RMIT INTERNATION UNIVERSITY

Topic: ABC Vina – Mobility turns on tomorrow

Student’s Name: Dang Nguyen Mai Trang

Student’s ID: s3183320

Lecturers: Melanie Brown & Doan Mai Anh

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ABC Vina is planning to establish the “ABC online library helps blind people and visually
impaired students” project in Ho Chi Minh City in 2010. To get attention among the target
publics and gain awareness of people about CSR program in Vietnam, the PR strategy is
developed to communicate the benefit of project is assisting blind student to research
information form different source easily. Moreover, the company will gain the positive
reputation in the market. Therefore, via this project, we aim to achieve the majority of the target
publics’ awareness. Next, the company wants to persuade youth participating in feedback
activities. We would like to call for supporting documents of youth people. In order to achieve
the project’s objective, we will approach local students and People’s Committee and government
department such as Ministry of Culture. To the young people, we will ensure this project as long
term bond and our company commits to give project full support in high technologies such as
monitors and laptops are used for recording on CD ROM during the campaign has been
launched. To get approval of the authorities, the company will ensure limit issues possibly by
making self-censorship conditions before upload the records on the Internet. The project will
create opportunities for two-way, controlled, print and interpersonal communication tools such
as direct mail, invitations and conference to inform target publics about the appearance of online
library in Ho Chi Minh City. We will also send newsletter to notify the final result to target
publics. During the campaign, we maintain the hotline number to answer the concerns. In order
to evaluate the effectiveness of project, we count the number of people who attend to conference
and number of people who call to hotline and support for project.
BACKGROUND

Together with Force Foundation which is a famous non-profit organization in Netherlands, ABC
Vina is planning to sponsor the “ABC Online library helps blind and visually impaired people”
project in Ho Chi Minh City in 2010. This project is in line with the launch of theme Turn on
tomorrow of ABC. According to Vietnam Plus (2009), the “online library helps blind students”
project will make visually impaired students access local and foreign books easily. Besides, the
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program has just become a core part of any business
strategy in Vietnam. Therefore, a PR plan is required to send the positive message to young
people in order to build and portray ABC as the socially responsible brand image in Vietnam.
Moreover, ABC Vina considers gaining awareness of people about CSR program in Vietnam.

SITUATION ANALYSIS

1. Key findings

Blindness and sight impairments are common disability in Vietnam. Vietnam Plus (2009)
claimed that the Speaking Book Library has nearly 200 textbooks including primary school,
junior high school and high school. The title books on science, medicine, tourism and other
subjects to prepare for university and college entrance exams of blind students. Accordingly,
ABC Vina has decided to cooperate with Force Foundation to establish online library. The
online library has been uploaded literature works on website. Hence, library satisfies the desire
of blind students gaining knowledge from different sources easily. Besides, education is a big
concern in Vietnam. The government has invested higher in education (Nuffic Neso Vietnam
2010). Also, semi-private high school and universities are become as part of efforts to increase
investment in education (Nhut Quang 2005).

However, there is an issue which CSR program has not been popular in Vietnam. Based on
Quoc Anh (2009), the economy of Vietnam is developing; thus, people always give priority to
getting profit. Hence, the CSR program is not a concern of public. It causes problem to many
firms which have CSR strategy because they could not get attention of community, but still
waste money and effort.
In the previous cases have shown in last year, ABC Vina organized a university tour to visit
various big universities in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City. The campaign aimed to build a
relationship and create inspiring talks with the students. However, these outcomes of campaign
were limited in term of publicity, awareness, and long-term bond due to the program did not pay
attention on communication side. As a result, the “Online library helps blind and visually
impaired students” project could be not getting attention of community and lack of
communication strategy.

2. Problem/Opportunity statement

Problem: CSR program is not a big concern of community. As a result, ABC Vina faces
unconcern to online library project of young people.

Opportunity: ABC Vina has the opportunity to overcome challenges to gain awareness of
community about CSR program in Vietnam. Moreover, ABC develops the online library project
to help visually impaired students in big cities. As a consequence, the project brings benefit for
blind people in studying.

The successful of the online library project depends on the target public’s supporting about the
impact of CSR on the community.

