Final Buzzsaw Campaigns Book

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VSA Tennessee
40 Days around the world:
A digital arts festival
-Buzzsaw creative-

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-Buzzsaw creative-AccountExecutiveprandResearchCreativeandDigitalProjectManagement
Amanda Broome Kennedy Voxe
Andrea brink
vp of
PR and Copywriting
Candice goodman
Director of
Research and quality control
Emma Krummel
Vp of digital media
and art director
Ashely basak
quality control
Manager
Buzzsaw Creative
Danny Jones
Vp of finance
and Project management
Designer
Travis Mcmilan
Copywriter
jacob Williams
Traffic Control
Manager
Torrie Tovar

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-executive summary-
Dear Ms. Kissinger,
The members of Buzzsaw Creative would like to thank VSA Tennessee and Lori Kissinger for providing us
the opportunity to promote such a phenomenal program. We all feel fortunate to support the global and
cultural accomplishments of VSA Tennessee and the affiliates.
We designed the campaign for the 40 Days Around the World Digital Arts Festival to reach two main
audiences. Internally, we targeted current sponsors, affiliates and associates of VSA Tennessee in order to
spread awareness and effect a positive change in VSA Tennessee’s communication habits. Externally, we
targeted the media, opinion leaders and unware publics that resembled the current active publics.
We targeted these groups in order to accomplish our two campaign objectives. Our first objective was to
build awareness among current audiences and to encourage their participation in promoting and
celebrating the festival. The current audiences of VSA Tennessee were our first concern because they have
been loyal to the cause of VSA and should be invited to celebrate the 40th anniversary. Our second
objective was to enable VSA Tennessee to more effectively promote themselves. Our research revealed
that VSA Tennessee’s current communication methods could be improved. We also recognized that the
timeline of the 40 Days Festival was beyond the scope of the campaign, so building better communication
habits during our campaign would ensure that the 40 Days Festival was optimally communicated beyond
the conclusion of the campaign.
Our strategies reflected these objectives. We designed a visual suite and a social media consult book in
order to aid VSA Tennessee’s future communications. We created press releases and pitch letters in order
to inform current publics and to draw in other like-minded audiences. We also created a PR Strategy packet
to encourage other VSA affiliates to promote the 40 Days Festival as well. We also made suggestions for
future campaign ideas that could be implemented to further promote VSA Tennessee’s efforts.
Ultimately, the experience of working with VSA Tennessee has been eye-opening and rewarding. We
appreciate the opportunity and all of the support that VSA Tennessee provided throughout the campaign.
Sincerely,
Buzzsaw Creative

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THE RESEARCH
6 Company History
9 SWOT
13 PEST
18 Brand Analysis
20 Market Analysis
24 Stakeholder Analysis
28 Competitive Analysis
30 Consumer Analysis
33 Survey
35 Focus Group Results
THE CAMPAIGN
38 Brand Strategy and Design
42 Campaign Objectives
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
43 Social Media Consult
59 Digital Press Kit
68 Website Content
71 PR Suggestion Kit
78 Industry Event
80 Promotional Event
86 Political Event
88 Social Media Challenge
93 Printed Promotions
97 Partnership Suggestions
99 Bibliography
-Table of Contents-

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The research
-Buzzsaw creative-

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-Company History-
KENNEDY CONNECTIONS
The origins of the VSA begin with the President Kennedy and his sister Jean Kennedy. The arts were a very
large part of the life in the White House during the Kennedy administration.1
On multiple occasions, JFK
showed appreciated and supported artists and the arts publically. During the Kennedy administration,
notable artists were invited to the White House on numerous occasions. Because he made time for art in
his daily life and during public functions, JFK seemed to greatly respect and value art .2
A year before his
unexpected death, JFK created a federal position to support the arts.3
As a tribute to JFK’s appreciation
for the arts, Congress and the National Cultural Center collaborated to create the Kennedy Center which
launched in 1971 four years after the assassination of JFK4
. The Kennedy Center was only one example of
the long-lasting effects of the Kennedys’ artistic legacy.
THE VSA
Only three years after the Kennedy Center’s was established in 1974, Jean Kennedy, sister of the late JFK,
created the National Committee – Arts for the Handicapped. The name would be changed over ten years
later to Very Special Arts which later would become VSA.5
Jean Kennedy was heartedly supported both
artists and the disabled. Apart from starting an organization for both, she also wrote a book about both.6
She was such an advocate for these things likely because she was familiar with both the arts and disabil-
ities on a personal level. As discussed above, her close family loved and supported the arts. Also, one of
her sisters, Rose Marie Kennedy, was mentally retarded.7
Indeed the handicapped seemed to be a resonat-
ing cord in the Kennedys’ hearts. Her sister, Eunice Kennedy started her own organization for the disabled
as well called Special Olympics. In fact, it seems JFK wholeheartedly supported the arts, Eunice supported
the disabled and Jean connected the two.
Jean Kennedy served on the board of the Kennedy Center for several years, yet her organization, the VSA,
did not become officially associated with the Kennedy Center until 2008 with a formal affiliation. In 2011
the VSA finally merged with the Kennedy Center’s Office on Accessibility. The final merger happened for-
1 “Arts and Culture in the Kennedy White House.” - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2015
2 “Arts and Culture in the Kennedy White House.” - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2015
3 “Explore the Center.” Kennedy Center: History of the Living Memorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.
4 “Explore the Center.” Kennedy Center: History of the Living Memorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.
5 http://www.vsarts.org/education/vsa/contact_us.cfm
6 “Jean Kennedy Smith, a Muse for the Disabled.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, Aug. 2001. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.
7 “Jean Kennedy Smith, a Muse for the Disabled.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, Aug. 2001. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.

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ty-seven years after Jean Kennedy founded the VSA.8
By 2015, not only has the VSA grown internationally
and nationally, but its affiliates also still carry out the vision of its founder regularly. This vision is “to pro-
vide people of all ages living with disabilities the opportunity to learn through, participate in and enjoy the
arts.”9
The organization does this through various programs that enable the disabled to produce art, such
as arts education, professional development, cultural access, community engagement. A few examples of
these activities include concerts, art galleries, community art projects and sewing classes. The organiza-
tion and most of their events are open to all ages and artists of any medium – including dramatic, visual or
literary.
Over the past forty years, the VSA has grown immensely, bringing this vision and these opportunities to 37
national affiliates and 51 national affiliates.10
Today, Jean Kennedy is still somewhat involved in her organi-
zation though she has become less active as she has gotten older.
The past few years have brought a lot of changes and opportunities to VSA. Roughly a year ago, inter-
national VSA affiliates were accepted on to the Affiliate Council which governs the VSA chapters spread
across the nation and the globe. The council is made up of three officers, three committee members from
stateside affiliates and four international members. Representatives from the Kennedy Center along with
all ten members of the Council meet monthly to collaborate. For the first time ever, both international
and national VSA affiliates are working together through this new consistent communication and collabo-
ration. Previously, only a handful of affiliates even had regular communication with international affiliates.
Not only are international and national affiliates communicating, but they are collaborating on projections
and, through technology, enabling members of one VSA to work with and meet members of an affiliate
thousands of miles away. 11
VSA IN TENNESSEE
The Tennessee chapter of VSA is a comparatively young affiliate as it was started in 2001. Other affiliates
such as the Colorado and Georgia affiliates have been around from almost have a century.12
Despite being
relatively new, the Tennessee affiliate is very active. The current leader, Lori Kissinger, is weekly promoting
8 “About VSA.” The Kennedy Center, n.d. Web. <http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/vsa/>
9 “VSA.” Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.facebook.com/pages/VSA/>
10 “VSA Affiliates Worldwide.” VSA. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/vsa/affiliates>
11 “VSA Affiliates Worldwide.” VSA. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/vsa/affiliates/usa.cfm?state=con
necticut>
12 “VSA Affiliates Worldwide.” VSA. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/vsa/affiliates/usa.cfm?state=con
necticut>
-Company History-

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-Company History-
new events and opportunities on her Facebook page. Through regular classes, many special events and an
exciting international festival VSA TN is accomplishing the vision of Jean Kennedy. These many opportuni-
ties give members a plethora of ways to get involved with community, stay active in the arts and pursue
future careers in the arts. VSA TN offers artist residencies and dance workshops. Members can join a
dulcimer choir or could compete in a vocal contest to win a recording sessions. VSA TN also is passionate
about art education. They offer webinars, guest lectures and uniquely made lesson plans as a means to
teach kids and adults about the arts.13
13 “News | VSA Tennessee.” VSA Tennessee. VSA, Feb. 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2015

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-SWOT-
STRENGTHS-
VSA Tennessee is an international organization. Therefore VSA can find interested publics locally through
state affiliates, nationally through VSA as a whole entity, and internationally through internationally
through affiliates around the world. In these ways, VSA can have both a broad and deep reach with both
interpersonal and global media, sponsorship and advocacy opportunities.
VSA was founded by Jean Kennedy Smith and then, many years later, merged with the Kennedy Center.
The Kennedys and the Kennedy Foundation are a powerful, well-recognized name that gives VSA an advan-
tage over its competitors. Our primary research revealed that many people were interested in the con-
nection that VSA has with the Kennedys.1
Having such strong ties with a family that is very well respected
in the United States is a great asset to have. As our primary research revealed, these ties can affects VSA
Tennessee specifically, because VSA Tennessee can leverage this connection in communicating value to
potential sponsors.2
1 Buzzsaw Creative Survey Results and Focus Group Results (Feb, 2015)
STRENGTHS
-International Reach
-Associative recognition with the Kennedy name
-Partnership with Middle Tennessee State University
-Programs involve people of all age ranges
-Target audiences include a network of interested parents and
educators
WEAKNESSES
-The letters ‘VSA’ do not stand for anything
-VSA’s aware publics demographic is very small compared to its
potential yet unaware publics
-VSA Tennessee functions with limited resources and funding
-Misperceptions of VSAs audience and purpose
OPPORTUNITIES
-VSA has been building international partnerships
-The 40 Days Festival is a marketing opportunity
-VSA Tennessee has an established web presence that
could be used to reach more potential publics
THREATS
-VSA Tennessee has limited funding
-International partnerships come with specific challenges
-Other similar organizations stealing potential funds and partner-
ships.

