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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVES
AUDIENCES
SWOT
STRATEGIES
KEY MESSAGES
10
TACTICS
11
EVALUATION
15
APPENDIX
19
Executive Summary
The Out of the Cold programs were founded in Toronto, Ontario in 1987 by students and
teachers of St. Michaels High School, Sister Susan Moran, Father John Murphy and
Reverend Canon John Erb. Since then, the Out of the Cold program has spread across
Canada into many different cities, including Hamilton, Ontario. Hamilton Out of the Cold
program was started in 1997 by Sister Carole Anne Guay and Ms. Gloria Colizza. The
current Executive Director of Hamilton Out of the Cold is Sister Nancy Sullivan.
The Hamilton Out of the Cold (HOOTC) program has recently opened two locations on the
Hamilton mountain, and they have not been utilized to their fullest potential. The purpose
of this communications plan is to raise awareness of the Hamilton Out of the Cold program
in order to get more people to attend the Hamilton mountain programs. Through strategic
marketing and public relations tactics, Hamilton Out of the Cold has an opportunity to
reach a larger number of people in the Hamilton community.
The communications objectives are:
Inform Hamilton mountain residents living in poverty about Hamilton Out of the
Cold program, in order to increase community participation at Immanuel Christian
Reformed Church and St. Stephen on the Mount locations by 20 percent by March,
2017.
Motivate Hamilton residents to share information about Hamilton Out of the Cold
program in order to increase guest participation by 20 percent by March, 2017.
This plan will revolve around three strategies. The first strategy is to hold special events
to grow awareness of HOOTC. Word of mouth is an existing method of communication that
has proven to be the most effective with HOOTC reaching their audiences. Holding special
events and utilizing face-to-face interaction will be a good way to take advantage of this
method and raise awareness for HOOTC. The second strategy is using media relations. A
strong relationship with local media is always a key component to any communications
plan as having third-party testimonials and positive media clippings can not only help raise
awareness, but help change attitudes around HOOTC and its cause. Lastly, an information
campaign will use new and traditional media to raise awareness among all of HOOTCs
audiences.
Overall, this communications plan contains the necessary tactics to raise awareness of the
HOOTC program in order to maximize opportunity at the new Hamilton mountain
locations. It will also raise awareness of the program as a whole, which includes raising
funds, recruiting volunteers and securing new partners and donors. Ultimately, this plan
will help HOOTC reach its goal of striving to end hunger in our community.
Situational Analysis
Hamilton Out of the Cold (HOOTC) program is a non-profit organization striving to end
hunger in Hamilton. The program serves hot, homemade, nutritious meals for those in
need in the Hamilton community. For 19 seasons, the program has served the downtown
Hamilton area with compassion and dignity, and has recently expanded the program to
reach the Hamilton mountain. Immanuel Christian Reformed Church, located on Mohawk
Road, and St. Stephen on the Mount, located on Concession Street, are the newest, and
only locations on the Hamilton mountain. Both of these locations have a lower attendance
rate than other program locations (downtown Hamilton), and the program is often
associated with only serving the homeless community.
Currently, the program is known among downtown residents, where the homeless
population is larger. However, there is a rising poverty rate on the Hamilton mountain that
includes many working poor families. The two new mountain locations have not met
their meal capacity, which means they are missing out on opportunities to help people in
need in this region of Hamilton.
A detailed communications plan needs to be developed and implemented in order to grow
awareness for the Hamilton Out of the Cold program. The Hamilton mountain community
needs to be more aware of the services the program has to offer, as HOOTC has wellestablished funding and donors, and has a lot to offer to those people in need. Although
the main service the program offers is to provide free meals, the program has established
itself as a place to grow a sense of community and make friends, which needs to be told to
the community at large.
Communications Objectives
Inform Hamilton mountain residents living in poverty about Hamilton Out of the Cold
program, in order to increase community participation at Immanuel Christian Reformed
Church and St. Stephen on the Mount locations by 20 percent by March, 2017.
Motivate Hamilton residents to share information about Hamilton Out of the Cold program
in order to increase guest participation by 20 percent by March, 2017.
Audiences
Primary
Secondary
Media in Hamilton
Print
Radio
Television
Potential Volunteers in the Greater Hamilton Area:
Retirees
Students
Stay-at-home parents
People who are looking to give back/philanthropists
SWOT
Strengths
Weaknesses
community for half of every year- difficult to maintain a presence this way
Social media presence is lacking, and could be tailored to many different audiences,
Opportunities
Partnering with other non-profits and business can help raise awareness, grow volunteer base,
the meals
Opportunity to get more media coverage with emphasis on the stories within HOOTC, and the
Threats
Some individuals may feel uncomfortable attending the programs services as there could be a
Strategies
To host effective special events in Hamilton to create awareness and grow attendance to
HOOTC mountain locations
Use media relations to communicate details about HOOTC and promote its services in a
positive way
Key Messages
Hamilton Out of the Cold program provides thousands of hot, nutritious meals for those in
need.
