Final Gvsu Sustainable Agriculture Project Campaign

Grand Valley State University
Sustainable Agriculture Project

PR Campaign Plan Book
Rachel Beers
GVSU SAP PR CAMPAIGN 2
Table of Contents
Secondary Research……………………………………………………………………………….3
Primary Research……………………………………………………………………………….…8
Focus Group Moderator’s Guide……………………………………………………8
Focus Group Analysis……………………………………………………………...10
Student Survey……………………………………………………………………..15
Survey Results……………………………………………………………………..17
Survey Analysis……………………………………………………..……………..27
Action Plan……………………………………………………………………………………….32
Situation Analysis………………………………………………….………………32
Target Audience…………………………………………………….……………...32
Objectives…………………………………………………………………………..33
Strategies……………………………………………………….…………………..33
Tactics (Explanation)……………………………………………………………....34
Calendar & Budget…………………………………………………………….…..35
Evaluation……………………………………………………………...…………..36
Tactics (Deliverables)……………………………………………… ………...………………….37
Logo………………………………………………………………………………..37
News Release………………………………………………………..……………..38
Poster………………………………………………………………...……………..39
References……………………………………………………………………...………………...40
GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Project Campaign Secondary Research
This semester, I will be creating a public relations campaign for the Grand Valley State
University Sustainable Agriculture Project (SAP). To begin my research, the CAP 220 course
had the farm manager, Youssef Darwich, and graduate associate in the classroom to talk about
their organization. They are a heavily student-oriented program that focuses on agriculture
education, as well as offering internships. The SAP praises themselves for their internship
programs, catering to almost every major. Though they would like to expand their programs,
they need a method to handle a larger amount of people on the farm. In this presentation, they
mentioned how within the past year, they have increased their production of flowers, using them
for public relations. For GVSU’s Campus Life Night, they gave out free flowers - and saw a
higher interest than any other year at the event. Also, they introduced the mobile market: a
portable farmer’s market to bring flowers and fresh produce to campus while promoting the
farm. I want to use both things to my advantage while making the campaign. As they are also the
supplier of bouquets for GVSU’s events, who spends upwards of $130,000 on flower
arrangements. I want to implement something simple like a business card or branded ribbon to
put with the flowers, increasing awareness of the organization, which is another focus of this
campaign.
The SAP works alongside the Replenish food pantry on campus, supplying fresh food for
students who need it. However, this is not well known, and they would love to help increase
awareness of that as well. They believe there is a negative stigma surrounding food pantries, and
they would like to eliminate those misconceptions. Another fear is that though they supply the
food, the students have no knowledge of how to prepare it, which is why the SAP has created
concepts that focus on teaching it. They want to hold cooking lessons throughout campus to
teach students how to prepare greens and vegetables to promote healthy lifestyles. All these
methods would be beneficial to students and are noteworthy in any campaign, though may not be
the focus of this specific public relations strategy (Y. Darwich, personal communication, January
2018).
Before I researched further, I wanted to investigate the mission of sustainable agriculture
as a whole beyond the GVSU campus. According to the University of California Davis, it is “to
meet society’s food and textile needs in the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs” (University of California Davis). They want to promote a
healthy world, environmentally, socially, and economically. With a general grasp of the mission,
I decided to research further on GVSU’s program.
As I investigated the SAP’s social media on different platforms, I came across a video
interview with Youssef conducted by Patrick Mast. In the interview, Youssef went into detail
about what the program means to himself and the students, and how the internships play a role in
a student’s development. He shares his dislike for agriculture to be “inherently destructive,”
becoming the industrial agriculture that we are familiar with. The concept that stuck with me is
the one of patience: waiting for the well-deserved results of your actions rather than wanting the
instant gratification humans expect. This “delayed gratification” is a massive part of the farm –
“what you do today, affects you two months from now… so if you put in that extra effort now,
you’ll be rewarded in the future.” Conservation of resources is becoming increasingly important,
and general awareness of what one can do to help the environment is crucial information to
spread. The SAP prides themselves being a liberal arts college organization and bringing
together people from all different backgrounds to create a well-rounded team of individuals. All
the facts and values Youssef mentioned are great foundations to a strong campaign. Using these
points as leverage will help push the SAP and their mission to students. (Mast, 2017).
Having a good grasp on the SAP’s projects and mission, I decided to research more into
effective public relations strategies. The role of social media is extremely prominent, especially
on college campuses. In order to successfully raise awareness of the SAP, I wanted to research
college students’ opinions on public relations through social media. I found an article through the
Public Relations Society of America by B. K. Lewis and C. Nichols explaining that relation.
They found that using social media as a news and strategic communications outlet is viewed
positively by students, especially those in relating courses. Students believe that social media is
an effective tool for branding and communications, and that view increases for both females and
higher year students. Because of this positive reputation and extremely high usage, social media
makes the ideal platform for the SAP campaign. College students recognize the functionality of
social media as an informational outlet and accept it more widely than other methods of
marketing. You are also allowed more ways to interact with a public relations campaign on
social media, as well as more forms of presentation. Being able to have a strong online presence
is important in a brand and interacting with followers and potential users can make a massive
difference in the action followed through by them. I also feel as if being on social media opens
endless amount of opportunities for different ways of marketing. You can post text, photos,
videos, etc. that can attract attention, and followers like the content have the ability to share it,
creating more connections and exposure.
Videos have become an incredibly important part of social media – Youssef said it in the
class interview – he noticed that he finds himself watching videos rather than reading articles,
and short videos over the long ones. In my personal experience, I notice videos everywhere,
daily. Catchy thumbnails grab the intended audience, followed by a thirty-second video
showcasing a product or brand. Any longer and the interest is lost, which is an incredibly
important aspect in public relations on social media platforms. I wanted to research that claim of
mine, and decided to research videos’ presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Sophie
Chadwick, a monthly contributor for Social Media for Public Relations, summarized her findings
in an article. “According to Syndacast, video content will make up 74% of all internet traffic in
2017” (Chadwick, 2017). The overwhelming prominence shows how more brands are
implementing visual content into their strategies and how the market will continue to change in
the next years. Chadwick also mentions how brands can engage in a more direct way with
audiences by using videos, which had been mentioned in the Lewis article.
The evolution of technology has also had an increase in brand perception. “Users
currently spend on average 3x more time watching Facebook Live videos than other types of
video content on the platform,” directly showcasing the effects of real-time videos on brand
attention. Other than live streaming, Snapchat or Instagram stories show real-time, day-to-day
content without having to constantly monitor a stream. Chadwick also mentions 360-degree
video/photos, which would be an excellent method for the SAP to show the extent of the farm,
given they have the funds and technology to do so. If the SAP could use this to their advantage
and showcase the farm live, they may be able to bring in some users. However, this would occur
down the timeline as they would need to create a larger following first.
Using what the industry calls “micro-influencers,” small brands or organizations can use
others to increase awareness. “The benefit of using micro-influencers [individuals with 100,000
followers or less] in a campaign is that their engagement rates are usually consistently higher
than more well-known individuals. This gives their content more authenticity” (Chadwick,
2017). A lot of social media influencers do paid promotion but are extremely pricey and for a
campus organization like the SAP, does not guarantee results. A micro-influencer is a potential
method because, given we find one with a following in line with the target market, will be more
cost effective and yield better results. I would imagine there are GVSU affiliates and small
influencers from the Grand Rapids area that can market the SAP to college students, but it comes
down to the rates of pricing and the amount of predicted effectiveness, which varies greatly.
More local research would be required to pursue this method, yet it is still an option.
From these findings, I am completely committed to the idea of using social media as an
outlet to grow the SAP’s awareness. Other than small on-campus tactics such as the
aforementioned business cards or mobile market – the growth of the organization will flourish
online. I noticed during Youssef’s presentation, as he was showing their social media pages, that
they lacked consistent branding. I am looking to develop a logo and brand to tie together the
media pages because there was a noticeable lack of cohesiveness. Having this will create
credibility and recognition throughout the internet and on campus. The more recognizable their
logo is, the more engrained the program will be in students’ minds, and the more likely they will
be to research the SAP on their own.

