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RMIT VIETNAM UNIVERSITY

COMM2381_Strategic Public Relations
Planning

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Strategic PR
Plan
The LC of Community
Development

Name: Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh

ID: S3192882
Lecturer: Mai Anh, Doan and Melanie
Brown
Submission Date: 16 May 2010

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2

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

Background......................................................................................................................................4

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

Key research.................................................................................................................................5

Analysis of findings....................................................................................................................5

Critical success factors.................................................................................................................6

Problem/Opportunity statement...................................................................................................7

Target Publics...................................................................................................................................8

Objectives........................................................................................................................................9

Key Messages..................................................................................................................................9

Strategy Statement.........................................................................................................................10

Tactics............................................................................................................................................10

Critical Path Plan...........................................................................................................................14

Budget............................................................................................................................................14

Evaluation......................................................................................................................................14

Reference.......................................................................................................................................16

Appendix........................................................................................................................................17

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Executive Summary

The purpose of this strategic PR plan is to figure out the importance and the way to communicate

effectively with the local business in order to attract big amount of skilled L volunteers

supporting the staff of local not-for-profit organizations (NOPs) in terms of HR management

skills, IT, Marketing, fundraising..etc.

The issue here is that Vietnamese society often labels volunteer with what students often do in

summer. Moreover, they are also afraid that they are not able to do volunteer due to their

responsibilities of the family’s well-being. Yet, it is claimed that more and more multinational

corporations (MNC) are looking for how they could contribute on social development

surrounding their locations. Thus, this is what critical success factors and problem/opportunity

statement cover. The primary target public of this plan is business people community

surrounding HCMC, and the secondary narrows down to CEO/Heads of HR department of

corporations especially MNC. There are three level of the objective for this plan to aim the

ultimate communication goal is to increase the number of L volunteers, from that to create the

resource supporting NPOs’ staff. And the key message conveys the idea that L appreciate any

offer proficient human resources from individuals or corporations to act as advisor and mentor

for NPOs’ staff. During five months of the plan, media relations, interpersonal communication,

web-based and visual-audio communication are used to implement the tactics of newsletter,

media release, networking event, video production, social media, word-of-mouth and the centre’s

website. The budget for this plan includes the estimated costs of all activities of the

communication plan and PR agency as well. During and after event, personal and focus group

interviews, onLe survey, and numbers of applicants are taken to evaluate the strategy.

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Background

The L Centre for Community Development (L) aims to deal with the rising poverty in urban

areas, particularly HCMC and surroundings. They put endeavours to bridge NPOs around

HCMC, Vietnam and individuals/companies who show willingness in philanthropy (L Centre

2009b). In 2009, L did organize workshops for L’s NPO partners and L volunteers, worked with

media to public information. In February 2010, L co-hosted Networking Event for social

entrepreneurs in HCMC with CSIP, British Council, and KPMG with the aim to popularize L

among business community. In addition, the main strategic plan 2010 of L broadly bases on the

goal of reinforcing its database of skilled volunteers who have experienced their fields and now

at middle to senior level of management. Although this model of volunteerism is brand-new in

Vietnam, it will gain a lot of concerns from business because of its practices.

As a result, L needs a strategic public relations plan which helps figure out the way L could reach

many individual and corporate philanthropists and communicate effectively with its target

publics about how L is distinguished in the field of not-for-profits and what L volunteers do.

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Situation Analysis

There is a research about the overview of awareness, certain perceptions regarding L,

volunteerism, and CSR among Vietnam’s context.

Key research

Today, the corporations in Vietnam focus more on volunteer programs for their staff, especially

foreign companies. Therefore, they become a rising resource for community development (L

Centre, 2009b). Moreover, in January 2009, Vietnamese government also issued the policy of

privileges for companies who contribute to support the community. However, many of them

seemed not to know clearly the variety of corporate social responsibilities (CSR) activities.

Analysis of findings

Foreign companies, especially multinational corporations, are conscious deeply of the

importance of their relation with the local community. Moreover, it is really hard for them to

understand the needs of their locals and then come up with the idea as well as implement

volunteer programs for their staff. Therefore, they are more active to seek for local agencies or

organizations to match their own interests and capacity with the needs of community. (LCentre

2009b)

Although small and medium-sized Vietnamese companies have received supports from Vietnam

Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to incorporate the CSR into their strategic plans,

they seemed to start with the level of labour conditions and environment protection

(VietnamBusinessForum, 2007). In other words, they need to strengthen their responsibilities for

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their internal employees firstly. However, if those companies’ experts know about how they

could contribute more on the community through pro bono services L offer, they are more than

ready to join with it. As a result, there is a need of media coverage to pass more information

about L along to this group of business.

There are error perceptions of volunteer in Vietnam, such as volunteering activities are often

along with students because they have more free time in summer or other holidays, and most

people should ensure their families’ well-being, then do volunteer if they get more money.

However, L volunteers are totally different from those mindsets. L aims to attract skilled

volunteers with experiences in their fields. The main role for them is to advise or mentor for

local NPOs in strategic planning, human resource management, fundraising...etc. and time is

very flexible for them to work online or at office (L Centre 2010b).

