17 May 2010

NAME: Phan Ngoc Anh Thu

STUDENT ID: s3160793

TUTOR: Doan Mai Anh

Melanie Brown

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Table of Content

I. Executive Summary...............................................................................3

II. Background.............................................................................................4

III. Situation Analysis..................................................................................4

1. Key findings.....................................................................................4

2. Problem/Opportunity Statement...................................................5

3. Critical Success Factor....................................................................5

IV. Objectives...............................................................................................6

V. Target Publics.........................................................................................6

1. Primary Target Public....................................................................6

2. Secondary Target Public.................................................................7

VI. Key Messages........................................................................................7

VII. Strategy Statement...............................................................................7

VIII. Tactics...................................................................................................7

IX. Critical Path Plan..............................................................................11

X. Budget.................................................................................................12

XI. Evaluation..........................................................................................12

XII. Reference List....................................................................................13

XIII. Appendix............................................................................................14

1. SWOT Analysis..............................................................................14

2. Force Field Analysis......................................................................16

3. List of Universities for Mobile Internet Room Sponsorship.......17

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I. Executive SummarySamsung Vina is planning to launch High-tech Studying Environment program, operated

in one year from August 2010 to August 2011 at five biggest cities in Vietnam including

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Can Tho and Hai Phong. The target publics will be

the entire youth in general and students in specific, who are really interested in modern

technologies. The communication purposes of this program are to achieve high awareness

among the target publics about the commitment of Samsung Vina in assisting youth

education and to generate their brand recall towards Samsung Vina as the best brand in

providing electronic, digital products. In order to obtain these objectives, this strategic PR

plan is developed to create the opportunities for target publics in understanding more

about Samsung Vina’s products and the company’s capabilities to build a comfortable,

modern life for them. Besides, through the Customizing Your Dream Studying

Environment contest and Mobile Internet Room sponsorship, Samsung Vina expects to

transmit the messages that it always commits to create the modern, professional studying

environments for the youth by the most state-of-the-art technologies.

This program will exploit both controlled communication tools (organizational websites)

and uncontrolled tools (media release, press conference, online forum and social

networking) to inform the target publics about High-tech Studying Environment program.

Besides, media monitoring and feedback will be utilized throughout the program to

ensure the adequacy of information, exposed by target publics and evaluate the

effectiveness of the program’s activities.

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II. BackgroundSamsung Vina is planning to launch a CSR program, named High-tech Studying

Environment starting from August 2010. In accordance with the corporate theme Turn on

Tomorrow, the main purpose of this program is to upgrade the studying environment of

Vietnamese students by latest technologies and through this, encouraging their

enthusiasm, creativity and passion in learning. There had been other educational

programs undertaken by Samsung Vina before but they were failed to generate

communication benefits for the company in terms of brand publicity and long-term bond.

Therefore, a strategic PR plan is required to communicate with the target audiences in

order to achieve the company’s objectives, transmit the right key messages to the target

publics as well as increasing their brand recall and loyalty.

III. Situation Analysis1. Key findings

Vietnam is a young country with a very young population. Most of the youth now pay

much attention to technologies and consider them as an integral part of their lives.

Therefore, Samsung Vina wants to associate itself with the Vietnamese youth and

identify them as the main target publics for its CSR program. Besides, education is

always the big concern for not only the authorities but also the general public.

Accordingly, combining the youth with education can help Samsung Vina share the same

objectives with those stakeholders towards this concern and receive many supports from

them. The program High-tech Studying Environment is promising to gain loads of

attention of the youth due to their big interest in high technologies and the desire to

modernize their lives. Moreover, it also promotes long-term profits for Samsung Vina by

recruiting talented graduates, creating brand awareness for potential customers as well as

showing the company’s commitment to community development.

However, there are some factors which may affect directly to the High-tech Studying

Environment program and restrain the expected outcomes. Previous large-scaled CSR

programs have paid too much attention to the events themselves but not gaining many

communication benefits for the brand. Thus, it is expected that in this time, High-tech

Studying Environment program will not make any failure like that again. Moreover,

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another pressure is in terms of timescale because the program will only be implemented

from August 2010 whereas Samsung Vina’s long-term goal of becoming the most

preferred brand in electronics in 2011 is nearby.

Besides, High-tech Studying Environment program also may face skepticism of some

people that the company just takes advantage of doing CSR to polish their brand or

compensate for the bad things they have done. And therefore, the key messages of High-

tech Studying Environment program could be distorted.

2. Problem/Opportunity Statement

Problem Statement:

High-tech Studying Environment program encounters the pressure on generating the best

communication outcomes for the company, not making the same failures like in the

previous CSR programs.

