Tennessee Ornithological Society Proposal

Executive Summary

Introduction S.E.A.K. PR is a public relations group committed to helping the Tennessee Ornithological Society expand awareness of feral cats and encourage solutions to help reduce the feral cat population to help preserve Knoxville’s natural habitat. The Knoxville Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society has heightened concerns over the well-being of Knoxville’s natural animal population. The feral cat population in Knoxville has reached new levels due to the public’s misconception of the well-being of feral cats, continuance abandonment of household cats and animal shelters’ roles in controlling the population. Problem Statement The Knoxville Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society is concerned about the unintended impact feral cat colonies have on fragile bird populations in Knoxville, an issue S.E.A.K. PR seeks to solve with an increase in public awareness. Goals

1. An informed community with an understanding of the dangers posed to feral cats.

2. Heightened awareness of the benefits of Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) and empowered local volunteers properly executing the program.

3. Increased awareness and acceptance of the need for euthanizing of sick and injured feral cats.

Objectives: 1. To increase public awareness of feral cats by 10% in twelve months. 2. To increase support for TNR and euthanization by 15% in twelve months.

Strategies: 1. Develop an online and offline presence that will help increase awareness of our

objectives. 2. Increase support and utilization of the TNR program through community

outreach. 3. Implement “Feral Cat February” as a campaign to utilize an entire month of

raising awareness and community engagement. 4. Host community awareness events to fulfill multiple needs like awareness,

engagement and donation.

Timeframe S.E.A.K. PR recommends a 12-month campaign, launching in Q1 of 2018, to allow enough time to educate the community on feral cats, reverse preconceived notions about feral cats and raise awareness of solutions to reducing their population. Conclusion S.E.A.K. PR is seeking to help the Tennessee Ornithological Association protect Knoxville’s natural wildlife. Our goal is to raise awareness of both feral cats and the solution to help reduce their population. We will achieve this goal by conducting primary research, properly educating the public and launching campaigns to encourage population reduction.

Meet the team

Alexandria Dodson is a passionate social media intern who goes the extra mile for everyone she works for. She studies Public Relations at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. During her senior year she has interned with the university in the media relations creative services department as well as the college of Advertising and Public Relations at the university as the social media strategist intern. Her summer was spent as the public relations intern at the Andrews Agency in Nashville, Tennessee. She gained valuable

leadership experience while being a mentor in the student run organization, Vol Mentors. Through her dedication to improving her social media skills she created and managed accounts for the mentor program. Alexandria is motivated to delivering outstanding expertise to every client.

Erin Wrape is a passionate and hard-working communicator who currently works at Quarry Trail Apartments doing sales, marketing and administrative work for the community. As a senior at the University of Tennessee studying public relations she has gained valuable knowledge as to how to make a message meaningful to those who need to hear it most. She has further developed her communication skills while serving as a middle school small group leader at Two Rivers Church for two and a half years. Once she graduates in

December of 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in communications, she plans one working in the communications field somewhere in the southeast. Whether it is in the classroom, in the professional world, or volunteering her time, Erin understands communication is key to success. Erin seeks to find this success in everything she does.

Meet the team

Kaily Groover is an Account Coordinator at Fletcher Marketing PR. While earning her B.S. in Communication and Information for Public Relations, Kaily has interned at five organizations. These include experience in the sports, tourism, fashion, nonprofit and tourism industries. Kaily also worked internationally in Sydney, Australia, while studying intercultural communication. Her strengths include project management, social media content creation, campaign creation and strategic communication. She also has a Social Marketing

Certification. She enjoys working with nonprofit clients because of the meaningfulness of work and the opportunity for creative engagement. Kaily is meticulous of details and produces quality work, ensuring she takes the client’s needs into consideration while executing campaigns to the best of her ability.

