Public Relations Campaigns - Integrated Marketing Communication Degree

Planning Section of the Mass Communication Department Campaign
Frederikke Christiansen – G00067352
Alejandra O’Connor – G00066072
Dina Biddah – G00063207
Judy Assaad – G00045176
Merna Tamimi – G00058330
MCM 465
Spring 2018
Dr. John Mark King
American University of Sharjah

Content
Planning………………………………………………………………………………………..6
Background Research………………………………………………………………….7
Initial Client Interview………………………………………………………...7
Mass Media Sources…………………………………………………………...8
Databases and Internet Sources……………………………………………....10
Target Audiences……………………………………………………………………..13
Primary Target Audience…………………………………………………….13
Existing Groups and Networks………………………………………………16
Secondary Target Audience………………………………………………….17
Opinion Leaders……………………………………………………………...17
Research Objectives………………………………………………………………….17
Introduction – Major………………………………………………………....17
Consumer Habits and Purchasing Decisions…………………………17
Media Habits…………………………………………………………18
Attitudes, Beliefs and Opinions……………………………………...18
Existing Knowledge………………………………………………….18
Introduction – Minor…………………………………………………………18
Consumer Habits and Purchasing Decisions…………………………18
Media Habits…………………………………………………………18
Attitudes, Beliefs and Opinions……………………………………...18
Existing Knowledge………………………………………………….18
Primary Research…………………………………………………………………….19
Qualitative……………………………………………………………………19
Method……………………………………………………………….19
Focus Group – Instrument…………………………………………....19
Results………………………………………………………………..19
Discussion……………………………………………………………23
Quantitative…………………………………………………………………..24
Method……………..………………………………………………...24
Survey 1 – Instrument………………………………………………..25
Results………………………………………………………………..26
Discussion……………………………………………………………31
Survey 2 – Instrument………………………………………………..32

Results………………………………………………………………..33
Discussion……………………………………………………………37
Campaign Goals and Objectives……………………………………………………..37
Informational Objectives……………………………………………………..37
Motivational Objectives……………………………………………………...38
Process Objectives……………………………………………………………38
Outcome Objectives………………………………………………………….38
Messages and Themes………………………………………………………………..39
Themes……………………………………………………………………….39
Messages……………………………………………………………………..39
Strategies and Channels of Communication………………………………………....39
Traditional Media Channels………………………………………………….39
Non-Media Channels………………………………………………………....39
Interactive Media Channels…………………………………………………..40
Implementation……………………………………………………………………………….41
Traditional Media Channels……………………………………………………….....42
Newspapers…………………………………………………………………..42
Podcast……………………………………………………………………….42
Radio Interviews……………………………………………………………..43
Radio Public Service Announcements……………………………………….43
Press Releases………………………………………………………………..44
Tip Sheets…………………………………………………………………….44
Non-Media Channels…………………………………………………………………44
Events………………………………………………………………………...44
Summer Workshops………………………………………………….45
Communication Through Time……………………………………....45
Internal/Employee Communications…………………………………………45
Information Racks and Bulletin Boards……………………………...45
Employee Advisory Committee………………………………….......46
Marketing Activities………………………………………………………….47
Specialty Items/SWAG………………………………………………47
Conventions and Trade Shows……………………………………….49
Product Sampling and Giveaways……………………………………………49
Guerrilla Marketing…………………………………………………………..49

Miscellaneous Items………………………………………………………….53
In-Person Communication……………………………………………………54
Information Booths…………………………………………………..54
Speeches……………………………………………………………...54
Interactive Media Channels………………………………………………………......54
Website……………………………………………………………………….54
Blog…………………………………………………………………………..55
App…………………………………………………………………………...56
Social Media………………………………………………………………….58
Instagram……………………………………………………………..58
Facebook……………………………………………………………..59
Snapchat……………………………………………………………...60
YouTube……………………………………………………………...61
Infographic…………………………………………………………………...62
Email…………………………………………………………………………62
Informational Videos………………………………………………………....63
Media Kit……………………………………………………………………………………..64
Cover Letter…………………………………………………………………………..65
News Releases for New Program…………………………………………………….66
Print…………………………………………………………………………..66
Online………………………………………………………………………...68
Social Media………………………………………………………………….69
Media Advisory………………………………………………………………71
Pitch Letter…………………………………………………………………...72
News Releases for Summer Workshops……………………………………………..73
Print…………………………………………………………………………..73
Online………………………………………………………………………...75
Social Media………………………………………………………………….76
Media Advisory………………………………………………………………78
Pitch Letters…………………………………………………………………..79
News Releases for Communication Through Time………………………………….80
Print…………………………………………………………………………..80
Online………………………………………………………………………...82

Social Media………………………………………………………………….83
Media Advisory………………………………………………………………85
Pitch Letters…………………………………………………………………..86
Factsheet……………………………………………………………………………...87
Backgrounder………………………………………………………………………...88
Faculty Bios………………………………………………………………………….89
Event Schedule……………………………………………………………………….90
Annual Report………………………………………………………………………..91
CAS Newsletter………………………………………………………………………93
Poster…………………………………………………………………………………94
Infographic…………………………………………………………………………...96
Photographs…………………………………………………………………………..97
Videos………………………………………………………………………………...98
Brochure……………………………………………………………………………...98
Website Mock-up…………………………………………………………………….99
Blog Mock-up………………………………………………………………………100
Social Media Mock-ups…………………………………………………………….101
Instagram……………………………………………………………………101
Facebook……………………………………………………………………102
Twitter………………………………………………………………………106
YouTube…………………………………………………………………….110
Snapchat…………………………………………………………………….113
Podcast……………………………………………………………………………...114
Contact Sheet……………………………………………………………………….115
Evaluation…………………………………………………………………………………..116
Formative…………………………………………………………………………...117
On-Going……………………………………………………………………………117
Summative…………………………………………………………………………..117
Media Coverage…………………………………………………………….118
Audience Feedback…………………………………………………………118
Before-and-After Comparison………………………………………………118

Background Research
Initial Client Interview
The first research we conducted was an interview with the client and the head of the Mass
Communication Department Dr. Mohammad Ayish. Our aim was to gain a clear
understanding of the goals of the new program, as well as his expectations for the campaign.
We asked if we could voice record the interview. The following text is a complete transcript:
1. Why is the program being revised?
“Well the program is being revised because we feel like the current program is out-dated and
it is not in sync with the market transitions and the industry of communications and media.
We would like to provide our students with the finest media education program that is
reflecting the market needs, and the market is moving towards more conversions and more
digital and social, more multiplatform, more infographics, more data analysis. So we would
like to account for these changes and make sure that students are exposed to this learning
process.”
2. What do you hope to achieve with the new program?
“With the new program, we hope to make the department and the MCM program more
aligned with the market, so there is no gap. Whatever we teach the students here, students
will find it in the market place after they graduate. So there are no surprises, no shocks. We
don’t want students to get a job in the market, and say, ‘what we are doing now is totally
different than what we learn on campus.’ We don’t want to hear something like that. We want
the gap to be a zero gap, we want to bridge the gap, by engaging students in the market and
industry activities; inviting professionals to the department, strengthening the internship
program, and making sure what students learn in the classroom is in full alignment with the
market practices.”
3. What are your expectations for it?
“Our expectations are that we have like a learning program and learning outcomes of the
program, that are very solid, that are preparing students to face the challenges in the market
in communication and journalism, and the Integrated Marketing Communications, and to be
able to be more multitasking, multifunctional, and be able to do multiple functions at the
same time, because the market is going this way. If you want to apply for a job, they will not
ask you ‘okay, can you do this?’ No, it will be, ‘Can you do this list of tasks,’ that’s the
questions and students have to be able to handle that properly in a professional way. So it is
a very good way to prepare our students to stand up to the market requirements and market
standards.”
4. What do you hope to achieve from this campaign?
“Well, in the campaign, we would like to raise awareness. Raising awareness on the part of
the community, on the part of the stakeholders, by stakeholders I mean the university, the
professors outside the department, like the university administration, like the students, like
their parents, like the immediate industry. So like anybody who is relevant to the Mass
Communication program would be exposed to this campaign and we would like to see a
change in knowledge towards more awareness of what the program is about, and eventually
get more appreciation and support.”
5. How do you think this new program will benefit the university?
“Oh yeah, actually this program will position the university as a house of expertise in digital
journalism and the IMC, Integrated Marketing Communications, so it will be maintaining its

