James Madison University: Integrated

Marketing Communications Plan

“Choose your Place. Choose your Path.

Choose JMU.”

Agency: Pillar Advertising

Time Period of Campaign: July 1st, 2020 - June 30th, 2022

MKTG 384: Integrated Marketing Communications | James Madison University

Professor Canessa Collins

Agency Team Members: Demetrius Bell Jr., Evan Davis, Kerry Nguyen, Blake Rivellese, &
Claire Shallow

April 22nd, 2020

 Table of Contents

Table of Contents.…………………………………………………………………. 2
Agency Philosophy…………………………………………………………………3
Executive Summary………………………………………………………………...4
Industry Background……………………………………………………………….6
Company Snapshot…………………………………………………………………8
Description………………………………………………………………………...11
Competitive Review………………………………………………………………14
Buyer Analysis……………………………………………………………………16
Promotional Program Situation Analysis…………………………………………19
Marketing Goals…………………………………………………………………..21
Objectives and Strategies………………………………………………………….21
Creative Recommendations……………………………………………………….23
Media Plan………………………………………………………………………...26
Media Flowchart…………………………………………………………………..46
Budget Breakdown and Summary………………………………………………...47
Measurement and Evaluation……………………………………………………..48
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...51
Appendices………………………………………………………………………..52
References………………………………………………………………………...62

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 Agency Philosophy

Pillar Advertising: Supporting clients and raising up brands

At Pillar Advertising, our client's success is our first priority. We strive to create
lasting relationships with those we serve through transparency and dedication. Our
purpose is our promise.

Our mission here at Pillar is to provide the most innovative and effective marketing
solutions to grow our clients’ brands and reach their goals.

Pillar Advertising curates top quality, specialized marketing plans through

continual communication with our clients. We have many established relationships
in the Greater Richmond Area, strong customer relations, and our Creative Team’s
expertise is unmatched.

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 Executive Summary
Major Target Audiences: ​The target audience consists of high school juniors and seniors
located in the Greater Richmond Region, who plan on attending college. The parents of these
high school students are a component of the target audience, because of their considerable
amount of influence and decision making regarding where a student applies to college.

Time Period of the Plan:

● The first year of the campaign will run from July 1st, 2020 – June 30th, 2021.
● The second year of the campaign will run from July 1st, 2021 - June 30th, 2022.

Campaign Objectives: ​The overall campaign objective is to increase students in the Greater
Richmond Region’s awareness of James Madison University, as well as to get them to
choose JMU as their new home for the next four years. Besides increasing the number of
applicants and creating awareness, another goal is to increase knowledge about JMU and the
perception that JMU is a welcoming community.

Campaign Theme/Slogan: ​“Choose your Place. Choose your Path. Choose JMU.” This
campaign slogan was chosen to highlight the endless opportunities that James Madison
University offers to its current and future students. College is a new experience for high
school students and many are concerned about leaving home for the first time. The theme of
the campaign is to demonstrate that JMU is an inclusive community where one feels at home,
while displaying the social and academic benefits that are offered.

Overall Budget Total: ​The campaign budget is $250,000 per year (Total $500,000).

Industry Background: ​There are currently 4,500 colleges and universities in the U.S. and
the industry is expected to grow 1.3% each year from 2019-2024. New trends include an
increase in college attendance, more diversity in student bodies, and an increase in online
education.

Company Snapshot: ​The Company Snapshot section goes into detail the current size,
growth, and rankings of James Madison University. This section also goes on to depict
JMU’s image and positioning, as well as the target markets for the university.

Description: ​This section illustrates the size, SWOT analysis, and growth of James Madison
University, as well as JMU’s brand image, key benefits, positioning, and perceptual map.

Competitive Review: ​This section compares James Madison’s competitors’ differing target
markets, budgets, current advertising, and their current strategies. The direct competitors

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compared are Virginia Tech, UVA, and VCU, while the indirect competitors include
Germanna Community College, Reynolds Community College, and Centura College.

Buyer Analysis: ​The Buyer Analysis highlights the Geographic, Psychographic,

Demographic, and Behavioral factors of a potential JMU student. This section then goes on
to summarize the buying decision process, purchase influences, and the decision-makers
specific to JMU.

Promotional Program Situation Analysis: ​This section focuses on JMU’s current

Unleashed ​program and which media vehicles have been used to spread the message,
including the various social media accounts JMU uses.

Objectives and Strategies: ​This section details the objectives this IMC plan has outside of
the marketing goals and what strategies and tactics will be used to accomplish them.

Creative Recommendations: ​This section includes the IMC plan’s Creative Brief and
creative objectives. This section then goes on to detail what advertising appeals, messaging,
and creative tactics will be used to accomplish the creative objectives.

Media Plan:
Advertising ​- The campaign will utilize TV and Radio to broadcast commercials that increase
awareness and inquiries regarding JMU. Print advertising will be placed in local newspapers.
Sales Promotion​ - Sales promotions will be run through email and direct mail. The sales
promotions will increase awareness of JMU by offering incentives and discounts to students
who apply or visit JMU.
Direct Marketing​ - This is used to increase the JMU mailing list and inquiries about JMU,
using personalized direct mail and email.
Internet/Interactive​ - Banner ads placed in search engines and SEO will be used. A virtual
chat and virtual tour of the JMU campus will be incorporated into the college's website.
Social Media​ - Social media accounts will be used to promote JMU throughout the entirety
of the campaign and increase interactions with the target market.
Public Relations/Publicity​ - Press releases and publicity ads will be used to portray JMU as a
reputable university.
Personal Selling​ - Recruiters and Student Ambassadors will be sent to local high schools to
answer questions and increase inquiries.

Evaluation: ​The campaign will be measured by the inquiries and applications that JMU
receives through the implementation of the campaign. Website traffic, the number of social
media interactions, and surveys given to the target market will be used to determine the
effectiveness of the program.

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 Industry Background

Size:​ There are about 4,500 Colleges & Universities ( $512 billion revenue)

Growth:​ The Colleges and Universities Industry is expected to grow by 1.3% each
year from 2019-2024.

Current Trends/Developments Affecting the Promotion Program:

● The College and University Industry is in the Maturity stage, so these types
of businesses should be focusing on trying to maintain their brand image and
gain market share.
● According to IBISWorld.com, College enrollment is expected to exhibit
steady growth over the next five years due to higher high school retention
rates across the United States. The labor market is also expected to shrink
over the next five years, which will encourage individuals to stay in school.
● The growth of online education programs is allowing colleges and
universities to offer their services to nontraditional students at lower costs.
● According to Northeastern.edu, diversity among student populations is
expected to continue increasing throughout these next years. University
administrators are faced with the challenge of ensuring that all students’
needs are met and that all cultures are respected.

