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Public Relations

Campaign Proposal

Account Executive

Linda Austin, Reynolds Center for Business Journalism

Specialists

Erika Baggs

Katie Johnsen

Amanda Markell

Brian Olson

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Xu Wu

May 6, 2011

Cado Communications

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications Arizona State University Email: [email protected]

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………..3

Situation Analysis…………………………………………………………………………..5

Research Part 1 Primary…………………………………………………………………..7

Research Part 2 SWOT……………………………………………………………………9

Target Audience……………………………………………………………………………12

Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………..13

Challenges & Opportunities………………………………………………………………13

Channels……………………………………………………………………………………14

Strategy &Tactics………………………………………………………………………….17

Visual Tactics………………………………………………………………………………20

Calendar……………………………………………………………………………………23

Budget………………………………………………………………………………………26

Evaluation…………………………………………………………………………………..27

References…………………………………………………………………………………29

Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………30

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Executive Summary

Donald W. Reynolds Center for Business Journalism

Cado Communications

Integrated Public Relations and Marketing Plan

An increasing amount of journalists are covering more beats and publishing their work online more than ever before. In a 2010 survey of 473 professional journalists in the country, 60-percent of journalists are doing more or about the same level of investigative journalism, 90-percent are learning new skills, 75-percent report that their workload has increased in the field and about 50-percent are publishing their work online before sending it out to print or broadcast. As journalists spread their workload to various beats, skills in reporting business related issues becomes more important every year. The Donald W. Reynolds Center for Business Journalism (Reynolds Center) provides journalists with free workshops and Webinars to build the skills necessary to effectively report business related topics.

According to the 2010 survey, 80-percent of the respondents have heard little or nothing about the Reynolds Center. To effectively accomplish the mission of the Reynolds Center, to improve the quality of business journalism in the United States, we need to increase awareness and attendance to the free workshops and webinars provided by the Reynolds Center. To do this, we need to revamp the instructional aspects on the Web site to help potential attendees, increase the personal value of the free training by providing interested professionals with new incentives and testimonials about the quality of the training. We will also reach out to new markets of journalists, including students looking to be a part of the professional journalism industry.

The target audience of our campaign is broken down into the following groups:

Primary

Journalists who know about the Reynolds Center:

Journalists who have attended or signed up for a workshop or Webinar

Secondary

Journalists who are unaware of the Reynolds Center:

Journalists who have never signed up for a workshop or Webinar

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According to our attendance records, only 69 percent of journalists who sign up for Reynolds Center workshops actually attend the event, and only 57 percent of journalists who sign up for webinars actually log in to view the session. These journalists are a part of our primary target audience because since they already know about the Reynolds Center, we hope to change their behavior by increasing their activity in the workshops and webinars they sign up for, which will dramatically increase the overall attendance. We hope to do this by reminding them of the value that the training can bring to their career through our online testimonials page. We also hope to dispel any current issues with accessing the webinars by introducing an instructional video, which will train users how to use the software and log in to the webinars.

Our secondary audience, journalists who are unaware of the Reynolds center, will be reached through increased collaboration with organizations like Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) as well as students who are focusing their path in business journalism at Arizona State University (ASU) to start. With these increased relationships we intend to increase the amount of people spreading the word about the Reynolds Center and its free programs.

In order to effectively target our primary and secondary audiences and increase the attendance at both the workshops and webinars, we intend to utilize a few tactics, which include:

Creating testimonial video to be posted online along with specific pull quotes to reinforce incentives and value of free training

Build an FAQ page and instructional video to respond to any technological issues that arise with using the Webinar software

Introduce promotional merchandise as incentives at various workshops and award members for increased activity with the Reynolds Center

Increase partnerships with organizations like SPJ and ASU to build new base of likely users

Launch our campaign tactics at an open community event with Pulitzer Prize winning guest speakers and a reception showcasing the revamped interactivity

By combining the new informational tools on the Web with the developing partnerships with the Cronkite School and other organizations, we will be able to build a more active base of participants to increase the attendance of our workshops and webinars. We will also be able to utilize evaluation tools we already use to determine whether or not we effectively increase the attendance. By comparing previous years attendance amounts with the attendance amounts after we utilize this campaign, we can gauge whether or not there was a behavioral change in the targeted individuals. Also, we can gather impressions from the Web to see how many people are viewing, linking and forwarding the testimonials video as well as the informational video about how to use the webinar log in site.