Focus Group’s Moderators Guide

Objectives:
▪ Learn students’ awareness on sustainable agriculture.
▪ Learn students’ awareness on GVSU’s SAP program.
▪ Learn students’ opinions on the SAP’s current involvement with campus and students.
o Replenish food pantry
o Mobile Market
o Group volunteering (if in affiliations/organizations)
▪ Learn students’ opinions on the SAP’s prospective involvement with campus and
students.
o Cooking lessons
o Floral services (Mother’s Day, Sweetest Day)
▪ Learn students’ awareness of internship opportunities.
▪ Inform students on the offers and opportunities that the SAP provides.
Introduction/Procedure
▪ Hi, my name is Rachel Beers. Thanks for being here today. For this discussion, I would
like to explore your thoughts and ideas of sustainable agriculture. I want to focus on what
us students can contribute to it, and how it can contribute to us and our education. The
findings from this focus group will be used to create a public relations campaign by
identifying the level of student awareness and using that to develop effective strategies.
▪ There are no right or wrong answers. I would appreciate everyone to talk – all opinions
are important. This will be audio recorded and moderated by me, and I will be taking
notes on your responses, but everything is confidential; no names will be used in our
report. This focus group will last anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour. Honest
opinions are crucial, and a reminder that there are no wrong answers. This should be a
casual discussion, so don’t be afraid and have fun!
Student Introductions
▪ Name
▪ Age, Year, Major
Sustainable Agriculture
▪ What do you know about Sustainable Agriculture?
▪ What do you think of when you hear Sustainable Agriculture?
GVSU Sustainable Agriculture
▪ What do you know about GVSU’s Sustainable Agriculture Project?
o If nothing, explain
▪ Have you heard of them before? Where?
Student Involvement
▪ Have you heard of the Replenish food pantry?

