Footprints for Fatima 5k IMC Plan

Zach Fehrenbach, Morgan Osheka, Andrea Regrut

Creative Integrated Marketing Communication
April 27, 2016

-- Table of Contents -Situation Analysis... 3

Audience. 4
Objectives... 5
Strategies 6
Tactics..... 7
Planning Calendar.. 9
Budget... 11
Measurement. 12
Appendix... 13

-- Situation Analysis -In order to analyze the landscape surrounding the Footprints for Fatima 5k, we decided
to focus our research on two aspects: a survey taken by current students and the number of
participants in the past six years that the race has taken place.
The comprehensive results from the survey can be referred to in the appendix on page 14,
but we will go over the most important and pertinent statistics here. First of all, about one-third
of respondents to our survey said that they have participated in the Footprints for Fatima 5k
before. This provides us with a great opportunity to increase the number of students participating
in the race. Nearly half of the respondents to the survey indicated that they know of the race,
while about one-fourth said they are not very familiar with it and one-fourth said they know a lot
about it. These results show that we should strive to have more people know a lot about the event
and less people be unfamiliar with it. Nearly three-fourths of respondents said that our group sign
up idea (see page 7) would motivate them to participate in the race. This was an overwhelming
response that we are happy to see. Another great response was that nearly two-thirds of
respondents said that they would attend a service trip to help at the Fatima Family Center, which
is another one of our tactics (see page 7). One-fourth of respondents said that they dont know
what the Fatima Family Center is, which shows that our goal of educating students on the great
work being done at the center is appropriate. Finally, respondents indicated that they get most of
their John Carroll news from word of mouth, Inside JCU emails, and advertisements/posters on
campus, in that order. This is good because we are planning on using all of these mediums to
promote the Footprints for Fatima 5k.
We took a look at the Arrupe Scholars Program page on jcu.edu to find results from past
years of the Footprints for Fatima 5k. A full list of the number of 5k participants since 2010
can be found in the appendix on page 14. They provide results since 2010. The average number
of 5k participants in the past six years is about 163 people. Generally, the number of participants
has increased almost every year, but from 2014 to 2015 there was a decrease of 100 participants,
from 236 to 136. This is a significant decrease that we want to rectify in 2016. This decrease
probably had something to do with the unpleasant weather during Homecoming weekend in
2015, but in any case, the number of 5k participants should continue to increase every year, and
that is the main mission of our campaign.

-- Audience -We have identified three main target audiences for our Footprints for Fatima 5k
campaign. The primary audience that we are targeting is John Carroll students, the secondary
audience is surrounding community members and dedicated runners, and the tertiary audience is
families of John Carroll students.
JCU students are our primary target audience because they are the most likely population
to participate in the event. This is because the race starts on campus and takes place in the
immediate surroundings of JCU. Also, JCU students are likely to relate to the aspect of service
and community involved in the event because those are two ideals that are integral to the JCU
mission and mindset. Finally, we see a great opportunity to increase JCU student participation
due to our survey results. We believe that our campaign will successfully integrate the
Footprints for Fatima 5k with the rest of the events taking place during Homecoming
Weekend, therefore prompting more JCU students to participate in the race than ever before.
We decided to have surrounding community members and dedicated runners as our
secondary target audience also because of proximity and likeliness to participate. Our campaign
is truly stressing the idea of community and togetherness, and in order to emphasize this
sentiment, targeting people who live near JCU makes the most sense.
Our final target audience is the families of JCU students. We included this population in
our target audiences because we want loved ones to experience a great event like the Footprints
for Fatima 5k, along with the other Homecoming Weekend events, with their Blue Streak.
We believe that by mainly targeting these three audiences, we will successfully achieve
our objectives.

-- Objectives -Our objectives address the following: to integrate Footprints for Fatima 5k more with
Homecoming events and advertisements, to increase runner participation for Footprints for
Fatima 5k, and to increase awareness of Fatima Family Center. Over the past few years,
Footprints for Fatima 5k has been a major running event that incorporates JCU student and
community participation and raises awareness for a center with a good cause. However, there has
been a disconnect with the race event and the rest of JCUs Homecoming Weekend. Our
objectives attempt to create a greater connection between Homecoming Weekend and events
with Footprints for Fatima 5k race. Our objective is to highlight the race and its significance
within Homecoming advertisements and planning to ensure that JCU students, faculty and staff,
and community are aware of the event and want to participate. Not only do we plan to
incorporate more knowledge and attention to the race through Homecoming advertisements, we
plan to increase runner participation by taking further action to advertise to the community and
nearby locations where runners and those interested in participating in the run will learn more
about it and register. Lastly, we intend to take further action to acknowledge the assistance and
services provided at the Fatima Family Center and to create a greater connection to this
organization with John Carroll University service.
Overall, our mission is to raise more attention toward this event. The Footprints for
Fatima 5k seems to be an event that, although is always successful, is rarely focused on
throughout the Homecoming Weekend and events. We intend to create a campaign that JCUs
Student Union Planning Board and Arrupe Scholars can use to attract more attention to this
event, to raise more awareness about the Fatima Family Center, and to increase participation in
this years upcoming Homecoming Weekend and for future Homecoming events. We want
Footprints for Fatima 5k to be as successful as possible while also raising awareness for a good
cause. This campaign will encompass communication, service, and community to ensure an
inclusive event that is informative, enjoyable, and desirable for runners, supporters, and lovers of
service.