role as a media education institution in the Middle East. And we would like to maintain that
status, and to expand and go beyond that to global levels. So this is a very important
opportunity for us in the department, in the college, in the university, to try to expand our
frontiers beyond the regional and the national.”
6. How many new students do you hope to enroll next semester, in MCM?
“Normally we take like, between 40 and 50 per year. So if we have like 50 students coming,
60 would be good.”
7. Are you looking to attract more local students or International?
“Well, I mean locals are part of our student body, and they are very interested in journalism
and the IMC, I am sure also public relations and advertising. So they would make up a good
portion of the student body we have.”
8. What makes the AUS MCM program, different from its competitors in the UAE?
“Well, you know it’s different in the sense that we are bringing together two disciplines,
public relations and advertising, to be practiced under one single umbrella, which is
Integrated Marketing Communications, and traditionally, schools in the UAE of journalism
and Mass Communication, teach public relations as a separate discipline and journalism and
advertising. Now, we thought that both PR and advertising do marketing functions, so why
not bring them together under one umbrella, which is IMC and make students benefit from
the multifunctionality of this type of combined discipline, so they are able to handle public
relations, media relations, advertising, content creation, digital campaigns, social media
work, a whole range of functions that they wouldn’t have been able to handle in the
traditional formats of the program.”
Mass Media Sources
For background research we chose to use mass media sources, which includes articles
from newspapers and magazines, as well as transcripts and recordings of radio and television
newscasts. The aim of this research was to determine how other institutions have used public
relations campaigns to benefit their reputation and awareness of their university, their
courses, etc. Further, this research also looked at how international universities wrote their
press releases regarding the offering of new degrees or programs, as well as how Universities
within the United Arab Emirates publicize their new degrees or programs. Lastly, this
researched helped define the importance of current market trends gravitating towards a more
digital and multifunctional era.
Public Relations Campaigns for Higher Education:
There have been numerous articles written on the importance of public relations and their
campaigns for high education institutions. One example was the Guardian who published an
article titled: “Innovative PR in higher education. 1
” The article showcased how various
universities within the United Kingdom used public relations to create a conversation online
surrounding their university. A common tactic used by the universities was short videos
posted on YouTube to show the university, their abilities, and their achievements. The most
effective videos were made from a humorous angle, which displayed the institution in a
creative and original light. Other popular tactics were using social media and news blogs. The
news blogs were used to listen to the audience and published articles that persuaded readers
to give feedback and respond, which created more direct communication between the
1
Eliza Anyangwe, Innovative PR in higher education, The Guardian, 2011.

institution and audience. Social media is a tactic that is not used to its full advantage; the
article stated that beneficial technique is to engage with the audience on their social media
platforms, allowing them to be a part of the audience. Further, the article also stated social
media is a valuable way of monitoring what is being said about the university. This
information will be useful while building our campaign as it specifically focuses on higher
education institutions and gives an idea of the kind of tactics that would be beneficial for our
campaign.
Another article by the Times Higher Education, titled “Career advice: how to run a
university marketing campaign,2
” lists four key aspects to focus on when building a
campaign for universities:
1. Listen to students
2. Be authentic
3. Go against your marketing instincts
4. Engage with your audience
The first feature focuses on ensuring students are involved in the brainstorming sessions
to guarantee the campaign revolves around the students and their needs rather than what
someone might think the students want. The second aspect emphasizes on not selling an
image that does not represent the university or their goals and objectives. The article stated
that the audience would be more impacted by a campaign that is genuine and does not need
exaggeration to promote itself. This is important for our campaign as it highlights the
importance of focusing on a few sincere and candid elements within the campaign rather than
attempting to balance numerous tactics and techniques, which would become cluttered and
confusing. The third feature refers not prioritizing the competitive advantage but rather
looking at complete self-improvement, as this helps the institution stand out from the
competition. If the students currently attending are happy with their experience it is more
persuasive than stating the university is superior to its competition. The last aspect reiterates a
point stated in the earlier article, which is that engaging with your audience should be a
priority. There are several ways institutions can engage with their audience, either through
social media, which is a necessity, or through face-to-face or physical engagement, such as
events and conventions, which would benefit our campaign.
Further, an article published by My Loud Speaker Marketing, titled “6 higher education
marketing campaigns that get an A,3
” showcases successful campaigns that helped
universities stand out among their competitors. One campaign, by Boston University, focused
heavily on Snapchat as their research discovered most students use that social media
platform. The goal of the campaign was to increase engagement with students by showcasing
events, breaking news, behind-the-scenes coverage, and celebrations. The team also help a
scavenger hunt through the application, where the winner received a prize, which seemed to
massively increase user engagement. Another similar campaign was by Colorado State
University where they used Snapchat to master the ‘Snapchat takeover.’ The university found
various students, professors, and faculty and recorded what they were doing on Snapchat,
which was shared with students. Further, the Vancouver Island University chose to focus on
the social media Instagram where they used a more emotional approach to showcase the
atmosphere of the university to prospective students. The university created a tribe called
“VIU Tribe.” As they did not wish to simply gain followers, their main goal was to create a
2
Sophie Inge, Career advice: how to run a university marketing campaign, Times Higher Education, 2018
3
Faye Alexander, 6 Higher Education Marketing Campaigns That Get An A+, My Loud Speaker Marketing, 2016.

close-community environment and to create more engagement, connection, and
communication with the students.
Overall, these successful campaigns are useful in designing a campaign for the
revamped Mass Communication Department as it centres on how to use social media as a
valuable tool, while keeping it low budget due to social media being a free campaign tactic.
How Universities Promote New Degrees:
Limited information could be found regarding how universities use specific PR tactics
and techniques to promote their new programs. The majority of universities
Another research area looks at how universities wrote press releases and other ways
they promoted their new degrees or programs. Through the research it was discovered that
universities rarely publicize the introduction of a new program, rather they simply write one,
or a few, press releases and that is the main form of promotion. Two examples of this are the
University of Maryland4
which was announcing a new Master’s degree in engineering that
included information about what the course entailed and what the college stood for and their
key goals. Another example was Michigan State University5
which were introducing a new
master’s degree in marketing. Their main tactic was also a press release containing
information about the degree, when it is starting, and about the university. Lastly, another
example is by Stonehill College6
which introduced a new Master’s degree in Integrated
Marketing Communications.
These examples help us determine the kind of information that is required in our press
releases about the new program. Besides this, there was no information to be found regarding
specific PR tactics and techniques universities used to promote their new programs.
Further, within the United Arab Emirates, promotions surrounding new degrees or
programs are occasionally reported by local news outlets. Two examples of this were an
article written by Gulf News titled “Admissions now open for region’s first design degree,7
”
and an article by the National titled “University to help fill UAE psychology void with new
degree course.8
” The articles emphasized the degrees requirements, course attributes, tuition
fees, and enrollment days. It also included various quotes regarding the program from the
universities’ dean and associate dean to further promote the goals of the institution. This
example is beneficial as it illustrates the information that should be included in a press release
regarding the new degree, as well as showcasing Gulf News’ involvement in higher
education within the UAE and how they could help promote. This can be done through
sending press releases to local news outlets, such as Gulf News and the National, as well as
sending pitches to journalists at those outlets and media advisories to encourage the press to
attend or cover the events that will be held.
Databases and Internet Sources
Why Higher Education?
Research conducted on the ‘Top Motives for Choosing Their Educational Pathways’ by
Gallup and Strada, examined more than 86,000 adults in the United States with experiences
at over 3,000 institutions. They were asked to share the main reason for choosing their
educational pathway and school. The results found that:
4
Paul Easterling, University of Maryland’s Clark School of Engineering Introduces a New Master’s in Cybersecurity
Engineering for High-Tech Professionals, University of Maryland, 2011.
5
Richard Spreng, Online Program Press Release, Michigan State University, n.d.
6
Stonehill Launches Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing Communications, Stonehill University, 2017.
7
Faisal Masudi, Admissions now open for region’s first design degree, Gulf News, 2018.
8
Melanie Swan, University to help fill UAE psychology void with new degree, The National, 2016.

• Work outcomes are the main reasons most people chose higher education, with 58%
reporting job and career outcomes as their primary motivation. This is a fact across all
higher education pathways and demographic subgroups.
• Only 23% reported a general motivation to learn more and gain knowledge without
linking it to work or aspirations9
.
With this study in mind, we are able to establish what students’ priorities are when
enrolling in the new program. The new Mass Communication program will aim to focus
specifically on ensuring that students are fully equipped and prepared for the market
standards and requirements, addressing students’ main priority. The program will also aim to
guarantee students have hands-on experience and enjoy what they are doing, giving them a
general motivation to learn more.
College Student Survey
Strada and Gallup conducted a study that included the views of more than 32,000
students at 43 randomly selected four-year institutions. The survey aimed to find out how
prepared college students feel for the workforce. This survey revealed a crisis of confidence
among most students regarding their readiness to begin their careers:
• Only a third of students believe they will graduate with the skills and knowledge to be
successful in the job market (34%) and in the workplace (36%).
• Only half (53%) believe their major will lead to a good job10
.
However, the survey also found solutions to this issue by revealing that students who
have three career-focused experiences at their universities are significantly more confident
about their preparation for the workforce:
1. Speak often with faculty or staff about their career options.
2. Have at least one university official initiate a conversation with them about their
career options.
3. Believe their school is committed to helping their students find a rewarding
career.
This study is useful for launching the new Mass Communication program, as it
highlights the concerns of students. The new MCM Department will specifically focus on
ensuring students graduating in Integrated Marketing Communications and Journalism feel
fully prepared to work in the industry, by following the standards and keeping up to date with
the market demands, which will be ensured by encompassing both traditional media and new
digital trends. The Department will also brief staff and faculty to guarantee that the solutions
by Gallup and Strada are implemented.
Major Influence: Where Students Get Valued Advice on What to Study in
College
Gallup and Strada11
have shed light on the influencers of students’ educational
decisions. The study focused on the elements of how individuals choose their field of study.
This involved whom or what sources provide advice to students, and how helpful that advice
is. The participants included more than 22,000 adults in the United States, who were asked to
9
Gallup and Strada, Why Higher Ed? Top reasons US Consumers choose their education pathways, 2018.
10
Gallup and Strada, Current College Students Do Not Feel Prepared for the Workforce, 2017
11
Gallup and Strada, Major Influence: Where Students Get Valued Advice on what to study in college, 2017.

