Monday, October 12, 2009
Hablas espanol?
Friday, October 9, 2009
Public Relations: Business or Journalism?
Friday, April 10, 2009
Presentation Outline
We will pass out handouts that include our talking points and what we want to accomplish with our campaign.
We will have a Power Point presentation of about four or five slides prepared to guide our presentation.
Matt Frandsen will initiate the presentation by introducing the PR Gurus, who we are, and what we do.
Matt Ferris will take us into the body of the presentation, explaining in detail what the campaign is, what it will achieve, and what resources we will need to achieve those goals.
Kevin Mouritsen will conclude the presentation, do a general overview of everything that was discussed, and open the presentation up for questions.
Matt, Matt and Kevin will all participate in answering questions.
Proposal Letter Final
PR Gurus
Kevin, Matt and Matt
The PR Gurus
Kevin Mouritsen, Matt Ferris, Matt Frandsen
Executive Summary
The PR Gurus, in connection with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), are proposing to the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) to create a partnership of transportation units to increase public transportation ridership in Utah.
UDOT and UTA have always maintained similar goals, and this proposal would not stray from that reality. UDOT has hired the PR Gurus to carry out a campaign, including a PSA (filmed with Morgan Freeman), radio ads, and newsletters. This campaign (the “Ride. Don’t Drive” campaign) aims to increase awareness of the amount of pollution and wasted manpower and money that occurs when Americans commute to work in their own vehicles.
We are proposing a $50,000 budget to pay for the production of the PSA, the film crew, and printing costs. Daryl Mayhew, project manager of the LitterHurts campaign to reduce the amount of litter on the highway, will manage this new campaign.
In conclusion, we reaffirm our mission to help increase awareness of the growing problem of the daily commute and the benefits of using public transportation. Thank you for your time.
Utah Department of Transportation
“Ride. Don’t Drive” Campaign
Sponsor Appeal
Based on previous years, we have found that the UTA has donated significant amounts of money to worthy causes, with the intent of improving the transportation system while creating a positive image for the UTA. For example, by partnering with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), the UTA demonstrated a commitment to helping American families achieve financial stability. We here at the PR Gurus look forward to the opportunity of helping create awareness of services available to American families, the foundation of our nation.
Problem
Right now, millions of dollars are being wasted, both in man-hours and gallons of gasoline, as the United States work force commutes to and from work each day. This is not only an inconvenience to our citizens, as well as a public health issue, but also a significant drain on our fragile economy. As is stated the UTA mission statement, the UTA will: “Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future. “ We firmly believe that funding our campaign will assist you in accomplishing your goals.
A major concern with the current transportation system is that 88.1 percent of Americans regularly commute to work in their own vehicles. We believe that solving this problem should be a top priority for the UTA.
One of our main goals with this campaign is to raise awareness of the problems arising from current private transportation trends. Our ultimate solution is to increase the use of public transportation, which will result in a decrease of wasted dollars and the betterment of the environment.
Following are some quotes that we have gathered from focus groups:
“I thoroughly enjoy the public transportation. I can’t imagine commuting without it. It’s become a part of my everyday life.” –Matthew Frandsen.
“Sure, I like riding the bus. It allows me to get to and from work without stressing out over other drivers and suffocating traffic.” –Kevin Mouritsen
“I used to commute to work in my own car until one day it died on me. I took the bus hesitantly at first, ‘cause I thought it would be slower. How wrong I was. I will never commute to work in my own car ever again.” –Matt Ferris
Solution
With the ever increasing problem of people spending more time in their own cars driving to and from work, we are implementing the “Ride. Don’t Drive.” campaign. We will produce brochures, newsletters, and a PSA to raise awareness regarding this issue. Our PSA will feature the well-known actor Morgan Freeman. Freeman will give some daunting facts about the difference between the bus system and driving personal cars, and will also be shown as a passenger on a city bus. We will produce all of these things with the hope that the public will realize the problems in private transportation, and start to use the public transportation system more.