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Because the director of the VSA Tennessee is an instructor at Middle Tennessee University the school
has become a valuable resource and partner for VSA Tennessee. VSA Tennessee’s close ties with Middle
Tennessee State University gives VSA Tennessee access to facilities and channels of communication and
increased visibility for low or no cost to them.
One strength that VSA Tennessee possesses is the organization’s diversity regarding youth and adults of all
ages. They can service a broader ranger of target markets and can garner a broader range of support. Ad-
vocacy organizations and supporters of one niche market such as aiding the disabled in the school system
may be just as likely to support VSA Tennessee as other organizations and individuals interested in support-
ing the professional development of people with disabilities.
VSA Tennessee has strong connections with parents and educators because of their educational programs.
VSA Tennessee is able to meet specific needs of these publics by providing lesson plans and educational
opportunities and thus will foster mutually beneficial relationships. These two audiences are important
because they make up the largest part of VSA Tennessee supporters.3
WEAKNESSES-
One significant weakness that VSA Tennessee faces stems from the name VSA. Due to sensitive wording,
the acronym for VSA was dropped in 2010, thus leaving the letters VSA to stand for nothing.4
This has
created a problem with promoting the organization because people’s first question is almost always “what
does VSA stand for” or people will assume VSA stands for a veterans organization.5
In our survey, focus group and our personal interviews, VSA was considered to be fairly unknown.1 We dis-
covered that most people become aware of VSA Tennessee though related organizations or through per-
sonal contact with the director Lori Kissinger. Word of Mouth or personal encounters with VSA Tennessee
seems to be the primary way that VSA Tennessee is raising awareness. This is a threat to VSA Tennessee
because they rely solely on funds from sponsors and the success of the missions depends on the involve-
ment of their target publics. The pool of active participants will inevitably erode, and without the ability
to grow, VSA Tennessee will face termination. Without more effective marketing channels, VSA Tennessee
will not grow very fast. If any of the current sponsors or channels become unreliable for any reason, VSA
3 Buzzsaw Creative Survey Results (Feb, 2015) and Focus Group Results (Feb, 2015)
4 Kennedy Center. “Contact Us and FAQs.” VSA. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
5 Kissinger, Lori. Interview. Buzzsaw Creative. January 2015.
-SWOT-

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Tennessee may not be able to survive a significant loss of interest from current supporters.
Currently VSA Tennessee has limited resources and is entirely reliant on donations from sponsors.6
This
is a threat to VSA Tennessee because sponsors may be effected by the economic strain following the re-
cession or any number of personal hardships and resulting lack of donations may limit VSA Tennessee’s
reach and potency.
We found in our focus group that latent publics may perceive VSA Tennessee as servicing only those
with mental disabilities and not those with physical disabilities. This is a threat because this miscommu-
nication may limit potential sponsorship from those who would otherwise be interested in supporting
VSA Tennessee’s true mission.7
OPPORTUNITIES-
One of VSA Tennessee’s strengths is also an opportunity. VSA Tennessee has many strong connections
throughout the world which creates a large amount of opportunities for the brand to grow, locally
and nationally. VSA has been capitalizing on this opportunity recently through the 40 Days Around the
World Digital Arts Festival and it has met with tremendous success. VSA Tennessee has the opportunity
to continue the connections that have been made through this festival and to foster mutually beneficial
relationships around the world.
VSA has an enormous marketing opportunity through the 40 Days Festival. Many aspects of the festival
can be pitched as an intriguing human interest story to the press. Affiliates could use the Festival as an
opportunity to host events and to fundraise. VSA could make printed materials or other informational
materials to bring awareness to The 40 Days Festival and, in doing so, bring awareness to VSA. This
website and its intriguing content can be shared to many potential sponsors and potentially interested
and parties and used as a hook, to spread awareness of VSA.
Both VSA and the Tennessee affiliate have a website and a social media presences. They could use
these platforms to reach audiences. They have the opportunity to make minor improvements in their
social media correspondence and website content to improve search enginge optimization and to gain
more readership.
-SWOT-

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THREATS-
Although there are many opportunities for VSA Tennessee’s brand to grow stronger, they will face
challenges. One of VSA Tennessee’s greatest threats right now is their limited funding from sponsors.
The limited funding has made reaching potential audiences particularly challenging.
Another challenge that VSA and VSA Tennessee face are cultural divides that make communication
and sharing goals with international partnerships more difficult. For instance, many partnerships that
VSA Tennessee has cross different time zones which create a problem when it comes to coordinating
events.
Other similar organizations pose a threat to VSA because they have a strong brand image and reliable
funding support already. The media and potential sponsors may choose to give their attention and
support to more well recognized brands rather than to VSA Tennessee.
-SWOT-

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-PEST-
POLITICAL -
Another pressing political issue is the change in accessibility of education for those with disabilities. In
2010, the Department of Justice revised the American with Disabilities Act to include a section regarding
the “Standards for Accessible Design.”1
This revision called for schools to have more amenities (such as
wheelchair ramps) that enabled children with disabilities to more easily participate in school activities.1
This change could be seen as an opportunity or a threat to VSA Tennessee because of the different ways
schools could respond to this mandate. Because schools are required to ensure that children with dis-
abilities are given the opportunity “to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach the
same level of achievement,” schools may seek more lesson plans and educational opportunities that are
designed to reach students with disabilities.2
If schools respond in this manner, VSA Tennessee will have
1 ADA.gov. “2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.” n.d. n.p. Web 26 April 2015 <http://www.ada.gov/2010ADAstandards_in
dex.htm.
2 Smith, T. E.C. Remedial And Special Education, 22.6 (335-343). 2001
POLITICAL
-Change in accessibility of education for people with disabilities.
-The rise of advocates and a community that demand equity for
those with disabilities
-A history of misconduct and bad habits regarding the equitable
treatment of those with disabilities
-International mandates and political concerns
ECONOMICAL
-The donors are recovering from the economic downturn
-VSA competes for funds
-The structure for fund raising for an international organization is
complex
SOCIAL
-Society’s evolving concern regarding offensive vernacular
-VSA remains relatively unknown
-American culture tends to value physical activity over artistic
endeavors
TECHNOLOGICAL
-VSA heavily relies on technology for communication through web-
sites, social media and email
-People with physical disabilities can access technology through
aids, and are a potent audience for electronic communication

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a wonderful opportunity to supply the materials sought. Schools may respond in a more concerning
way however, that could prove to be a threat to VSA Tennessee. The National Clearing House for Ed-
ucational Facilities expresses that these mandates are seen “by many as a formidable endeavor.”3
For
some schools, this mandate would require that they purchase expensive equipment and make costly
structural changes. The time, effort and cost this mandate imposes on schools may potentially cause
animosity toward any organization that is seen as an advocate of accessibility. VSA Tennessee should
be aware of this possibility and have a plan to deal with this issue if it were to arise.
VSA Tennessee is not alone in these changes and challenges. One important aspect of the political
landscape is the numerous advocates that have arisen to push and support legislation that would bet-
ter the lives of people with disabilities. More parents, politicians, and advocate groups are standing up,
speaking out and effecting changes.4
VSA Tennessee has received support from several politicians who
encourage the efforts of VSA in forwarding accessibility. Many advocacy groups exist and many other
organizations like VSA all support people with disabilities. The demand for social justice and equal op-
portunities for people with disabilities is becoming harder and harder to ignore.3
Another potentially dangerous political factor involves the effects of the past political landscape. “His-
torically, the educational experience of children with disabilities was characterized by neglect, inequity,
and mistreatment.”5
Without adequate legislation, vocal advocates or proper amenities that enabled
accessibility, students with disabilities simply were not afforded the same rights as other students. It
is not possible to reverse the habits, social norms and personal feelings that have been shaped by the
decades of neglect and misconduct simply through a legislative ruling. Therefore, VSA may find that
some people are not as receptive to new accessibility measures.
VSA also has a host of other political issues, concerns and challenges that they now must be aware of
because VSA is an international organization. VSA must take into consideration intercultural animosity
and other countries’ legislation regarding accessibility and education when dealing with these nations.
This affects VSA Tennessee specifically as well, because VSA Tennessee has been corresponding with
other nations frequently for the 40 Days Around the World Digital Arts Festival. An exhaustive analysis
of each country’s political landscape is beyond the scope of this present analysis, but it is imperative
that members of VSA Tennessee and VSA educate themselves about potential challenges as they pro-
3 Ansley, J. Creating Accessible Schools. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities at the National
Institute of Building Sciences. 2000
4 Smith, T. E.C. Remedial And Special Education, 22.6 (335-343). 2001
5 Ansley, J. Creating Accessible Schools. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities at the National
Institute of Building Sciences. 2000
-PEST-

