JILL GEHRING, JOHN LONGABERGER,

ALEX NEAL, CAMERON POTTER,

E M M Y S I LV E R M A N

P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
C A M PA I G N :
#WHYCOMMERCE
CINCINNATI
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S C A M PA I G N
C IN C IN N AT I C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Research

Key Findings

Publics

Goals & Objective

Key Message

Strategies

Tactics

9-10

Timeline

11-12

Budget

13

Evaluation

14

RESEARCH
Email surveys to upperclassmen undergraduate students.
This will allow us to gauge knowledge and interest in the Chamber of Commerce
for young professional students.
Interviews with experienced business owners about the benefit of the Chamber of
Commerce.
To learn about the current public opinion on the Chamber of Commerce from the
business owners.
To learn about the specific ways, the Chamber of Commerce has helped their
business grow.
Focus groups from a random sample of 22 to 35 year-old young professionals in order to
understand their opinions on the Chamber of Commerce.
To learn about the current public opinion of the Chamber of Commerce from the
young professionals.
To learn what young professionals would like to get out of a Chamber of
Commerce membership.
Door-to-door surveys to startup business owners.
To see how many startup business owners in the Greater Cincinnati Area are a
part of the Chamber of Commerce.
To gauge their knowledge of the Chamber of Commerce.

KEY FINDINGS
Email surveys to upperclassmen undergraduate students:
80% of upperclassmen undergraduate students are aware of the Chamber of
Commerce but 70% dont know what it does to its full extent.
When compared to people currently in the business world, upperclassmen college
students know about 30% less about the Chamber of Commerce.
Interviews with experienced business owners about the benefit of the Chamber of
Commerce:
96% of members find the Chamber of Commerce to be helpful for the growth of
their business.
Experienced business owners really enjoy the networking aspect of the Chamber
of Commerce.
Focus groups from a random sample of 22 to 35 year-old young professionals in order to
understand their opinions on the Chamber of Commerce:
45% do not fully understand what services are offered through the Chamber of
Commerce so they do not have positive or negative feelings.
87% said that they would be interested in going to a meeting to learn more about
the opportunity.
Door-to-door surveys to startup business owners to see if they are a part of the Chamber
of Commerce and to assess their knowledge of the Chamber of Commerce:
38% of business owners in the Greater Cincinnati Area are members of the
Chamber of Commerce.
75% of business owners know it exists and would be interested in attending a
meeting to learn more.

PUBLICS
Primary - Ages 22 to 35
Young Professionals
o Upperclassmen undergraduate students (junior and seniors) - graduate
students
o Recent graduates in the professional world
Experienced Business Owners
Startup Business Owners
Secondary
Educated, middle to upper-class residents in the Greater Cincinnati Area that are
older than 35 and experience our program.
Intervening
Anyone exposed to the media from third party groups releasing any information
about the Chamber of Commerce.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Our goal is to raise awareness of the services of the Chamber of Commerce among our
target demographic of 22 to 35 year-olds in the Greater Cincinnati Area by informing
them of its many benefits.
Our objective is to increase the awareness of the services and benefits provided by the
Chamber of Commerce by 20% among 22 to 35 year-olds in the Greater Cincinnati Area
at the conclusion of our two-year program.

KEY MESSAGE
The Chamber of Commerces main purpose is to help members succeed in their business
endeavors by allowing businesses the opportunity to grow, save money, network and
increase revenue, regardless of the stage of their business or professional career.

STRATEGIES
We plan to reach students and young professionals through social media and oncampus events in order to encourage them to stay in the Greater Cincinnati Area and join
the Chamber of Commerce.
We plan to increase the membership of experienced business owners through social
media and community events in order to encourage them to increase and grow their
network by joining the Chamber of Commerce.
We plan to reach startup business owners through social media and outreach programs
in order to bring awareness to the networking opportunities available by joining the
Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce.

TACTICS
1. #WhyCommerce
Hire a Hubspot Certified Social Media Consultant to run the #whycommerce
campaign.
Videos on social media to connect a face to the Chamber of Commerce.
Three for each public
Release one every three months on social media Facebook, LinkedIn, and
Twitter.
A member talks about how the Chamber of Commerce has helped them and why
they enjoy being a member.
Have members share the videos.
Facebook
Have Chamber of Commerce members make statuses about why they enjoy the
Chamber of Commerce using the hashtag #whycommerce.
Twitter
Have Chamber of Commerce members tweet about why they enjoy the Chamber
of Commerce with the hashtag #whycommerce.
2. Social Media
LinkedIn
Advertise events
Have Chamber of Commerce members note that they are in the Chamber of
Commerce and reach out to people in the area.
Release the videos
Facebook
Advertise events
Make a Facebook Event for each event and invite people.
#whycommerce statuses
Pay for Facebook advertising to target specific publics.
Release the videos
Invite people to Facebook Page
Twitter
Advertise events
#whycommerce tweets
Release the videos
3. Member Engagement Programs
9

Bring a friend to Chamber of Commerce meetings

Each Chamber of Commerce member who brings a friend gets the opportunity to
go to a social media help course taught by our Hubspot Certified Social Media
Consultant.
Once every four months
Wine Mixer - Bring your Friend
Rent out a bar for the event.
Once a year.
4. Community Outreach Programs
#WhyCommerce Walk

A 5k WALK (so people can talk about the Chamber of Commerce)

o Breakfast after in Cincinnati
o Raise money for foster homes
o Once a year

Businesses advertise that they are a part of the Chamber of Commerce

o In commercials and print ads
o Hang plaque in brick and mortars

Chamber of Commerce Business Fair at Colleges in the Greater Cincinnati Area

o Chamber of Commerce members only
o Once a semester

Company Tours
o Companies go to the Chamber of Commerce and meet with Chamber
leaders in various departments to learn about how the Chamber of
Commerce can help them.