Macro-environment Factors and Issues:

● Demographics:
○ A decline in the population of college-aged students.
○ “An increase in the number of students graduating from high school
directly correlates with growth in the number of college freshmen.
Higher freshmen enrollment typically results in greater revenue from
tuition. The high school retention rate is expected to stagnate in
2019.”
○ Over the next five years, the number of students enrolled in industry
institutions is expected to increase at an annualized rate of 0.5% to
12.2 million students in 2024.
○ Universities and colleges will likely make education more accessible
to international students

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● Economic
○ Wages/Salary growth is growing slowly
○ Increase in student debt
○ Unemployment rate
● Technological
○ Increasing use of online classes
● Political
○ Current makeup of house and senate seats ( government policy)
○ Department of education budgets
● Legal
○ Implementation of Title IX
○ Cybersecurity
● Social
○ College experiences of friends and family
○ Media outlook
● Cultural
○ Colleges are increasingly looked as not worth the return based on time
& tuition
● Environmental
○ Energy efficient & green/sustainable colleges are increasing

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 Company Snapshot
Place in the Industry:
● News:
○ JMU was ranked as one of the best institutions for higher education
according to The Princeton Review’s 2020 edition of the annual
college guide, The Best 385 Colleges.
○ JMU was ranked at No. 279 on the Wall Street Journal / Times of
Higher Ed list of top U.S. colleges.
○ James Madison University is the “most innovative school” in the
south according to U.S. News and World Report.
○ JMU maintained its status as the No. 3 school overall and No. 2 public
school in the regional universities of the south category according to
U.S. News and World Report.
○ JMU also ranked No. 4 for “best undergraduate teaching programs”
and No. 47 for “best value schools” according to U.S. News and
World Report.
● Size:
○ 19,883 students (Fall 2019)
● Growth:
○ Endowment:
■ $81.9 Million (2015)
■ $80 Million (2016)
■ $93.2 Million (2017)
■ $103.9 Million (2018)
■ $111.1 Million (2019)
○ Revenue:
■ $391,550 (2015)
■ $408,979 (2016)
■ $419,668 (2017)
■ $443,104 (2018)

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 ● Image: JMU has expressed that they would like to have a public image of
being more engaged, creative, passionate, and exciting compared to their
competitors. They achieve this image by maintaining active involvement in
the local community as well as the global community, maintaining a strong
alumni network, having many organizations and opportunities for students to
get involved in, and much more.

Sales History:
● ​Undergraduate Enrollment:
○ 19,144 (2014)
○ 19,396 (2015)
○ 19,548 (2016)
○ 19,975 (2017)
○ 19,923 (2018)
○ 19,895 (2019)

Target Markets:
● High school students/Teenagers
● Parents of high school students
● Virginia Residents
● Out-of-State residents (primarily New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania)

Positioning: ​“To be the national model for the engaged university, engaged with
ideas and the world.” JMU positions themselves as active members of the global
community.

Brand Review: ​Enrollment had grown every year up until 2017 which has
declined slightly in consecutive years. Meanwhile, James Madison’s operating
revenue has continued to grow the past four years showing an ability to gain
revenue outside of student enrollment.

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10
 Description
Market Share:​ 0.12% (16.9 million undergraduates in US)

Sales:​ Fall 2019 Undergraduate Units - 19,895

Growth:
● 19,144 (2014)
● 19,396 (2015)
● 19,548 (2016)
● 19,975 (2017)
● 19,923 (2018)
● 19,895 (2019)

SWOT analysis:
● Strengths​: ROI, On-campus dining, Strong Business and Nursing schools,
Scenery/Location (Shenandoah National Park and George Washington
National Forest nearby), Campus Infrastructure and expansion, Friendly
student body, Remarkable FCS football program, Engaged Undergraduate
professors, Undergraduate Research, University Recreational Facilities,
Numerous student organizations, Abundance of study abroad programs
● Weaknesses​: Not well known out of state, Not ranked as Virginia’s Top
Public University, No FBS football program, Lack of cultural diversity, Old
dorms with no A/C, No Agricultural program, Interstate 81 cuts campus in
half, Lack of scholarship money for in-state and out-of-state students
● Opportunities:​ Minority Groups, International students, Out-of-State
residents, Athletes (specifically recruiting basketball players using the new
convocation center and the coach), Increasing online channels to allow for
new ways to reach the target market, Alumni community
● Threats:​ Larger universities, Community Colleges, A decrease in birth rates
nationally, JMU is lacking substantial state funding

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Key benefits:​ Nationally ranked business school, strong nursing and education
programs, UREC/rentals, In-state-tuition, 98% of classes taught by professors,
mountains/scenic area, 90% freshman retention rate, 16:1 student/faculty ratio,
NCAA Division 1, 96% satisfaction rate

Brand image: ​Passionate, Innovative, Inspiring, and Creating change in the

community

Brand Positioning:​ Guaranteeing great return on investment, creating change in

the community through an innovative academic curriculum and emphasizing civic
engagement

Perceptual Map:​ The perceptual map is based on the graduation rate and the total
four year cost of attending James Madison University. The total four year cost,
which includes the cost of living and tuition, is used because JMU has the lowest
total cost of Virginia Public Universities that are direct competitors. This gives
James Madison an advantage when marketing to consumers who feel burdened
with the cost of higher education. James Madison University is tied for third with
Virginia Tech in terms of the graduation rate of students, with UVA and William
and Mary leading in that category. This shows that James Madison has one of the
best graduation rates in Virginia while still being an affordable public university.

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13
 Competitive Review
Direct Competitors:

Virginia Tech University of Virginia Virginia Commonwealth University

Target Markets:​ ​High School students from Target Markets:​ ​UVA mainly targets Virginia Target Markets:​ ​High school students who are
the state of Virginia who are looking to go to a interested in a diverse and urban campus.
High School students. They target highest grade Positioning:​ ​VCU positions itself as a diverse
larger university. They are shifting focus on earners with a shifting focus to those coming campus that differentiates from most Virginia
gaining Northern Virginia and greater D.C. from tougher backgrounds. UVA wants to colleges by being centered in a city. They also
area students. increase diversity. position themselves as supporting unconventional
Positioning:​ ​Virginia Tech Positions itself as Positioning:​ ​UVA positions itself as a ideas, often using their school of arts to spread
a affordable in-state University that puts an prestigious university. They put an emphasis on the message.
emphasis on civic engagement and leadership their leadership in public education and serving Budgets​: ​Total sales and services planned budget
Budgets:​ ​$1.66 billion advertising budget for the greater good. for 2020 is $170 million. This is significantly less
2019-2020: increase of 6.6% from last year. Budgets​: ​Operating budget of $3.6 billion, with than UVA or Virginia Tech.
Current Advertising​: ​Sales Promotion, an endowment of $9.6 billion. Current Advertising:​ ​Sales Promotion, Public
Public Relations, and Direct Marketing Current Advertising:​ ​Sales Promotion, Public Relations, and Direct Marketing Programs: For
Programs: Virginia Tech has representatives Relations, and Direct Marketing Programs: UVA public relations they try to partner with Richmond
they send to high schools to speak about their prioritizes public relations with influential city schools, local businesses, and put on events
university. They also try to have a great leaders and members of the media by having in the city. They want to increase publicity
relationship with the media by having an constant communication with them and pitching through research breakthroughs. VCU uses direct
email list to reporters. They create their own UVA as an expert in new research. They use mail and in house news publications to increase
news releases, radio, and interviews in house. social media and digital search as their main awareness. Personal Selling is conducted through
Message Strategies:​ ​They use these taglines focus for advertising to prospective students and sales representatives atl high schools.
heavily: Beyond Boundaries, Ut Prosim (That the Virginia community. Message Strategies:​VCU emphasizes that it
I May Serve), Innovation Affordability and Message Strategies: ​UVA highlights academic offers a unique campus with urban diversity.
Accessibility VT-shaped Disc. Their messages rigor, student life, commitment to service, and They also focus on being a large research
are heavily focused on helping the athletic prowess. They often focus on facts and university with successful health sciences studies.
community, making new discoveries, and figures to show their prestige in the academic VCU also tends to include diversity and its
being innovative. community. commitment to service in its marketing collateral.
Media Strategies: ​A heavy social media Media Strategies: ​UVA Emphasizes paid and Media Strategies:​ ​VCU puts more focus on
presence promotes their campus and athletics. owned social media programs and uses audience publicity most likely due to budget constraints.
Public relations is their key to reaching out to insights to create a story to tell. They also use They use direct mail and personal selling to get
the media and creating content for the public. direct mail to connect with students they are the message out.
Overall Assessment:​ ​Virginia Tech has put a interested in. Overall Assessment:​ ​VCU puts their focus on
large emphasis on its strategic planning Overall Assessment:​ ​The University of Virginia presenting themselves as a diverse and urban
recently and has a great social media and has stated they want to be leaders among campus. They have a strong presence in the
public relations presence. With their focus universities in use of a sophisticated digital region surrounding Richmond which makes them
shifting to Northern Virginia and the D.C. area presence. They want to use analytics to improve strong competition in this sales area. JMU can
there could be greater opportunity for JMU in SEO and SEM and focus their creative efforts on focus its attention on students who have less
the Richmond to Fredericksburg region. social media. UVA has framed themselves as a interest in an urban campus.
prestigious and selective university, which has
been hard for JMU to compete against.