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ceed with international correspondence.
ECONOMIC-
Externally, the unstable economy coupled with a competitive pool of funds has hindered the success of
VSA Tennessee.6
The US is just now starting to recover from its most recent recession. Now that the US
population is starting to get back on its feet and regain its lost expendable income, causes and charities,
like VSA Tennessee, will have to fight to regain their foothold in the new and more prosperous market that
is predicted to come.7
VSA Tennessee has always had to compete for donations with other similar organi-
zations that are more well-known than themselves which will make placing that foothold for brand recog-
nition and monetary donations harder to receive.8
Internally, having countries from all across the world participating in the programs can make funding com-
plex as well. VSA doesn’t have a international or even national set structure for making donations. With-
out that structure, VSA could confuse potential donors or could create an ineffective chaos in distributing
and managing funds.9
SOCIAL-
In today’s society, there are limitations on how those with disabilities are described. In mediated mes-
sages, in personal conversations and in other areas of life, society is becoming much more aware of the
potentially offensive language surrounding disabilities and is attempting to avoid all forms of offense.
Advocates have been pushing for the use of new and less offensive phrases for several years. Blogger
Laurie Stephans’ article in 2010 is a great example. In her article, she urges a change in communication
saying “Using person first language in everyday life by people with disabilities can help”.10
What Stephans
describes is a vernacular that advocates have recently been pushing called the “person first” approach.
This approach involves phrases such as “a person with disabilities” rather than phrases such as “the dis-
abled”.11
In 2010, VSA became of aware of this evolution in social vernacular and responded to this shift in
cultural perceptions by changing their name from Very Special Arts to VSA.
6 Kissinger, Lori. Interview. Buzzsaw Creative. January 2015
7 Weinberg, John. “The Great Recession & Its Aftermath - A Detailed Essay on an Important Event in the History of the Federal
Reserve.” n.p. 2013 Web 26 April 2015 <http://www.federalreservehistory.org/Events/DetailView/66>
10 Stephens, Laurie. Changing perceptions and stereotypes around disabilities with “person first” language. 2010 Web 26 April
2015www.dailystrength.org.
-PEST-

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The change in vernacular is a challenge for VSA Tennessee because they must word all messages with
particular care. They have the challenge of connecting and building relationships with audiences while
being careful not to offend someone or appear offensive. They must also find ways to stay up to date
on the socially acceptable phrases, knowing how to properly address those with mental or physical
disabilities.Titles that used to be common place - like the blind, the retarded or the disabled - are now
inappropriate terms.12
Society recognizes now that these phrases foster the perception that someone
with special needs is less of a person and not normal.13
If VSA miswords or is ignorant of the changing
vernacular they could inadvertently send a very offensive message they never intended.
Another social issue is that VSA and VSA Tennessee are relatively unknown while other organizations
with similar goals are much more visible. The Special Olympics, a similar non-profit started around the
same time, is very well known. VSA often gains less attention from the media while The Special Olympics
has many followers on social media, has well-known and affluent sponsors and receives much media
coverage. VSA’s visibility in these ways is significantly less. For instance, The Special Olympics has 697,869
followers while VSA has 1,092 followers currently.14
Our primary research also confirms that people often
know about The Special Olympics, yet are often unfamiliar with VSA.15
One last social issue is that the general public favors events that promote physical activity over art relat-
ed work. This is due to the cultural drive to promote health and physical activity which is a big concern in
America over perusing artistic endeavors.16
Technological-
Technology plays a large role in how VSA Tennessee operates. The organization communicates their
image to their audiences very frequently through the use of technology. VSA Tennessee operates the
website vsatn.org which is intended to inform people on what exactly VSA Tennessee is, what they do
and how to get involved.17
They also employ the use of email newsletters to communicate with their
audiences.4 Similarly, social media plays a huge role in how VSA Tennessee connects with people and
14 “Special Olympics.” Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
16 “CDC: 80 Percent of American Adults Don’t Get Recommended Exercise.”CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
17 VSA Tennessee. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://vsatn.org/>.
-PEST-

17
groups across the globe. In particular, Facebook allows VSA Tennessee to regularly communicate with
their affiliates and followers. The VSA Tennessee Facebook page informs people about upcoming events
and activities.18
People with disabilities use technologies such as social media in their everyday lives just as frequently as
people without disabilities do. According to Disability.Blog, the official blog of Disability.Gov, states that
“Social media can be an effective way for anyone to socialize and network for a career, but can be es-
pecially powerful for people with disabilities.”19
However, one fallback of technology, specifically social
media, is that it can be quite challenging to create materials that are accessible to those who are visually
and hearing impaired. This could potentially pose a threat for VSA Tennessee, especially since it is an orga-
nization that caters specifically to people with disabilities.
18 VSA Tennessee.”Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
19 Totka, Megan. “Social Media, Disabilities, and You.” Disability.Blog. N.p., 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
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-brand analysis-
A brand image is essentially the way people perceive an organization or business. VSA Tennessee, just like
any other organization, has its own unique brand image that differentiates it from other organizations.
Buzzsaw Creative conducted a focus group to determine how people perceive VSA Tennessee’s brand
image. The focus group revealed that many people view VSA Tennessee as the “artsy” version of The Spe-
cial Olympics which is a similar organization that was started around the same time as VSA, and that VSA
deals more with mental disabilities than physical disabilities. The participants of the focus group seemed
to like the many events and programs that VSA Tennessee offers; however, both the survey we conducted
and the focus group revealed that general awareness of VSA Tennessee and VSA International is very low.
Awareness of VSA Tennessee is even low within the organization’s target audiences, including educators
and parents of people with disabilities.1
People’s perceptions of VSA Tennessee have been established through the way VSA projects itself to its
audience. VSA’s mission statement, according to their Facebook page, is to provide “opportunities for
people with disabilities to participate in and express themselves through the arts and arts education.”2
Through this mission statement, VSA is attempting to present itself to active and aware publics as an or-
ganization that provides the following things: lesson plans for educators, materials to promote awareness
for arts in disabilities, opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in and learn about the arts,
and methods for people with disabilities to achieve a higher level of social acceptance and new levels of
personal accomplishments.3
The public’s perception of VSA Tennessee’s brand identity is also formed through the use of visuals such as
their website, social media profiles, logos, flyers, and newsletters. VSA Tennessee’s social media posts and
flyers are most often created for the purpose of letting their audiences know about events. These posts
and visuals are usually not visually consistent, with the exception of displaying the VSA Tennessee logo.
VSA Tennessee’s visuals are most likely made by several different people, such as interns, and don’t seem
to follow any specific formula. VSA Tennessee only has four main channels for distributing these visuals.
VSA Tennessee uses direct mail, a subscription based newsletter, the homepage of their website, and their
Facebook page to distribute visuals. On each of these channels, VSA Tennessee frequently publishes infor-
mation about upcoming events and posts pictures of these events and of artwork created by VSA mem-
bers. These publications and emails lack consistent visual identity. Despite the lack of consistency, it seems
1 Buzzsaw Creative Survey and Focus Group Results
2 Kissinger, Lori. “VSA Arts Tennessee.” VSA Arts Tennessee Non-Profit Organization. Facebook, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <https://
www.facebook.com/vsatn/>.
3 Kissinger, Lori. “VSA Arts Tennessee.” VSA Arts Tennessee Non-Profit Organization. Facebook, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <https://
www.facebook.com/vsatn/>.

19
as if these channels are effective at communicating to the target audiences. The people that currently
support VSA Tennessee most likely don’t care about the inconsistencies. However, these inconsistencies
might make VSA Tennessee appear unprofessional to prospective supporters.
According to survey results, few people were aware of VSA Tennessee.4
Those that were aware were also
aware of VSA’s main competitor, the Special Olympics. This organization uses many of the same channels
of brand communication that VSA employs, however it seems that more people are aware of the Special
Olympics. VSA Tennessee uses their Twitter account very poorly compared to the Special Olympics. The
Special Olympics Facebook page seems much more professional as well and more effectively projects their
brand identity.
VSA Tennessee seems to be having some success communicating its message and values through the
channels that it is currently using. However, these current channels are only effective at communicating
their brand to active publics. The survey and focus group results show that few people have even heard
of VSA, and even fewer are aware that it is an international organization. Those that have actually worked
with VSA or know someone who has think that VSA is doing great things for people with disabilities.5
In
essence, VSA Tennessee’s brand is not being communicated in a fashion that will attract new supporters,
but they are doing a decent job at reaching current supporters.
-brand analysis-

20
-market analysis-
PERCEPTION OF THOSE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE US
One of the most integral stakeholders for VSA Tennessee is people with disabilities. Other important
target markets include instructors, supporters and those related to people with disabilities. Therefore
society’s perceptions of people with disabilities is important to VSA Tennessee. According to the United
States Census website, “[d]uring the past 40 years, the accepted definitions of disability have been chang-
ing alongside shifting attitudes and perceptions about people with disabilities.”1
General perception of
people with disabilities in the United States has changed drastically over the past few decades - even the
definition of disability has changed. In the past, people were considered disabled simply due to a physical
or mental condition. In the U.S. today, “the social model of disability supports a definition as the result of
a complex interaction between a person and his or her environment.”2
Essentially, this means that peo-
ple are no longer considered disabled just because they have leg paralysis or some other type of physical
condition. Instead, people are considered disabled “due to their physical impairment as well as the barriers
in the environment that prevent full social participation.”3
It seems that the modern definition of disability
has become much more broad and encompassing.
Similarly, programs for people with disabilities have changed their goals. In the past, programs for the
disabled primarily attempted to give support to the disabled through benefits such as financial help and
income substitutes. Today, most programs aim to help the disabled by encouraging independence and
supporting involvement society.4
This is similar to VSA’s mission to involve people with disabilities in soci-
ety through the arts.
Perception of people with disabilities in the media seems to be less progressive than the general percep-
tion of the public. A 2005 study by the Special Olympics shows that the current trend in media is to display
people with disabilities as vulnerable and weak victims. The study states the following:
Despite greater scientific knowledge, policy and societal changes, and the establishment of
high-profile events such as the Special Olympics World Games, media accounts have continued
to portray persons with intellectual disabilities in stereotypical, one-dimensional ways. Often,
1 “About Disability Statistics.” Disability. United States Census Bureau, 29 Aug. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <http://www.census.gov/
people/disability/about/>.

