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Kevin Earl Portfolio Table of Contents Pages 24 Web writing 518 Writing 1932 Awardwinning PR Campaign 3340 Design 4145 Achievements and Recommendations

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This portfolio is a sampling of my work over the past few years including samples from internships, client work and college courses.

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Page 1: Kevin Earl\'s Portfolio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin Earl Portfolio 

       Table of Contents Pages   2‐4    Web writing 5‐18   Writing 19‐32  Award‐winning PR Campaign 33‐40  Design 41‐45  Achievements and Recommendations 

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Web Writing Samples 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples BYU Student Alumni Association Blog

As one of the Vice Presidents of Communications, one of my duties was to manage the blog including making assignments, collecting stories and writing posts. This is one of the posts I wrote.

Networking relationships, more than just transactions September 18, 2009

One of the most valuable skills for anybody, at any stage of life, working in just about any field is networking. Through this skill we have a wider reach to serve and to be served. With a strong network you can find a job, receive recommendations and be recommended, give advice, or just make someone’s day.

Many of us build networks through transactional means such as LinkedIn or collecting business cards. Chris Feinauer, president elect of the BYU Alumni Association, suggested in a recent Student Alumni training that we should build networks by building relationships. These networks will give you better support and be there when you need them most.

Feinauer gave ten best practices to follow to keep your network relationships strong.

1. Birthdays and Birthday Lunches: great way to stay connected showing you care and setting you apart from other

2. Notes- thank you, congrats or appreciation: take the time to make the relationship personal with a short, handwritten note

3. Christmas Cards: great way to stay in contact with people away from where you live 4. Professional Organizations: connects you to professional peers and opens lines of communications

you may not otherwise have 5. Community Involvement: by giving this passion-based service you show your true character and

that you care 6. Be Friendly and Gracious to Everyone: get past first looks and talk with everyone, be nice to

everyone, you want your family to have a good name 7. Have Charity: charity is better than 1,000 names on LinkedIn or Facebook, help everyone know

they have something to offer 8. Connect: be perspicacious, or aware of the world around you, lots of opportunities come in

unexpected ways 9. Be Bold: it is good to say what your heart says rather than what you think others expect you to say 10. Focus on Relationships and the Natural Consequence will be a Strong Network!

Good luck building your relationships and network. Share with us some of your best networking experiences.

Student Alumni will be hosting a networking dinner this semester on November 3.

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Web Sample Novell NewsBriefs  

 

I compiled the stories and wrote some stories, while an intern for Novell, for this weekly employee newsletter reaching over 4,000 worldwide.

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Writing Samples Including an example of a press release, an executive letter, a 

presentation script, several published news articles, a case study and an abstract 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I ghost wrote this letter to a Permanent Representative to the UN from Church executives. The letter was used with few changes made by the sending authorities.

Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples Internship with NYC office of LDS Public and International Affairs Executive Thank You Letter  

June 23, 2009 H.E. Mr. Yuriy Sergeyev Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations 220 East 51st Street New York, NY 10022 Dear Ambassador Sergeyen: It was a pleasure to have met with you last March in Salt Lake City. You may recall our plans to visit your country. In May we traveled to Kiev where we were impressed by the many people we met. Upon arriving at the construction site for our temple, we were warmly welcomed by a choir performing hymns and Ukrainian folksongs. Receiving the traditional gift of bread and salt was an unexpected honor for us. We are excited for the completion of the temple and know it will bless the people and country of Ukraine. We were moved by our visit to the Kiev Automated Diagnostical Center. We hope that our donation of advanced medical equipment will continue the facility’s mission to serve low-income and at-risk families. We had a wonderful experience in Ukraine and thank you and your country for the hospitality shown to us. We look forward to future opportunities to visit and serve the Ukrainian people. Sincerely, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Elder Neil L. Andersen  

 

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples Internship with NYC office of LDS Public and International Affairs Case Study: Building a Relationship with a Pastor The Case:

Members of a key city public affairs council in the United States sought for ways to more effectively interact with the city’s population. Council members and their priesthood leaders were inspired to host a luncheon where Church resources for researching family history were discussed. One invitation was extended to the pastor of a large downtown congregation. This led to a series of positive interactions and the establishment of a fast friendship between the pastor and various Church members, including priesthood leaders. Because of his great interest in family history, arrangements were made to establish a family history center in his church.

This case study was written as a supplement to our public affairs training program for volunteer public affairs representatives in units of the LDS Church in the tri-state area. The case is paraphrased from resources on the Church’s Web site. The analysis is original to this document.

One Christmas morning, the pastor’s church suffered a devastating fire and burned completely. The public affairs council made arrangements for him to use temporary office space at a nearby stake center. A supply of family history equipment and other resources were donated as well to help re-establish his church’s family history center.