-- Strategies -In order to ensure that our objectives can be met, we created multiple strategies to
implement our objectives. To meet our first objective, to better incorporate Footprints for
Fatima 5k with the entire Homecoming Weekend, we plan to create strategies to create a flow of
events before and after the 5k race, rather than creating a disconnect from the race and other
aspects of Homecoming Weekend.
Our first call to action is to not only have online registration for the race, but to also have
in-person registration set up alongside Homecoming Dance ticket sales in the D.J. Lombardo
Student Center Atrium. This will create a personal connection that will entice students, faculty
and staff members to register for the race, rather than an impersonal connection with only online
registration. In-person advertisement of the race will most likely increase participation and will
spread the awareness of the race and the Fatima Family Center by word of mouth. In addition to
word of mouth promotion of the event, Footprints for Fatima 5k can be featured on all
Homecoming advertisements including posters, banners, Inside JCU messages, newspaper
advertisements, etc. Although this event is briefly mentioned in past advertisements, it will be
essential to always include the Footprints for Fatima 5k race on all advertisements before and
during Homecoming Weekend.
To meet our second objective, to increase race participation, our strategies are to target
more JCU students for registration in addition to sending additional information about the race
and registration to the JCU community, family and friends. By going the extra mile to reach out
to students primarily in addition to families present on campus during Homecoming Weekend,
we can ensure that our campaign will reach all demographics and attract all ages to participate in
Footprints for Fatima 5k, whether as a runner or as a member of the cheer squad.
To meet our third and final objective, to raise awareness for the Fatima Family Center, we
plan to make the Fatima Family Center as a permanent location for service through JCU. By
conducting a direct service opportunity with the Fatima Family Center and spreading the word
throughout the year, in addition to Homecoming Weekend, about the Fatima Family Center, we
can raise awareness about the services the Fatima Family Center provides and encourage service
at this location for future JCU projects.

-- Tactics -To take our objectives and strategies one step further, we have created tactics that will
ensure that our objectives are met and that our strategies are more detailed and efficient. To meet
our first objective and its contributing strategies, we plan to have Footprints for Fatima 5k
registration available directly next to Homecoming Dance ticket sales, in addition to providing a
discount for participants. If students register in person for Footprints for Fatima 5k, they will
receive a discount (suggested $5 discount) on their Homecoming Dance ticket. College students
are always on a tight budget, but if they know the race is for a good cause and they would
receive a discount on going to the Homecoming Dance, students are more likely to make a
reactive decision to instantly sign up for the race to receive a discount. In addition to direct
registration with Homecoming Dance ticket sales, every poster or other advertisement for the
Homecoming Dance will feature a blurb for Footprints for Fatima 5k, promoting the event and
stressing the advantage of discount Homecoming Dance tickets upon registration. The more
Footprints for Fatima 5k is featured in Homecoming advertisements, especially for the
Homecoming Dance, more students will be willing to register for the race and more will be
informed about the race.
To meet our second objective and its contributing strategies, we will encourage more JCU
student participation in Footprints for Fatima 5k by creating a contest for the JCU student
organization that registers the most members in a group. The contest can have a variety of prizes
(i.e. - giftcards, discount on food, feature on JCU webpage, etc.) to serve as an incentive for JCU
student organizations to compete while also showcasing school spirit and community for a cause.
In addition, groups with more than 10 participants will receive a discount upon registration. To
reach out to more JCU students than years prior, Footprints for Fatima 5k will have its own
Twitter account that they will post information regularly on social media so students are more
connected with the event. These accounts can be connected to other JCU organization accounts
to reach a wider audience of JCU students and to spread the word about the event quickly and
easily. Lastly, writing memos or a brief message about Footprints for Fatima 5k on
chalkboards in classrooms across campus will definitely grab students attention.
To get more participation from the JCU community, our campaign will feature
advertisements in local shops (i.e. - Pizzaz, Daves Cosmic Subs, Ben & Jerrys, Paninis,
Geracis, Panera, and Jacks Deli) so families and residents in the area will be notified about the
event and how to register, especially if they are not regularly on JCUs campus. To also target
professors and their families, we will individually put flyers for Footprints for Fatima 5k in
each of the departments mailboxes in advance (prior to registration opening and before the
actual race event). We will also have an advertisement included in the JCU Magazine to reach
any alum in the area who would be interested in participating in the race as well as a promotion
feature on JCU Radio. Lastly, for these forms of advertisement, we will highlight the inclusion of
a cheer squad section, where supporters, kids, etc. can create posters to cheer on the runners. This
cheer squad section will allow non-runners to contribute to the race in this arts and craft section
thats kid friendly and fun.
Lastly, to meet our third and final objective and its contributing strategies, will raise
awareness for the Fatima Family Center by scheduling a direct service trip to the center for JCU
students. Our plan is to reach out to the Arrupe Scholars to plan a service trip before the race so