3. Critical success factors

 In order to gain the awareness of local people about the “ABC Online library helps blind
and visually impaired students” project, ABC Vina must inform that the campaign will
help blind people in studying and contribute to long-term development of the country.

 In order to gain support from the community, ABC Vina must better communicate the
important role of corporate social responsibility to develop country.

OBJECTIVES

After research, ABC Vina established objectives for communication strategy to send the message
of “ABC Online Library helps blind and visually impaired students” project to target publics.
  To gain 80 per cent of local young people and People’s Committee aware of the “ABC
Online library” project to help blind students will be better in studying and contribute
development of the country during the campaign.

As mentioned above, it is a fundamental importance to raise awareness among target public

about sponsorship from ABC Vina to the online library project. This objective also helps ABC
considers gaining awareness of people about CSR program in Vietnam.

 To have 75 per cent of local youth participating in feedback activities by one month after
the project complete.

ABC needs to make the community know and understand about theme of the online library
project. Therefore, the company can build its reputation to increase target public trust in ABC
brand image.

TARGET PUBLICS

There are two main target publics

1. Direct public groups

The direct public group mainly focuses on local young people and People’s Committee, Ministry
of Culture in Ho Chi Minh City. Moreover, the company also targets to media as a secondary
public to draw attention of community.

 Local students in high schools and universities in Ho Chi Minh City.

This is the main dynamic and highly involved group in the project.

People in this group mostly appreciate supporting high technologies of the company for the
“online library” during the whole campaign.

Local students also consider about title of books will be uploaded on online library.

Local students are volunteers to support material documents to online library.

People are concerned about the advantages of online library bring to visually impaired students.
They are also concerned the maintenance of online library after this project ends.

 Local People’s Committee and Ministry of Culture in Ho Chi Minh City

The Ministry of Culture is also the main stakeholder in approving the “ABC online library”
campaign since they have cared about how to allocate and censor the content of online library.

The local People’s Committee considers about how CSR program will help local people.

2. Indirect Publics

 Media

To draw attention of community

KEY MESSAGES

1. Local students in high schools and universities in Ho Chi Minh City

During the whole campaign, ABC Vina commits to giving project full provide in high
technologies such as monitors and laptops are used for recording on CD ROM.

The “ABC online library” project will also assist blind and visually impaired students to research
information from different sources easily. Also, ABC calls for volunteers from young people.

ABC Vina aims to support the “ABC online library” project as a long term bond.

2. Local People’s Committee and Ministry of Culture in Ho Chi Minh City

ABC Vina ensures to limit issues possibly by making self-censorship conditions before upload
the records on the Internet.

ABC Vina promises will be more focus on education programs helping the youth.

STRATEGY STATEMENT

In general, this strategy will create opportunities for two-way, controlled, print and interpersonal
communication tools to inform the local students in high schools and universities in Ho Chi
Minh City and related government departments about the purpose of “ABC online library”
project to help blind students researching information from different sources easier. Also, the
strategy will gain awareness of community about the socially responsibility and call for
supporting from youth during the whole campaign.

TACTICS

The tactics for this PR plan will use print communication channels because they can help our
company determine and control the various content of message by distributing message to the
target public Smith (2005). Hence, we have decided to choose activities for our tactic such as
direct mail, newsletter, invitations and brochures. Moreover, we apply interpersonal
communication tools such as conference and hotline number for answering concerns (Tench &
Yeomans 2006).

1. Direct mails (include email as well)

Both direct mails and emails will be sent to the universities in Ho Chi Minh, the local People’s
Committee, and Ministry of Culture.

The purpose of these mails is to inform the benefits of the “ABC online library” project to
government and universities students when people maintain for this campaign.

The expected outcome from this tactic is to call for supporting from local young people. Next,
we aim to gain approval from the local People’s Committee, and Ministry of Culture.

2. Invitations and conference (brochures will be used within the conference)

Invitations will be used to announce the local People’s Committee, volunteers from universities
and journalists in Ho Chi Minh City about the information of conference such as the purpose,
venues and schedule. There are some visitors who can not participate in the entire conference;
thus, the brochures are employed to ensure all the target audience will have enough information
about the project. Beside, we will deliver 500 brochures to students in some universities in Ho
Chi Minh City.

