PublicRelationsPlanby:HayleyTorswickPublicRelationsPlanfor:AlphaEpsilonPhiSororityForthePeriodof:September1,2015throughDecember10,2015Introduction:FormyresearchprocessItookadvantageofbeingamemberofthissororitytobeabletohaveaninsideviewofhowthesororityworksandwhatneedswemayhave.BeingsuchasmallpercentageofthecampusitishardformanyindividualstounderstandhowGreeklifeworksforthosewhoarenotinvolved.Havingtheinsidescoopofthiskindoforganizationallowsmetobetterunderstandtheneedsandwantsofasorority.FormyresearchprocessIusedtheinformationIfoundatourweeklyexecutiveboardmeetingforprimarysourcesaswellasoneononeconversationthatIhadwithourpresidentandotherexecutiveboardmembersforresearch.AsfarasoneononeconversationIfoundoutwhatwasexpectedofthechapterasfarascommunityserviceandphilanthropicwork.Fromtalkingwiththeotherexecutiveboardmemberstheyexpressedtheirdesiretohaveaverysuccessfulphilanthropiceventbecauselastsemestertheyhadnotbeenassuccessfulaspreviousyears.PastVicePresidentofPhilanthropy,EmilyDemirjian,statedinherinterviewthatItisimportanttostartearlyinthesemesterwhenplanningandadvertisingforourphilanthropicevents.Sheexplainedtomethestrugglesthatshewentthroughplanningthingslastminutebecauseofthebusyscheduleofthesororitycalendar.Inadditioninaninterviewwiththepresident,JessDiLello,itwasexpressedthattheywantedtoboosttheirparticipationwithintheNewPaltzcommunityandtheSUNYNewPaltzcampus.

Inordertogainabroaderviewoutsideofthesorority,IsearchedtheInternetfordocumentsandinformationwrittenaboutmysororityaswellassimilarorganizations.ThroughthisresearchIwasabletofindotherwaysthatthesororitiesraisedmoneythroughanMTVfundraisingwebsiteaswellaspastamountsthattheyhadraised.ThroughsecondaryresearchIfoundseveralannouncementsontheSharsheretphilanthropywebsiteannouncingpasteventsthatthesororityhasheldwhichallowedforincreasedawarenessforallofthosewhohavevisitedthewebsiteorotherchaptersofAlphaEpsilonPhiinnearbyareastoknowthiseventwashappening.InadditionalthoughIcouldntfindaspecificarticlewherethissororitywasfeaturedingeneralfortheirphilanthropywork,Ididcomeacrossanarticlethatfeaturedanotherchapterseventsandexplainedallthecommunityservicethatthesororitytookpartin.Inthisarticletheupcomingeventsofeachsororitywerefeaturedaswellasdetailsabouttheirevents.AnarticlelikethisforAlphaEpsilonPhiwouldallowthecommunitytoknowabouttheeventbeforeithappenedsothatattendancecouldincreasebyallwhoviewedthatwebsite.Suchpositiveexposureisanimportantaspectofgettingtheirnameoutthereandgettingmoreattendancefortheirevents.InadditionIfoundanarticleonHappyHudsonValleyswebsitewherethesororitywasfeaturedfordoingcommunityserviceattheTasteofNewPaltz.Thisexposurehelpscontributetothepositiveopinionsinothersthroughshowcasingthephilanthropicsideofbeinginasororityandhighlightsallthegoodworkthatsororitiesdofortheircommunityandphilanthropies.Ifasimilararticle