Speakers
o Members of the Chamber of Commerce will speak to our publics
o Four for each public
o Once a semester at colleges
o Twice a year for the community

Sports Games Social Events

o Rent out Riverfront Club at a Reds game for friends and family of
Chamber of Commerce Members.
o Once a season

10

TIMELINE
July 1, 2016: Release 1st #whycommerce video geared toward students through
Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter
July 15, 2016: Rent out the Machine Room at a Reds game for friends and family
September 9, 2016: Bring a friend to the Friday Commerce meeting
October 1, 2016: Release 2nd #whycommerce video geared toward experienced business
owners through Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter
October 19, 2016: College Commerce Business Fair
November 15, 2016: Ralph S. "Mike" Michael III, President, Fifth Third Bank Greater
Cincinnati, Representative of 5/3 Bank speaks at Miami University
November 17, 2016: Ralph S. "Mike" Michael III, President, Fifth Third Bank Greater
Cincinnati, Representative of 5/3 Bank speaks at Sharonville Convention Center
January 1, 2017: Release 3rd #whycommerce video geared toward start up business
owners through Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter
January 6, 2017: Bring a friend to the Friday Commerce meeting (Bring a college
student for extra points)
March 15, 2017: College Commerce Business Fair
April 1, 2017: Release 4th #whycommerce video geared toward students through
Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter
April 11, 2017: Jessica C. Adelman, Group Vice President Corporate Affairs,
Representative of Kroger speaks at University of Cincinnati
April 13, 2017: Jessica C. Adelman, Group Vice President Corporate Affairs,
Representative of Kroger speaks at Duke Energy Center
May 5, 2017: Bring a friend to the Friday Commerce meeting
May 20, 2017: Why Commerce Walk (5k with breakfast/brunch/t-shirts included)
June 7, 2017: Happy Hour Wine Mixer Meeting

11

July 1, 2017: Release 5th #whycommerce video geared toward experienced business
owners through Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter
July 13, 2017: Rent out the Machine Room at a Reds game for friends and family
September 8, 2017: Bring a friend to the Friday Commerce meeting
October 1, 2017: Release 6th #whycommerce video geared toward start up business
owners through Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter
October 18, 2017: College Commerce Business Fair
November 14, 2017: Kay Geiger, President, PNC Bank, Cincinnati Northern Kentucky
speaks at Miami University.
November 16, 2017: Kay Geiger, President, PNC Bank, Cincinnati Northern Kentucky
speaks at Sharonville Convention Center.
January 1, 2018: Release 7th #whycommerce video geared toward students through
Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter
January 5, 2018: Bring a friend to the Friday Commerce meeting
March 14, 2018: College Commerce Business Fair
April 1, 2018: Release 8th #whycommerce video geared toward experienced business
owners through Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter
April 10, 2018: Mark D. Mumford, SVP & CFO, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical
Center speaks at University of Cincinnati.
April 12, 2018: Mark D. Mumford, SVP & CFO, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical
Center speaks at Duke Energy Center.
May 4, 2018: Bring a friend to the Friday Commerce meeting
May 19, 2018: Why Commerce Walk (5k with breakfast/brunch/t-shirts included)
June 6, 2018: Happy Hour Wine Mixer Meeting
June 30, 2018: Release 9th #whycommerce video geared toward start up business
owners through Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter

12

BUDGET

Events
College Business Fair
Speakers
Machine Room Reds
Sharonville and Duke Center
#WhyCommerce Walk
Happy Hour Wine Mixer
#WhyCommerce Videos

Advertising
Pamphlets
Fliers
Facebook Advertisements

Miscellaneous
Consultant

# of Units
4
8
2
4
2
2
9


4,000
4,000
26


1

13

Price Per Unit

$240.00
$2,000.00
$9,867.75
$21,542.00
$20,335.00
$10,500.00
$7,500.00


$1.99
$1.99
$30.00


$124,800.00

Total:

Subtotal
$960.00
$16,000.00
$19,735.50
$86,168.00
$40,670.00
$21,000.00
$67,500.00


$7,960.00
$7,960.00
$780.00


$124,800.00

$393,533.50

EVALUATION
As Public Relations practitioners we spent time after the completion of our plan to
measure the success of our campaign. The objective of our plan was to increase the
awareness of the services and benefits provided by the Chamber of Commerce by 20%
among 22 to 35 year-olds in the Greater Cincinnati Area at the completion of our twoyear program. We have evaluated the success of our campaign through social media
analytics and membership enrollment. These evaluations show an increase in
membership enrollment by 30% over the course of two years. The social media analytics
show a 50% increase in followers on Facebook and Twitter and a 40% increase in active
followers seen by reviewing the #whycommerce trend. Based off of these evaluations we
can conclude that we were successful in reaching our objective.

14