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Cost and Time

The overall cost of our campaign will be approximately $50,000 (until budget is complete). This cost includes the purchase of promotional items, Web site development, media creation and implementation, and the overall cost of the re-launch event.

This marketing and communications campaign will take place over one year; beginning in September of 2011 and completing evaluations and media impressions analysis by September 2012. By the end of this campaign, we expect the audience to be more aware and engaged in the free training that the Reynolds Center has to offer.

Situation Analysis

Donald W. Reynolds Center for Business Journalism (Reynolds Center)

The Reynolds Center was founded in 2006 as a resource for business journalists in America to network, receive story ideas and increase their knowledge and skill set in reporting business related topics through free regional seminars (workshops) and online webinars. The Reynolds Center’s mission is to improve the quality of business journalism in the United States.

Why aren’t more people taking advantage of the Reynolds Center’s free programs?

According to attendance records from the Reynolds Center, only 69 percent of the journalists who sign up for the free workshops actually attend them and only 57 percent of journalists who sign up for the free webinars actually log in to view the session. By providing free training workshops and webinars, journalists are putting off taking advantage of the numerous opportunities to improve the quality of their reporting work because they do not realize how valuable the free training can be to their careers. Furthermore, awareness of how to use the software and technology to access the webinars is preventing users from interacting in the live webinar sessions. According to our research, 17 percent of our respondents revealed that they had difficulty accessing the webinars due to unawareness of the technology and software, or they were not fully informed about how to log in and be a part of the webinar session.

Why do we want to revamp the Reynolds Center Web site?

The current Web site provides the basic fundamentals that are essential to providing the service of training and education in business journalism, but many aspects are preventing some users from fully exploring the opportunities the Reynolds Center has to provide. To start, an informational video about how to access the webinar, receive your log in information and access the archives and find previous webinars is not readily available. This information would be essential to prevent any user from missing out on a webinar due to technological issues. Also, to make individuals aware of the

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opportunities and value that the free training brings to someone’s career, testimonials from inspiring users are sparse and not readily accessible in one place. To increase the value of a free product, the Reynolds Center should have actual journalists who have benefited from the program sell their product.

After restructuring how users gain information about the Reynolds Center, outreach to multiple organizations should be the second area of focus for the Reynolds Center. According to a 2010 survey commissioned by the Reynolds Center, 80 percent of 473 professional journalists in the country have heard little or nothing about the Reynolds Center. We have an opportunity to reach a wide audience of individuals who would benefit greatly from the free product that the Reynolds Center is providing and doing so would generate an increase in activity for the Reynolds Center.

These new changes will be unveiled and promoted at the Reynolds Center Re-launch hosted at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Members of the press, professional business journalists, and award winning professionals will take part in the event and be able to network, learn more about the Reynolds Center and hear a presentation from two acclaimed investigate journalists: Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele. This event will unveil our changes and create a venue for the Reynolds Center to reach out to new and dedicated customers.

Target Audience

Since we already have a way to connect with users who already know about the Reynolds Center (journalists who already take part in webinars and workshops), they are the primary audience that will engage in the first stages of our campaign. Media impressions of the testimonials page and the instructional video will provide us with insight as to whether or not our campaign to inform and excite the public is effective. From there, we can make alterations and target the secondary audience, which are those journalists who are unaware of the free programs that the Reynolds Center has to offer. These individuals will be targeted through the Reynolds Center Re-launch, reaching out to professional organizations like the Society of Professional Journalists, and through a widespread ad campaign that will focus on specialized journalism publications. These efforts will hopefully increase the chances of journalists taking part in webinars and workshops as well as understanding how valuable they can be to their career.

Challenges

Since the Reynolds Center offers their programs free of charge and can be accessed at any time after the actual event, users are procrastinating when they will actually access the webinars or put in the effort to attend regional workshops. The Reynolds Center gets a substantial amount of people to sign up for these events, but the attendance numbers are not showing a behavioral change in follow through by the participants.