Hamilton Out of the Cold program offers a sense of community, and a place to gather. It
not only provides food, but creates a place for spiritual support and social experiences.
Hamilton Out of the Cold program serves the Hamilton community with dignity and respect
and offers a safe place to receive a free, homemade meal.
Tactics
Strategy #1-To host effective special events in Hamilton to create awareness and
grow attendance to HOOTC mountain locations
Tactic 1
Partner with Value Village, a second-hand retail store located on Fennell Avenue on the
Hamilton mountain. This location is optimal because of its proximity to HOOTC mountain
locations, and because it is located in the poorest part of the Hamilton mountain. Print
collateral (see appendix C) with HOOTC information will be distributed to Value Village
customers as they walk by the front entrance. There will be HOOTC representatives and
10
an information board where patrons can learn more about the services that HOOTC
provides. Pre-packaged food such as granola bars, bottled water, juice, and will be
distributed to patrons as a means to grab their attention and talk to them about HOOTC
(see appendix D for photos). Social media will be utilized to promote the event in hopes of
increasing attendance at the event (see appendix F).
Tactic 2
By utilizing an already-established partnership with Fortinos grocery store, HOOTC will
implement a grocery bagging event, where HOOTC volunteers will bag groceries for
Fortinos customers. This tactic gives HOOTC volunteers a chance to talk to customers
about the program, while they are waiting for their groceries to be bagged. It will also
provide an opportunity to raise money with donation boxes at each cash register. Fortinos
has participated with this type of event at its stores previously, and Fortinos customers are
accustomed to it. An information booth will be set up near the exit, where more
information can be found via brochures and volunteers. This tactic can help increase the
volunteer base, raise money for HOOTC, and help spread the word about the program to
people who know someone who needs it, or people who need it.
Tactic 3
Hosting an awareness event at a Hamilton mountain public school, or community centre
will provide an opportunity to reach potential HOOTC guests, and children who need the
services most. HOOTC volunteers will set up an information display, and distribute samples
of homemade soup. By implementing this at a school that is in close proximity to one or
more of the HOOTC sites, it can help grow awareness to children and parents who can
benefit from the program. By distributing homemade soup, similar to what would be
served at a HOOTC dinner, patrons and passersby will be able to taste the quality and see
the healthy meals that HOOTC actually serves. This tactic could help eliminate
assumptions about the quality of food that HOOTC serves, help to grow awareness and
ultimately increase family participation at the mountain locations.
Strategy #2 - Use media relations to communicate details about HOOTC and promote
its services in a positive way
Tactic 4
Use local celebrities to endorse HOOTC in a short, 30 second video PSA and encourage
people that may need the program to use it, and to reinforce its value within the
community. The PSA will be written by John Gilbert (see appendix F), and will be prerecorded and sent to local television stations to air. It will also be sent to radio stations for
posting on their websites and social media platforms. This PSA will allow the greater
Hamilton area residents to learn about HOOTC and the important services it offers for
11
their neighbours during cold winter months. The celebrity endorsement can help reinforce
the importance of the issue of poverty in Hamilton and catch the viewers attention.
Tactic 5
Create and send out a media release (appendix A) to local news media outlets. The release
will be sent to contacts from a media list (appendix B) that was developed specifically for
HOOTC, and includes journalists and news outlets in radio, television and print
publications in the greater Hamilton area. The release will specifically focus on the
awareness event at Value Village and give background information about HOOTC. The
objective of the media release is to gain positive stories in the media, to gain public
awareness of the event, and to increase attendance at the event. The media release can
be used as a template for future events or newsworthy stories.
Tactic 6
By securing a spot on CHCH Morning Live, HOOTC can do a cooking demonstration to show
the quality of healthy meals that the program serves. It would be a good time to discuss
the poverty statistics in Hamilton, and tell viewers what HOOTC is doing to end hunger. It
will also tell the Hamilton community about all the benefits of the program, and that the
program is not just for the homeless community. Because CHCH is a local station, it is free
or included for many local residents, and it could reach the working-poor who may not pay
for extra television channels. Establishing this relationship with CHCH could bring more
opportunity for media exposure in the future for HOOTC.
