Campaign Overview
Introduction
The purpose of this research to increase awareness of Savannah State University’s Chapter of CurlyInCollege. CurlyInCollege was founded in 2014 by Ashely G. Scott. She wanted to create an organization that made a promise to support and celebrate students who are bold enough to navigate a life with curls on campus”(CurlyInCollege, n.d.). CIC is not gender, race, hair type exclusive. The first chapter was started at Rutgers University and has grown ever since. CurlyInCollege was brought to Savannah State University in 2016 by current president Shayanna Bonner. The target audience of this research focused on students who are enrolled at Savannah State University. The study is primarily focused on the students of Savannah State University because that is where this new organization is established. An interview was conducted with president of the organization, Shayanna Bonner. With the organization being so new on the campus, Bonner wants to figure out which ways to communicate with the campus effectively and the students background on natural hair. Triple A: Public Relations will work with SSU CurlyInCollege to create a campaign to communicate efficiently with students on campus and cater to their natural hair needs.
Background Research
Over the past few years, natural hair has grown from a trend to a lifestyle movement. According to About.com (2017), “natural hair is hair that hasn’t been altered by any chemical straighteners, including relaxers and texturizers” (About, 2017). Natural hair varies from all different types of curl pattern, colors, and lengths. The natural hair community consists of women and even men. Many a part of the natural hair community have been natural their whole lives or they have decided to go natural through doing a big chop or transitioning. Along with natural hair comes the use of using hair products that contain natural products. CNBC reporter Nana Sidbe (2015) reports that Karen Grant, beauty analyst at NPD Group, says that natural hair is a lifestyle choice just as eating healthy and organic foods are (Sidbe, 2015).
According to USA Today and a report by Mintel (2011), the sales of relaxer went down by 17% from 2006-2011 and 36% of black women reported the non-use of products to relax their hair in 2011 (Healy, 2011). With the prices of relaxer decreasing, that means there is an increase in those who have chosen to go natural, especially on college campuses. Many college students are low in funds have decided to take the route to go natural.
Methodology
The purpose of this research is to analyze and improve the visibility and importance of what the organization, CurlyinCollege, is bringing to Savannah State University. Primary research was conducted by way random survey. A questionnaire was given to a random sample amongst the Savannah State University students. The participants were chosen due to them all being students at Savannah State University. 75 participants were needed to complete a proper sample amount for the survey. The ending number of participants counted were 79. The survey was given to male and female students who were no less than the age of 18. They all agreed to the consent form in which it gave them the purpose of the survey and reassured them that the survey was voluntary.
The survey was made available January 31, 2017 at 9:46 a.m. and remained open until February 1, 2017. The survey was shared via Facebook, Twitter, GroupMe and reposted throughout the day encouraging Savannah State students to participate in the survey. Twitter found to be the most effective way of reaching students. We also walked around the campus asking random students if they were willing to participate in the survey. Secondary research was conducted by non-random online research aimed towards information leading to the feelings of students about their natural hair and the promotion of student organizations.
After analyzing the data given from the survey, 95% of the sample responded they would join an organization that would improve the quality of their life, yet only 75% responded that they would join a natural hair club/organization if referred by a friend. There is a 20% gap between the two subjects. If the student population believed that CurlyInCollege could improve the quality of their life, then that gap could decrease.
According to Brooks, students join organizations to network, develop personal and leadership skills, professional experience, social opportunities, and organizational and management skills. The connection between these characteristics and CurlyInCollege has yet to be made due to them being a fresh organization. 89% of the participants responded they would be willing to attend an event hosted by a natural hair organization. At these, events CurlyInCollege can tackle the small percentage (15%), according to the survey, that oppose the belief that men belong to the natural hair community. Since CurlyInCollege is a natural hair organization for women and men, CIC would need to develop a campaign to spread awareness for natural men.
Findings
While reviewing the results of the research it was found that although a new organization at Savannah State University, they were not as invisible as once thought. Most participants were somewhat familiar of CurlyInCollege as an organization at Savannah State University. So, analyzing the information a little further it is believed the issue of the campaign should not focus on the visibility but how to convince students that this is an organization worth joining. 36.7% of the sample responded that they may not join the organization. One of the many contributing factors that may lead students to not wanting to join CurlyInCollege is the fact they may already be involved with more than one organization. We found that 70% were in more than one organization. According to Robotham (2008), there has been an increase in cost for higher education, but a lack of funding that wouldn’t cause deeper debt. Most students are forced to take on a full or part-time job to help pay for fees and have money to send on other necessities. Although the research that is cited was conducted in the United Kingdom, it applies in the students in the United States as well. Students will be less likely to join an organization if they do not have the time to participate on the e-board or attend the events.
After analyzing the data given from the survey, 95% of the sample responded they would join an organization that would improve the quality of their life, yet only 75% responded that they would join a natural hair club/organization if referred by a friend. There is a 20% gap between the two subjects. If the student population believed that CurlyInCollege could improve the quality of their life, then that gap could decrease.