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The major challenge is to convince people that the value of the Reynolds Center training is exponentially beneficial compared to other courses that could cost money or more time commitment from other organizations. By convincing its audience of this value, the Reynolds Center will see more retention in the amount of people that sign up for training and actually attend the events.

Conclusion

Since the Reynolds Center offers their programs free of charge and can be accessed at any time after the actual event, users are procrastinating when they will actually access the webinars or put in the effort to attend regional workshops. The Reynolds Center gets a substantial amount of people to sign up for these events, but the attendance numbers are not showing a behavioral change in follow through by the participants.

The major challenge is to convince people that the value of the Reynolds Center training is exponentially beneficial compared to other courses that could cost money or more time commitment from other organizations. By convincing its audience of this value, the Reynolds Center will see more retention in the amount of people that sign up for training and actually attend the events.

Research Part 1

Most Need Incentives to Attend Live Webinars and Workshops

Reynolds Center Seminars Attract Registration, Low Retention

The Reynolds Center has no problem establishing the quality of their product. However, in a society where working professionals are generally booked solid, the issue exists that people may not have a strong enough motive to set aside time to participate in a webinar or seminar offered.

Right now, nearly half (46 percent) of respondents who attend seminars have previously done so before. The lowest subgenres of participants include those in wire service and those over the age of 55. Another positive factor is that those who have attended a seminar, even if it was their first time doing so, rating their satisfaction as either high (47 percent) or very high (46 percent).

Only four in ten respondents had some level of previous knowledge about the center. Of the other six respondents who did not have prior knowledge of the center the main age demographic was over 55. One possible reason for this may be that the older generation isn’t familiar with concepts such as webinars. The older demographic is a

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targeted audience and is one that actually one that could benefit greatly from seminars, as they may not be up to date with current business journalist strategies or techniques.

Rate of attendance in comparison to registration

In a survey performed in May 2010, which used 473 in-depth interviews with business journalists throughout the United States, the Reynolds Center noticed a trend of people registering for both webinars and in person seminars, but still not attending. In 2010, in person workshops had an average of 68 percent attend out of those who registered. Webinar attendance was even lower, averaging 51 percent of registrants.

When asked the reason behind their absence, 44 percent listed work conflicts. This group suggested that webinars be available in the late afternoon or evening, as not to interfere with office hours.

The second largest reason for missing a webinar was a lack of knowledge about the software used to access the webinars. According to our research, 17 percent of the respondents did not understanding the technology prior to attempting to access the webinar. The technology issues included not knowing how to log in or what their log in information was, how to use the software and general knowledge about how to access the webinar. Users were also unaware of the time it took to download the software required to access the webinar, which prevented them from logging into the webinar on time. Finally, one respondent reported not having enough information regarding the entire process.

According to a Reynolds Center survey, over one-fourth (27%) of respondents who are aware of the Center visit the Center’s website at least once per month, while five percent check the website once a week.

Perhaps one reason that the retention rates for the webinars and workshops remain low is because they are available for viewing online and there is no sense of urgency to attend them at the scheduled time. Most respondents (65%) are aware the webinars and workshops are available for viewing on the Reynolds Center’s Web site at BusinessJournalism.org. Yet, one third (35%) who missed the webinar or workshop they signed up for watched it immediately online. From the survey responses it is clear the respondents do not believe there is an incentive to view the webinars and workshops live because the online versions are available to view at BusinessJournalism.org.

Response to how often people visit BusinessJournalism.org

Daily Once a week

Once a month

Seldom/Never

Not Sure0

20406080

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About the Survey

The analysis in this report is based on telephone interviews conducted March 8-9, 2011 among a national sample of 20 adults who registered for a Reynolds Center webinar or workshop but did not attend. Interviewers from Cado Communications under the direction of the Donald W. Reynolds Center conducted the survey for Business Journalism. A combination of landline and cell phone digit dial samples were used; all samples were provided by the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Business Journalism. Interviews were conducted in English.

All other information was commissioned by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and conducted by Behavior Research Center (BRC). The purpose of the study was to explore issues faced by business journalists today.