Tactic 7
Create a social media campaign on Twitter and Facebook that uses the hashtag
#feelthemeal. It will represent both physical and emotional aspects of HOOTC. The
physical is the nourishing meals to keep them healthy and the emotional is the feeling of
community, and that people care for them. The social media campaign should start in
October, 2016 and finish at the end of the service in March. Posts should contain visual
media including photos and videos, and should tell the stories about the volunteers and
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guests that attend HOOTC. A social media calendar could be utilized, or a free account on
Hootsuite would allow for scheduling posts. It should also be noted that, social media
posts that run throughout the entire year, could help gap the lull in conversation, and
keep HOOTC in followers minds all year round.
Tactic 8
Create an Instagram account that will tell the story of HOOTC. Photos can be very
impactful, and sharing photos, along with the stories that are behind them can help grow
the online presence of HOOTC. Similar to the Instagram account, West Hollywood Food
Coalition (see appendix I), it should introduce guests who want their story told. Their story
can be about their personal life or it can be their experience with HOOTC, or both. Human
impact stories are very effective and even have potential to go viral. These postings will
allow people to connect with the people whoa re profiled in the posts and they will be
designed to show the public the breadth of people who can use HOOTC services. Posts like
these can help to end the stigma around accepting free care and food, by showcasing the
amount of people in need, and the different types of people in need.
Tactic 9
Partner with independently owned pizza locations and create a 3.5 by 5 label that has
information regarding the HOOTC program and contact information. The label will be
placed on the inside top of all pizza boxes and will be visible when the customer opens the
box. The label will emphasize the poverty levels on the Hamilton mountain, showcase the
services and benefits of HOOTC, and will include a coupon for tracking purposes. This is a
way to get exposure for the program and to reach all of HOOTCs audiences
simultaneously. Pizza is a very economical way to provide a meal for an entire family, and
many different families partake in this pastime. This tactic would reach the wide variety
of audiences that HOOTC wants to reach.
Tactic 10
Use posters and other print collateral through Allegra Printing to display information
around Hamilton. Allegra Printing offers free promotional printing for non-profits in
Hamilton up to $20,000. The FootPRINT fund application is due in February of each year,
and an in-depth application must be filled out in order to be considered. Flyers, posters
and other design work could help raise awareness about HOOTC, especially since the
audience in need, may not have access to technology, so a traditional tactic such as this
could be effective. Posters placed in bus stops, stores, and telephone poles around the
city can reach a variety of audiences who may not see HOOTCs message on social media
or in the news.
Tactic 11
13
Connect with the Catholic School Board and the Public School Board in Hamilton in order
to have an ad, column, or story placed in a newsletter that would go out to parents by
print or electronical mail. Twenty-two percent of children who live on the Hamilton
mountain, live in poverty, so distributing our message through the school board will help
those childrens families know about HOOTCs services. The information would outline the
specific reasons for families to use HOOTC, give the dates and times that the meals are
available and also give locations closest to that specific school. Telling this audience about
the program, its safe environment, and its healthy meals, might end any assumptions
about HOOTC locations not being suitable for children, and can also help eliminate hunger
amongst children in this area.
Evaluation
Strategy #1-To host effective special events in Hamilton to create awareness and
grow attendance to HOOTC mountain locations
Tactic 1
To measure the amount of people that were reached at Value Village, all printed materials
can be counted to determine how many were distributed. Keeping track of participants
who expressed their knowledge of HOOTC previous to the event, can be compared to the
total number of participants that were spoken to, to find what percentage of people know
or knew about HOOTC, specifically the Hamilton mountain locations. A survey could be
implemented at this event to know if the people that were spoken to, were within
14
HOOTCs audiences, to see if all audiences were reached, and if they understood and
received HOOTCs message. A focus group can be conducted in March 2017 in order to
identify if new guests heard about HOOTC at this event.
Tactic 2
Calculating total donations received from this event will demonstrate how effective
HOOTCs message was. It will show if Fortinos consumers found grocery bagging a valuable
experience. As well, counting how many people were talked to about HOOTC will allow
HOOTC to know how many people were reached. General feedback from customers can
give qualitative measurements about the event and if customers retained the information
they received. A survey can be conducted that will ask store customers if they plan on
passing on the information they received, and if they know of someone who could benefit
from the program. A focus group can be conducted in March 2017 in order to identify if
new guests heard about HOOTC at this event.
