This was a comprehensive digital marketing plan for The Community Knowledge Exchange in DCU for the 2015/2016 academic year. The plan was centered on some key marketing objectives to improve awareness, enhance CKE reputation, encourage students to address community issues & portray academic research as a positive community driver. The CKE had no budget and limited staff so we had to come up with ways to maximize efficiency with very few man hours.

1. Community Knowledge
Exchange
Digital Marketing Plan 2015 – 2016
1

2. About CKE
• Links community groups and student researchers
• Work is pro bono or part of undergraduate practical work
• The Knowledge Broker is first point of contact for community groups
and NGOs
• Ties in with EU objective of bringing communities closer to HEIs.
• CKE is not unique to Ireland nor Europe
Market Positioning Statement:
“To community groups that are low on time and monetary resources,
the CKE is an initiative that allows these groups to utilise the
expertise of students at much lower costs than other channels.”
2

3. Environmental Analysis
• 6 completed projects to date
• Current Marketing Activities
• Presentations
• Emphasis of WoM especially in Humanities and Social Science
Department
• Digital Presence – DCU Website
3

4. Environmental Analysis
4
• Students
• Lecturers
• Researchers
• National Lottery
• Previous
Partnerships
• Potential Future
Partnerships
• The general
public that avail
of the community
services
General
Public
Community
Groups
UniversityGovernment
Near Media Co-Operative
Klawitter Theatre Group
D12 Disability
Mainstream Access Project
Volunteer Ireland
Ballymun School Completion
Programme
Axis Ballymun
Youth Advocate Programme

5. Market Research
Survey (DCU Students)
• 98% of respondents do not know
about CKE
• 64% of eligible students would like to
work with community groups
• 72% of students agree that academic
research should try to solve problems
in society
• Majority of students that know about
CKE are from Humanities and Social
Science Department
Interviews (Community Groups)
• There is an interest from community
groups to work with students
• There is a lack of knowledge about CKE
• Challenges for community groups:
funding, resources, reaching out to
community
• Maintaining links with DCU difficult in
past
• Suggests making website more clear
• Open to Facebook, twitter and email
communication 5

6. Strategic & Marketing Objectives
Marketing Objectives
Increase awareness of the CKE in DCU &
community groups
Enhance the CKE’s reputation through digital
channels
Increase enquiries and applications to the
CKE
Encourage students to address community
problems when writing dissertations
Strategic Objectives
Firmly establish the CKE as a service to
facilitate research collaborations between
the University and wider community
Generate research partnerships that offer
DCU students applied research experience
and build community capacity
Ensure that the CKE is a sustainable service
through Knowledge Broker and training
academic staff, students & community
groups 6

7. Marketing Goals
CKE Marketing Goals
1. 30% of final year students in DCU will be aware of the CKE
2. Capture 10 research requests via the online requests form per
month
3. To gain one corporate sponsor
4. To host one major event for members of the community and
DCU students
7

8. Tactics
8

9. CKE Funnel
9

10. Website/Blog
• Primary platform for self-promotion
• Blogging functionality for publishing content
• Will double up as a product portfolio
• Will allow CKE to better establish link between the public & DCU
10
Post Type Description Purpose/Goal Frequency
Feature Post Projects, Updates, Research News Awareness Bi-weekly
Guest Post Student Experiences, Testimonials Advocacy Monthly
Announcement Events, Seminars, Completed Projects Awareness Monthly

11. LinkedIn
• Primary function building the CKE network
• Promotional tool for past and current projects
• Creating and maintaining a LinkedIn CKE Group
• Creating a discussion between academics and professionals
11
Action Description Purpose/Goal Frequency
Participate and create a
group
Build a community and create
conversation
Community engagement,
Awareness Twice a week
Blog Posts
Publish snippets of blog posts on
pulse Content Dissementation Bi-weekly
Updates and
Conversation
Regularly updating profile and
participating in conversation Awareness Weekly

12. Email Marketing
Email Type Recipients Purpose/Goal Frequency
Newsletter Subscriber List Awareness, Value Creation Quarterly
Promotional - Internal DCU Students Awareness, Consideration Start of Semesters
Promotional - External NGO's, Community Groups Awareness, Consideration Ongoing
Proposal Specific Individuals Partnership Agreement When Required
Event All Relevant Parties Signups, Awareness Initial & Reminder
• Build Email Lists – website, internal & external emails, offline events
• Segment List Based On Personas
• Manage through Mailchimp - Free
12