name up to three sources of advice about their major and rate their helpfulness. Responses
were divided into four broad categories:
1. Formal: counsellors and the media.
2. Informal social network: friends, family and community leaders.
3. Informal school-based: college staff and professors, high school teachers and
coaches.
4. Informal work-based: employers, co-workers, experienced professionals and the
military.
The research found that the majority (55%) of adults in the United States with at least
some college, but no more than a bachelor's degree, list their informal social network as
providing advice about the selection of their college major. This is the most often-cited
source of advice when choosing a major for the majority of adults in the United States.
One surprising finding in this study was that the most commonly cited channels of
advice in choosing a major are not necessarily rated the most helpful. Therefore, the most
valued sources of advice are the least used.
This study is useful for the campaign to know where most students receive information
about what to major in in university. In this case it is their informal social network, which
includes friends, family and community leaders. Therefore, this campaign will aim to make
both the parents and the students, the target audiences. The campaign will use community
opinion leaders to cover the launch of the new program and create further awareness. Social
media will also be used extensively, as it is one of the main sources of information for this
generation. Additionally, the campaign will host community events and attend university
conventions.
Realign Higher Education with Today’s Workforce
A study conducted by the Gallup-Lumina Foundation found that there is no alignment
between the talents employers demand and the skills graduates have when they enter the
workforce. Ninety-six percent of chief academic officers of colleges and universities believe
that their institutions are effective at preparing students for the workforce, but only 11% of
business leaders agree. This misalignment has serious implications for companies. Businesses
reported that were unable to grow or compete because they struggled to find properly skilled
people. The statistics found stated that:
• 49% of the companies reported unfilled job openings.
• 37% cannot take on new projects or major initiatives.
• Only 35% of college students believe they are prepared for a job.
• 50% of recent graduates are unemployed or underemployed.
• 16% of Americans believe their degree prepares them for a well-paying job.
• 40% of bachelor degree holders would study a different major if they could do it all
over again12
.
The study highlights the concerns that the new Mass Communication program is trying to
address. Dr. Mohammad Ayish stated this program’s main aim to align the education students
receive with the market and industry needs. Employers now seek graduates who are able to
perform multiple functions and multitask, which is why the Department is introducing the
Integrated Marketing Communications concentration, by combining public relations,
advertising and marketing communication into one, making students multifunctional and
12
Francis and Auter, Gallup-Lumina Foundation, 3 Ways to Realign Higher Education with Today’s Workforce, 2013.

increasing their skills and abilities, already having more of a benefit than someone who only
studied one of the concentrations. The Journalism degree is also being improved to satisfy the
needs of the industry, and equip students with all the required skills for both traditional news
writing and digital news writing. The internships in the MCM Department are also being
more focused on, to guarantee all students have work experience and know what to expect
from the industry upon graduating.
The Value of a College Education
A study conducted by the Pew Research Centre on the Value of a College Education,
found that:
• 62% of college graduates with a two-or-four-year degree think their degree was very
useful for helping them grow personally and intellectually.
• 53% think it was very useful for opening up job opportunities
• 49% think it was valuable in providing them useful job-related skills and knowledge.
Moreover, the research also found that most Americans view the purpose of college as
workforce-related skills and knowledge, as more important than person and intellectual
growth.
• 50% say the main purpose of college should be to teach you specific skills to use in
the workplace.
• 35% think the main purpose is to help students grow and develop personally and
intellectually.
• 13% believe these objectives are equally important13
.
This study helps the campaign identify the opinions college students have after receiving
a higher education. With this in mind, the MCM Department can focus on assuring the new
students that the education they will be receiving through the new program will cover
multiple spheres, apart from Mass Communication courses, such as politics, internal studies,
finance, art, geography, sociology, anthropology and psychology, as well as various others;
which will guarantee they are taught specific skills to use in the workplace, as well as
develop and grow personally and intellectually.
Target Audiences
Primary Target Audience
The target audience for this campaign is based on research done for higher education
audiences’ in general and American University of Sharjah’s audiences in particular. The
primary target audiences are prospective students and the parents of these students.
Therefore, the demographics, psychographics, values and life stages for this campaign divide
into focusing on the two different audience types: prospective students and parents.
Prospective students include people between the ages of 14 to 20, as these include high
school students and graduates who are yet to make a decision about whether or not they want
to peruse higher education. Parents simply include people from both generation X and baby
boomers who have influential opinion or financial control over their children of the
mentioned ages.
Values and life stages are important for better understanding your audiences because
for successful segmentation strategy, you must take into account an array of customer
13
Pew Research Center, The Value of a College Education, 2016.

profiles, including life stages. The following chart shows how customers follow normal life
stages and are grouped into life stage segments14
.
As the customers age and evolve through their life cycles their purchasing habits alter,
including, but not limited to, their needs and preferences, spending more, desire for higher
quality products, and increasing insensitivity to higher product pricing.
For this campaign, our primary target audience is prospective students, who are in the
‘teenagers and students’ area in their life cycle. Whereas the other primary target audience,
parents, typically fall within the ‘well-established families’ area, which has the highest
annual spending habits in comparison to the other life stages.
Targeting different ethnicities is an important factor, as the population of American
University of Sharjah has around 100 nationalities represented. While UAE has 89% of non-
nationals, nationals make up almost 20% of the student body, which makes them an
important audience to target15
. An important ethnic group to target is South Asia as not only
do they count for almost 15 % of AUS’s population, but also for more 50% of UAE’s
population, making the country a convenient attraction for them16
.
14
Why knowing Your Customer’s ‘Life Stage’ & Associated Events are Crucial to Delivering Effective Marketing,
Stevenjeffes: Social Media, Marketing, CRM, and Corporate Innovation Blog, 2015.
15
Fast Facts, The American University of Sharjah, 2017.
16
Nationality Wise Population in Seven Emirates of UAE, Abu Dhabi 2, 2016.

The location of AUS in Sharjah is a hub for technology and education in the region,
while conserving the culture and religion, also helps in defining the main ethnicities and
geographical areas to target. Since The Middle East is great for students who are interested in
history, religion, archaeology, Arabic, or to immerse themselves in Middle Eastern culture17
.
The majority of the global Muslim population, 62%, live in the Asia-Pacific region, including
large populations in Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Turkey18
; it would be a
strategy to target people of these ethnicities in both the UAE and their home countries.
Regarding education within the UAE, the focus should be on larger operators such as
Choueifat, GEMS Education, Mosaica, and Taleem as they are private schools and have a
larger increase in students, as well as the highest number of students19
. According to recent
statistics, around 70 to 80 percent of high school students in the UAE are in private schools,
especially those that follow American, British, and Indian systems. In fact there is an annual
4.3 percent expected increase in private schools between 2015 and 2020, faster than nearly 2
percent for public schools. “In 2016-2017 alone, around 20 private schools are expected to
open in Dubai, and 17 private schools in Abu Dhabi by 2018”20
.
Students being so young, they mostly still have no significant financial power.
However, they still have access to cash through their parents. 9.7% of adults say their
children influence 100% of what they buy and how they spend their money. According to a
study, the best tactic is through their older family members since parents still make financial
decisions for Generation Z children21
. This is one of the main reasons why parents are a
primary audience in this campaign.
Psychographics of the first target audience are very specific, as this generation, falling
at the end of millennial and Generation Z zone, have a specific set of interests, believes,
personality, values, attitudes, and a life style that differs completely from the generations
17
High School Abroad in the Middle East, Go Overseas, n.d.
18
Michael Lipka, Muslims and Islam: Key Findings in the U.S. and Around the World, Pew Research Center, 2017.
19
United Arab Emirates - Education, Export.gov, 2018.
20
Jumana Khamis, Number of Students in UAE Expected to Rise 4% Annually, Gulf News, 2016.
21
Marketing Psychographics – Talking About My Generation, Green Buzz, 2017.