The conference will be launched on 1st August 2010 with the attendance of the ABC Vina
representatives. The guests of the conference are people from local People’s Committee,
Ministry of Culture, journalists of Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre newspapers, and volunteers from some
universities.

The conference will provide the objective; also more implementation details of project to the
target publics. Also, we will provide hotline number in case people concern for supporting.

The outcome is supposed from the conference is to gain awareness of the public and inform
people of the project is in process.

Newsletters and Hotline Number

The hotline switchboard is established during the whole campaign in order to reply the concerns
of local people.

The newsletters will be sent to authorities and journalists after the campaign finishes informing
the final result.

The outcome is expected from this communication tool is to detailed report to the target public
and increase the reputation of organization.

CRITICAL PATH PLAN (Calendar)

The online library campaign will be launched during one month.

Action Due Date Responsibility

DIRECT MAIL

Writing the mail 23 July PR Department

Send mail to the post 26 July Marketing Department

Email the mail to journalist and 26 July PR Department

authorities

INVITATION AND CONFERENCE

Writing invitation 23 July PR Department

Send the invitation 28 July Marketing Department

Design and print the brochure 30 July Media Company

Preparation for conference 31 July PR and Marketing Department

Conference 1 August PR Department

NEWSLETTER AND HOTLINE NUMBER

Writing the newsletters 31 August PR Department

Send the newsletters to authorities 1 September PR Department

and journalists

Establish hotline number 2 August IT Department

(*) Note that the Newsletters will be sent after the campaign finishes one day. Besides, the
hotline number will be established after the conference happens until the end of project.

BUDGET

The budget for the PR strategy is estimated below

Item Fixed Cost (VND)

Direct mail and email (writing & distribution) 3,000,000

Conference (200 people) + Venus hiring +

100,500,000
photographer

Design and print brochure (15,000/brochure*700)

10,500,000
(high quality paper)

Invitation (writing and distribution) 400,000

Sponsor monitors and laptops to project 100,000,000

Maintaining hotline switchboard/month 10,000,000

Other out of expense 3,000,000

Total Cost 227,400,000

EAVALUATE
To ensure that the whole campaign is successful, evaluation will be conducted during the
campaign.

1. Invitation and conference

This is a medium to evaluate the first objective of PR strategy, which is to get awareness of the
majority of local people and authorities. As a result, we send out the invitations. After that, we
measure the number of people who attend to our conference. Hence, we can conclude that how
many per cent of local people has been aware our project.

2. Hotline Switchboard

The hotline switchboard is used for to measure how many calls we have had after the conference,
and what comment people are making. Also, we will evaluate based on supporting material
documents of youth for online library. This can indicate the number of people interest of the
message.
APPENDIX

SWOT ANALYSIS (Harrison 2006)

Strengths: Weaknesses

Corporate with Force Foundation, an reliable Lack of communication in the previous

international foundation strategies. Hence, the outcome of previous
ABC’s campaigns has been limited in
ABC Vina has been the market leader in IT
publicity, awareness and long term bond.
products by providing top quality products and
services.

The company build and portray organization as

a socially responsibility brand image among
key stakeholders

Opportunities Threats

ABC Vina has the opportunity to overcome The CSR program has just become a core part
challenges to gain awareness of community of any business strategy in Vietnam. Hence,
about CSR program in Vietnam. the CSR program is not a concern of public. It
causes problem to many firms which have CSR
ABC develops the online library project to help
strategy because they could not get attention of
visually impaired students research information
community, but still waste money and effort.
from different sources easily.

Education is a big concern in Vietnam.

Government has invested higher in education.

 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS

Worst Case Drivers Current State Barriers Best Case

The local students Persuade young people Show the Ignore the case that The local students
ignore the project this project will help blind socially people will unconcern understand their
people and develop responsibility about our project responsibility and
education of country. and investment support us.
Show them the socially for education
responsibility. in Vietnam

Promise support for

project as long term bond.

The government Limit issues possibly by Planning to Lack of communicate The government
refuse to approve making self-censorship establish the with authorities and support our plan
the plan conditions before upload online library local People’s
the records on the in Ho Chi Committee.
Internet. Minh City

Promises will be more

focus on education
programs helping the
youth.