Integrated Marketing Communication Plan for WVU IMC Program

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re:focus | 15 walcott st | new york mills, ny 13417 | (315) 404-9968 page 1
Thomas J. Armitage
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Integrated Marketing Communication Plan
May 2014

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Table of Contents
Agency Materials
Logo & Business Cards.......... 3
Letterhead.......... 5
Cover Sheet.......... 6
Opening Letter.......... 7
Agency Credentials & Identity.......... 8
News Release.......... 10
Executive Summary………. 11
Client Background
Situation Analysis.......... 12
Target Audience.......... 18
SWOT Analysis.......... 26
Brand Perception.......... 27
Brand Positioning.......... 31
Brand Personality.......... 35
Creative
Strategy Statement.......... 37
Creative Brief.......... 38
Objectives & Tactics………. 39
Timeline………. 55
Budget & Spend………. 56
Creative Touchpoints………. 58
Measurement
Focus Group Findings………. 71
Evaluation………. 78
Conclusion………. 82
Appendices
Online Survey………. 83
Focus Group Moderator’s Guide………. 99
Sources………. 102

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Headline
Subheads
This is sample text to demonstrate the font and layout of this letterhead.

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Intent of Effort
Through strategic marketing communication efforts, we will work to better
understand the 14-18 year-old audience and their willingness to support St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital as we prepare a comprehensive marketing
communication plan, focused around digital media, which will lead to heightened
engagement among this target market.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital re:focus
Finding Cures. Saving Children. digital marketing on point
262 Danny Thomas Place 15 Walcott St.
Memphis, TN 38105 New York Mills, NY 13417
May 9, 2014. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Campaign Proposal. Copyright ©2014. re:focus. CONFIDENTIAL.

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May 9, 2014
Ms. Melanne Hannock
Sr. Vice President, Marketing
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38015-3678
cc: Ms. Sarah Wright
Dear Ms. Hannock,
I want to thank you, first and foremost, for the opportunity to submit a campaign proposal to your
team at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It would be a tremendous honor to collaborate and work
side-by-side with the caring and talented members of your team - from the volunteers to management
to the wonderful doctors and nurses performing direct care.
Our team at re:focus specializes in digital marketing through new media, digital storytelling and web
and mobile communication. More specifically, our mission is to reach and resonate with today’s youth
and the millennial markets. We understand the need for St. Jude to reach today’s teens and begin
laying the foundation for this audience to become future donors, volunteers and/or employees. It is
also important to tap this trendsetting generation to help push the very important messages of St. Jude
and influence others. Strategy always takes precedence and we place heavy emphasis on research
when presented with business and branding challenges. We utilize video, social media, content
marketing, and other new techniques to engage targeted individuals. Our agency’s primary talents are
the perfect fit to help St. Jude reach its marketing goals.
Over the years, I’ve been moved by your organization’s initiatives and the way your team tells the
stories of St. Jude children and their loved ones. re:focus is eager to take your rich history and mission,
craft it for the digital age, and reach out to the youth of today to have them begin building long-lasting,
loyal relationships with your organization. Once again, I thank you for the opportunity to submit a
proposal to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I look forward to hearing from you and hope we have
the opportunity to work together very soon.
Best Wishes,
Thomas J. Armitage
CEO and Director of Strategy

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Agency Credentials
Helping brands refocus is in our genes. Whether those focuses are on a current or potentially new
audience, a new creative approach, or new messaging to better communicate with key publics - we
help brands develop a strategic plan of attack and accomplish business goals efficiently.
re:focus is a newly launched boutique digital marketing agency with an emphasis on B2C brands who
target youth and millennials. We have a number of specialties that we are proud to manage for a
variety of both small and large clients including:
- New media management and strategic planning incorporating social media channels like
Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Vine, Google+, SnapChat and more.
- Digital storytelling, with the help of creative graphics and video, to take everyday messages and
stories and make them real, authentic and interesting, which makes them thrive online and
reach vast numbers of viewers in a short amount of time.
- Web and mobile communication including e-mail marketing campaigns and SMS outreach to
embrace the most popular and most preferred platforms for consumer-brand conversations to
build and cultivate those relationships.
- Public relations for the new age, using social media to establish positive rapport with the most
fitting journalists, editors and online bloggers, and to efficiently manage digital assets to quickly
react to writers’ needs and provide them with the best information, quotes and multimedia for
their stories being published in real-time.
- Online marketing, concentrating on both paid traffic campaigns as well as search engine
optimization, a result of heavy keyword research to ensure solid rankings for the top terms that
teens, families, volunteers and other audiences are using to find stjude.org on the web.
Brands face many challenges today. Not only can it be tough to stay up with all the new trends in the
rapidly changing media landscape, but brands must break through the extreme clutter of all that noise
and find ways to reach targeted audiences and encourage them to react to key messages. re:focus
knows these challenges all too well and we’ve worked to master our skills to help brands embrace all
the new techniques available today in the digital age and, more importantly, meet their most
important marketing objectives.
re:focus was created with digital in mind. For brands that are looking for a refresh, a re-boost, or a
restart in the midst of today’s hyper-digital world, re:focus is on point and the perfect fit.

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Agency Identity
Many companies and organizations today with rich histories have thrived in the past through
traditional branding and marketing efforts. But since the media landscape has begun to change, these
once successful brands are noticing the uphill battle ahead. They realize the need to re-identify their
target audiences, realign their marketing messages, and refocus their attention on the new ways that
we are all communicating today. The millennial generation will be the largest demographic in the
workforce in less than 10 years. The plural generation will be the first in America to not feature whites
as the most dominant race. Whether we want to face it or not, our audience, their behaviors, and the
way they learn about brands and interact with them are changing.
re:focus is a newly launched boutique digital marketing agency specializing in new media, digital
storytelling and web and mobile communication. We research the changing trends in today’s digital
world and apply them to our clients for high levels of exposure. We specialize in helping brands reach
today’s youth and the younger demographics that have vastly different behaviors than their older
counterparts. Our team is made up of strategic thinkers on the forefront of the marketing scene,
creative designers who work to captivate audience members, and inspiring writers who turn content
into fascinating digital pieces that turn visitors into engaged fans, and engaged fans into loyal brand
ambassadors. Our team works with the latest and greatest tools and software available to more easily
put our skills to work to redefine and revitalize our client’s brands.
By arranging strategically tailored marketing communication plans around digital media, brands can
take full control of their marketing efforts and refocus their attention on the right media used by their
target audiences. This, in turn, leads to not only a more impactful and meaningful online presence but
attainment of goals - whether that’s web hits, leads, sales, donations, attendees, volunteers, or
beyond. The emphasis on achievement today trumps that of awareness or promotion. We look at goals
while building brand images for a long-lasting return on investment.

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For Immediate Release
January 2, 2014
Contact:
Thomas J. Armitge
CEO and Director of Strategy
thomas.j.armitage@gmail.com
(315) 404-9968
Digital Marketing Agency re:focus Opens for Business
New Agency Focuses on Digital Storytelling and New Media to Revitalize Brands
New York Mills, NY (January 2, 2014) – re:focus, a boutique digital marketing agency in New York Mills,
NY, has announced its official launch. The eight-team group caters to business-to-consumer (B2C)
clients looking to redesign, redefine or revitalize their brand presence.
re:focus recognizes the shifting landscape of today. Placing heavy focus on longstanding, yet outdated
brands, the agency uses new techniques like content marketing, digital storytelling and web and
mobile communication to tap target audiences and meet goals. re:focus has a special interest in
reaching today’s youth and millennials who are most likely to react and engage with brands online.
“There are hundreds of thousands of content pieces and marketing messages floating out there on the
web each day,” said Thomas J. Armitage, CEO and director of strategy at re:focus. “These brands that
are celebrating their 50, 60, 70 year anniversaries and beyond cannot be using the same marketing
techniques they once did. It’s just not effective anymore. Social, mobile, and digital communication is
here to stay and our group recognizes the importance of making these strategies the most prominent
components of a marketing plan.”
Behind Armitage is a team of marketers with varying backgrounds and areas of expertise including a
designer, developer, photographer/videography, online marketer (SEO + PPC), social media strategist,
public relations expert, and creative writer. The team works with the latest tools and software
available to more efficiently redefine and revitalize brands and help accomplish business goals.
The agency is currently accepting new clients and will also be submitting request for proposals (RFPs).
For more information on re:focus, please visit refocusdigital.com or tweet @refocusdigital.
# # #
About re:focus
re:focus is a boutique digital marketing agency based out of New York Mills, NY. Specializing in B2C clients, the group works
to redesign, redefine and revitalize brand presences. Through digital storytelling, content marketing, web and mobile
communication, and other new media strategies, re:focus takes aging, outdated or digitally-challenged brands to a new,
lively, fresh state to more easily and more quickly accomplish top-level goals, be that leads, sales, web visits, or beyond. At
re:focus, strategies are always on point. For more information on re:focus, visit refocusdigital.com or tweet @refocusdigital.