Susan Jones is the Marketing Specialist at Management Solutions, LLC in Knoxville, TN. A senior at the University of Tennessee, she is pursuing a dual degree in Public Relations and Psychology. With nearly seven years of experience in Adobe Creative Suites and Sketchbook, she specializes in graphic arts and visual communications. Susan also has extensive experience in social media marketing, message strategy, and event planning and execution. She serves as the social media marketing coordinator for Edamar, Inc. and Lavender Real Estate Team. With experience in

educational, recreational, government, healthcare, and commercial initiatives, Susan has a wide range of marketing experience. She is extraordinarily skilled in balancing multiple efforts and professionally executing projects in teams or independently. Additionally, Susan Jones has a background in and passion for charitable work. She has assisted in the planning and execution of various philanthropic events including a Triathlon benefitting visually impaired youth.

Table of Contents

Situational Analysis 1

Client Profile 2-3

SWOT 3

Audience Analysis 4-5

Citations 6

Strategies & Tactics 7-11

Timeline 12

Budget 13

Evaluation 14

Conclusion 15

Situational Analysis

External Environment Veterinary Offices While there are TNR programs in place in the Knoxville community, there is not a high level of involvement from local veterinary offices. Upon researching different veterinary offices in the Knoxville area, none of the Knoxville offices had their own TNR programs in place. What was even more surprising was that few mentioned the feral cat issue anywhere on their website. When searching what programs were in place, almost all of the results came from non-profit organizations such as The Humane Society. The one exception to this rule was the University of Tennessee’s veterinary hospital. The hospital has one brochure (pictured below) discussing the definition of feral cats and their lives. It also explains what TNR is and how the humane traps are used in the TNR programs. There are also suggestions on the different ways to get involved in the effort to control the feral cat population. These volunteer opportunities pointed to programs outside of the university’s veterinary hospital. None of these programs were sponsored through the university.

In recent months, the Knoxville Tennessee Ornithological Society (KTOS) has been concerned with the potential development in Knox County animal shelters to reduce the overpopulation of shelters by establishing feral cat colonies. 1

Feral Cat Organizations Approximately one in nine U.S. cats and dogs are owned. Around 73 million cats in the U.S. are feral or unowned (Feral Feline Friends, 2010.) According to Teresa Fisher of the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine, there are more than 400 feral cat colonies in Knox County, but it is possible there are many more (Miller, J. 2014.) A cat colony can consist of anywhere between two and 200 cats. These colonies are in unsuspecting areas, gathered in a location where food is accessible, which is why most are gone unseen by average citizens (Brochure.pdf n.d.) The Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee is the most prominent volunteer organization in the area dedicated to the care of feral cats. This 501c(3) nonprofit, founded in 2004, solely focuses on the practices of TNR (Feral Feline Friends, 2010.) Its mission is to not only protect the welfare of cats, but to promote the humane treatment and well-being of these animals as well. This year it has trapped, neutered, and released over 1,200 cats and kittens in the area thus far (Tannhauser, 2014.) Along with treating the animals with the appropriate neutering and shots, this organization also manages ongoing care of these colonies and cats. The Feral Feline Friends insist that TRN is the most cost efficient and sympathetic approach to helping feral cats. It states that TNR costs $50 per cat and euthanization costs $100 per cat. They urge individuals to buy or borrow traps from local shelters such as Young Williams, the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley, People Promoting Animal Welfare, and Planned Parenthood, to bring in to be treated. When these cats are left un-neutered, they produce thousands of more offspring. As a result, kittens are found and taken to animal shelters, resulting in overpopulation of the shelters. This organization also offers the tame cats for adoption and attends adoption fairs at the Knoxville PetSmart every Saturday (Feral Feline Friends, 2010.) Client Profile KTOS Background The Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society (KTOS) stretches back to the early 20th century. During this time, those who were interested in birds and wildlife were involved in the East Tennessee Audubon Society (ETAS). This organization was part of a major educational “Bird Court” at the National Conservation Exposition in Knoxville in 1913.