Critical success factors

• In order to foster the number of skilled and experienced people offering applications for L

volunteers, we must explain clearly what the primary role of L volunteers is.

• In order to distinguish L volunteerism from other NPOs, we must raise awareness about

the model L has used.

• In order to increase awareness of L’s volunteerism model, we must cover more

information regarding L’s activities on the media.

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Problem/Opportunity statement

• Problem: Being the first centre for a brand-new model of volunteerism requires L to

create a special identity so that what L do as well as the most important role of L

volunteers can be differentiated from voluntary missions of other NPOs which were

established before.

• Opportunity: Being the first centre which could match most of foreign companies’

demands for contribution on the local community, L will create a deep impression among

its publics about its pro bono services.

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Target Publics

Primary target publics: business people community in HCMC, Vietnam who are from middle to

senior positions in corporations or whoever are skilled and experienced in some specialized

fields.

 These individuals seem not to know enough about L. If they understand the practice of

using skills on social contribution, they will apply for the volunteer positions, mostly as

an advisor or mentor, which fits their ability. This is promising to be a dynamics and

independent public.

Secondary target publics: corporations especially MNC. Specifically, it aims to CEO/ Head of

Human Resource Department, who are in charge of looking for how to engage their staff into

social development activities.

 There is a trend for MNC in Vietnam to seek out the information about volunteer

activities relevant to their industry’s interests. In general, the difference between these

two target publics is quite blurring.

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Objectives

The crucial goal for L’s database of resources to support local NPOs is to increase the number of

skilled volunteers. Therefore, the first job is to enlarge media coverage reporting on L’s actions,

particularly the cooperation between Tuoitre newspapers, IT Department of RMIT Vietnam SGS

campus, and L Centre to upgrade IT system at Anh Minh Kindergarten for deafness students as

well as one between ThanhNien newspapers, HR Department of White Palace Convention

Centre, and L Centre with the aim to mentor the process of HR management at Thao Dan

organization for street children. Secondly, there should be the second Networking Event co-

hosted with PQ Corporation1 at the end of 2010 to call for more actions

• To get 80% awareness of the target publics (who receive the information from L) about

who is L and what L volunteers do one week after issuing the invitation letters to the

second Networking Event 2010 and the media coverage about L’s co-operations.

• To change 60% error perception about volunteer at L one week after publishing the

newsletter of July 2010 and media release about two of its co-operations with newspapers

and corporations.

• To receive application forms from 40% of the Networking Event’s attendants for

volunteer positions with L one month after the event.

Key Messages

“As a bridge between the local needs and the philanthropists, L tried to provide sufficient

1
PQ Corporation does business in many industries especially hospitality, in which it is famous for White Palace

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information about local needs for individual and corporate philanthropists and create beneficial

skilled volunteer-NPO matches as many as possible.”

Strategy Statement

This plan will communicate with the target publics – generally officers at high level of

management and specialization through media relations, audiovisual communication, web-based

and interpersonal communication about the new model of volunteerism in which L functions as a

mediator to match the local needs and the volunteer capacity of individuals as well as

corporations. Through the Networking event, media release, media reports, newsletters, social

media, and the centre’s website, L intends to combine controlled and uncontrolled types of

tactics during five months of this PR plan.

Tactics

Tactics for objective 1:

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  Prepare an invitation letter for the second Networking Event coming in late October

2010, in both Vietnamese and English and send it to the corporations’ contacts. In this

invitation letter, the information about L Centre and the role of volunteers are

incorporated smoothly. In addition, it also includes time and place for ticket selling. This

could be the first impression about L Centre for some business and business people to

know about L.

 Prepare a media release (1) about the coming Networking Event, time and place for

ticket selling as well as the information about L volunteers,. Then this media release will

be posted on the L’s website and sent directly to various sources of journalists via email.

These controlled and uncontrolled ways ensure the convenience for the public to access

the information. (Harrison, 2008).

 Work with Tuoitre newspaper and suggest for the cooperation between two experts of

RMIT Vietnam SGS’s IT Department, Tuoitre newspaper, and L to assist to build up an

online library for the blind. This media relation brings a chance for Tuoitre newspapers to

reinforce its brand name in the field of social responsibilities. Moreover, it is also a good

way for L to get the media involved in its work with RMIT Vietnam SGS’s IT

Department.

 Similarly, the cooperation between ThanhNien newspapers, the expert of HR Department

of White Palace, and L makes the brand name of three organizations appear together on

all the media reporting this social contribution.

Tactics for objective 2:

 Make video clips about the working process at Thao Dan organization and Anh Minh

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 kindergarden. Of course, the content and the design of those clips must be highly

convincing and appealing. They will be useful documents carrying testimonials of L

volunteers to give the target publics visual description of one of various things they can

do to contribute to community development. Resultantly, the publics will believe more on

the communication message of this plan (Harrison, 2008). These video clips should be on

the websites of all members of the two co-operations and on the social media like face

book, twitter, and YouTube. Some commentary opinions about the clip will get more

attention of the viewers. Once the viewers perceive clearly what L volunteers do, they

will change their mind in terms of volunteer work.