that students will know where the races profits will go and who they will help. In addition to the
Arrupe Scholars, contacts in CSSA can also aid in creating this service opportunity. By
incorporating the help of the Arrupe Scholars and the CSSA department, more students who
work individually with these organizations can pass along the information about this tentative
service trip. Also, student organizations (such as Greek Life) can regularly make service trips to
the Fatima Family Center throughout the year, making the center a permanent service spot for
future service opportunities at any point of the school year. Also, courses that include a service
component for class completion can emphasize service opportunities with the Fatima Family
Center. Lastly, other promotions through advertisements, Inside JCU, Campus Ministry, The
Carroll News, and JCU Radio can spread the word about the services at the Fatima Family
Center and how JCU students and the community can help this center now and in the future.

-- Planning Calendar -We are planning to start our advertisement on September 1st by sending out updates
promoting the Footprints for Fatima 5k to alumni and families who have students at John
Carroll University. With our plan it is important to reach out to the alumni who might already be
attending the homecoming football game, and inform them that they can also run the Footprints
for Fatima 5k that same day. By informing alumni about the Footprints for Fatima 5k, they
can also bring their families to either cheer them on or run the 5k with them. Homecoming is a
family event where John Carroll welcomes home their alumni. We want the Footprints for
Fatima 5k to also be a part of that process and make it an event that people look forward to.
We also want to incorporate families of current John Carroll students so that they are able
to run with their child, siblings, or relatives. Like we said in our infograph, running is a lot more
enjoyable if you are doing it with more people. Homecoming is far enough into the semester that
students start to miss their families and vise versa. Including the families of students will be a fun
way for students to be able to see their families again, as well as immerse them in their John
Carroll experience.
On September 5th we are going to start having service trips to the Fatima Family Center.
Due to the fact that the first day of classes start August 29th, we feel that this is enough time for
students to move in and get settled. We also want to make sure that students have enough time to
create an emotional connection to the people at the Fatima Family Center. If students have an
emotional connection to the people they are serving, then they are much more likely to take part
in fundraisers that help those people by running the race. We also want to get students involved
with the Fatima Family Center so they can see where their money is going and what they are
running for.
On September 14th we are going to start advertising for the 5k through posters around
campus, sending updates and promotional pieces through Inside JCU, and advertisements on the
screen in the atrium. September 14th is three weeks before the week of Homecoming, which
gives people enough time to tell their families about it, and plan on doing it. It also gives people
the time to save up money and recruit their friends before registration comes out. One thing that
we want to avoid during the advertisement process is not giving students and faculty enough
time to plan on running the race. I wish I knew earlier is one of the worst sentiments we can
hear because that means that there is more of a crowd that wants to do the race but it was not
advertised properly. We are also going to promote the 5k to faculty members by putting flyers in
their mailboxes so there is minimal chance that they will be unaware of the race.
On September 16th, posters are going to be put up in surrounding stores such as Pizzazz,
Ben & Jerrys, Dave's Cosmic Subs, Paninis, Jacks Deli, Geracis Pizza, and Panera. The
surrounding community supports John Carroll and it is important that they are informed of
activities that might be of interest to them. By advertising at a variety of different stores we are
reaching a larger demographic and have a better chance of having more participants.
Our next step is to start registration on campus on September 21st, which will be located
next to the homecoming dance tickets. By having the 5k registration and the Homecoming
tickets directly next to each other it will, once again, inform students of the race and have people
there to answer questions in person. Also, having registration in person and next to the
homecoming tickets will inform people that if they register for the Footprints for Fatima 5k,