Capabilities
James McMinimee, director of project development, will head the project. He had served as Region 2 director from 1995 until this appointment. Region 2 was awarded the Governor’s Quality Service Award for excellence in customer service while under his leadership. The project will also be supervised by John Njord, executive director of UDOT, who launched the Litter Hurts campaign.
Budget
To accomplish this daunting task, we will require $50,000 to cover all expenses. We feel that this amount of money is both sufficient and reasonable.
Total: $50,000
Morgan Freeman: $20,000
Film crew: $10,000
Printing and distributing costs: $8,000
Radio ad production: $5,000
PSA Production: $7,000
Conclusion
The PR Gurus, a world-renowned public relations firm, is requesting that the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) donate $50,000 for production of a PSA directed towards increasing the use of public transportation and enhancing the image of the UTA.
In conclusion, we reaffirm our mission to help increase awareness of the growing problem of the daily commute and the benefits of using public transportation. Thank you for your time.
The PR Gurus
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
PR Gurus
Kevin, Matt and Matt
United States Department of Transportation
“Ride. Don’t Drive” Campaign
The Pr Gurus, a world-renowned public relations firm, is requesting that the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) donate $50,000 for production of a PSA directed towards increasing the use of public transportation and enhancing the image of the USDOT.
Based on previous years, we have found that the USDOT has donated significant amounts of money to worthy causes, with the intent of improving the transportation system while creating a positive image for the USDOT. For example, by partnering with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the USDOT demonstrated a commitment to helping American families achieve financial stability. We here at the PR Gurus look forward to the opportunity of helping create awareness of services available to American families, the foundation of our nation.
Right now, millions of dollars are being wasted, both in man-hours and gallons of gasoline, as the United States work force commutes to and from work each day. This is not only an inconvenience to our citizens, as well as a public health issue, but also a significant drain on our fragile economy. As is stated the USDOT mission statement, the USDOT will: “Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future. “ We firmly believe that funding our campaign will assist you in accomplishing your goals.
A major concern with the current transportation system is that 88.1 percent of Americans regularly commute to work in their own vehicles. We believe that solving this problem should be a top priority for the USDOT.
One of our main goals with this campaign is to raise awareness of the problems arising from current private transportation trends. Our ultimate solution is to increase the use of public transportation, which will result in a decrease of wasted dollars and the betterment of the environment.
Following are some quotes that we have gathered from focus groups:
“I thoroughly enjoy the public transportation. I can’t imagine commuting without it. It’s become a part of my everyday life.” –Matthew Frandsen.
“Sure, I like riding the bus. It allows me to get to and from work without stressing out over other drivers and suffocating traffic.” –Kevin Mouritsen
“I used to commute to work in my own car until one day it died on me. I took the bus hesitantly at first, ‘cause I thought it would be slower. How wrong I was. I will never commute to work in my own car ever again.” –Matt Ferris
We were involved in organizing the Kyoto Protocol that was help in Japan. This event was aimed at curbing green house emissions around the world. We received recognition from several major influences in the green community, including Al Gore. We were also nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
We feel that these accomplishments qualify us to undertake this complex and increasingly important endeavor.
To accomplish this daunting task, we will require $50,000 to cover all expenses. We feel that this amount of money is both sufficient and reasonable.
In conclusion, we reaffirm our mission to help increase awareness of the growing problem of the daily commute and the benefits of using public transportation. Thank you for your time.
The PR Gurus
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Position Paper Final: Burger Planet
Position Paper
As a result of extensive research, it is our belief that women between the ages of 30-50 are not attracted to the unhealthy food choices at Burger Planet. According to an article on www.confectionerynews.com, the market for low-fat foods has been increasing over the last few years. It also states that in the US, 65 percent of the adult population is classified as overweight and 30 percent are obese. With the rising trend of obesity in America, people, especially women, are becoming more health-conscious in their food choices. For this reason, we are proposing to enhance the image of Burger Planet by introducing healthier food choices into the menu, bring in a health professional to give our healthy menu credibility and promote a healthier lifestyle, and do this without taking anything away from Burger Planet’s classic menu items.