He has become a vocal supporter of the Church and has done many things “behind the scenes” to benefit numerous Church members and people of all faiths. He remains a great friend of the Church. Analysis: This case shows an effective execution of the three-step planning process. The public affairs council first identified the ‘what’ of their plan – to more effectively interact with the city’s citizens. They had a specific objective that they wanted to accomplish. Next they chose a key opinion leader as the ‘who’ to help them reach their objective – a pastor of a large congregation in the area. The council then set about with the ‘how’ to build a strong and lasting relationship with this key opinion leader – invite him to a family history luncheon hosted by the church. They created a plan that included events and other interactions to build their relationship. Because of this relationship the pastor is a good friend of the church and priesthood leaders. This relationship led to the creation of a family history center and eventually to an opportunity to give service to the pastor and community when he and his congregation were in need. Because of this well executed plan and a real relationship with a key opinion leader, the church in the area has a friend they can rely on if negative opinion buffets the church or the church and its members stand in need of service. In the end, this relationship also helped the public affairs council reach its objective to more effectively interact with the their city. This relationship will promote a healthy and good image of the church, facilitate missionary work and benefit the local community.

This is the type of success that public affairs councils should seek on the local level. However, some relationships may be more formal and require different standards and strategies for effectiveness. While creating your plan be sure to consider the type of relationship desired and the protocol that may exist in the creation of this relationship. Always prayerfully consider the most effective ways to reach out and always, as in this case, follow the inspired direction of your priesthood leaders.

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This script is from a presentation for UN Ambassadors from Jordan, Czech Republic and Bulgaria. A PowerPoint presentation was created to supplement the presentation. The purpose of the presentation was to give these dignitaries a better picture of the church’s activities in general and specifically in their home countries.

 

Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples Internship with NYC office of LDS Public and International Affairs Presentation Script

(Rebecca does first half)

• In addition to the thousands of young missionaries of the Church, many couples choose to serve as humanitarian missionaries, like those who Nedal and his family met in Jordan. They serve throughout the world offering hope and sustainability to millions through various projects and initiatives.

• In 2008, the Church distributed over sixty thousand tons of food, twelve thousand tons of medical supplies, eighty-four thousand tons of clothes, and almost six thousand tons of educational supplies in over 167 countries.

• The Church oversees this humanitarian work with three organizations. You may recognize this logo from yellow shirts and vests that are worn by members during disaster clean up and large projects throughout the world.

• The Relief Society focuses on more local projects. It is the largest women’s organization in the world and helps women learn skills to be better mothers and contributors in society.

• Now, I want to share a few examples of the Church’s humanitarian efforts in your countries. • One project very unique to Jordan is a goat distribution program. Families are given pregnant

goats for food production. Also, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, classes are taught in how to properly treat the goats’ milk so it is safe to drink.

• Another initiative that is carried out around the world is English and career training. Oftentimes young missionaries will teach English in the places they are serving. This will not just help the students learn a second language but also gain or practice a very valuable skill in our global economy. In some countries career training is also offered by employment centers where people can receiving resume critiques, learning basic office skills and, as seen here in Jordan, interview coaching.

• As I mentioned, the Church donated over twelve thousand tons of medical supplies last year, like these pictures show in Bulgaria. The equipment covers everything from diagnostic, lab and care supplies to tools used by doctors to perform procedures like with these future dentists. (17th Policlinic Consultation Center in Sofia & the King Ferdinand specialized hospital in Iskrets)

• Along with the supplies the church has a world-wide effort to train nurses, hospital staff and doctors in neo-natal resuscitation like here in Jordan. The World Health Organization says that nearly 1 million babies die each year, many because of breathing problems. The Church hopes that with proper training and minimal equipment that many of these deaths can be avoided.

• Another world-wide initiative is wheelchair distribution. Over fifty thousand wheelchairs were donated in 2008 to help people become more independent, allowing many to be able to leave their homes and seek employment and contribute to their communities. In some places, like Jordan, ramps were also constructed to help those who received the wheelchairs be more mobile.

• In 2008, the Church responded to over 120 natural disasters or emergencies giving food, water, clothing, hygiene kits and man power to clean up as was the case in the Czech Republic during and after the floods of 1997 and 2002. Missionaries and members worked side-by-side with their communities to help clean up and get people back on their feet. They brought hope to those who had lost everything or could not clean up on their own.

• We would like to thank you for letting us be in your countries to strengthen families and young people as well as bring hope to thousands in your home countries so they can be contributing and happy members of the community. 

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Note: This news release was written for the BYU Student Alumni Association as an assignment for Comms 421: PR Writing and Production. In this class we prepared PR tactics for a real client. My client was the BYU Student Alumni Association for which I later served as the Vice President of Communications.