2

In 1924 bird lovers branched off of ETAS, focusing primarily on this aspect of wildlife and becoming the East Tennessee Ornithological Society (ETOS). Twenty years later, ETOS became the formal chapter of the Knoxville Tennessee Ornithological Society (KTOS) in 1942. The KTOS promotes the enjoyment, scientific study and conservation efforts of birds in the East Tennessee region. There are meetings on the first Wednesday of the month at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Members share bird sightings and enjoy hearing various speakers on important bird findings. Every spring, fall, and Christmas, KTOS participates in Bird Counts and environmental projects like the Sharp’s Ridge clean-up. In recent months, the KTOS has been concerned with animal shelter’s developments of feral cat colonies. Members are hesitant due to the unintended impact these cat colonies could have on the fragile wild bird populations in East Tennessee. Feral cats are a non-native, invasive species. The KTOS believes that the predatory behavior of feral cats will have a negative impact on the native wildlife bird species as well as others native species in the area. SWOT Analysis

Figure 1

3

Audience Analysis Results S.E.A.K. PR sought to measure the level of awareness surrounding feral cats in the Knoxville community and perceptions of their being. The survey (appendix) is a convenience sampling, distributed via social media, email and in person. All fifty respondents are Knox County residents. While these results cannot be applied to the entire Knox County population, it is a good sample size to provide insight to generally accepted perceptions. Of the Knox county respondents, 70% own pets. The majority of these pets are dogs or cats. No pet owners reported having a bird. S.E.A.K. PR anticipated a low understanding of the definition of a feral cat. However, we were pleased to find the majority of respondents answered correctly:

Additionally, the majority (78%) also recognize that feral cats live short and difficult lives. When asked their opinion on how feral cats should be handled within the community, 61% of respondent chose the TNR method as the best option. Fifteen percent think feral cats should be left alone, and only one person believes feral cats should be eliminated by mass euthanasia. The rest of respondents answered “I don’t know.” The most shocking results found 70% of respondents do not think feral cats pose environmental hazards to the community. Of respondents who do think feral cats pose a threat to the environment, the majority list them as a “medium hazard” to native animals. In addition, while most respondents recognize the

Figure 2

4

feral cat population, the community is not aware of the severity of the problem of feral cats. Sixty-three percent list the feral cat population as either a neutral issue, small issue or not an issue at all.

Respondents were 73% female. Thirty-four percent of respondents were age 18 - 24, 29% were 25 - 34 and 20% 35 - 44. S.E.A.K. PR considers this a good mix of age ranges, considering the convenience sampling. Ninety-five percent of respondents are college educated in some capacity (some college, college degree or postgraduate degree.) There was no outstanding majority or pattern among Knox county zip codes.

Figure 3

5

Citations

Brochure.pdf (n.d.). Retrieved November 07, 2017, from https://vetmed.tennessee.edu/outreach/Documents/CAIT/PDF/Feral%20Cat%20Brochure.pdf Feral Feline Friends (2010). Retrieved November 07, 2017, from http://www.feralfelinefriends.org/Clinics.htm Tannhauser, S. (2015, August 18). Feral Cat Awareness in Knoxville. Retrieved November 07, 2017, from https://waggytailsofknoxville.com/feral-cat-awareness-knoxville/ Miller, J. (2014, November 13). Groups work to control feral cat population in Knoxville area. Retrieved November 07, 2017, from http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/groups-work-to-control-feral-cat-population-in-knoxville-area-ep-766604045-353954101.html/

6

Strategies & Tactics Strategy 1: Online Presence Development The first strategy to help KTOS achieve their goal of decreasing feral cats, in turn decreasing the number of wild animals attacked, is to develop an online and offline presence that will help increase awareness of our objectives. By doing so, KTOS lays a groundwork of holding a relevant and positive image. Tactics Social Media Campaigns S.E.A.K. PR has constructed a social media campaign guideline that is easily managed by one staff member. This campaign will live on the KTOS Facebook page and last through each event. This includes changing the cover photo, profile picture, etc. in accordance to the outside campaign going on. S.E.A.K. PR also suggests promoting any major events through Facebook ads. The completion of each of the following tactics, like website restructuring and influencer posts, will also be shared on KTOS’ Facebook. - Keep profile picture consistent: KTOS logo - Change cover photo according to event being promoted.