As part of our research, we conducted several focus groups to find out why or why not middle-aged women were eating at Burger Planet’s restaurants. Following are some direct quotes from members of the focus groups:
A 45-year-old mother of four said: “Burger Planet is my dirty little secret. My heart races when I think about the Saturn burger, layers of juicy beef topped with delicious onion rings. But I'd never tell my husband I eat there. My husband runs marathons. He used to scold my eating habits. And I'd never take my children there. I think that would almost amount to child abuse. I try to make sure they eat healthy. You know, a cup of milk a day, plenty of veggies." She also said that the one phrase she thinks of when she hears the name Burger Planet is “grease on a bun.”
A 39-year-old waitress who was once employed by Burger Planet said: “I figure you gain 10 pounds every decade and, well, I have recently decided to change that in my own life. I like Burger Planet because it's fast and, hey, I'm a busy working mother without much time. But dining on Burger Planet caused my weight to top the 150-pound mark. And I'm barely 5 foot tall. I just made a decision that before I turn 40, I'm going to lose weight. So, I had to give up some luxuries. Like Burger Planet."
Based on these statements, we have concluded that women enjoy the food at Burger Planet but feel that eating at Burger Planet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is improbable, if not impossible. As we find from the statement from the 45-year-old, she likes Burger Planet’s food and eats at Burger Planet often, but she is too embarrassed to admit it, much less recommend Burger Planet to other people. We believe this can be remedied by conforming the image of Burger Planet to increasing health-conscious trends.
Our Plan
We propose two main steps to enhance the image of Burger Planet so that women between the ages of 30 and 50 will start or continue to eat at Burger Planet.
First, we propose to add healthy food items to Burger Planet’s menu. These new menu items will include, but are not limited to, white meat chicken breasts, gourmet salads and various fruit choices.
Secondly, according to Burger Planet’s Market Research VP, research has shown that women in their 30s and 40s have been Burger Planet's base customer for the past 20 years. But in the past two years, we've spotted a growing trend. Those women aren't coming to Burger Planet as much. They don't see Burger Planet as a healthy place, but those women trust Opal Whitcomb. Whatever Opal Whitcomb promotes on her show, female consumers make it a bestseller. Opal's viewers all followed her efforts to lose weight with Jayne Petersen. If we hire Jayne Petersen, we get Whitcomb's credibility with our target consumer by association.
By hiring Jayne Peterson, we gain instant credibility with our target audience. Burger Planet will no longer be seen as a “dirty secret” by these women, but as a leading supporter for women wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Conclusion
Burger Planet should no longer be known as “grease on a bun,” but as the leader of a health-conscious food industry. There is a large market for healthy food, and Burger Planet can seize the majority of it by enhancing its image right now while other fast-food chains are dragging their feet.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Position Paper Draft: Burger Planet
Position Paper
As a result of extensive research, it is our belief that women between the ages of 30-50 are not attracted to the unhealthy food choices at Burger Planet. According to an article on www.confectionerynews.com, the market for low-fat foods has been increasing over the last few years. It also states that in the US, 65 percent of the adult population is classified as overweight and 30 percent are obese. With the rising trend of obesity in America, people, especially women, are becoming more health-conscious in their food choices. For this reason, we are proposing to enhance the image of Burger Planet by introducing healthier food choices into the menu, bringing in a health professional to give our healthy menu credibility and promote a healthier lifestyle, without taking anything away from Burger Planet’s classic menu items.