 

Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples Student Alumni News Release NEWS RELEASE Contact: Curtis Isaak 801-422-7621 [email protected]

A New Tradition Promotes Participation in Old Traditions

PROVO, Utah, Feb. 4, 2009 - Students at Brigham Young University will have a new

way to get involved and document their participation in time-honored traditions through the

publication of the Y Book. This book will encourage students to be a part of activities on and off

campus.

The Y Book will give a brief history of the university and its traditions. When students

participate in the activities, they can create their own year book by putting pictures of themselves

on the traditions pages.

“We hope this book will last for ages and become a tradition itself,” said Mark Boothe,

Student Alumni Association VP of Communications. “Students will be able to look back as

alumni at the many great experiences BYU offered them and see how much fun they had when

they got involved.”

Some traditions included in the book are similar to other school’s traditions like learning

the fight song, attending a football game or visiting a campus museum.

More importantly, the Y Book encourages students to be a part of experiences that are

unique to BYU such as “True Blue Football,” an event where students walk away looking like

-More-

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Smurfs; “Hike and Light the Y,” when students can hike to the Y on the mountain and light it up

for homecoming week; or eating the famous BYU Bookstore fudge.

By getting more students involved, the Student Alumni Association hopes to fulfill its

mission by preparing students to become successful, contributing alumni.

“I still think back to my involvement as a student at BYU and how it made my education

so much more exciting,” said Curtis Isaak, advisor for the Student Alumni Association. “By

getting involved in university and community activities, students can gain a greater appreciation

for their time at BYU and hopefully be willing to give back.”

Each year freshman will receive the book and at new student orientation. Students can fill

out the book throughout their time at BYU and finish with their graduation.

BYU is not the first school to have a traditions book. The Student Alumni Association

patterned the Y Book after the University of Florida’s F Book and the University of Utah’s U

Book. The University of Cincinnati also has the Red and Black book.

The BYU Student Alumni Association was founded in 1983 to help students become

responsible alumni when they graduate. Today the Student Alumni Association encourages

professional development through various activities and programs that promote “the spirit of the

Y.”

# # #

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples The Daily Universe  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a public relations student at Brigham Young University I was required to write for The Daily Universe, the on-campus daily newspaper, for one semester. The newspaper has a circulation of over 18,000 and the paper’s website sees over 300,000 visitors a month. My beat covered the J. Reuben Clark Law School and BYU Religious Education. I also wrote a series of travel stories about places students could visit with limited time and money.

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples The Daily Universe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples The Daily Universe  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples The Daily Universe  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples Introduction to News Writing Comms 211  

28 September 2007 Communications 211

12-foot Python Eats Boy’s Foot

By Kevin Earl A 12-foot python in Provo wasn’t satisfied yesterday morning after eating a rabbit so it started eating its owner’s foot. Alex Henry, 9, was home alone near 845 N. 1200 W. while feeding his pet python, one of his many exotic pets, when the snake attacked leaving Alex with minor puncture wounds and an experience traumatic enough to give almost anyone a fear of snakes. After responding to calls from the neighbors who heard Alex yelling for help, paramedics found the snake wrapped around Alex’s leg with his whole foot in its mouth. “Alex was trying to unwrap [the snake] when we walked into his room,” said Roger Carraway, a ten-year fire department veteran and first paramedic on the scene. After two firefighters pried the snake’s jaws open Alex was able to remove his leg. Alex has many exotic animals including two other snakes, a scorpion, an iguana, and two tarantulas that he apparently plays with often said Bob Caldon, University Avenue Station chief. “I cited the boy’s mother for keeping exotic creatures without a permit,” said Bill Clayton, a Provo animal control officer. “But we’re going to let the family keep the brood if they agree to obtain the proper permits.” In title 8 of the Provo city code, snakes and other reptiles are not included under the definition of a pet, making it illegal to have such animals without a permit even though not all local pet stores make this information known to their customers.  

 

 

 

 

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples Introduction to PR Comms 235  

Kevin Earl 27 October 2007 Communications 235

Abstract 2: Ethics Education and Training

Internal Ethics and the Crisis Communications Machinery. "PR News Crisis and Legal PR Bulletin." 2007. PR News Online. Retrieved 3 October 2007 <http://prnewsonline.com/legalpr/News_InternalEthics>.

