the strive campaign v3 submitted
TRANSCRIPT
rive strength. support. success.
LB
California state university, Long BeachBateman 2016 presents
CommanderS:
Officers:
Joni Ramirez, faculty adviserJolyn Matsumuro, Professional adviser
Ruben Diaz Megan Gilbreath Genesis Godoy Melina Martinez Jordan Mauldin
Dedicated. Courageous. Intelligent. Driven. Friendly. Reliable. Loyal. Approachable.
Active. Trustworthy. Respected. Wise. Brave. Honorable. Humble. Positive. Smart. Eager. Experienced. Respectful. Ambitious. Honest.
Amazing. Selfless. Goal-oriented. Structured. Proud. Polite. Organized. Hard working.
Determinded. Great. Disciplined. Motivated.
Descriptions of student veterans from open response question in survey of CSULB students
Student Veteran noun (stood-nt vet-er-uh-n) 1. a person who is:
Campaign overview
STRIVE Campaign Summary 2 Photo Gallery 10 Highlight Reel & Campaign Video 14
Research
Secondary Research 15 Focus Group 16 In-Depth Interviews 17 VET NET Ally Seminar 19 Survey Results 20
Action Planning
Budget 23 Campaign Timeline 24 Our Partners 25 Donation Letter 26 Sponsors 27 Logo Rationale 28
Communication
Media List 29 Pitch Letter 30 Media Advisory 31 Press Release 32 Post-Releases 33 Social Media 35 Weebly Feature Stories 44 Campaign Fliers 47 Veteran Career Development Panel Program 49 STRIVE Brochure 50 VET NET Brochure & Flier 51 VET NET Ally Infographic & Flier 52
Evaluation
Media Coverage 53 Proclamation 59 Letters of Appreciation 60 Campaign Exposure & Production Equivalency 62 Social Media Analytics 63 Social Media Confirmation Letter 68
STRIVE Brief (Executive Summary)
Student veterans are the unsung heroes walking among us at colleges across the country. Although they may have risked their lives to protect our country, student veterans often face a lack of resources, support and advocacy when they come back from their military careers and pursue a higher education.
The California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) Bateman team conducted research to determine how we can support these deserving individuals, to identify resources available to them, to better understand the client and target audiences, and to help us create our campaign goals. Our secondary research helped us to understand Student Veterans of America (SVA): what it is, what it does, key messages and how we can help increase awareness and increase membership. Primary research informed us about our target audiences: how they think, what they want and what they know, as well as on-campus perceptions of student veterans.
We found that while 83 percent of student veterans at CSULB are taking advantage of their G.I. Bill benefits, only 4 percent are members of VET NET (CSULB’s SVA chapter). And though 51 percent have heard of VET NET, they are not sure what it does; 32 percent have never heard of it. With low participation and awareness, the CSULB Bateman team needed to introduce VET NET to student veterans so they can utilize resources at their disposal. We also found that 100 percent of the CSULB community has a positive or neutral view of student veterans, and 81 percent would like to support them by hearing their success stories.
Leveraging the support of the CSULB community and on-campus events, we created the STRIVE: Strength. Support. Success. campaign. We used a student-veteran focus group to guide our campaign’s logo and theme. Our team focused on raising awareness and educating target audiences about VET NET as well as highlighting the strengths of being a student veteran to further increase community support. We tabled at multiple events, recruited student veterans to share their success stories through social media and news outlets, held a career and development workshop with successful veterans as panelists, showcased a successful student veteran by having him sing the national anthem to an audience of nearly 4,000 spectators, and distributed ribbons and created a STRIVE Wall for the community to pledge support to student veterans.
STRIVE reached more than 7,500 people face-to-face, and 699 people pledged their support to student veterans. Through 5 media placements, we generated 161,965 impressions with an advertising value equivalency (AVE) of $6,022 and a return on investment of 20. Furthermore, we produced 146,421 social media impressions. STRIVE increased awareness of student veterans and SVA throughout CSULB and Long Beach.
Through a team effort between the CSULB community and the CSULB Bateman team, we conquered our mission to support our student veterans, and VET NET will continue to STRIVE for them.
Mission (Situation Analysis)
Student veterans are part of colleges and universities across the nation, and they can serve as the role models in the classroom. With the skills they develop in the military – dedication, a sense of teamwork and a commitment to their work – they can be an example to their fellow students and help them develop those skills as well. Unfortunately, student veterans can often face lack of support, resources and advocacy when they’re pursuing degrees from institutions of higher learning.
SVA is a non-profit coalition of 1,200+ student veteran organizations representing 440,000 veterans in higher education to help fill this gap and help student veterans succeed both in higher education and after graduation. SVA partnered with Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) to raise awareness and spark local and national dialogue around the importance of education through the Bateman Case Study Competition.
Boot Camp (Secondary Research)
After reviewing websites that focused on SVA and student veteran issues, as well as other support services that aim at serving student veterans, we were able to develop strategies to help us successfully implement our plan. 43 percent of U.S. military veterans do not know or have no opinion on whether charities and nonprofit
organizations are doing enough to support student veterans, while 34 percent said they do not do enough. 54 percent of U.S. military veterans think that corporations are not doing enough to support veterans.
“
Researched showed CSULB has an Office of Veterans Services with the following services for student veterans: Advising: Veterans Advisor provides assistance to student veterans from application through graduation, as
well as info on how to use G.I. Bill benefits. Outreach: Presents information about education benefits to veterans, service members and dependents. Advocacy: Supports student veterans by referring them to appropriate campus resources that provide
tutoring, counseling and other important services. VETSUCCESS: Partners with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to provide onsite VA Counselor to assist
with outreach, transition support, referrals for medical and mental health services, and other services. VET NET Ally: Faculty and staff awareness program that features a four-hour seminar designed to educate
the university community about student veterans.
We reviewed SVA’s website, which showed us what it offers to student veterans: Funds scholarships, provides leadership training, protects the post-9/11 G.I. Bill, conducts research, develops
corporate partnerships that fund student-veterans success and creates an alumni network.
Charting the map (Primary Research)
We conducted pre-campaign surveys with student veterans and the CSULB community, a focus group with student veterans and two in-depth interviews. We also completed the VET NET Ally program training, certifying Bateman team members as vet friendly. Our primary research helped focus and direct our STRIVE campaign.
Community Survey We collected 66 responses from the CSULB community with questions that focused on the perception of veterans. The survey gave us insight on the community’s perception on student veterans and how the community would want to support them. 100 percent have a positive (84 percent) or neutral (16 percent) view of student veterans. 81 percent are interested in hearing veteran success stories via news outlets and social media, and
58 percent would participate in on-campus events highlighting student veterans. 55 percent thought CSULB’s community is supportive, and 45 percent had a neutral view or no opinion on the
sense of CSULB’s community support for student veterans. When asked to describe student veterans, there was a common theme of words used, such as dedicated,
hard-working, humble, friendly and honest.
Student Veteran Survey We collected 99 responses from student veterans with questions focused on veteran issues. This survey helped us to create objectives for our STRIVE campaign. 83 percent pay for school with the G.I. Bill. 72 percent are comfortable sharing their military experiences
with others. 33 percent found career development events appealing. 51 percent of student veterans have heard of VET NET, but
they are not sure what it does. 20 percent stated they are VET NET members (4 percent of
all student veterans are members).
Focus Group We conducted a focus group during one of VET NET’s general meetings with 10 members. This allowed us to test our campaign’s logo, theme and ideas. When asked what the word “strive” means to them, participants viewed the term positively, stating that it
implies to “strive for excellence and commitment” and “be the best you.” Participants responded positively toward “Strength. Support. Success” as the theme tagline vs. to the
acronym “Striving Toward Reshaping the Image of Veteran students Everywhere.” Participants thought sharing student-veteran stories would help humanize veterans and bridge the gap
between mainstream students and veterans.
Interviews We conducted in-depth interviews with Marshall Thomas, director of Veterans Services at CSULB, and Leah Sakacs, president of VET NET. These interviews provided us with direction to help focus our campaign. To access G.I. Bill benefits, students must go through Veterans Services. Veterans Services has an email distribution – Mail Call – to all student veterans accessing G.I. Bill benefits. There is a lack of support and sensitivity from faculty, classmates and the CSU system at large. There are approximately 500 CSULB veterans; roughly 20 are enrolled in VET NET. It is hard to get faculty to genuinely want to participate in VET NET Ally. The term “broken veteran” should not be used on campus because it will implant the idea into people’s minds.