prior to them. Their interests are influenced by being highly adept at using technology and
are very active on social media. They tend to be more socially conscious than older age
groups, and are influenced by product offerings marketed as ethical, sustainable or
environmentally friendly. They are more likely than older age groups to focus on health and
well being in areas such as food and physical activity 22
.
Personality, beliefs, and values refer to how the target audience value self-expression
and uniqueness more than any previous generation. Social media is a big part of their self-
expression and movement around the world trying to stand out or to prove themselves. They
proved to be the most unique and diverse yet. Social media and the digital world surround
members of Generation Z since early life, yet they seek authenticity and personal interaction.
Pushing products or services on them without building brand relation will drive them away.
In fact studies show that Generation Z is more likely than any previous generation to jump
from brand to brand23
. Their life style depends on many variables. Another study showed that
this generation has global ambitions and draws aspirations for all over the world, with 60%
wanting to change the world. However, with 11% having ADHD, they have an average
attention span of 8 seconds24
.
Psychographics of audiences that fall into the parents segment varies, yet few are in
common between generations and have the most effect on this campaign. This segment care
about higher education as they are arguably the best educated generation with 29% obtaining
a bachelor’s degree or higher25
, therefore making them an important target to the campaign.
However, they are often characterized by high levels of scepticism, “what’s in it for me”
attitudes, which means they need to be presented evidence through trust worthy channels to
convince them of the message. This group occupies positions of higher corporate
responsibility, and were the beginning of making a break with traditional patterns of
behaviour, demanding a more informal environment and abandoning hierarchical authority in
favour of a more horizontal and flexible structure26
. Their concerns run high over avoiding
broken homes, kids growing up without a parent around and financial planning. They also
care about spending quality and quantity time with their children, and being involved in their
decisions27
.
Existing Groups and Networks
An effective way to reach target audience is through creating buzz and a two-way
conversation with through existing groups and networks. An existing forum for that covers
both students in the Arab countries in general as well as UAE in particular is Arab Countries
Students Forum. Besides having large viewing and interaction from around the Middle East,
other competing universities with similar programs such as University of Sharjah and Zayed
University have spokes’ people answering questions and creating buzz around their
programs. A forum focusing on the Arab mothers is fatakat.com, with over 50,000 members
and 70,100,000 posts in the past year. Arab women get to share and ask about different topics
including a section dedicated for education and university suggestions. A trusted South Asian
open education forum for students, teachers and parents to get involved in discussions is
Educoop.com, with over 15,000 members. Finally for a global perspective, educations.com is
22
Deep Dive: Millennials and Leisure, Coresight Research, n.d.
23
Marketing Psychographics – Talking About My Generation, Green Buzz, 2017.
24
Matt Kleinschmit, Generation Z Characteristics: 5 Infographics on the Gen Z Lifestyle, Vision Critical, 2015.
25
The Portal, the Journal of Household Goods Forwarders Association of American, Inc., 2008.
26
Duelling Age Groups in Today’s Workforce; From Baby Boomers to Generation X and Y, University of Pennsylvania,
2007.
27
The Portal, the Journal of Household Goods Forwarders Association of American, Inc., 2008.

a site with accessibility to international programs and universities from all over the world, as
well as student forums and client testimonials. Other competing Middle Eastern universities
such as American University of Cairo and American University of Beirut have conversations
and press releases on this site, which drive traffic to their own websites.
Secondary Target Audiences
It is equally important to reach the secondary target audiences as they can help drive a
conversation and referrals to this campaign. In this case they are students looking to minor in
Mass Communication, as well as students looking to transfer to Mass Communication.
Not only are these prospective students but they can also have an influence on their
connections to generate buzz around the program. Our secondary audience also includes
AUS staff and faculty and high school councilors, as these people are considered experts and
mentors to many students who would seek their advice regarding their future careers.
Opinion Leaders
Choosing opinion leaders to be the program’s brand ambassadors is a key for
relationship building with both the primary and secondary audiences. The first opinion
leader for this campaign targeting parents, high school counsellors, and AUS Arab Faculty is
Hala Kazim. She is an Emirati life couch, mother blogger and a counsellor, who has won
many international awards, published a book, as well as a following of 180,000 on Instagram
and 148,000 on Twitter. The second opinion leader is Arnab Goswami, who is a South Asian
influencer, journalist and editor, as well as makes appearances regularly on New Delhi TV
with 150,000 followers on Facebook. Sherief Fayed, an Egyptian influencer with over 1.1
million Facebook followers and 950,000 followers on Instagram, and Mohammed Assaf,
a Levant influencer with 3.9 million followers on Instagram, not only have huge influence
on students but also have hosted many events in the country. Kris Fade is a radio presenter
who has shows in Dubai, Lebanon and Sydney, catering to a wide variety of audiences, and
also host’s events in private schools throughout Dubai increasing his popularity among high
school students, which makes him a perfect influencer for this campaign. Finally Presenters
from the Business Breakfast Show will have an influence on the target audience, as an
interview can be hosted with a Mass Communication spokesperson to give information and
answer questions about the new Mass Communication Department. Sabah el Khair Ya Arab
also has a high reach among the campaign’s target audience, as well as credible presenters.
Research Objectives
Introduction - Major
The following are research objectives for the primary research we conducted
regarding students majoring in Mass Communication, which was later established through
the use of a focus group and a survey.
Consumer Habits and Purchasing Decisions
• Identify any obstacles that could prevent the participants from obtaining a higher
education.
• Identify the type of education the participants are receiving, and how it may affect
their purchasing decision for university (Private Vs. Public school).

Media Habits
• Identify the social media most commonly used among the High School Students in
our focus group
• Identify which social media platform is most influential when making decisions
Attitudes, Beliefs, and Opinions
• Identify the attitudes of students towards getting a university degree.
• Determine the attitudes of students getting an American degree.
• Identify the opinions and beliefs about the overall university experience
• Analyze who the main influences are when choosing a degree
• Do the participants believe their parents should have a say in their academic path.
Existing Knowledge
• Establish the reputation of the American University of Sharjah among the participants
• Identify the current understanding of Integrated Marketing Communications among
High School Students.
Introduction - Minor
The following research objectives are for the primary research we conducted regarding a
minor in Mass Communication in a survey aimed at American University of Sharjah
students.
Consumer Habits and Purchasing Decisions
• The participants are already students at AUS, so they have already made purchasing
decisions, and are able to pursue the minor
• 75% of students pursuing university degree range in ages between 17 and 27 years of
age28
.
Media habits
• The participants are already in AUS and will be targeted through the existing AUS
social media pages, which they already follow and use. Such as the AUS email, the
AUS Facebook page, the AUS twitter page, and the AUS Snapchat.
• They will also be targeted physically through posters around campus, events, and
seminars,
• The students can also be targeted outside of AUS, through billboards, videos online,
radio and newspapers.
Attitudes, Beliefs, and Opinions
• Identify their attitudes towards studying a minor
• Determine the usefulness of a minor in their opinion
• Identify if it will be useful for their major to minor in IMC
• Determine the usefulness for their major to minor in Journalism
• Identify which path they would be more interested in pursuing
Existing Knowledge
• Identify their existing knowledge about the MCM department
• Identify if they know they would want to pursue a minor
28
Meghan Dale, Trends in the Age Composition of College and University Students and Graduates, 2010.

Primary Research
Qualitative
Method
For the qualitative research, we decided to conduct a focus group with a group of high
school students. The students in the focus group were selectively chosen and were non-
random. Due to the time restraints we were unable to have students who did not know each
other. Further, we were also unable to conduct a pre-test to ensure all the questions were easy
to understand, however, it is not as important during focus groups as the participants have the
ability to clarify the questions if they did not understand them.
Focus Group – Instrument
1. Would you want to study an undergraduate degree within the UAE?
2. Where in the world would like to study, if not the UAE?
3. What do you know about the American University of Sharjah?
4. Have you ever visited, or thought about visiting, the campus for an event or just to
see it?
5. Is it important to you to receive an American degree?
6. What is your overall belief of what university is like?
7. Do you know what major or course you wish to study?
8. Do your parents have a say in which major you choose?
9. Does your school help prep you for higher education?
10. Is there a reason you may not want to further your education?
11. Regarding Mass Communication, do you know what the degree entails?
12. Is it something that would be of interest to you?
13. Do you know what Integrated Marketing Communications is?
Add Definition of Integrated Marketing Communications.
14. Do you know what a degree in journalism entails?
15. Does a degree in journalism appeal to you?
16. What is your preferred social media platform?
17. Which platform would be the most influential to reach your regarding education?
18. How much time on average do you spend on social media daily?
19. What are some of your interests and hobbies?
Results
We conducted a focus group with 5 female high school students who were all in the 11th
grade; the following is a transcript of the focus group:
1. Would you want to study an undergraduate degree within the UAE?
• 4/5 would not want to study in the UAE, 1/5 unsure
• “The UAE does not have that big of a choice in options [degree wise]”
• “You get more exposure abroad, for example I would like to be a lawyer, but I don’t
feel like I’ll be able to do much in the UAE”
2. Where would you want to study, if not in the UAE?
• 2 said Canada, 1 said UK, 1 unsure, 1 US or UK
• One has an older brother in Canada, and the family finds it easier and more familiar.
Stated that the diversity of people and quality of education is important in this choice.
The ranking of degrees in Canada are better and higher.

