1.
Practicum
in
Organizational
Communication
“Ready
Badger”
Portfolio

2.
2
Acknowledgements
COMM
480:
Practicum
in
Public
Relations,
also
known
as
the
Parkside
Communication
Consultants
(PCC),
would
like
to
extend
a
special
thank
you
toDr.
Tammy
McGuckin,
Dean
of
Students,
Leslie
Heinz-­‐Walker,Dean
of
the
College
of
Arts
and
Humanities,the
Communication
Department,
Dr.
Peter
Knight
from
the
Department
of
Business,
Dr.
Derek
Riley
from
the
Department
of
Computer
Science,
John
Mielke,
Director
of
Strategic
Communication,
and
Dr.
Adrienne
Viramontes
from
the
Department
of
Communication.
We
would
also
like
to
thank
graphic
designers
Janette
Ream
and
Geoff
Kenyan,
along
with
all
the
Computer
Science
students
associated
with
the
project,
the
App
Factory
and
everyone
else
who
contributed
to
making
our
public
relations
campaign
a
success.

3.
3
Table
of
Contents
Acknowledgments………………..……………………....2
Table
of
Contents…………….…….……………………...3
Research
Chapter…………………………………….…..4
Executive
Summary…………………..…………..….5,16
PCC
Research……………………………………………….6,7
Planning
Chapter……………………………………….…8
Press
Release…………………………..……………….……9
Press
Conference
Itinerary…..………………….10,11
Press
Conference
Invites……..……………………….12
Spec
Sheet………………………………………………….…13
Implementation
Chapter…………………………….14
Final
Report………………………..…………………..15-­‐25
Survey
Analysis…………………..……………………16,17
Word
of
Mouth………….……………………………18-­‐20
Recommendations………………….……………...20-­‐22
Traditional
Marketing……………….…………….22-­‐24

4.
4
References……………………………….……………..…..25

5.
5
Research

6.
6
Executive
Summary
In this project the students enrolled in Comm 480 were tasked to create a media
campaign in order to officially announce the release of the “ReadyBadger” App to the
residents of the seven counties of Southeastern Wisconsin. “ReadyBadger” will be
released on the first day of Severe Weather Awareness Week (April 11-15, 2016). The
team working to promote this media campaign consists of Public Relations students
within the Communication Department at the University of Wisconsin Parkside
(Parkside Communication Consultants: PCC). The major goals of this campaign are to
introduce the App and its capabilities;increase the amount of overall downloads, and
attract a wide variety of media coverage. Ultimately PCC is anticipating 100,000
downloads, which would represent 10% of the population forthe Southeastern
Wisconsin counties.
Benefits of the App include the ability to provide weather conditions, traffic updates,
disaster resources, location and contact information for hospitals, police, fire stations,
and identifying volunteer opportunities in the local community. In an effort to achieve
these goals, we have created many different promotional materials. These materials
include a promotional video, a public service announcement, and a logo (in
development) in order to convey the message that “ReadyBadger” is an app with
multiple, efficient functions for any Wisconsin resident. In order to showcase all of these
materials effectively, PCC, in conjunction with UW-Parkside, is hosting a press
conference on April 12th at 11:00 A.M. in the Student Ballroom where local media,
Emergency Managers, as well as state and local representatives will be present.

7.
7
PCC
Research
Our primary mode of research for the “ReadyBadger” application was collecting
information that would help us to create a media campaign that would introduce the app
to the public. We began by reading and analyzing the marketing report, which was
created by Dr. Peter Knight’s marketing class. We then interviewed App Factory
programmers and developers in order to get a much more detailed understanding of the
scope and capacity of the application and how it can serve multiple markets and many
of the residents in Southeastern WI. Finally, we experimented with the “ReadyBadger”
app itself as well as other similar mobile applications such as the Weather Channel,
First Aid, and FEMA.
Based on the information in the report, we were able to identify target audiences,
which consists of property owners, parents, and commuters. We then arranged a
meeting in which we could meet with the application programmers to discuss the
purpose and functions of ReadyBadger. During the meeting, we were given a
demonstration on how the application functions as well as given a tutorial on how to
properly use it. We were informed about their preferred target audience, estimated
completion date, and outcome goals.
Once we had an overview of the app, we then were able to attain the beta for
iOS and Android versions to download onto our personal devices to become more
acclimated with the app. Some of the competitor’s of the ReadyBadger app include the
FEMA app, Weather Channel app, and the First Aid app. The FEMA app provides more
local specialization of news, the Weather Channel app offers weather related
information and the First Aid app offers injury information and checklists. What sets the

