyers, a promotional saves the
date card, a brief history on the Civic Garden Center, biographies on some of the major players within your
organization, a new boilerplate, and press releases. We did not include any promotional images in the electronic press kit
because we thought this was one element of the event you may want to choose or create. We did, however, include a
blank file called Promotional Images where you can quickly upload the photos you think fit best.

Media Distribution List

A media distribution list (sometimes called a press distribution list) is a list that compiles all of the important contact
details for the media contacts that you find important to your business. Its important to keep your media distribution
list as up-to-date as possible to ensure that your press releases and press kits get picked up by the news organizations
that you send them to.

For this project, we took the media distribution list originally provided to us by Jared Queen and updated it to the best of
our abilities. When updating the distribution list, we did a brief Google search on each publication to make sure that they
were still publishing, and then we went through and tried to fill out all of the contact information to the best of our
abilities. Furthermore, we created two new columns: Notes and Likeliness to Respond.

The Notes section provided us with a space to write important notes about the publications while the Likeliness to
Respond provides you with a color-based system for identifying the likeliness of a publication to pick up your story.
Publications marked green in the Likeliness to Respond column are the most likely to pick up your story while
publications marked yellow are unlikely and publications marked red are either out of print or non-responsive. Our main
goal in creating this color-based system was to provide you with a visually stimulating media distribution list that could
be navigated at a glance.

Balanced Civic Garden Center Logo

When we first set out to create visual marketing materials for the 75th anniversary book, we had a difficult time using
your current logo because all of our preliminary designs called for a logo that was balanced and could be placed in the
center of a document, and your current logo didnt seem to meet those requirements because it had more visual weight
in its upper left corner than in it did in the rest of the logo. In order to remedy this problem, we created a new version of
your logo that is visually balanced but still uses all of the basic elements of your current logo. An example of the new
logo can be found below.

Visually balanced CGC logo that can be centered on documents

26
Promotional Poster and Flyer
A crucial part of any event marketing strategy is the creation and dispersion of promotional posters and flyers. These
posters and flyers can be distributed both as print and digital documents. For the purpose of this project, we created
both a poster and flyer, which contain the same information and basic design principles, just laid out in slightly different
formats to account for the change in size (our posters are 11x17 while our flyers are 8.5x11). The main difference
between posters and flyers, aside from their sizes, is that posters are generally meant for posting in a stationary place
while flyers can either be posted somewhere or handed out as takeaways. Both of these documents can also be
distributed digitally via Facebook, Twitter, Constant Contact, or any other content distribution platform you choose to
use.

When we designed the poster and flyer, our main goal was to tell our audience about the event, but our second goal was
to create aesthetically pleasing promotional materials that were clean, straight-forward, and used the CGCs preselected
colors. Both the poster and the flyer we created are below.

8.5x11 promotional flyer

11x17 promotional poster

27
Promotional Save the Date Card
In addition to the promotional poster and flyer, we also wanted to create promotional save the date cards that you could
mail out to all of the people who regularly attend your events or donate to the center. These cards are standard postcard
size, and are perfect for people to put on their refrigerators. Our thought was, that if someone puts this card up on their
refrigerator and walks past it several times each day, they are far more likely to stop out to the event because it will
eventually become engrained in their mind.

While creating these cards, we set out to continue the branding that we had established in the poster and flyer. We used
the same colors, the same fonts, and provided our audience with the same information, just laid out in a different
format. By creating this uniformity, our intent was to create and expand an awareness of the event. The more frequently
each audience member sees these brand elements, the more likely they are to notice the event, and, in turn, attend.
Below you will find a mock-up of these cards.

4x6 promotional save the date cards

Brief History of the Civic Garden Center

When creating the press kit for the 75th anniversary book, we thought it was important to include a brief history of the
CGC since the book is focused on just that. In this history, we sought to create a teaser that the press could use to create
buzz around the book without giving away too many details. Our hope is that by generating interest in the history of the
CGC, readers will be more likely to come out to the book release and purchase a book. We collected this information
from the CGCs website and edited it down to a 137-word long history of the center.

Interviews
To begin creating these deliverables, we decided that conducting interviews with Jared Queen, Vicki Ciotti, and Sue
Sturgeon would be the best first step. This was a great way for us to learn more about the organization and who runs it.

28
Interviewing them would allow us to create better biographies for them since we would be able to get to know them
face-to-face instead of just through email. These interviews would also give us an opportunity to find any quotes that
would fit into the press releases.

Biographies
In order to create the biographies for Jared Queen, Vicki Ciotti, and Sue Sturgeon, we interviewed them about their roles
in the company, and why they decided to start a career with the CGC. We were able to pull some information for their
biographies off of the preexisting versions on the website. These biographies gave a good description of what their jobs
at the CGC consisted of but gave little information about their own lives and interests.

Although each staff member plays a key role in the daily functioning of the CGC, we felt that these three people were
the key figures in the book release. We chose Vicki Ciotti because she is responsible for the day-to-day activities, Sue
Sturgeon because she is the face and president of the CGC, and Jared Queen because he is responsible for the creation
of the 75th anniversary book and event.

