New River Advertising - Plans Book

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Department of Marketing
College of Business and Economics
New River Advertising Agency
Plans Book
April 29, 2015
Chandler Johnson, Carter Bibb, Mikayla Townsend, Troy Langendorff, Emily Mayberry, Roseanne Mullins
FUEL
YOUR
POTENTIAL

2
Radford University, more specifically the College of Business
and Economics, has given our agency an opportunity to raise
awareness in prospective students to join the business
program. New River Ad Agency is tasked with increasing
applications in COBE majors, reaching current students who
are undecided or are looking to switch majors, and show the
public just how beneficial a business degree from Radford
University could be. Furthermore, these goals will be more
specifically geared towards the Marketing Department within
the COBE. Our marketing campaign was designed to hone in
on these goals through extensive marketing research and
analysis. Once our target market is reached with our
message we plan to have increased applications to the
Marketing department by 10% from incoming freshmen,
undecided students, and transfer students respectively.
Page1:Cover Page
Page2:Executive Summary
Page3:History
Page4:Evaluation
Page5:SWOT analysis
Page6:Advantages
Page7:Market Evaluation
Page8:Initial Advertising Goals
Page9:Research
Page10: Target Market
Page11:Target Market by Region
Page12:Market Personas
Page13-14:Objectives and Strategies
Page15:Creative Strategy Worksheet
Page16:Marketing Budget Plan
Page17: Budget Table
Page18:Media Target Audience
Page19:Media Strategy
Page20: Radio Ad
Page21:Web Page & Banner
Page22:Photo Board
Page23:Newspaper Ad
Page24:Bibliography
Table Of Contents

3
With the opening of our brand new, state of the art, building in 2012, the College of
Business and Economics adopted a new mission, which is to provide an active learning
environment that develops analytical and innovative business professionals for a dynamic
global economy. However, the first business course, Economics, was offers to students during
the academic year of 1965-1966 as a section of the Division of Liberal Arts. After four shorts and
successful years, Economics became a true department and major at Radford University. 1975
marked the expansion of this department into the College of Business and Economics (COBE).
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited the COBE in
1992.
The Department of Marketing further extends what the COBE has to offer. It offers a
unique and different spin for each student’s preferences from Consumer Behavior to Marketing Analytics. The department recogn izes the skills
required to succeed in the marketing world and focuses course material on them. These skills include; working with others, communicating
effectively, and solving problems using creative and analytical thinking.

4
Radford’s College of Business and Economics is one
of the top business schools in the state. With stunning
architectural designs, knowledgeable and experienced
faculty, and state-of-the-art technology, you would think
the COBE building is above and beyond the best in the
state. However, UVA’s Darden Graduate School of
Business is in the top ten in the nation for business schools.
This makes UVA’s department of business COBE’s
primary competition.
Virginia in general has some of the top colleges in
the nation and is a mecca for students all over the country
to attend schools in the commonwealth. Having said that,
Radford’s College of Business and Economics has a
plethora of competition within the state. According to
Forbes Magazine, the top five business schools in Virginia
are UVA, William and Mary, Virginia Tech, University of
Richmond, and James Madison University. With the
construction of the COBE building, Radford University
stands a fighting chance against these in-state rivals with
all of the new features of the building. With more and more
students majoring in business, it is more important now
than ever before to attract perspective students to Radford
University’s campus to check out this magnificent building.

7
The general demographic of the marketing department are students that come from middle
to upper middle social class families who attended college and graduated with a bachelor’s
degree. The average high school GPA for incoming freshman in 2013 was 3.19 with SAT scores
averaging 994 combined score. Other schools that students considered attending were Lynchburg,
Christopher Newport and Longwood.
Marketing students at Radford University are primarily from three areas around the state of
Virginia: Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads, with the majority of students coming
from Northern Virginia. In fact, three of the top five high schools that were represented by the
graduating class of 2013 are from Northern Virginia, with the top two schools coming from
Fairfax County.
The most important factors that attract students to the COBE building and therefore the
marketing department are how prestigious the business programs are as a whole. The student-
faculty ratio is above and beyond important because of the relationships developed with
professors. The marketing staff is friendly, insightful and very helpful and will go the extra mile
to make sure students have all the tools they need to succeed and achieve their goals. The
advanced technology throughout the building will allow students to have the opportunities to
achieve whatever it is they may be doing.