8.
8
ReadyBadger application apart from these other applications is that it provides all
disaster-related tools in one mobile app while being specifically tailored to Wisconsin
residents in all counties.
After speaking with the program developers and our research on the purpose
and function of the application was complete, we then began our media campaign plan.

9.
9
Planning

10.
10
Press
Release
UW-Parkside releases new “ReadyBadger” App
By Parkside Communication Consultants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4th, 2016
Kenosha, WI- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is holding a press conference to
highlight the official release of the new “ReadyBadger” App.The press conference will
be held on April 12th at 11 A.M. in the Ballroom located in the Student Center at the
University of Wisconsin-Parkside. “ReadyBadger” will be available for iOS and Android
download on April 11th, 2016 during Wisconsin Tornado& Severe Awareness Week, to
highlight weather and natural disaster awareness.
“ReadyBadger” Features
“ReadyBadger,” is the latest app developed by UW-Parkside’s Computer Science
students, who worked in conjunction with Southeast Wisconsin County Emergency
Management representatives. “ReadyBadger” will allow anyone in the state of
Wisconsin to find emergency preparedness information specific to a particular county. It
also allows for the user to submit a digital damage report in an effort to increase the
speed with which County emergency managers can assess damages and respond to
disasters. The app is designed to help residents prepare for and respond to weather
and non-weather related disasters along with the option to prepare for future local
emergencies. With that comes weather conditions, traffic updates, disaster resources,
location and contact information for hospitals, police, and fire stations, as well as
identifies volunteer opportunities/emergencies in county as they occur.
About App Factory
The App Factory is a developmental space for computer programmers.The UW-
Parkside App Factory is a new creative, professional, interdisciplinary group on campus
that develops mobile apps for community clients throughout southeastern Wisconsin.
The App Factory provides conceptual designing and prototype mobile app development
services to help find solutions and strategies for technology challenges.
Contact Information
Dr. Adrienne Viramontes
Email: viramont@uwp.edu
Phone: (262) 496-9147
###

11.
11
Press
Conference
Itinerary
Chancellor
Deborah
Ford:
(1-­‐2
min)
• General
welcome
to
guests
• Overview
of
the
mission
of
the
university
and
how
this
app
applies
to
civic
engagement
(or
whatever
you
think
is
fitting)
2
Emergency
Managers
(5
min
total)
• What
motivated
this
project
• Talk
about
their
role
within
EM
and
how
it
fits
into
our
daily
lives
• What
was
the
problem
that
brought
them
together
with
the
App
Factory
Dr.
Riley
(5
min)
• Overview
of
the
App
Factory
and
his
role
• What
kind
of
research
it
took
to
develop
the
app
• What
kind
of
process
he
undertook
to
lead
students
to
create
the
app
Rihannon
Weiss
(1-­‐2
min)
• Creative
process
that
was
involved
for
creating
the
program
• What
kind
of
opportunity
and
what
this
means
as
a
potential
professional
Dr.
Fay
Akindes
(1
min)
• Community
based
learning
and
its
relationship
to
this
project
as
a
whole
• Relationship
between
the
Arts,
Humanities
and
Sciences
Video
(1
min)
Kelsey
Krimmer(and
Kyle)
(2-­‐3
min)
• COMM
480:
Capstone
course
for
the
PR/Org
Comm
minors.
• Our
goal
for
the
“ReadyBadger”
project
was
to
create
a
media
campaign
for
the
release
of
the
app.
We
followed
the
four-­‐phase
model
for
PR,
which
is:
research,
planning,
implementation,
and
evaluation.
Kyle
• Participating
in
this
class
has
sharpened
our
professional
skills
as
we
have
engaged
in
the
practices
of:
research,
event
planning,
time
management,
strategic
planning,
graphic
design,
professional
writing
and
managing
messages.
Dr.
Adrienne
Viramontes(1
min)
• Great
opportunity
to
be
a
part
of
a
CBL
project.