• “The universities in the UK have this four-year option, where your third year is based
on work, and continue your last year in university.”
• “I want to pursue a career in art, and I feel like the UAE is not entirely the place to
study it. But I’m not sure where yet”
• “I want to go to the US or the UK, but at the moment they’re not letting international
students in the US. The percentage is smaller now.”
3. What do you know about AUS?
• “We know by common word, that it is better than the American University of Dubai.”
• “I think they have the most programs, they visited our university fair, and they seem
like they had the most programs for architecture, which we didn’t notice about other
universities and even engineering. They seemed like they had more specialized
programs than the others. Even for English, I think they had language and
literature.”
• “Through word of mouth everyone seems to say it’s the best university in the UAE.”
4. Have you ever visited or thought about visit the campus for a day or to see what it looked
like?
• 5/5 want to visit campus, but never been invited
• “I’ve thought of visiting, but visited the Dubai one”
5. Is it important for you to receive an American degree? Does that whether or not you would
want to study something? Compared to British or other ones.
• “I think it does to the extent that if it has authenticity in other countries when you’re
trying to migrate in the future, especially if you study here and want to move abroad,
but I think the same goes for the British or Canadian degree.”
• “I wanted to ask, you know the university of Middlesex, you know that they are a
branch of the one in the UK, what branch is AUS?”
o A- “There are a set of American Universities in the world, such as AUC,
AUD, AUB,”
6. What is your overall belief of what university if like? When you think about university do
you think about studying or partying? What is the environment of university?
• “Well, I mean from what we have heard it’s not like high school and it’s focused on
what you want to study, but yea most of us have heard about studying.”
• “I think to a certain level of independence that comes with it, because I think you are
trusted to do things. Not just a classroom, but a larger group of students and you are
more driven to study because you are learning what you want to and choosing to
pursue and you have that instilled drive from the beginning.”
• “I think the learning is also more application based, which we don’t really get to
practice at school, so it is like complete different to high school learning.”
o F- “So you feel like high school is basically listening to the teacher talk? And
university is more practical?”
§ “Yeah”
7. Do you all know what kind of major or course you want to study? Do you all have specific
ideas? Or general?
• 2 said no, 1 wants to be doctor, 1 wants to be lawyer and English or literature, 1 wants
to do art and design
• “Since I was young I always wanted to be a doctor, not always a doctor but definitely
the medicine field.”
• “I’ve wanted to do art for a really long time, so I was thinking of being in the field of
design or animation.”

• “I’ve always been passionate about English, so I want to do my undergrad in
literature and the pursue law school after that.”
• “I know I want to go into commerce, or entrepreneurship”
• “I want to go into science, but not medicine, somewhere in between.”
8. Do your parents have any say in what major you study?
• 4 said they do not have a say, 1 has a little bit of say but ultimately it is up to her.
• “My parents are open to what I choose, because at the end of the day I have to be the
one who’s going to be focusing on that.”
• “They heavily hint at what they want, but at the end the decision is up to me.”
9. Does your school help prep you for higher education?
• “No not really, they had a specific kind of guidance”
• “But practically they don’t, like how would we use what we learnt in real life, like
book wise yeah”
• “If you approach certain teachers they go out of their way to help you, but they don’t
have a specific time to talk to you about it, because every student may go ask a
teacher in their own time. We do not have a particular system where they do this.
They have representative of universities come talk to us, from there, but other than
that, not really, we do research on our own.”
o F- “Do you think the representatives are helpful?”
§ “I mean yeah, if we are staying in Dubai, at least the representatives
from those universities make us more aware of what is offered.”
§ “Do they help you apply or leave you to apply by yourself?”
§ “Yeah, they help us apply, by making you sign up to a mailing list, and
keeping emailing you about when to apply and stuff.”
10. Would there be any reason why you may not want to further your education past high
school?
• “To travel maybe. Maybe start again after”
• “Maybe after taking a gap year I would not be able to start again.”
• “Actually, I think it’s a good thing. One of my best friends older brother took it, by
omission because he kind of missed the application deadlines, but they kept a
placement for him and it gave him a lot of time to think- I feel like we are always
rushing now from A-levels, we have to immediately move on and decide things really
quickly because we are choosing our subjects now.”
• “Also if we took a gap year we might be able to get some work experience.”
• “Instead of just always studying or just always doing work, you can get a full year
off.”
• “I think the problem with that may be some companies, because like if you don’t
understand the kind of work they do, it’s like your first two weeks will be you figuring
out what to do, like they give you stupid things and you decide you don’t want to do
this anymore, but like based it on nothing. So I think you need a little bit of higher
knowledge about what these subjects are and stuff like that, and get what the work
will be like. But I feel like there are new fields now that you feel are so recent, that
you think you don’t need the extra knowledge, like social media.”
• F- “But are there any of you who think, you may want to entrepreneurship or create
your own company, rather than go through the university education, like do
something that requires not to have an education past high school?”
o “Maybe if I have to earn some money before I start.”

o “Personally, no I don’t think it’s ever been an idea for me. Even if I wanted
my own business, I would pursue it after education. Maybe do some kind of
training to be more specialized.”
o F- “So you all think it’s useful to go to university?”
§ “Yeah.”
11. Do you know what the degree of Mass Communication entails? Do you know what it is
about?
• 5/5 does not know what Mass Communication is.
• “No, no clue.”
• “Me neither.”
• F- “Well right now, the curriculum is split into three parst, so you would do
advertising, public relations or journalism, but now they are creating a different
program. So basically the market demand now says that they don’t want people to be
able to do either advertising or public relations. They want them to be able to do
both. So they have created Integrated Marketing Communications, so they have
basically put marketing, advertising, and public relations, all into one combined
course and then they have journalism on the side.”
13. So is that something that would be of interest to you? Either IMC or journalism?
• 2/5 said it sounds interesting, 3/5 are uninterested.
• “I mean it sounds interesting.”
• “I have thought about journalism before, but not seriously.”
• “I have not made a decision about journalism because I don’t know what it includes,
or what you’re learning for. What do you learn?”
• F - “So you pick what you kind of want, but you have to take basic courses. So like
you have to take Newswriting, feature writing, which is like long writing, you have to
take broadcast, so writing for broadcast as well as filming, anchoring for broadcast,
and then you can take a bunch of other ones like literary journalism, or take even
more production courses to help behind the scenes if you don’t want to be in front. It
is a variety of both print, online, they are going much more into digital now. So it is
more about infographics, digital storytelling, like how you use the Internet to your
advantage. And also a lot about broadcast, so like how to film, how to edit film.”
• “So what would they remove from journalism to make it IMC? Would they get rid of
certain courses?”
• F - “No, it is a different part.”
• A - “Basically, they are going to make it better. They are going to focus more on the
digital aspect of it. Instead of focusing on newspapers, they are making it more digital
and more social media based, so more about how to create videos and infographics,
rather than just have a written story.”
• F - “I think they have an entire course based on how to be a journalist, fully just using
an iPhone, so how you film things that will be used in the news. So they teach you
how to do that and how to get proper good quality films and edit it. So it is basically
about using phones and new technologies.”
12. So before I explained what IMC is, did you have any idea about what it was? Have you
ever heard of it before?
• 2 heard of it, but all didn’t know what it was or heard much detail about it.
• “I had a very vague idea about it, I didn’t know it was that specialized.”
• “I heard the name, but not really the details.”
14. – Explained in the earlier statement.
15. So would a degree in journalism interest you, after what I explained?

• 4 out of 5 said journalism might be more interested after finding out about digital
journalism.
• “Yeah, digital journalism would be more interesting.”
• “But I feel like there is more competition in that field.”
• F- “I mean before, you would be hired by a news organization like The Times, or the
Washington Post, but today you can a freelance writer, and they contact you they
want something and the pay you for it. So it’s more competitive because you are not
hired by someone specifically.”
16. Moving on to social media habits, what is your preferred social media platform?
• 5/5 said Instagram or Snapchat. But Instagram is preferred.
• “Snapchat is second to Instagram. But specially not Facebook.”
• “We don’t really use twitter.”
17. Which platform would you say you were most influenced by regarding education?
• “YouTube. In a positive way. There are a lot of good videos out there.”
18. How much time on average do you spend on social media?
• All of them spend an average of 5-6 hours a day.
19. What are some of your hobbies and interests?
• 3 enjoy reading, 1 likes singing, 3 like music and art, 2 enjoy sports.
Discussion
Our aim for the focus group was to find out what high school students’ beliefs and
opinions were on higher education, specifically an American education, in the United Arab
Emirates, at the American University of Sharjah. We also aimed to find out what their social
media habits are.
From the focus group we were able to find out that 4 out of 5 do not want to study in the
UAE after completing high school, because they believe international institutions have a
wider variety of majors. When asked where they would prefer to go, if not the UAE, 2 of the
participants said Canada, 1 participant said the United Kingdom, 1 said the UK or the United
States of America, and one stated that she was unsure. However, they all said they do want to
further their education and believe that it is useful. This indicates that these students and
other high schools could be potential students at AUS, if they were to be given more
information about the variety of programs offered at the university.
Furthermore, from the focus group, we were able to find out that the participants had
not heard much about the American University of Sharjah. And if they had heard about it,
they only heard about the College of Architecture, Art and Design and the College of
Engineering. None of them had heard about the College of Arts and Sciences, or more
specifically, about the Mass Communication degree. Moreover, in regards to AUS, 5 out of 5
participants stated that they had not visited the campus, because they had never been invited,
but would like to do so. If high school students were given the chance to come to the campus,
or be invited to an event, they would be able to find out more about AUS, as a whole, and be
given more information about the Mass Communication Department. This is where our
campaign events would benefit the prospective students and the presence of the Mass
Communication Department.
The participants also stated that they believed an American accreditation was
important for international recognition when trying to obtain a job, later in life, but so was a
Canadian or British accreditation.
The focus group responses indicated that the participants already had an idea of what
they wanted to pursue and study at university. In regards to whether their parents had an
influence on what they studied. 4 stated they do not have a say, and one stated that they did