o If not, explain.
▪ Fresh food to students in need… etc.
o What are your thoughts?
o The SAP believes there is a stigma associated with food pantries? Do you agree?
Why or why not?
▪ Have you seen the SAP’s Mobile Market?
o Mobile Farmer’s Market – fresh produce and flowers – brings the farm to campus
o Thoughts?
▪ Are you aware of the SAP’s volunteer opportunities?
o During summer, Fridays of every week year round
o More hands-on, benefits GVSU and students directly
▪ (If in organizations that require volunteer hours) Are you aware of the group
volunteering that the SAP offers?
o Especially group visits for fraternities, sororities, and other clubs
o Do you believe that it’s something your affiliation would be interested in?
▪ Interested? Why or why not?
Future Student Involvement
▪ What is your experience with cooking/preparing fresh food?
o The SAP is looking into campus/dorm cooking lessons, is that something that
would be beneficial? Why or why not?
▪ If the SAP had flower arrangements for sale during Mother’s Day/Sweetest Day, could
you see yourself purchasing them? Why or why not?
Internship Opportunities
▪ Are you aware of the SAP’s internship program?
▪ Does that interest you? Why or why not?
o The SAP’s internship programs pertain to almost every major from science to art,
event planning to photography.
General Closing Remarks or Questions
Conclusion
▪ Thank you so much for participating. I appreciate all your answers and they will help so
much with my research. If you have any questions, you can email me at beersr@gvsu,edu
or contact me on Facebook. Thanks again, have a great day.
GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Project Focus Group Analysis
For my focus group, I wanted to learn the amount of awareness students had on Grand
Valley State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Project. To create a PR campaign, I wanted to
assess the feelings surrounding the SAP’s brand. My objectives for this focus group was to learn
students’ awareness on: (a) sustainable agriculture, (b) GVSU SAP, (c) the SAP’s current
involvement with students and campus, (d) the SAP’s prospective involvement with students and
campus, and (e) the SAP’s internship opportunities. In addition to that, I wanted to inform them
on the programs and opportunities they offer, given that the level of awareness was low. To
conclude the focus group, I wanted to ask out of all the programs the SAP offers, which one is
most important and why. For this campaign, I wanted to pick out a main focus, but I wanted
students’ input as to which one to highlight.
First, I asked general questions about sustainable agriculture to measure the amount of
prior knowledge and awareness regarding the practices. A few knew the basic goals, such as that
the farming practices are more conscious of the environment. Some words associated with
sustainable agriculture included organic, sustainability, and long-lasting, meaning that it is
focused on the future. I continued by asking about GVSU’s Sustainable Agriculture Project and
whether the participants were aware of this specific program. Because of where a few of the
participants lived, they knew of GVSU’s farm, but the others were completely unaware. I
mentioned that they are responsible for the mobile market and were the ones who handed out
flowers at Campus Life Night. When I brought this to their attention, the participants recognized
these events. From this, I concluded that the SAP’s presence itself is known, but there is not
enough of the name associated. General promotion regarding the name is just as important as
promoting the features and opportunities. Before we highlight the internship programs, farmers
market, and other things the SAP has to offer, we must increase brand awareness.
I then began to ask about the participants’ thoughts about the SAP’s current programs. I
started with the Replenish food pantry, and all but one had heard of it. After explaining it, it was
unanimous that it was a great program with a great purpose. The SAP addressed concerns
regarding stigmas that surrounded food pantries, afraid that there is a negative connotation that
may deter students from utilizing them. As far as this focus group, that was not the case. It was
clear, due to the amount of questions they asked about it, that Replenish is something that peaked
their interest. When I asked if there was a stigma around food pantries, positive or negative, they
all agreed that they are helpful and not shameful in the slightest. The main issue was again with
general awareness.
The next feature I asked about was the Mobile Market. 3 of 5 participants were vaguely
familiar with the market, having just seen it on campus. They were favorable to the idea of
bringing fresh farm produce to campus but had no idea when or where the market would be
displayed. They had seen it in various places but wished there was more information about it and
some sort of indication as to which day(s) of the week it would be available. They agreed that
freshman on campus are known to have bad eating habits and usually do not have transportation
to the grocery store, so the Mobile Market could be a viable solution, while increasing awareness
of the SAP.
For the next major portion of the focus group, I wanted to focus on the SAP’s future with
student involvement. The organization is interested in doing cooking lessons to teach students