12.
12
• “ReadyBadger”project
allows
us
to
practice
professional
communication
skills
for
a
mobile
app
that
prepares
and
benefits
each
Wi
resident.
• Encourage
downloading
the
app
Q&A

13.
13
Press
Conference
Invitations
University of Wisconsin-Parkside releases new application “ReadyBadger” to promote
the awareness of weather caused disasters and prevention plans as of April 11th, 2016
Senders Address: 900 Wood Rd, Kenosha, WI 53144
Recipients Address:
Dear (Insert Name),
You are cordially invited to attend an upcoming press conference hosted by the
Parkside Communication Consultants, at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. This
event will take place on April 12th, 2016 at 11:00 A.M. in the Student Ballroom.
This press conference is being held to commemorate the release of the new
“ReadyBadger” application developed by the UW-Parkside’s App Factory.
“ReadyBadger” will allow anyone in the state of Wisconsin to find emergency readiness
information specific to their county. It also allows for the user to submit a digital damage
report in an effort to increase the speed that emergency managers can make disaster
declarations and respond to disasters. The app is designed to prevent weather-related
disasters along with the option to prepare for future local emergencies. With that comes
weather conditions, traffic updates, disaster resources, location and contact information
for hospitals, police, fire stations, and identifies volunteer opportunities in your
community. This app is your one stop shop for all local weather and disaster
information.

14.
14
Spec
Sheet
READY BADGER MOBILE APPLICATION
Spec Sheet
Ready Badger Wisconsin is an emergency broadcast application built for the state of
Wisconsin.
The application incorporates all safety protocols informing citizens on what measures
should be taken if an emergency or disaster were to break out.
Users can get information on local disaster resources such as hospitals, fire
departments, and police departments.
Through the Ready Badger application, users can read documents on disaster
preparations and precautions. Users can receive alerts on nearby disasters and
dangerous weather.
Step-by-step tools are provided to making an emergency plan so that everyone is
prepared for the worst case scenario. Custom lists can be made to refresh one's
memory in the moment of a disaster.
Users can submit disaster damage reports including a picture of the scene and
estimated costs from damage.
From Racine to Eau Claire, all counties have been incorporated into the Ready
Badger application.
The application can be downloaded on the App Store or Google Play; look up
“ReadyBadger” in the search box

15.
15
Implementation

16.
16
Parkside
Communication
Consultants
Final
Report
Ready
Badger
Mobile
App
5/4/16

17.
17
Executive
Summary
In
the
spring
2016
semester,
COMM
480:
Practicum
in
Public
Relations,
teamed
up
with
the
App
Factory
in
order
to
create
a
media
campaign
for
the
release
of
the
new
“ReadyBadger”
mobile
application.
This
project,
in
conjunction
with
particular
Southeastern
Wisconsin
Emergency
Managers,
allowed
PCC
members
to
conduct
research,
engage
in
event
and
strategic
planning,
develop
recommendations
for
a
media
campaign
for
the
app,
and
finally,
evaluate
final
results.
In
this
final
report,
PCC
elaborates
on
their
recommendations
for
advertising
“Ready
Badger”
in
order
to
encourage
Wisconsin
residents
to
download
the
app.
Therefore,
these
recommendations
are
presented
briefly
here,
and
elaborated
fully
in
the
following
report.
In
order
to
successfully
market
“Ready
Badger”
Emergency
Managers
are
encouraged
to:
• Understand
that
based
on
our
survey
research,
“word-­‐of-­‐mouth”
advertising
is
the
most
influential
and
popular
way
residents
learn
about
new
mobile
application.
• Understand
that
social
media
is
another
form
of
“word-­‐of-­‐mouth”
communication/advertising
• Continue
with
public
presentations
as
the
main
form
of
advertising,
but
using
tools
(like
posters
with
QR
codes),
which
will
make
it
possible
for
all
attendees
to
download
the
app
immediately/on
site.
• Begin
to
think
critically
about
the
role
that
social
media
will
play
in
the
realm
of
Emergency
Management
in
Southeastern
Wisconsin
Survey
Analysis
In
order
to
make
recommendations
to
Emergency
Managers
about
how
to
get
a
large
portion
of
the
population
to
download
“Ready
Badger”
mobile
app,
a
survey
was
conducted
in
order