The information contained in this report is based on 473 in-depth interviews with business journalists throughout the United States. Interviewing was conducted between April 19 and May 6, 2010, by professional interviewers at BRC’s Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) facility in Phoenix. Interviewing was conducted under the direct supervision of BRC supervisory personnel, who randomly monitor interviews as they are conducted and validate completed interviews. Prior to beginning the interviews, all interviewers were trained in all aspects of this job, including protocols for open-ended questions and sampling techniques.

Research Part 2 Background

Mission

To improve the quality of business journalism in the United States

Location

Las, Vegas Nevada (2006)

Phoenix, Arizona (Present)

Services Provided

The Reynolds Center provides free training and offers networking opportunities to business journalists and other journalism professionals. With free seminars and webinars, the center is able to be an easily accessible, informational, and useful resource for professionals in the journalism industry or any person interested in gaining more information about reporting business information.

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Other Services

Awards fellowships in a four-day training program, Strictly Financials, which covers stock markets, financial statements, options and SEC documents, and provides training on how to teach hands-on university courses in business journalism.

Annually hosts the Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Business Journalism, which awards a gold prize ($5,000) and silver prize ($2,000) in honor of legendary investigative reporting duo Don Barlett and Jim Steele.

Offers a specialization in business journalism for undergraduate and graduate students of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, as well as internships, scholarships and assistantships.

Conducts research on issues in business journalism and reporting.

Management Team Andrew Leckey- President

Leckey was named president of the Reynolds Center and became the Reynolds Endowed Chair in Business Journalism in 2009 and was the first director since the center’s launch in 2003. He is a longtime columnist for the Chicago Tribune, former CNBC anchor and author and editor of 10 financial books, including The Morningstar Approach to Investing.

Linda Austin- Executive Director

Austin became the executive director in 2009. She spent

the last 10 years working as a top newsroom editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer, The News-Sentinel, the Lexington Herald-Leader and the News & Record. She graduated from

the University of North Carolina School of Journalism with highest honors.

Robin J. Phillips- Web Managing Editor

Phillips became the web managing editor in 2009. She has

worked as the online community manager for azcentral.com. She was an adjunct professor of new media at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York. She presents at various journalism organizations on the use of social media as a

reporting tool. She graduated from the University of Hawaii with a degree in journalism and political science.

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Strengths

Perhaps the most important strength of the Donald W. Reynolds Center is that all classes and webinars offered are free of charge. This allows anyone access to an educational product that will help someone better themselves. Business professionals can get ahead in a subculture of journalism that’s still fairly affluent and applies to numerous topics. Reynolds also receives more than a fair amount of funding. This year, the center was awarded a five-year, $1.67 million grant to Arizona State University to establish a visiting business journalism professors program (ASU News, 2011). The

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STRENGTHS:

- Free of charge

- Ample funding

- Established reputation

WEAKNESSES:

-Awareness

-Visibility

-No available testimonials

-Confusion with SABEW

-Old image of biz journalismOPPORTUNITIES:

-Website testimonials

-Google results

-Available client feedback

THREATS:

-Talkingbiznews.com

-Sabew.org

-Poynter

-WebbmediaSTAKEHOLDERS:

-Contributors

-Attendees

-Cronkite School

-Site visitors

CHANNELS:

-Social media

-Sponsorships

-Bi-weekly Newsletters

-Online Advertising

-Website

-Print advertising

McCormick foundation also awarded $50,000 to the center last year (Taylor, 2010). Established journalists around the country have provided massive positive feedback about the programs. John Duchneskie, graphics editor for The Philadelphia Inquirer, even labeled it the best training experience he has had in his career.

Weakness

A major downfall lies in the fact that people aren’t always aware of how exactly the Reynolds Center can benefit them. Self-motivation and the desire to better your business journalism knowledge are needed before one signs up. In fact, an average of 61 percent of Reynolds course attendees were doing so for the first time ever (Behavior Research Center, 15). Those who don’t have professions within business journalism do not see the benefit for them. However, knowledge of how the market works and a general business sense can provide an essential backbone for any career.

From the report, Table 13:

“Do you know a lot, some, only a little or nothing about the Donald W. Reynolds Center for business Journalism? If this is the first time you have heard of it, please say so.”