Tactic 3
To measure how many people were reached with the HOOTC message at this event, the
amount of printed materials and cups of soup given out to visitors will be tracked. This
will allow for a specific number to be summed up at the end of the event of how many
people were talked to, and given materials with HOOTC information. In November 2016,
doing a survey at the beginning of the season will explain if new guests learned about the
program from this event, or if not, where they did hear about it. This can be beneficial for
future events, or for understanding how HOOTC guests retrieve information. A focus group
can be conducted in March 2017 in order to identify if new guests heard about HOOTC at
this event.
Strategy #2 - Use media relations to communicate details about HOOTC and promote
its services in a positive way
Tactic 4
If the video PSA is aired on television, determining its advertising equivalency will show
what the PSA would cost and its value. If the video PSA is distributed through online
channels, social media impressions can be tracked too see how many users were reached.
Qualitative measures through comments on the video will demonstrate the tone and
attitudes towards the video. Were the comments positive or negative? Did viewers share
the video, or take further action such as visiting the HOOTC website, or making a
15
donation? This information can predict if another PSA would be a valuable asset in the
future, and if using local celebrity endorsement was effective in garnering attention.
Tactic 5
Tracking media impressions from the media release will be useful to show how many
people were exposed to the HOOTC message, based on the level of readership every
media outlet that publishes a story about HOOTC has. Using systematic tracking, the tone
of the articles published, the topics that were covered, and the publications that covered
it can be determined. Measuring how many people took action based on the release, will
indicate how many publications printed a story, but also, how many readers saw the
information and attended the event, made a donation, or visited the website.
Tactic 6
Tracking how many viewers tuned into CHCH Morning Live, will indicate the amount of
people who received HOOTCs information. Breaking these viewers down further in terms
of demographics and geographic location will help to get further information on the
specific audience being reached by this tactic. This will provide informative quantitative
information on the types of audiences the tactic is attempting to achieve in comparison to
the audience the tactic actually achieved. In turn, this will vividly illustrate the success,
or lack of success of this tactic.
Tactic 7
Using a site such as Google Analytics, tracking likes, shares, and comments around the use
of the campaign hashtag will demonstrate how many impressions were made on all of
HOOTCs social media sites. The number of impressions made on HOOTCs social media
sites will clearly illustrate the efficacy of the social media campaign as well as the hashtag
as a tactic for reaching the Hamilton community online. This method is mostly a
16
Tactic 8
Similar to tactic seven, social media impressions will show how many people view and
share photos that are delivered on Instagram. Qualitative measurements such as the tone
of comments on posts will demonstrate how many positive or negative reactions or
comments occurred. Using a site such as Social Mention, can help track the proportion of
social media users who positively converse about HOOTC.
Tactic 9
Counting how many pizza boxes that were delivered with the HOOTC flyer and coupon,
and comparing it to how many coupons were used will demonstrate how many customers
viewed the flyer, and actively engaged with HOOTCs content. A website survey will ask
visitors where they heard about HOOTC, which will include this tactic as an option. A focus
group can be conducted in March 2017 in order to identify if new guests heard about
HOOTC through this tactic.
Tactic 10
Counting how many posters were printed and distributed, as well as using a website survey
that focuses on the posters is a very informative way to evaluate the efficacy of this
tactic. Counting the posters that were printed and distributed, as well as the locations in
which they were distributed, will give useful qualitative and quantitative information. It
will allow for an analysis of which locations were potentially reached, as well as an
analysis of how effective the posters were in reaching the people of each area.
The website survey will ask visitors if they have seen the posters and how they heard
about HOOTC, which will help to fine tune the best ways of communication for HOOTC
audiences. The survey will also ask where the visitor may have seen the poster, helping to
17
ensure the first portion of the evaluation is achieved effectively. This portion of the
evaluation is a useful qualitative measure because it illustrates the perception people may
have of the poster.
Tactic 11
Counting how many newsletters were distributed (electronically or physically), will
indicate how many families the newsletter had the opportunity to reach. Holding focus
groups for new families who attended the program in March 2017, will determine where
they received their information about HOOTC, and if the newsletters were successful in
reaching families with children. Questions that could be asked are: Where did you hear
about HOOTC? Did your child receive the newsletter from their school? Did you know about
HOOTC before receiving the newsletter?
Appendix
A. Media Release
For Immediate Release
Organization: Hamilton Out of the Cold
209 MacNab Street North, #105 Hamilton, ON L8R 2M5
Contact: Kirk Simonovski
kiro.simonovski@mohawkcollege.ca
Helping the Hamilton Community to find its way to Out of the Cold
18
Hamilton, Ont. March 28, 2016 - On April 2, 2016 between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. a group
of Mohawk College students will be holding an awareness event for the Hamilton Out of
the Cold (HOOTC) meal service program. By distributing flyers, water and juice, the
students hope to get the attention of customers to get the word out, about all that HOOTC
has to offer. The event will be held at Value Village, on 530 Fennell Ave E.