how to prepare fresh produce to make healthier meals. The participants’ response was
overwhelmingly positive. They thought it was a great idea, especially for the freshman who
would likely be moving off campus and buying their own groceries. Two of the male participants
live together this year and were jokingly listing off the endless unhealthy food they had bought
over the past year, explaining how they had no idea how to even go about buying produce (i.e.
checking if its fresh). Targeting these second semester freshman as they are signing leases for the
following year would not only help them directly, but also act as a great PR event in general for
the SAP. By giving them resources such as food buying guides, recipes, and knowledge about
preparing food would benefit students’ overall health and the SAP as an organization.
Within the past couple years, the SAP is shifting focus to growing, selling, and handing
out flowers as both products and methods of PR. The flowers that were handed out at Campus
Life Night and around Kirkhof Center were recognizable actions, and more than half of
participants recognized them. Ideas for the campaign include promotional events for Mother’s
Day or Sweetest Day, where the SAP brings flowers to campus via the Mobile Market to sell. All
the participants said that they could see themselves buying some in this situation. I also
mentioned that the Sap provides many flowers to GVSU’s events, which they did not know. One
participant thought that this would be a good PR opportunity by promoting how they supply
these arrangements.
Volunteering is another important feature of the SAP that the organization wants to
continue to grow year-round. Those who were aware of the farm knew that there was
volunteering options, having heard about it from professors, so general awareness regarding that
does not need to be a focus. To increase volunteers, awareness would be directed on what exactly
volunteering involves (i.e. planting, harvesting) or what the direct benefits are. For those who
needed volunteer hours, they were really interested in the different nature of this program
compared to others. The atmosphere of the farm was a positive factor in their opinion on this
volunteer program in comparison to others. If this is to be the focus of the campaign, the target
would be those who stay in Allendale over the summer and are looking for resume-builders or
summer activities.
The last and most important thing I wanted to gain insight on was the thoughts and
feelings about the SAP’s internship programs. The participants did not know for sure about
internship opportunities were offered, but they “assumed” they would have them based on it
being a school organization. Before explaining it, I wanted to ask if the sound of it interested any
of the participants. Because of the nature of a farm setting, most of the participants said that it
probably would not be relevant to their field, so they likely would not be interested. I then listed
the eleven topics of internships listed on the SAP’s website, including art, event planning, and
data analysis. After this, almost all participants were extremely interested. We touched on how
the hands-on aspects are more appealing than typical internships in office settings. From this I
concluded that given people are aware of the opportunities, they are interested; the only setback
is believing the SAP does not have a program that pertains to their major.
GVSU’s Sustainable Agriculture Project has a lot to offer to both students and the
campus itself. I ended the focus group asking of all the opportunities, events, and programs that
the SAP offers, which one stuck out to them the most and should be promoted more. All of them
went right to Replenish and cooking lessons, and “obviously” the internships. They loved the
idea of the on-campus food pantry and being able to help students access healthier food and fresh
produce, all it needs is a little more PR attention. Students understand financial troubles and
being unable to access groceries, so the stigma associated with food pantries outside of a college
setting does not apply. The participants were most involved when talking about and asking about
this program and what they can do to utilize it. SAP’s role with Replenish could create positive
attention for the SAP and break down any stigmas that may be present.
With internships, being a liberal arts college, it is extremely important to express where
and how students can apply for any internships. A lot of students are unsure where to find
internships, especially ones that pertain to their major and that interest them. It is not uncommon
for students to dislike the idea of sitting in an office for an internship, filling out paperwork.
Highlighting the hands-on interactive nature of the SAP’s program can be a major selling point
for students.
These are the two programs I want to focus on as they are the two that struck the most
interest and conversation in the focus group. A common theme was about general awareness of
the organization, so implementing small details (i.e. business tags, fliers) into all the SAP’s
events and promotions could aid in that. Interrelating the SAP’s objective of environmentally
conscious farming practices and the beneficial programs they offer will be an effective method in
creating a positive image and awareness.