According to a report recently published report by The International Association of Business Communications (IABC) on internal corporate ethics from around the world, there is a problem with ethics in internal corporate communications. Though the results of IABC’s report are dismal there is still hope for the professions of communications in how they relate to ethics. The issue is that the majority of companies surveyed lacked in the area of trainings and education. Most of the polled professionals agree that ethics are essential to making decisions at the executive level. They agree that communications practitioners have a responsibility to help management deliberate when ethical issues are involved. Unfortunately, most of the survey participants recognized the missing training and realized that most companies only addressed their ethics policies in their company handbooks with no formal overview. Dr. Dewi Morgan, author of a new publication, “Staying Honest in a 24/7 Media Environment”, mentions that many times the dissemination of information to key publics often reflects that ethics standard of a company. “Their words are merely a reflection of the culture where they operate. If the ethical culture within that corporation prefers ‘spin’ to honesty, then the messaging will be warped. And if this takes place during the crisis communication process, it can be seen as blatantly dishonest,” Morgan wrote. Though this type of response to ethics often gives public relations a bad name, perhaps it is not the root of the problem. The IABC also found that the majority of PR professionals did not have a basic education in ethics before they entered the workforce. Very few of the survey respondents studied ethics extensively with one or more courses and only a few more touched on the subject while attending school. If education is the root of the issue then this is where the problem should begin to be fixed but in the mean time it is important to realize as Dr. Morgan says, “Awareness that a problem exists is an encouraging first step, of course. But unless the corporate communications officer is willing to fight the good fight on behalf of ethics, he or she will be stuck at that first step.”  

 

 

 

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples Central Utah Gardens – Comms 485  Note: As the culmination to my BYU education, my capstone class had us, as small groups, design a full public relations campaign for a paying client based on primary and secondary research. Our client was Central Utah Gardens, a water conservation garden in Utah Valley.  The following is the executive summary I wrote for my group’s campaign. I wrote many of the main sections for this client book and designed and compiled the book itself using Adobe InDesign. The complete client book containing the research summary, full communications plan and 20 tactics can be seen via my LinkedIn profile through my SlideShare application.     Introduction Central Utah Gardens aims to conserve water by educating local residents about water‐wise landscaping. Despite many of CUG’s strengths, such as its educated staff and family‐friendly facilities, it has struggled to attract as many visitors it would like. Many factors, such as a small staff and budget, have limited CUG’s ability to raise awareness of the need to conserve water in order to prevent a severe water shortage in the future. This book contains our research and strategic communications plan to stretch CUG’s resources and influence by targeting strategica ly chosen audiences and making water conservation education a community effort.  l Research Through primary and secondary research we found that the biggest obstacle CUG faces is that residents of Utah County are unaware and under‐educated about Utah’s dwindling water supply. Local residents harbor negative perceptions of the term xeriscaping, which prevents them from wanting to learn about it. Those who attend the Gardens struggle to find the appropriate plants at local nurseries. However, research also suggests that many resources and opportunities are available to CUG. In particular, we found that owners of local nurseries are interested in developing mutually beneficial relationships with the Gardens. By taking advantage of available resources and willing publics, CUG can reach more than just the targeted publics.   Campaign Based on our research, we have created a strategic public relations campaign that will be implemented over the next year in three phases: tactics to be implemented by September 2010, tactics to be implemented by the end of 2010, and tactics to be implemented by April 2011. To achieve our ultimate goal of increasing visitor attendance at the Gardens, we have included objectives that are both ambitious and attainable for each phase.   Key Publics and Messages After researching a variety of publics, we chose to focus on the following six in our campaign: UVU students, home owners over the age of 55, nursery owners, mothers with preschool age children, landscapers, and elementary school administrators. In order to convey the central message of the Gardens we created the tag line, “Learn to conserve—every drop counts.” To help us consistently emphasize this message throughout our campaign, we have developed a message for each key public based on this tag line. They are: 

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     UVU students: Learn to conserve—it’s your future. Home owners over the age of 55: Learn to conserve—be an example. Nursery owners: Learn to conserve—be the difference. Mothers with preschool age children: Learn to conserve—make it fun. Landscapers: Learn to conserve—create opportunities. Elementary  chool administrators: Learn to conserve—inspire a generation. s Conclusion We believe that through creating and maintaining relationships with these strategically selected publics, CUG will have a great impact. The tactics we have suggested and developed use a variety of media including personal contact, print media and social media to help foster these relationships and reiterate our message. By implementing these tactics and focusing on these key publics, CUG will be able to garner new support and maximize its influence in Utah County.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Award‐winning PR Campaign 

 

Includes a general plan with goals, objectives, and key publics, event outlines, a campaign timeline, and a press release 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Writing Samples Utah PR Student of the Year 2007 2nd Place Entry

       

Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan 

 By Kevin Earl 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: I designed this campaign and participated in the Utah Student of the Year competition before I

applied to the communications major and PR emphasis at BYU. I received 2nd place.