Target Audience

The Reynolds Center caters specifically to business journalists, but in the evolving climate of news reporting and journalism, many sectors of the news media are able to take advantage of the free seminars and webinars the center offers. Many beat journalists or public relations specialists don’t have a thorough understanding of finance statements or other business documents that could provide vital information to their readers or clients. The Reynolds Center is able to provide these professional practitioners with the tools to thoroughly investigate the business aspects of their subjects.

Stakeholders

The stakeholders in the Donald W. Reynolds Business Center are contributors, news consumers and attendees of the conferences. Attendees include those from all over the

Knowledge of Reynolds Center

A lotSomeOnly a littleNothing

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nation, all business journalists and the general public.

Objectives Achieve an average of 30 attendees at regional workshops and an average

overall of 4 or higher on a 1-5 scale.

Achieve an average of 50 attendees at Webinars and an average overall rating of 9 or above on a 6-10 scale.

Achieve a 10 percent year-over-year increase in unique monthly visitors to the website.

Keep website visits per month stable or higher.

Achieve 15 comments per month on the website.

The major issue for the Reynolds Center is to build national outreach for upcoming events, webinars and conferences. Another issue is to increase visibility on the mobile site and to encourage more interaction between business journalists and the Reynolds Center.

The main objectives for our public relations campaign are to increase attendance at regional workshops, webinars, and increase unique visitors to the Web site and to increase regional and national awareness of the Reynolds Center.

Challenges & Opportunities Opportunities

While word of mouth has been powerful for the Reynolds center, success stories of others should be further emphasized in marketing. Blogs and public forums show up when someone searches for the Reynolds center and people trust an opinion that isn’t censored by the company or organization. Many professionals have given glowing reviews of the programs through our testimonials. However, these quotes aren’t shown on any advertisements or websites. Perhaps a section on businessjournalism.org should be devoted to consumer feedback. In addition, the website can provide how to how to list their courses on a resume.

Threats

There are not many threats for the Donald W. Reynolds Business Center as they offer a free educational product to improve business journalism in the United States. They have two competitors: Talkingbiznews.com, and Sabew.org. Both of these organizations offer

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a product to assist journalists, however, the Reynolds Center is the only one who offers

their product free of charge and without any membership requirement.

Channels

The Reynolds Center has established strong presence on many social media channels including: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and a mobile website. The Reynolds Center uses e-mail blasts and a bi-weekly newsletter to keep their attendees informed of their latest events. The Reynolds Center is also highly visible online through online advertisements on Poynter.org and by sponsoring journalism conferences across the country.

Table 18

“How often do you visit the Center’s website, BusinessJournalis.org? Seldom or never, at least once a month, at least once a week, or daily?”

N= 185

Daily 1%

At least once a week: 5%

At least once a month: 21%

Seldom or never: 71%

Not sure: 2%

“How would you grade the quality of the website, A, B, C, D or F?”

A: 42 %

B: 40%

C: 6%

D: 4%

F: 2%

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Not sure: 6%

Mobile Web site

YouTube Channel

Facebook page

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Twitter page

YouTube Channel

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Strategy & Tactics

Objective 1:

Make training a clear and concise process that’s readily available. Potential attendees shouldn’t have to search for key information or motives to participate.

Strategy 1: Use a list of frequently asked questions to eliminate any basic confusion that isn’t clearly listed.

Rationale: An FAQ page is commonly used in most business websites and provide an overview for those who want a quick summary. This will also help eliminate basic technological errors.

Tactic: Create an FAQ page, which will be listed under the ‘Free Training’ dropdown menu of the Reynolds Center website. This will tackle issues that were identified during our research as well as link to testimonials and the calendar page.

Strategy 2: Use Cantasia to create a step-by-step process that others can view at individual pace and follow along.

Rationale: Attendees will be able to pause and play instructions at their own pace. The video provides a visual that’s identical to their own setup.

Tactic: Create instructional video with a voice over listing each process one needs to take to enter a webinar. The video will also illustrate how to access webinars in the archives section and provide guidance.

Objective 2:

Provide benefits and motives to attend both online and in person workshops/webinars.