GVSU SAP 220 Student Survey
1. What is your gender identity?

● Male
● Female
● Nonbinary
● Other
● Prefer not to say
2. What academic year are you?

● Freshman
● Sophomore
● Junior
● Senior
● Fifth Year
● Alumni
3. What method of communication is most effective to you?

● Email
● Posters on Campus
● Social Media
● Campus Events
● Other (please specify)
4. How familiar are you with GVSU’s Sustainable Agriculture Project?

● Very familiar
● Somewhat familiar
● Neither familiar nor unfamiliar
● Somewhat unfamiliar
● Very unfamiliar
5. Do you feel that college students have sufficient access to and resources for fresh produce?
● Yes
● No
6. Were you aware that GVSU houses a food pantry for students?
● Yes
● No
7. Some say there is a negative stigma surrounding food pantries. Do you agree or disagree?
● Strongly agree
● Somewhat agree
● Neither agree nor disagree
● Somewhat disagree
● Strongly disagree
8. Do you think college students have the knowledge and resources to prepare food using fresh
produce, given that the produce is supplied to them?
● Yes
● No
9. On a scale of 1-10, how comfortable are you with knowing where to find internship
opportunities?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10. GVSU’s Sustainable Agriculture Project has internship opportunities that pertain to most
majors. Would the hands-on atmosphere of working with a farm interest you compared to a
typical work/office environment?
● Yes
● No
Survey Results
Question one illustrates that the majority of the survey participants were female, which
could lead to a misinterpretation of the greater population.
Question two shows the year of school the participant was currently in, which is important
because it helps show if the target audience was successfully reached.
Question three illustrates the most effective method of communication, crucial for deciding
which tactics to use in a given campaign.
Question four demonstrates the participants’ awareness of the SAP, helping us decide the
organization’s standing with the student body.
Question five shows briefly what student’s opinions were on access to fresh produce –
whether they think it is sufficient or not. Most say no, and it might allude to the ignorance
regarding the SAP and the Replenish food pantry, which is a main focus of the campaign.
Question six asks if the participants are aware of the food pantry. The majority was
aware, but not by much. Also, students that are, may not know that it provides fresh food.
Because these results are relatively inconclusive, we cannot be sure what the awareness
of the student body as a whole may be.
Question seven is regarding whether participants agree or disagree about the negative
stigma that food pantries may carry. Recognizing that there is a negative stigma can help
the PR team break down these stigmas in marketing strategies to increase how the
program is viewed.
Question eight asks that given produce is supplied, whether students have the knowledge
to prepare them. The SAP wants to begin cooking lessons in living centers, and these
results advocate for events like that.
Every student will have an internship, and knowing where to find one can be difficult,
especially when they do not know where to look. Using question nine to gauge students’
level of comfort when finding them can help develop PR tactics that will help the
awareness of the SAP’s own internship opportunities grow.
Question ten is asked to illustrate the appeal of a farming related internship. Knowing
whether working with one’s hands is more engaging than an office space is useful in
creating tactics that focus on those aspects.
These numbers are extra statistics from the SurveyMonkey analysis page. The total
number of responses, completion rate, and time spent are helpful in the analysis of the
survey’s effectiveness.
Abstract - GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Survey Analysis
Grand Valley State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Project (GVSU SAP) focuses on
student benefit with the programs they offer, such as contributing to the school's food pantry,
volunteering, and internship opportunities. Using a survey, research concluded that general
awareness of the SAP was relatively low, which will be the main focus of this campaign.
Research also showed that email was the most effective method of communication, followed by
social media. These are the tactics to be implemented in the campaign, having priority over
posters and events. The majority of students’ knowledge regarding the SAP is vague, and this
research will be used to evaluate the SAP’s current status and develop corresponding campaign
strategies.
GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Survey Analysis
The Grand Valley State University Sustainable Agriculture Project (GVSU SAP) is a
program run by students and faculty that houses volunteer and internship opportunities while
providing services all around campus. The SAP’s farm grows produce as well as flowers and
houses a Farmers Market once a week. They developed a Mobile Market in addition to the one
on the farm, which they transport to and from campus for those who cannot go to the site. Their
addition of flowers is quite new, but allows for many marketing strategy opportunities, such as
promotional events for Mother’s Day or Sweetest Day. Lastly, the SAP holds a large event that
they named the “Harvest Party,” which is a celebration held in September with live music and
food that brings the GVSU community together while promoting the Agriculture Project. For this
campaign, the SAP wants to emphasize their major student focus while raising awareness for the
program.
The public relations objectives include increasing general awareness of the organization,
while focusing on key services. The Replenish food pantry is one of the services to be focused
on, which provides food to students in need, creating healthy alternatives for students who may
not be able to access them otherwise. They also want to implement cooking lessons and recipes
in living centers to educate students on how to prepare fresh produce. This research is conducted
specifically for the use of Grand Valley and the SAP and does not require approval from the
research committee.
Method
Target Audience
The defined target audience for this research was Grand Valley students, specifically
freshman and sophomores as they are still learning about GVSU’s offered programs. The entirety
of the focus group and the majority of survey responses consisted of sophomore students.
Through the means of distribution, however, there was additional data collected regarding those
of other class standings, but they made up an insignificant amount.
Focus Group
The focus group was conducted to get an in-depth analysis regarding the thoughts and
feelings of a few individuals. Open-ended questions about the SAP and its services were asked,
and a general could be drawn relating to each individual’s awareness of the organization and
their opinions on their current and future services. The group’s responses also aided in creating
an effective survey which would be used to measure the opinions of a larger segment of the
GVSU community. The focus group outline can be found in Appendix A.