VET NET Ally Seminar We participated in VET NET Ally training to better understand student veterans. We learned about various aspects of military culture and how to act around veterans, such as the following:
the “chain of command” learned in the military can be very rigid and has a lasting impact on the individual; often the transition back home is best bridged with college; and refrain from discussing war with veterans unless it relates to course content.
recruits (Target Audiences)
Primary Audiences Students, faculty and staff at CSULB o Millennials – 18-33 years old o Generation X – 34-54 years old o Student Veterans – 25-40 years old
Secondary Audiences Long Beach community Local media
Radio transmissions (Key Messages)
Student veterans are strong, ambitious leaders in their communities. Strength: They evoke strength through their journeys and perseverance. Support: They are leaders in their communities and give back. Success: They are undeniably ambitious and enhanced by their experiences in the military.
Obstacle course (Challenges & Opportunities)
Challenge: Student veteran involvement was inconsistent due to lack of time and resistance to involvement. There was also a high regard for their privacy and often didn’t want to be identified as veterans.
Opportunity: The stories we featured by student veterans and their participation at events became meaningful and impactful throughout the campaign. This also became an opportunity to increase VET NET membership and involvement.
Challenge: With a campus community of over 37,000 students, most of who are commuters, engagement and participation is difficult.
Opportunity: Our team had to find ways to get commuter students to participate, like tabling in high-traffic areas and leveraging events with a built-in audience.
Challenge: Our location is not ideal for television media coverage. Long Beach is the seventh largest city in California but television crews are located in Los Angeles (30 miles away).
Opportunity: It takes major news to get media crews out to Long Beach; as a result we focused on maximizing our media coverage through local online and print publications.
Challenge: On-campus campaign contacts were adamant that the term “broken veteran” not be used.
Opportunity: We were able to create a campaign that depicted the strength of student veterans and leadership on our campus and communities without any negative connotations or preconceived notions.
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Aim point (Goals)
Based on our research and the needs of SVA, we focused on the following campaign goals: 1. Increase campus and community awareness about SVA, VET NET and successful student veterans. 2. Encourage student veteran academic and professional success by promoting campus resources and
encouraging support from the CSULB community at large.
Targets (Objectives)
Objective #1: To expose 5,000 members of our target audiences to the STRIVE campaign and VET NET.
Objective #2: To secure at least one on-campus and one off-campus media placement mentioning VET NET, SVA or STRIVE.
Objective #3: To capture 550 combined social media and
website hits and 10,000 impressions using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Weebly.
Objective #4: To double VET NET membership and increase VET NET Ally participation during 2016-2017 school year.
Embarkation phase (Strategies & Tactics)
Strategy #1: Develop unique, memorable and patriotic campaign highlighting student veteran success stories. Rationale: To capture the CSULB community, we focused on creating an impactful campaign that directly connected to veterans.
Tactics Create a unique, memorable and patriotic campaign theme. Our campaign name and slogan – STRIVE:
Strength. Support. Success. – strategically focused on associating positive descriptive words with student veterans. The word “strive” is defined as “making great efforts to achieve or obtain something.” Student veterans represent this definition, and STRIVE aimed to help debunk the broken veteran stigma. Our slogan further developed from the desire for student veterans to be depicted and what the campaign was all about: featuring the strength of student veterans, increasing awareness of campus resources, and encouraging their success academically and professionally.
Create a unique, patriotic and relevant logo. The stencil typeface directly associated with military lifestyle, and the American flag reflected a correlation to veterans. After a variety of drafts, the final concept embodied input from our student-veteran focus group. Participants stated that the American flag was crucial for the logo to be relevant and patriotic. Additionally, the STRIVE logo exhibited minimalistic design to attract our target audiences and reflected SVA colors.
Strategy #2: Provide face-to-face opportunities to interact with our target audiences and share STRIVE and VET NET information. Rationale: To fully reach the CSULB community, direct connection with individuals was crucial to extend outreach and establish campus presence.
Tactics Leverage high attendance events on campus and in the community to promote the STRIVE campaign.
Having only one month to gain traction for the STRIVE campaign, we tied our campaign to student and community driven events already occurring at CSULB. The STRIVE team tabled at the 2016 Spring Job and Internship Fair, Clothing Swap and a CSULB men’s basketball game.
Host Party in the U.S.A. signature pledge wall event. At the Party in the U.S.A. event, we gathered 229 pledge signatures from the CSULB community at large showcasing their support for student veterans. With each signature, the American flag was formed on a large canvas. We also partnered with CSULB’s ROTC to host a Train like a Cadet fitness challenge. Long Beach City Councilwoman Suzie Price presented us with the Student Veteran Day proclamation.
Strategy #3: Create partnerships and gain support from CSULB organizations and local leaders to extend campaign outreach. Rationale: By garnering the support of relevant campus organizations and leaders in the community, we would reach CSULB community members and the local Long Beach community, encouraging support for VET NET and CSULB student veterans.
Tactics Partner with veteran and military related organizations on campus to garner support, increase
outreach and directly connect with student veterans on campus. The STRIVE team partnered with CSULB Veteran Resources, CSULB’s ROTC and VET NET to launch a relevant campaign, reach our student veteran target audience and leverage the organization’s resources and information.
Partner with CSULB Athletics Department to create student veterans night during the last men’s basketball game of the season. At the last CSULB men’s basketball game of the season, student veteran Andy Meats sang the national anthem alongside the CSULB ROTC Color Guard as student veterans were honored for the night. We also tabled and distributed 470 yellow ribbons to students to showcase support for our student veterans.
Garner support for the STRIVE campaign from CSULB and Long Beach City leaders. We met with CSULB President Jane Conoley to garner her support for the STRIVE campaign. President Conoley supported our campaign by sharing social media content and encouraging participation from CSULB. At the basketball game, President Conoley and City Councilwoman Suzie Price showed their support by wearing yellow ribbons alongside 470 students. Price also attended our Party in the U.S.A. event to pledge her support and present us with the Student Veterans Day.
Enlist the support of a sports team or relevant celebrity to increase traction among our target audiences. To increase campaign outreach across our target audiences, specifically millennials, we aimed to find a celebrity or sports team to advocate for our campaign. We were able to get Snoop Dogg, a Long Beach native, to support our campaign by signing CSULB gear to raffle off to participants at various STRIVE events.
Strategy #4: Highlight successful student veterans. Rationale: Focusing on successful student veterans will help dispel the broken veteran stigma. Tactics Work with student veterans to pen student-veteran STRIVE stories. The STRIVE campaign revolved
around creating a conversation around the powerful stories submitted by our CSULB student veterans and VET NET members. Each story started with “I strive for…” to directly tie into our campaign theme. The stories were featured on our Weebly page, shared via social media and pitched to media.
Feature Student Veteran Andy Meats singing the national anthem at the men’s basketball game. Having student veterans honored for the night, it was fitting for student-veteran success to be displayed by having Andy Meats sing the national anthem alongside ROTC’s Color Guard.
Secure proclamation declaring Student Veterans Day in the City of Long Beach. To ensure continuity of student veteran appreciation, we petitioned the City of Long Beach to officially recognize student veterans. As a result, the City of Long Beach declared March 5 (the day of the men’s basketball game) Student Veterans Day.
Strategy #5: Create original content. Rationale: Since repetition is key for remembrance, we utilized consistent materials highlighting VET NET, STRIVE and student veteran success stories to establish a presence.
Tactics Create informational brochures and handouts illustrating the STRIVE campaign key messages and
highlighting our clients, VET NET and SVA. We created brochures and handouts to spread information about SVA and VET NET, and increase involvement at events we participated in and hosted.
Create eye-catching fliers and content to increase visibility and establish branding. We created eye-catching fliers and partnered with departments throughout campus to spread the word about our campaign and gain traction. By posting around campus and having departments on campus send mass emails about our campaign, we were able to increase community support and gain traction from the CSULB community.
Strategy #6: Pitch STRIVE campaign and veterans stories to local media. Rationale: Reaching out to local media on and off-campus helped leverage the STRIVE campaign, increasing awareness while extending the reach of our campaign.
Tactics Write a press release and other content to pitch STRIVE campaign to
local media outlets. To increase our awareness throughout the Long Beach community, we created press releases, photo releases and media advisories about our events, student veteran feature stories and overall campaign to pitch to local media and inform the Long Beach community at large.
Pitch STRIVE campaign events and veteran feature stories to off-campus and on-campus media. We pitched local media including the Press-Telegram, Gazettes and Long Beach Beachcomber regarding the STRIVE campaign, our events and CSULB student veteran feature stories. We also pitched the same concepts of our campaign to campus media including Daily 49er (university newspaper), College Beat (university television) and DIG (university magazine). Having the stories featured on local and campus media started the conversation about student-veteran strength, the importance of supporting our student veterans and encouraging their academic success.