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Executive Summary
They may seem young, immature, jobless and moneyless to some. But for many brands, the 14-18-
year-old audience, or plurals, is the single most important generation to give attention to today. Not
only will they usher in the next set of buyers, donors and volunteers over the next 10-20 years, but
when it comes to the online space, they are the ultimate influencers. And they aren’t just affecting
what their peers think, but many older groups as well, including the prevalent millennials, generation
Xers, and even baby boomers. Non-profits like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital can leverage this
youthful audience in many ways. By influencing them through digital means, St. Jude can begin to
cultivate long-lasting relationships to ensure a solid support system in the future. It can also encourage
social sharing which can exponentially grow the number of message impressions and interactions
between consumer and brand each day. By embarking on a strategic marketing communication
campaign with extreme focus on digital marketing, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital can work to
emphasize its updated brand personality, tap a new and unaware audience and help improve the
health of its children at the same time.

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Situation Analysis
Finding Cures. Saving Lives. That is the prime focus of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. And to help
accomplish this lofty goal, there is a support system made up of millions of doctors, nurses, volunteers,
donors and brand ambassadors who work each year to raise awareness for the organization and its
cause, and work towards finding those cures. According to Forbes, St. Jude is the 11th largest non-
profit in the U.S. with annual revenues over $970 million. Led by Dr. William Evans, the organization is
headquartered in Memphis, TN with several affiliate hospitals across the country (St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, 2013).
According to Catholic tradition, St. Jude, one of the 12 apostles of
Christ, is the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes (St.
Jude Thaddaeus, n/d). Thus, it was an extremely fitting name for
the organization when founded by entertainer Danny Thomas in
1962. Based on his story, Thomas repeatedly prayed during his
young acting career for assistance so he could financially provide
for his family, and his prayers were answered. Making a promise
to St. Jude to one day build a shrine in his honor because of his
help, Thomas’ idea was born. Throughout the 1950s, he recruited
supporters and fundraisers and molded his shrine idea into a
children’s hospital. He continued campaigning and growing St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital throughout his life to help
children fighting for their lives from terminal illnesses. Danny
Thomas died in 1991 but his non-profit has grown even larger and
stronger over the past 20 years (Danny’s promise, 2014).
The Cause
The main goal of St. Jude is to find cures for illnesses in order to save children’s lives. Since its founding,
it has seen a tremendous “return on investment” around this commitment. In other words, the time,
money, and efforts are paying off in children’s lives being saved and improved survival rates for
childhood cancers. St. Jude includes wonderful data on its website related to its successes: “St. Jude's
physicians and scientists have pioneered treatments that have helped push the overall survival rates
for childhood cancers from less than 20 percent when the hospital opened in 1962 to 80 percent
today” (Danny’s promise, 2014).
Within this cause is its well-known campaign promise: that no family will have to pay for services at St.
Jude since their main focus should be on helping their child get better. This includes not only treatment
but travel, housing and food as well (Why support St. Jude, 2014). This promise is a main messaging
point that exists in St. Jude marketing material. It continues to play a pivotal role in strengthening the
brand’s image and raising awareness for the cause. Additionally, St. Jude is a research hospital,
meaning the work being done by doctors and medical staff is not just for children at St. Jude, but those
Figure 1 Retrieved from stjude.org

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afflicted with illnesses all over the world – now and in the future. “St. Jude freely shares the
breakthroughs we make, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can
use that knowledge to save thousands of more children…St. Jude is where doctors send their toughest
cases because we have the best world’s best survival rates for the most aggressive childhood cancers”
(Why support St. Jude, 2014, pg. 1).
Support System
St. Jude has a number of corporate sponsors that help fund the many expenses accrued by the
hospital. Some notable partners include Chili’s, Target, Ann Taylor and AOL. One sponsor, in particular,
chooses to donate its time as well as its promotional channels to raise awareness for the St. Jude
cause. The NBA is a powerful sponsor in terms of getting new audience members to understand the
research and treatments taking place at St. Jude. “Regardless of the final scores of all NBA games
played during Hoops for St. Jude Week March 7-
13, 2014, the winners will be the kids at St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital. Every matchup will
help the hospital raise awareness and increase
support to fight childhood cancer and other deadly
diseases. The NBA Family will shine a light on the
work and successes of St. Jude through online,
social media and in-game promotions such as
hosting and highlighting local patients in-arena”
(NBA Cares, 2014, pg. 1). Some NBA stars even
made appearances at the hospital to visit with the
kids, giving them reassurance to keep fighting.
Dunkin Donuts is another sponsor of St. Jude, but instead of offering exposure, it contributes directly
through monetary giving. “Metro New York area Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and their guests raised
more than $100,000 during the holiday shopping season as part of the 10th annual St. Jude Thanks and
Giving campaign…Guests who made a donation were given a paper icon to display in their local Dunkin'
Donuts. This is the second year Dunkin' Donuts joined more than 60 companies and brands to
participate in the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign” (NY Dunkin’ Donuts, 2014, pg. 1). This
particular company is only one of many that give outright to the St. Jude cause every year through the
many events and fundraising campaigns.
In addition to sponsors, St. Jude heavily relies on the support of everyday people as volunteers to
contribute their time and/or talent to the cause. There are a number of ways for volunteers to get
involved without having to be on staff as a medical professional or as an employee. Volunteers are
often recruited to help support the many events that take place each year, across the country, to raise
funds for the organization. Some events include Team Up for St. Jude, Saddle Up for St. Jude, and
Country Cares for St. Jude (Volunteers, 2014). Volunteers are also needed on-site to assist the medical
staff with the special needs of the children and their families. “Those who volunteer on the St. Jude

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Children’s Research Hospital campus and beyond are the lifeblood of St. Jude. They provide crucial
support services that are vital to the hospital and the well-being of its patients. Each day, willing
volunteers come to the St. Jude campus to donate their time and energy so that St. Jude can fulfill its
mission of finding cures and saving children” (Volunteers, 2014). St. Jude must continue to have a
steady flow of volunteers each year in order to efficiently execute both its day-to-day work and its
fundraising events.
Competition
Many do not view non-profits as having direct competition, perhaps because revenue is not the
primary goal. But competition is just as real, and sometimes just as fierce, as the for-profit, business
world. St. Jude is positioned against a number of organizations who have similar causes and fight for
the same grants, donations, volunteers and attention from the public. According to Hoovers, some
direct competitors of St. Jude include: Hospital Corporation of America, Nationwide Children’s
Hospital, and Children’s National Medical Center (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Inc.
competition, 2014). These all cater to healthcare. Looking more at the audience of children itself, this
opens the doors further and has St. Jude competing with groups like the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF), Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club of American, and Alex’s Lemonade
Stand.
A top direct competitor in terms of its clientele,
Nationwide Children’s Hospital has nearly 70
facilities nationwide and was recently ranked by the
U.S. News & World Report as one of the top
children’s hospitals in the country, placing in every
medical specialty in the study (A national leader in
pediatric care, 2014). They are highly recognized for
the work they do for children and have high levels of
recognition among adults. Unlike many competitors
who target adults, or rather, the parents of the
children who may need help, Make-A-Wish is one
that uses storytelling and other new media tactics to
reach a variety of audiences. Make-A-Wish does not
have the same exact cause as St. Jude but its
touching stories of ill children’s dreams being fulfilled means St. Jude is fighting to reach the same
audience for donations and support. Make-A-Wish’s stories often feature world-class trips to Disney
World or meet-and-greets with athletes and celebrities, helping public relations staff easily secure
media stories and generate loads of buzz. These are just two of the many competitors that St. Jude
must constantly keep an eye on. Although St. Jude is most successful in terms of revenue and
recognition (amongst all of the above competitors), it must be constantly looking for ways to improve
its branding and marketing to bring in more volunteers and donation dollars, and continue
strengthening its image.
Figure 3 Retrieved from wish.org