Survey
Development and distribution. The survey’s main purpose was to get an idea of the
perceptions of the greater population while reassuring the findings from the focus group. A ten-
question survey was developed, focusing on brief, close-ended questions to ask the GVSU
community. The average completion time was one minute and eight seconds; it is important to
keep the time of completion low to ensure high completion rates - in this case, it was 100% (See
Appendix B - Survey Results). The finalized draft of the survey can be located in Appendix C.
The survey was distributed mostly through social media, specifically Facebook, on Grand Valley
associated student pages. The pages included one for freshman, one for sophomores, and a
general one for the GVSU community. The surveys were also sent via email to additional classes
such as Intro to Professional Writing, Introductory Applied Statistics, and Speech. Though the
target audience was freshman and sophomores, it was important to retrieve a general consensus
about the organization; sophomores made up the majority of the classes, with exception of a few.
Analysis. The survey was conducted through a third-party site, SurveyMonkey. Using
this platform allowed for concise analysis and tabulation of the results. The website
automatically created tables and graphs to help visualize the results, as well as keeping a real-
time updated count of completed surveys. A link to a cohesive tabulation of these statistical
illustrations can be found in Appendix D.
Results
The demographics, as mentioned in the Survey section of this paper, was mostly
sophomores (39.3%), and overwhelmingly female (79.76%). An important aspect of strategic
communication is finding out which medium is most effective. 63% of participants stated that
email notifications were the most effective form of communication, and 30% said social media.
Using those statistics, we can confirm that these are the tactics to focus on in this campaign.
Posters on campus and phone calls were the lowest ranked, and campus events was second to
last.
The next set of information was in regards to awareness of the organization and its
services. When asked how familiar participants were with the SAP, the most common answer
was very unfamiliar, accounting for 31.0% of responses; only eight percent were very familiar
with the SAP, concluding that general awareness must be increased.
An aspect of the SAP that should be focused on is their contribution to the Replenish
food pantry. Overall, participants believed that college students did not have sufficient access to
or resources to obtain fresh produce (64.3%). Although, over half of participants (53.57%) were
aware of the Replenish food pantry. The SAP believes that the concept of food pantries is
associated with a negative stigma, and 46.4% somewhat agreed. However, given that fresh fruits
and vegetables are supplied to all students, 60% of participants said that these students would
still not have the knowledge to prepare it.
The last aspect of the survey touched on the SAP’s internship opportunities. When asked
how comfortable they are when knowing where to find internships, the response was relatively
neutral. The average response on a scale of 1-10 was a 4.5. The survey mentioned that the SAP’s
opportunities pertain to most majors, then they were asked if the hands-on environment of a farm
sounded better than the typical work/office environment - 52% said yes.
Discussion
The main objective for this public relations campaign is to use the SAP’s services to
increase general awareness of the organization, along with highlighting the Replenish food
pantry, volunteering, and internship opportunities. Those who know about the Replenish food
pantry may not know about the fresh produce - advocating that the food pantry supplies this is
important, along with the fact that the SAP is what makes it possible. Marketing that the SAP
offers internships for almost every major is crucial, especially because going through the
internship process is a requirement for all students. Also, having the experience of working on a
farm rather than in an office setting is more appealing to some. The Sustainable Agriculture
Project is a valuable aspect of the Grand Valley community that offers beneficial services for the
student body and surrounding community.