8
Our goals include raising the number of applications for the
College of Business and Economics through both freshman and
transfer students who choose COBE as their major. Our goal is
to increase the marketing department enrollment of transfer
students and freshmen enrolling in the Marketing Department
by 10%. Last year the number of freshman students choosing
marketing as a major was 67 and the number of transfer
students was 18. Our goal is to advertise primarily to high
school juniors and seniors seeing as how they are the larger
target market.

9
As of 2013, 301 undergrad students chose marketing as their major. That number has been increasing over
the past five years. Freshmen entering Radford University during the year 2013 show that the trend will
likely continue with 135 new students being admitted to the marketing program. Other schools that are
considered competition to Radford’s College of Business and Economics had slightly more applications to
their respective school of business than Radford. Virginia Commonwealth University had 173 applicants,
Old Dominion University had 166 applicants and James Madison University had 156 marketing students
apply. Technology and student-faculty ratio is among one of the best in the state and looks to improve in
hopes that one day will take the top spot in Virginia. Radford as a whole has 2,527 undergraduates who are
from Northern Virginia (26% of the total school population), 1,488 from southwest Virginia (19%), and 816
and 811 from Roanoke and Richmond (10% and 9%). The average GPA for incoming freshman as of 2013
is a 3.19 while the SAT’s two score is a 994. The average GPA for incoming freshman at Radford University
has been on the rise the since 1996. In the marketing program, there are 119 female undergraduates and 182
male making it a very diverse major. By looking at this we realized what we should be advertising about the
department and where to focus our attention for target markets.

10
Hampton Roads
RichmondNorthern Virginia
The majority of marketing students
are from Northern Virginia. Fairfax,
Loudoun and Prince William counties
are the top three counties in which
marketing students reside. Upper-
Middle class and wealthy families are
from this area due to the high paying
jobs near the D.C. area.
A good amount of marketing students are from
the Richmond area. Chesterfield, Henrico and
Hanover counties are the top three counties
around the city of Richmond. Middle class and
Upper-Middle class are the social classes that
surround the city of Richmond.
Virginia Beach, Chesapeake
and Suffolk counties are the
top three counties of Radford
students in the Hampton
Roads area. Social classes in
this region are similar to
Richmond’s; Middle class to
Upper-Middle class are quite
prevalent in this region of the
state.

11
31%
15% 24%
8%
13%
9%
Target Market By Region
Northern Virginia Richmond Hampton Roads SouthWest Virginia Piedmont Out-of-state

12
I’m John from Fairfax County in
Northern Virginia! I’m currently a
high school junior at Chantilly High
School and I’m looking for a small
to medium size school and campus
with a student to faculty ratio that
will increase my opportunities to
network in the future. I’m currently
in the marketing club in my high
school and am interested in
pursuing a career in the marketing
field. Radford University seems like
an excellent college for me,
especially with the new building!
I’m Alexis from Chesterfield County
located just outside of the city of
Richmond! I’ve spent two years at
Virginia Commonwealth University
but realized that it just isn’t for me. I
chose Radford University due to the
campus size and their spectacular
business building and program. I was
a biology major at VCU and switched
to marketing after my freshman year.
I realized that Radford’s marketing
program was more appealing and
credible than what is offered at VCU.
I’m Frank from Chesapeake County
in the Hampton Roads area! I’m a
freshman here at Radford University
and I haven’t made up my mind with
what I want to do in my future. I’m
thinking of becoming a psychology
major, but the COBE building is so
impressive! I want to have small
classes and be able to build a
relationship with my professors. A
rich source of technology will
benefit me greatly. I just might
major in marketing!