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Branding and Marketing
St. Jude has a very strong brand image and is well-positioned in the marketplace. It holds numerous
events each year that are supported and attended by many and enlists major celebrities for guest
appearances like actress Sofia Vergara and former NFL star Michael Strahan. In fact, St Jude has a
history of bringing in stars to interact with the children, sign autographs and generate awareness for
the events and the St. Jude cause. Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and President Gerald Ford are only a few
who have made appearances in the past. The brand itself has become well-known for its rich history,
contributions to the field of medicine, and its great cause of helping children in need, without charging
families for the medical assistance. According to a recent study, “St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
and Susan G. Komen for the Cure are the two most trusted nonprofit brand names in America,
according to a new survey by Harris Interactive. While St. Jude, in Memphis, placed first as the most-
trusted nonprofit brands, ahead of No. 2 Komen, the organizations’ rankings were reversed in the
category of brand equity, or overall brand value” (Joslyn, 2010, pg. 1).
St. Jude does not just talk the talk, but its cause
has actually made significant improvements in the
field of medicine. Improvements in cancer rates
has translates to thousands of lives being saved in
its 50 year history (Why support St. Jude, 2014,
pg. 1). It is these statistics that help to
demonstrate that all the donations and all the
hard work over the years is paying off. Children’s
lives are being saved, a testament to the main
mission of St. Jude. The organization is highly
respected and highly sought after by doctors who
want to contribute their talents to making a
difference. “The hospital has grown in good works and worldwide reputation…the key statistic being
that they receive 60,000 applications yearly from doctors and research scientists all around the world
who want to do their work at St. Jude” (Nyad, 2014, pg. 1). The renowned physicians help to
strengthen the St. Jude name by offering credibility and building its network and expertise among the
medical community.
St. Jude has begun to embrace social media in recent years to stay current and engage with its many
fans and followers. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest are its primary tools while it
also manages a LinkedIn company page, Google+ page, an email newsletter and a blog with sporadic
activity. Sentiment across social media platforms is very positive. On one particular Facebook post from
March 13, 2014, St. Jude received 25,000 likes, 1,800 shares and hundreds of comments. Many
reactions included “God bless,” and mentions of the young woman being a “hero” (St. Jude, 2014).
Similar reactions take place on Twitter and Instagram following St. Jude posts. In addition to positive
and heartwarming comments, the engagement levels of followers are off the charts. According to a
recent study by Louddoor, St. Jude has the most loyal followers of any brand on Facebook, beating out

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Facebook itself who took second place, by a significant margin. The list is based on a “Net Promoter
Score” which is calculated from surveys of Facebook fans (Wilson, 2013).
Figure 5 Retrieved from facebook.com/stjude
Figure 6 Retrieved from twitter.com/stjude
Current Challenges
Like many non-profit organizations, St. Jude faces a number of challenges, which, at the same time,
opens the doors for opportunity. Specifically, the youth and millennial markets are becoming prime
audiences for St. Jude where they are currently struggling to build relationships. For many brands, this
is a tough age group to reach. Millennials, or those born from the late 1970s to the early 2000s (making
them between 17-35 year olds), are very technology-focused, confident, forward thinking, hungry to
get involved in workplace initiatives, and enjoy giving back. In fact, it is a growing trend for younger
generations to give to charities, compared to their baby boomer counterparts. “Only 10% of boomers
said they plan to increase charitable giving over the next 12 months. By contrast, 21% of Gen Y
respondents and 18% of Gen X’ers said they will give more…About 60% of Gen Y and 50% of Gen X said
the ability to see the direct impact of their donation has a significant bearing on their decision to give”
(Eisenberg, 2013, pg. 1). This information proves that the doors remain wide open for St. Jude to target
today’s teens by showing them the impacts their donations are making.
Finally, St. Jude faces the ongoing challenge of bringing in funds on a regular basis. According to its
website: “The daily operating cost for St. Jude is nearly $1.9 million, which is primarily covered by
public contributions” (Ways to help, 2014). This is an incredible amount of money to bring in directly
through donation. “Danny's great vision is carried on now by his daughter, actor Marlo Thomas, who
helps the hospital raise on average $2 million a day. But they of course need constant funding to raise
the bar of their care and research even higher” (Nyad, 2014, pg. 1). In working to generate funds, St.

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Jude has an uphill battle against compassion fatigue. Many brands today use emotional appeal to
target audiences. Missionaries’ overseas, humane societies and cancer institutes are only a few
examples. With so many campaigns focusing on disaster and tragedy, it is possible that some have
become worn out and are ceasing to give anymore. “Compassion fatigue is the gradual lessening of
compassion over time, usually due to a growing feeling that all the effort being expended is pointless.
Compassion spurs us to get involved: to pray for the victims, volunteer hours at a local soup kitchen,
participate in a mission trip and give to help the homeless. But compassion fatigue sets in when we
work and give…but begin to wonder why things don’t seem to be getting better” (Donaldson, 2010, pg.
1). This puts St. Jude in a situation where it must be strategic in how it presents its stories. On the one
hand, some may be desensitized to the sadness of our world and are turned off by the emotional
tactics. But on the same note, it is easy to overcome compassion fatigue by showing real results. St.
Jude has the success stories and the statistics to back up all the hard work and show that it pays off. By
making sure to tie in the “bright side” to its stories, St. Jude can more effectively reach these
audiences, overcome any compassion fatigue, and boost fundraising numbers.
Opportunity
St. Jude has worked hard over the past 50 years
to develop a strong brand image. From Natalie
Zmuda at AdAge: “St. Jude's is such a
powerhouse among charitable organizations
that industry experts compare it to the
American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen
for the Cure. It ranks 18th on Cone's Power 100
Nonprofit list; a significant feat for a singular
hospital…They've done a fabulous job of
sharing their message in a compelling way,
focusing on their cause and creating a succinct
message around that” (2011, pg. 1). St. Jude is
well-known, well-respected and has already
begun utilizing the right channels to tap the
young, teen audience. However, competition
has increasingly grown and St. Jude is fighting
for support, in terms of awareness, donations
and volunteer time, against a number of different brands. Additionally, fundraising has become more
of a challenge in recent years as more hands are reaching into the pot for help. Winning over the youth
and millennial markets is a strategic move to build the next generation of St. Jude ambassadors. To do
this, the non-profit should place heavy focus on digital media while also embracing storytelling to tug
at the heart strings of today’s youth and begin getting them involved.
Figure 7 Retrieved from philantrophy.org

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Target Audience
Todays’ teens are far different from those of previous generations. Interests and trends have changed
and they consume information through new media, and interact with brands much differently. The 14-
18-year-old market, made up mostly of high school students and some college freshmen, is quite
lucrative. Not only do they have buying power but they are influential. “The teenage market itself is
huge; in the U.S. alone, consumers ages 12 to 17 spent more than $200 billion on products in 2011…It’s
important for marketers to understand what’s happening with this group because these are the future
consumers…The trends that emerge from what the youngest consumers are doing tend to spread to
the broader population” (Gerdeman, 2013, pg. 1). It is imperative that brands not only understand the
traits and behaviors of this audience but realize the best ways to reach them through marketing.
The 14-18-year-old audience today consists of some young millennials as well as the newest
generation, sometimes referred to as plurals. Like millennials, this audience is very connected to new
media and hyper-engaged in two-way communication. Though their older siblings are often millennials
in their 20s and early 30s, plurals grew up even closer to technology and utilize multiple screens to take
in information – very comfortable
with TV, tablets and smartphones.
They have also grown up during a
recession which has impacted their
outlook on life. “Also known as
‘Generation Z,’ ‘Generation We’ and
the ‘iGeneration,’ Plurals have
witnessed a culture that celebrated
excess, and has been through a
recession and a fledgling recovery. As
a result, this new generation is
remarkably realistic about what is
achievable, and feel that they must
follow the path that will make them
personally happy” (O’Malley, 2013,
pg. 1). They are the first true digital
natives.
St. Jude must understand millennials and plurals to better reach and connect with them. This is an
incredibly important demographic for the non-profit organization. Teens are at a time in their lives
where peer pressure is heavily at play. They are looking for their identities and spending more time
away from the home and family. They are vulnerable. This is an opportune time for St. Jude to
establish that connection and build long-lasting relationships for life. Because of their influence today
and the fact that they will be tomorrow’s stakeholders, teenagers 14-18-years-old are the primary
audience that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will target in this campaign.
Figure 8 Retrieved on pmap.co