As part of our research, we conducted several focus groups to find out why or why not middle-aged women were eating at Burger Planet’s restaurants. Following are some direct quotes from members of the focus groups:
A 45-year-old mother of four said: “Burger Planet is my dirty little secret. My heart races when I think about the Saturn burger, layers of juicy beef topped with delicious onion rings. But I'd never tell my husband I eat there. My husband runs marathons. He used to scold my eating habits. And I'd never take my children there. I think that would almost amount to child abuse. I try to make sure they eat healthy. You know, a cup of milk a day, plenty of veggies." She also said that the one phrase she thinks of when she hears the name Burger Planet is “grease on a bun.”
A 39-year-old waitress who was once employed by Burger Planet said: “I figure you gain 10 pounds every decade and, well, I have recently decided to change that in my own life. I like Burger Planet because it's fast and, hey, I'm a busy working mother without much time. But dining on Burger Planet caused my weight to top the 150-pound mark. And I'm barely 5 foot tall. I just made a decision that before I turn 40, I'm going to lose weight. So, I had to give up some luxuries. Like Burger Planet."
Based on these statements, we have concluded that women enjoy the food at Burger Planet but feel that eating at Burger Planet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is improbable, if not impossible. As we find from the statement from the 45-year-old, she likes Burger Planet’s food and eats at Burger Planet often, but she is too embarrassed to admit it, much less recommend Burger Planet to other people. We believe this can be remedied by conforming the image of Burger Planet to increasing health-conscious trends.
Our Plan
We propose two main steps to enhance the image of Burger Planet so that women between the ages of 30 and 50 will start or continue to eat at Burger Planet.
First, we propose to add healthy food items to Burger Planet’s menu. These new menu items will include, but are not limited to, white meat chicken breasts, gourmet salads and various fruit choices.
Secondly, according to Burger Planet’s Market Research VP, research has shown that women in their 30s and 40s have been Burger Planet's base customer for the past 20 years. But in the past two years, we've spotted a growing trend. Those women aren't coming to Burger Planet as much. They don't see Burger Planet as a healthy place, but those women trust Opal Whitcomb. Whatever Opal Whitcomb promotes on her show, female consumers make it a bestseller. Opal's viewers all followed her efforts to lose weight with Jayne Petersen. If we hire Jayne Petersen, we get Whitcomb's credibility with our target consumer by association.
By hiring Jayne Peterson, we gain instant credibility with our target audience. Burger Planet will no longer be seen as a “dirty secret” by these women, but as a leading supporter for women wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Conclusion
Burger Planet should no longer be known as “grease on a bun,” but as the leader of a health- conscious food industry. There is a large market for healthy food, and Burger Planet can seize the majority of it by enhancing its image right now while other fast-food chains are dragging their feet.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Press Release 4: Final
Friday, February 27, 2009
Final: Media Pitch For CVAIA
Monday, February 23, 2009
Draft Press Release 4: JMCQ
Friday, February 20, 2009
Subject: Financial Independence in Three Years
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Final Press Release 3: Cause Promotion
February 12, 2009
For Immediate Release
Cache Valley Area Investors Association
160 N. Main Street
Logan, UT 84321
cachevaia@gmail.com
LOGAN, Utah—Financial independence is attainable, and it’s easier than most people think, says Preston Parker, founder and president of Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA). The non-profit organization teaches members to focus on investing time, assets and experience to create opportunities for achieving financial independence.
Parker, a graduate of Utah State University, founded the organization in August 2007 after receiving several requests from acquaintances about how to manage their finances. He says that, although the ideas that his organization focuses on are not his own, he has come up with a creative way to present them.
With a moderate amount of time, assets and experience, anyone can become financially independent in as little as three years, says Parker. While some say that a lot of luck is involved in becoming financially independent, Parker says that ‘luck’ is just a matter of being prepared when the right opportunity presents itself.
“Taking advantage of the opportunities available while completing a college degree is the single most important thing you can do to become financially independent,” says Parker.
If people learn the right mentality and approaches to investing, they can all be successful in what they desire. People should be able to spend their time doing something they love, not just a job that provides an income. Passive Income largely makes this possible. Cache Valley Area Investors Association teaches people how to increase passive income. CVAIA embraces the Law of Attraction, Law of Abundance, and Law of Exchange. They practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret. CVAIA began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographical locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risks of investing.