Strategy #7: Create an integrated social media campaign that engages and educates targets audiences about student veterans and related resources. Rationale: A strong online presence increased awareness of the STRIVE campaign and its key messages and created opportunities for interaction.
Tactics Create a campaign Facebook page. The STRIVE Facebook page allowed us to supplement the VET NET
Facebook page to communicate key messages, post media coverage, share our student veteran feature stories, invite our community to our events and increase interaction with our target audiences. Our student-veteran focus group also informed us that Facebook was their preferred platform. At the end of the campaign, the Facebook page was taken down because VET NET already had its own page.
Create a campaign Twitter page. The Twitter page allowed us to further interact live with a variety of audiences through our brief tweets and messages. Igniting instant communication, we were retweeted and featured by our CSULB President Conoley, the official CSULB Twitter page and other campus organizations. At the end of the campaign, the account was transitioned to VET NET, which did not have Twitter.
Create a campaign Instagram page. Instagram being one of the most popular social media platforms among millennials due to its visual appeal, it became an essential tool for our campaign. After Facebook, our focus group and research proved that Instagram was a necessary platform for any campaign. We were able to also share live pictures from events, hold our selfie social media contest and share photos of our student veterans. At the end of the campaign, the page was transitioned to VET NET, which did not have an Instagram account.
Create a campaign website to feature student veteran stories. Through Weebly, we were able to direct traffic from our social media to our student veteran feature stories page. As we aimed to highlight CSULB student veterans in a deserving and righteous light, a place of their own was ideal to continue the conversation and pass on to VET NET at the end of the campaign.
Host social media contests at events. We hosted a contest at the CSULB men’s basketball game where students needed to post a yellow ribbon selfie and use our #strivelb hashtag to be entered into a raffle to win CSULB gear signed by Snoop Dogg. They could also win gear by signing our Party in the U.S.A. pledge wall. We used gift cards to reach out to the student section at the basketball game and invited them to find a hidden American flag sticker under one lucky seat and claim their prize through an Instagram selfie with our #strivelb hashtag.
Encourage social media users to interact with SVA affiliates and CSULB affiliates. On every post across social media platforms, we ensured interaction with our SVA affiliates and other relevant organizations through tagging. We were able to redirect our traffic to our clients and partners and increase traction for STRIVE through third-party likes and followers.
VET NET, SVA or CSULB
Veterans Services was
mentioned in 88 percent of
STRIVE media coverage.
Strategy #8: Revamp VET NET image at CSULB through informational materials and events to encourage continuity of student veteran support beyond the STRIVE campaign. Rationale: Ensuring a uniform and reestablished VET NET presence will make marketing to increase membership and connecting with student veterans more efficient.
Tactics Ensure the uniformity of all VET NET web and social media content. The organization is now more easily
identifiable and accessible to those interested. We also handed off all platforms created to the organization to maintain audience engagement and uphold interaction.
Recreate VET NET mission statement as they adopted STRIVE: Strength. Support. Success. as its official new slogan and logo. VET NET leadership thought the key messages in our STRIVE campaign were representative of its mission statement and decided to adopt STRIVE as its official new slogan. To depict one clear and uniform message, we also recreated the organization’s mission statement.
Create informational materials for VET NET for promotion. We designed and printed VET NET brochures and fliers, providing an overview of the organization and the benefits of membership. These will continue to be used throughout in the future to increase awareness and membership.
Host Veteran Career Development Panel. The STRIVE team reached out to veteran professionals from various fields and invited them to come speak to our CSULB student veterans. The main topic was transitioning from military to civilian life and leveraging military experience in the workforce. The panel attracted student veterans outside of VET NET, encouraging membership and career development. A highlight video of the event will live in perpetuity on the VET NET Facebook page as a resource.
Create video about VET NET in partnership with Associated Students Inc. Productions at CSULB. Based on our research, some student veterans were not aware of VET NET or convinced to join. By having the organization featured on Beach Buzz, a monthly segment highlighting a student organization on campus, we are aiming to increase VET NET campus presence and provide a visual overview of the organization. This content will be able to be used during CSULB student-veteran orientations and encourage membership. The segment will be released at the end of April 2016 and always available on YouTube.
Strategy #9: Promote VET NET Ally via marketing materials and media coverage. Rationale: Having the right materials to market the seminar at CSULB and other institutions across the U.S. will continue to help create safe and resourceful environments for student veterans.
Tactic Pitch VET NET Ally seminar to an on-campus publication for the seminar in April. To increase
participation from the CSULB community and continue to gain support for student veterans beyond the STRIVE campaign, we ensured a Daily 49er media placement to be published during the month of April right before this semester’s VET NET Ally seminar.
Create updated generic marketing materials to promote VET NET Ally seminars. We created generic and customizable marketing VET NET Ally materials to provide to institutions when scheduling seminars.
End state (Evaluation)
Objective #1: Exceeded To expose 5,000 members of our target audiences to the STRIVE campaign and VET NET. The STRIVE team handed out a total of 306 informational materials, 41 people participated in our Snoop Dogg raffle contest, 229 signatures were collected for our pledge wall, 470 basketball game attendees wore a yellow ribbon during the men’s basketball game, 2,800 students attended the 2016 Spring Job and Internship Fair, 3,722 people were exposed to the STRIVE campaign at the men’s basketball game and over 20 people attended other events in which STRIVE participated. The total number of target audience members reached by the STRIVE campaign was 7,583, which exceeded our objective by 66 percent.
At a CSULB basketball game, 470 CSULB
attendees wore a yellow ribbon to
showcase student veteran support and
3,722 people were exposed to the STRIVE
campaign.
Objective #2: Exceeded To secure at least one on-campus and one off-campus media placement mentioning VET NET, SVA or STRIVE. The STRIVE campaign garnered a total of 161,965 media impressions with an advertising value equivalency (AVE) of $6,022 and a return on investment of 20 – 88 percent of articles mentioned SVA, VET NET or CSULB Veterans Services, and 100 percent mentioned STRIVE. We secured 3 on-campus and 2 off-campus media placements: Daily 49er – 1 story (print and online) and 1 photo placement (print) DIG – 1 story (online) Gazettes – 1 story (online and print) Press Telegram – 1 story (online and print)
Four additional media placements are pending: Daily 49er – Feature story on VET NET Ally to be published mid-April
(before the next training) ASI Productions/Beach Buzz – Video feature that will be released at
the end of April on University Student Union televisions and online College Beat Television – Online video feature K Beach Radio – On-air and online radio placement Objective #3: Exceeded To capture 550 combined social media and website hits and 10,000 impressions using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Weebly. Our STRIVE social media platforms received 524 followers and likes, 882 Instagram likes, 183 Weebly page clicks, 126 unique page visitors and 146,421 impressions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Objective #4: In Progress To double VET NET membership and increase VET NET Ally participation during 2016-2017 school year. With only a month of implementation, there was only so much the STRIVE team could do to increase membership, especially late in the spring semester. However, we put in place informational materials, a revamped organizational image and opportunities for increased awareness such as the ASI Production feature. While we are unable to measure the success of our objective now, our efforts were meant to leave a legacy and continue to garner deserved support for our CSULB student veterans.
Hail and farewell (Conclusion)
While a month is a limited amount of time to build support and awareness at CSULB, we were able to inform, demonstrate and inspire our community. The CSULB Bateman team increased the VET NET presence during the campaign and for years to come.
At the beginning of the campaign, VET NET and our student veterans were mostly thought of during veterans-related holidays. By March 15, STRIVE had informed and inspired CSULB and Long Beach to continue to highlight our former service members and provide them with deserved support to advance academically and professionally.
The STRIVE campaign garnered 161,965 media impressions, reached 7,583 individuals, produced 146,421 impressions on social media and a total of 699 people pledged their support for our student veterans. Our AVE was $6,022 for a total ROI of 20. The results from our campaign will continue to benefit VET NET and student veterans at CSULB for years to come.
Our campaign was created around powerful storytelling by student veterans and appealed to the interests of our target audiences. STRIVE created engaging feature stories, interactive events and informational materials, and it left continuity to encourage future success of VET NET and its members. Although our campaign has come to an end, our student veterans continue to STRIVE at CSULB and in their communities.
CSULB’s daily newspaper
highlighted a student veteran’s
story. STRIVE garnered 161,965
total media impressions.
CSULB students signed their names
pledging to support student veterans,
contributing to STRIVE’s 699 total pledges.