couldbewrittenaboutthesororityforitsmainphilanthropyeventitcouldreceivealotofpositiverecognition.SWOTAnalysis:Strengths:Strengthsforthisorganizationisthattheyhaveanestablishedeventthathasbeenoccurringannually.Theyhavepeoplewholookforwardtothiseventwithintheirownchapterandthecommunity.Theyhavebeenraisingmoneyforyearsandcontinuallyincreasingtheamountthattheyraiseduetomoreparticipation.Weaknesses:Weaknessescanbethatthereisntasmuchstudentinvolvementthattheorgwouldlike.Youarenotallowedtoflyeroncampusforanoffcampusevent.Opportunities:Opportunitiesincludethepossibleinvolvementofchapteralumnae.Alumnaearerealpeoplewhohaverealjobsandmakealivingsotheyarecapableofdonatingorevencomingtotheeventitself.Wecouldalsotakeadvantageofthetownaroundusandtheeventsthatareheldpriortotheirmainphilanthropicevent(suchasflyeringortabelingatthelocallibraryfairwhichistheweekendbeforetheirTacosforTatasevent).Thereisapossibilityofhavingasmallereventbeforethemaineventoncampussothattheycantellstudentsoncampuswhentheeventis.Threats:Anotherorgcouldhaveaneventthesameday.Theschoolcouldnotapprovetheeventoncampus.NeedsoftheOrganization:Aneedoftheorganizationistohavemoreinvolvementsothattheycanraiseasmuchmoneyaspossiblefortheirphilanthropy.Theyneedtheinvolvementofthestudentcommunity,theNewPaltzcommunityandtheiralumnaeconnections.Basedontheprimaryandsecondaryresearchthereneedstobeanimprovementintheinvolvementandattendanceoftheirevents.Asforstudentstherearenocurrentstudentnewspapersoronlineblogswritingaboutthischapterandkeepingthestudentsupdated.AlthoughthesororityislisedundertheUniversitywebsiteasarecognizedsororityoncampusnoadditionalinformationabouteventsareprovided

forotherstudents.Greeklife,beingsuchasmallportionofthiscampus,isoftenoverlookedbythosewhoarentinvolved.ThemajorityofthestudentpopulationisoftenoverlookedatpossibleattendeesofeventsandtheyrelyonfellowGreekorganizationstoattendtheirevents.IftherewerearticleswrittenaboutAlphaEpsilonPhiontheSUNYNewPaltzcampusbeforetheirmainphilanthropyeventssimilartothearticlewrittenontheColoradoStateUniversityswebsitestudentswhoviewtheschoolswebsitewouldbeabletoseewhenupcomingeventsare. Inadditionalumnaeofthesororityneedtobeinvolvedintheseevents.Alumnaeofthesororityaremostoftenadultswhohaveestablishedcareersandfamilieswhowouldbemorethanwillingtohelptheirfellowsistersoutespeciallyifitsforagoodcause.Thehundredsofalumnaeareagoodsourceofsupportthatiscurrentlyunderutilizedbythesorority.Asforthecommunitythesororityneedstotakeadvantageofalreadyexistingcommunityeventsthattheycouldgetthewordabouttheireventsouttothepublic.AlthoughsomecommunitymembersmaybeskepticalandhelpingasororitybecauseofnegativeconnotationstowardsGreeklife,showingthegoodthatasororitycandoforacommunitycanhelpstrengthenties.GoalsofthePublicRelationsCampaigns:Thegoalofthepublicrelationscampaignistocreateawarenessoftheeventsthatthesororityhasforitsphilanthropyandcommunityservicecausesbothoncampusandwithinthemselvestomakeeveryoneexcitedaboutphilanthropicwork.IwouldliketousethedifferentelementsofthecampaigntotargetthestudentsandcommunityinNewPaltztogettheirinvolvementfornotjusttheTacos

forTataseventbutalsoforothereventsthatmightbeheldtobenefitthesororityingeneral.ForthisplanIhopetocreatemorecommunityinvolvementbytakingadvantageoffairsandfarmersmarketsheldweeklyinthetownofNewPaltz.Ihopetogetmoreexposureforthesororitybyexpandingtheirpostingsonsocialmediaandthedifferentgroupsofpeoplethatthemessagesreach.InadditionIhopetocreateaconstantconnectionwiththealumnaetogaintheirsupportandanynetworkingadvantagesthattheymayhavetooffer.