Strategy 1: Conduct interviews of previous attendees to collect positive feedback that potential participants can easily access.

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Rationale: We’ve collected past testimonials, which contained no negative comments. People need to see first-hand how others responded to training and specifically how it benefitted their careers.

Tactic: Create testimonial page with six pull quotes and faces of those cited. In addition, we will create a compiled video with all interviews conducted that will be embedded on the page.

Strategy 2: Demonstrate how Reynolds Center training can enhance a resume.

Rationale: A resume is an important aspect for any career in the business world. This is exceptional training that should demonstrate an attendee’s skills learned.

Tactic: Specifically list an example of how to cite Reynolds Training on a typical resume.

Objective 3:

Promote Reynolds center with tangible merchandise to increase branding of the name.

Strategy 1: Order simple journalism related objects to brand with Reynolds logo

Rationale: These objects are both useful and serve as a reminder of the Reynolds center while provoking interest.

Tactic: Order stress balls, press badge holders, coffee tumblers and sticky notes.

Strategy 2: Distribute through SPJ chapters, at conferences, those who attended a certain amount of webinars.

Rationale: These organizations are target audiences because they have already demonstrated an interest in journalism. They will also use these items in everyday life.

Tactic: Give away items on our social media outlets, give out at the Reynolds table during conferences and send to those who have completed a Circle of Achievement award (three webinars).

Objective 4:

Showcase the improved Reynolds Center website and emphasize re-branding and re-launching of Reynolds training.

Strategy 1: Host a re-launch event that invites SPJ members and Cronkite organizations. Provide a keynote speaker as incentive for people to attend.

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Rationale: This will increase awareness of the Reynolds Center’s name as well as establish our organization with award-winning investigative journalists Donald J. Barlett and James B. Steele as the keynote speakers.

Tactic: Host the event in the First Amendment Forum at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. The event will give background on the company, provide a demonstration of the website, have a keynote speaker, showcase testimonials, and provide an opportunity for business professionals to network.

Strategy 2: Network with SPJ chapters and connect with their website.

Rationale: This website receives a massive amount of traffic from those in the journalism field. They also link to other free training websites.

Tactic: Create a scholarship or internship in the Reynolds name. Advertise SPJ on the Reynolds website and have them advertise the Reynolds Center on theirs. Encourage SPJ to link to our training, create a business journalism committee and volunteer to provide instructors.

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Visual TacticsRe- Launch formal invitation

Social media give-away example

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Edited webinar confirmation emails

How to cite Reynolds training on a resume

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FAQ page

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Testimonial page

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Calendar

24

Budget

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Evaluation Objective 1: Make training a clear and concise process that’s very readily available. Potential attendees shouldn’t have to search for key information or motives to participate.

Strategy 1: Use a list of frequently asked questions to eliminate any basic confusion that isn’t clearly listed.

Evaluation: The FAQ page’s success will be measured with an increase of attendance on webinars. Currently, 43 percent of interested candidates sign up but do not actually attend. Our goal is to decrease this number through the clarity of the FAQ page. Attendance will be measured for the webinars that occur within two months following our re-launch event. We will also be monitoring the unique hits both from the registration email and our mobile site through Google analytics.

Strategy 2: Use Cantasia to create a step-by-step process that others can view at their own pace and follow along.

Evaluation: Monitor the number of views through viral video host Vimeo.com. Increased viewership will ensure that those who sign up will receive guidance even if they are unsatisfied with the FAQ page.

Objective 2: Provide benefits and motives to attends both online and in person workshops/webinars.

Strategy 1: Conduct interviews of previous attendees to collect positive feedback that potential participants can easily access.

Evaluation: The video created of the interviews is designed to motivate increased interest in the Reynolds Center training. Viewership will be tracked and shown through our host Vimeo.com. After two months, we are hoping to reach 2,000 views.

Strategy 2: Demonstrate how Reynolds Center training can enhance a resume.

Evaluation: Included in the post-webinar survey will be an option for attendees to choose whether or not they intend to cite the training on their professional resume. If they select yes, they will be asked to let us know their progress in securing or advancing their career.

Objective 3: Promote Reynolds Center with tangible merchandise to increase branding of the name.