For more information, you can visit www.cvaia.com.
For more info, contact:
Kevin Mouritsen
Public Relations Manager
801-555-1986
cachevaia@gmail.com
####
Friday, February 6, 2009
Draft Press Release 3: Cause Promotion
For Immediate Release
Cache Valley Area Investors Association
160 N. Main Street
Logan, UT 84321
cachevaia@gmail.com
LOGAN, Utah—Financial independence is attainable, and it’s easier than most people think, says Preston Parker, founder and president of Cache Valley Area Investors Association (CVAIA). The non-profit organization teaches members to focus on investing time, assets and experience to create opportunities for achieving financial independence.
“Taking advantage of the opportunities available while completing a college degree is the single most important thing you can do to become financially independent.”
If people learn the right mentality and approaches to investing, they can all be successful in what they desire. People should be able to spend their time doing something they love, not just a job that provides an income. Passive Income largely makes this possible. Cache Valley Area Investors Association teaches people how to increase passive income. CVAIA embraces the Law of Attraction, Law of Abundance, and Law of Exchange. They practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret. CVAIA began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographical locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risks of investing.
For more info, contact:
Kevin Mouritsen
Public Relations Manager
801-555-1986
cachevaia@gmail.com
####
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Press Release 2: Image Building
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Draft Press Release 2: Image Building
Friday, January 16, 2009
Draft Version Press Release 1: Announcement
For Immediate Release
ABC Real Estate
123 Creative Way, Logan UT 84341
(801) 555-4567
LOGAN, Utah—ABC Real Estate is introducing a new, innovative, beneficiary-directed way to handle real estate. Preston Parker, the president of ABC Real Estate, announced today that he is looking for investors for his new system.
“This system of handling real estate is so effective," said Parker, "because it is a time-proven method that will work in any market." The system involves up to four investors: the person selling the home, the person volunteering his/her credit to purchase the home, the person making the down payment, and the person paying the monthly bill. Before any action is taken, everyone invloved puts an agreement in writing about who is responsible for what.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Letter to Cousin
Dear Miguel,
I suppose you’re wondering about this letter, especially since I don’t know that we’ve ever had an actual one-on-one conversation. That’s really not important. The reason I am writing to you is to let you know about one of the most exciting careers that there is: public relations (PR). The purpose of this letter is to give you an overall understanding of what public relations is, what its history is, and how it relates to modern society.
Modern public relations started to develop and define itself within the last 150 years. As they grew and expanded, businesses and institutions began to face challenges. Connecting with the public, especially consumers, has become an integral part of any organization’s success. Instead of ignoring public opinion, organizations such as corporations, not-for-profit, and churches have begun to adapt to and prepare for shifting public opinion. In many cases, they even try to shape public opinion.
The responsibilities of a PR specialist vary and are often difficult to define. I will attempt to address at least a few of them in this letter.
1) Writing- any good PR specialist will have the opportunity to write, and to do lots of it. Press releases, memos and business letters are among the things that PR specialists are responsible for.
2) Planning- event planning, product development and crisis prevention/management all fall under the umbrella of PR. This requires PR specialists to be willing to adapt and change in order to accomplish their goals and objectives.
3) Internal and external communications- PR specialists are often responsible for the communication that exists within an organization, as well as the communication between two distinct organizations. For example, if Apple and AT&T want to go in on a phone together, the planning and communication that goes on between Apple and AT&T are done by PR specialists. At the same time, the communication that occurs between the management of a company and its employees is generally done through the PR department.
These are a few of the things that PR specialists are responsible for, but this list in no way summarizes all the possible responsibilities that a PR specialist will have. I hope this letter has at least been interesting to you, if nothing more. I hope New York is treating you well. No pressure to respond to this letter. Just think about it.
Sincerely,
Kevin Mouritsen