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 Indirect Competitors:
Germanna Community College Reynolds Community College Centura College (Richmond Campus

Target Markets​: ​High School students from

Target Markets:​ ​High School students from Target Markets:​ ​High School students from
Central Virginia who are looking for a cheaper
Richmond, VA who are looking for a cheaper Richmond, VA who are looking for a cheaper
option than a 4-year university. They may
option than a 4-year university. They may option than a 4-year university. They may
transfer to a 4-year university after completing
transfer to a 4-year university after completing an transfer to a 4-year university after completing
an associate’s degree or earn a trade
associate’s degree or earn a trade certification. an associate’s degree or earn a trade
certification. They also target adults who want
They also target adults who want a higher certification. They also target adults who want
a higher education.
education. a higher education.
Positioning:​ ​Germanna Community College
Positioning:​ ​Reynolds Community College Positioning​: ​Centura College positions itself as
positions itself as a community-oriented,
positions itself as a community-oriented, a community-oriented, affordable substitute to
affordable substitute or step towards a 4-year
affordable substitute for the first 2 years at a a 4-year university. It offers associate’s degrees
university. It is also positioned as a career
4-year university. It is also positioned as a career for health science professions, skilled trade
starter for those who wish to pursue a trade.
starter for those who wish to pursue a trade. certifications, and associate’s and bachelor’s
Budgets:​ ​$500,000 for overall 2019-2020
Budgets​: ​$300,000 devoted to advertising degrees for business.
budget (no advertising breakdown available
expenses. Budgets:​ ​ N/A
online)
Current Advertising:​ ​Sales Promotion, Public Current Advertising: ​Sales Promotion, Social
Current Advertising:​ ​Sales Promotion, Social
Relations, and Direct Marketing Programs: Media, Public Relations, and Direct Marketing
Media, Public Relations, and Direct Marketing
Reynolds sends representatives to high schools to Programs: Centura College has its own online
Programs: Germanna sends representatives to
speak about their programs. They’ve created blog, along with a digital newsletter. They’ve
high schools to speak. They have also created
goodwill and recognition in Richmond by created goodwill in the Richmond area through
goodwill in Central Virginia with sponsoring
sponsoring events. public relations by engaging in community-help
events. They mail out annual reports as well.
Message Strategies​: ​Reynolds’ messages focus projects. Their sales promotion includes event
Message Strategies:​ ​Messages are centered on
on their dedication to their students, their people, sponsorships and scholarships.
community, innovation, excellence, their
their community, and their environment. Message Strategies​: ​Centura College
student body, and their love for each other.
Media Strategies:​ ​They utilize sales promotion advertises community success and an inclusive
Media Strategies: ​Their social media presence
with scholarships, public relations with atmosphere. They appeal to general students,
promotes their student body and their focus on
community involvement, direct marketing with military students, and international students.
community, while PR is used for engagement.
mail advertisements, and social media. Media Strategies:​ ​Centura uses direct
Overall Assessment:​ ​Germanna Community
Overall Assessment:​ ​Reynolds Community marketing with a digital newsletter, their social
College presents an affordable opportunity for
College presents an affordable opportunity for media and blog, sales promotion with event
students that don’t have the funds or grades out
students that don’t have the funds or grades out sponsorships, and public relations through
of high school to attend all 4 years at a
of high school to attend all 4 years at a community-help projects.
university. They continue to maintain a
university. They continue to maintain a presence Overall Assessment:​ ​Centura College
presence in the Central Virginia area through
in the Richmond area through their advertising maintains a strong relationship with the
sales promotion and public relations, but they
efforts. But they still offer JMU an opportunity to Richmond community. They offer affordable
offer JMU an opportunity to enroll transfer
enroll transfer students to finish their last two bachelor’s degrees in business, which could
students to finish their last two years of an
years of their undergraduate degree. steal market share in the Richmond area from
undergraduate degree.
JMU. However, Centura’s health science and
business students with an associate’s degree
may transfer to JMU for a bachelor’s degree.

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Buyer Analysis

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Consumer Personas:

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Primary Research:
● College surveys
● Testimonials from current JMU students, prospective JMU students, parents,
and JMU alumni
● Observation
● Youtube videos & comments (about JMU):

Comments from Comments from Comments from

potential applicants potential applicants potential applicants
about why they want to comparing JMU to about what they don’t
attend JMU other universities like about JMU

# of Comments 5 3 2

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 Promotional Program Situation Analysis:
Review of Existing/Past Programs

The main promotional program that James Madison University is currently

using is the ​Unleashed p​ rogram. The objective of this fundraising campaign is to
raise $200 million dollars, and so far the campaign has been very successful with
$167 million raised. James Madison University aims to be the national model for
the engaged university and to gain recognition.

The money that the university receives allows for it to focus on five goals:
renewing our civil society, opening our doors, advancing understanding, building
success, and realizing our goals. Based on these goals, JMU will put the money
they receive towards scholarships, new buildings, academic programs, and the
community. James Madison University is accomplishing their objectives primarily
through the use of Social Media, Direct Mail, and Event Marketing along the East
Coast.

James Madison University has numerous social media accounts such as

Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram. An example of hashtags that are used
are #todayoncampus and #JMU24. These hashtags are used to bring attention to
interesting news that is currently going within the campus, as well as welcoming
the new Freshman class of 2024. JMU also incorporates the slogan “Be the
Change” in many marketing mediums to convey the message that the university
provides an engaging and life-changing experience for students during their time at
JMU and beyond. The message also encourages students during and after their
time spent at James Madison University to be involved in civic engagement and to
continue pursuing the values advocated by JMU.

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 Examples
Print Advertisement:

Banner Advertisement:

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 Marketing Goals
Year 1:
● To increase inquiries about James Madison University for the 2021 – 2022
school year by 30% in the Greater Richmond Region.
Year 2:
● To increase applications to James Madison University for the 2022 – 2023
school year by 20% in the Greater Richmond Region.
● To increase enrollment of students in the Greater Richmond Region to James
Madison University for the 2022 – 2023 school year by 15%.