have a say to a certain extent. This indicates that parents should still be one of the target
audiences, but they should not be heavily focused on.
The focus group also helped identify the issue that high school students face when trying to
apply to university, which is receiving the proper guidance and advice. The participants
stated they do not have a guidance at school that tells them how they should apply, or where
they can apply. In regards to universities in the UAE, the participants stated that they had
only heard about them if the representatives had gone to a college fair at their school,
otherwise they did not know much about it. AUS and the Mass Communication department
need to get more involved in college fairs and have a spokesperson go to different high
school in the UAE, to inform them of the different degrees offered and give guidance to
students.
In regards to the Mass Communication major, 5 out of 5 did not know what a Mass
Communication degree entails. In regards to Integrated Marketing Communications, only 2
of the participants hard heard about IMC, but none of them knew what it involved. When told
the definition and what the new Mass Communication program would include, 2 out of 5
stated they may be interested and 3 out of 5 said they were uninterested.
In terms of social media, 5 out of 5 participants stated the platform they use the most
was Instagram, followed by Snapchat. They all stated they do not use Facebook. When asked
about which platform had the most influence in regards to education, they all said YouTube.
The participants said they all spend an average of 5 to 6 hours a day, on social media. This
indicates that prospective students need to be targeted mainly through Instagram and
Snapchat, which is where they are more likely to check for information. The Mass
Communication Department needs to increase their social media presence and become
involved and interactive with high school students by posting regularly, answering questions
and giving them information of the different concentrations, invitation to events and
application deadlines, etc.
Other hobbies that were of interest to them were music, sports, singing, and reading.
This could be used to identify what other interests our target audiences have.
Quantitative
Method
For quantitative research, we decided to use surveys, as they were the most useful
technique for obtaining the information we were looking for based on our research
objectives. We created two different surveys, one aimed towards our primary target audience,
prospective students in currently in high school, and another aimed at our secondary target
audience, which are current students at the American University of Sharjah who might be
interested in a minor in Mass Communication.
The first step was to construct each survey, where we decided on a maximum of 10
questions to ensure a higher response rate. The second step was to finalize and pre-test the
surveys, which was done by asking four students from the university to complete the survey,
without the results being recorded, to guarantee the questions were easy to understand and
did not require any explanation. One student stated there was a major missing in survey 2,
which was changed before they were officially distributed. The goal was to receive 100
responses in each survey. The participants for survey 2 were selected by the researchers as
the survey was originally online, although had a relatively low response rate, therefore we
decided to intercept individuals asking them to complete the survey, therefore the results can
not be considered as generalized considering the participants were not chosen randomly.

Survey 1 – Mass Communication Major at the American University of Sharjah -
Instrument
1. How interested are you in enrolling in an American curriculum?
a. Very Interested
b. Interested
c. I Don’t Know
d. Uninterested
e. Very Uninterested
2. Is an American Accreditation important to you when choosing a degree?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I Don’t Know
3. Do you have a specific idea of the degree you wish to pursue?
a. Yes
b. I Don’t Know
4. Do you know what Mass Communication refers to?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Do you know what Integrated Marketing Communications entails?
a. Yes
b. No
Integrated Marketing Communications is a management concept that is designed to make all
aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations,
and direct marketing work together as a unified force, rather than permitting each to work in
isolation (About.com definition).
6. Knowing the definition of Integrated Marketing Communications, how interested
would you be in a major in it?
a. Very Interested
b. Interested
c. I Don’t Know
d. Uninterested
7. Knowing the definition, can you differentiate between Integrated Marketing
Communications, Public Relations, Advertising, and traditional Marketing?
a. Yes
b. No
8. How interested are you in perusing a degree in journalism?
a. Very Interested
b. Interested
c. I Don’t Know
d. Uninterested
9. What social media do you most commonly use?
a. Instagram
b. Facebook
c. Twitter
d. YouTube

e. Pinterest
f. Snapchat
g. Other
Please specify...
10. What is your gender?
a. Female
b. Male
Results
A survey was conducted among 100 high school students. The survey was sent
around through different social media networks, to different high school students to find out
their higher educational interests and social media habits.
First the survey asked how interested the participants would be in enrolling in an
American curriculum.
The answers were:
o 22.22% were very interested
o 27.27% were interested
o 15.15% were unsure
o 23.23% were uninterested
o 12.12% were very uninterested
Interest Weight Number per
category
Weight * number
Very Interested 5 22 110
Interested 4 27 108
I Don’t Know 3 15 45
Uninterested 2 23 46
Very Uninterested 1 12 12
Total = 99* Total = 321
*1 participant skipped the question; therefore, the total number of answers is 99 not of 100.
In total, 49.49% were interested in pursuing a degree in an American curriculum.
The mean of the results was 3.24, indicating that most people were unsure if they were
interested in enrolling in an American curriculum.

The next question asked participants if an American accreditation was important when
choosing a degree.
The results stated that:
• 35% believe it is important
• 35% believe it is not important
• 30% were unsure if it is important to them
•
The participants were then asked if they had a specific idea of the degree they wish to pursue.
The responses demonstrated that:
• 72.73% know what they wish to pursue
• 27.27% do not know what they wish to pursue
After finding out the participant’s general higher educational interests, we asked them more
specific questions relating to the new department. We asked them if they knew what Mass
Communication refers to.

The results showed that:
• 55% know what Mass Communication refers to
• 45% do not know what Mass Communication refers to
We then asked the participants if they knew what Integrated Marketing Communications
entails,
the responses indicated that:
• 18% know what Integrated Marketing Communications entails
• 82% do not know what Integrated Marketing Communications entails
The participants were then given the definition of Integrated Marketing Communications and
asked if knowing the definition, the participants would be interested in majoring in it.

The results were:
• 6.06% would be very interested in majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications
• 30.30% would be interested in majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications
• 22.22% were unsure
• 27.27% were uninterested in majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications
• 14.14% were very uninterested in majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications
category
Weight * number
Interested 4 30 120
Total = 99* Total = 284
*1 participant skipped the question; therefore, the total number of answers is 99 not of 100.
In total, 36.6% were interested in majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications.
Therefore, the overall mean of the result was 2.86, indicating that most of the participants
were uninterested in majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications.
The participants were then asked if after knowing the definition of Integrated Marketing
Communications, they would be able to differentiate between IMC, Public Relations,
Advertising, and traditional Marketing.
The results demonstrated that:
• 46% are able to differentiate between the different concentrations.
• 54% are not able to differentiate between the different concentrations.