Hamilton Out of the Cold is excited to have these students and Value Village team
up to spread the word about our program, says Sister Nancy of Hamilton Out of the Cold.
We have a valuable service to provide, and we want to reach as many people as we can
in the coming season.
The event is being organized by students in the Mohawk Public Relations Graduate
Certificate program. The aim of the event is to inform the mountain community about
where and when they can visit to get a hot home cooked meal. The event will focus on the
Hamilton Mountain locations, which are located at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church
and St. Stephen on the Mount.
Hamilton Out of the Cold is a locally run community food service program. The
program started in 1997 and serves hot, healthy and delicious breakfasts and dinners to
the local Hamilton community. The program welcomes all visitors to join them at their ten
locations throughout Hamilton.
-30-
B. Media List
Radio
CHML
FM 93.3
CFMU
Name
Greg
MacDonal
d
Cinzia
DeFrano
Phone
Number
Title
Productio
n and
Creative
PSAs
905-521(Public
9900
Service
E-mail
greg.macdonald@corusent.
com
19
Announc
ements
FM 93.3
CFMU
FM 94.7
CHKX
country
FM 94.7
CHKX
country
FM 94.7
CHKX
country
Juana
Luck
Music
Reporter
Promotio
ns
Reporter
905-5259140 x
22053
905-5259140 x
27582
Bill Toffan
Program
Director
905.388.8
911
bill@kx947.fm
Jason
Rule
Erin
Clifford
FM 101.5
FM 101.5
(CJXY FM)
Y108
(CJXY FM)
Y108
(CJXY FM)
Y108
Newspape
r
The
Hamilton
Spectator
The
Hamilton
Spectator
The
Hamilton
Spectator
The
Burlington
Post
Flamboroug
h Review
Magazine
Les
Palango
Cole Pops
Jim
McCourti
e
Promotio
ns
Director
Morning
Show
Morning
Show
Promotio 905.388.8
ns
911
Community Events
Website
Station
905-575Manager 2175
Music
Departm 905-575ent
2101
cfmumusic@msu.mcmaster
.ca
cfmuprom@msu.mcmaster.
ca
erin@kx947.fm
events@kx947.fm
les.palango@mohawkcolle
ge.ca
music.indi@mohawkcolleg
e.ca
Program
Director
905-5212700
jim.mccourtie@corusent.co
m
Olivia
DePetris
Shawna
Whalen
Ben
McVie
905-5212700
Olivia.DePetris@corusent.c
om
shawna.whalen@corusent.
com
Ben@y108.ca
Graham
Rockingh
am
Music
Editor
grockingham@thespaec.co
m
Cam
Merata
City
Editor
cammerata@thespec.com
Paul
Berton
Editor-inChief
Jillian
Davis
Brenda
Jefferies
Editor-inChief
Editor
905-5218986
pberton@thespec.com
jdavis@burlingtonpost.com
editor@flamboroughreview.
com
20
Hamilton
Magazine
Online
Magazine
SNAP
Hamilton
Online
CBC
Hamilton
CBC
Hamilton
CBC
Hamilton
CBC
Hamilton
CBC
Hamilton
CBC
Hamilton
Mountain
News
Television
CHCH TV
CHCH TV
CHCH TV
E! Canada
Marc
Skulnick
Editor
Ron van
Someren
Reporter
ron@snaphamilton.com
Executiv
e
Producer
rick.hughes@cbc.ca
Producer
conrad.collaco@cbc.ca
Reporter
samantha.craggs@cbc.ca
Reporter
julia.chapman@cbc.ca
Reporter
adam.carter@cbc.ca
Reporter
Senior
Editor
at hamilton@cbc.ca
editor@hamiltonmountainn
ews.com
Morning
Show
Producer
don.jonescu@chch.com
Rick
Hughes
Conrad
Collaco
Samanth
a Craggs
Julia
Chapman
Adam
Carter
To get
Event on
web
Gord
Bowes
Don
Jonescu
Natalie
Marconi
Carla
Benedict
905-6348003
Reporter
Field
Producer
marc.skulnick@sunmedia.c
a
nat.marconi@hotmail.com
carla.benedict@chch.com
(416)
384-5000
eonline@bellmedia.ca
21
C. Event Flyer
22
D. Event Photos
23
24
25
26
G. PSA Script
27
28
29