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Demographics
According to the National Institute of Education Statistics, there are nearly 15 million high school
students in the U.S. (Fast Facts, 2013). These kids today are very close to their technological devices
and have very distinct habits in how they interact with brands – both corporate and non-profit. Having
tendencies of the millennial market, they have grown up on the Internet and social media and have
low tolerance for non-immediate communication. St. Jude must first understand these teens, their
qualities, interests and behaviors, before implementing a strategic marketing plan to begin engaging
and influencing.
It is important first to note that the teenage audience in America is not made up solely of whites. From
Nielsen records: “The 12-17, 18-24 and 25-34 groups are almost identically multicultural, as 42 percent
of each comprises Hispanics, African-Americans and Asian-Americans. This is only the tip of the
iceberg—U.S. Census data shows that African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Hispanics will generate
the vast majority of the U.S. population growth over the next few decades” (The Teen Transition, 2013,
pg. 1). At just less than 50% featuring ethnicities other than white, St. Jude must always be
cognoscente of its creative and photography, showcasing whites, Hispanics, African-American and
Asian-Americans equally so as to appeal to all audiences and be more accurate in the representation of
the market. If fact, these ethnic stats are the first of its kind in America, meaning this will be the first
generation in America that will not be predominantly white. “In addition to being the last American
generation with a Caucasian majority, the Pluralist Generation will also be the first to become
pluralistic, or not have a majority race. According to Magid Generational Strategies' calculations of U.S.
Census data and immigration numbers, that will happen in 17 years. The entire U.S. population will
become pluralistic in 2042” (Hartwell, 2012, pg. 1).
Between money in their own pockets or that given to them by parents or relatives, teens are very
independent when it comes to making decisions on what they would like to buy or give money
towards. Unlike brands who must speak to decision-making parents, St. Jude can communicate directly
to teens with hopes of influencing their decisions to support its cause.
Another important feature of teens today is that it is becoming increasingly common that they do not
live in intact families. According to a recent study, about 55% of teens live in divorced or broken
homes. Moreover, 40% of children are born out of wedlock today (Ford, 2014). A few things can be
interpreted from these statistics. The first is that it means an even heavier emphasis is placed on
relationships between friends. Peer pressure has always been a facet of teenagers but without a
supportive home life, friends build even stronger bonds and rely on each other for help in making
decisions. Secondly, this non-intact home environment makes teens even more independent than
usual. Without having two authority figures, it lessens the amount of watch kept over them, giving
them the opportunity to be more in control of their actions - whether that is purchasing, spending time
with friends, gaming, or utilizing the Internet and social media.

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The teenage years make up the most important time period when individuals are trying to find
themselves. They like to test out new hobbies, participate in trends, and embrace new social circles.
One common teenage practice is trying out new fashions. According to one research study in AdWeek:
“When it comes to teen males, the report found that "young metrosexuals," those classified as
individuals who focus on their outward appearance, make up more than 25 percent [the largest
group]…"Jockettes," young women who embody active lifestyles and participate in sports, are the most
common female segment that makes up over 25 percent” (Straczynski, 2009, pg. 1). This helps to
emphasize that gender roles, at least in terms of outward appearances, are diminishing. No longer are
males and females seen a certain way but the lines are being blurred. St. Jude should keep this in mind
with its creative and messaging so as to appeal to the widest range of audience members.
Finally, although they live with their parents now, it must be stressed that in just a few short years,
they will be either attending college or beginning their careers. It is important to know that the most
popular majors today include business, social sciences and history, and health professions (Most
popular majors, 2013). Piggybacking on this trend, St. Jude can appeal to many in the health and
medical fields. Furthermore, upon entering the real-world, plurals and millennials are migrating
towards the suburbs, much like past generations. From Joel Kotkin at Forbes, “As it turns out, the vast
majority of young people in their late teens and 20s – over 80 percent — live outside core cities.
Roughly 38 percent of young Americans live in suburban areas, while another 45 percent live outside
the largest metropolitan areas, mostly in smaller metro areas” (2013, pg. 1). This suburban lifestyle is
much more relaxed than that of city-life, where they can soon focus on their careers as well as starting
and raising families.
In summary, key demographic points about 14-18 year-olds include:
- They are multicultural with almost 50% being non-white.
- Extremely large in size and they have high levels of buying power.
- Many come from families that are not intact.
- The largest fashion groups are “metrosexual” among boys and “jockettes” among girls.
- They primarily live with parents in the suburbs and will eventually live in the suburbs once they
begin their careers.
- They have an interest in business, social sciences and health care.
Psychographics
When discussing behaviors with the teenage audience, it is most fitting to first address their use of new
media. Born between 1995 and 2000, teenagers today do not know what life was like without the
Internet, instant messaging, cell phones and texting, digital music, online streaming and social media.
And their behaviors truly reflect this as they are completely comfortable and emerged in these
technologies. “These 79 million Americans have a tremendous amount of power online as they
comment and share incessantly via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr, letting friends,
family and others in their vast social networks know what they’re doing and how they feel about it.

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Because these ‘digital natives’ grew up with technology, they expect almost immediate gratification
with products and customer service” (Nieuwenhuis, 2013, pg. 1).
Marketer Heidi Cohen blogged about a recent Business Insider report that listed trends among
teenagers. She noted that teens today communicate constantly with their friends through popular real-
time social media sites rather than voice calling (Cohen, 2013). Facebook is no longer appealing to
teens. Once their parents and grandparents joined, it no longer was the playground for youth that it
once was. Statistics still show high levels of teen accounts, but usage has been dramatically dwindling.
“With more than half of teens stating social media plays a role in purchases, Twitter has surpassed
Facebook as the site deemed most important…The report also found Facebook's popularity is
diminishing among this key demographic, with 23 percent of teenagers stating it is the most important
social network site, down from 33 percent six months ago and 42 percent a year ago” (Garton, 2013,
pg. 1). Instead of Facebook, teens are aggregating towards sites that are much simpler, quicker and do
not have many older users. Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat are the top picks today.
Teenagers today are different compared to past generations in their viewing of television shows. While
TV was a relatively new phenomenon for baby boomers, and 30 and 40 year olds were addicted when
they were younger (i.e. I want my MTV!), teens today go elsewhere for their video consumption. They
primarily view on mobile through streaming services. “While everyone under 34 is spending less time
in front of the TV, viewing preferences aren’t consistent across the 12-17, 18-24 and 25-34 year old
groups. For example, teens like to watch on mobile more than anyone else. In fact, they watched 18
percent more video on their mobile phones than persons 18-24 and 46 percent more than persons 25-
34” (The teen transition, 2013, pg. 1). More importantly, teens are loyal to the content rather than the
platform. “What's important to keep in mind is that they're agnostic in terms of system; teens are
engaging on numerous platforms, but content is key” (Prezant, 2013, pg. 1). This might mean using
DVR, watching television shows on the network’s website rather than the network, viewing on-demand
at a later date, or watching on Netflix, Hulu, or other streaming services.
It is important to know that teens hate email. Although email
marketing is still a viable tactic among workplace professionals,
it would fall short among today’s youth. “Kids don't use e-mail
anymore…They don't even use voicemail. If you want their
attention, text them…According to a new survey, e-mail use
dropped 59 percent among users aged 12 to 17. Instead, young
people are turning to social networks to communicate” (Lloyd,
2011, pg. 1). Although most social platforms require an email
address to sign up, including downloading smartphone apps
through an Apple ID or Google Account, teens do not
communicate through email. It is merely just a holding cell for
verification emails and “junk mail.” Although it is much more rapid than traditional means like
magazines or newspapers, email is viewed as being too slow for today’s youth. “People are five times
Figure 9 Retrieved from siliconangle.com

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more likely to open a text than an email…People respond to texts within one to three minutes, in
general…Consumers generally open emails only after six to 12 hours, if they open them at all. Teens
and young adults also are more likely to forward a marketing text than an email to a friend” (Binkley,
2012, pg. 1). Teens want real-time communication which cannot be offered with email, but they can
instead find it through text, chat and social media.
A variety of marketers in varying capacities shared their insight with the Huffington Post into the best
ways for brands to reach today’s teens. Some included: get them involved, keep your messages short,
be relatable, and reply quick. Moreover, teens often like using free music streaming software and
enjoy posting and sharing video online (9 tips for marketing to kids, 2014). Music is an important key
psychographic element among teenagers. It always has been. Bands, artists and songs are a way for
this age group to define themselves or more closely associate with friends. It is also a great way to
keep up with pop culture and fit in. However, to find new music, terrestrial radio is on the outs with
this group. Instead, they enjoy streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, last.fm, rdio, Slacker Radio,
Grooveshark or TuneIn. Advertising through these platforms allow brands to be highly targeted, using
profile information to zero in on
specific audiences. But of all streaming
services, YouTube reigns king. “For
almost two-thirds of U.S. teenagers,
however, Google’s YouTube is now a
more important source of music than
radio (54%), iTunes (53%) and CDs
(50%)” (Lardinois, 2012, pg. 1).
YouTube is free and it is available on
the go. It is easily shared on social
media and one can save favorite
videos (or songs in this case) and
create playlists. Teens resort to
YouTube to consume their favorite
types of content and share with friends.
Beyond music, video gaming is another highly prevalent hobby among teenagers. In fact, nearly all
teenagers participate, both males and females. “A recent study, conducted Pew Internet & American
Life Project, has found that 99 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls play video games on a regular
basis. Half of the 1,102 kids, ages 12 to 17, polled had played one within the last 24 hours” (Musgrove,
2008, pg. 1). This usage can include both online/mobile gaming as well as consoles like Xbox,
PlayStation or Wii. It is becoming common that these consoles are connected to WiFi, which allows
users to play not only video games, but download free trials or full versions of new games directly from
the web, stream shows or movies, and even place orders and interact with customer service
departments (ordering Pizza Hut while playing a game, is a great example). Gaming consoles are an
Figure 10 Retrieved on studiofeed.com