The survey then moved on to ask the participants how interested they would be in pursuing a
degree in journalism.
The results indicated that:
• 4% were very interested in pursuing a degree in journalism
• 23% were very interested in pursuing a degree in journalism
• 18% were unsure if they were interested in pursuing a degree in journalism
• 32% were uninterested in pursuing a degree in journalism
• 23% were very uninterested in pursuing a degree in journalism
Overall, 27% would be very interested in pursuing a degree in journalism.
The overall mean of the results was 3.13, which indicates that most people did not know if
they were interested in pursuing a degree in journalism.
Moreover, the survey also asked the participants about their media habits. The participants
were asked which social media platforms they most commonly use.
category
Weight * number
Interested 4 23 92
Total = 100 Total = 313

• 45% use Instagram the most
• 35% use Snapchat the most
• 7% use Facebook the most
• 6% use YouTube the most
• 4% use other social medias, mainly WhatsApp and Reddit
• 2% use Pinterest the most
• 1% use Twitter the most
From the 100 participants,
• 41% were male
• 59% were female
Discussion
The aim of this survey was to focus on getting results strictly from high school
students who are still choosing a degree to pursue at university. We found that approximately
half of the participants were interested or very interested in an American education, whereas
the other half said they were not interested or they did not know if it was important to them.
This could be due to the large range of cultures within the United Arab Emirates, who may
want to go back to their home country to study, or they may want to go to other curriculums,
such as the British or the Canadian, which we found were the top options during our focus
group. Another reason for this could be due to the curriculum of the high school the
participants are attending, because if they are in the British system they may want to continue
it in a British university.
Further, we found that the majority of the participants had an idea of what degree they
wish to pursue, which would make more challenging to convince them to study Mass
Communication. A reason for this could be because their parents want them to study a certain
degree, whereas another reason could be because they have known for a long time the kind of
career the wish to pursue.
We also found that the number of participants who knew what Mass Communication
entails was relatively even, with 55 knowing and 45 not knowing. This means the campaign
needs to focus on getting information out to high school students, the target audience, about
what they degree involves, how it is following the current market trends, and what the
possible careers opportunities there are. Additionally, we found the majority of the
participants, 82%, did not know what Integrated Marketing Communications referred to, as
well as they could not tell the difference between Integrated Marketing Communications,

Advertising, Public Relations, and traditional Marketing, therefore the campaign also needs
to focus on clearly differentiating between the different fields and emphasize the importance
of Integrated Marketing Communications skills in the workplace.
Further, after learning the definition of Integrated Marketing Communications,
36.37% were interested in this concentration. To attract more audiences, throughout the
campaign, we need to also emphasize the importance of it, as well as show the possible
career and job opportunities available after.
Moreover, 23% of the participants said they were interested in a Journalism
concentration. This could be because of the lack of knowledge surrounding the degree, as we
found out during the focus group that none of the participants knew what a degree in
Journalism entailed and what aspects the degree focused on, i.e. traditional vs. digital
formats. Therefore, during the campaign, we also need to focus on specifying what this
concentration entails, as well as how it is important for the future of journalism.
Lastly, we found that the majority of the participants, 80%, use either Instagram or
Snapchat, and therefore those should be the social media platforms that are focused on
throughout the campaign to reach prospective students, our primary target audience.
Survey 2 – Mass Communication Minors at the American University of Sharjah
– Instrument
1. What is your current academic standing?
a. Freshman
b. Sophomore
c. Junior
d. Senior
2. What is your current major?
a. Architecture
b. English Literature and Language
c. International Studies
d. Mass Communication
e. Interior Design
f. Biology
g. Accounting
h. Economics
i. Finance
j. Management Information Systems
k. Marketing
l. Mathematics
m. Chemical Engineering
n. Chemistry
o. Civil Engineering
p. Computer Engineering
q. Computer Science
r. Design Management
s. Electrical Engineering
t. Environmental Sciences
u. Industrial Engineering
v. Mathematics
w. Mechanical Engineering
x. Multimedia Design
y. Visual Communication

3. Are you currently studying a minor?
a. Yes
b. No
4. If no, would you be interested in studying a minor?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I Don’t Know
d. Not Applicable
5. How interested are you in in a Mass Communication minor?
a. Very Interested
b. Interested
c. I Don’t Know
d. Uninterested
6. Which Mass Communication area would you be more interested in minoring in?
a. Integrated Marketing Communications
b. Journalism
7. Would a minor in Integrated Marketing Communications benefit your current
major?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I Don’t Know
8. Would a minor in Journalism benefit your current major?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I Don’t Know
9. What is your gender?
a. Female
b. Male
Results
A survey was conducted among a 100 students of the American University of Sharjah to
find out their interest in minoring in one of the two Mass Communication concentrations,
Integrated Marketing Communications and Journalism.
The students who took the survey were of different academic standings:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

• 17% Freshman
• 23% Sophomores
• 37% Juniors
• 23% Seniors
From the 100 participants:
• 28% are currently studying a minor
• 72% are not currently studying a minor
However, when the people who are not studying a minor were asked if they would be
interested in pursuing one, the results indicated that:
• 53% would be interested in studying a minor
• 22% said it was not applicable
• 17% said they were unsure
• 8% would not be interested in studying a minor

The participants were then asked how interested they would be in pursuing a minor in Mass
Communication specifically.
The results to that were:
• 12% were very interested
• 24% were interested
• 30% were unsure
• 27% were uninterested
• 7% were very uninterested
Thirty-six percent of the participants were interested in pursuing a minor in Mass
Communication.
The overall mean was 3.07, indicating that most people are unsure whether they have an
interest in studying a Mass Communication minor.
The participants were then asked, out of the two Mass Communication concentrations,
Integrated Marketing Communications and Journalism, which one they would be most
interested in pursuing, if they would decide to enrol in a Mass Communication minor.
category
Weight * number
Interested 4 24 96
Very uninterested 1 7 7
Total = 100 Total = 307

• 53% would choose IMC
• 44% would choose Journalism
The survey then asked how beneficial a minor in either concentration would benefit their
current major.
For Integrated Marketing Communications:
• 40% said it would benefit their major
• 32% said it would not benefit their major
• 28% said they were unsure if it would benefit their major
For Journalism:
• 46% said it would not benefit their major
• 31% were unsure if it would benefit their major
• 23% said it would benefit their major

From the 100 participants:
• 64% were female
• 36% were male
Discussion
Our aim was to focus on getting results from sophomore and junior students as those
are the most likely to commit to, or want to do, a minor, considering freshmen may not be
completely aware of the system yet and seniors are graduating and are either already
committed to a minor or do not have time to complete one. The results show that the majority
are sophomore and juniors.
The results also show the majority of respondents are not minoring, as well as the
majority want to minor. However, the results show that the majority are unsure or not
interested in studying a minor in Mass Communication. This could be due to the lack of
interest in the program or the minor not benefiting their major. For example a minor in Mass
Communication may not benefit an Engineering students, although it may be of more interest
to Business and English students. However, it could also indicate students are not aware of
what the minor entails and how it may benefit their major despite what it is. The statistics
also shows the majority would prefer to minor in Integrated Marketing Communications,
however, Journalism was not far behind, despite the majority of respondents stating neither
minor would be beneficial for their major. However, more view Integrated Marketing
Communications as beneficial to their current major in comparison to Journalism.
Campaign Goals/Objectives
Informational objectives
Informational objectives are intended to determine what our organization wants
members of the audience to know as the result of the campaign.
The main informational objective is to ensure our target audience is aware of the revised
Mass Communication program introduced by the American University of Sharjah, which
intends to cater for both traditional and digital communication. The audience will be aware
that the Integrated Marketing Communications track of the degree is uncommon outside of
the United States and is the only one available within the United Arab Emirates, in a
university that follows an American curriculum and has an American accreditation. At the
end of the campaign:
• 50% of high school students attending schools within the United Arab Emirates will
be aware of the program, by Fall 2018.

• 20% of high school students attending schools in the MENA region will be aware of
the program, by Fall 2018.
Motivational objectives
Motivational Objectives are what our organizations wants our target audience members to
do, as a result of receiving our campaign message.
Our motivational objectives are targeted at perspective students. We aim to receive an
increase in students enrolling in the new Mass Communication Department by Fall 2018. We
are also aiming to target parents of perspective students, as the culture in the United Arab
Emirates towards education, heavily relies on the opinion and approval of parents.
• At least 20 new students enroll in the new Integrated Marketing Communications
program by Fall 2018.
• At least 8 new students enroll in the revised Journalism program by Fall 2018
Process objectives
Process objectives refer to the number of press releases disturbed, number of employee
orientation meetings conducted, or the number of public events organized.
Our process objectives are targeted towards perspective students, their parents, students at
AUS looking to pursue a minor in the new concentrations, and Mass Communication
Department faculty, as well as the media.
Our campaign will aim to distribute the information about the new department, and future
events, such as the Summer Workshop for high school students, and the public event
‘Communication Through Time’ by:
• Distributing 3 press releases, over the span of 3 months.
• Conducting 2 employee meetings to ensure faculty are well informed of the revised
curriculum ahead of the commencement of the Fall 2018 semester.
• Hosting 2 public events over the coming three months, prior to the introduction of the
Fall 2018 semester.
o One event is targeted at high school students by offering summer workshops,
over a weeklong period, introducing the basic skills required for a degree in
Mass Communication. The event is expected to draw in 10 attendees each day.
o The other event is targeted at prospective students, parents, and the media,
which will entail an exhibition showcasing how communication has developed
through time, as well as hosting guest speakers who are experts in the field of
communication. The event is expected to draw in 40 attendees and one media
outlet.
Outcome Objectives
Outcome Objectives describe the desired results of a campaign. These include an increase
in student enrolment in the Mass Communication Department and an increase in name
recognition of the American University of Sharjah in the communications field.
• At least 20 new students enroll in the new Integrated Marketing Communications
program by Fall 2018.
• At least 8 new students enroll in the revised Journalism program by Fall 2018
• A 10% increase in notable media mentions around the United Arab Emirates, over the
next year, to measure the success of the department after re-launching.