Spring Job and Internship Fair
Veteran Career Development Panel
Megan and Ruben join panelists Cesar Baldemar (Department of Homeland Security), Ling Shao (Optum), Dan Cervantes (Cal-Am Properties) and Brian Brown (Faraday Future and U.S. Army) and moderator Dr. Marshall Thomas (Director of Veterans Services at CSULB).
Panelists and moderator Dr. Marshall Thomas listen as Cesar Baldemar explains
how his military experience helped him professionally.
Megan and Genesis prepare the STRIVE table.
The STRIVE team tables at the event.
Genesis directs student veterans to vet-friendly employers.
Ruben and Genesis explain the STRIVE campaign to attendees.
Basketball Game
The STRIVE team tables at the men’s basketball game.
Student Veteran Andy Meats shows support for fellow veterans as he wears his yellow ribbon.
Meats sings the national anthem to open the men’s basketball game.
Megan hands out yellow ribbons for attendees to show support for CSULB student veterans.
CSULB students show off their yellow ribbons.
CSULB President Jane Conoley shows her support for student veterans and the STRIVE campaign.
Clothing Swap
A marine proudly wears his yellow ribbon supporting student veterans.
Students cheer on the men’s team as they wear their yellow ribbons.
The STRIVE team tables at the Clothing Swap.
Student veterans sort through clothing to swap or donate.
Students swap their
clothing for a fresh new outfit.
Party in the U.S.A.
College Beat TV interviews members of CSULB’s ROTC.
Students participate in the ROTC Train like a Cadet fitness challenge.
Long Beach City Councilwoman Suzie Price presents the STRIVE team with a proclamation declaring March 5th Student Veteran Day in the City of Long Beach.
The STRIVE team hands the proclamation to VET NET President Leah Sakacs.
CSULB students sign their names pledging to support student veterans.
Melina explains the STRIVE wall Concept to fellow students.
The STRIVE team and ROTC celebrate a successful day in
front of the STRIVE wall.
Highlight Reel & Campaign Videos
Secondary Research
Postsecondary education is becoming an increasingly popular option for service members as they transition out of the military into a civilian life. They leave the rigid command structure exuding dedication, the ability to work with others and commitment to their work. However, the media has created a “broken veteran” narrative that focuses on the challenges during reintegration. Using this information, we conducted online research to see how veteran resources, community support and academic success contribute to an enhanced transition out of the military. Insights from various websites provided the foundation of our campaign and structured our goals and objectives.
Resources Reviewing the resources available to student veterans gave us an understanding of the benefits and assistance offered to those transitioning into civilian living. Student Veterans of America offers a professional network and scholarships, hosts conferences,
conducts research and protects the G.I. Bill. The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill can offset the cost of tuition and housing for veterans and their beneficiaries. Campus resource centers and student organizations connect veterans to the campus.
Community Support Reviewing how community support is necessary for student veterans helped our team understand the influence it has on a successful higher education experience. Veterans may feel alone and lose a sense of identity after leaving the military because they no longer
have the camaraderie they’re used to. Civilians do not know they may be insensitive when asking about military experience. Half of veterans say the military isn’t doing enough to help them transition to civilian life. Veterans can
feel overwhelmed by entering a new system. Veterans need understanding, compassion and respect to succeed.
Academic Success Reviewing statistics on veteran academic success enabled us to highlight the continued dedication to achieving goals. Student veterans are completing postsecondary education at rates similar to traditional students. Veterans are able to gain meaningful employment through education. Veterans are most likely to finish a bachelor’s degree in five years if they have fewer nontraditional
student characteristics.
Broken Veteran Reviewing the challenges presented to transitioning service members provided information that creates a negative depiction of veterans. 13.3 percent of post 9/11 veterans are unemployed as opposed to 9 percent of unemployed
nonveterans. 64 percent of employers believe veterans need additional assistance during transition. The unemployment rate of veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 is 21.9 percent. Media share gruesome veteran stories of traumatic injuries affecting memory, attention and
reasoning. There are 50,000 homeless veterans in America. Sources 1. http://www.military.com/education/gi-bill/new-post-911-gi-bill-overview.html 2. http://www.pointsoflight.org/sites/default/files/site-content/files/wim_veteran_employment 0.pdf 3. http://www.nea.org/home/53407.htm 4. http://studentveterans.org 5. http://web.csulb.edu/divisions/students/veterans university/ 6. http://www.longbeach.gov/officials/ 7. http://www.tickld.com/x/wife-tells-the-hardest-part-of-being-married-to-a-broken-veteran 8. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2014/03/29/a-legacy-of-pride-and-pain/ 9. http://studentveterans.org/images/Reingold_Materials/mrp/download-materials/mrp_Full_report.pdf
STUDENT-VETERAN FOCUS GROUP
DISCUSSION AND FINDINGS
What do you think of when you hear the word “strive?” Participants viewed the term positively, meaning, “strive for excellence and commitment” and “be the
best you.”
What do you think about the theme? Participants wanted STRIVE to focus on positive military experience. Success should be measured on academic accomplishments instead of military accolades.
Which tagline appeals most to you: “Strength. Support. Success.” or an acronym of “Striving Toward Reshaping the Image of Veteran students Everywhere”? Participants positively associate “Strength. Support. Success” with triumph (strength). Veterans appreciate the camaraderie in the military (support). Participants believe acronyms are overused in the military.
What comes to mind when you first see the following logo, and what do you like/dislike about it? Which is most representative of student veterans? Logo #1: Participants let go of the boots after being discharged and don’t want a reminder. Logo #2: Participants compared it to World War II – needs to be modernized. Logo #3: Participants liked the stencil font but suggested an American flag overlay across all letters.
Tactics are listed. Do any of these tactics appeal to you? Student veterans of CSULB (“Humans of NY”): Participants thought sharing stories would help
humanize veterans and bridge the gap between mainstream students and veterans. Sharing stories could gain respect from professors.
Veterans Service pamphlet listing main resources available at CSULB. Often enough, transfer students are unaware of programs and resources available on campus.
“I strive for” written wall/photo booth: Participants weren’t in love with the idea of having a photo booth event but understood its use to generate foot traffic. They were adamant that uniform pieces not be used as props for the photo booth.
Participants threw out the idea to have physical fitness tests, obstacle courses and food trucks, like a fair day. The fitness test idea came from Marine’s “Johnny/Jane Day,” where husbands/wives/children get a day-in-the-life perspective of their marine’s duties.
Participants felt sharing stories would help humanize veterans and bridge the gap between mainstream students and veterans.
What are appealing incentives? Participants stated campus or food gift cards as preferred incentives.
Is legislative action necessary? Participants believe California already has efficient programs for student veterans.
Participants 10 student veterans from VET NET
Method In-person focus group
Purpose To gain feedback on our campaign’s theme, key messages, tactics and incentives
IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW
BACKGROUND
Relevant FINDINGS
On-campus faculty resources: Marshall, processes GI Bill benefits Lynisha, general advisor for student veterans Lois, advisor for VA services
On-campus organizations: General counseling services Active Minds (promotes mental health awareness and provides group supports)
National off-campus resources: Veterans of Foreign Wars American Legion AMVets (legal services) LA Veteran & Families Stand Down (LA County community outreach services) Team RWB (aka red white and blue; advocates for exercise)
Miscellaneous: VET NET will be hosting a Clothing Swap event to provide clothing resources to veterans. The extra
clothes that are not swapped will be donated to local shelters. VET NET will participate in the Clothesline Project to raise awareness of sexual trauma in the military. VET NET promotional strategies: Facebook page, fliers on Veteran Affairs desk, 10-minute
introduction during SOAR. Leah sends an email blast once a week to subscribed participants (VET NET members, student veterans, faculty and alumni). The VA office occasionally emails newsletters.
SUGGESTIONS
Keep in mind that some veterans may not want to showcase their disability (even if it potentially could
provide money), claiming a disability could alter the individual’s career status. Potential local partners are Habitat for Heroes and the LA Long Beach Healthcare System. Integrate the Clothing Swap and Clothesline Project events into our campaign. A potential goal would be to increase VET NET membership by expanding promotional strategies.
Date Dec. 2, 2015 Purpose To obtain knowledge about VET NET’s resources, events and promotions
Method In-person interview Facilitators Ruben Diaz, Megan Gilbreath, Genesis Godoy
Name Leah Sakacs
Occupation VET NET President
IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW
BACKGROUND
Relevant FINDINGS
He doesn’t like the term broken veteran. He said a good way of preventing people from thinking about
broken veterans is to avoid using the term. Marshall said they tried to partner in the VA Hospital, but they don’t get back to him. So if we try to
work with them, we might be wasting our time.