IMC Objectives and Strategies

Year 1:
● To increase awareness of the JMU brand by 30% by the end of Year 1.
○ Strategy to Increase ​Awareness​:
■ Digital Marketing (SEO, PPC)
■ Sales Promotion/Direct Marketing: Mail small gifts and send
emails about waived application fees to prospective students
■ Personal Selling/Public Relations: Recruiters and Student
Ambassadors offering discounted football tickets to potential
students who sign up for tours. Presentations shown will
include a video showing campus beauty and student life.
● To increase the amount of people from the Greater Richmond Region taking
tours of the JMU campus by 20% in Year 1.
○ Strategy to Increase ​Knowledge:​
■ Direct marketing: Email high school students and parents
regarding opportunities for tours
■ Personal Selling: (same strategy as mentioned above)
■ Advertising: Offering discounted football tickets and coupons
to the JMU Bookstore when signing up for a campus tour

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 ● To increase the number of consumers in the target market who associate
civic engagement and a sense of community with JMU by 20% in Year 1.
○ Strategy to Improve ​Liking & Preference:
■ Advertising: Television ads, YouTube ads, and Social Media
(targeting) portraying civic engagement and JMU’s community
Year 2:
● To obtain 900 new customers by the end of Year 2.
○ Strategy to Increase ​Purchase:
■ Personal Selling/Sales Promotion: Following their sales
presentations at high schools in the Greater Richmond Region,
SAs and Recruiters will give discounted football tickets to
students who sign up for campus tours.
● To increase comprehension of JMU as “the national model for the engaged
university, engaged with ideas and the world.” by 30% by the end of Year 2.
○ Strategy to Increase ​Knowledge:​
■ Advertising and Social Media Marketing: Posts revolving
around civic engagement and testimonials from current JMU
students and alumni
■ Social Media: Posts highlighting students’ accomplishments
● Increase the amount of inquiries to JMU through direct response
advertising/promotions by 35% in Year 2.
○ Strategy to Increase ​Preference & Conviction:​
■ Digital Marketing and Direct Response: Increase potential leads
(mailing list), send weekly emails, and send quarterly
newsletters with direct response options to the target market
● Increase knowledge among the target market of the value of a JMU degree
by 15% by the end of Year 2.
○ Strategy to Increase ​Preference:​
■ Public Relations: Testimonials from alumni
■ Social Media: Post statistics and surveys about ROI, Alumni
rankings, etc.

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Creative Recommendations

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Creative Objectives:
● To increase the number of JMU tours taken by 20% for the 2020-2021
school year compared to the number of tours in the 2019-2020 school year
● To persuade the target audience that JMU offers an inclusive community
where you feel at home and to have 50% of survey respondents mention this
as a value of JMU by Year 2

Target Audience:
● Who are they?
○ Demographics: 16, 17, 18 y/o, High school juniors and seniors whose
parents have at least some college
○ Geographics: Greater Richmond Region = Fredericksburg City,
Hanover County, Goochland County, Powhatan County, New Kent
County, Stafford County, Spotsylvania County, Chesterfield County
○ Psychographics: Hard worker (exemplified through grades), Leader,
Extracurriculars, Creative, Civic-minded
○ Behavior: Positive attitude towards higher education and towards
JMU, seeking a strong community and a sense of “home” at college
● What do they currently think?
○ They’re uneasy about going to college for fear that they won’t make
friends.
○ Want a good social life
○ They want somewhere where they feel they can thrive and excel.
○ They don’t want to feel like they’re just at school.
○ Active: Want to be involved in clubs/organizations/sports
● What should they think?
○ JMU is their home and it has a strong sense of community
○ JMU is a place of social and personal growth
○ JMU is civically engaged in the community
○ JMU is in a scenic location with a beautiful campus

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Advertising Appeals:
● Emotional/Fear: The target audience will feel like they could be lonely or
unincluded if they pick the “wrong” school. Positive emotions such as joy,
comfort, connectedness, etc. associated with picking the “right” school
(JMU) will be portrayed.
● Rationale: Informational statistics appealing to parents who want a
distinguished university for their children will be employed. User-generated
content on social media to make high schoolers understand why
alumni/current students chose JMU will also be used.

Message Strategy / Product Positioning:

● “Attending school at JMU will give you a second home and a place to
belong”.
○ What differentiates JMU from other schools is that students feel as if
they’ve found a new home and not just a new school. There is also a
strong sense of community and family at JMU. A big part of what the
target audience is looking for in college is a remedy for the fear or
uneasiness that comes along with moving away from home, not
having any friends, or struggling to find a place to belong. We’re
primarily using emotions and fear to play on the target audience’s fear
of going somewhere and feeling disconnected or lonely, before finally
capitalizing on the positive emotions from feeling “at home” and
accepted.

Creative Executional Framework:

● Technical analysis: Informational (statistics) - Parents will care about the
statistics showing JMU as a reputable university.
● Testimonial: High school students will respond to factual posts from JMU
alumni/students showing why they chose JMU over other universities.
● Dramatization/Emotional: High schoolers will view the JMU campus as an
inclusive community where they can feel at home. Dramatization will be

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 used to contrast against going to a different school and feeling lonely or out
of place.
● Imagery: Videos and pictures of campus and the surrounding area will be
displayed to grab attention and position JMU as a scenic campus.

Creative Considerations​:
● Length of video advertisement: (30 seconds)
● Focus more on Youtube and Instagram for social media. Use Facebook for
advertisements to parents.

Creative Tactics:
● Direct Response: Emails, Newsletters, Direct Mail
● Digital Marketing: SEO, PPC, Youtube Ads, Social Media
posts/advertisements
● Personal Selling: Recruiters and Student Ambassadors will go to high
schools to inform students about JMU and for follow up.
● Sales Promotions: Mail gifts, waive application fees, and offer discounts at
the JMU Bookstore for touring will be offered to prospective students. JMU
will partner with local hotels to offer discounts.
● User-Generated Content: Testimonials and Hashtags on Social Media

Media Plan

Advertising Recommendations:

Objectives:
● To increase association with JMU and “home” in high school students in the
Greater Richmond Region by 30% by the end of Year 1 through the use of
TV commercials

26
 ● To increase JMU website traffic from the Greater Richmond Region
regarding the application page by 25% by the end of Year 1 through the use
of radio advertisements.
● To increase interest in applying to JMU from the Greater Richmond Area by
10% by the end of Year 1 through the use of Print Ads.

Strategies:
● Internet and television commercials will be shown to high school students to
inform them and try to connect with them emotionally. They will be shown
twice a day Monday - Friday from August - October, and March - May.
Video advertisements will be shown during the morning hours starting at 6
AM and evening hours starting at 6 PM. Students who will be watching
morning and afternoon news before their favorite TV shows will be shown
videos about JMU. Moving out of the house and going to college is an
exciting but somewhat scary phase in one’s life. The commercials and
videos will ease the student’s fears and present JMU as a second home. It
will encourage students to apply to JMU rather than other colleges.
● The radio broadcast is to inform prospective students about JMU and what
the college has to offer. High School students are comparing colleges and
looking for what will suit them best. The radio advertisement will highlight
student activities, housing, recreation, academics, and location. The radio
broadcast will ask the student to go to the JMU website and apply to
continue their academic journey. Radio advertisements will be broadcasted
twice during the evening drive time and nighttime hours of 3 PM - 12 AM,
Monday - Friday. The radio ads will be broadcasted with a flighting
schedule during the late summer and fall months (August - December) in
order to reach students before application deadlines.
● Print ads will be shown to students through local newspapers and flyers. At
high schools, students often get informational papers or flyers regarding
colleges at the beginning of the day from their schools. Print ads will be
printed on local newspapers and flyers will be sent to high schools during

27
 the Fall (September - December) and the Spring (March - May). This will be
done once every week to reach high school juniors and seniors before
application deadlines. Print ads will show creative ads about JMU and
application deadlines as well as imagery. The print ads will incorporate the
advertising theme of “Choose your place. Choose your path. Choose JMU”.