Opportunity Statement:

High-tech Studying Environment program has the opportunity to promote its publicity

and attach target public’s attention due to the good relationships with communication

channels and positive responses from the local residents, who also share social concern

towards youth education.

3. Critical Success Factor

- In order to obtain good communication outcomes, High-tech Studying Environment

program must find the appropriate activities and tactics as well as carrying out

evaluation regularly so that the key messages are transmitted effectively to the target

publics.

- In order to gain large exposure of target audience and provide adequate information

to them, High-tech Studying Environment program must integrate in using both

traditional media and new media in its communication plan.

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IV. Objectives- To obtain 80% awareness of target publics in five biggest cities of Vietnam about the

main purpose of High-tech Studying Environment program as well as Samsung

Vina’s long-term commitment in assisting youth education after three months when

the program is launched.

- To gain 70% awareness of target publics about Customizing Your Dream Studying

Environment contest and Mobile Internet Room sponsorship during those events.

- To achieve 65% understanding of target publics about the capabilities of Samsung’s

products in providing people a completely comfortable, modern life and better future

two months after the event.

- To generate 40% brand recall and brand loyalty of target publics towards Samsung

Vina’s products four months after the High-tech Studying Environment program.

V. Target PublicsThere are two major target publics.

1. Primary Target Public

As the main purpose of High-tech Studying Environment program is to assist youth

education, the primary target group should be narrowed down to students, who are

studying at the universities in five most populous cities of Vietnam including Ha Noi, Ho

Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Can Tho. Furthermore, they are the ones who

can inherit directly many benefits from the program.

The reason is that most of students now pay much interest in modernizing their studying,

working or entertainment activities by the high technologies. Therefore, High-tech

Studying Environment program can generate much attention from them because it has

addressed exactly their top concern. Moreover, with an existent interest in technology, it

is expected that the students will actively respond to the program, participate to the event

and spread widely information about High-tech Studying Environment program to other

people as well.

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2. Secondary Target Public

The secondary target group will include generally the entire Vietnamese youth, living in

five cities involving Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Can Tho. The

youth does not only mean that they are in young age but are also early adopters, who love

technologies and like sharing information with others. They are also the key target

consumers of almost product branches of Samsung Vina. Thus, it is really essential to

improve their understanding and knowledge about Samsung products’ features so that

whenever they need a technological product, they will think of Samsung Vina firstly to

satisfy that demand.

VI. Key Messages

- For primary target public: Through the High-tech Studying Environment program,

Samsung Vina commits to create the modern, professional studying environments for

students by the most state-of-the-art technologies.

- For secondary target public: Samsung Vina always takes the needs and concerns of

the youth into serious consideration in order to provide the electronic and digital

products which can best meet their specific demands.

VII. Strategy StatementThis strategic PR plan will utilize event and sponsorship method to create the awareness

of students about Samsung Vina’s commitment in assisting youth education and both

controlled and uncontrolled tactics to communicate with target public groups as well as

attracting their attention.

VIII. TacticsThe High-tech Studying Environment program will carry out event and sponsorship

method as the crucial focuses in the entire plan. Media releases, press conference, social

online networking and organizational websites will also be exploited to spread

information about the program’s activities and encourage participation of target publics.

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Event: Customizing Your Dream Studying Environment Contest

- Samsung Vina will launch a contest for students, who are studying at the universities

in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Can Tho. The contestants

will propose a concept about their desired studying environment with the combination

of modern, professional technologies. In the proposal, they can use any kind of

electronic, digital facilities as much as they want but it is mandatory that those

products have to belong to Samsung Vina brand. Besides, they are also required to

present a rationale explanation via a video clip, stating the reasons why they choose

those specific products; how it can generate the best outcomes when integrating the

products together and how those facilities enable the contestant to improve their

learning ability. The contestant, who receives the greatest number of votes for the

most persuasive proposal after one week, will be the winner. The duration of the

contest will be in three months from 25/08/2010 to 25/11/2010.

- The prize will be all of the products that the winner has used in their proposal. In

other words, Samsung Vina will reward them by making their dream studying

environment come true. Totally, there will be five awards for three best groups and

two best individuals.

Sponsorship: Mobile Internet Room

- In order to emphasize the mobility of Samsung Vina’s corporate theme Turn on

tomorrow, a mobile Internet room will be set up at a specific university in one week

and keep moving to another university in the following weeks according to the

intended schedule. In this mobile room, there will be a hundred of Samsung laptops

connected to Internet wireless, providing free for students to access the Internet for

studying and researching. This program will happen in five months from 28/3/2011 to

28/8/2011 at 19 universities.

Media releases and Press conference:

- One press conference will be held in August 2010 to inform the journalists about

High-tech Studying Environment program accompanying with its purposes, key

messages and the operation progress as well as introducing Customizing Your Dream

Studying Environment Contest and Mobile Internet Room sponsorship.