21
characters with intellectual disabilities were nearly “invisible” presences (not complex), even if
they were the main characters.5
The media obviously has the power to shape public opinions, so this could prove to be dangerous for so-
ciety’s ever-evolving perceptions of people with disabilities. As the study puts it, “[a]ccording to the 2003
Multinational Study of Attitudes toward Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, more than 80 percent of
the U.S. adults surveyed felt that media portrayals were an obstacle to the acceptance and inclusion of
people with intellectual disabilities.”6
For VSA Tennessee and similar organizations that support people
with disabilities, this means that there is still a lot to overcome.
5 Media’s Portrayal of People with Intellectual Disabilities.” Changing Attitudes Changing the World (2005): n. pag. Special Olym-
pics. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
6 Media’s Portrayal of People with Intellectual Disabilities.” Changing Attitudes Changing the World (2005): n. pag. Special Olym-
pics. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
-market analysis-

22
PERCEPTION OF THOSE WITH DISABILITIES IN TENNESSEE
In Tennessee, there are a plethora of different affiliations that care for those with disabilities. The follow-
ing section is a breakdown of that market and the services offered by these organizations. According to
the Tennessee Disability Pathfinder website subjects that affect people with disabilities and those orga-
nizations that help them “are wide-ranging and include Advocacy and Law, Child Care, Education, Health
Care, Respite Care.”1
Organizations and websites exist that can help both the people with disabilities and
organizations like VSA Tennessee navigate these topics. For instance, Tennessee Disability Pathfinder web-
site can help those looking for information in disability services.2
An institution that assists those with disabilities in Tennessee is the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. It is locat-
ed at Vanderbilt university and “is one of fourteen National Developmental Disabilities Research Centers
supported in part by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.”3
It also provides
research, services and other information that may be needed. The vast reach of this center, the services
and research could be an asset to organizations like VSA Tennessee.
The Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities at the University of Memphis “promotes, supports, and
enhances the independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion of individuals with disabilities and
their families in the community.”4
The Boling Center was first established by the University of Tennessee
in 1957 as the clinic for mentally ill children at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital .5
The Boling Center is locat-
ed at a major university in Tennessee, and VSA Tennessee, and the Kennedy Center are associated with
universities. This trend in university association is important because universities tend to have a great
impact on their communities.
A state organization that assists those with disabilities is the Tennessee Council on Developmental Dis-
abilities. It “works to ensure public policies that increase and support the inclusion of individuals with
developmental disabilities in their communities.”6
“Four statewide organizations in Tennessee, includ-
1 “Children with Disabilities.” Tennessee Resources for Children with Disabilities. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, n.d. Web. 31 Mar.
2015. <http://vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/woyc/childdisabilities.html>.
2 “About Tennessee Disability Pathfinder.” About Tennessee Disability Pathfinder. Tennessee Disability Pathfinder, n.d. Web. 31
Mar. 2015. <http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/pathfinder/page.aspx?id=2119>
6 “Tennessee Council on Developmental DisabilitiesWanda Willis, Executive Director.” General Information about the Tennessee
Council on Developmental Disabilities. Council on Developmental Disabilities, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <http://www.state.tn.us/cdd/about.
-market analysis-

23
ing the Council, partner with one another and with individuals with developmental disabilities and their
family members to ensure that they receive the services and supports they need and jointly they take part
in planning those services.” Others included in the Developmental Disabilities network are the Disability
Law & Advocacy Center of Tennessee (DLAC) and two University Centers for Excellence in Developmental
Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDDs). The DLAC “advocates for the rights of Tennesseans
with disabilities to ensure that they have an equal opportunity to be productive and respected members of
our society.”7
The UCEDD includes 64 centers across the country covering every state and “supports inter-
disciplinary training, exemplary services, research, and dissemination of information. This network is coor-
dinated by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.” The Boling Center and Vanderbilt Kennedy
Center make Tennessee one of the few states with two Centers for Excellence.8
The abundance of organizations that have similar missions as VSA Tennessee, could foster a rich environ-
ment of social acceptance and could lower the risk of social apathy or ignorance. In this saturated market,
VSA Tennessee has opportunities to establish partnerships or to share knowledge with these similar orga-
nizations. Knowing that Tennessee is a rare state with two Centers for Excellence can provide insight into
how much it is affiliated and connected to those with disabilities. Knowing the breakdown and analysis of
the market VSA is in can help guide decision makers within VSA Tennessee to improvement.
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-market analysis-

24
-STAKEHOLDERS ANALYSIS-
VSA Tennessee has many various types of stakeholders. From individuals to multinational organizations,
VSA Tennessee’s supporters, members and administrators are very diverse. The ways in which they com-
municate with VSA Tennessee, the types of involvement and their level of impact are each unique. Below
we have provided a list of these stakeholders based on their level of involvement with the organization
and have given a brief overview of how the stakeholders in each tier affect VSA Tennessee.
Due to the fact that the VSA Tennessee mailing list was unavailable, social media connections became the
base for identifying the stakeholders. A review of VSA Tennessee’s Twitter followers reveals that VSA Ten-
nessee is connected with small and non-profit organizations. The majority of these are small organizations
that are attuned to the arts, charity opportunities and helping the disabled. A single administrator may
run some of these organizations, while others have an international reach, yet none are very large. Fur-
thermore, a review of Facebook interactions reveals a very similar demographic. Although, on Facebook, a
few more demographics are present as interactions are more personal. Representatives of organizations
and independently interested educators use Facebook to directly monitor and support VSA Tennessee.
HIGH IMPACT
The high impact stakeholders are each unique and each uniquely contribute to the success of VSA Ten-
nessee. Moreover each is uniquely motivated. Most of these are leaders within the non-profit sector for
example: the Affiliate Council members, members of the Kennedy Center, and administrators within VSA
Tennessee. For these leaders, dealing with non-profits, arts and/or people with disabilities are part of
their occupational configuration. Others in this group are students who are employed by the VSA Tennes-
see. The students are semi-skilled, future professionals who are able to aid the VSA in various tasks and
projects. These students are often motivated by grades or scholarships. Between these two, the high
impact stakeholders are simultaneously volatile and dependable, skilled yet rarely paid.
(VSA Tennessee deals with these entities on regular and frequent basis. They have an immense influence
on the direction and activities of the organization)
• The members with disabilities of VSA
• The Affiliate Council
• The Kennedy Center
• Lori Kissinger
• Interns

25
• Leaders of regular lessons/activities
-Sarah McWhirt directs the VSA Tennessee/Blair Dulcimer Choir
-Danielle Clement directs the Movement Connection dance class
• Volunteering classes: (Web design class, PR/Ad class, ORCO Class)
-The ORCO class has been integral in organizing the logistics of several events
MEDIUM IMPACT
Among the medium impact group are businesses, institutions and organizations. These entities seem to
have enough resources and motivation in order to establish a long-term relationship. For the two edu-
cational institutions, the motivation is simply the connections that VSA has with these organizations. For
example, the leader of VSA, Lori Kissinger, is a lecturer at Middle Tennessee State University. For other or-
ganizations, the motivation may be more altruistic or it may be similar to the motivations described in the
following paragraph. For the VSA affiliates, obviously they are inherently connected with VSA Tennessee
by their shared name and aims. In all situations, the partnering entities receive benefits from partnering
with VSA Tennessee. For instance, MTSU gains foot-traffic and public relations/social clout. The other VSA
affiliates could receive and give aid in achieving mutual aims.
(VSA Tennessee deals with these entities less frequently or regularly, and they have less impact on the
organization’s future)
• Partnering businesses
-FedEx
• Partnering cultural/educational organizations
-Vanderbilt (houses the dance class regularly)
-MTSU
• Partnering organizations for the disabled
• Other VSA affiliates
• Student Ambassadors
LOW IMPACT
Many of the organizations and individuals listed below are auxiliary entities – they do not represent the