 

 

 

 

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Table of Contents   Introduction                      3  Executive Summary                    4  Plan Outline                      5  Special Events 

Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary                6  

Happy Birthday Andy                 7  Public Appearances                    8  Special Promotions/ Print Materials/ New Media            9  Measurement and Evaluation                10  Campaign Timeline                    11‐12  Sample Happy Birthday Andy press release             13 

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Introduction  Tracy Aviary is one of Utah’s best hidden treasures. It boasts a wonderful heritage and mission. As a future public relations major at Brigham Young University, I chose to enter the Utah PR Student of the Year competition.  After reading the rules, regulations and guidelines, I did some primary research on the aviary including a tour of the aviary with Bobbi Lewan, former guest experience manager. Julie Brown, Tracy Aviary’s former community relations director, was also able to answer many of my questions over email about the Aviary. It was exciting to learn of all the opportunities for guests during the winter at Tracy Aviary. After research, the enclosed plan was created to meet the goals of the competition and of Tracy Aviary.  Accompanying this letter are a public relations plan, timeline and press release regarding Andy the condor’s birthday celebration in January.   Please consider this plan for future implementation at Tracy Aviary. I have completed it in hopes of receiving an internship to further my PR education and experience. I plan to graduate in 2010 under the capable mentorship of knowledgeable professors and advisors including Susan Walton. For further information about this plan you can reach me by email at [email protected] or by phone at 469‐583‐6207.                      

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Executive Summary  Tracy Aviary is a private non‐profit organization that is currently seeking to attract new patrons as well as fulfill their mission statement; “Tracy Aviary fosters caring for the natural world, enriching and transforming lives through our connection with birds.” Through an innovative public relations plan I hope to illustrate an energetic plan including special events, public appearances, media relations and special promotions that will draw the current demographic to the aviary as well as reach out to new target audiences.   Tracy Aviary already has a wonderful facility and programming department. The programs they offer are in tune with the mission statement and reach to a wide audience. These programs include bird shows, movie nights, daily pelican feeding and environmental educational tours. My plan will provide ways for the aviary to inform their publics of the programs already available as well as provide special events that will encourage new visitors.   The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is one of the leading organizations for zoos, aquariums and other animal facilities around the country. With full AZA accreditation Tracy Aviary will be more attractive to many people because it means they meet a minimum standard of excellence that is expected in the animal husbandry industry. Tracy Aviary has had AZA accreditation in the past and has an acting plan to receive the accreditation in the near future. The accreditation process will be accelerated with more people visiting and more people contributing. This plan will increase the attendance of the aviary as well as bring potential benefactors that would help the aviary reach the accreditation much sooner than now planned.  This plan will accomplish the desired goals of Tracy Aviary through a series of PR strategies and tactics thus increasing attendance and the size of the aviary audience.                   

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Plan Outline  Summary Analysis: Tracy Aviary is currently in the reaccreditation process for Association of Zoos and Aquariums membership and thus needs to increase attendance and funding. Increased attendance will increase funding from public and private sources letting the aviary make the necessary adjustments to receive the AZA accreditation which will also raise awareness and attendance because of association. With accreditation and increased attendance Tracy Aviary will better be able to achieve their mission statement as found on their website; “Tracy Aviary fosters caring for the natural world, enriching and transforming lives through our connection with birds.” Through a well executed and innovative public relations plan Tracy Aviary will better be able to achieve their mission by reaching a larger audience and increase avian, environmental and community awareness.  

Objectives: We will: 

• Increase winter attendance by 13,000 people, from 17,000 last winter, through more awareness of winter programming (previous winter attendance number from competition literature) 

o This also raises last year’s attendance from 64,000 visitors to between 75,000 and 100,000 visitors (last year’s attendance number from Julie Brown) 

• Throw a successful birthday party event for Andy the Condor with a goal to raise $10,000 to further work at the aviary 

 

Strategies: • We will increase awareness through: 

o Distribution of print materials o Public appearances o Special events o Promotions o New media 

• All of the strategies will focus on winter birds, “snowbirds”, and Andy the Condor  

Key Audiences: Three main audiences will be targeted for this plan 

o Families with children ages 3‐12 (the current target audience of the aviary)  o Skiers and other winter sports participants (group willing to be out and about in 

the cold and involved in winter activities) o People interested in environmental issues such as solar energy and global 

warming (the aviary has a strong environmental education mission and program) • Other audiences targeted in plan include employees, members, public officials and news 

media  

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Special Events  Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary‐ This weeklong event focuses on local and visiting skiers, snowboarders and snow‐shoers. 