Date Feb. 5, 2016 Purpose To obtain knowledge about student-veteran issues
Method In-person interview Facilitators Ruben Diaz, Genesis Godoy, Melina Martinez
Name Marshall Thomas
Occupation Director of Veterans Services at CSULB
VET NET ALLY SEMINAR
BACKGROUND
SEMINAR FINDINGS
Five military services total, always in order of birth: Army Marine Corps Navy Air Force Coast Guard
Relate veterans to society: They keep us safe, let’s keep them safe Healthy veteran = successful citizen
Honor veterans by calling them the right name: Army = soldier Marine corps = marine Navy = sailor/chief/officer Air Force = airman Coast Guard = coast guardsman or coasty
Post 9/11 G.I. Bill: For 100% coverage: need to have served at least 36 months on active duty Need constant 12 units toward degree for benefits to kick in Books & Supplies Stipend Only receive benefits when school is in session Only get 36 months of coverage, problematic b/c average degree is earned in 5 years
How to respond to a veteran (on campus as a student/faculty/staff): Don’t ever put on the spot/single out Refrain from discussing war unless it relates to course content Get them into contact with the right people if there are health concerns Be careful thanking veterans (what are you really thanking them for?)
Date Feb. 12, 2016 Purpose To obtain knowledge about student-veteran issues
Method In-person interview Facilitators Ruben Diaz, Megan Gilbreath, Genesis Godoy, Melina Martinez, Jordan Mauldin
Name Marshall Thomas
Occupation Director of Veterans Services at CSULB
STUDENT VETERAN SURVEY RESULTS
FINDINGS
When asked for their gender, we found: 11.2 percent are female 88.8 percent are male
When asked how often they openly identify as a veteran, we found: 36.7 percent said always 33.7 percent said frequently 29.6 percent said rarely
When asked for their age, we found: 7.1 percent are 20-24 36.7 percent are 25-29 41.8 percent are 30-39 14.3 percent are 40 or older
When asked how they pay for school and to select all that apply, we found: 83.3 percent use the G.I. Bill 22.9 percent use scholarships 27.1 percent use student loans 9.4 percent are supported by family/friend 34.4 percent use personal income
When asked how well they understand their G.I. Bill benefits, we found: 19.8 percent know their benefits extremely well 66.7 percent know their benefits well 8.3 percent don’t know their benefits very well 5.2 percent know do not know their benefits at all
When asked if they are currently members of VET NET, we found: 20.4 percent are members 79.6 percent are not members
When asked how familiar they are with VET NET, we found: 6.1 percent are extremely familiar: utilize services, visit center and/or participate in events frequently 10.2 percent are moderately familiar: utilize services, visit center and/or participate in events once in
a while 51 percent are somewhat familiar: heard of organization but not sure what it does 32.7 percent are not at all familiar: never heard of organization
When asked what issue they frequently face the most as a veteran at CSULB, we found: 8.2 percent face the issue of lack of social support from CSULB classmates 6.2 percent lack of professor support 43.3 percent scattered resources 7.2 percent understanding G.I. Bill benefits 35.1 percent said they don’t face the above issues/does not apply
Participants With the help of CSULB’s Veterans Services, we surveyed 99 student veterans
Method Online survey
Purpose To gain knowledge in order to better serve the needs of CSULB veterans
10.2 %
6.1 %
When asked what programs interest them and to select all that apply, we found: 37.1 percent are interested in leadership training 34.8 percent in mentorships 68.5 percent in scholarships 64 percent in networking events 50.6 percent in career development events (mock job interviews, resume building workshops, etc.) 25.8 percent in G.I. Bill information sessions (what it is and what it offers) 37.1 percent in health and mental services 57.3 percent in social activity groups for veterans (exercise, gaming, outdoors)
When asked how comfortable they feel sharing their general military experiences with others, we found: 25 percent are very comfortable 47.9 percent are comfortable 25 percent are uncomfortable 2.1 percent are very uncomfortable
When asked what their preferred social network was, we found: 70 percent prefer Facebook 12.2 percent Instagram 3.3 percent Twitter 14.4 percent “other”
STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS
FINDINGS
When asked if they are veterans, we found: 4.4 percent said yes 95.6 percent said no
When asked for their perception of student veterans, we found: 42 percent have extremely positive perception 42 percent have a positive perception 15. 9 percent have a neutral perception
When asked how they would describe veterans, we found: A majority of responses had common word choices: determined, brave, hard-working, dedicated,
loyal and friendly. There were no negative words.
When asked how they would like to support student veterans and to select all that apply, we found: 46.4 percent want a conversation guide on what to say/what not to say to a veteran 58 percent want on-campus events highlighting student veterans 81.2 percent want to read veteran success stories shared through news outlets and social media
When asked to rate the sense of support for student veterans among CSULB faculty, staff, classmates, etc., we found: 15.9 percent feel CSULB is highly supportive 39.1 percent supportive 44.9 percent neutral/no opinion
Participants We surveyed 69 participants of the CSULB community (63 students, five faculty members and one staff)
Method Online survey
Purpose To gain insight on CSULB’s perception of student veterans
Budget
Campaign Timeline
MONTH NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
WEEEK 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
RESEARCH
SECONDARY
Brainstorm meetings x x x x x
Research past campaigns x x x
Website review x x x x x x x x x x
PRIMARY
IDI: Leah and Marshall x x x x
Administer student-veteran survey and CSULB school-wide survey
x x
Focus group x
VET NET Ally workshop x
ACTION PLANNING
Create and finalize STRIVE theme, logo and mission statement
x x x x x x x x
Establish STRIVE strategy and tactics
x x x x
Create STRIVE print materials x x x x x x x
Create/transfer ownership for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Weebly
x x x
Collect feature stories and photos x x X x x x
Reserve space/permits x x x
Seek and secure veterans for panel
x x x x x
Solicit and secure donations x x x x x x
Connect with Student Life and Development
x x x x
Connect with ROTC x x x
Reach out to Long Beach elected officials and CSULB vice president and dean
x x
COMMUNICATION
Social media posts x x x x
Pitch media with press releases, media advisories and fact sheets
x x x x x
Media coverage x x x x x x
Update VET NET BeachSync, LinkedIn and website
x x
Housing Help workshop x
Spring Job & Internship Fair x
Post material/stake lawn around campus
x x x x
Career Panel x
Proclamation: Student Vet day x
Men’s Basketball game x
Clothing Swap x
STRIVE wall x
Distribute prizes x x
EVALUATION
Media content analysis x x
Online metrics x x
Event attendance x x
Our Partners
Veterans Network (VET NET) Veterans Network (VET NET) is the SVA chapter at CSULB. We partnered and represented VET NET as our client throughout the STRIVE campaign. Our events and objectives were aimed to gain traction for the organization and to leave a legacy for members to come.
CSULB Veterans Services Veterans Services at CSULB helps veterans and their dependents access their educational benefits earned in the U.S. armed forces. We partnered with Veterans Services to communicate with student veterans through its email database and resources.
Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at CSULB provides professional training for students leading to a commission in the Active Army, Army Reserve or the Army National Guard upon graduation. We partnered with ROTC to utilize the organization’s skilled training as a way to harness support and raise awareness for student veterans at CSULB. At the Party in the U.S.A., ROTC conducted a Cadet Challenge, which consisted of push-ups, pull-ups and rope-tying technique instruction while STRIVE members informed participants of student veteran programs on campus.
VET NET Ally
VET NET Ally is an education and awareness training seminar that develops a network of faculty, staff and administrators committed to creating a welcoming and supportive campus environment for military service members and veterans attending college. We partnered with VET NET Ally to gain its in-depth knowledge of military concepts, statistics, vocabulary, command structure and transition process as a student veteran. Our communication tactics were designed to generate awareness of established veteran friendly resources on campus in order to reinforce a legacy within the campus community.
WomenShelter of Long Beach, Women’s & Gender Equity Center, Working Wardrobes We partnered with WomenShelter of Long Beach, Women’s & Gender Equity Center and Working Wardrobes to co-host the Clothing Swap event and raise awareness of available resources for domestic violence victims.
Donation Letter
February 25, 2016
To Whom It May Concern:
The following students are collecting in-kind donations on behalf of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) for the 2015-2016 Bateman Case Study Competition.
Ruben Diaz Genesis Godoy Megan Gilbreath
Melina Martinez Jordan Mauldin
The Bateman Case Study Competition is a national collegiate contest sponsored by the Public
Relations Student Society of America, which provides an opportunity for students studying public relations to apply their acquired classroom skills in a real-life setting. Each year, students at major universities across the country develop a comprehensive public relations program for an important client. This year, our students are raising awareness of the valuable programs offered by the Student Veterans of America (SVA), a nonprofit organization with a mission to provide military veterans with resources, support and advocacy.