- Boost event posts on Facebook for about $50/event. Target the audience to Knoxville residents in KTOS’ age demographic. - Keep the community updated on the event coming up, posting at least once/week about it.

- Relay the success of the event to Facebook upon completion. - Outside of events, KTOS maintains a consistent presence, continue to actively engage with audiences.

Knoxville Influencers Influencers are bloggers and social media users with a large following. By recruiting one Knoxville influencer per month, KTOS stays relevant to the local conversation. Suggested influencers include Knox Urban Guy (Inside of Knoxville blog,) Visit Knoxville, Knoxville Moms Blog and various UT student blogs. Pitches to these influencers to convince them to write something sponsored by KTOS should be catered according to the blog, for example:

• Inside of Knoxville (local news, events): How the feral cat population is impacting Knoxville’s wildlife

• Visit Knoxville (local events and attractions): KTOS field trips and events supporting the wild bird population

• Knoxville Moms Blog (raising a family in Knoxville): What your family should know about feral cats

7

• For the Love of Fun (local college student’s blog): How to get your volunteer hours this semester

Website Restructuring To ensure ease of navigation and longer seconds/page results, S.E.A.K. PR suggests KTOS revamp their website. Easy-to-use websites like wix.com will let KTOS transfer their domain, knoxvillebirding.org, for as little as $7 per month. The current website has nine tabs, which can become meticulous to a user and make navigation difficult. Below are some examples of web structures. S.E.A.K. PR suggests merging the following tabs: Home About → History, Calendar, Photos Membership → Our Meetings, Officers/Staff, Newsletter Projects → Discover Birds, Resources Contact Us → Newsletter, Contact Us Strategy 2: Community Outreach for TNR The following tactics are intended to reach our objective of increasing support and utilization of the TNR program through community outreach. This includes targeting both the public and local profit and non-profit organizations. Tactics Media Outreach Conduct consistent media outreach, such as inviting all local news stations to attend special KTOS events and distributing news releases at least once per quarter. KTOS should pitch a special news story to all Knoxville news outlets to raise awareness of the impact of feral cats on Knoxville’s wildlife during National Invasive Species Awareness Week, February 19 - 26. Enlisting Support from Animal Lovers After seeking that 70 percent of our survey’s respondents reported owning a pet and almost 100 percent of respondents citing themselves as animal lovers,

8

S.E.A.K. PR suggests targeting areas where animal lovers are likely to be impacted through on-site flyers, brochures and e-mail blasts. These include both for-profit and non-profit organizations, like Citi Fido, UT’s Animal Welfare Club and the local Sierra Club. Pitch TNR Programs KTOS will create an infographic “media kit” to pitch to local veterinarians and animal shelters who do not currently have a TNR program. This media kit will include a brochure and flyer template for the organizations to use, should they choose to start the program. Also included in the media kit will be a powerful infographic on the impact of feral cats, steps to starting a TNR program and TNR contact resources.

Figure 4

9

Strategy 3: Feral Cat February The month of February consists of multiple holidays related to supporting the wild bird population and decreasing the feral cat population. This month will act as a KTOS campaign including multiple aspects tailored toward the corresponding holiday and ending with a large partnership event. Each event will be promoted on KTOS’ Facebook page and detailed through e-blast as an aspect of “Feral Cat February.” Tactics Elementary School Demonstrations A bird-expert from KTOS will travel to various Knox County elementary schools in support of National Wild Bird-Feeding Month. They will give a demonstration on the different types of birds in Knoxville. These demonstrations will be Facebook-lived. Kids will leave with a pouch of bird feed and a note attached about the importance of Knoxville’s wild birds and the impact of feral cats on their population. Volunteer Outreach Volunteers to trap and bring cats to the organizations that support the TNR program will be recruited through a “National Spay/Neuter Month Volunteer Blast.” The goal will be to recruit 75 volunteers during the month of February. A meter of progress will be kept on the website home page. This volunteer opportunity will be promoted to organizations likely to enjoy volunteering, like UT Christian organizations, sororities and Knoxville animal clubs. World Spay Day Partnered Luncheon KTOS will partner with a similar non-profit organization such as Young-Williams Animal Shelter to host a beneficial luncheon, of which the two organizations will split the proceeds. The theme of the luncheon will be in support of the TNR program, in accordance with its date, World Spay Day (February 23.) The luncheon will function primarily out of donations. Because of the joint venture, it will be promoted heavily through media outreach, social media advertising and e-blasts.

