PAWSITIVE CHANGE

Ariel Marie Guerra Relations with Special Publics COMM488

Pets for Elders

Pets for Elders|1

I.

Research
a. The client: i. Pets for Elders 1. Formed just a year ago by a North Adams couple. 2. Their mission is to pair up lonely elders with pets that are in need of good homes. ii. Additional information needed: 1. Have you partnered with any organizations that cater to the needs of senior citizens? a. Having information regarding partnerships with organizations that deal with the particular audience will help better reach the target audience. 2. Have you become affiliated with a local animal shelter to make adoptions more direct? If not, where do you get the pets to be adopted? a. This information will benefit the target audience by letting them know exactly where the pets will come from. Also by answering this, news releases can include said information. 3. Since the formation of this organization have you used any form of communication to get the target audiences attention? a. It would be beneficial to understand prior methods of communication that were used and how successful they

Pets for Elders|2 have been so we could know how exactly to reach the target audience. 4. How much does it cost to adopt a pet? a. Knowing the price, if any, would help in regards to how to best market the program. 5. What exactly is the budget for this public relations program? a. A budget would be helpful to determine exactly how much money can be allocated for the programing. b. The problem: i. There are many problems that have led to the creation of the Pets for Elders program, among these include that the elderly residents of North Adams suffer from depression and loneliness and that there is a vast number of animals that need to be euthanized because no one can adopt them. 1. Because of this the development of a proactive public relations program will benefit Pets for Elders by opening a channel of communication with the target audience to better inform them and interest them to adopt a pet to better improve their standard of well-being. 2. A proactive program will help to dissolve the problem by creating awareness of the benefits of the elderly adopting pets and therefore decrease the number of pets in the North Adams area that are euthanized.

Pets for Elders|3 3. This proactive program will be short term and last 6 months in order to establish a clear channel to inform the target audience. c. The target public: i. The elderly residents of North Adams 1. Elderly can live and function well on their own 2. Many have lost their spouses 3. Many suffer from loneliness and physical deterioration 4. The suicide rate is significant among these older residents 5. Some elderly people in North Adams feel they will be unable to take on the responsibilities of a pet 6. Others feel that they had no previous experience with animals and are not sure a pet would be a positive addition to their lives ii. Additional information needed: 1. Is money what concerns you when considering the responsibilities needed to care for a pet? a. By asking this we can determine if money is the reason as to why elders feel they will be unable to take said responsibilities. 2. How knowledgeable are you about the Pets for Elders organization? a. By asking this question we can better understand the amount of the target audience that is actually aware of the organization. From there we can gauge how much

Pets for Elders|4 information is needed to be handed out at The PAWSitive Change Expo. (See programing section D-i) 3. How do you obtain local news or information? a. To better identify a media channel that can be used to inform the target audience. (See programing section B) 4. This qualitative research will be conducted by two way communication in the form of interviews. These interviews will be held in senior centers around the North Adams area.

II.

Objectives
a. Impact: i. To increase the knowledge of the organizations benefits among members of this special public (by 25% before the first adoption day) (informational) ii. To stimulate greater participation (15%) in the organizations pet adoption program by this special public (during the next 6 months) (behavioral) iii. To increase the amount of pets adopted per month. (15 pets per adoption day) (behavioral) b. Output i. To prepare and distribute materials such as brochures to (30% of) the senior citizen community in North Adams, ME.

III.

Programing
a. Central Theme: i. PAWSitive Change

Pets for Elders|5 1. This theme was created to show a connection between the target audience and the objectives and goals of the Pets for Elders organization. This theme plays on the purpose of the organization being to offer elderly people the chance to adopt a pet to provide them with companionship and love. 2. PAWSitive is a play on words formed by taking the word positive and adding cute animal flair. 3. The Change stated in the central theme can be achieved by the adoption of a pet. b. Uncontrolled messages to be distributed: i. Television 1. A news release will be issued inviting the morning and evening news anchors to attend the PAWSitive Change Expo. a. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 26TH 2014 Pets for Elders presents a PAWSitive Change for the community NORTH ADAMS, ME, May 26th, 2014 Pets for Elders is proud to present the PAWSitive Change Expo coming to the Portland Exposition Building this month! Cumberland county senior citizens are welcome to come out every weekend this June and see how exactly a pet can impact a persons life. The event will include a meet and greet of the