• Invite all skiers and snow‐shoers to bring their gear and snow‐shoe or cross‐country ski on tours through the aviary 

o This would require a short period of not shoveling certain walks or bringing in snow for the event 

o A potential route map follows this description • Kick‐off event for Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary would include the city and Liberty Park 

o Kick‐off is a race or walk around Liberty Park but is done on skis or snowshoes o With city’s help, create snow‐covered path o Entrance fees to the race would benefit the aviary and possibly another local 

charity or environmental issue o This event is directly linked to local ski resorts 

• Promote event at local ski resorts with appearances and flyers o Those with lift passes to local ski resorts would receive discounted admission to 

aviary for week‐long event o Work with resorts to include aviary as destination on resort shuttles for week 

and as a requested destination the whole year.  This event would not only bring more visitors to the aviary but would create a new audience by including the skiing community bringing not only out‐of‐towners to the aviary but locals as well. This event also utilizes the most popular tourist attraction of Utah’s winters as a PR and marketing tool. Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary also increases awareness of the birds that are still out and active in the winter including Andy the condor, red‐crowned cranes, pelicans, golden eagles, hawks, peacocks, flamingos, owls and many others.  

                

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Special Events  Happy Birthday Andy‐ This month‐long event series celebrates Tracy Aviary’s oldest resident as he turns 49 years old. 

o First, invitations for the month‐long event will be sent to all news media, aviary employees, aviary members, volunteers, Salt Lake Visitors’ Bureau, city, county and state officials and to other friends of the aviary 

o Weekend events for public for a month‐long celebration all January  A major event each weekend is the appearance of special guests 

including: • Jeff Corwin‐ Animal Planet’s “Jeff Corwin Experience” host • Bindi Irwin‐ Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin’s daughter and TV host • Pro or college mascots‐ Jazz Bear, Cosmo, Swoop • Big Bird 

These guests • Make public appearances on local talk shows to promote the 

aviary as well • Give forums or lectures • Visit with aviary visitors for photos and autographs 

o The culminating event for Andy’s birthday celebration is a formal fundraising dinner at the Chase Mill 

People may purchase individual places or whole tables at the dinner  The entertainment will be a special performance of the winter bird show, 

“Avian Idol” o Happy Birthday Andy will focus on the recovery efforts of condors world‐wide 

and what everyone can do to help them and other birds by being environmentally friendly and aware  

              

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Public Appearances  Public appearances are inexpensive and very effective methods to increase awareness of events and the aviary in general. Tracy Aviary will greatly benefit from public appearances that include live birds especially live birds that are active in the winter.  

• Community Council meetings in the greater Salt Lake area o Each neighborhood in the area is home to an active community council with 

monthly meetings o Get time on agendas to promote events and give short tips or thoughts on avian 

and environmental awareness  o If possible bring birds that people may see after or before the meetings 

• Travel to local elementary, junior high and high schools o Take birds to science classes or school assemblies on environmental awareness 

• During outdoor skating season, take birds to Gallivan Center ice rink o Tracy Aviary already has a mesh bird aviary on the site 

• Takes the birds and information to where the people are in the winter o Participate in Candlelight Christmas at This is the Place Heritage Park 

Their event runs all December with hundreds of guests each night  Show public the native Utah species that lived here even before the 

pioneers arrived • Participate in Zoo Lights at Utah’s Hogle Zoo with live birds  • If falcons are still at nest in downtown aviary, birders will volunteer downtown to tell 

people of the falcons and Tracy Aviary’s large collection of raptors as well as the winter events at the aviary 

                 

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Special Promotions/ Print Materials/ New Media  

Special Promotions Special promotions should be carried out through many different outlets to reach special target audiences. These promotions should include Tracy Aviary’s reciprocal partners such as the Hogle Zoo and Living Planet Aquarium. New reciprocal partners could also be introduced such as This is the Place Heritage Park. Alternative outlets for promotions should include local ski resorts. 

• Current reciprocal partners o During special appearances distribute special coupons and passes 

Free admission  Free pelican feeding sessions 

o Offer discounts for members of reciprocal partners as already in place • New reciprocal partners same as above • Ski resorts  

o Give special discounts with current lift pass o During special appearances give out other special coupons     

 

Print Materials • Print material will spread the accurate official word of the aviary to targeted publics and 

be able to reach more people than other methods can. • Prior to Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary and Happy Birthday Andy (attached is a press release 

for this event) press releases will be sent to all news media outlets on Wasatch front with photos and videos 

• Letters and press releases will also be sent to community councils  o These letters will request the dates be placed on community calendars and in 

newsletters o Letters may also provide eco‐friendly tips and avian information as a community 

service • A new brochure will be placed at local tourist attractions, visitors’ centers and the Salt 

Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau • A large search of the internet for all mentions of Tracy Aviary will be checked for 

accuracy and if inaccuracies are found requests will be made to correct the information o This is especially important with basics such as hours, admission and location 

 

Other Media • Update the website with accurate information about the winter season with calendar 

for full winter season and information on all the birds not just four • Start a blog available from the website on birds in general and specifically about the 

birds at the aviary and a blog on environmental issues including close to home issues like Salt Lake City’s green plan (both blog topics have large followings, be sure blogs are presented to community councils and other publics) 