Note attached: “With this bird seed, you are helping save wild birds! With almost 1,200 wild bird species facing extinction over the 100 years, and many more suffering from severe habitat loss, it is extremely important to protect birds’ lives. Feral cats, cats that do not have homes and are unowned, are responsible for the lives of nearly 2 billion birds in the United States each year. Thank you for your help protecting wild birds!”

10

Strategy 4: Community Awareness Events Two major events will be held to encourage community awareness and funding for TNR programs. While KTOS frequently hosts membership events and will execute multiple outreach events through our campaign, these two will fulfill multiple needs like awareness, engagement and donation. Tactics Taste & Toast with Sweet P’s BBQ Partner with Sweet P's BBQ for their monthly Taste N' Toast held to benefit local non-profit organizations, similar to the Wings and Wine event. Sweet P's will do a wine pairing dinner. KTOS receives $5 of every meal purchased. KTOS will promote this event as an opportunity to raise money for TNR efforts in Knoxville. Other community non-profits and clubs will also be invited to help raise money for KTOS.

National Cat Day In conjunction with National Cat Day, celebrated annually on October 29, KTOS will host a Happy “Me-Hour” at Downtown Grill & Brewery’s banquet room. National Cat Day was founded as a way to bring awareness to the number of homeless cats in America. KTOS receives 15 percent of purchases (food and drink). The event will be promoted as a way to bring awareness to the feral cat community in Knoxville. Other local wildlife animal clubs will be invited to participate to help raise money for the betterment of the local wildlife.

Figure 5

Figure 6

11

Timeline

KTOS should consistently update Facebook campaigns and seek to reach one local influencer per month. The website restructuring takes place in months that are less busy on the campaign calendar with the intention of announcing the launch of a new website in August, just before the second round of volunteer outreach. While volunteer outreach will be conducted around the entire community, this strategically takes place at the beginning of each semester, allowing ease of speaking to college organizations before they begin their semester volunteer hour requirement. KTOS will also reach out to other animal-centered organizations every three months to reach new members. The two community awareness events take place at different times of the year to target different audiences and to give KTOS time to prepare.

Figure 7

12

Budget Tactic Budget

Social Media Campaigns $150 ($50 / major event)

Website Restructuring $84 ($7 / month for 12 months)

Knoxville Influencers $0

Media Outreach $0

Pitch TNR Programs $50

Enlisting Animal Lovers $50

Elementary School Demonstrations $100

Volunteer Outreach $0

World Spay Day Partnered Luncheon $200

Taste & Toast with Sweet P’s $0

National Cat Day “Happy Me-Hour” $0

Total $634

Figure 8 & 9

13

Evaluation S.E.A.K. PR suggests following the below graphic to measure the campaign’s success. This is a valid indicator that will reflect the achievement of objectives. Instead of evaluating “phases” in the middle block, evaluate tactics during the campaign.

Source: LinkedIn - Understanding Public Relations Research

Figure 10

14

Conclusion S.E.A.K. PR recognizes that the feral cat population in Knoxville is having a negative impact on our vibrant native bird population. Our agency is committed to helping the Tennessee Ornithological Society control this problem through raising awareness of the issue amongst community members and encouraging TNR programs. Through our twelve-month awareness campaign, we will see the following:

1. An informed community with an understanding of the dangers posed to feral cats.

2. Heightened awareness of the benefits of Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) and empowered local volunteers properly executing the program.