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extension of a computer or smartphone, allowing the user to manage all communication and
interactions from the one device rather than multiple devices.
Finally, one last key lifestyle among teenagers is bullying. Despite all the efforts by many organizations
and schools today to prevent it, bullying still very much exists. In fact, “According to a paper published
in the American Sociological Review, the more central you are to your school's social network, the
more aggressive you are as well…Social climbing equals meanness” (Lloyd, 2011, pg. 1). St. Jude should
understand this and try to relate to both types of teenagers in its messaging – bullies as well as those
who are bullied. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that nearly 25% of all high school
students reported being bullied (Koebler, 2011). St. Jude has historically made efforts to emphasize
children’s beauty. Knowing that so many of today’s youth are bullied, St. Jude could use this messaging
for teens to relate to the patients of St. Jude, building relationships and learning about the cause at the
same time.
In summary, key psychographics points of 14-18 year-olds include:
- These “digital natives” grew up on the Internet and social media. Although they’ve begun
abandoning Facebook, they are very active on Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat.
- They love shows but are not always watching on television sets but instead consume content
online and through streaming services.
- Music streaming services are heavily used, with YouTube reigning king.
- Video gaming is a primary hobby and they use their consoles for more than just gaming.
- Bullying and peer pressure are often motivators in making decisions including what brands they
support, and what content they share.
Current Feelings
Young people today are very interested in
participating in non-profit causes. “According to the
recent [report], 75 percent of young people donated
to causes last year and 63 percent said they gave their
time to volunteer” (Charitable Giving, 2012). St. Jude
must get in front of today’s teens and encourage them
to begin participating in the cause. Peer pressure is a
key motivator. “More than half of American teenagers
and young adults volunteered last year, and the best
way to enlist this group turns out to be peer pressure”
(Hall, 2012, pg. 14). Teens are very self-conscience and
have a need to fit in. By influencing group leaders and
trendsetters, St. Jude can have them leverage their
influence and get friends and followers involved. First however, teenagers must understand and
believe in the mission of St. Jude. “Though Millennials are keen on contributing, they’re not just giving
blindly. According to the study, this generation wants to see tangible results and is doing its research.
Figure 11 Retrieved from sru.edu

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Nine out of 10 said they will investigate an organization’s mission statement before giving over their
money or time” (Charitable giving, 2012, pg. 1). More important, St. Jude must be transparent with its
efforts and make sure to weave in the return on investment, which are the achievements through
research and the number of children’s lives being saved. By showing the accomplishments of the
efforts, St. Jude can make teens believe in the mission and know that their time and money is being
well spent and that they are actually contributing towards making a difference.
According to the St. Jude brand book, “84% of the general population surveyed, when asked directly, is
aware of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital” (Messaging & brand information, 2013, pg. 2). But
although St. Jude is well-engrained in the minds of adults, we know that the relationship between St.
Jude and teens is not nearly as strong. Through an informal survey conducted by re:focus, it can be
assumed that many teens do not know St. Jude or are aware of its mission and cause. In fact, of the
more than 50 teenagers surveyed, more than 40% stated they knew nothing about St. Jude or its
mission. The remaining teens had varied levels of knowledge, some associated it with children while
some also made the connecting between St. Jude and childhood cancers. On the upside, nearly 80%
had positive feelings towards non-profit organizations, providing the potential for St. Jude to reach and
engage with this group. Moreover, the majority noted that they would be willing to play a role with St.
Jude and its cause, whether through volunteering, donating or online brand ambassadorship
(Armitage, 2014). This data suggests that there is much room for growth in understanding and reaching
this teen audience.
How We Want Them to Think
Teenagers today are tomorrow’s
volunteers, donors, medical staff,
and brand ambassadors. It is critical
that St. Jude begin now with raising
awareness of its cause to this key
audience and educating them on
what St. Jude stands for. In turn, the
campaign should begin to develop
that relationship and have today’s
youth build an emotional bond
through the stories and messaging St.
Jude shares. In turn, these teens will
be more apt to lend their support for
the brand in the coming years. Additionally, this group is heavily influential. Whether it is peer pressure
and each influencing each other, or using social media to start trends, share content and extend the
reach of a brand’s messaging to other age groups, these teens can be a major factor in helping online
material go viral, touching many different audiences. By planting the seed with today’s teens, St. Jude
can light the fire for social sharing, and rapidly heighten the level of impressions and engagement for
many different types of online materials.

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St. Jude needs teens to think of its brand in a positive light, understand and respect its cause,
emotionally connect with the patients, and want to contribute to the mission of St. Jude either now or
in future, through donations, volunteering or ambassadorship. In order to accomplish this, St. Jude
must take to the web and social media channels and embark on an aggressive digital marketing
campaign to not only reach and educate today’s youth but begin building relationships and getting
them involved. Building that rapport and setting the stage for a lifelong commitment is critical to
ensuring future donations and volunteer success. Currently, there are many brands vying for this
group’s attention. This includes corporate brands like Hollister and American Eagle, athletics and
celebrity brands like the NBA, NFL and MTV, as well as non-profits like Make-A-Wish and the Boys &
Girls Club of America. All of these brands, and many more, are utilizing various marketing methods to
capture teens’ attentions and influence them to invest in their brands. St. Jude must be strategic in its
approach, as well as unique in its content and messaging, to break through the clutter, stand out, and
get teens to contribute towards the St. Jude cause.

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SWOT Analysis
St. Jude has a number of strengths and weakness that open the doors to both threats and
opportunities. The SWOT analysis helps to identify the core qualities of the brand and more easily
acknowledge where there is room to capitalize in reaching the target audience. In summary, St. Jude
has high levels of awareness in general and strong social followings. Additionally, the many emotional
stories at its disposal will come in handy when executing content marketing efforts. Unfortunately, St.
Jude is somewhat unknown to many teens today. Regarding threats, it faces an uphill battle due to
competitors and compassion fatigue. Finally, opportunities show that the digital environment is still
unsaturated and teens seem very open and receptive to learning about St. Jude and its cause.

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Brand Perception
Brand perception of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital among adults is very strong. According to a
report, “[St. Jude] ranks 18th on Cone's Power 100 Nonprofit list; a significant feat for a singular
hospital. And this past holiday season 18% of Americans said they planned to support St. Jude's Thanks
and Giving program” (Zmuda, 2011, pg. 1). Reviewing social media channels, one can see the trust and
support from this older age group. On a photo of two friends battling cancer together at St. Jude, one
fan, Cheryl Kay Nelson Nichols, wrote: “Praise the Lord for St Jude's. May The Lord bless and keep
these best friends together. Thank you, St Jude's.” On another image, Tita Mora Ford posted: “This is
why my family supports St. Jude Hospital. Danny Thomas is an angel. God guided him to do such an
amazing gift. Thank[s] Danny” (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 2014, pg. 1). Perception is also
very positive among staff members and volunteers – seeing St. Jude as an excellent and satisfying place
to work. In fact, St. Jude was ranked #30 on the list of the top 100 companies to work for, from surveys
carried out by CNN Money (100 Best Companies, 2014).
Though adults perceive the brand very positively with strong brand recognition, it is a different story
for the target audience of 14-18-year-olds where a majority remains unaware. However, the audience
has demonstrated positive feelings towards non-profits and willingness to become more aware of St.
Jude, which shows great potential for success in reaching this audience. Informal surveys were carried
out by re:focus among 54 high school students, aged 14-18 year olds, exploring their thoughts and
opinions on non-profits and the St. Jude brand (additional ages participated but only data from
teenage responses was extracted).
Of the 54 total survey participants, nearly 80% noted that they have positive feelings towards non-
profit organizations while zero said that they have negative feelings.
Figure 13 Retrieved from Armitage, 2014