Budget:
● Percentage of Total Budget:
○ 26% of $250,000: $65,000 for Years 1 and 2
● By Medium:
○ Radio: $10,000
○ TV: $45,000
○ Print: $10,000
● By Media Vehicle:
○ Local News Stations: $45,000
○ Local Radio Stations: $10,000
○ Flyers: $5,000
○ Newspapers: $5,000

Rationale:
● The radio advertisements will be broadcasted to high school students who
are seniors or juniors. College is an exciting experience but may cause some
anxiety due to moving out of the house for the first time. College is a new
place where new students will meet new people and experience many new
things. Many students listen to the radio when driving around town or on the
ride home from a part-time job.
● Highschoolers often are woken up early in the morning before school when
the news is on. Broadcasting in the morning and evening will reach students
when they and other family members (influentials) are likely to watch.
● Not many students read the newspaper or magazines anymore so less money
has been allocated toward print. However, parents and some high school

28
 students still read the newspaper and advertising in the local newspaper
would be inexpensive.

Advertising Executions:
StoryBoards:

29
 Radio Advertisements:

Ad Begins

Needle Drop: Music starts before voice over

Voiceover: “At JMU we believe college should be more than a place where you go
to class and get a degree. James Madison is where you get to meet great new
people, discover who you are, and create lifelong memories. JMU students don’t
get homesick. Because at James Madison our students find their new home.
Choose your place. Choose your path. Choose JMU.”

Sound Effect: JMU Marching Band

Ad Ends

Item Description

Gender Female

Length 30 seconds

Target Demographic High School Students

Character / Narrator Female

Vocal Direction Excited

Suggested Music Needle Drop Upbeat

Suggested Sound Effects None

Ad Begins

Needle Drop: Music begins before voice over

Voiceover: “Has applying for college gotten you down? Worried about leaving your friends and
family behind. Can’t decide where to begin your college journey? If so, James Madison
University is inviting you to be a part of our family. Here at JMU it’s not just about earning a
prestigious degree it's the people and the experience. Take part in our award winning programs,
take a stroll across the streets of our beautiful campus, visit the theater or have a meal in our new
dining facility, all while making new friends and creating lasting memories. So if you are

30
concerned about leaving your loved ones, struggling to find a place to begin your college
experience, leave those worries behind at James Madison University. Choose your place. Choose
your path. Choose JMU.”

Ad Ends

Item Description

Gender Female

Length 30 Seconds

Target Demographic High School Students (Junior & Seniors)

Character / Narrator Female

Vocal Direction Calm/Welcoming

Suggested Music Needle drop Relaxing

Suggested Sound Effects None

Print Advertisements:

31
Sales Promotion Recommendations:
Objective:
● To offer mail gifts and application waivers to increase awareness of JMU by
30% in the target market by the end of Year 1.
● To offer mail gifts, bookstore coupons on tours, and discounted football
tickets to increase preference for JMU by 25% in the target market by the
end of Year 1.

Strategies:
● Mail gifts: Pens, magnets, plush toys and more will be sent to prospects and
future students throughout the year. When recipients use these items, they
will be reminded of JMU. Additionally, when these items are used in front
of others it will serve as free publicity. Free gifts can help to increase brand
awareness and brand preference, induce trial, and build brand equity.
● Emails about waving applicant fees: Emails will be sent out about
application deadlines as well as periodic discounted/waived application fees
for signing up to take a tour. All applicants have to do is visit the JMU
website and sign up for a tour in order to get this promotion, which can lead
to them spending more time on the website and searching about JMU. This
leads to more tours from the target market than there otherwise may have
been, which increases awareness, sparks interest, and induces trial.
● JMU Bookstore coupons will be given out on tours to induce trial. Parents
and their teens will take advantage of the discount and buy apparel from the
Bookstore, increasing JMU pride and commitment to JMU. Friends and
family will see them representing JMU as well, creating free publicity.
● Discounted football tickets when scheduling a tour: Families love to take
advantage of outings like sports games. This is a great way to show JMU’s
community, demonstrate how fun the football games are, and give a taste of
what it feels like to be a JMU student. This can cause a potential student to
feel school pride and a connection to JMU.

32
Budget:
● Percentage of Total Budget:
○ 8% of total budget of $250,000: $20,000 for Years 1 and 2
● By Medium:
○ Direct Mail for mailed gifts: $5,000
○ Email for coupons: $15,000
● By Media Vehicle:
○ USPS: $5,000
○ Microsoft Outlook: $15,000

Rationale:
● ​By offering deals or free premiums to high school students it may drive
them to execute the desired call to action. This call to action could be driving
traffic to a JMU webpage, sending in an application, or scheduling a tour.
The fun and joy experienced from cheering on the JMU football team will be
a good last impression of JMU’s community before touring families leave
campus. Along with any potential items bought or received with JMU logos
on it, this serves as a reminder and keeps JMU in the target market’s
consideration set.

Sales Promotion Executions:

33
Direct Marketing Recommendations:

Objectives:
● To increase potential leads on mailing list addresses and email list by 40%
by the end of Year 1.
● To increase the amount of inquiries to JMU through direct response
marketing by 35% upon the end of Year 2.

Strategies:
● Increase new lead generations by using internet tracking methods
● Improving the current mailing list database by identifying prospects through
internet tracking and response rates
● Sending personalized messages by email and direct mail to increase
inquiries to JMU from the target market
● Sending monthly emails and direct mail with direct response options
● Mail quarterly newsletter with BRC’s included

Budget:
● Percentage of Total Budget:
○ 12% of $250,000: $30,000 for Years 1 and 2
● By Medium:
○ $15,000 direct mail
○ $15,000 email marketing
● By Media Vehicle:
○ USPS: $15,000
○ Microsoft Outlook: $15,000

Rationale:
● The main goal of Direct Marketing is to increase potential leads through
both email lists and addresses lists. These leads will be sent monthly emails
with direct response options along with quarterly newsletters with BRC

34
 cards to highschool juniors and seniors. This will be done by increasing the
staff dedicated to generating leads and also increasing spending on analytics
with an emphasis on improving efficiency. This combined with direct
targeted and personalized messages will increase the response rate.

Direct Marketing Executions:

35
Internet/Interactive Recommendations:

Objectives:
● To increase organic website traffic by 50% from the target market by Year
2.
● To reduce the bounce rate on the JMU website by 40% while increasing the
total time spent on JMU’s website from the target market by 35% in Year 1.