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Strategy 1: Order simple journalism related objects to brand with Reynolds logo.

Evaluation: Target current amount of Twitter followers (3,467) and motivate them to re-tweet the Reynolds Center and enter to win branded merchandise. This will motivate others to follow the Reynolds Center as well as enhance our social media image. In the two months following the re-launch event, our goal is to attract 5,000 followers.

Strategy 2: Distribute through SPJ chapters, at conferences, those who attended three or more webinars.

Evaluation: Our goal is to create an increase in the amount of Circle of Achievement awards given to webinar or seminar participants. With distribution of the branded items as motivation, we’re hoping this will contribute to sign-ups increasing as well.

Objective 4: Showcase the improved Reynolds Center website and emphasize re-branding and re-launching of Reynolds training.

Strategy 1: Host a re-launch event that invites SPJ members and Cronkite organizations. Provide a keynote speaker as incentive for people to attend.

Evaluation: Ideally, we’d like to achieve full attendance at our re-launch event. Our goal from this event is to not only increase website traffic but spark motivation to attend training. The event will demonstrate the simplicity of signing up for training. Our website’s activity after the event will determine how effective our efforts were.

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References

Rafter, Michelle V. “Multimedia Myths Debunked.” Web log post. WordCount. Word

Press, 13 Nov. 2008. Web. 12 Feb. 2011. <http://michellerafter.com/2008/11/13/multimedia-myths-debunked/>.

Taylor, Abby. “McCormick Foundation Awards More Than $230,000 For Journalism

Training on Quality News Content.” McCormick Foundation. 27 Apr. 2010.

Web. 11 Feb. 2011. <http://www.mccormickfoundation.org/news/2010/JournalismProgram/pr042710.aspx>.

“Grant Creates Business Journalism Professorships.” ASU News. Arizona State

University, 18 Jan. 2011. Web. <http://asunews.asu.edu/node/17658>.

Behavior Research Center, Inc. “Business Journalists Study.” Research in Public

Opinion, Public Policy and Consumer Behavior (2010): 1-25. Print.

Talkingbiznews.com. Web. 11 Feb. 2011. <http://www.talkingbiznews.com/>.

SABEW. Web. 11 Feb. 2011. <http://www.sabew.org/>.

Smith, Randall. BusinessJournalism.org Reynolds Center for Business Journalism.

Web. 11 Feb. 2011. <http://businessjournalism.org/>.

Poynter. | Standing for Journalism, Strengthening Democracy | Journalism Training,

Media News & How To’s. Web. 11 Feb. 2011. <http://www.poynter.org/>.

“More Testimonials for the Reynolds Center.” Message to the author. E-mail.

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Appendix Phone conducted interviews to gather research

Phone script for respondents who missed a webinar:

Hi, I’m (Surveyor Name), and I’m calling on behalf of the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. I wanted to touch base with you because you missed a Webinar recently that you had signed up for, and we wondered if there was anything we could do to help you attend next time. We understand that things come up, but wanted to ask you 6 quick questions to see if we could make our free Webinars more easily accessible for attendees. 1. Do you recall what kept you from attending the Webinar?

a. Work conflict b. Personal conflict c. Technology issues d. The webinar didn’t fit my needs e. Other – forgot, etc.

2. Did you receive an e-mail reminder about the webinar?

a. Yes

b. No

3. Did you know that a recording of the webinar was available after the event at BusinessJournalism.org?

a. Yes

b. No

4. Did you happen to access the recording?

a. Yes

b. No

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Why not?

5. Would a different time of day or day of the week work better for you to attend a future webinar?

a. Yes

If yes, what time?

b. No

6. Is there anything else the Reynolds Center can do to help you attend a future webinar?

a. Yes

b. No ______________________________________________________________________

Phone script for respondents who missed a workshop: Hi, I’m (Surveyor Name) and I’m calling on behalf of the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. I wanted to touch base with you because you missed a workshop recently that you had signed up for, and we wondered if there was anything we could do to help you attend next time. We understand that things come up, but wanted to ask you 6 quick questions to see if we could make our free workshops more easily accessible for attendees.