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Secondly, 44 respondents, or 81.5%, marked a score of 7 or higher when asked to rate how important
of a role non-profits play in making a difference in society through their causes. Additionally, 47
respondents, or 87%, think that it is important to get involved in helping a non-profit organization like
St. Jude. This suggests that St. Jude can leverage these attitudes and encourage teenagers to become
invested as supporters of the cause. Showing positive results (i.e. the actual children’s lives that are
saved) will become an important factor to help build credibility and ensure that St. Jude is making a
real difference in society, and that donations and volunteer efforts are needed to keep the brand alive
and strong.
Although thoughts on non-profits remain positive, it is obvious that there is either a lack of knowledge
of the St. Jude brand or an incomplete understanding of its cause, among this age group. In fact, more
than 44% revealed they know nothing about St. Jude. Meanwhile, 35% noted St. Jude has to do with
medical issues, cancer or illness, and 38.2% said St. Jude is associated with children. Finally, only 5.6%
included that St. Jude offers services for free to families who cannot afford to pay. Some did have
some basic understanding of the brand:
“[St. Jude is] a great resource for children who need medical assistance but their families don't
necessarily have the funds.”
“[St. Jude conducts] research for children with diseases that currently do not have a cure”
“[St. Jude] is a non-profit organization that helps kids with medical needs that the family cannot
provide the money for”
Through the survey, it can be assumed that there is great potential to tap this audience, with some
individuals even displaying a willingness to know more and regret knowing little. One responded that
he/she knew “nothing” but added a confused emoticon, suggesting a sense of uncertainty and/or
embarrassment for that being the case. Another responded that, of the St. Jude brand, he/she knew:
“Not much, sadly.”
Outside of the survey, there does seem to be some teens across the country with high levels of
awareness of the brand, at least in terms of its medical prowess. According to a recent survey
conducted by the National Society of High School Scholars in Atlanta, “St. Jude Children's Research
Hospital in Memphis emerged as the No. 1 choice of places to work among thousands of high school
and college students as well as recent college graduates” (McKenzie, 2013, pg. 1). This could likely be a
result of past volunteer efforts. One such program is geared toward teens, which gives a select group
of high school students each summer the opportunity to work alongside medical staff and directly care
for ill children (Teen volunteer time and talent, 2011). These stats can reassure St. Jude that the brand
is sporadically known and it does have high levels of association with being a great place to
work/volunteer due to its research and high quality healthcare. It also suggests that volunteering is a
great way to establish the relationship and set the tone for years to come.

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Beyond the Best Places to Work report, it can be agreed that there is vast discrepancy between
awareness and brand perception among adults compared to teens. Historically, all of St. Jude
messaging has been aimed directly at parents/adults. By making a dramatic shift and focusing all
efforts on reaching teens, there will be a heightened level of awareness among the target audience
with stronger brand perception too.
St. Jude has exercised a great deal of effort over the
years to either introduce or reinforce its messaging
to adults - its key givers and volunteers. But the
tactics have been geared toward parents so they
are often missed by teens. Just over 37% in the
survey indicated that they have not even seen
messages by St. Jude. Meanwhile, 61.1% have seen
television ads, 9.26% local events, 7.41% radio ads,
and 7.41% magazine or news articles. Interestingly,
only 9.26% had seen St. Jude messages via social
media, indicating that the majority of St. Jude
followers on social channels today are probably
parents and adults, its current target market. Digital
marketing will be the best approach to tap this
young audience and balance out this ratio. Through
a wide mix of efforts via social, video, and mobile, St. Jude
can have a better chance at breaking through the clutter, capturing the attention of teens and
beginning to build relationships with them.
Despite the lack of awareness, there were positive sentiments towards contributing to the St. Jude
cause. Only 18.5% noted that they would not like to contribute, while almost 30% would be willing to
donate money, 18.5% would be willing to volunteer, and almost 50% would be open to sharing St. Jude
information and content online. Looking into the future, 68.5% indicated strong wishes to give in some
capacity down the road. These numbers are very reassuring. First, it shows that many teens today are
interested in getting involved with the cause. Although donation and volunteer interests are relatively
low, becoming online brand ambassadors by sharing St. Jude content online is very likely. We know
that plurals and millennials are trendsetters and online influencers. By taking hold of St. Jude content
and promoting it to the many followers in their networks, St. Jude can get in front of mass audiences
with its key messages. This rippled effect will likely hit other generations including those parents and
adults who are likely to donate immediately.
The survey results also indicate heavy interest in getting involved down the road, most likely when
these teens are in their 20s and 30s. By starting the conversation now, St. Jude can continue cultivating
the relationships in the future and look to attract donations or volunteers 10 or 20 years from now.

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The results indicate hope and reassurance that St. Jude can have a steady stream of supporters over
time. This is a vulnerable group and now is the prime time of their lives to be influenced.
The strongest aspect of the St. Jude brand among teenagers is its associations with children and severe
illnesses. St. Jude should continue working at this messaging to educate today’s youth on its mission so
more teens can understand the type of work and the level of success that St. Jude sees. It should also
try to keep consumers learning about the research done at its facilities and the impact on society at
large and those afflicted with illnesses all over the world. The weakest area of brand perception
appears to be the variety of illnesses that St. Jude can help fight, since many comments made were just
around cancer. Although widely known for this, St. Jude casts a much wider net. Organ transplants,
Sickle Cell Disease and HIV/AIDs are only a few examples. Perception also appears low around the
ability for families to utilize services free of charge, if one cannot afford to pay. This is a key
differentiator between St. Jude and its competitors, so this message should be widely known among
the target audience following campaign execution.
Digital channels will be the primary method
of communication to effectively reach the 14-
18-year-old target audience. In fact, the
largest majority of survey respondents, at
44.44%, noted that Twitter would be the best
way for St. Jude to get in touch with them.
Following close behind was texting at 42.6%.
Email and direct mail came in third and
fourth, respectively, with both receiving less
than 30% of selections. Finally, phone calls
wrapped up the list with only six survey
answers, or 11%. These results make St. Jude
aware that social media and texting are much
more preferred than traditional means like
phone and mail.
In summary, perception among the target
audience is positive. However, the low levels of
awareness mean that St. Jude has its work cut out in terms of reaching and educating this age group,
while working to get them involved. The primary research gives a limited but honest and helpful look
into the minds of teen consumers and how much potential there is for St. Jude to tap this new
audience and uncover millions of new supporters.

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Brand Positioning
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is well-positioning in the marketplace. With high levels of
awareness, many are familiar with the logo, brand colors and messaging around no-cost to families in
need of services. It is also a well-funded organization with a strong social media following who interact
daily. But the brand is more aligned today with parents and adults, currently its target market. By
communicating to this audience, they can raise awareness among decision makers who decide which
hospital they will use for their sick children, as well as recruit donations and volunteer support from
individuals with disposable income and/or available time.
The St. Jude logo is very traditional. A two tone scheme, dark red and grey, it depicts a young child with
his hands open, possibly seeking help and/or a donation. The logo also includes founder Danny
Thomas’ name along with the tagline “Finding Cures. Saving Children.” By viewing the logo, one can
see the brand demonstrates a professional and mature tone. Its primary goal is to save children, with a
secondary goal of obtaining donations to help accomplish the first goal. Its font and graphics are plain
and straightforward to allow consumers to easily recognize it and associate it with a positive cause.
Figure 16 Retrieved from amos.stjude.org
One thing St. Jude does within its marketing to help humanize the organization is to show the actual
children who are fighting for their lives. They use these children on banners, posters, the website,
social media channels, postcards, greeting cards, and more. St. Jude uses real names of the children,
professionally photographed shots in very relaxed and comfortable settings, as well as giving the kids’
nicknames. This helps show how personal the relationships are between the organization and each
child, and how the children can enjoy spending their time at St. Jude, despite the unfortunate
circumstances. Some photos showcase parents holding their children within St. Jude settings. These
subtle creative clues help emphasize to parents that St. Jude is the place they should or would want to
bring their child if he/she has a terrible illness. The postcards that are used in direct mail campaigns
also live online to be used on the website, in videos or in social media posts. The goal for all of these

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pieces is to spread the word about St. Jude, educate the target audience on the St. Jude mission, and
eventually seek out donations from these adults.
Figure 16 Retrieved from amos.st.jude.org
Another interesting approach by St. Jude is its use of video. Many videos feature the stories of the
children that are patients at St. Jude. But yet, it is always from the parents’ perspectives. A mother or
father, in an interview style format, tells how they found out about their son or daughter’s diagnosis,
why they chose St. Jude, and the help that they are currently receiving. While the parents’ speak, St.
Jude inserts stills of the children before, during and after treatment to show their progress along the
way. But the perspective of the parent is the key element here, letting fellow parents know how
difficult of a journey it can be to have a sick child. It also communicates the message that parents
should give to St. Jude to assist these fellow parents who are fighting. In addition to the personal
stories, many videos showcase celebrity endorsers helping to promote the campaign. Names include
musicians like Darius Rucker and Brad Paisley and actors like Robin Williams and Jennifer Aniston. The
stars are strategically chosen and always appeal to the older demographic, the current target audience.
Figure 18 Retrieved from youtube.com/stjude
Figure 17 Retrieved from amos.stjude.org