It is the team’s goal to utilize the skills they, as aspiring public relations professionals, have acquired through their in-classroom and out-of-classroom experiences to design and implement a public relations campaign that will raise campus and community awareness about SVA and its programs. Your in-kind donation will be used to harness community support for student veterans and educate CSULB students, faculty and staff about veteran affairs.
California State University, Long Beach is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization and all donations provided toward this campaign are tax deductible. Our information is as follows:
Federal Tax ID number: 95-6106694 Organization legal name: California State University, Long Beach Research Foundation Organization address: 6300 State University Dr., Suite 332, Long Beach, CA 90815-4670
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via phone at (562) 985-4981 or
email [email protected]. We thank you for your consideration and support.
Sincerely,
Emma Daugherty Chair, Department of Journalism & Mass Communication
Sponsors
Donated table for 2016 Spring
Job and Internship Fair.
Donated one medium pizza for
Party in the U.S.A.
Donated three large pizzas for Party in the U.S.A.
Donated three large pizzas for
Party in the U.S.A.
Donated appetizers for Career Development Panel.
Donated photo booth services for Party in the U.S.A.
Donated five STRIVE t-shirts
for campaign members.
Donated signature for event prizes.
Donated six $25-vouchers for Party in the U.S.A. pledge wall
materials and flier stakes.
Donated CSULB memorabilia for event prizes.
Logo Rationale
Our team aimed to create a simple yet memorable logo, relevant to the branding of our STRIVE
campaign. The logo embodies our key messages by upholding the STRIVE theme and slogan “Strength. Support. Success.” As our campaign focused on featuring student veterans in a positive light, the inclusion of the slogan in our logo was essential to portray our primary objective. The STRIVE logo was created to reach both student veterans and the Long Beach community at large. Due to our broad audience, the logo needed to depict a connection to veterans rather than patriotism or politics.
Initially we tested three distinct logos during our student veteran focus group. Participants rejected Logo 1, expressing a negative connotation with the combat boots since they have left their boots behind and are attempting to move on. Participants rejected Logo 2 as it was reminiscent of the World War II era, making the logo seem outdated. Student veteran participants liked inclusion of the American flag in Logo 3 as it represented individualism and liberty. Participants directly suggested edits to Logo 3, asking for all of the STRIVE stencil lettering to create the American flag.
On the top right hand corner of the logo, we added “LB” to represent our Long Beach community, created to look like a trademark. Our logo’s colors directly match SVA’s color scheme, giving the logo a bolder, stronger feel. The font choices also emphasized the bold look through the stencil and typewriter fonts. VET NET chose to continue using the STRIVE logo as their organization’s slogan. The key messages depicted through our logo will continue to represent our CSULB student veteran community.
Media List
Pitch Letter
Dear (Reporter), Five CSULB students have partnered up with Student Veterans of America to create the one-month STRIVE campaign, which launched on Feb. 15, to provide support and advocacy for student veterans. As a part of STRIVE, student veterans are telling their side of the story to shift any negative perceptions associated with being a veteran -- stories already created can be found here. Not only that, but there are two upcoming events, a CSULB men's basketball game and a STRIVE wall, that aim to raise awareness on student veterans. More information can be found in the news release attached to this email. I’ll follow up within the next few days to see if you’re interested in talking with the student veterans who told their stories, obtaining a media pass for the basketball game and/or finding out more about the campaign. In the meantime, the best way to contact me is through email or by calling at 323-775-7006. Sincerely, Ruben Diaz STRIVE Campaign 323-775-7006 [email protected]
Media Advisory
For information, contact: Ruben Diaz
STRIVE Campaign 323.775.7006
STRIVE CAMPAIGN TO HOLD STRIVE WALL AND ROTC TRAINING SESSION FOR PUBLIC What:
The STRIVE campaign will create a STRIVE Wall at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) for students, faculty, staff and other attendees to pledge their support to student veterans by writing their name on the wall. The American flag will slowly be created with every signature, and Long Beach Councilwoman Suzie Price plans to sign the wall and present the recently passed Student Veterans Day proclamation. In addition to the STRIVE Wall, CSULB’s ROTC will be offering a training session to the public where participants can learn various things, such as first aid, knots and army drills.
When: Tuesday, March 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Visuals: Pledges on STRIVE Wall that will form an American flag ROTC training participants STRIVE campaign members in STRIVE shirts
Why: The purpose of the events is to raise awareness on student veterans and to increase community support.
Interview: ROTC members, the STRIVE team, student veterans, participants and Suzie Price.
Who:
STRIVE is a one-month campaign launched in an effort to increase awareness in the Long Beach community about student veterans, as well as increase support and networks for these deserving individuals. The campaign is a result of a partnership with CSULB’s Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapter, also known as VET NET, and the university’s Bateman Case Study Public Relations Competition team.
CSULB’s ROTC program helps train students to be officers in a branch of the U.S.
military. The department of military science provides professional training for students leading to a commission upon graduation in the Active Army, Army Reserve, or the Army National Guard. For more information, visit https://web.csulb.edu/divisions/students/veterans_university/resources/rotc.html
Where: CSULB is located at 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, California. The STRIVE Wall and ROTC training session will occur outside at Friendship Walk Central located at the north side of the University Student Union (USU).
###
Press Release
For information, contact: Ruben Diaz
STRIVE Campaign 323.775.7006
[email protected] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH STUDENTS STRIVE TO ADVOCATE FOR STUDENT VETERANS
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Feb. 15, 2016 – Five California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) students
launched the one-month STRIVE campaign today in an effort to increase awareness in the Long Beach
community about student veterans, as well as increase support and networks for these deserving
individuals. The campaign is a result of a partnership with CSULB’s Student Veterans of America (SVA)
chapter, also known as VET NET, and the university’s Bateman Case Study Public Relations Competition
team.
“The student veterans are a unique group with unique needs,” said Leah Sakacs, president of VET NET.
“We are excited about the work the Bateman team will be doing to support our students and raise
awareness of their place on campus in such a positive way.”
The campaign will be highlighted at CSULB’s final men’s basketball game of the season – with CSULB
President Jane Conoley expected to attend – on Saturday, March 5 at 4 p.m. Student veteran Andy
Meats will be singing the national anthem while the Reserves Officers Training Corps (ROTC) color guard
presents the American flag.
To end the campaign, a STRIVE Wall will be created at the campus’ Friendship Walk Central on Tuesday,
March 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. where students, faculty, staff and community leaders will be able
to sign their name as a way to pledge their support to student veterans, creating the American flag with
every signature.
The Bateman Case Study Competition is the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA)
premier national case study competition for public relations students. This year’s client is SVA, a non-
profit coalition of student veteran groups on college campuses across the country. Member chapters like
VET NET are the "boots on the ground” that help veterans reintegrate into campus life after service and
succeed academically.
###
Post-Releases
ORANGE COUNTY RESIDENTS AND MILITARY VETERANS PROVIDE ADVICE TO CSULB
STUDENT VETERANS IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT PANEL
Orange county residents and military veterans Cesar Baldemor (left), Ling Shao, Dan Cervantes and Brian Brown served on a Career Development Panel on March 3 at California State University, Long Beach. The panel informed student veterans on how to leverage their military experience within the job market. The panel was part of a one-month campaign called STRIVE, which is designed to increase awareness in the Long Beach community about student veterans, as well as increase support and networks for these deserving individuals. The campaign is a result of a partnership with CSULB’s Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapter, also known as Veterans Network (VET NET), and the university’s Bateman Case Study Public Relations Competition team. The Bateman Case Study Competition is the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) premier national case study competition for public relations students. This year’s client is SVA, a non-profit coalition of student veteran groups on college campuses across the country. Member chapters like VET NET are the "boots on the ground” that help veterans reintegrate into campus life after service and succeed academically.
###
For information, contact: Ruben Diaz STRIVE Campaign 323.775.7006 [email protected]
CSULB’S COMMUNITY SHOWS SUPPORT FOR STUDENT VETERANS
California State University, Long Beach’s community pledged their support to student veterans by signing their names on a STRIVE Wall on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at the campus. With 229 signatures gained, the 9-by-12 foot STRIVE Wall slowly developed into an American flag. Long Beach Councilwoman Suzie Price signed the wall and presented a Long Beach proclamation that declared March 5 as Student Veterans Day in the city. The proclamation was given to Leah Sakacs, president of CSULB’s Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapter. The STRIVE Wall was part of a one-month campaign called STRIVE, which is designed to increase awareness in the Long Beach community about student veterans, as well as increase support and networks for these deserving individuals. The campaign is a result of a partnership with CSULB’s SVA chapter, also known as Veterans Network (VET NET), and the university’s Bateman Case Study Public Relations Competition team. The Bateman Case Study Competition is the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) premier national case study competition for public relations students. This year’s client is SVA, a non-profit coalition of student veteran groups on college campuses across the country. Member chapters like VET NET are the "boots on the ground” that help veterans reintegrate into campus life after service and succeed academically.