18.
18
to
gather
information
about
how
adults
learn
about
new
mobile
applications,
which
they
later
download.
PCC
employed
a
convenience
sample
by
sending
the
survey
link
to
Facebook
accounts
and
other
social
media.
Additionally,
the
UW-­‐Parkside
community
was
also
sent
the
link.
There
is
great
potential
in
collecting
hundreds
more
responses,
which
will
broaden
the
results
even
further.
However,
given
the
timeframe
we
had
remaining,
we
believe
the
148
participants
are
a
relatively
good
representation
of
the
average
Wisconsin
resident.
There
were
148
survey
participants
in
total:
47
males
and101females.
Of
the
148
participants,
113
represented
several
Southeastern
Wisconsin
counties.
When
asked
how
they
discovered
new
applications,
participants
were
invited
to
choose
multiple
options
in
order
to
understand
what
and
where
would
be
the
most
fruitful
places
to
advertise
“Ready
Badger”
app.
“How
do
you
discover
new
applications?
Select
all
that
apply:”

19.
19
1
An
application
discovery
application
7
5%
2
Browsing
the
App
store
63
43%
3
Recommendation
88
60%
4
Word
of
mouth
100
68%
5
Ad
on
App
store
13
9%
6
Magazine
Ad
8
5%
7
Brochure/Flyer
4
3%
8
Billboard
4
3%
9
TV
Show
14
10%
10
TV
News
10
7%
11
TV
Commercial
14
10%
12
Radio
19
13%
13
Newspaper/Magazine
Article
19
13%
14
Web
search
engine
24
16%
15
Internet
Ad
26
18%
16
Google
Play
27
18%
17
You
Tube
17
12%
18
Facebook
51
35%
19
Twitter
20
14%
20
Instagram
18
12%
21
A
particular
website
5
3%
22
Other
Social
Media
Platform
2
1%
23
Other
11
8%
Based
on
the
above
chart,
roughly
65%
of
participants
learn
about
new
mobile
apps
based
on
“word
of
mouth,”
which
encompasses
“recommendations.”
56
males
and
130
females
learn
about
new
mobile
apps
through
face-­‐to-­‐face
communication.

20.
20
Word-­‐of-­‐Mouth
Primarily,
“word-­‐of-­‐mouth”
is
the
exchange
of
information
from
person
to
person
by
oral
communication,
which
could
be
as
simple
as
telling
someone
the
time
of
day.
Storytelling
is
a
common
form
of
word-­‐of-­‐mouth
communication
where
one
person
tells
others
a
story
about
a
real
event
or
something
made
up.
According
to
Jansen,
Zhang,
Sobel,
and
Chowdury,
“Word
of
mouth
(WOM)
is
the
process
of
conveying
information
from
person
to
person
and
plays
a
major
role
in
customer
buying
decisions”
(Richins
&
Root-­‐
Shaffer,
1988).
A
lot
of
times
Apps
get
the
exposure
through
people
telling
each
other
about
it
and
encouraging
others
to
download
it.
Jansen,
Zhang,
Sobel,
and
Chowdury
note:
“Positive
WOM
is
considered
a
powerful
marketing
medium
for
companies
to
influence
consumers.
WOM
communication
functions
based
on
social
networking
and
trust:
People
rely
on
families,
friends,
and
others
in
their
social
network.
Research
also
indicates
that
people
seem
to
trust
seemingly
disinterested
opinions
from
people
outside
their
immediate
social
network,
such
as
online
reviews”
(Twitter
Power:
Tweets
as
Electronic
Word
of
Mouth,p.
1,
2008).
Thus,
world-­‐of-­‐mouth
is
performed
face-­‐to-­‐face
as
well
as
electronically.
In
other
words,
social
media
Apps
such
as
Twitter,
Facebook
Instagram,
and
Snapchat
are
forms
of
WOM,
but
have
even
more
power
to
advertise
and
influence
downloading
because
of
the
amount
of
people
who
interface
simultaneously
through
social
media
sites.