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The current campaign slogan also reveals a great deal about the positioning of the brand. The slogan
reads: Give thanks to the healthy kids in your life. And give to those who are not. This line, which is
woven into many of the current marketing communication pieces, directly appeals to parents. St. Jude
describes the wonderful works of its organization and utilizes imagery that showcases the
advancements and progress in children’s health. It uses this line to speak to parents who have healthy
children, letting them know that they can make a difference in the lives of other families. This is a
powerful and strategically written slogan that is perfectly placed amidst the brand positioning, with the
intent of recruiting donations from parents and adults. At the same time, it alienates those who do not
have children, like teens and young adults.
Finally, St. Jude uses a great deal of facts and figures on its website. The brand knows that parents and
adult donors are interested in results. They want to know if St. Jude will be able to help their children,
or other sick children out there who are fighting for their lives. Consumers have the ability to dig
through the website where St. Jude is transparent about its history, research, facility, and medical
programs. It also boasts loads of information and resources to learn more about the cancers and
illnesses that a family could find useful. All of these materials and web pages are directly helpful to the
adult target audience. Copy is written with adults in mind, with a very educational and confident tone.
St. Jude needs to have parents and adults trust them. Their children’s lives depend on it. The entire
website and focus of all copy, photos and information positions the brand as a leading hospital and
organization for children battling deadly diseases. It demonstrates professionalism, confidence, medial
superiority, and comfort. Its detailed and in-depth information and resources emphasize its leadership
in the field of cancer and medicine.

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In summary, St. Jude is well-positioned, utilizing rich information and images of children to
demonstrate the greatness of the organization, its facilities and staff. Its brand is very traditional and
utilizes creative pieces and tactics that directly reach parents and adults as they work to seek
donations to help provide funding to continue saving children’s lives. Unfortunately, the
communication today speaks directly to adults and does not resonate with our new target audience –
teenagers aged 14-18-years-old. New marketing communication tactics should be put in place to speak
to this audience and influence them to act upon St. Jude messaging. An updated positioning statement
is needed to help align the brand more closely with the teenage audience. This sets the stage for
updated personality, strategy statement, and tactics that will work to directly appeal to them and
continue strengthening the brand in its new position in the marketplace. The updated positioning
statement is as follows:
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital offers care and cures to children with life threatening illnesses as
well as hope to those families in need. Through a combination of groundbreaking research, medical
treatments and compassionate companionship, it works to keep spirits high and families fighting
strong.
Teenagers are an important audience for St. Jude. One of the most important features is their ability to
further the reach of key messages, ensuring that more people become aware of St. Jude and its cause.
This group is very influential online. St. Jude can increase the likelihood of its content going viral to
influence the masses. This audience can also offer their attention and friendship to the ill children at St.
Jude, giving them hope and a stronger will to fight and live. In the new positioning, equal favor is given
to the research and treatment as it is to the companionship that individuals can provide to the St. Jude
children. This particular angle specifically helps include the teen audience who may not be ready or
willing to give in terms of monetary donations or volunteer hours. Simply by offering friendship,
through online support, they can get involved with the St. Jude cause and begin building that
relationship with the brand.

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Brand Personality
All strong brands have personalities – formed over the years through a combination of efforts, from
experiences with customer services, marketing and advertising, the tonality behind written and spoken
messages, and more. St. Jude represents a personality to the public, one that is professional, caring,
compassionate, and affectionate. St. Jude makes its children and families feel comfortable, safe and
reassured, letting them know that their children will be cured. The personality is also informative and
knowledgeable, demonstrating to the target audience that the staff is highly qualified to care for the
many illnesses that they encounter. But this personality is very appropriate for the adult population. A
new personality should be established and emphasized in new marketing communication tactics that
better speaks to the 14-18-year-old audience. Teenagers have different personalities themselves, and
only interact with brands that appeal to them. In order to be most effective in reaching today’s youth,
St. Jude must form a personality that is real, uplifting, contemporary, and friendly.
Real
Transparency is key in society today. Social media has
created two-way communication between consumers and
brands. It is difficult, if not impossible, to hide from the
public eye. Thus, brands are realizing that it is better to be
upfront and open with consumers. St. Jude must remember to always be real. People today, especially
plurals and millennials, are very skeptical of advertisements. Young people do not always trust ads
because they know ads consist of messages controlled by brands. We live in a world where word of
mouth reviews and peer referrals are available at any time, making advertisements less credible in
comparison. Being real speaks to teens. They want to know what St. Jude is all about. They want the
inside look into the research, the inside scoop on the children’s stories, information on the treatments,
and more. Being real means St. Jude should be honest in all of its statistics and findings, authentic in
how they describe children’s illnesses and how it affects them, and realistic in the struggles faced by
families. Within the tactics, St. Jude should be lenient in controlling the messages and let parents and
children describe the stories in their own words. It should be less “professional” in the photography
and videography, showing real-life shots (when appropriate) instead of carefully placed and crafted
images. And finally, it should be relaxed and human in all communication so teens know St. Jude is
speaking directly to them.
Uplifting
The core motivator for people to give to St. Jude is not only
seeing the struggles a family faces when a child has a life-
threatening illness, but the joy and pure happiness the
families experience after overcoming the disease, through
the help of St. Jude. The content and stories shared by St. Jude within this campaign should have an
uplifting message. By doing so, it will set the stage for the content to be shared by teens and make
waves throughout the social web. Additionally, it helps motivate teens, and other audiences, to get

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involved. They must understand what their support or donations will be contributing towards. As
mentioned, plurals and millennials are very active in volunteering and charity giving as long as they can
see the fruits of their labor. In the case of St. Jude, these fruits are children’s lives being saved and the
number of disease-based deaths declining. The uplifting messages will help to accurately tell these
stories and at the same time promote the cause and recruit new supporters.
Contemporary
St. Jude must be modern, fresh and contemporary in all of
its communication. There are thousands of brands fighting
for the attention of teenagers today. And social media
makes the space even more crowded since consumers choose who they want to listen to, compared to
traditional methods where they had no choice (i.e. TV and radio). In order to get in front of teens and
have them opt to follow and interact with St. Jude, the brand must be up with the latest trends and
develop content that resonates. Being contemporary means utilizing the latest and most popular
channels of communication like Twitter and Instagram. It means speaking to teens in a voice that
makes them relaxed - using the lingo of today and the shorthand that is common on social media and
in texting. It also means that St. Jude should be exercising the newest tactics in content marketing,
embracing mobile and video, and reaching teens with the most progressive tools and software. St. Jude
should also be demonstrating the modernity and progressiveness of the research and technology that
is being used to assist the children in fighting illnesses. Being contemporary differentiates St. Jude with
its traditional past that had previously targeted parents, and instead fights to get in front of teens who
need a fresh way of looking at the brand.
Friendly
Lastly, but most important of all, is friendliness. This is a key
aspect in this campaign. How do friends communicate with
each other? Being friendly in all marketing communication
demonstrates a welcoming and comfortable environment at
St. Jude, letting the target audience know that families can feel at ease. At the same time, it makes the
teenagers open to engaging and interacting with the brand. Many of the successful teen brands out
there today are extremely conversational and friendly in their interactions with consumers. This
approach encourages more audience members to follow along and get involved in the conversations
taking place. Relationships are then built. And the anticipation is that relationships are not only
between consumers and the St. Jude brand, but amongst the children of St. Jude as well. This helps to
raise the kids’ sprits and keep them fighting for better health. The teenagers can feel good about
helping those in need and gladdened knowing they are having a positive impact on their many new
friends at St. Jude. Friendliness rubs off. As St. Jude accentuates this personality trait, it will build a
more supportive and kind environment surrounding the brand – made up of friends, volunteers and
supporters – all working towards strengthening the brand and saving children’s lives.

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Integrated Communication Strategy Statement
Integrated Communication Strategy Statement
At St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, cures don’t always come from surgeries, medication and
treatment. Sometimes, friendship is just what the doctor ordered.