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Measurement and Evaluation  

• During public appearances provide surveys about the aviary, bird knowledge and environmental knowledge to better determine programs and events at aviary for future programming 

• During events have random people surveyed about their experience • Check numbers to compare to goal (and how we exceeded it) • Send out surveys to random public in Salt Lake City to find out what messages they were 

exposed to and what they know about aviary as well as if they attended the aviary during the winter season and what their experience was 

• Measure increase in donations through time period to measure if it reached our goal                                

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Campaign Timeline  Immediately‐    

• Contact and secure celebrities for Happy Birthday Andy event • Begin working on website and blogs • Draft a new brochure that highlights winter season and could serve as a map as 

well at the aviary • Train all employees on how to conduct a public appearance  • Inform all employees of plans • Begin investigating safety issues for Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary event • Inform aviary members and contributors of the exciting winter season • Contact reciprocal partners about public appearances and promotions • Contact local ski resorts and begin working out arrangements for Snowbirds at 

Tracy Aviary event • Create guest list for Happy Birthday Andy event formal dinner 

 15 Nov 2007‐    Have first copy for new brochure and birthday party  

Invitations  

20 Nov 2007‐     Approve final copy for new brochure and invitations and send to printer so it will be ready for December public appearances 

 28 Nov 2007‐    Send out invitations for Happy Birthday Andy event  26 Nov 2007‐          Release a joint press release with reciprocal partners, new and old, about 

special appearances  December‐              Begin public appearances at Hogle Zoo, This is the Place Heritage Park 

and the Gallivan Center Ice Rink     Alternate appearances by weekend and day 

Zoo and Heritage Park are across the street and could be on same night Focus appearances on weekend nights when attendance is greatest 

  1 Dec 2007‐     Launch updated website and blogs   5 Dec 2007‐             Visit Greater Avenues Community Council Meeting (and other community 

council meetings during December)  28 Dec 2007‐    Send out press release for Happy Birthday Andy event 

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Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Campaign Timeline Continued   5 Jan 2008‐             Kick‐off event for Happy Birthday Andy event with special guest 

appearance 12 Jan 2008‐    Second special guest appearance  19 Jan 2008‐     Third special guest appearance  26 Jan 2008‐           Fourth special guest appearance and formal dinner party at the Chase 

Mill  29 Jan 2008‐           Happy Birthday Andy event follow‐up meeting and send out surveys to 

random aviary guests from January events  18 Feb 2008‐    Send out press release for Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary event  18‐22 Feb 2008‐     Public appearances at local ski resorts promoting Snowbirds at Tracy 

Aviary event  23 Feb 2008‐          Kick‐off event for Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary event, race around Liberty 

Park on skis   24 Feb‐1 Mar 2008‐   Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary event with daily tours for those  

on skis or snowshoes   

4 Mar 2008‐            Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary event follow‐up meeting and review surveys from those who participated 

              

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 Note: I wrote this press release before I had any PR classes or any training on writing press releases. 

Snowbirds at Tracy Aviary Tracy Aviary Winter Season Public Relations Plan Sample Happy Birthday Andy Press Release  

 Oldest Resident of Tracy Aviary Turns 49 

 Andy the condor sits atop his mountain in his enclosure watching over the affairs of Tracy Aviary. As the oldest resident of Tracy Aviary, turning 49 in January, Andy has been there through many changes and improvements and it is time he is honored for his faithful patronage to one of Utah’s greatest destinations.  To honor Andy, Tracy Aviary will hold a month‐long birthday celebration that will include fun activities for everyone with special celebrity guests. Special events will be held each weekend. These special events will include visits from favorite animal expert celebrities such as Animal Planet’s Jeff Corwin and the Crocodile Hunter’s daughter Bindi Irwin and visits from animal celebrities such as sports mascots like Swoop and Cosmo and other animal celebrities like Big Bird.   The month‐long festivities will conclude with a formal birthday dinner in the historic Chase Mill at the Aviary. The dinner will help raise funds in Andy’s memory to further the work of the Tracy Aviary. With the dinner, guests will also receive a special performance of the aviary’s winter bird show, Avian Idol.  Andy is one of over 100 species of birds found at Tracy Aviary. While visiting the aviary guests may experience kookaburras laughing, mallards playing, peacocks wandering, guinea hens calling and pink flamingos squawking. These birds come from all over the world and from our own backyard. The mission of the Aviary states: “Tracy Aviary fosters caring for the natural world, enriching and transforming lives through our connection with birds.” Through the careful husbandry of their birds, Tracy Aviary is able to achieve this mission and so much more.  For example, Andy is a beautiful bird that is very important to the world of condors not just the aviary. Andean condors live in South America in the Andes Mountains. These condors, like their cousin the California condor, were once endangered but through extensive recovery efforts have been rescued from extinction. The Andean condor has also been instrumental in the rehabilitation of the California condor by being test birds for potential release and nesting sites.  We invite everyone to come and join Tracy Aviary and friends celebrate a great hero and overseer of the Aviary, Andy the condor. For more information about Andy’s birthday celebration and Tracy Aviary call us at 801‐596‐8500 or visit us at www.tracyaviary.org.  