13. Event – Technology Hub Competition
“Design and plan a space for young people in the
community to have access to technology”
• Involve Ballymun & Glasnevin Community Groups
and Schools
• Secure a corporate sponsor
• Coca Cola 125 Fund - €25,000 grants
• Generate awareness & earned media for DCU & CKE
13

14. Social
• Primary Function Content Dissemination
• Only for high value content
• Leverage existing DCU accounts
Network Content Frequency Accounts
Facebook Events, Blogs Ongoing DCU, DCU SU, DCUBS
Twitter Events, Blogs Ongoing DCU Science Comm
LinkedIn Articles, Publications Ongoing CKE
YouTube Testimonial, Webinar 1 per semester CKE
14

15. DCU Community Knowledge Exchange Implementation & Resourcing Plan 2015 - 2016
Component Description Goal Target Audience
Responsible
Time Budget
Month September October November December January February March April May June July August
Week 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Email Marketing Email Marketing
Internal Project Proposals, Opportunities, Awareness, Consideration DCU Students & Researchers CKE
20 mins per
email
External Project Proposals, Opportunities, Awareness, Consideration NGO's & Business Associations CKE
20 mins per
email
Newsletter Sent Quarterly Awareness, Value Creation DCU & Community Groups CKE 2 hours
Blog / Website Blog / Website
Feature Blog Post Project Updates, Research News Awareness, DCU, Industry, General Public
CKE &
Researchers
1 hour
Guest Blog Student Experience, Testimonials Advocacy DCU Students, Industry
Students,
Community
Groups
0
Announcement
Posts
Events, Seminars, Completed
Projects
Awareness DCU, Industry, General Public CKE 30 Mins
WHEN REQUIRED
Social Media Social Media
Twitter
Link to content, Event
announcements
Content Dissemination DCU, General Public
DCU Science
Comm
10 Mins
WHEN REQUIRED
Facebook
Link to content, Event
announcements
Content Dissemination DCU, General Public
DCU Facebook
Accounts
10 Mins
WHEN REQUIRED
LinkedIn Create & Participate In Groups
Community Engagement,
Awareness
Industry, DCU Students CKE 1 hour
LinkedIn
Repost Blogs, Links to Relevant
Articles
Content Dissemination Industry, General Public CKE 10 Mins
WHEN REQUIRED
Video Email Marketing
Testimonial Student & Community Group Advocacy, Lead Generation
Industry, DCU Students &
Researchers
CKE
Webinar
Dissertation Tips, Community
Research
Awareness, Lead Generation DCU Students CKE
Event / Local Community
Competition
Event / Local Community Competition
Internal Planning CKE
External Seeking Sponsorship
Website/Blog First Announcement Awareness, Consideration
Industry, DCU Staff, Community
Groups, Students, Competitors CKE
20 mins
Facebook Announcement Awareness, Lead Generation DCU, General Public CKE
10 mins
LinkedIn Announcement Post Awareness, Lead Generation Industry, Community Groups CKE 10 mins
Twitter Announcement Awareness Media CKE 10 mins
External Email Event
Content Dissemination,
Sentiment
Industry, DCU Staff, Community
Groups, Students, Competitors,
General Public CKE
Twitter Live Tweet
Content Dissemination,
Sentiment
Industry, DCU Staff, Community
Groups, Students, Competitors,
General Public CKE
Testimonial/Vlog Video
Content Dissemination,
Sentiment
Industry, DCU Staff, Community
Groups, Students, Competitors,
General Public Student
15

16. Appendices
1. Key Survey Results
2. Completed Projects
3. Personas
4. Email Marketing Plan
5. Competitors
6. Content Calendar
7. Proposed Budget
16

17. 1. Key Survey Results – 113 Respondents
What Faculty are you primarily associated with?What is your age?
Would you be interested in collaborating with community or
voluntary organisations as part of your academic research?
Have you heard of the Community Knowledge Exchange in DCU?
17