26
core support or management functions of VSA Tennessee, and they are not long-time or frequent contrib-
utors. Individually, each entity does not contribute so frequently and so immensely that VSA would not be
able to function without them. However, as a whole, this group is invaluable to VSA. Without the many
different auxiliary entities VSA Tennessee would never be to accomplish all they accomplish. VSA has a
plethora of supporters. These organizations or individuals may only partner once or twice with VSA, but
they give VSA exactly what the organization needs when they need it. A large majority of what VSA does
hinges on these events, therefore, as a group these auxiliary supporters are invaluable.
(VSA Tennessee rarely deals with these entities. They currently do not have much effect on the activities
or future of VSA)
• Organizations and entities who are interested in partnering or aiding in the future
-The State Department
• Organizations and entities that have contributed or partnered in the past.
-Celebrity: Josh Turner, Gov. Haslam, Les Kerr and Chip Staley and a TBA CMA award win
ner, Congressman Diane and Dr. David Black.
-Cultural Organizations: Hendersonville Arts Council housed an art exhibit. Hillwood Pres
byterian Church in Nashville hosting spring break camp.
-Businesses: Clay Lady Studio, Nashville Lexus Dealership, Affinion, First Tennessee Founda
tion, Publix Supermarket Charities
-Educational organizations: Toler and Thornton Cline and their students provided music for
an art exhibit.
-Other: 100 artists donated cups for Cups-of-Co., Nashville Predators Foundation, Spring
break camp is being led by Christine Mather (and other volunteer teachers) Tennessee Arts
Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, The Memorial Foundation
• Potential Members or Interest: Advertising and events could spark potential interest and gain new
followers to the VSA Tennessee family.
• Educators who need lesson plans
• Jean Kennedy: Although Jean Kennedy was the founder of the organization; her level of regular
involvement with VSA Tennessee is low.
A limited collaboration with VSA Tennessee offers these organizations or entities such benefits as a politi-
cal advantage or social/public relation’s impact, tax write-offs, or the momentary relief from federal pres-
sure, which encourages organizations to aid the disabled. Of course, these motivators are likely not the

27
only reason that VSA Tennessee receives help from these low-impact supporters. Surely, each person and
organization has individual motivators. Moreover, each of the different supporters is unique. Many are
small local businesses. Some are celebrities or nationally recognized organizations. (See above bulleted lists
for examples.) Therefore, they each have unique demographics. The types of collaborations that these
organizations or individuals might have with VSA are also unique. Some may support with money. Others
show support by allowing VSA to use their facilities. The variety of support opportunities vary based on the
needs of the particular event that organization is aiding with.
Although the stakeholders may have different incentives and levels of commitment, it is necessary to
consider each of them when thinking about how VSA Tennessee operates. Even if some do not have a high
impact, the stakeholders still can be very essential to the success or fail of VSA Tennessee’s events, proj-
ects and other programs it creates. Each stakeholder has its own unique attributes that give VSA Tennessee
better opportunities.
Bibliography
Information gathered from Lori Kissinger Director of VSA TENNESSEE, https://www.facebook.com/vsatn/timeline, and https://twitter.com/
VSATennessee

28
-competitive analysis-
Competition for VSA includes the Special Olympics, The American Association of People with Disabilities,
and The ARC. The main difference in VSA compared to these three organizations is that VSA does not have
as broad of an audience, which does not make it as strong of a brand name.1
The competition has a stron-
ger brand image than the VSA for that reason.
Another factor that differentiates VSA from the competition is the lack of a “donate” page on their web-
site. The three competitors have a direct link on their websites so people who visit can donate instantly.
Although the VSA Tennessee chapter does have a link on the side, it is not apparent at first glance that you
can click the image to donate. This gives the competition an advantage over VSA Tennessee because VSA
does not discuss donating on their website which may lead people to think they do not accept donations.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS:
The Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who is also a member of the Kennedy
family. However, the Special Olympics is different in the fact that it focuses on helping youth and adults
with disabilities have an opportunity to experience life through sports training and competition. This or-
ganization has gained a lot more attention than VSA, which was founded by a Kennedy and has the same
purpose but accomplishes this mission through the arts. In Tennessee alone, the Special Olympics offer 17
sports for athletes to compete in. The Special Olympics also focuses on the healthy athletes program and
the athlete leadership programs so they have the chance to learn and become public speakers or coaches.
The Special Olympics has a strong following particularly because a sport is something people can watch
to show their support for their country or state. Bill Mitchell states, “…sports has earned its strong and
defining place in the community. And it looks as if they’ve concluded that the arts, while still warranting
coverage, are clearly more marginal, attracting an influential but narrow segment of the community.”2
It
can also be noted that sporting events have a strong impact on communities. Because of the high volume
of viewers and participants that sports receive it is likely that the Special Olympics receive more donations
because it attracts a larger market. In 2013 the Special Olympics raised $118, 335, 656 dollars3
, which
illustrates the success of the program.
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
(AAPD):
1 Buzzsaw Creative Survey Results (Feb.2015) and Focus Group Results (Feb. 2015)
2 Lavin, Chris. “Why Arts Coverage Should Be More Like Sports.” Poytner.org. N.p., 2002. Web.
3 The Speical Olympics. Special Olympics Annual Report 2013 (2013): 1-24. The Special Olympics. Web. <http://media.specialolym
pics.org/resources/reports/>

29
According to AAPD’s mission on their website, they are the nation’s largest disability rights organization.
They focus on creating an equal quality of life for people with disabilities.4
The AAPD is devoted to creat-
ing equal opportunities on a grand scale for people with disabilities.
The AAPD reaches people in workplaces, education, health, and internationally. They also have national
partners to support their programs, which gives them an advantage with high volume audiences. Their
partners include CBS, Time Warner, Johnson & Johnson, Comcast, and AT&T. These strong partnerships
expose the AAPD to a more broad audience as well as establish more credibility in communities.5
THE ARC:
The Arc focuses on the intellectual and developmental disabilities and maintaining education and work
rights for people with disabilities. They are a very established brand with 60 years of history in the United
States. The Arc also provides support for families that have children with intellectual disabilities. One of
their programs is the School-to-Community Transition Initiative created in 2009 to create a smooth tran-
sition from high school to early adulthood. This has enhanced community involvement at more than 50
chapters. In 2013, AT&T joined the initiative so The Arc could maintain the program and their commitment
to the community. 6
The Arc has an array of other national partnerships with brands such as Comcast, Wal-Mart, Verizon Foun-
dation, Volkswagen Group, and MetLife+. According to The Arc’s 2013 Annual Report, they received a total
of $731, 453 in contributions in 2013. 7
4 “AAPD Mission.” AAPD Mission. AAPD, 2012. Web. <http://www.aapd.com/what-powers-us/aapd-mission.html>
5 “Our National Partners.” Our National Partners. The American Association of People with Disabilities, 2012. Web. <http://www.
aapd.com/what-powers-us/our-partners.html>
6 “The ARC 2013 Annual Report.” The ARC, 2013. Web. <http://www.thearc.org/document.doc?id=4868>
7 “The ARC 2013 Annual Report.” The ARC, 2013. Web. <http://www.thearc.org/document.doc?id=4868>
-competitive analysis-

30
-consumer analysis-
The Buzz Saw Creative team conducted interviews with supporters of VSA Tennessee. We found that this
audience is typically made of individuals that are leading organizations. An analysis of VSA Tennessee’s
social media followers revealed the same audience description. The interviews we conducted revealed
what motivates these organization leaders to support VSA. We asked them how they became involved
with VSA, one interviewee could not remember because she had been involved for so long. Another sup-
porter became involved when he took her position at her current job because that organization has had a
long history with VSA Tennessee. When asked what motivates them to support VSA, one of the supporters
stated that she is with the Department of Education in charge of the children and support services, which
funds VSA contractually. Other interviewees said that they were also in contracts with VSA and wanted to
continue supporting because they enjoy giving back to the community.
We asked these organizations how they have supported VSA; this question was addressed by answers
like giving donations, serving on the board, helping with events, and providing funding. When asked how
they supported other organizations, they provided the same information, like donations and helping with
events.
We addressed the question of if they see themselves continuing to help with VSA in the future. They all
answered that they would continue supporting VSA in the same fashion as they have been.
Our next question was “what other organizations do you support?” The interviewees mainly supported
personal organizations such as their church, and other organizations dealing with disabilities like United
Cerebral Palsy.
When asked how they stay connected with VSA, it was mentioned that it was either through the VSA
board or through Lori’s emails.
Our final interview question asked, “What could VSA Tennessee give to you to make you excited?” The
respondents’ answers revealed that they were already excited about VSA Tennessee and could only desire
the future success of VSA Tennessee.
PRIZM RESEARCH
The following data has been constructed from PRIZM reports conducted with organization supporters of
VSA in regards to our target audience’s lifestyles and motivations. Our research indicates through PRIZM

31
that our target audience is generally an employed professional with a collegiate level education. PRIZM
also revealed their preferences in shopping, technology usage, media, activities and other useful informa-
tion to better understand our target audience.
According to the PRIZM reports, members of VSA Tennessee’s target audience are members of social net-
works, and use the Internet and mobile devices for media and entertainment purposes. Also according to
PRIZM, our target audience is avid mobile device users. They use the Internet for media consumption and
online shopping. They are users of digital media as well as traditional. PRIZM states they are most likely to
make their purchases at Sears, Kmart and Home Depot. 1
ORGANIZATION LIFESTYLE AND MOTIVATION
The vast majority of organizations make charitable donations. There are certain principles that motivate
these organizations to give and become involved charitable donations.
Many organizations look to gaining tradeoffs when contributing. According to Unite For Sight, “aligning
personal interests with the aims of different organizations, donors will more likely give to organizations
that hold shared ideals and values.”2
If an organization shares a common value with you, they are more
likely to choose to donate to you, therefore common relationships can be vital.
Organizations seek to give back to the community. “80% of organizations choose to donate to give back to
the community.” 3
One of the most common motivators for organizations is the opportunity to gain satisfaction and happi-
ness. Giving back and making an impact on others gives organizations a sense of gratification, while also
creating a wholesome image for the organization.
Public image is a major motivator for organizations to donate. A positive image helps ensure an organi-
zation’s accountability and credibility among community members and other publics. For these reasons,
organizations find having a social conscientiousness important.4
MOTIVATION AND LIFESTYLE CONCLUSION
With the research that we have conducted through PRIZM and interviews, we have found that these or-
ganizations are very enthusiastic to be part of VSA’s mission. They like to support VSA Tennessee through
personal involvement and though donations from their organizations. They seem to appreciate having the
1 Nielsen 2014; Murfreesboro, TN
2 “Unite For Sight.” The Motivation for Giving. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
3 “Understanding Donor Psychology: Motivations and Barriers to Charitable Giving.” Understanding Donor Psychology: Motiva-
tions and Barriers to Charitable Giving. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
4 “Mensa Education and Research Foundation.” Why Do People Make Charitable Donations? -. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.
-consumer analysis-