GVSU SAP Campaign Action Plan
Situation Analysis
The Grand Valley State University Sustainable Agriculture Project (GVSU SAP) is a
campus organization that focuses on environmentally friendly methods of farming, while
creating opportunities for all students. They offer both internship and volunteering within the
program, supply fresh produce for their farmer’s market and the campus food pantry, and
participate in campus events. They provide flowers for a lot of the campus’ events and are
looking to expand their focus on flowers within the next year for promotions like Mother’s Day
or Sweetest Day.
The GVSU SAP strives to increase participants in their programs. Specifically, they want
to raise the number of interns within the program during the summer, as well as increase
volunteers throughout the year. They also want to promote general awareness for the program
and its extensive contributions to the campus i.e. the Replenish Food Pantry.
Target Audience
● Freshman and Sophomores
○ For the more specific aspects of this campaign, freshman and sophomores
attending Grand Valley because they are newer to campus and are more likely to
be unaware of the organization. Also, as students are transitioning into their
sophomore year, volunteering and internships are beginning to be more important
as they approach graduation.

● Other Grand Valley Students
○ Because this campaign is also focusing on general awareness, more broad tactics
will be implemented that are not as targeted as others. This will cause exposure to
students at all levels, especially through social media or campus events.
Objectives
● Increase general awareness of the Grand Valley SAP to all students by 40% by April
2019.
● Increase participation in volunteer and internship programs by 25% by April 2019.
● Increase awareness of the SAP’s benefits and contributions to Grand Valley to all
students by 20% by April 2019, such as their support for the Replenish Food Pantry and
Farmer’s Market.
Strategies
Exposure – Strategy One
Strategy one for this campaign is to increase awareness for the SAP’s organization.
Through social media, events, branding, and on-campus posters, the exposure for the SAP will
dramatically increase given the campaign performs as expected. Also, it was a common trend to
be aware of the benefits of the organization, but without knowing the name – this is an extremely
important topic to address because ensuring that there is an organization known to be behind the
positive implications around campus is crucial to the brand.
Student Involvement – Strategy Two
Because the SAP strives to increase participation in volunteer and internship programs
within the organization, strategy two will involve building relationships with students and
showcasing the benefits of the SAP. Creating positive rapport between the SAP and the Grand
Valley student body will be an effective strategy to compliment the objectives of the campaign.
Student involvement will be promoted through social media, email, and events.
Brand Image – Strategy Three
After awareness is increased, the philanthropic aspects of the SAP will be promoted to
increase the positive brand image of the organization. This will continue to increase further
exposure through news releases, social media, and events. Withholding a positive image with
potential influencers or future members of the organization will ensure constant participation in
coming years.
Tactics
As a method to increase in exposure and support strategy one, an updated logo was
created to be used consistently throughout the SAP’s social media pages, website, and other
related locations. This will create the ability for students to recognize a cohesive brand as they
travel on campus and online. This will implement the strategy of increasing exposure.
Social media will play a key role in the projected success of the campaign. According to
the survey, social media was one of the most effective way for students to revive information.
Social media will also establish the SAP as a brand, allowing for proper, consistent branding
throughout a number of media vehicles in addition to their websites. Instagram, Twitter, and
Snapchat are three of the main social media platforms used by college students, so increasing
presence on these sites will prove to be effective for strategy one (an official Snapchat account is
to be created as it does not exist yet). Social media’s versatility is what will compliment all
strategies by promoting the brand (strategy one), student opportunities (strategy two), and
contributions (strategy three).