18. Survey on Collaboration between Academics and Community Groups
Please state if you agree or disagree with the following statements.
Answer Options
Strongly
disagree
Disagree
No
opinion/Neutral
Agree
Strongly
agree
Rating
Average
Response
Count
Academic research must be transparent 3 4 29 49 28 3.84 113
Academic research should fulfil a need of
society
4 12 15 54 27 3.79 112
Academic research should be socially
responsible
4 4 21 52 31 3.91 112
It is difficult for voluntary groups and academics
to collaborate
5 25 49 27 5 3.02 111
Collaboration with academics from different
discipline is hard to organise
3 11 44 44 10 3.42 112
Academic research should serve the needs of
corporations before it serves the need of the
community
25 57 23 7 1 2.13 113
Academic research should try to solve problems
in society
4 9 17 59 21 3.76 110
Mid-research reviews are disruptive 3 23 70 14 2 2.90 112
Ethical issues must be dealt with from the offset 5 2 18 55 33 3.96 113
answered question 113
skipped question 1
18

19. 2. Completed Projects
19

20. 3. Personas
20
Persona Segment Name Organisation Example Contact Your Motivation Their Motivation
Academic
Staff
DCU
University Mr Paul King School of Education
Studies- Education and
Wellbeing
paul.king@dcu.ie -Academic staff can find eligible
students
-Academic staff can promote the
CKE to students
-Academic staff can provide
insights into the difficulties of
finding and working with
community groups
- Makes academia relevant
to community
·- Fulfils DCU civic
engagement aims
DCU Student University DCU contact can be made
through student
email/lecturer/loop/dcu
website
-Students can propose topics of
interest
-Without interested students,
research cannot take place
-Past students can write
testimonials to promote CKE
- Real world experience
- Primary research
opportunity
-Networking opportunity
Community
Group
Community Youth
Advocate
Programme
This is a nationwide
organisation which
supports vulnerable
young people and their
families.
There is a branch in
Ballymun.
Contact form on
www.yapireland.ie/cont
act-us
018689180
-Provide a problem for the students
to address in their research
-Without interested community
groups, research cannot take place
-Following a successful
collaboration, community groups
can write testimonials to help
attract new projects
-Gain insight from outsider’s
perspective
-Retain link with college for
future projects
-Create relationships with
students as future leaders
Journalist General
Public
Carl O Brien -Irish Times
Chief reporter.
Formerly social affairs
correspondent
@carlobrien -Carl O’Brien is a Chief reporter in
the Irish Times and is therefore an
influencer. Contacting someone of
this stature may get more leads for
the CKE.
-Carl O’Brien has an interest
in social, political affairs
Journalist General
Public
Kitty Holland -Staff reporter, IT @KittyHollandIT -Kitty Holland has a large
readership at the Irish Times
-Kitty Holland is a DCU
alumni with an interest in
social justice, women’s
rights, homelessness, drug
addiction

21. Email Subject Recipients Purpose/Goal
Sep-15 CKE Opportunities NGOs & Business Associations Promote awareness of the CKE
CKE Opportunities Follow Up NGOs & Business Associations Reminder of CKE services, generate priority list
Oct-15 Dissertation Opportunities DCU Students Follow up from research lectures, signup newsletter subscribers
Dissertation Follow Up DCU Students Reminder of CKE services, generate priority list
Nov-15 Research Proposal NGOs & Business Associations
Specific proposals from students, signup partners for research
projects
Research Proposal Post Grad Students Match external research proposals with students
Dissertation Tips & Resources DCU Students Assist students with dissertation proposals
Dec-15 CKE Newsletter Students, DCU Staff, External Organisations Show case projects, initiatives, key upcoming events
Jan-16 Good Luck With Your Exams DCU Students Awareness, reminder of CKE services
Feb-16 Semester 2 - Get Organised DCU Students
Remind students to organise dissertations, signup students who
have not decided on proposal
Mar-16 CKE Newsletter Students, DCU Staff, External Organisations Show case projects, initiatives, key upcoming events
Dissertation Tips & Resources DCU Students Assist students with dissertation proposals
Apr-16 Stuck for Dissertation Ideas? DCU Students Find last minute proposals for students
May-16 Good Luck With Your Exams DCU Students Awareness, reminder of CKE services
Jun-16 CKE Newsletter Students, DCU Staff, External Organisations Highlight completed projects, promote value of CKE
Jul-16 Research Opportunities with DCU NGOs & Business Associations
Awareness, generate external interest for upcoming academic
year
Aug-16 Research Opportunities with DCU NGOs & Business Associations
Awareness, generate external interest for upcoming academic
year
Sep-16 CKE Newsletter Students, DCU Staff, External Organisations Awareness, Opportunities for academic year,
4. Email
Marketing
Plan
21