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Creative Brief
Client: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Date: May 2014
Type: Integrated Marketing Communication Campaign Pages: 1
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Why are we advertising?
To begin building relationships with teenagers so they are aware of the St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital brand and will be more inclined to support, give and volunteer either now or in the future.
Whom are we talking to?
We are speaking to 14-18-year-olds across the United States who are active online and on mobile
devices.
What do they currently think?
They have a limited understanding of St. Jude and know that it assists children who have cancer but
have no real reason to support it. St. Jude is very focused on illnesses (and overcoming them) and is
always seeking donations. It’s a brand their parents support, but not them.
What would we like them to think?
St. Jude is the top organization in the country when it comes to disease and cancer research and saving
the lives of children. Even teens can make a difference in helping improve the health of those children.
What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey?
Friendship is just as important as medicine, surgeries and treatment when it comes to helping ill
children fight for their lives.
Why should they believe it?
Emotional health can play a major role in improving physical health. By simply being a friend, you can
help a child in need.
Are there any creative guidelines?
There will be a variety of tactics carried out within this campaign, all of which will live in the digital
space. Advertising will exist in social media, mobile marketing, streaming music, and in video. All ads
should quickly captivate audience members and include online-based call to actions.

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Objectives and Tactics
The goal of the integrated marketing campaign is to heighten the level of awareness of the St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital brand among the target audience of 14-18-year-olds. Additionally, by
using the theme of friendship, we will work to bring teens and the sick children of St. Jude together
and allow them to converse and interact through digital means, helping foster a positive atmosphere
to raise the spirits of the children and improve their health. There will be three objectives carried out
throughout the campaign that will take place between July 2014 and June 2015. All tactics within the
integrated marketing communication plan will be executed on a $15 million budget. Roughly 28% is
devoted to objective one to boost social media following, 28% to objective two to boost website
visitors, and a little more than 32% to objective three to foster messages to St. Jude teens. The
remaining budget is for agencies fees, software and tools, and evaluation costs. The largest among of
budget is devoted to objective three since this will drive the most important results within our
campaign. All tactics focus on digital media based on our target audience’s behaviors and habits and
we have strategically opted to stay away from traditional media and print media (with the exception of
our internal tactic). Within the campaign, we are looking to saturate the market so more than 85% of
all teens in the target audience are aware of St. Jude and its cause by the end of the campaign.
Objective #1: Boost the number of social media followers on both Twitter and
Instagram by 50% by June 2015.
One of the best ways to establish a connection with teenagers today is through social media. St. Jude
currently has a strong online following but made up mostly of parents, adults, volunteers and donors.
We need to balance the ratio and build up the number of followers of teenagers 14-18-years-old.
Based on their most preferred platforms today, our focus will revolve around Twitter and Instagram.
Twitter features short bursts of information, including text, links and embedded multimedia for quick
communication, while Instagram focuses on a stream of images, videos and captions. By recruiting
more teen followers, we can nab and maintain this audience for future communication where we can
steadily educate them on the St. Jude brand, encourage them to interact with St. Jude children, get
them more involved as brand ambassadors, and eventually encourage them to donate and volunteer
down the road. It begins here. This is the first touch point. As the initial interaction with St. Jude, and
possibly the first time they are even hearing about the brand, this communication is very important
and must emphasize the brand personality while working to start the relationship off on the right foot.
By incorporating a Twitter contest with promoted tweets, video game advertising, Instagram ads, and a
reality-based online show that promotes the two handles, we can develop a stronger follower base for
future communication with the teen audience. Organic activity on Twitter and Instagram will be
ongoing and heavy amidst the other marketing communication tactics taking place throughout the
year-long campaign.
Tactic 1.1: 365 Days of Friendship Contest
Twitter is a go-to resource for teenagers to interact with each other, follow celebrities and brands, and
share articles, images and videos. St. Jude currently has a very strong following (331,000 followers) but

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made up mostly of parents and adults, its previous target audience. In order to attract a stronger
following of teenagers, tactics must be carried out on this platform to not only get teens to notice the
handle but to follow and stay tuned in to its tweets. Teens need a reason to follow St. Jude. It will not
happen naturally, like friends following friends. Through a Twitter contest dubbed “365 Days of
Friendship,” promoted through Twitter advertising, St. Jude can build its following of teens. The “365
Days of Friendship” contest is a basic sweepstakes, meaning there is no skill involved. Users must
follow the St. Jude handle on Twitter and RT the special “Tweet of the Day” for a chance to win. The
winner will be chosen out of those who RT the special tweet and follow the brand. Twitterers will know
the special tweet each day by the designated contest hashtag: #friendship365. This will make the tweet
stand out from other St. Jude tweets throughout the day. Within the contest tweet, there will be a
direct link to the St. Jude minisite where users can learn more about the brand and the other elements
within our campaign.
The prize awarded each day will be a $500 gift card to Best Buy as a result of a co-op partnership with
the electronics retailer. In exchange for St. Jude purchasing $182,500 worth of gift cards, and giving
Best Buy exposure through the tweets and contest mentions, Best Buy will be expected to share a
contest tweet at least once per week, as well as devote $50,000 of its own towards Twitter advertising
of the St. Jude’s contest (Twitter recently rolled out a feature for brands to sponsor partner tweets). By
having Best Buy promote the contest using its own handle, the contest tweets can have an even
greater reach and tap their followers. Many brands conduct contests on Twitter. Since the “365 Days of
Friendship” contests takes place every day for a whole year with a very significant prize size, it will
likely be noticed by the teen audience. Furthermore, Twitter promoted tweets will be utilized each day
to get the tweet in front of more teens. By using targeted handles like @AmericanEagle, @Xbox,
@Playstation, @Disney, @NBA and @KatyPerry, we can get in front of mass audiences of teens each
day to participate in the contest and follow the @StJude handle. Users will not know when the tweet
will be delivered, ensuring that the audience is captive and engaged at all times, while inevitably paying
attention to other tweets throughout the day where we will then educate teens on St. Jude and its
cause.
Budget:
The contest takes place for a full year – 365 days. The Best Buy gift card amount is $182,500, or $500
per day. Additionally, St. Jude will budget $2,500 daily to promote the contest tweets. This brings the
total cost per tweet to $3,000 between prize and advertising. The budget will also take into
consideration $730, or $2 each day, for postage and printing costs for a congratulatory letter sent to
each winner of the prize. The letter will also discuss St. Jude and its key mission. The total amount for
this tactic is $1,095,730.
Evaluation:
To measure the results of this effort, we will use the software SimplyMeasured. By doing so, we can
not only track the number of twitterers using the hashtag #friendship365, but also the number of RTs
on each of our contest-related tweets. SimplyMeasured reports will be pulled at the end of each

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month. In addition to measurement of the specific contest-activity, overall Twitter follower count will
also be monitored within each report. Secondly, Twitter Insights will be used to measure the
effectiveness of all promoted tweets (advertising) throughout the campaign. Within the backend of
Twitter, we can see results including total @s, RTs, favorites and URL clicks, based on the promoted
tweets. These reports will also be pulled monthly.
Tactic 1.2: In-Game Advertising
Video gaming is one of the most
common hobbies among teens today.
Although teens may not pay attention
to traditional ads in the real world, it
is hard to avoid them when playing a
video game for multiple hours each
day. In-game advertising is a modern
approach to running traditional ads in
digital format that appear within
video games. A bus stop sign in a car
racing game, a sign behind the
batter’s box in a baseball game, or a
billboard hanging from a hotel in a
super hero game are only a few
examples. Although subtle to the viewer, repeated impressions can translate into awareness and
potential behavior changes among the target audience. The ads being used in the games will feature
St. Jude messaging around friendship with a call to action to follow @StJude on Twitter and @StJude
on Instagram.
The ads can be changed in real-time through the campaign with different copy. “Dynamic in-game
advertising is by far our most popular in-game ad channels…It takes the form of billboards and posters
throughout the game environment that can be updated with image ads in real time. It’s only possible
when gamers are playing with an active internet connection. The ads are integrated into the game via
an adserver, which is a tool used to control the delivery of advertisements into video games” (In-game
advertising is worth $1+ billion a year, 2013). Based on the clean and professional image of St. Jude, we
will stay away from any explicit or mature video games to advertise within, and instead, opt for those
that are rated E 10+ (appropriate for anyone older than 10-years-old). We will focus on sporting and
super hero games since they are appropriate for all teen ages and since they have numerous areas for
billboard and street sign ads. These games include: 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, NBA Live 14, Madden
25, Major League Baseball 2014, NASCAR ’14, Lego Marvel Superheroes, Forza Motorsport 5, Kinect
Sports Rivals, Just Dance 2014, and the Lego Movie Video Game. Ads will be divided equally between
Xbox and Playstation.
Figure 20 Retrieved from cnn.com

Integrated Marketing Communication Plan for WVU IMC Program

Integrated Marketing Communication Plan for WVU IMC Program

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