A news release will be created, published in The Lanthorn, highlighting the SAP’s work
with the Replenish food pantry. This positively connotated news article will assist in the
objectives of strategy one and three in creating a heightened brand image for the SAP, while
increasing overall awareness.
Also, from the survey, it can be concluded that students most preferred and effective
method of communication is email. The SAP will be required to create a mailing list, which can
be done though events like Campus Life Night. Through this, they can promote their programs
directly to each student individually, likely increasing is reach.
Lastly, events such as Campus Life Night and their own Harvest Party will help the
SAP’s reputation and allow for additional promotion. The promotion done at these events will
create more personal bonds with those in attendance, potentially increasing outcomes. The events
themselves may be promoted via email, social media, and posters on campus. Posters will be
created as another tactic and displayed in popular sites on campus such as Kirkhof in the two to
three months leading up to the specific event.
Calendar and Budget
Tactic Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total (Per Tactic)
Social Media $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Harvest Party $300 $300
Campus Life Night $100 $100
Email $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Posters $150 $0 $0 $150 $0 $300
News Release $0 $0
Total (Per Month) $0 $150 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $250 $300 $0 $0 $0 $700
Evaluation
Evaluation of this campaign will be measured through a follow-up survey and
participation numbers. The SAP will monitor the number of students involved in their volunteer
and internship programs, as well as counting attendees at their events, which will allow them to
directly see any change. For measuring awareness, an additional survey will be conducted
regarding students’ knowledge of the organization, similar to the one conducted at the beginning
of the campaign. This will allow the SAP to analyze the success of the campaign and what they
need to accomplish to continue to grow the programs. Given that this campaign does not perform
as expected, more research will be conducted regarding student attitudes and general
effectiveness of each tactic. Then, new versions of campaigns will be reworked and reapplied for
the SAP.
Tactics – Logo
Tactics – News Release

Tactics – Harvest Party Poster

References
Chadwick, S. (2017, June 20). How Social Media is Shaping the Future of Public
Relations. Maximize Social Business. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from
https://maximizesocialbusiness.com/social-media-shaping-future-public-relations-26817/
Lewis, B. K., & Nichols, C. (2016). Social Media and Strategic Communication: A Three-Year
Study of Attitudes and Perceptions about Social Media among College Students. Public
Relations Society of America, 10(1), 12-22. Retrieved February 06, 2018, from
http://apps.prsa.org/Intelligence/PRJournal/past-editions/Vol10/No1/Lewis.pdf
Mast, P. (2017). Interview with Youssef Darwich [YouTube video]. Available from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl5xT3VbDVw
University of California, Davis. (n.d.). What is sustainable agriculture? Retrieved February 06,
2018, from http://asi.ucdavis.edu/programs/sarep/about/what-is-sustainable-agriculture

Final Gvsu Sustainable Agriculture Project Campaign

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Grand Valley State University

Sustainable Agriculture Project

Focus Group Moderator’s Guide……………………………………………………8

Focus Group Analysis……………………………………………………………...10

Calendar & Budget…………………………………………………………….…..35

Tactics (Deliverables)……………………………………………… ………...………………….37

GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Project Campaign Secondary Research

Before I researched further, I wanted to investigate the mission of sustainable agriculture

I decided to research further on GVSU’s program.

a student’s development. He shares his dislike for agriculture to be “inherently destructive,”

you’ll be rewarded in the future.” Conservation of resources is becoming increasingly important,

creating more connections and exposure.

be to research the SAP on their own.

Focus Group’s Moderators Guide

▪ Have you heard of the Replenish food pantry?

GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Project Focus Group Analysis

Valley State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Project. To create a PR campaign, I wanted to

students’ input as to which one to highlight.

sustainable agriculture included organic, sustainability, and long-lasting, meaning that it is

creating a positive image and awareness.

GVSU SAP 220 Student Survey

1. What is your gender identity?

2. What academic year are you?

3. What method of communication is most effective to you?

4. How familiar are you with GVSU’s Sustainable Agriculture Project?

Abstract - GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Survey Analysis

GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Survey Analysis

of other class standings, but they made up an insignificant amount.

GVSU community. The focus group outline can be found in Appendix A.

illustrations can be found in Appendix D.

sophomores (39.3%), and overwhelmingly female (79.76%). An important aspect of strategic

with the SAP, concluding that general awareness must be increased.

still not have the knowledge to prepare it.

student body and surrounding community.

GVSU SAP Campaign Action Plan

campus organization that focuses on environmentally friendly methods of farming, while

● Freshman and Sophomores

be unaware of the organization. Also, as students are transitioning into their

sophomore year, volunteering and internships are beginning to be more important

as they approach graduation.

● Other Grand Valley Students

students at all levels, especially through social media or campus events.

● Increase participation in volunteer and internship programs by 25% by April 2019.

Exposure – Strategy One

positive implications around campus is crucial to the brand.

Student Involvement – Strategy Two

Brand Image – Strategy Three

contributions (strategy three).

increasing overall awareness.

directly to each student individually, likely increasing is reach.

three months leading up to the specific event.

Calendar and Budget

Evaluation of this campaign will be measured through a follow-up survey and

Tactics – News Release

Tactics – Harvest Party Poster

Relations. Maximize Social Business. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from

2018, from http://asi.ucdavis.edu/programs/sarep/about/what-is-sustainable-agriculture

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