According to Brooks, students join organizations to network, develop personal and leadership skills, professional experience, social opportunities, and organizational and management skills. The connection between these characteristics and CurlyInCollege has yet to be made due to them being a fresh organization. 89% of the participants responded they would be willing to attend an event hosted by a natural hair organization. At these, events CurlyInCollege can tackle the small percentage (15%), according to the survey, that oppose the belief that men belong to the natural hair community. Since CurlyInCollege is a natural hair organization for women and men, CIC would need to develop a campaign to spread awareness for natural men.
Major Conclusions
Triple A: Public Relations surveyed 79 college students at Savannah State University. Both male and female students took the survey. Since CurlyInCollege is a student organization on a college campus, psychographic questions were asked in the survey to analyze the students’ views and involvement in the natural hair community and help decide the best approach to reach them. A few things were concluded after evaluating the results.
Attitude Toward CurlyInCollege
Majority of the students surveyed has heard of CurlyInCollege before but there were a number of students who did not have any prior knowledge of the organization.
Attitude Toward Other Organizations
Students were surveyed on their willingness to join a natural hair based club or organization and a majority of the students said they were willing to join, while a number of others were not willing or undecided. More than half of those surveyed identified as belonging to two or more student organizations on campus. A large majority of the students surveyed strongly agreed to the willingness to be a part of a student organization that would improve their quality of life.
Media and Social Media Exposure
When assessed on the best form of promotion worked for the students, it was concluded that on-campus flyers and social media were the most effective methods to reach the students. More than half of the students surveyed said that social media is the form of promotion that works best for them. Flyer and student email also were very popular among the students. The most popular form of social media used among the students surveyed was Instagram, with Snapchat not too far behind in ranking. Youtube was the least popular form of social media used among the students, although there were still a number of students who chose it. Most participants spend two to three hours on social media a day. Some even use social media more than 5 hours a day. It is apparent that social media is one of the most effective ways to reach students on campus.
Awareness of Men in the Natural Hair Community
A large amount of the students surveyed said they were aware that men were a part of the natural hair community. Although the majority was aware, there were still a number of students who were not aware.
Through the primary research conducted on the psychographics of the college students on campus, it is concluded that CurlyInCollege does not have more exposure because:
• Social media presence is inadequate. Every social media site that is popular among the student body should be utilized as a tool of promotion for the organization.
• Everyone is not aware that they are a part of the natural hair community. Information about who is included in the natural hair community is not present on campus. Students do not feel the need to join an organization that does not identify with them.
• Lacks awareness of the benefits of joining the organization.
• Some students lack the willingness to join a natural hair based organization.
Recommendations
After conducting primary research on the students at Savannah State University, it can be concluded that Savannah State University’s chapter of SSU CurlyInCollege is well known about despite it being a brand new organization. However, when it came to students and their natural hair Triple A: Public Relations discovered that only 24.1 % strongly agreed that they knew which hair products worked best for them.
When it came to receiving support from family, friend, coworkers for wearing their natural hair 68.4% students responded yes, 20.3% said a little, and 11.4 % responded no.
Surveyors responded with a wide usage of social media on all platforms, with Instagram being the most (88.6%). Other popular platforms included Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat. Many students at Savannah State University rely on social media sites for promotions and dissemination of information for events.
Studies show that campaign target for SSU CurlyInCollege should include:
• Students who aren’t aware of what products they should use for their natural hair
• Those who haven’t received much support for their decisions in wearing their hair
• Student who may not be aware that men are a part of the natural hair community.
During the campaign with Savannah State University’s chapter of CurlyInCollege, there should be a strategy to educate students who aren’t aware of what products to use on their hair. As well, as informing the campus community that men are a part of the natural hair community too and providing support to those who have not received it by their decision to wear their hair natural. Especially with that being a part of the organization’s mission it would be recommended to implement this idea. Events that are held throughout the evenings are very popular for students to attend after classes. The University allows has a S.T.R.I.P.E.S program that drives students to the events that could be added if it falls under the property category. Triple A: Public Relations could plan an event that shares information on the basics of natural hair care to help those students who may be lost. Working with CurlyInCollege contacts could be made to various hair companies to see if they could send out samples and brochures with information on proper hair care. In addition to an event, student traffic is very high in King Frazier atrium on Wednesday and throughout the U between the hours of 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., a tabling session could be set up where the organizations inform on how men are a part of the community. Triple A should work on reaching out to natural hair specialist in the community to see if they would be interested in hosting a panel or information session to provide info for those without support or little knowledge about products. Information for the events could be shared on social media, through the student email blast, or flyers on campus. These recommendations and the addition of the research and surveys should bring improve the stature of SSU CurlyInCollege.
Integrated Marketing Campaign Plan (IMC)
Campaign Goal
The goal of this campaign is to increase the awareness of Savannah State University’s chapter of CurlyInCollege.
Objectives
Informational objective: According to primary research, 25.3% of all the participants that took the survey were not aware of what hair products work best for them. The informational objective of this campaign is to inform and educate students about which products are most effective for their hair by 25% by March 2017.
Target Audience
Any student enrolled at Savannah State University.
Key Messages and Themes
Key Messages
CurlyInCollege will help improve quality of life. CurlyInCollege will provide networking with like-minded individuals.