1. Do you recall what kept you from attending the workshop?

a. Work conflict b. Personal conflict c. Location/Travel issues d. The workshop didn’t fit my needs e. Other – forgot, etc.

2. Did you receive an e-mail reminder about the workshop?

a. Yes

32

b. No

3. Did you know that a video recording of the workshop was available after the event at BusinessJournalism.org?

a. Yes

b. No

4. Did you happen to access the recording?

a. Yes

b. No

Why not?

5. Would a different time of day or day of the week work better for you to attend a future workshop?

a. Yes

If yes, then what time would be better for you?

b. No

6. Is there anything else the Reynolds Center can do to help you attend a future workshop?

a. Yes

b. No

Overview of Respondent Answers:

21 responses out of 60 phone calls

Question 1 responses:

2 personal conflicts, 9 work conflicts, 3 technology, 3 forgot, 1 teaching, 1 cost of transportation


14 yes 4 no

33


13 yes 7 no


7 yes 13 no


2 respondents specified that they prefer to have the Webinars later in the day 18 did not specify a change in date or time


3 said reminder emails about recorded surveys 1 said location 1 said flexibility 1 said later classes 12 said no

Respondent Answers:

1. Aaron Selverston

(650) 219-9731

Missed registered workshop

1. Personal Conflicts

2. Yes

3. No

4. No

5. No

6. Reminder emails about recorded workshops

2. Mary Wisniewski

(212) 991-6732

34

Missed registered webinar

1. Work

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. Yes

5. No

6. No

3. Keilani Best

(321) 242-3784


1. Technology issues

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. Yes

5. No

6. No

4. Jillian Randel

(603) 860-7370


1. Forgot

2. No

3. No

4. No

35

5. No

6. No

5. Josh Wein

(415) 322-9202


1. Work

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. Yes

5. No

6. No

6. Thomas Edwards

(301) 763-2184


1. Personal conflicts

2. Yes

3. BES

4. No

5. No

6. No

7. Sandy Gonzalez


(732) 216-3048

36

1. Busy teaching

2. No

3. Yes

4. Yes

5. Suggested moving webinars to the evening or Sunday afternoons

6. No

8. Dennis Gaub

(406) 690-5444


1. Work conflict

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. No

5. Mid- to late afternoon

6. Send reminder e-mails that webinars are recorded and on the Web site

9. Alex Walsh

(386) 793-6475


1. Work conflict

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. Yes

5. No, always can be a challenge.

37

6. No, they do a great job. But what is incentive if they are available online?

10. Crissa Shoemaker DeBree

(215) 345-3186


1. Work conflict

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. Yes

5. No

6. No

11. Margaret Newkirk

(404) 526-5915


1. Work conflict

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. No

5. No

6. No

12. Michele Chandler

(408) 691-5963


1. Transportation costs

38

2. Yes

3. No

4. No

5. No

6. No, her attendance to the workshop is based on proximity to her location

13. Andrew Scheivachman

(212) 895-8447


1. Work conflict

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. No

5. No

6. No

14. Michael Fitzhugh

(510) 288-8371


1. Work conflict

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. No

5. He suggests evenings after workday would be better

6. No

39

15. Jessica Pallay

(908) 625-8750


1. New job (Work conflict)

2. Yes

3. No

4. No

5. No, it’s hit or miss with work schedule

6. No

16. Angela Akers

(865) 342-6424


1. Work conflict (product deadline) 2. Yes 3. Yes 4. No 5. No 6. No

17. Keila Szpaller

(406) 523-5262


1. Other, forgot about webinar 2. No 3. No 4. No 5. No 6. No

40

18. Wai Kuan

(402) 470-7142


1. Technology issues, couldn’t download the software to attend 2. Yes 3. Yes 4. Yes 5. Suggested late evenings to help avoid class schedule 6. No

19.Cecile Oreste

(347) 241-1595


1. Technology issues, couldn’t log-in to the system 2. Yes 3. No 4. No 5. No 6. No

20. Ruth Terry

(616) 780-0286


1. Other, forgot about webinar

2. Yes

3. No

4. No

41

5. No

6. No

21. Lynn Walsh

(214) 593-9034

Missed a webinar

1. Go out of town business

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. No

5. Later in the evening

6. No

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