Boilerplate
We created a boilerplate for the CGC to be used at the bottom of the press releases so any readers or companies would
be able to get a quick overview of the CGC and what they do. This is something that previous press releases were
missing. This is going to help any media sources better understand what the CGC stands for and help them present it in a
quick, appropriate manner.

To create the boilerplate, we used information off of the CGCs website that would briefly and accurately describe what
the CGC does. In the future, this boilerplate could also be put into other documents where a short description of the
CGC could be useful.

Press Releases
The main purposes of the press releases are to get information about the book and event out to the public. Not only will
they advertise these things but they will also be a way to familiarize the public, who knows little or nothing about the
CGC, with the CGC. These will also be good ways to inform people who work in media about the even or give them
something to submit directly to the public.

In order to create these, since some of us never had before, we researched what is necessary for a press release and how
they are best structured. We also looked at past press releases from the CGC to get a better idea of how the CGC
normally presents these releases to the public.

Advertising Opportunities
75th Anniversary Logo
When the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati celebrates its 75th anniversary in
2017, it will celebrate more than seven decades of community and service. We
produced a logo (on the right) for the anniversary that unifies the messages and
themes that CGC wants to promote across the anniversary projects like the coffee
table book and the monthly story-boards. Those themes and images are manifest in
the logos colors and incorporation of images like the iconic CGC two-piece green
leaf. The choice of words for the anniversary slogan intentionally evokes the tradition
of achievement that the CGC is proclaiming: celebrating victory, then & now.

Again, the logo provides an image that unifies the anniversary project across the
projects products. The logo also provides the CGC with a clean image to use for
promotional products like t-shirts, coffee cups, hats, and key chains. We produced this
graphic using Adobe Illustrator and we have included both vector, PDF and PNG
copies of the image in the flashdrive. We have shared a variety of file versions so that
CGC can use the logo for a variety of projects, and so that the CGC can provide
vendors with the file version they need to produce these promotional materials.

29
Pricing Portfolio
Advertising. Celebrating an anniversary and promoting the milestone with a book and book launch requires hours of
planning and preparation. The anniversary is an important opportunity for the CGC to reflect on its journey and to
contemplate its future. It is also an opportunity for the CGC to remind the Cincinnati community that CGC has played a
pivotal role in community life for nearly eight decades. Whether the book can revitalize the involvement of long-gone
members or bring new generations into the fold, the anniversary presents a chance for the CGC to share its celebration
with the city. To do so effectively, the CGC will undoubtedly want to consider advertising opportunities that will raise
awareness of the event and the upcoming book. Additionally, the CGC will want to consider other opportunities for
raising the visibility of the event, such as promoting the celebration through the production and sale of branded items. In
selecting advertising options, the CGC will want to consider a multitude of factors ranging from the overall cost of
investment, the types of audiences the CGC aims to reach, and whether or not the advertising outlet can provide
advertising through the types of venues that will reach those audiences. Once the CGC determines how much of its
funds it is willing to expend towards this part of the anniversary project, it must choose which outlets with which to
establish business relationships and then begin the process of arranging the advertising campaign. What with all of this to
research and consider, the Promotion Team determined to remove the burden of legwork in researching advertising
opportunities and put the pertinent information together for the CGC.

The pricing portfolio. Included in the flash drive is a PDF of the pricing portfolio we produced for the CGC. The
portfolio is a compilation of the relevant information that CGC needs to make decisions about how to promote the
upcoming anniversary. It includes information on each of the vendors we researched for your convenience, pricing
schedules, contact information from the professionals we spoke to about the event, and statistics on the ability of each
company to reach different sectors of the Cincinnati community. Also included in the portfolio are details on
manufacturers of promotional material like t-shirts and coffee cups and information on how to use different internet
resources to track a large event and to promote the event through social media.

The vendors. For every vendor we researched, we found details on a second comparable source. For example, the
CGC expressed interest in advertising with the Cincinnati Enquirer, so of course we provided details on pursuing a
print advertising campaign with that publication. We also researched advertising opportunities with REACH Magazine
as an alternative print media form. Likewise, in addition to researching underwriting opportunities with Cincinnati
Public Radio (per the CGC's request), we also researched advertising opportunities with Warm 98 (98.5 FM). We
included information on HEY Graphics and DIY Printing (two local area manufacturers of branded material), and we
included information on Di$count Mugs and Vista Print, two online wholesale manufacturers of branded material. If
you are interested in using a more robust platform to track attendance for the book launch, you might consider exploring
the research we compiled on Eventbrite or Ticket Tailor (an Eventbrite alternative). Finally, we researched social media
boosting methods that may help the CGC promote the upcoming anniversary vigorously through social media channels it
already uses: Facebook and Twitter.