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Design Work  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Design Work BYU Student Alumni Association

Left: Poster placed around campus, on website and blog and for Facebook event Designed with Adobe InDesign Original: Tabloid and 2’X5’ banner without the small text Below: Two canned-food sculptures from the canned-food sculpture contest I organized to promote the annual BYU vs. Utah food drive. Thousands of people passed by and looked at the sculptures that were on display for a week in the student center. Many people stopped and took pictures. Around each sculpture, we placed food drive posters and donation bins. We know for sure that we raised an extra 500 pounds of food from the sculptures alone, and we hope much more because of the people who saw the sculptures. On the left is the winning sculpture created by the BYU AdLab making their own “I’m a Mac” “I’m a PC” statement with cans. On the right is the BYU Women’s Chorus sculpture in the shape of a dotted quarter note.

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Design Work BYU Student Alumni Association

This is a simple brochure I designed for the Student Alumni Association as a student volunteer before being chosen as Vice President of Communications for the organization. It is a tri-fold brochure. The top image is the inside of the brochure. The bottom image has the front and back panels. The brochures were set on the reception desk in the Alumni Center for interested parties to take with them.

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Design Work Central Utah Gardens

As the culmination to my BYU education, my capstone class had us, as groups, design a full public relations campaign for a paying client based on primary and secondary research. Our client was Central Utah Gardens, a water conservation garden in Utah Valley. These are examples of some of the tactics I produced as part of my group’s campaign. They are an activity book, coloring book and scavenger hunts to give to children who visit the gardens with their schools or families. Most of the graphics on the pages I created from scratch using design software. We were told by the client that the scavenger hunts could go to work immediately in the gardens. More examples of tactics created for this campaign can be seen in the complete campaign book via my LinkedIn profile using my SlideShare application. Designed with Adobe Illustrator and InDesign Original: 8.5” X 11”

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Design Work BYU - PRSSA Event Advertisements  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Poster placed around communications building to advertise planned activity Designed with Adobe InDesign Original: 8.5” X 11” tabloid  

Right: Poster placed around communications building to advertise planned activity Designed with Adobe InDesign Original: 11” X 17” tabloid  

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Design Work BYU - PRSSA Event Advertisements  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Left: Poster placed around communications building to advertise planned activity Designed with Adobe InDesign Original: 11” X 17” tabloid

Left: Poster placed around communications building to advertise planned activity Designed with Adobe InDesign Original: 11” X 17” tabloid

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Achievements 

and 

Recommendations  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kevin Earl Portfolio Awards and Achievements 2010

• Graduated Brigham Young University with a BA in Communications, emphasis in public relations

2009

• Elected Vice President of PR in BYU PRSSA chapter for 2009 fall semester • Chosen as Vice President of Communications for BYU Student Alumni Association

2009-2010 2008

• Elected Vice President of PR in BYU PRSSA chapter for 2008 winter semester 2007

• Placed 2nd in Utah PR Student of the Year Competition • Graduated from LDS Business College with Associates Degree and Interior Design

Certificate 2006-2007

• Elected Vice President of Scholarship on LDS Business College Associated Student Body Council

• Appointed as interim Vice President of Advertising on LDS Business College Associated Student Body Council

2006

• Chosen by peers as LDS Business College Man of the Year 2003-2005

• Appointed as full-time volunteer mission for LDS Church in Hungary • Appointed as leader of missionaries and of ecclesiastical unit

2003

• Earned 4-star cashier status at Wal-Mart 2002

• Graduated with honors • Chosen as one of JJ Pearce High School’s Who’s Who • Chosen by peers as Most Spirited Boy

Other

• Eagle Scout Award

Page 43: Kevin Earl\'s Portfolio

 

Kevin Earl Portfolio Awards and Achievements PR Student of the Year Certificate This article appeared in the BYU PRSSA’s newsletter, 

The Professional, after I placed second in the competition. 

Page 44: Kevin Earl\'s Portfolio

 

Kevin Earl Portfolio Awards and Achievements PRSSA Membership  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 45: Kevin Earl\'s Portfolio

 

Kevin Earl Portfolio Recommendations  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These recommendations come from my LinkedIn profile. I am also on Facebook and Twitter.