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- One month before Customizing Your Dream Studying Environment Contest, a media

release will be sent to the journalists to provide more detailed information about that

event. It will be the same to the subsequent event - Mobile Internet Room

sponsorship.

- By publishing news on print media including newspapers, magazines and online news

websites, the outcomes expected from these two tactics are to spread the information

to target audiences and appeal their participation to the events.

Social online media:

- New media including online forum and social networking site will be utilized in

gaining attention of target publics towards the High-tech Studying Environment

program in general and two events Customizing Your Dream Studying Environment

Contest and Mobile Internet Room sponsorship in specific.

- An online forum will be created on High-tech Studying Environment program’s

websites for the youth to discuss about studying skills, modern technological products

and current issues around two events of the program. Especially, it is also a good

place for the contestants in Customizing Your Dream Studying Environment Contest

to ask for comments or suggestions regarding their proposal as well as persuading

audiences to vote for them.

- A Facebook page will be also created for Facebook users to subscribe, check out the

proposals of contestants, update information about the contest and leave comments,

feedbacks.

- The outcomes expected from these tactics are to gain awareness of target publics,

increase their involvement in contributing the forum and encourage them to spread

the information about the events to other friends.

Organizational Website:

- A website, named www.high-techstudyingenvironment.com, will be the official

information center between Samsung Vina and target publics throughout the

entire program. Program’s purpose, company’s commitment to the youth

education, online forum, contatcs and products’ features of Samsung (which is

linked to Samsung Vina’s official website: www.samsung.com/vn) are the sectors

appearing on the website. 9

- During the Customizing Your Dream Studying Environment Contest, the website

will show the contest’s descriptions including competition regulations and prize

structures. When the contest starts, the information about contestants and their

video clip project will be uploaded for viewers to watch and vote.

- During the Mobile Internet Room sponsorship, the website will update the specific

schedule and list of the universities that mobile Internet room will come in each

day. Student who wants to join can register their name to reserve a laptop. The

detailed schedule of Mobile Internet Room is enclosed in appendix 3.

- The outcomes expected from this tactic are to provide adequate information to

target publics, deliver to them the company’s messages, and increase their

exposure to Samsung Vina’s brand. From then, the program can impulse their

brand recall as well as brand loyalty.

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IX. Critical Path Plan

The High-tech Studying Environment program will happen in one year from 10/8/2010 to 30/8/2011. The detailed tasks are allocated in the below chart.

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X. BudgetThe below table is the budget for High-tech Studying Environment CSR program. There is a

note that budget for the award of the contest is just approximate because it is up to the

contestants in customizing their proposal. They can use whatever Samsung products they

want so the total expenses are only known after the contest.

Item Fixed Cost Quantity Total

Press conference (150

guests) Catering + Venue

hire

120,000,000 VND 1 120,000,000 VND

Media release (writing +

distribution)

6,000,000 VND 2 12,000,000 VND

Website 20,000,000 VND 1 20,000,000 VND

Awards for the contest 1,500,000,000 VND 1,500,000,000 VND

Samsung laptop 18,000,000 VND 100 1,800,000,000 VND

Samsung Wireless LAN 15,000,000 VND 4 60,000,000 VND

Setting up expense per

university (transportation +

electronic fee)

5,000,000 VND 19 95,000,000 VND

Total expense 3,607,000,000 VND

XI. EvaluationIn order to gain the most effective outputs and long-term outcomes, evaluation

methodologies will be conducted throughout the program so that Samsung Vina can provide

the appropriate, urgent adjustments if there is any mistake or problem. Specifically, there will

be media monitoring (both online and offline) including media content analysis to manage

the information related to High-tech Studying Environment program and program’s website

analysis to keep track of numbers of visitors and information download. Finally, feedback

analysis will be implemented through a telephone and paper surveys, which are distributed to

students joining Mobile Internet Room sponsorship. The main purpose is to collect the

complaints, suggestions, complements and inquiries from target publics.

Word Count: 2,446

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XII. Reference List

Harrison, K 2008, Strategic Public Relations – a practical guide to success, 5th edn, Century

Consulting Group, Australia.

Interbrand Corp. 2009, ‘Best global brand list 2009’, Interbrand Corp., viewed 10 May 2010,

http://www.interbrand.com/best_global_brands.aspx

Samsung Vina 2009, ‘Community activities in Vietnam’, Samsung Vina, viewed 9 May

2010, http://www.samsung.com/vn/aboutsamsung/citizenship/activities.html

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XIII. Appendix

1. SWOT Analysis

STRENGTH WEAKNESS

- Ranked 19 out of 100 best global brands

in 2009 based on the annual review of

Interbrand Corp. (2009) high reputation.