13
We plan on using Direct Marketing by sending ambassadors to
high schools to talk to counselors and potentialstudents and hand
out pamphlets. Taking the time to talk to students really helps
students remember the Department of Marketing and make us
stand out compared to other universities’ marketing
departments and also other departments at Radford University.
This will also create positive word of mouth about the university
and department for generations to come. Using interviews and
emails we will directly contact that students making it feel more
personal than most other universities and departments.

14
Our goal is to increase the number of
students enrolled in the Department of
Marketing by 10%. We hope to do that with
students currently in high school applying for
colleges and guidance counselors at high schools
in the state of Virginia. We want these students
to understand that due to the affordable tuition
rates, close-knit community, and size of the
university this is the right school for them. We
aim to increase knowledge in our target markets
about the Department of Marketing and
Radford University as a whole. By doing this, we
hope that more students will know that Radford
is a viable option. Showing students how
wonderful the faculty and building are for the
Department of Marketing are will see the
reasons why we are the best choice.
Through our advertising campaign we
hope to get brand recognition and people
thinking about the Department of Marketing and
curious to find out more. We hope through our
campaign we well help draw attention to our
department and inform potential students about
the benefits of Marketing. We will use traditional
media, social media, and digital media. This
strategy will introduce Radford University’s
Department of Marketing to potential students
and counselors and create desire to come to the
department. We want the Department of
Marketing to be the first thing potential students
hear about so when they apply they already have
knowledge of the department and positive
feelings towards it. Our takeaway message is to
have a positive and insightful view of Radford’s
Department of Marketing, they will be aware of
the benefits of the marketing department
including the student-teacher ratio and the
technology rich resources.

15
 Purpose – The goal for our advertisement is to achieve a 10
percent increase in marketing majors at Radford University.
 Target customer – High school juniors and seniors who are
enthusiastic and passionate about furthering their education,
guidance counselors, students who are between the ages of
18-24 who are considering transferring schools, parents of
students who can afford to pay for their children’s education,
individuals looking for a small campus and small class sizes
compared to other universities.
 Key benefits – Radford University’s marketing department
offers students the opportunity to receive valuable education
with small class sizes and more student-teacher interaction.
This provides interactive learning and networking
opportunities that one wouldn’t have at another university.
 Reason why - Radford University’s marketing department
has a student to teacher ratio of 18-1 which helps students
develop personal and professional relationships which will
help further their education and create more opportunities
after graduation.
 Tone – The advertisement will use an informative approach
while still demonstrating that both the College of Business
and the marketing department in the college has a fun and
interactive environment for students to thrive in.
 The consumer “take away” – The goal is for the consumer
to have a positive and insightful view on Radford University’s
marketing department. After viewing the ad, the consumer
will be aware of all of the benefits the marketing department
at Radford University has to offer including the student-
teacher ratio and the technology rich resources.

16
The advertising campaign budget for channels of
communication break down COBE used to market to
target markets. The campaign will utilize traditional
media, social media, and digital media. With a 10%
contingency fund ($1200), our total campaign budget is
$25,000. Digitalmediaads are priced based on the timing
of the slots purchased. The web page will be an
informative resourcefor the campaign’s target markets to
find more in-depth information about COBE and steps
toward admission. Forms of print media include
magazine, newspaper, direct mail, and brochures. Direct
mail and newspaper advertising are the main channel of
communication that will reach our older target market,
parents of students. Regionally, newspaper and
magazine ads, brochures, and direct mail will split the
campaign budget. All of these media channels will be
running regionally to reach our Northern target
markets. Sub-regional campaign costs will include
magazines, direct mail, and digital media. These sub-
regional costs are aimed to target the local markets that
surround Radford.