Return on Investment Survey

Confirming whether or not your advertising investments were worth the cost can be difficult to investigate. One of the
most direct ways to gain insight on the matter is to ask your book launch attendees how they found out about the
anniversary and the book. We have produced a brief survey that you can distribute at the launch. There are four
questions:

1. How did you hear about this event?

2. What made you want to attend this event?
3. Will you purchase the book at this event? Have you purchased the book elsewhere? Where?
4. Would you recommend this type of event or the book to a friend?

The survey is available on an 8.5x5.5 PDF and PNG that is included on the flash drive. We created the survey with
short and wide sizing so that respondees could fold the survey in half and place it in a responses box at the event. To
entice attendees to fill out the survey, we recommend that the table with the survey also has opportunities for
attendees to submit their names for a free book or anniversary branded t-shirt. The CGC could organize a prize
drawing, but it could also organize small competitions. For instance, the CGC could place a large number of plant
seeds or flower petals in a jar and have book launch attendees guess the number. The person with the closest guess
wins a free book or t-shirt.

30
Promotional Schedule
In order to promote the 75th anniversary, we compiled a plan to help the book event reach the highest number of people
at the most reasonable price. The pricing portfolio details the costs of advertisements for the event where as the
promotional plan will show which media to use for promotion, how often to use the media, and even sample content for
the media. We feel that the promotional plan will be very beneficial to promoting the 75th anniversary book event.

Promotional Platforms
We wanted to balance the use of paid advertisements with the use of free advertisements to try to attract the greatest
amount of people to the event possible. In order to correctly choose the media for the event, we analyzed the CGCs
current media usage and the media usage of the intended audience. When speaking with Jared, he told us that many of
the people who work and visit the CGC enjoy reading the newspaper and listening to the radio. The Civic Garden
Center does have a Facebook and Twitter account, which we felt could easily add promotional value. The reasons for
using advertisement with the Enquirer, REACH magazine, WARM 98, and National Public radio are highlighted in the
pricing portfolio.

Social Media. Using Facebook and Twitter would have many benefits for promoting the event as well as promoting
the CGC as a whole. Followers of social media accounts can stay up to date with what is happening right on their
mobile device. Followers can also feel engaged with Facebook accounts by commenting on posts, liking posts, or
sharing posts. On Twitter, followers can retweet, respond to, or favorite tweets from an organizations account. By
sharing on Facebook or retweeting on Twitter, more people are able to see content and, will hopefully want to learn
more. This could be a very effective way to promote the 75th anniversary book event.

The social media content that best promotes an event is both engaging and informative. While every social media
account will be promoting the same thing, how they promote the event should vary. Twitter limits content to 140
characters, so its content should be short and to the point, often directing users to more information through a link.
Facebook allows for unlimited characters, which means more information can be said in a single post. Creating similar
content for different platforms can be difficult. For your convenience, we have created sample Facebook and Twitter
posts that demonstrate how to promote similar content for the different medians, which are located on the
accompanying flashdrive. The samples are all different and represent the content we feel will be most effective for the
weeks leading up to the event. We used sample pictures to show the effect that adding visuals can have for a post.
Whenever it is possible, we advise using a picture with a tweet or Facebook post.

To add another element of engagement, we believe the Civic Garden Center would benefit from creating a Facebook
event page as well as from implementing live tweeting at the event. A Facebook event page would allow the CGC to
invite possible guests and have a better understanding of the number of attendees at the event. The event page would
also allow invitees to invite people they think would be interested in attending, expanding the guest list. Live tweeting
on Twitter would allow the attendees to post about the event and spread the word about the CGC. Having a hashtag
would allow the CGC to track who is live tweeting and can be used in promoting the event ahead of time. Hashtags are
typically unique, relatively short, and easy to understand. A hashtag we feel would accomplish all of the hashtag criteria
is #CGCVictory75. The hashtag incorporates the Civic Garden Centers initials, the event tagline, and the 75th
anniversary.

Promotional Schedule
In order to help the CGC understand when to post across all media platforms we have created a promotional schedule.
This schedule is on the accompanying flashdrive as an Excel spreadsheet with all media platforms listed on it. In
addition to the media platforms we have previously listed, the CGCs newsletter, website content, and press releases are
listed on the schedule. The schedule is broken down on a week-to-week basis listing what content we believe should be
emphasized that week. For example, one week concentrates on announcing the event while another week concentrates
on people signing up for the event. Also, on the drive is a document that explains the schedule in more detail to ensure
there is no confusion on what anything means.

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 Conclusion
We want to reiterate that it has been a privilege meeting the Civic Garden Center community and we hope that the
materials we have produced will be helpful as you prepare to celebrate your 75th anniversary in 2017. Thank you
so much for giving us the chance to work on this project. If you would benefit from additional assistance, then we
encourage you to consider hiring a student intern from the Professional Writing program at the University of
Cincinnati who can help you see the plans we have made through to fruition. For more information on internship
opportunities, please contact Dr. Lora Arduser with the Professional Writing program at lora.arduser@uc.edu.

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