Strategies:
● Create a chat for potential students to ask questions regarding JMU’s
academics, student life, the area surrounding JMU, and application process
● A virtual reality tour will be developed to increase consumer knowledge,
website traffic, and time spent on the website. The tour will include virtual
reality of academic buildings (including the new College of Business
Learning Complex), student housing, dining facilities, and Rose Library.
● SEO will be used to increase website traffic from the target market based on
keywords. The algorithm will be updated and tested regularly.
● Banner ads, retargeting, and search engine ads will display JMU
opportunities, deadlines, and student life.

Budget
● Percentage of Total Budget:
○ 24% of $250,000: $60,000 for Years 1 and 2
● By Medium:
○ Interactive Internet: $40,000
○ Internet: $20,000
● By Media Vehicle:
○ Virtual Reality Tour: $35,000
○ JMU website Chat: $5,000
○ Google Analytics - $10,000
○ Microsoft Edge/ Bing Banner ads - $4,000

36
 ○ Youtube Banner Ads - $6,000

Rationale
● A virtual chat allows potential students who visit the website to ask any
questions that they might have about JMU. Finding information by oneself
can be challenging, but having someone to speak with creates a more
inviting feeling to JMU’s website and JMU in general.
● Creating a Virtual reality tour of the JMU campus would allow the target
market to tour the campus from the convenience of their homes. The drive
from the Richmond area is 2 hours away and some students may not want to
take 4 hours of their day driving to and from JMU. Also a virtual tour is not
subject to inclement weather. It would allow the students to view
classrooms, dining facilities, and housing at their own pace. This allows
those who are not able to visit for inperson tours, but still want to get a feel
for the campus, to learn more.
● Many high school students do research when looking for schools that will fit
them the best. They look for the academics, student life, location, price that
colleges can offer them. Using search engines creates many results and can
be overwhelming based on all the information that is offered. Using SEO
strategies and analytics allows JMU to stand out from the other colleges
based on key terms that are searched by students and parents.
● High School students are constantly using the internet for entertainment or to
search for information. By using banner ads on search engines such as bing
or microsoft edge, the banner ads are displayed to them constantly and based
on what high school students watch the banner ads on youtube will be shown
whenever they are watching or searching for videos. Retargeting will be
used as well so these ads will serve as a constant reminder when people visit
other sites.

Internet/Interactive Executions:

37
Social Media Recommendations:

Objectives​:
● To increase the number of followers/subscribers from the Greater Richmond
Region on each of JMU’s social media vehicles by 15% by the end of Year
1.
● To obtain at least 400 post-click conversions each month for Years 1 and 2
from Instagram users in the Greater Richmond Region on a sponsored
Instagram photo ad.
● To increase interaction with JMU’s social media vehicles from users in the
Greater Richmond area by at least 20% over the 2 year campaign.

Strategies​: JMU will post interactive and engaging content (content marketing) on
the JMU Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Youtube accounts. The
media content will include photos of campus, campus tour videos, student
testimonials, updates, etc. Facebook posts (owned media) will be posted 4 times a
week from January - April and then from September - December for Years 1 and 2
of the campaign. There will be 2 Facebook posts (owned media) per week from

38
May - August in Years 1 and 2 of the campaign. Instagram posts (owned media
either video or photo) will be posted twice a week each month for Years 1 and 2 of
the campaign. There will be 3 Tweets (owned media occasionally including photo
or video) posted per week each month for Years 1 and 2 of the campaign. There
will also be a Twitter account just for incoming and current Freshmen with
updates, tips, stories, etc. Snapchat stories will be posted every other day of the
week for each month of Years 1 and 2 of the campaign. A Youtube video (owned
media) will be posted once a month throughout Years 1 and 2. The growth of
followers and content-interaction rates from the target market on each JMU social
media vehicle will be measured. This is made possible with account analytics from
each vehicle that are accessible for business profiles. Sponsored Instagram ads
(paid boosted media) which appear on the target audience’s feeds, will be posted
throughout the campaign. If the ad is clicked on, it will redirect the user to the JMU
website. With Instagram optimization features, the photo advertisement will appear
at least twice per week on each user’s feed. The photo displayed in the ad will be
changed every month to decrease wearout. The measurement of post-click
conversions (lookback window is 30 days) and post-view conversions is attainable
with Instagram analytics, which tracks the activity of sponsored posts. It provides
data on ad clicks, ad interaction rate, and visits to the JMU website. A Snapchat
geofilter (paid media) that is accessible to Snapchat users in the Greater Richmond
area will be created. The geofilter will say, “Proud to be a Duke”. The Snapchat
filter acts on the primary motivation that drives COBRAs of remuneration. It will
be available on Snapchat from January - April for Years 1 and 2 because this is the
time of the year when students make their college decisions and when the next year
of applicants are touring JMU. It will build the JMU brand image along with
increasing customer identification with JMU.

Budget:
● Percentage of Total Budget:
○ 8% of $250,000: $20,000 for Year 1
○ 6% of $250,000: $15,000 for Year 2

39
 ● By Medium:
○ Year 1
■ Internet Social Media: 25% of $20,000: $5,000
■ Mobile Social Media: 75% of $20,000: $15,000
○ Year 2
■ Desktop/Laptop Social Media: 25% of $15,000: $3,750
■ Mobile Social Media: 75% of $15,000: $11,250
● By Media Vehicle:
○ Year 1
■ Facebook: $5,000
■ Instagram: $6,000
■ Twitter: $2,000
■ Snapchat: $2,000
■ Youtube: $5,000
○ Year 2
■ Facebook: $2,625
■ Instagram: $4,500
■ Twitter: $1,500
■ Snapchat: $3,750
■ Youtube: $2,625

Rationale:
75% of the social media budget is being allocated toward mobile social
media because of the decline in the number of desktop/laptop social media users
over the last 3 years. According to eMarketer.com, the number of desktop/laptop
social media users has decreased by 8.4 million since 2017 and the number of
mobile social media users has been rapidly increasing. Mobile social media users
have skyrocketed from 2017 to 2020, with a 24.2 million increase in users.
Instagram and Snapchat will receive the most funding because they are the most
used social media platforms among 18-24 year olds in the United States.
According to pewresearch.org, 73% of U.S. 18-24 year olds use Snapchat and 75%

40
use Instagram. Youtube is used by about 2% more Americans in the 25-29 age
range, however 90% of Americans in the 18-24 age range still use this platform.
18-24 year old Americans also use Facebook less than 25-29 year olds and 30-49
year olds, nevertheless 76% of the 18-24 year old group still uses Facebook.
Twitter is only used by 44% of Americans from ages 18-24, so the media efforts
for this platform will receive the smallest amount of funding. With 8% of the total
budget in Year 1 and 6% of the total budget in Year 2, the social media advertising
plan aims to increase followers and interaction from the target market through
consistent posting of engaging content on the JMU accounts. By increasing the
activity on each of JMU’s social media vehicles (paid and unpaid media), users
from the target market will be more inclined to like, comment, and share posts
along with following/subscribing to the JMU accounts so that they are kept
up-to-date with all posts. The target market is very invested in their social media
accounts, so increasing followers and interaction from the target market will serve
as a constant reminder of JMU. The plan will also include sponsored Instagram ads
(paid media) to increase traffic on the JMU website from the target market. The
website will then provide the target market with more information about JMU,
including application instructions.