21.
21
These
social
media
platforms
have
grown
exponentially
over
the
past
few
years
because
of
how
many
active
users
consistently
log
in.
Of
the
148survey
participants,results
indicate
that
Wisconsin
residents
learn
about
new
mobile
applications
by
WOM
(including
Facebook),
and
it
showed
that
WOM
is
the
most
effective
tool
to
achieve
downloads.
Marketers
place
significant
value
on
positive
word-­‐of-­‐mouth,
which
is
traditionally
achieved
by
creating
products,
services
and
customer
experiences
that
generate
conversation-­‐worthy
"buzz."
Recommendations
Social
Media
Parkside
Communication
Consultants
(PCC)
believes
there
are
three
different
marketing
options,
which
will
be
most
effective
for
“Ready
Badger.”
The
following
will
present
the
reasons
why
social
media,
traditional
marketing,
and
word
of
mouth
will
be
most
effective.
With
advances
in
technology,
social
media
has
become
a
big
part
of
our
society.
The
Facebook
company
info
states
that
there
are
1.59
billion
monthly
active
users
as
of
December
31,
2015
(newsroom,
fb).
Many
companies
and
organizations
have
begun
using
Facebook
as
a
form
of
advertising
their
company
or
their
products.
PCC
believes
that
the
Emergency
Management
Departments
would
benefit
from
making
one
central
Facebook
account
in
order
to
more
easily
manage
messages
and
information.
Respectively,
PCC
understands
that
there
are
differing
practices
for
each
specific
county
which
is
why
we
offer
two
different
options:

22.
22
Option
1
Each
county
creates
their
own
internal
network
in
which
they
can
communicate
with
the
other
counties
and
the
public.
This
internal
network
would
be
a
Facebook
page
for
each
county.
Either
designating
one
person
from
that
county
to
run
the
Facebook
page
(which
would
require
minimal
time/effort),
or
giving
everybody
access
to
the
Facebook
page
in
which
they
will
be
able
to
post,
daily,
specific
information
regarding
their
county,
also
promoting
the
“Ready
Badger”
app.
Most
beneficial
is
if
one
person
was
in
charge
of
this
Facebook
page
and
the
posts
that
are
uploaded.
If
budget
was
an
issue
for
this
Facebook
administrator,
the
option
of
turning
this
into
an
internship
position
for
a
current
college
student
may
be
a
possibility,
obtaining
a
new
intern
every
semester
or
every
year.
Option
2
Designate
one
person
to
create
a
Facebook
page
for
all
of
the
counties
involved
in
the
app.
This
person
would
be
the
only
one
allowed
access
to
the
page
and
he/she
would
collect
data/information
regarding
all
the
counties
and
post
everything
to
the
Facebook
page,
announcing
what
is
going
on
in
different
counties,
promoting
the
“Ready
Badger”
app
and
staying
connected
to
the
public.
This
option
will
allow
only
one
person
access
and
may
still
follow
the
rules
and
regulations
regarding
social
media
for
specific
counties.
If
budget
was
an
issue
for
this
Facebook
administrator,
the
option
of
turning
this
into
an
internship
position
for
a
current
college
student
may
be
a
possibility,
obtaining
a
new
intern
every
semester
or
every
year.
Internships
In
order
to
establish
an
internship
opportunity
with
the
University
of
Wisconsin-­‐Parkside,
a
supervisor
or
director
must
contact
a
department
chair
or
internship
instructor
to
discuss
the