###
For information, contact: Ruben Diaz STRIVE Campaign 323.775.7006 [email protected]
Social Media
Strive Introduction
Did You Know? Facts
CSULB Veterans services feature
Career Development Panel
Facebook Twitter (live tweets)
Men’s BasketBall GaMe
Party in the U.S.A.
Facebook Twitter
Third-party Shared Posts
Weebly Feature Stories
GUS OROZCO | Feb. 22, 2016
I joined the Army in 2005 and spent most of my time stationed
in Vilseck, Germany. I deployed to Iraq in 2007 for a 15-month tour, most of which included missions in Sadr City, Baghdad. I separated from active duty in 2010, only to join the Army reserves in 2011 as a Drill Sergeant. Watching my soldiers graduate from boot camp was the proudest moment in my military career.
I began my career as a student in 2012 at Long Beach City College and graduated in 2015 with an Associate of Arts degree in Social Science. While at Long Beach City College, I helped restart the Veterans Club and held several officer positions including Vice President and President.
Shaping the club into a support group for veterans got me more involved on campus and in turn, in my community I was awarded a $10,000 grant to plan and execute the 2015 Memorial Day Freedom Fair, the largest Memorial Day celebration the college has held in recent history. I was also a member of the Associated Student Body, and held several positions, graduating as the Student Trustee to the Long Beach City College District.
I transferred to CSULB in Fall of 2015 and I’m currently working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography. As an active member of my community, I’m currently a member of the Long Beach Veterans Day Parade Committee, a long-standing organization responsible for the city's largest Veteran-themed celebration.
I strive to encourage other veterans to get involved in their community. Assisting fellow veterans after their transition to the civilian life is paramount. Community engagement can be a healthy way to contribute to the community and to veterans themselves.
ROBERT BERGEMAN | Feb. 25, 2016
When I was in high school, I started to hear voices and they
kept me from enjoying company of others. When I found alcohol and the sensation of being free from the voices, I became instantly hooked. Alcohol got in my way of getting an education, because it took over my life. I knew when I was twenty, I needed to quit drinking and I joined the Navy to become sober.
The voices came back in boot camp and I was an emotional wreck until graduation. The first thing I did was go to a bar and get drunk. My sobriety left me and I began to live my life drinking. When I was able to take the test for advancement, I became a Second Class Petty Officer and during an exercise with our missile system; I was able to fire a live missile at a drone and demolish it into little pieces. I was also given two Navy Achievement Medals.
I kept my drinking career throughout my Navy experience and it was getting worse as I was progressing in my troubleshooting of electronic equipment. I wanted to drink more, so I turned to drugs and slowly my discipline began to deteriorate until I lost 2 ranks. I killed my naval career and I quit caring about anything. I was devastated and stayed that way for about ten years of drinking and drugging. When I could no longer support my habit, the voices came back and I tried to commit suicide. Obviously I failed at that and I made myself a promise that next time would be different. I was having a bad day in June of 2007 and wanted to leave this world.
On that day in June, I finally explained the voices to the doctors. I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and was put on medication. I went into treatment and came out of treatment with achieving my goals of going back to school and getting a job.
January 2008 started my journey in school and after taking step by step I am going to graduate with my Master’s in Social Work on May 20, 2016. It took me eight years to progress this far and the only thing that keeps me going is my fellow veterans who also suffer from mental illness.
LEAH SAKACS | Mar. 3, 2016
Whether it is a peer, friend or acquaintance. I strive to give my
best in all that I do so that not only I succeed in accomplishing my goals, but so that others do too.
As I have since my first middle school foray into volunteerism, I strive to continue to volunteer and to give my time as I find most productive and useful to others. I strive to uphold and display the work ethic my parents have ingrained into my personhood by their upbringing and actions.
I do so presently by giving my time to Veterans Network and other student organizations on campus. I do so by engaging in my community and the campus’ student government. I do so by working daily to achieve my goals and to complete my graduate studies to enter the workforce and become a contributing member of society.
ANDY MEATS | Mar. 8, 2016
Throughout my life in the United States Marine Corps and my
transition back to civilian life as a student, I have had opportunities to grow, develop and learn from others who have supported me and ultimately helped strengthen me to evolve into the student-veteran that I am today.
At age 17, I enlisted into the Marines to express my love and appreciation for our beloved country. By 19, instead of attending college like most of my friends, I deployed overseas to protect their ability to do so. War is such a waste, but we know we have a responsibility to the world to maintain liberty and freedom.
My deployment brought many difficulties and hardships that would linger with me for years to come. I returned home physically whole and in one piece, but with hidden emotional and mental wounds that would take several years to form invisible scars that I would have to learn to live with.
I began my college experience in 2007 at the same time that I began to rehabilitate emotionally and mentally with the hope of transitioning back to a “normal” civilian life. Through six painful years of therapy, I began to feel peace concerning the new person I had become. I struggled through college courses, studying two and three times longer than the average student to maintain my grades.
I attended extra classes to relearn how to be a successful student again. Gratefully, after nine long years spent towards attaining my goal, I will graduate this spring with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from CSULB.
I’ll always be grateful for my experience in the military and know that I have an obligation to live an exemplary life as one who appreciates this great land in which we live.
WENDY LEWIS | Mar. 11, 2016
On a car ride home after visiting a CSU campus that I was hoping
to one day attend, my mother leaned over, put her hand on my knee and said to me, “Wendy, if you decide that you want to go to college, you have to know that I will not be able to help you with anything financially.” Those words changed my life forever, because they caused me to make the biggest decision of my life…to join the military.
Once in, the military provided the structure and discipline that I lacked growing up. At first, I was rebellious and struggled to adapt, but as I saw the benefits that came from investing in myself by obtaining qualifications and studying for tests of advancement in rank, I began to take pride in knowing that I was bettering myself one step at a time. My peers and subordinates took notice of my enthusiasm and began to follow suit. We would have study sessions during down time and help each other study for tests while on deployments.
Next I focused on college, taking my first course in August of 2004. I took every class very seriously and aimed to master every subject I enrolled in, also tutoring friends. Once at CSULB, I realized that transitioning to civilian (and especially student) life was not easy; I was much older than my classmates and felt we had nothing in common. However, I knew that I wanted to build lasting relationships and have a real college experience, so I challenged myself to find something that I could belong to. I joined student government because the government part felt familiar.
Now in my second year with student government, fellow ASI leaders refer to me as ‘Momma Wendy’ because I do things like make them put away their phones when they’re studying or ask “What have you done for ASI today?” when I see them. But my favorite part is when they seek me out for advice and when I am able to inspire them.
This Spring, 12 years after taking my first course, I will be graduating with a Bachelors of Science. It has been a lot of little steps, but I stuck with it and I am glad that I had student government as a place where I can be productive and make contributions that make me feel as part of something again.
Campaign Fliers
The STRIVE campaign fliers were displayed throughout campus and showcased via social media. Each flier highlighted our campaign clients (SVA and VET NET) while informing our audience of our mission, upcoming events and social media presence.
The two fliers above introduced the STRIVE campaign to our target audiences. The I Want You to Strive flier aimed to gain attention from the CSULB community and generate awareness for the campaign. The Are You a CSULB Student Veteran flier targeted our student veterans and encouraged their participation and support for the STRIVE campaign and VET NET.
Left, the Spring Job & Internship Fair flier promoted our participation at the fair to student veterans on campus. The STRIVE team focused on informing them about participating veteran-friendly employers and our information booth promoting the American Corporate Partner’s mentorship program and STRIVE’s upcoming
events.
(Top left) In partnership with VET NET, we invited student veterans to be honored at CSULB’s last men’s basketball home game of the season. We asked student veterans to support fellow veteran Andy Meats while singing the national anthem, alongside our CSULB ROTC Color Guard. We pushed for attendance from CSULB students through the incentive of prizes. (Top right) We marketed our Clothing Swap event in partnership with VET NET and other organizations on campus. We encouraged CSULB to participate by bringing gently used clothes. Participants could swap their old clothes for something new, or simply donate to the depicted organizations. (Left) The Party in the U.S.A. flier promoted our culminating STRIVE event. We invited CSULB to pledge to support student veterans with their signature. We offered pizza, music, prizes, a photo booth and special guests. Additionally, we partnered with CSULB’s ROTC, who invited participants to join them in a variety of fitness challenges such as push-up and pull-up contests.