Social Media Executions:​ ​Youtube Video & Twitter Post

41
Public Relations and Publicity Recommendations:

Objectives:
● To increase awareness of JMU as a reputable school and an inclusive
community by 30% in the Greater Richmond Area
● To increase perception of JMU as a home among potential student’s from
the Greater Richmond Area’s acceptance by 20%.
● To increase knowledge about JMU and its available opportunities by 20%
among the target audience

Strategies:
● To increase the target market’s awareness of JMU as a reputable school and
inclusive community there will be boosted posts on Facebook, Instagram,
and Twitter showing student testimonials and JMU accolades will be used.
● Post JMU student rebound stories to Facebook and Instagram
● Host live student Q&A sessions on Facebook and Instagram with students
and faculty members with the knowledge necessary to answer student
questions.

Budget:
● Percentage of Total Budget:
○ 4% of $250,000: $10,000 in Year 1
○ 6% of $250,000: $15,000 in Year 2
● By Medium:
○ Year 1
■ Boosted Social Media: $10,000
○ Year 2
■ Boosted Social Media: $15,000
● By Media Vehicle:
○ Year 1

42
 ■ Facebook: $5,000
■ Instagram: $5,000
○ Year 2
■ Facebook: $7,500
■ Instagram: $7,500

Rationale:
● When students see the posts outlining JMU’s accolades (e.g. JMU’s College
of Business being ranked in the top 50 in the nation), that increases their
awareness of JMU as a reputable school, and when they see student
testimonials, that will build their awareness of JMU as an inclusive
community. Showing stories of student’s rebound stories will show that
JMU comes together as a community to help students when they most need
it which in turn will help students begin to perceive JMU as a potential home
for them. Finally hosting live Q&A sessions with students and faculty
members gives students a more in depth look at JMU, but it also builds a
sense of community and acceptance of JMU as a home, because of the time
taken by the students and faculty to answer questions and interact live.

Public Relations and Publicity Executions:

43
Personal Selling Recommendations:

Objectives:
● To increase interest in JMU and obtain at least 10 campus tour sign-ups after
each presentation at local high schools.
● To increase the number of potential students from the Greater Richmond
Region taking tours of the JMU campus by 20% in Year 1.

Strategy:
● Recruiters and Student Ambassadors (SAs) who are from the Greater
Richmond Region will visit high schools in the area. They will give a
presentation with stories, virtual reality tours, and demonstrate benefits that
students will receive by attending JMU. JMU Student Ambassadors will be
able to talk about their personal experiences, on-campus and off-campus life,
as well as the esteem of JMU. They will also speak about JMU students that
have succeeded in the workforce and the internships students have acquired.
● Following the presentation, the recruiter or SA will distribute JMU stickers
and allow those from the audience to sign up for a tour of the JMU campus.
The student ambassadors will offer discounted football tickets, as part of the
sales promotion recommendations, to potential students who sign up for a
JMU campus tour.

Budget:
● Percentage of Total Budget:
○ 8% of the $250,000 budget: $20,000 for Years 1 and 2
● By Medium:
○ Personal Selling Presentations: $20,000
● By Media Vehicle:
○ JMU Student Ambassadors/Recruiters: $20,000

44
Rationale:
● Sending JMU Student Ambassadors and recruiters to highschools
demonstrates and creates a personal experience for potential students. By
sending SAs that are from this region, it enables the audience to identify
with the presenter. It provides potential students with the idea that the
student ambassador has been in their shoes before. High school students will
be able to feel that JMU actually cares about their application and possible
enrollment to the university. These students will be able to converse with
JMU SAs and recruiters about the college experience and build personal
relationships with them. The personal experience will help potential students
to associate a friendly face and sense of home with JMU. The emotional
response from the audience will help to generate interest in JMU and
motivate them to sign-up for a campus tour. The discounted football ticket
offer will incentivize campus tour sign-ups and provide the extra push for
audience members who are “on the fence” about signing up.

45
Media Flowchart

46
 Budget Breakdown and Summary

Budget Breakdown:

Budget Summary:
The total amount of money to be allocated to this campaign over the course of two
years is $500,000 which will be divided equally between the two years. Of the
$250,000 allocated to year one, $65,000 will be spent on advertising, $10,000 will
be allocated to local radio, $45,000 will be allocated to local news stations, and
$10,000 will be allocated towards print flyers. $20,000 will be allocated towards
sales promotion, and within that $5,000 will be allocated towards direct mail
(through USPS), and $15,000 will be allocated towards emails. A total of $30,000
will be allocated towards direct marketing, where $15,000 will be for direct mail

47
(through USPS), and $15,000 will be for emails. A total of $60,000 will be
allocated to digital/internet marketing, whereby $40,000 will be for interactive
chats, and $20,000 will be for platforms such as Youtube, Google Analytics, and
the purchase of banner ads. $20,000 will be allocated to social media marketing,
whereby $5,000 will be allocated to desktop social media (i.e. Facebook,
Instagram, etc.), and $15,000 will be allocated to mobile social media (i.e.
Snapchat, Youtube, etc.). For public relations activities, $10,000 will be allocated
to platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. In personal selling, $20,000 will be
allocated to the sales representatives. $15,000 will be allocated to corporate
advertising in the form of event sponsorships. $5,000 will be allocated towards the
use of out-of-home marketing such as digital billboards. Finally, $5,000 will be
allocated to the measurement and evaluation of the effectiveness of the campaign.
$250,000 will be allocated to year two of the campaign. The only changes to the
distribution of the funds are as follows: $15,000 will be allocated to social media,
$15,000 will be allocated to public relations, and $20,000 will be allocated to
corporate advertising.

Measurement and Evaluation

The overall measurement and evaluation of the IMC campaign will be executed
through tracking, compiling, and analyzing data from the target market. Online
attitude surveys will also be implemented in the beginning, throughout, and at the
end of the campaign. The surveys will allow tracking of the target market’s
awareness of JMU and attitudes toward JMU over the course of the campaign.

Marketing Goals:​ Marketing goals and the overall effectiveness of the IMC
campaign will be measured by tracking the number of inquiries to the JMU website
and JMU phone number from the Greater Richmond Region in Year 1. The data
will be compared to the number of inquiries from the previous year to obtain the

48
percent increase. The number of applications and the number of students that enroll
from the Greater Richmond Region in Year 2 of the campaign will be recorded.
This data can then be compared to data from the previous year to reveal the percent
increase. These percent increases will show if marketing goals are reached.

Print, TV, and Radio Advertising: ​TV commercial effectiveness will be

measured with C3 commercial ratings. The number of visitors to the JMU website
and their activity on the website will then be monitored after each commercial is
aired. The average quarter-hour rating will allow the estimated number of listeners
from the survey area population when JMU radio ads are played to be tracked. This
will demonstrate whether traffic on the application page of the JMU website
increases following radio ads. The effectiveness of print ads can be measured
through the increase in traffic on the JMU website following the distribution of
flyers and the placement of JMU ads in local newspapers.

Sales Promotion: ​The effectiveness of mail gifts can be measured through online
attitude surveys regarding JMU. The surveys will reveal if the distribution of mail
gifts increased awareness of JMU. Emails regarding application fee waivers by
signing up for a campus tour will be tracked by the number of redirects from the
link in the email to the tour sign-up page on the JMU website. The effectiveness of
discounted football tickets and bookstore coupons in creating preference for JMU
will be evident in the number of potential students who received these promotions
that go on to enroll in JMU.