32
ability to support an effort they believe in.
-consumer analysis-

33
This survey was created to quantify the audience awareness and perception of VSA Tennessee and to
determine optimal communication methods. The survey was designed to be distributed among members
of the media, current or future educators and owners of businesses or organizations. However, the survey
results indicate that the survey was not completed entirely by members of these target markets, so the
answers represent a more diverse audience perception. From the survey results, it was apparent, that the
majority of respondents could be considered unaware publics. One respondent replied that they were ex-
tremely familiar. 51 out of 58 respondents replied that they had never heard of it or were very unfamiliar.
Roughly half of our respondents were educators, roughly half were independent citizens. Only two repre-
sented cultural organizations. Those who were familiar with VSA indicated that they become aware of VSA
through a related organization – which reflects our interview findings as well.
GENERAL INTEREST AND AWARENESS
The first section of our survey was designed to discover audience’s perception of VSA, VSA’s programs and
VSA affiliations.
One question asked respondents to indicate their interest in VSA Tennessee’s programs. This questioned
received 107 responses out of 58 total which reveals that on average respondents are interested in at least
two of the VSA’s activities. People seemed to have the least interest in the story of Israel and Palestinian
relations, yet they had the most interest in countries creating and sharing lesson plans. Professional devel-
opment and the creation of art were also significant points of interest.
Only 5 respondents were aware that VSA was an international organization, which is particularly interesting
because of the 40 days celebration and because global interaction was one of the key points of interest for
people.
All but three respondents are familiar with a direct competitor – the Special Olympics. This answer reflects
the findings in our focus group as well.
Seven respondents replied that they were aware of Jean Kennedy’s connection with VSA. 47 total respon-
dents found Jean Kennedy’s involvement interesting to them.
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
We asked question specifically to educators and members of cultural organizations, but the number of
respondents indicate clearly that other who are not part of these demographics also answered these ques-
-Survey Results-

34
tions so we could not use these sections.
AUDIENCE ACCESSIBILITY
We asked several questions to determine how audiences communicating and how they might prefer to
receive communication from VSA Tennessee. We found that email is 32 out of 58 respondents’ preferred
method of contact. People prefer Facebook over any other type of social media and they often use social
media for entertainment and local news (although it is not always their first option – television is also
popular). Yet, according to respondents, social media is also perceived as one of the most convenient and
useful forms of media. Almost every respondent checks it at least once a day.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Finally, we conducted demographic research. The audience was split almost entirely in half. Close to half
of the respondents were under 25 and students. The other half (approximately) were between 25 and 60
and were educators (although not necessarily both).
One third of the respondents have dependents. Half were married; while half were single.
Just over half of the respondents do not volunteer very regularly (a few times a year or less), but the rest
volunteer at least semi-regularly.
-Survey Results-

35
-Focus Group-
The primary reason for doing this focus was to research audience perception of VSA Tennessee and to do
preliminary research regarding brand identity. One of VSA Tennessee’s target audiences is teachers, so we
sought their opinions. However other audiences were also represented in our group. In total, we had six
participants able to do the focus group. Two were from the college of education, two were Biology majors,
and one was an advertising major. This was a convenience sample, but was diverse and could represent the
latent or unaware publics. In the future, we recommend that VSA Tennessee conduct interviews on more
samples that are representative of their target audiences: educators, owners of business or organizations,
and politicians.

Once the focus group began, the first question we asked was what comes to mind when you hear the
words “special needs”? The very first thing that was brought up was that they are people that require extra
or unique attention. Visual disabilities were the second thing to be mentioned from the group. The spe-
cial disability that was discussed the most, however, was Downs’s Syndrome. Just based off this question
Downs’s Syndrome seems to be the most prevalent disorder that these participants were familiar with.
For the next question, we asked participants what charities come to mind regarding disabilities? ADA was
the first one that participants brought up which is the Americans with Disabilities Act. However the charity
that was discussed the most and had the most awareness was the Special Olympics. Many people knew a
lot about what Special Olympics does. Some participants even knew who sponsors the Special Olympics.
They heard the most about Special Olympics through major retailers like Kroger or Publix’s. These sponsors
constantly ask customers if they would like to donate to the Special Olympics.
The next topic is the frequency and time of the year people tend to donate the most. The answers varied
from as little as once a year to as many as 10 or more times a year. The average for our group was around
2-4 times a year. Participants expressed that they donated most often at grocery stores like Kroger and
Publix’s. They also seemed to prefer donating small amounts in high frequency. Participants donated large
amounts only a few times a year.
We then asked what charities are people drawn to the most? Participants’ responses surrounded mostly
charities that help the homeless. We speculate this answer was influenced by the cold weather at the time
of the focus group. Particpants also expressed interest in charities that aided veterans. The women of the
group appreciate charities that worked with victims of domestic violence. People in the group that had
acquaintances with diseases liked the idea of donating to cancer research charities.
These next questions were directly related to VSA. We informed the group what VSA does then asked how

36
they feel about this organization. Most people saw this as the artsy version of the Special Olympics. Many
people loved the idea of VSA and how it has good long-term effects compared to the Special Olympics.
One member actually had a brother who has worked with VSA and she could see the positive changes the
organization had on him. Another thing people thought about VSA is that they probably deal more with
mental disabilities while Special Olympics deals mostly with physical disabilities.
We then asked people questions regarding media use and communication preferences. For the most part,
people tended to get most of their information from social media. People indicated that information was
vital to their participation; they would be willing to support VSA if they were provided more facts about
what VSA does. However, they also revealed that they preferred to receive information as visuals rather
than text. Our participants desired to see the work done by people in this program rather then read about
it. The teachers of the group indicated that they might be willing to participate in lesson plan sharing if it
beneficial for them as well. They though that teachers of art or music would be very interested in getting
involved in this program because of the type of lesson plans VSA Tennessee creates.
Finally we asked how participants would recommend that VSA Tennessee spread awareness. Many people
were very supportive of a teaser video for VSA Tennessee showing what they do. The idea of partnering
with local festivals was also quite popular as many areas where these participants live have local art festi-
vals. These can display the work done by VSA while also spreading awareness. One last good idea brought
up by members was to just hold big events that have food with just the purpose of spreading awareness of
VSA while also accepting donations of many different types.
-Focus Group-

37
the Campaign
-Buzzsaw creative-

38
-Brand Design Strategy-
THE NAME
When we began the branding process for “40 Days”, our first objective was to try and sum up everything
we could with the project in under 10 words. This project has many amazing accomplishments and objec-
tives we wanted to show case, but we decided we needed to get 3 main messages across to our audience:
it is an international art project involving thousands of people from around the world, it will take place
solely online, and the fact it is celebrating, not only milestones like the anniversary of the ADA, but also
encourages advocates to celebrate each other and grow closer as a community. Thus, in February of 2015
“40 Days Around the World | A Digital Arts Festival” became the official name for the project as a whole.
THE LOGO
As a team, we were very happy with this name, however we realized that we needed to create a logo that
would reinforce our 3 messages in one sleek and simple design. We were always drawn towards using
the globe in our logo, for obvious reasons, however the real trouble was trying to get across the “digital/
online” portion of the message. Needless to say, after coming up with many over thought and over compli-
cated designs, we came up with the perfect combination of the two objectives.
The current icon is a globe broken down to its simplest form: a spherical figure including the 2 colors for
the land and sea. However, the real message is made with the negative space that intersect the globe.
These lines represent the invisible network of interconnectivity that links the world through the internet.
Something as simple as that, is possibly the most important message of our whole campaign. Not only the

39
fact that we want to showcase the true talents that the disabled community has to offer, but also inspire
this community to use this technology to cultivate relationships, support one another, and to dream bigger
than ever before.
SUPPORT MEDIA
Because this campaign’s life spans longer than this class, we wanted to supply the client with any variations
of branded media they could need in the future, this includes: a standard logo, extended logo, icon, VSA
TN logo, blurb, and a teaser video.
The standard logo is universal and is the go to logo for any medium. The extended logo includes more
information when there is not room for important information to be written, such as: the dates and the
website url. The Icon represents the logo at its simplest and most recognizable form, and is best for tight
places like a twitter profile picture. The VSA TN logo was remade in the branded colors, only as it pertains
to the “40 Days” project, so that visually it will not clash with future media designs. The blurb originated as
a proposed slogan that could explain the project beyond the words in its title. However, after we created
it we realized that it didn’t necessarily fit within the guidelines for a slogan, so we converted it into support
media for the use of the website team. Finally, we created a teaser video that gives a quick and precise
punch of information about the project and campaign that will catch a viewer’s attention to want to learn
more.
LANDING PAGE DESIGN
Although the website, as a whole, is in the hands of another team, we consulted in the design of the
landing page that will be posted until the festival starts in mid-June. The Icon is displayed as a background
texture to give the simplistic page design some visual dept. The standard logo heads the page and below it
we suggested a brief description and call-to-action:
The 40 Days Project is coming soon! Get ready to join the celebration and experience art created by
a global community of people with disabilities. The online festival begins on June 15th. For 40 days
we will release artwork made through partnerships grown from VSA’s international network of arts
and disability advocates.