22. 22
Internal Competitors
Learning, Innovation and Knowledge Research Centre (LInK) utilises the work of
DCU research to help reach their goal of increasing competitiveness, productivity,
innovation and entrepreneurial capacity of the Irish economy.
The Irish Social Sciences Platform (ISSP) platform is an integration of social
science research and graduate training programmes, focusing on the social, cultural
and economic transformations that are occurring and changing Ireland.
Just like the CKE the ISSP have a high focus on connecting students with projects
that focus on the well-being of Irish society.
The Centre For Family Business utilises DCU research to help counsel
relationships and enhance the future generations of Irish family businesses.
The Centre For Family Business is similar to the CKE as it works with smaller
business that are the cornerstones of Irish communities.
External Competitors
NUI Galway’s Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) has similar aims to the
CKE and aims to promote greater civic engagement through teaching and
research. It was launched in 2001. In 2007 it received core funding from NUI
Galway and from the Atlantic Philanthropists.
Trinity College’s Corporate Partnership & Knowledge Exchange is the most
established competitor, it has multiple segments but the ‘Innovation Academy’
and ‘LaunchBox’ initiatives are most similar to the
• they specialise in nurturing PhD students to recognise the innovation potential
of their research
• research students are connected with industry partners or Trinity Alumni,
rather than community groups
• The CP&KE website hosts documents that clearly illustrate the work by the
group (case studies), allows the client search for available technologies and
provides a brochure that documents the key success stories of the initiative.
5. Competitors

23. 23
Publication Date Author
Content
Type
Title Category Topic Target Talking Points Keywords User Intent Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Reason for 3rd party
to share
September
Monday, August
31, 2015
CKE Article
Why Collaboration
is Key!
Community
The 2 folded
effects of college
students
collaborating with
community
programs
Community
Partners/
College
Students
Benefits on
community/Ben
efits for college
students
college,
research,
community,
project,
academic
Know
Status: The
positive effects
research
collaboration has
for students (Insert
link to article)
Tweet: The positive
effects research
collaboration has for
students (Insert link to
article)
Share link
on
LinkedIn
Knowledgeable/Infor
mative
Monday,
September 7,
2015
CKE Image
Students working to
create better living
standards in our
community (pic of
DCU students doing
Research)
Research
Picture from a
successful project
that came out of
CKE
Researche
rs in
Humanities
& Science
Link to the page
/ Call to action
ie Click here to
learn more
Students,
college,
academic,
Go
Picture : 'Students
working to create
better living
standards in our
community' Insert
link to CKE
webpage
Picture : 'Students
working to create
better living standards
in our community'
Insert link to CKE
webpage
n/a
Informative/Entertaini
ng
Monday,
September 14,
2015
CKE Article
How to decide on a
thesis topic by
looking to the
community
Research
Tips on looking to
the needs of the
community to
decide on a thesis
topic
Researche
rs in
Humanities
& Science
how to,
thesis
ideas
Know
Status: Stuck for
what to do your
thesis on? Find
inspiration in the
community (link to
article)
Tweet: How to come
up with a thesis idea by
looking at problems in
society (link to article)
Share link
on
LinkedIn
Informative
Monday,
September 21,
2015
CKE Video
How to get
started with CKE
Community
The procedure for
finding a
researcher
Community
Partners/
College
Students
-testimonial
from community
group
how to
Do n/a
ask DCU twitter to
tweet this and @ some
volunteer groups
:inked In-
Volunteer/c
ommunity
group
discussion
page.
-useful content
-who to contact
community
groups
-time
-what
information to
send CKE
broker

24. 24
7. Budget