Direct Marketing: ​Internet tracking effectiveness and direct marketing efforts can
be measured by the number of newly identified leads and prospects. The
effectiveness of direct mail and email can be gauged through the number of
inquiries (response rate) to the JMU website. Inquiries can be measured by the
number of clicks on the link to the JMU website embedded in emails and the
number of online searches for the link provided in direct mail. Quarterly newsletter
effectiveness will be measured by the number of receivers that search the link

49
online (a unique link to the JMU website will indicate search results from the
newsletter) and the number of receivers that reply via business response card.

Internet/Interactive Advertising: ​Search Engine Optimization effectiveness will

be measured by tracking organic website traffic on the JMU website from the
target market. Banner ads, search engine ads, and retargeting effectiveness can be
measured through the number of clicks and post-click conversions. The success of
the live website chat and virtual reality campus tour can be measured by the
bounce rate on JMU’s website along with the total time spent on the JMU website
from the target market.

Social Media: ​The effectiveness of Social Media efforts can be measured through
the interaction rates with the content (likes, shares, comments) and the number of
new followers/subscribers to JMU social media accounts from the target market.
Instagram ad effectiveness can be gauged through the number of clicks and
post-click conversions to the JMU website.

Public Relations and Publicity: ​The effectiveness of live Q&A sessions on

Instagram and Facebook can be measured by the number of people from the target
market attending and interacting in the sessions. The effectiveness of public
relations social media posts can be measured through interaction rates from the
target market across JMU’s social media accounts.

Personal Selling: ​The effectiveness of the recruiter’s sales presentations can be

measured by the number of potential students that sign up for campus tours after
each presentation.

50
 Conclusion
Pillar Advertising has created an Integrated Marketing Communications Plan for James
Madison University from July 1st, 2020 - June 30th, 2022. The campaign timeline is two
years long, however, the work completed will provide benefits to JMU for years to come.
One of JMU’s biggest strengths is its unique sense of community, which other
universities do not have. Many students realize this unique trait (JMU students and
non-JMU students alike), yet can’t quite put it into words - Pillar Advertising is doing
just that for JMU. James Madison University is a place where its students are given an
infinite amount of possibilities, offering a unique experience for each student. It is an
unforgettable place that many are proud to call home. The theme for this campaign is
“Choose your Place. Choose your Path. Choose JMU.”, which encourages students to
take hold of their future and make the most of their time at JMU. The primary target
market is high school juniors and seniors who are located in the Greater Richmond
Region and are curious about going to college. These students’ parents are also of
importance.

The primary objectives are to increase James Madison University’s overall inquiries,
applications, and most importantly, enrollment from the target market. The objectives of
Pillar’s IMC plan for JMU include increasing awareness of the JMU brand, increasing the
number of JMU tours taken, increasing the association of civic engagement and a sense
of community with JMU, obtaining 900 new customers, increasing the number of
inquiries to JMU through direct response advertising, and improving the perceived value
of a JMU degree. To fulfill these goals, Pillar will make the best use of existing
marketing outlets and platforms as well as implementing new ones. The success of the
campaign will be measured by the inquiries, applications, and enrollment numbers that
JMU receives throughout the implementation of the campaign. Website traffic, the
number of social media interactions, and surveys given to the target market will be used
to determine the effectiveness of the program.

Through this top-quality, specialized marketing campaign, James Madison University

will be provided with the most innovative and effective marketing solutions to grow the
JMU brand and reach every marketing goal for the next two years and beyond.

51
 Appendices
Appendix A - Advertising Deliverables: TV Commercial StoryBoards

52
Appendix B - Advertising Deliverables: Radio Advertisements

Ad Begins

Needledrop​: ​Inspiring music begins 1 second before voiceover begins

Voiceover: “Are you looking for a university that’ll provide you with a great degree, engaging
professors, state-of-the-art facilities, nationally ranked dining, a scenic campus, a powerhouse
football team, and your lifelong best friends?”

New Voiceover with a different voice: “Well then, look no further than James Madison
University. JMU is located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley in Harrisonburg, Virginia. We
offer award-winning programs across many majors and would love for you to find your home
here. Choose your place. Choose your path. Choose JMU.”

Audio Insert: J-M-U! Duuuuuukkesssss

Ad Ends

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 Item Description

Gender Male & female

Length 30 seconds

Target Demographic High school students

Character / Narrator Male & female

Vocal Direction Excited and direct

Suggested Music Upbeat Needledrop

Suggested Sound Effects J-M-U! Duuuuuuukkessss

Ad Begins

Needle Drop: A tune that is unique to this specific ad - an upbeat, fun song - will play during
voiceover.

Voiceover: “James Madison University is more than just a place of higher education. It’s where I
found my place, my purpose, and my best friends. I’m never bored! From professional
organizations to intramurals to hiking on the weekends, there is always something to do. Sign up
to come visit us for a tour and see what it’s all about.”

Sound Effect: JMU Marching Band

Voiceover: “Choose your place. Choose your path. Choose JMU! J-M-U Duuuuuukes!”

Ad Ends

Item Description

Gender Male

Length 30 seconds

Target Demographic High School Students in Richmond, Virginia

Character / Narrator Young/cool sounding voice, college student

Vocal Direction Hyped, excited, enthusiastic

Suggested Music JMU Marching Band playing upbeat song

Suggested Sound Effects J-M-U Duuuuukes

54
Ad Begins

Needledrop: Music slowly comes in 1 second before the voice over.

Voice over: “Uncertainty… The uneasy feeling of not knowing what’s next. What if I don’t like
it? What if I don’t have any friends? So many big choices to make and it feels like it’s all
happening so fast. What if you’re not ready? But imagine (Enthusiastic Motivational music
slowly comes in the background and begins to build). Imagine getting it right the first time.
Imagine finding your home (Music is at its peak now), a place where you belong (Music abruptly
ends). You’ve found all of that and so much more now that you’ve found JMU. Choose your
place. Choose your path. Choose JMU. Go to​ ​www.jmu.edu​ and choose your path. Go Dukes!”

Ad Ends

Item Description

Gender Male

Length :30

Target Demographic Female High School Juniors and Seniors

Character / Narrator Storyteller, Motivational Speaker

Vocal Direction Inspiring, encouraging, warm

Suggested Music Enthusiastic/Motivational Instrumental

Suggested Sound Effects Music

Appendix C - Advertising Deliverables: Print Advertisements

55
Appendix D - Sales Promotion Deliverables:

Email:

56
 Direct Mail:

Appendix E - Direct Marketing Deliverables:

Email:

57
 Personalized Postcards:

Appendix F - Internet/Interactive Deliverables:

Banner Ads/Pop-Ups:

58
 Inside Virtual Reality:

Appendix G - Social Media Deliverables:

Snapchat Geofilter: Sponsored Instagram Ad:

59
 Sponsored Facebook Ad:

“Join our family of Purple and Gold and find your home at
James Madison University!
#GoDukes #JMU #Home
#ChooseyourplaceChooseyourpathChooseJMU
https://www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/apply-online.shtml​”

Appendix H - Public Relations and Publicity Deliverables:

Facebook Testimonial:

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 Facebook Q&A: Instagram Testimonial:

Appendix I - Social Explorer Map:

● Household income greater than 75,000 is greater than 50% of households

● Family households is greater than 60% of households
● Population 25 years or older that have some college is greater than 40% of
25 year olds or older
● Population 3 years and over enrolled in school 9-12 is greater than 20% of
population 3 years or older enrolled in school

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