Messages and Themes
Themes
Themes are the overarching ideas that apply to both the primary and secondary
audiences. Our themes will be consistent throughout all of our campaign and throughout the
communications we use. Our main goal is to develop these themes throughout our campaign,
which include:
• Get the Experience, Not Just a Degree
• Building Minds, Building Futures.
• Even in the Differences, See the Unity
Messages
As a result of the campaign, we want our audience to know that through the revised
Mass Communication curriculum, students will be offered quality education and experience,
adequate for the work industry and the market demands. Further, the American University of
Sharjah offers an American education in the Middle East. The Mass Communication
Department will focus on enhancing minds for the digital future. Lastly, we want our students
to be able to showcase their uniqueness while remaining a part of a close-nit community of
the Mass Communication Department.
Strategies and Channels of Communication
In all of our tactics, we will ensure to have a clear definition and explanation of Mass
Communication, Integrated Marketing Communications, and Journalism, including what they
entail, as the primary research indicates that the majority of our primary audience do not
know the definitions and cannot clearly define the difference between IMC, advertising,
public relations and traditional marketing.
Traditional Media Channels
In media channels, our strategy will be to prioritize the podcast and the newspaper
releases. The podcast will be useful among prospective students who can see it on the various
platforms and share it further. The newspaper releases will be useful among parents of
prospective students. The traditional media channels we will be using throughout our
campaign are:
• Newspapers
• Podcast
• Radio Interviews
• Press Releases
• Tip Sheets
Non-Media Channels
In non-media channels, our strategy will be to prioritize events, speeches, conventions
and trade shows as these will be the most beneficial for reaching our target audiences
throughout the campaign. The non-media channels we will be using during our campaign are:
• Events
• Information Racks and Bulletin Boards
• Specialty Items/SWAG
• Conventions and Trade Shows
• Product Sampling and Giveaways

• Guerilla Marketing
• Information Booths
• Speeches
• Miscellaneous Items
Interactive Media Channels
In interactive media channels, our strategy will be to prioritize the social media platforms our
target audience uses, as well as a blog and a Mass Communication website to ease how our
target audience gathers and accesses information. The interactive media channels we will be
using throughout our campaign are:
• Social media
o Instagram
o Snapchat
o YouTube
o Facebook
o Twitter
• Email
• Blogs
• Website

Traditional Media Channels
Newspapers
Newspapers will be one of the media channels used; they will be combined with press
releases and pitch emails, to invite journalists to cover events, like the summer workshops
and the Communication Through Time event. Media coverage will be useful to create
awareness among wider audiences, as well as our target audiences, as it is read and viewed
by all audiences. It will spread the word about the new Mass Communication Department,
and create interest in finding out about future events. The newspapers we will target will be
Gulf News, as they have written about the American University of Sharjah previously, with
articles such as “AUS Launches Drone Academy on Campus” and “AUS Celebrates 20 Years
of Excellence” by Mary Achkhanian. Similarly, Gulf News has written about a new
university opening in Dubai, “University of Birmingham Opens Dubai Campus”, which
indicates the readers of Gulf News have an interest in education and universities in the UAE,
which will be useful the promotion of the campaign. Gulf News is also ideal to target
audiences around the region, as it is the most popular newspaper in the Middle East.
Furthermore, The National would also be another newspaper we would aim to interest in
the events, as they have previously written about AUS as well, in stories such as “Our
Students Can Compete with Anyone, Says American University of Sharjah’s New Provost.”
This indicates AUS is already a recognized institution among the readers and writers of The
National, which suggests they already have an interest. Furthermore, to target prospective
students internationally, the campaign can target news agencies like The Times of India,
which has an entire section on education news around the world. The Times of Oman, which
includes a section on technology and lifestyle, which can be targeted to the target audience of
Oman. Furthermore, The Jordan Times could also be targeted as they cover news on the
world and the region, which include education stories.
Podcast
A podcast will be recorded to target prospective students, as the popularity of podcasts
has increased among the age group we are targeting, 18-2429
, as shown by Edison Research.
A podcast will be combined with other interactive channels that are popular among our
target audience, such as the social media, blog and website, through a link, and will have the
option to be shared further. The podcast will include interviews with two professors of the
Mass Communication Department, at the American University of Sharjah, who are experts in
29
Jay Baer, The 11 Critical Podcast Statistics of 2017, Convince and Convert, 2017.

the two concentrations, Integrated Marketing Communications and Journalism. It does not
require a budget, as it is recorded in the university itself and will be published on the new
Mass Communication Department website, as well as the AUS website. The release of the
podcast will be by May 20th
, which is when students are researching university information
before application deadlines.
Radio Interviews
Radio interviews will be one of the media channels we will use; one reason is because there
is a low budget for the campaign. The radio talk shows we will use are the Kris Fade show on
Virgin Radio because our primary audience, prospective students, listen to the show in the
morning while going to school. As stated by the Emirates Group, Virgin Radio listeners are
“energetic and savvy 15-34 year olds with their fingers on the pulse and on their smart phone
keypad. Defined by the technology they use.30
”
Secondly, we will also use the Business Breakfast on 103.8 because it is more
targeted towards our other primary audience, parents. “We have a lot of people tell us that
when they are driving their kids to school they listen to Virgin or Dubai 92, and the minute
they drop them off, they tune in to our station,” says Vasti Kahn, the show’s producer. Which
means our target audiences will be hearing about the new programs at all times, which will
increase their awareness of AUS and specifically the Mass Communication Department. Due
to the short length of our campaign, as high school students are making university decisions
now, there is limited time to complete a short amount of radio interviews.
Radio Public Service Announcements
Radio public service announcement will be used to raise awareness of the new Mass
Communication Department and change the public’s attitude and behaviour, towards
enrolling in the new program, as well as releasing announcements about upcoming events.
The announcement will be sent to the radio station 104.4, which is Virgin Radio, as it is the
same station that plays the Kris Fade Show, and it is the most popular one among our target
audience, as it plays the music that is currently in trend. It will also be sent to the station on
103.8, which is the Dubai Eye. They play shows such as, The Agenda, Dubai Today, and
Drive Live. These shows are played consistently throughout the day, and they offer a wide
range of shows to target different niche audiences, such as working parents or stay at home
parents.
The announcements, which will be featured, will include information about changes
in the department and why students should study Integrated Marketing Communications and
Journalism, in 30-second time slots.
Further, announcements about events will also be released, by informing the listeners
of why they should attend and how it will be beneficial to them, in the 20-second time slots.
An example of an event PSA we will release, is:
30
Virgin Radio Dubai 104.4 FM, Empire Group, n.d.

Fade in 1 second
VO Don’t miss the American University of Sharjah’s upcoming
Summer Workshops for high school students. Starting June
17 to June 21! These workshops will teach you a variety of
Mass Communication skills. These include social media,
adobe programs and studio work, among many more! All
for FREE! Visit A-U-S-M-C-M dot E-D-U for more
information and to sign up now!
18 seconds
Fade out 1 second
Press Releases
Press releases will be created and sent to different news organizations, as a story idea to
send to journalists, who may be interested in writing about it, especially ones that have
already written stories about AUS or other universities. There will be three press releases
sent; all three will help create awareness regarding the new program. The first release will be
for consumer information, which will include a summary of the new Mass Communication
program, that will explain what the new program is about and when it will begin. The second
press release will be for an upcoming event, which will be hosted on campus during the
summer: Summer Workshops. This press release will formally invite prospective students to
apply for the summer workshops where they will learn valuable skills that will prepare them
for a major in Mass Communication. The third release will also be regarding an upcoming
event, titled “Communication Through Time,” which will be an open event hosted on campus
for any of the Mass Communication Department’s public, including customers, employees,
and the media. All of the press releases will be released by the end of May, so students have
time to find out more and apply before the application deadlines, and the attendees of the
events can know more about the event ahead of time.
These press releases will be combined with other tactics, such as the website, which will
be linked at the bottom of the press releases, as well as social media, as they will also be
published on the department’s social media platforms.
Tip Sheets
Tip sheets are a one-paragraph summary of a various story ideas combined that will be
sent to local media contacts in hopes of catching the interest of a journalist who may want
more information so they can write a story about the topic. The tip sheets will be emailed to
various local publications and journalists, who may have an interest in these type of stories,
with a linked at the end of each story that sends them to the press release published in the
newsroom on the Mass Communication website. This tactic will be beneficial because, if
written well, it creates genuine interest in the topic and avoids journalists getting cluttered
with long press releases they do not want to read, and rather allows the journalist to be in
control of researching or contacting to gather more information.
Tip sheets will be combined with other tactics, including press releases, which will be
linked at the end of each story, as well as the website, which is where the journalist would be
sent after clicking the link.
Non-Media Channels
Events
Events have proven to be beneficial if they are completed successfully. Events will allow
for more face-to-face communication about the new Mass Communication Department and
the new programs, and allows for the target audience to be involved. For this campaign we
will host two different types of events, as well as join college conventions and exhibitions.

Public Relations Campaigns - Integrated Marketing Communication Degree

Public Relations Campaigns - Integrated Marketing Communication Degree

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