40
Make sure to follow us @VSATennessee on Twitter, and also subscribe to our email newsletter down
below. Be one of the first to receive exclusive sneak peaks, and notifications for this ground break-
ing project!
Below that is a festive timer that will count down every second until the big unveiling of the website and
featured projects. At the very bottom of the page is a place to aggregate email contacts for people who
want to learn more about the project and they can be better supporters.
EVALUATION
Buzzsaw Creative conducted a follow up focus group regarding the visual branding we accomplished. They
were given the digital pack of the “40 Days Around the World | A Digital Arts Festival” assets we created
and were asked to evaluate our designs and their effectiveness.
THE EVALUATORS REPLIED WITH THE FOLLOWING QUOTES:
“I found the VSA logo aesthetically pleasing. The campaign serves as an inspiration to those who come
into contact with it.”
“I really like the logos colors. They stick out and you don’t see to many people using this type of green in
their logos.”
“I like them all [….] it looks modern and not too busy -- very sleek.”
“I didn’t know anything about VSA before this focus group. Now that I know what they do I really support
the message they are sending out to others.”

42
-Campaign Objectives-
T H I S C A M PA I G N H A S T W O M A I N O B J E C T I V E S
OBJECTIVE 1
Promote 40 Days Around the World cam-
paign by building awareness among current
audience members of VSA Tennessee.
OBJECTIVE 2
Enable VSA Tennessee in order to better
promote themselves so the 40 Days Cam-
paign can be better communicated and can
have a further reach.

43
-SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULT-
STRATEGIES
Buzzsaw Creative’s research revealed that the communication channels most used by VSA Tennessee and
its audiences are social media and direct email. We recognized that VSA Tennessee was already utilizing
these communication channels, however their social media posts were weak and inconsistent, which was a
threat to their communication. In order to alleviate this threat, we created a social media guideline book, a
calendar of recommended social media posts and we recommend a social media workshop. We used this
strategy to accomplish the second objective: empowering VSA Tennessee to better promote themselves so
the 40 Days Campaign can be better communicated and can have a further reach.
TACTIC 1: SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINE BOOK
For Lori and VSA Tennessee, Buzzsaw Creative wanted to provide a guideline book that outlined the most
effective ways to create social media content, specifically for Facebook and Twitter. Our aim was to give
Lori something that she could use throughout the future to help VSA Tennessee more effectively commu-
nicate to the target audience. A guideline book is a simple and understandable yet effective way to provide
VSA Tennessee information that could improve target publics’ social media participation, awareness and
perceptions. In order to create this book, we first identified the social media platforms that are most effec-
tive for VSA Tennessee. These were Facebook and Twitter. We conducted research to analyze and provide
information on the posts that Lori would use.
From our research, we assessed which social media platforms are most effective for VSA Tennessee. Our
research indicates that VSA Tennessee’s audience is primarily users of Facebook and Twitter. Our audience
consists of adult females who are educators. According to Pew Research, 71% of the adult Internet users
and 51% of the entire adult population are users of Facebook, 77% of Facebook users are female and they
are 10% more likely to use Facebook than male.1
According to Pew Research, Twitter is used by 23% of
adult users, 21% of the users are female. 2
Although this percentage is lower for national averages, experi-
ence has shown that Twitter is effective in reaching specific audiences that are valuable to VSA Tennessee.
VSA Tennessee currently follows relevant opinion leaders and target publics through their Twitter account
and is followed by these organizations.
1 Pew Research Center’s Internet Project January Omnibus Survey, January 23-26, 2014.
2 Pew Research Center’s Internet Project January Omnibus Survey, January 23-26, 2014.

44
TACTIC 2: CONTENT SUGGESTIONS
Buzzsaw Creative suggested and produced social media content in order to provide VSA Tennessee with a
variety of different Facebook posts that they can use to enhance their social media presence. We provided
this because our brand analysis research revealed that this organization’s social media posts are often in-
consistent and tend to be very wordy. By providing suggestions on when and what to post, we hope to help
VSA Tennessee better inform their followers.
The posts we provided in the consult pack mainly focused on upcoming events such as upcoming launch of
the 40 Days Around the World Digital Arts Festival, the Kickoff event for the festival and the American’s Dis-
ability Act 25th anniversary event. These posts were meant to create excitement for the upcoming events
and make sure that followers of VSA Tennessee know when they will be taking place. The pack also includes
media that we hope VSA Tennessee includes in the posts. Pictures, videos and links will aid in providing
information.
TACTIC 3: MULTIMEDIA POST CONTENT
Buzzsaw Creative created a short multimedia video to be included in this pack. The video’s main objective
is to grab the viewers’ attention and have them react to our call to action to find out more about the proj-
ect. The video has a very minimalistic design with minimal written content which is an approach commonly
seen in blockbuster movie trailers. VSA Tennessee uploaded this video to their various social media outlets
to promote awareness and generate excitement for the upcoming 40 Days Festival.
TACTIC 4: VISUAL FOR POSTS
Buzzsaw Creative wanted to create and aggregate all possible types of media that VSA Tennessee could
want to include in their social media efforts. To provide basic brand recognition we included the standard,
extended and icon logos. We also created a VSA Tennessee logo and a visual blurb as support media and to
add variety. Lastly, we included visuals from VSA Tennessee partners and upcoming events. These mate-
rials were posted on VSA Tennessee’s Facebook on March 22nd and were used on the landing page which
was created on April 3rd. The logo and other visuals were used throughout the campaign on other printed
and digital material as well such as press releases.

57
MULTIMEDIA CONTENT

58
EVALUATION
VSA Tennessee should evaluate the success of the social media consult pack through quantitative mea-
sures of behavioral and attitudinal changes among VSA Tennessee’s social media followers. Buzzsaw Cre-
ative would also recommend that VSA Tennessee complete a communication audit of their social media in
order to qualitatively evaluate the change in quality of social media communications.
For quantitative evaluations, Buzzsaw Creative recommends tracking the number of likes, comments and
shares/retweets. Facebook Insights is an excellent tool for tracking and measuring performance and would
work perfectly for this task. It measures which of your post types are most popular with your followers and
can assist in determining if your target audiences are being reached through demographic analysis. For
these measures to be meaningful though, we recommend comparing post campaign numbers to pre-cam-
paign numbers.
To measure attitudinal changes, we recommend conducting pre and post surveys among VSA Tennessee’s
social media followers. Survey questions would gauge whether the social media consultations affected any
change in audience’s perceptions and opinions of VSA Tennessee’s posts.
Finally, a communications audit of the social media posts would provide an overview of VSA Tennessee’s
communication behavior over the course of the campaign and could be used to evaluate the quality of the
new posts.

59
-Digital press KIT-
STRATEGIES
The Press Kit functions as a informational packet that VSA Tennessee can provide to interested mem-
bers of the press. Buzzsaw Creative compiled information about the 40 Days Digital Arts Festival and VSA
Tennessee’s brand, leadership and community relations. By providing this information to members of the
press, VSA Tennessee can encourage more media coverage of events and stories for the organization - thus
enabling the creation of content that will further VSA Tennessee’s reach among unaware publics.
TACTIC 1: LEADERSHIP DOSSIER
This is a short biography on Lori Kissinger. It will be used to inform people that are interested in the VSA
Tennessee or the 40 Days Around the World Digital Arts Festival about woman who is the head of the Ten-
nessee chapter of VSA and the driving force behind the 40 Days Festival.
TACTIC 2: FACT SHEET
We created fact sheets to provided basic information about VSA Tennessee and the 40 Days Festival. This
fact sheet makes finding the essential information simple and easy for interested members of the press
and others.
TACTIC 3: TESTIMONIALS
A testimonial page was included in the press kit to showcase the loyalty and admiration of current spon-
sors. The page is also a way for current sponsors to communicate the benefits of sponsoring VSA Tennes-
see to potential sponsors.
TACTIC 4: PRESS RELEASES
For the members of the press, we included one of our press releases in the press kit. Here they will have a
convenient and informative example of the programs of VSA Tennessee and the type of opportunities that
be available.
TACTIC 5: CONTACT LIST
The contact list was created for VSA Tennessee to use in distributing the press kit. It includes media outlets
and potential sponsors so VSA Tennessee can extend their reach and build awareness of the organization in
more ways than one.

63
-Digital press KIT-
What is VSA Tennessee?
• VSA is an international organization on arts and disability. It was founded more than 35
years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to provide arts and
education opportunities for people with disabilities and increase access to the arts for all.
• With 52 international affiliates and networking nationwide, VSA provides arts and education
programs for youth and adults with disabilities everywhere.
• VSA offers educational programs for many. It ranges from students, to educators and to
even others interested in professional development.
• Seven million people of all ages and abilities participate in VSA activities in every aspect of
the arts each year.
Our four principles
1. Every young person with a disability deserves access to high quality arts learning
experiences.
2. All artists in schools and art educators should be prepared to include students with
disabilities in their instruction
3. All children, youth and adults with disabilities should have complete access to cultural
facilities and activities.
4. All individuals with disabilities who aspire to careers in the arts should have the
opportunity to develop.
Contact
• Lori Kissinger, Ambassador for VSA Tennessee
• Lori.Kissinger@mtsu.edu
• 615-210-8819
• http://vsatn.org

64
-Digital press KIT-
The Project
• In honor of VSA’s 40th anniversary and the American Disabilities Act’s 25th
anniversary, the first VSA international project will take place.
• VSA’s “40 Days Around the World” project will take place between June 16th and
July 24th.
• The projects, from different locations, will be showcased each day during the 40
day campaign.
• Once the campaign is over, VSA Tennessee will leave the website up permanently as
resources for educators and VSA affiliates.