Pets for Elders|6 pets up for adoption from both the Humane Society of Portland and the North Adams SPCA. 2. The news release will contain the release date of May 26th 2014 to be aired during both early morning and evening news programs and will run through the 31th of May. ii. Newspaper 1. A phone call will be made informing the North Adams newspaper about a photo opportunity for the PAWSitive Change Expo. a. The phone call will mention that the PAWSitive Change Expo has arrived at the Portland Exposition Building and will be taking place throughout the month of June. This event will show senior citizens of the North Adams area how exactly a pet can impact a persons life. The event will include a meet and greet of the pets up for adoption from both the Humane Society of Portland and the North Adams SPCA. 2. This photo opportunity will be used to draw more attention to the PAWSitive Change Expo. 3. The phone call will also include to-be released date for the Sunday edition of the paper on June 8th, 2014. c. Controlled messages to be distributed: i. Brochure

Pets for Elders|7 1. A threefold brochure to include information specific to these different categories including: when the adoption days will occur, how adopting a pet will benefit a member of the special public, how to go about in adopting a pet, where pet supplies venders are located in the North Adams area and contact information for Pets for Elders and their mission statement. 2. The brochures are to be distributed to the North Adams Senior Center and the Southern Maine Agency on Aging as well as the Office of Elderly Services. 3. Distribution of the brochures will begin after the PAWSitive Changes Expo and before the first PAWSitive Changes Adoption Day ii. Adoption Packet 1. The adoption packet will include easy to follow information on topics including: what food to get newly adopted pets, how often they need to be active, when to take pets to the vet and how to keep the new pets happy. Adoption packets will also include a list of and a discount card to be used at participating pet shops, pet care professionals, pet groomers and dog walking services in the North Adams area. These participating businesses will have senior discount days giving a 5%-10% discount that seniors can benefit from provided that they use the enclosed discount card.

Pets for Elders|8 2. The adoption packets will be distributed at each of the PAWSitive Changes Adoption Days to each elderly resident that adopts a pet. d. Special Event: i. The PAWSitive Change Expo 1. The special event entitled PAWSitive Change will be an exhibition or a public display of items of interest. This event was developed to better promote the Pets for Elders organization and to inform the elderly residents of the North Adams community so they are aware of the benefits of adopting a pet. 2. This event is a onetime only event to take place during every weekend during June, 2014. 3. To be held at the Portland Exposition Building in June. The exhibition will be related to senior citizen life and show the senior citizens of the North Adams area can benefit from adopting a pet. 4. The event will include a meet and greet of the pets up for adoption from both the Humane Society of Portland and the North Adams SPCA. 5. At the event there will be vender booths set up to display information and to have representatives from organizations including Pets for Elders, the North Adams Senior Center, and the Southern Maine Agency on Aging as well as the Office of Elderly Services. There will also be vender booths set up for local pet

Pets for Elders|9 stores, local animal supply stores, grocery stores, dog walking services, pet grooming services and pet care professionals. ii. The PAWSitive Change Adoption Day 1. To be held at the senior center of North Adams, ME. 2. Once a month beginning with the first PAWSitive Change Adoption Day on July 20th, 2014. The adoption days will be held on every third Sunday a month. 3. Senior citizens will be able to meet and greet with the animals that are offered for adoption that month. There will be over 50 animals to be adopted from both the Humane Society of Portland and the North Adams SPCA. 4. The idea behind the adoption day meet and greet is that it offers an opportunity for the elderly residents of North Adams to really experience just how sweet and caring these pets in need of adoption truly are. 5. With each adoption an adoption packet will be handed out (See programing section C-ii) e. With the use of salient information made available at both the PAWSitive Change Expo and the PAWSitive Change Adoption Day the Pets for Elders organizations messages can be sure to influence the target audiences behaviors and attitudes. In addition to salient information, the programing part of this public relations program utilizes the principle of group influence. Because this is a special relations program it only seemed natural to pick key organizations and groups that

Pets for Elders|10 identified with and contained members of the target audience. Through the use of group influence and by incorporating specific groups, messages regarding the PAWSitive Change events and Pets for Elders will be accepted by all members because of the groups operative cohesiveness and conformity.

IV.

Evaluation
a. To properly evaluate this public relations program one would begin by establishing if all goals, both impact and output, have been completed. From there this special publics program can be evaluated by the amount of participation by the target audience and by the amount of publicity generated by the program in the North Adams area. i. Impact objective one can be evaluated by measuring the messages (see programing section B) exposure. Message retention can also be measured by giving a short, one or two question survey at a PAWSitive Change Adoption Day. 1. Questions to be included: a. How did you find out about the Pets for Elders PAWSitive Changes Adoption Day? b. Are you aware of the benefits of adopting a pet? ii. Impact object two and three can both be evaluated by counting the number of visitors to the PAWSitive Change Adoption Days and counting the number of pets adopted at the PAWSitive Change Adoption Days.

Pets for Elders|11 iii. The output objective can be measured by counting the number of brochures distributed to the target audience.