 Prepare a newsletter for August to announce these two actions directly to the

stakeholders.

Tactics for objective 3:

 Hold a Networking Event to attract as much as possible (aiming to 200 participants). To

foster the amount, some well-known successful business people from big corporations

(both Vietnamese and multinational) will gather and conduct the event. Later on, they

will share something relevant to volunteerism and call for actions to become L

volunteers. Before that, the information about L is also presented. The video clips

mentioned above will be shown combining with others about volunteer stories telling.

The amount of money from ticket selling will spend on the event’s expenses.

 Apply the concept of word-of-mouth for further networking based on the relationships

with RMIT Vietnam SGS, PQ Corporations, and two newspapers. They will suggest their

partners who are interested in social contribution and suitable for this model of

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 volunteerism.

 Prepare a newsletter for October to remind the second Networking Event co-hosted by L

and PQ Corporation at White Palace Convention Centre in HCMC. This newsletter

emphasizes the true benefits from this event.

 Prepare the second media release to remind of the Networking Event and emphasize how

it is useful for the participants.

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Critical Path Plan

Budget

Evaluation

Techniques for ‘input evaluation’:

 In the email of newsletter for August, make an online survey with two questions about L

and what L volunteers do in reality among the addresses who receive the invitation letter

to the second Networking Event 2010. The responders could choose the options of the

answer or skip this mini-survey. Number of ‘real’ responses with the right answer will

reflect on the effectiveness of the tactic used.

 Interview a focus group who read newspapers especially Tuoitre and ThanhNien one

week after the first report about the co-operations for social contribution. The number of

readers who could recognize L and its role could be used to evaluate the objective 1.

 Interview a focus group of officers to pre-test the content and message the video clips

about the process the corporations work with two local NPOs.

Techniques for ‘output evaluation’:

 Use media monitoring to assess the scope of media coverage on two co-operations and

the Networking Event 2010 as well.

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  Base on the view page on YouTube, face book and comments on those pages about the

video clip, the pictures taken from the actions at Anh Minh kindergarten and Thao Dan

organization the Networking Event to evaluate the involvement as well as their opinions

towards L and its partners have done so far.

Techniques for ‘outcome evaluation’:

 Undertake quick one-to-one interviews with five of the participants about their perception

towards the model of volunteerism L has applied and their future plan to work with L.

 Base on the number of the application forms for L volunteer’s positions to evaluate the

effectiveness of call-for-action plan through media report and word-of-mouth for two co-

operations as well as the second Networking Event 2010. Moreover, the way the

participants contact with L for more information relevant will be taking into account.

Word count: 2,013

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Reference

• LCentre 2009 (a), Corporate Philanthropy in Ho Chi Minh City: An Update on the Status

of Corporate Giving in Vietnam based on Interviews with 44 Companies, Lvn,

VinaCapital Foundation & Global Fund for Community Foundations, viewed 15 May

2010, <http://www.Lvn.org/cms/upload/FCKFile/file/L%20-%20Corporate

%20Philanthropy%20in%20HCMC%20Dec2009_FINAL.pdf>.

• LCentre 2009 (b), L Centre for Community Development 2009 Annual Report: Helping

Local People to Meet Local Needs, Lvn, viewed 15 May 2010,

<http://www.Lvn.org/cms/upload/FCKFile/file/L%202009%20annual%20report.pdf>.

• L 2010 (a),About L, viewed 15 May 2010, http://www.Lvn.org/.

• L 2010 (b), FAQs about L, viewed 15 May 2010, http://www.Lvn.org/.

• PhuQuyCorp 2010, Corporate information, viewed 15 May 2010,

http://www.phuquycorp.com/

• VietnamBusinessForum 2007, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, viewed 15

May 2010, http://vibforum.vcci.com.vn/

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Appendix

SWOT Analysis: L in relation to business and corporate social responsibilities in Vietnam

Strengths Weaknesses

• L is a not-for-profit organization, • Limited access to the Internet

sponsored by Horizontal Capital Group,
• Limited budget for PR activities
Vinausteel, SSE Steel, Jardines and
Sanofi Aventis as Institutional Sponsor
– Corporation. There are also other
sponsors for project and in-kind
(LCentre, 2010).

• It functions as a bridge between

‘suppliers’ and ‘demands’ for
philanthropy and volunteerism. With
the very clear mission ‘Helping Local
People Meet Local Needs’, L seems to
be brand-new in this kind of volunteer
model in Vietnam (L Centre, 2010).

• L set up a website, blog, some kinds of

face book and twister pages to share
information and connect with its
stakeholders (government agencies,
local NPOs, individual/corporate
philanthropists)

• L holds a network of NPOs, social

workers and corporations.

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Opportunities Threats

• Multinational Corporations in Vietnam • Although Vietnamese small and

tend to seek out how they could medium corporate focus more on CSR,
contribute on their local community they just emphasize the CSR side of
working environment or some internal
• The Vietnamese Government
issues.
encourages small and medium business
to incorporate CSR into their strategic
plan

• The idea of CSR is penetrating into

Vietnamese business because they now
believe that CSR could help to
reinforce their brand image as well as
strengthen good relationships with their

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