Key Themes
The logo is an orange circle with the organization’s name inside to represent the Savannah State’s chapter of CurlyInCollege and it’s inclusiveness. “Whether curly, coily, or kinky. SSU CurlyInCollege encourages you to be #NaturallyYou!
Channel Strategies:
Media Channels
During the campaign a news release from Savannah State and a video commercial will be implanted throughout the campaign. Nearly 50% of participants of survey participants agreed that Savannah State e-mails and flyers were the best form of promotion for them. This will give CurlyinCollege a lot of exposure in an array of mediums.
Non-media Channels
An event will be held hosted by CurlyInCollege educating student on the importance if healthy hair so students can reflect on the health featuring local natural hair stylist from Savannah. The decision is based on the results from the survey that revealed 44% were indifferent to knowing which products worked best for their hair. This will bring awareness to the benefits of CurlyInCollege.
Interactive Channels
Campaign website, commercial, web advertisement, Social media outlets and a news kit will be used for the duration of this campaign. Instagram would be an ideal outlet to spread information, share visuals, and education through posts. According to a conducted survey, 88.6% of SSU students use Instagram the most with Snapchat (80%) and Twitter (75.9%) following behind. 85% in totality agreed that social media was the best way to promote them. About 60% of survey participants spend three or more hours on social media. This should increase the exposure and awareness of CurlyInCollege.
Implementation
Event: Back to the Basics
Campaign Commercial
Campaign Evaluation
A post survey was conducted in order to properly evaluate the target audience and the effectiveness of the campaign.
Campaign Goals and objectives
Goal: The goal of this campaign is to increase the awareness of Savannah State University’s chapter of CurlyInCollege.
Objectives: According to primary research, 25.3% of all the participants that took the survey were not aware of what hair products work best for them. The informational objective of this campaign is to inform and educate students about which products are most effective for their hair by 25% by March 2017.
Methodology
We conducted another questionnaire right after the event to evaluate the visibility of the promotion of the event and to evaluate the effectiveness of the information distributed from the events as well as deliverables. Primary research will be conducted through a questionnaire shared with the audiences. 75 participants were needed to complete a proper sample amount for this survey. The ending number of participants that were counted is 77. Participants included the attendees of the events and the student body of Savannah State University. The survey was disseminated through social media such as GroupMe, Twitter, and Facebook. The event was also shared by word of mouth at the event. The survey was made available from March 27th, 2017 – April 23rd, 2017 until 5 PM.
Implementation Efforts
a. Back to the Basics: Event: We hosted an event titled Back to the Basics on Monday, March 27th at 7:30 PM in the University Village Rec Room on the campus of Savannah State University. The event was based on natural hair care such as creating a regimen, what specific products to use, and included a guest speaker from Divine Allure salon, Alia Freeman. The ice breaker at the event included a giveaway where winners won hair product samples from Honey Baby naturals. Each guest was also given a sample bag of products to go home with from Miss Jessies. The event was to continue promote our campaign of being #NaturallyYou.
b. Information Table: The information table consisted of free sample of Miss Jessie’s products provided by the organization. Blank sheets were places at the table for students to complete a hair regimen partnering with the event. There were postcards, another form of our implementation, placed on the table with a regimen checklist and products for a successful healthy hair regimen. The information table provided a space for students to check in after the event ended to join the organization, if they weren’t a member, and gain more information on healthy hair regimen tips. Surveys were completed at the table as well. The goal was to provide the audience with tips so they can continue to prosper in being #NaturallyYou with these hair tips and suggestions.
c. Social Media Post: We created social media post to continue to promote the key theme of #NaturallyYou! One of the post included a photo challenge, where we wanted to highlight all the women on campus who were “bold enough to rock their curls” on the SSU CurlyInCollege Instagram page (@ssucurlyincollege). If they wanted to join in on the photo challenge they were instructed to upload a photo, tag the page on their post, and include all the hashtags (#CurlyInCollege, #SSU, and #NaturallyMe) in their caption. The photo challenge was conducted on April 13th. Our second social media posts shared 5 Natural Hair Commandments and included the website address to draw people to the CurlyInCollege site.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the campaign was very successful in keeping up the momentum that CurlyInCollege has already set by being a new organization on the campus of Savannah State University. Based on the implementation of the event, the campaign was successful in distributing information about a healthier hair lifestyle. After reviewing results, there was an increase in visibility and awareness of the organization and its benefits. Based on the implementation of the social media posts, the visibility and awareness of the organization and events showed growth.
Limitations
Schedule conflicts were a huge issue when it came to implementation. Due to the room booking schedule, the day the event was held on, Monday, may have decreased the attendance. Peak days have events on campus are on Wednesday however, we had to have this event on a Monday.
Formative Research
We discovered that most people are already aware of CurlyInCollege’s presence on campus. Membership is very high for a new organization, however, the turn out for events does not match the membership numbers. The major dilemma the organization possess is increasing the attendance of events hosted. Improvements in the future can be made by asking further detailed questions and working even closer with the organization to better efficiently target the issues of organization.