65
-Digital press KIT-
F.A.Q.
1. How can interested people support the 40 Days Campaign?
They can spread the word to educators, arts groups, and people that work with people with disabilities
about the event so they can visit it.
2. What is VSA Tennessee?
VSA Tennessee provides opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in and express themselves
through the arts and arts education. Vision - Strength- Artisic Expression: The arts are for everyone!
3. What is VSA Tennessee’s mission?
The mission of VSA Tennessee is to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in and
express themselves through the arts and arts education.
4. What is the 40 Days Around the World Campaign?
To celebrate VSA’s 40th anniversary, VSA Tennessee has spearheaded a global digital festival that has
brought countries, cultures, and people together like no other program VSA has every undertaken. This festival
will be an online arts festival showcasing the talents and collaborative efforts of 60 countries, and will take place
at www.40days.vsatn.org live on June 16th. The festival will last for 40 days and each day, VSA will unveil a new
project. Each project has been created by people with disabilities working in tandem with atleast one
other country.
5. What is the mission of the 40 Days Campaign?
To celebrate 40 years of helping people with disabilities in reaching their artistic nd educational goals. VSA
intends to highlight the collaborative efforts and artistic achievements of the affiliates and partners of VSA that
have made the success of the organization possible.
6. What does the 40 Days Campaign logo signify?
The current icon is a globe broken down to its simplest form: a spherical figure including the 2 colors for
the land and sea. However, the real message is made with the negative space that intersect the globe. These
lines represent the invisible network of interconnectivity that links the world through the internet. Something as
simple as that, is possibly the most important message of our whole campaign. The 40 Days Around the World
festival showcases the true talents that the disabled community has to offer, moreover, it inspires this community
to use this technology to cultivate relationships, support one another, and to dream bigger than ever before. Our
logo showcases this accomplishment.

66
-Digital press KIT-
Smyrna Ready Mix
Jeremy Ethridge
Jeremy@symrnareadymix.com
615-218-1465
Duggin Construction
Aaron Duggin
aaronduggin@yahoo.com
615-347-7884
Seedling Marketing Group
Misael Tovar
jmtovar@seedlingmg.com
615-653-4764
Moxie Art Supply
302 W Vine St, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
615-849-1131
The Learning Circle
2992 S Church St #A, Murfreesboro, TN 37127
615-904-1082
Jerry’s Artarama
Hickory Hollow, 5361 Mt View Rd, Antioch, TN
615-731-5901
Michael’s
2615 Medical Center Parkway, The Avenue,
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
615-896-6432
Hobby Lobby
1717 Old Fort Pkwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
615-217-4578
Nashville Parent Magazine
615-256-2158
chad@daycommail.com
WKRN
mtarrolly@wkrn.com
MTSU Sidelines
615-893-5860
WMTS (MTSU Radio)
music@wmts.org
Nashville.gov-Arts & Events
615-862-6720
arts@nashville.gov
Media List

67
-Digital press KIT-
EVALUATION
As a traditional press kit, these materials should be given to members of the press. The press kit can also
be sent to any interested potential sponsors to provide them with information about the organization. One
way for VSA Tennessee to evaluate the effectiveness of this press kit is to measure the output of media
coverage and new sponsorship that is generated by those who received the press kit. Another method
would be to conduct interviews or surveys of those who received the press kit asking whether or not the
information was useful.

68
-WEBsite CONTENT -
STRATEGIES
Buzzsaw Creative developed content for the 40 Days Festival website including the “Press Room” section,
the FAQ and an “About Us” Page. This content is intended to inform viewers of VSA Tennessee and the 40
Days Festival. Providing website content accomplishes both the first and second objectives as this content
both promotes awareness and understanding the 40 Days Festival and helps VSA Tennessee communicate
to their target audiences.
TACTIC 1: FAQ
The FAQ will provide answers to commonly asked questions on the 40 days website. Questions consist of
“What is the 40 Days Around the World Digital Arts Festival” and “How can I get involved” and more.
TACTIC 2: ABOUT US PAGE
This About Us page will be a location where website visitors can quickly and easily glean information about
VSA Tennessee and the 40 Days Festival.
TACTIC 3: TEASER VIDEO
The Teaser Video was created to promote the 40 Days Around the World Digital Arts Festival through
engaging and interesting visuals on the website. This video will break up the monotony of text and will be
a quick and eye-cating way of conveying information. (N.B. this is the same video discussed in the Social
Media Consult section)
TACTIC 4: PRESS ROOM
The press kit described above will go inside the “Press Room” section so that interested members of the
press can find all the relevant information they would need in a convenient location.

69
-WEBsite CONTENT -
TEASER VIDEO

70
-WEBsite CONTENT -
EVALUATION
The evaluation of this content will need to take place throughout the campaign. Buzzsaw Creative recom-
mends that VSA Tennessee monitors the website and content for unique impressions and number of visits.
Collecting these measures throughout the 40 Days Festival will inform VSA Tennessee of how frequently
the website is viewed and how many of these viewers return to view the site again. Each section we have
created will be found in different areas of the website and it might be necessary to monitor each separate-
ly to compare the unique hits of the FAQ, Fact Sheets and Video to the total number of unique views on
the website.
The “Press Room” section should be measured with an entirely different evaluation. The "Press Room"
section is informative and not necessarily designed to attract a wide range of audiences. In order to most
effectively measure the utility of the “Press Room” section, VSA Tennessee could conduct interviews or
focus groups with members of the press that have shown interest in the 40 Days Festival story or have
covered a story about the organization. These members of the press could provide valuable feedback in
regards to whether or not they found the “Press Room” section and used it in their information gathering
and whether or not the section was helpful to them.

71
-PR suggestions kit -
STRATEGIES
40 Days Around the World Digital Arts Festival is a global festival that is not solely a project of VSA Tennes-
see. For this reason, part of helping our client and fulfilling our goals for the 40 Days Festival involved help-
ing other affiliated organizations with their personal PR efforts. The purpose of this packet is to supply over
80 participating organizations with the foundational materials for a strong outreach campaign. Ultimately,
this will benefit the overall awareness and success of the 40 Days Festival. If the affiliated parties utilize the
strategies and materials in this kit, the reach of the campaign will grow exponentially. This kit will include:
the release schedule for the projects, a list of promotional ideas, a sample press release, a promotional
video that is appropriate for an international audience and visual content packet for the “40 Days Festival”
brand image. If the affiliates choose to use this packet, the packet will accomplish both of our campaign
objectives.
TACTIC 1: PITCH
This pitch letter has been distributed as an email to the affiliates encouraging them to promote the 40 Days
Around the World Arts Festival in their own states and among their own supporters. This letter functions
as the body of the email which contains the entire PR suggestions packet. The email pitches the idea of
promoting the 40 Days Festival, and if this pitch is successful, it will enable 40 Days promotions to have a
farther reach and magnitude than we could create.
TACTIC 2: PROJECT RELEASE DATES
We compiled and sent a calendar that outlined the release dates and participants of each project during
the 40 Days Festival. We included this as part of the PR suggestions packet so each affiliate would be able
to know when their project would go live. We expect the affiliates could use this calendar to plan promo-
tional events, support fellow affiliates or even create educational programs.
TACTIC 3: SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE
The sample press release was designed to further encourage affiliate participation in promoting the 40
Days Around the World Digital Arts Festival. The sample press release was written as a short, simple exam-
ple of a properly formatted press release. It was created to be adaptable to the affiliates’ individual needs
but also to be almost entirely useable as is. With minimal adjustments the affiliates should be able to use
this press release to promote their own events or promotional campaigns.
TACTIC 4: PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

72
This video is intended to visually and briefly introduce the 40 Days Around the World Arts Festival. The
video was constructed with many pictures and few words so that viewers who do not speak English can
also understand its content. The pictures mostly consisted of members and partners of the VSA Tennes-
see affiliates working on their 40 Days projects.
TACTIC 5: VISUAL CONTENT PACK
Buzzsaw Creative wanted to provide the affiliates and participants with the most resources as possible to
better help them promote themselves. So, we decided to include a variety pack of visual branding assets
including: standard logo, extended logo, icon, visual blurb and a teaser video geared towards an interna-
tional audience.
TACTIC 5: PR TACTICS SUGGESTIONS
Buzzsaw Creative generated a short list of nine suggestions that could inspire affiliates to become involved
in the promotional aspect of the 40 Days Festival. We have suggested some things that would be simple to
implement and other things that would require more planning. We gave a brief description of the benefit
and potential of each item. Our hope is that this list would show the affiliates the opportunities they have
to promote this festival and would also impress upon them the opportunities they might be missing if they
did not promote the 40 Days Around the World Digital Arts Festival. For instance, they might miss fundrais-
ing opportunities and the chance to create a fairly simple educational program. If even one affiliate imple-
mented just one of our suggestions, the reach of the campaign would multiply.
-PR suggestions kit -

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