18
* Current Radford students who have yet to select a major.
* Students who are interested in any of the other majors COBE has to offer (finance,
accounting, business law, management and economics).
* High school juniors and seniors who live in Virginia, but more specifically the
Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads areas.
* Guidance counselors from high schools in the mentioned areas above.
* Students whose parents have obtained college education and who are seeking a
technology rich environment with smaller class sizes.

19
The campaign will include elements of digital media, direct mail, brochures, social media,
and flyers. For digital media we will run a YouTube ad during the months directly preceding
Radford University’s early admission application deadline and regular admission decision
day, prospective students will be exposed to our message at an extremely influential time.
They will be enticed to learn more about the school, apply or even choose Radford
University for its Marketing Department. Also we would run radio ads on local radio stations
in the Northern Virginia, Virginia Beach, and Richmond areas, we will also use the same ad
on Pandora and Spotify audio ads with a banner image. It would run during the same
months on particular stations in the same region as the regular audio ads. By sending direct
mail to the households of prospective students, both parents and their college-seeking
children will be exposed to our message. If we can promote the Marketing Department to
parents, we can persuade them to encourage their children to learn more and apply.
Brochures supplied to counselors of high school students are extremely influential. They
can help to generate interest in the department and promote Radford within the selected
schools. For Social Media, we will use Facebook and Twitter to entice current Radford
University students to learn more about/change their major to marketing. Posting and
creating a social dialogue between the Department of Marketing and Radford University
students will foster positive relations and promote the school. Flyers will also be used to
promote the Department of Marketing to the current students of Radford University. These
flyers will be informative and persuasive, letting students know of the benefits of a degree in
marketing as well as any events the department may be hosting.
The purpose of this campaign is to increase awareness and create interest among
students. We want to inform student about the department. Radford University’s
Department of Marketing offers an accessible, award-winning faculty and is housed within
COBE, the university’s brand new home to all business majors featuring the latest in
educational technology. The new $44 million dollar COBE building was completed in 2012
and spans over 110,000 square feet. It features dozens of break out rooms, a trade room, a
ballroom, and many large lecture halls. Many of these rooms are equipped with the latest in
educational technology, from touch screens to 3D printing, COBE houses a vast array of
technological resources for its students to use both inside and outside of the classroom.
Prospective students, their parents, and guidance counselors will be most receptive during
the college admissions season. For early admission, reception would be highest between
September and November. For regular, reception would be highest between February and
May. For current students, reception will be highest during their first two years at Radford
University, before they are required to choose a major and are likely taking pre-major
courses.

20
Radio Ad: 30 seconds.
Narrator: In today’s competitive and demanding workforce how do you plan to give yourself an edge?
*Upbeat music begins*
Narrator: At Radford University, we give students the tools and experience they need to enter into the next
stage of their lives. Up-and-coming business professionals can reach their full potential thanks to a new
addition to our campus, the College of Business and Economics. When you choose a major from the COBE
you can rest assured that our AACSB accredited courses and faculty will challenge you and prepare you for a
modern and innovative career.
*switch music*
Narrator: Affordable tuition, dedicated staff, small class sizes, and our tight-knit Highlander community are
guaranteed to give you the skills and life-experience necessary to succeed in whatever you do. Whether you
are leaving high school or transferring universities Radford University is a great fit. Apply today and fuel you
potential!
*music fades out*

22
“Woah man! Check out that business building. I bet the
inside is just as rad as the outside! I gotta check it out.”
“Dang, it looks pretty
nice so far! I want to
see more features.”
“A ‘Multipurpose room’? Looks
pretty darn fancy to me. Sweet!”
“They even have a computer
room to work in with live stocks
circling the workspace?!”
“Woah dude, check out how nice
the classrooms are! I could see
myself in that chair.”
“Well I gotta get back to high
school, but I’m definitely applying
here!”
This could be you,
FUEL YOUR POTENTIAL

23
AACSB Accredited Majors Include:
 Marketing
 Accounting
 Finance
 Management
 Economics
Follow Radford
University on social
media!

24
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