Veteran Career Development Panel Program
Back: Front:
Our STRIVE team distributed
the Veteran Career
Development Panel program
as guests joined us for the
event. The program presented
a detailed background of each
panelist in order to depict each
panelist’s perspective and
relevant experiences. The
program also provided contact
information to give participants
the opportunity to contact
panelists with future questions.
The back of the program
displayed our partnerships with
SVA and VET NET.
Inside
Campaign Brochure
Inside fold: Back: Front:
The STRIVE
brochure
provided our
target
audiences with
an overview of
our campaign.
We highlighted
our key
messages and
extended an
invitation to our
various events.
The brochure
also briefly
informed
readers about
SVA and VET
NET. Our
contact
information and
social media
accounts were
provided on the
back of the
brochure to
allow student
veterans to
contact us and
encourage the
community at
large to follow
our campaign
on social media
platforms. The
cover depicts
Gustavo
Orozco, CSULB
student veteran,
transitioning
from military life
to college life.
The brochures
were distributed
at every
STRIVE event
to increase
awareness.
Inside:
VET NET Brochure & Flier
(Left) The VET NET brochure provided
student veterans with an overview of
CSULB’s SVA chapter. We added
information about SVA and distributed to
student veterans to encourage VET NET
membership. The organization’s contact
information and social media accounts
were provided on the back of the brochure
to allow student veterans to connect with
VET NET, to ask questions or inquire
more information. The brochures were
distributed at every STRIVE event and
shared with VET NET to continue to use
post-campaign to help increase
membership and awareness.
The Join Veterans Network flier was also
created for student veterans, highlighting
the benefits of joining VET NET. Simpler
than the brochure, the flier’s visual format
helped reiterate our key messaging and
evoked student veteran support. VET NET
will continue to distribute the flier post-
campaign.
Inside:
Inside fold: Back: Front:
VET NET Ally Infographic & Flier
VET NET Ally is an education and awareness seminar aiming to promote supportive college campus environments for student veterans. The VET NET Ally infographics provide background on the program, while also presenting a call to action to attend a seminar. (Top left) The first infographic directly relates to CSULB and will be presented at future VET NET Ally seminars on campus. It will also be marketed alongside an article by our school newspaper, Daily 49er, previewing the next scheduled program on April 22. (Bottom left) The second infographic will be utilized for marketing at other college campuses and presented at future VET NET Ally presentations across the country. (Right) The VET NET Ally flier is for other college campuses that schedule a VET NET Ally seminar. The campus would use this flier to promote their upcoming VET NET Ally event, inviting faculty and staff to participate. The flier describes what VET NET Ally is and provides an agenda for the seminar. The logistics (date, time, location and RSVP) is customizable. The flier can be distributed via email or posted physically throughout campus.
Media Coverage
Article Title Date Publication Type Circulation AVE SVA, VET
NET,
CSULB
Veterans
Services
Mention
STRIVE
Mention
Squared Away 2/25/2016 Daily Forty-Niner Online 1,000 $ 300 Yes Yes
Squared Away 2/25/2016 Daily Forty-Niner Print 6,000 $ 210 Yes Yes
CSULB campaign raises
awareness of student
2/29/2016 Press-Telegram Online 6,121 $ 153 Yes Yes
CSULB campaign raises
awareness of student
veterans, offers resources
3/1/2016 Press-Telegram Print 77,334 $ 4,080 Yes Yes
CSULB Raises Awareness
On Student Veterans
3/10/2016 Gazettes Online 25,510 $ 500 Yes Yes
CSULB Raises Awareness
On Student Veterans
3/10/2016 Gazettes Print 39,000 $ 385 Yes Yes
Party in the U.S.A. photo
caption
3/16/2016 Daily Forty-Niner Print 6,000 $ 95 Yes Yes
Striving Through 3/22/2016 DIG Online 1,000 $ 300 No Yes
Total 161,965 $ 6,023 88% 100%
Post-Campaign Media Placements
K Beach Feature at 2016
Spring Job and Internship
Fair
3/29/2016 K Beach Radio Radio Broadcast
40,000 Yes Yes
Party in the U.S.A. video
coverage
4/8/2016 College Beat Television
Online (Video)
290 Yes Yes
VET NET Ally Media
Placement
week of 4/11
Daily Forty-Niner Print 6,000 Yes No
VET NET Ally Media
Placement
week of 4/11
Daily Forty-Niner Online 1,000 Yes No
Associated Students Inc.:
Beach Buzz VET NET
Feature
week of 4/25
ASI Online (Video)
225 Yes Yes
Feb. 25, 2016
Mar. 1, 2016
Mar. 10, 2016
Mar. 16, 2016
Mar. 22, 2016
Proclamation
Letters of Appreciation
April 5, 2016 Dear STRIVE Team, Over the course of the last semester, it has been a great privilege to watch you all do some remarkable work. You have truly gone the extra mile in your creation and implementation of a public relations campaign for our campus chapter of Student Veterans of America. I appreciate your willingness to come to the Veterans Services Office to spend a few hours learning as much as you could about military culture, the accomplishments of veterans, and the challenges student-veterans face as they pursue their degrees. Using this knowledge and the knowledge you gained by working with and listening to our SVA leaders, I was impressed by your dedication to building a successful campaign. Some of the events that stood out most to me were the Veteran Career Development Panel, which brought successful veterans to campus to discuss their professional paths, and the pledge wall at Party in the U.S.A. While I’m sure there were many good campaigns across the nation, I suspect I’d be hard-pressed to find a group of students who put as much focused energy into developing and implementing a campaign, as did the CSULB team. You’ve done a great job and I appreciate both your efforts and the products of those efforts. Many thanks to the whole team for a job well-done.
Campaign Exposure & production equivalency
* Hourly rate was calculated at large agency intern rate.
** Team members kept time logs throughout the campaign.
Campaign Exposure
Date Event Participants
Feb. 15 – March 15, 2016 Total Media Impressions 161,965
Feb. 15 – March 15, 2016 Total Social Media Reach 96,417
Feb. 25, 2016 2016 Spring Job & Internship Fair 2,800
March 1, 2016 Career Development Panel 5
March 5, 2016 Men’s Basketball Game Against
Hawaii State University
3,722
March 8, 2016 Clothing Swap 10
March 15, 2016 STRIVE Wall and Proclamation
Presented
300
March 5 and 15, 2016 Raffle Entries 41
Total Exposure 265,260
Production Equivalency
Type Cost Number
of Items Total Cost
Campaign Logo $1,200 1 $1,200
Infographics $150 2 $300
STRIVE Sizzle Reel Jordan Mauldin hours x $75 20 $1,500
Photographs for
publication
$75 5 $375
Fliers $250 6 $1,500
Panel Event Program $225 1 $225
STRIVE Brochure $300 1 $300
Vet Net Brochure $300 1 $300
STRIVE Wall Labor $600 1 $600
Total $3,175 19 $4,800
Billable Hours
Public Relations
Agent Hourly Rate* Number of Hours** Total Cost
Genesis Godoy $75 160 $12,000
Jordan Mauldin $75 140 $10,500
Megan Gilbreath $75 214 $16,050
Melina Martinez $75 165 $12,375
Ruben Diaz $75 102 $7,650
Total $58,575
Social Media Analytics
Twitter Analysis
Platform STRIVE Name Post-Campaign Name Followers Reach
Facebook Strive.LB Unpublished 158 78,782
Twitter StriveLB CSULBVetNet 120 17,635
Instagram StriveLB CSULBVetNet 243 50,004
Total 524 146,421
Facebook Analysis
Facebook Engagement highlights
Instagram analysis
Weebly Feature Stories analysis
Unique Monthly Visitors: 126
Total Page Monthly Visitors: 183
Social media confirmation letter
Department of Journalism & Mass Communications
March 31, 2016
To Whom It May Concern:
Thank you for allowing social media components of the 2016 Public Relations Student Society of America Bateman Case Study Competition to remain active after implementation. Since our SVA Chapter (known as VET NET) only had a Facebook page prior to the campaign, we believe this decision will enhance the organization’s ability to continue to communicate with members and student veterans.
As the advisor for CSULB’s 2016 Bateman team, I confirm that any activity on the social media accounts that were transferred to VET NET have not been factored into the statistics or results of our campaign. Documentation of social media reach and engagement for the campaign only reflects activity from Feb. 15 through March 15.
Sincerely,
Joni Ramirez Part-time Lecturer, Journalism Department Faculty Adviser, CSULB Bateman Team