3. Increased awareness and acceptance of the need for euthanizing of sick and injured feral cats.

S.E.A.K. PR’s research reflects an awareness of feral cats but no major understandings of the TNR program or the danger they pose to Knoxville’s wildlife. Through the strategies of online presence development, community outreach for TNR, Feral Cat February and Community Awareness Events, KTOS will help communicate the importance of reducing these populations for the benefit of Knoxville’s native bird population.

15

Appendix

SEAKPRFeralCatsAwarenessSurvey

Q1 Do you live within Knox County?

o Yeso No

SkipTo:EndofSurveyIfDoyoulivewithinKnoxCounty?=No

Q2 Do you own any pets?

o Yeso No

SkipTo:Q4IfDoyouownanypets?=No

Q3 What kind of pets do you own?

▢ Cat▢ Dog▢ Bird▢ Smallanimal(rabbit,hamster,etc.)

▢ Other________________________________________________ Q4 Do you know what a feral cat is?

o Yes,itisastraycatthathasbeenabandonedorlost.o Yes,itisastraycatthathashadlittletonocontactwithhumans.

o No

Q5 Feral cats are stray cats that have had little to no contact with humans. What is your view on the state of feral cats' lives?

o Feralcatslivehappylives.o Feralcatslivedifficultlives.

Q6 What is your view of how feral cats should be handled within the community?

o Feralcatsshouldbeleftalone.o FeralcatsshouldbetreatedthroughaTNRprogramwherevetscaptureandneuterferalcats,thenreleasethembackintotheenvironmenttheywereremoved.

o Theferalcatpopulationshouldbetreatedwitheuthanasia.o Idon'tknow.

Q7 Do you consider yourself an "animal lover?"

o Yeso No

Q9 Do you think feral cats pose environmental hazards to the community?

o Yeso No

SkipTo:Q10IfDoyouthinkferalcatsposeenvironmentalhazardstothecommunity?=No

Q16 On a scale of 1 - 5, please indicate how much of a hazard to native animals - such as wild birds and small animals - you think feral cats pose.

o 1-Nohazardo 2-Smallhazard

o 3-Mediumhazard

o 4-Highhazardo 5-Extremelyhighhazard

Q17 On a scale of 1 - 5, please indicate how much of a hazard to people you think feral cats pose.

o 1-Nohazardo 2-Smallhazard

o 3-Mediumhazard

o 4-Highhazardo 5-Extremelyhighhazard

Q10 Do you think feral cats are an issue in the Knoxville community?

o Itisahugeissue.o Itisasmallissue.

o Neutralo Itisnotabigissue.o Itisnotanissueatall.

Q19 Please select your gender.

o Male

o Female

o OtherORprefernottorespond Q20 What is your age?

o Under18o 18-24o 25-34o 35-44o 45-54o Over55

Q22 What is your highest education level?

o Somehighschool

o Highschooldegreeo Somecollege

o Trade/technical/vocationaltrainingo Collegegraduate(Bachelor's,Associate's,etc.)o Higher-levelPostgraduate(Master's,PhD,etc.)

o Other________________________________________________ Q21 Please enter your zip code.

________________________________________________________________

Figure 1 SWOT Analysis

Figure 2: Feral Cat Awareness Responses

Figure 3: Feral Cat Awareness Responses

Figure 4: TNR Promotion Infographic

Figure 5: Taste & Toast Sample Flyer

Figure 6: Happy “Me-Hour” Sample Flyer

Figure 7: Campaign Timeline

Figure 8: Budget Breakdown Figure 9: Budget Graphic

Tactic Budget

Social Media Campaigns $150 ($50 / major event)

Website Restructuring $84 ($7 / month for 12 months)

Knoxville Influencers $0

Media Outreach $0

Pitch TNR Programs $50

Enlisting Animal Lovers $50

Elementary School Demonstrations $100

Volunteer Outreach $0

World Spay Day Partnered Luncheon $200

Taste & Toast with Sweet P’s $0

National Cat Day “Happy Me-Hour” $0

Total $634

Figure 10: Evaluation Graphic

Source: LinkedIn - Understanding Public Relations Research