- Understanding well the culture, tradition

of Vietnamese people as Korea’s value is

pretty similar with Vietnam.

- The majority of Vietnam’s population is

the youth, which is suitable with the

strategic target of Samsung, as a brand sells

electronics and digital products.

- Rich CSR portfolio and the positive

intention to focus on CSR in long term

an advantage to establish good brand image

in customers’ mind.

- Be diversified in community activities for

the unfortunate people in Vietnam: wide

range from social welfare, health, volunteer

and education such as From Heart to Heart,

Samsung Digital Hope, etc. (Samsung Vina

2009)

- Lots of experiences from the previous

CSR programs, exclusively for students

like Future Creation and University Tour.

- Having existent relationship with the

communication channels and journalists.

- Unlimited budget for CSR program as

long as it is justifiable.

- The previous large-scaled CSR programs

have paid too much attention to the events

themselves but not gaining many

communication benefits for the brand.

- Most of the CSR programs in Vietnam

focus giving advantages for only

unfortunate people, not for the mass youth

yet; meanwhile it is Samsung Vina’s main

target public.

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STRENGTH WEAKNESS

OPPORTUNITY THREAT

- Vietnam is an education-hunger country

so with the program High-tech Studying

Environment to assist youth education;

Samsung can receive many supports from

the authority, local residents as well as

gaining public awareness.

- Recruiting talented students, who gain the

benefits from High-tech Studying

Environment, to work for Samsung Vina in

the future.

- The youth now pay much interest in high

technology and modernizing their lifestyle,

study and work High-tech Studying

Environment can aim at this desire to

attract their attention.

- To propagate for High-tech Studying

Environment, Samsung will utilize new

media and Internet like web 2.0, which is

very popular among the youth.

- High-tech Studying Environment takes

place at Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da

Nang, Hai Phong and Can Tho, which are

five most populous cities of Vietnam.

- The unsuccessfulness in terms of

communication of the previous CSR

programs may lead to a pressure for High-

tech Studying Environment to achieve

positive outcomes.

- High-tech Studying Environment will be

started executing from August, 2010

whereas Samsung Vina’s long-term goal of

becoming the most preferred brand in

electronics in 2011 is close It may create

a pressure on timescales.

- Skeptical mindset of some people that

company doing CSR is just for to polish

their brand name or makeup for bad things

they have just done.

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2. Force Fields Analysis

Driving Forces:

- Attracting lots of attention of the youth as nowadays, they are really interested in digital

products and desire to use the latest technology in their study, work or entertainment.

- Gaining support from the authority and local residents as Vietnamese people always have

big concerns in assisting youth education.

- Generating long-term outcomes for the brand image when showing the commitment to

social responsibility

- Promoting long-term profits for business from recruiting talented graduates, improving

relationship with local authority as well as creating brand awareness for potential customers.

- Increasing Samsung Vina’s value and reputation.

Samsung Vina is planning to execute the CSR program Modern Studying Environment in

order to assist the youth having a modern, professional studying condition.

Restraining Forces:

- Pressures about timescale and positive outcomes.

- Costing a lot of expenses but not generating immediate profit.

- Some people may have a skeptical attitude that the business just takes advantage of doing

CSR to polish their brand.

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3. List of Universities for Mobile Internet Room Sponsorship

No Name City Date

1 Hanoi University of Technology Hanoi 28/3 - 4/4/2011

2 University of Science, VNU Hanoi Hanoi 5/4 - 12/4/2011

3

University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU

Hanoi Hanoi 13/4 - 20/4/2011

4 University of Economic and Business, VNU Hanoi Hanoi 21/4 - 28/4/2011

5 Vietnam University of Commerce Hanoi 29/4 - 6/5/2011

6 Hai Phong Medical University Hai Phong 10/5 - 17/5/2011

7 Danang University of Technology Da Nang 19/5 - 26/5/2011

8 University of Da Nang Da Nang 27/5 - 2/6/2011

9 Danang College of Foreign Language Da Nang 3/6 - 10/6/2011

10 HCMC University of Technology HCMC 13/6 - 20/6/2011

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HCMC University of Social Sciences and

Humanities HCMC 21/6 - 28/6/2011

12 International University, VNU HCM HCMC 29/6 - 6/7/2011

13 Univeristy of Economics HCMC 7/7 - 14/7/2011

14 Lotus University HCMC 15/7 - 22/7/2011

15 HCMC Open University HCMC 23/7 - 30/7/2011

16 Banking University HCMC 31/7 - 1/8/2011

17 Hung Vuong University HCMC 2/8 - 9/8/2011

18 Can Tho University Can Tho 12/8 - 19/8/2011

19 Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Can Tho 20/8 - 27/8/2011

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