23.
23
position,
job
description,
and
timeline.
Internships
can
be
paid
and
unpaid
(the
employer’s
choice)
and
the
student
is
required
to
spend
a
minimum
of
5-­‐15
hours
per
week.
The
student
will
receive
college
credit
for
the
experience
as
well
as
materials
that
help
to
build
his/her
resume
or
professional
portfolio.
For
this
particular
internship
PCC
recommends
a
Communication
Major
(who
takes
classes
in
how
to
write
for
social
media,
professional
writing,
public
relations/organizational
communication,
etc.
You
may
hire
an
intern
for
a
particular
job,
but
find
that
he/she
might
be
able
to
do
many
different
things
that
will
benefit
your
organization
in
ways
you
had
not
originally
expected.
Additionally,
the
English
Department
has
students
who
are
earning
a
certificate
in
professional
writing
and
who
have
similar
and
different
forms
of
training
as
the
Communication
students.
Traditional
Marketing
Posters
PCC
learned
that
some
emergency
managers
give
presentations
to
public
audiences
about
emergency-­‐related
topics.
These
public
presentations
would
be
an
ideal
place
to
display
a
large
poster
with
a
QR
code
to
ensure
easy
access
to
download
“Ready
Badger”
on
the
spot.
A
QR
is
a
machine
readable
code
used
for
storing
URLs
or
other
information.
They
are
used
to
take
a
piece
of
information
from
a
transitory
media
and
put
it
in
your
cell
phone.
Placing
these
codes
on
posters
will
make
immediate
downloads
possible.
These
posters
should
be
placed
all
throughout
Wisconsin
in

24.
24
strategic
locations
such
as
grocery
store
community
boards,
bus
stops,
drug
stores,
restaurants,
college
campuses,
and
coffee
shops.
Without
the
QR
code,
the
posters
will
be
less
useful
as
a
marketing
tool.
Brochures
Brochures,
which
also
contain
QR
codes,
should
be
designed
to
provide
more
detail
than
the
poster,
but
a
basic
rundown
of
all
of
the
capabilities
of
“Ready
Badger.”
These
brochures
should
be
placed
in
buildings
that
attract
target
audiences
such
as
university
campuses.
These
brochures
should
especially
be
placed
on
college
campuses
to
encourage
students
to
download
the
app
so
that
they
can
be
prepared
for
every
situation.
It
would
be
helpful
to
hand
these
brochures
out
at
orientations
for
UW
system
schools.
When
doing
this,
parents
may
also
be
encouraged
to
download
the
app
because
of
their
concern
for
their
children
who
will
be
attending
a
university
away
from
home.
Billboards
Billboards
would
be
a
great
attraction
for
the
computer
audience.
Although
pricey,
this
would
be
an
effective
way
to
get
downloads.
Following
are
the
prices
for
for
LAMAR
Advertising
in
the
Milwaukee
Area:

25.
25
Digital:
Daily
Three
Days
Weekly
Two
Weeks
Four
weeks
$
480
$
1260
$2,520
$4,536
$6,720
Bulletin
(non-­‐digital
billboards):
Single
Panel*
Three
Panels
Six
Panels
Twelve
Panels
$4,000
$10,800
$19,800
$39,600
*panels
=
amount
of
billboards*
LED
Dynamic
Message
Signs
These
are
the
signs
on
the
highways
that
tell
drivers
how
long
to
the
next
exit,
or
list
the
amount
of
people
killed
in
a
drunk
driving
accident
in
the
past
year.
In
conclusion,
PCC
makes
the
above
recommendations
based
on
research
findings
about
Wisconsin
residents.
We
understand
that
budgetary
and
other
limitations
that
could
apply.
In
short,
the
most
effective
strategies
are
up
to
managers
who
understand
their
particular
county
needs.

26.
26
References
Jansen,
Bernard
J.,
et
al.
"Twitter
power:
Tweets
as
electronic
word
of
mouth."
Journal
of
the
American
society
for
information
science
and
technology
60.11
(2009):
2169-­‐
2188.
Richins,
M.
L.
"Root-­‐-­‐Shaffer,
T.
(1988)."
The
Role
of
Involvement
and
Opinion
Leadership
in
Consumer
Word-­‐-­‐of-­‐-­‐Mouth:
An
Implicit
Model
Made
Explicit.