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they will get a discount on their Homecoming dance ticket. This creates an incentive for students
to register and run. Registration will be open until the day before the race and would close on
Friday, October 7th. The day that registration closes for the race is flexible due to the fact that the
race must rely on the company that provides the runners with bib numbers, which have chips that
track their times. Advertisements will run all the way through the race and will end the day of.
We are planning on making announcements periodically on WJCU- 88.7 so that faculty
and staff, surrounding neighborhoods, and students will be informed of the Footprints for
Fatima 5k as well as the discounts they can receive. There will also be notifications in the
alumni magazine, which will be sent to alumni as well as families of previous and current John
Carroll students. Faculty and staff are also exposed to the magazine and can be informed of the
race that way.
On October 8th, the day of the event, set-up will start at 7:00 a.m. This will give the setup crew enough time to put up the tents, prepare tables, get ready for check in, and set up the
poster station and the t-shirts station. Check in will open at 8:00 a.m. This is also when the tshirts will be passed out. The poster station will be available for those who are not participating
in the run and want to cheer on their friends, family, and relatives. At 9:00 a.m. the race will
begin and the cheering section will start to be set up for the fans to greet and cheer on the runners
who are finishing the race. After the race the runners and fans will be asked to take a survey
about their race experience. This information will be used to see how satisfied the runners and
families were, as well as to identify areas that need improvement. Once the runners and their
families turn in their surveys, they will be given a button that will encourage them to go to the
football game. Around 10:00 a.m. clean up will begin and any extra buttons will be given out. It
is more important for the 5k to promote the football game and be a part of John Carrolls
Homecoming tradition than it is to save the buttons that we could possibly use for the following
year. By 12:00 p.m., the clean up should be completed and the race will be completely finished.

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-- Budget -The budget for the race will include advertisements, poster material for the cheering
section, buttons, the fee that the race will pay for the bib numbers, and t-shirts. With this said, we
have allotted $100 in advertisement fees. With this money, 300+ posters will be able to be
purchased, depending on the size and color choices, and shipping fees. With this money we will
also be able to put advertisements in the alumni magazine as well as the letters sent out to
families of JCU students. Depending on how much of this money is left, we will purchase
buttons that promote the John Carroll football game. Each button will cost around $0.18 plus
shipping. If $15 is left we will be able to purchase around 80 buttons. It is not necessary to
purchase an exuberant amount of buttons due to the fact there will be more of a demand for the
buttons if there is a limited amount.
Our campaign also needs posters and poster material. Assuming that the poster material
will be bought in bulk, $50 will be allotted to buy the material for the cheering section. With this
money we will buy posters, markers, and stencils in the shape of a blue streak or the footprints if
our poster budget has money left over. With this $50, $35-$40 will be given to the actual posters
and $10-$15 will be given to markers. As previously stated if these materials come at a cheaper
cost than expected, then we will have the opportunity to purchase stencils.
The next aspect of the race that needs to be budgeted is the t-shirts. Each t-shirt will cost
around $6 to make and will be sold for $10-$15. This money will reimburse the the cost of the
shirts, but the money will also need to be spent to have to t-shirts by race time. With this said, up
front, we will need to spend about $900 on t-shirts. This will provide 150 t-shirts.
Another fee that the race will need to budget for is the bib numbers. If the race purchases
100-750 bib numbers, they will cost $0.23 each. This means that around $100 will need to be
spent on the bibs depending on how many runners participate in the event.
In previous years, fruits, granola bars, and drinks have been provided after the race. We
plan on spending about $200 on the food available for the runners and family after the race.
Depending on how many runners register for the 5k will depend on how much food is needed.
We are also allowing ourselves $100 for the equipment needed to time the runners and
the finish line material. We also would like to budget for a permit to block off the streets and
cones needed to lead the runners and walkers through their races. For these costs we would like
to plan on spending around $350.
By adding all of costs and fees together, the Arrupe organization should budget
approximately $1,650 towards the race. Keeping in mind the cost of the t-shirts, this budget will
not all be spent at the end of the day. There will be an income from the t-shirts to decrease the
cost of the race. This means that walking away from the race, the total cut from the Footprints
for Fatima 5k budget will at least be $900 cheaper, putting the actual budget at $750 or less.

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-- Measurement -The success of this campaign will be measured through runner participation. If the
number or runners increase then we will know that people saw our advertisements or heard about
them in some way. The survey that will be taken after the race can be used as a measuring tool
for years to come as well. This survey will ask:
1. Have you ever run the Fatima 5k?
2. How satisfied are you with the Fatima 5k this year?
(Not Satisfied) (Moderately Satisfied) (Very Satisfied)
a. 1
2
3
4
5
3. How did you hear about the Fatima 5K?
4. What is one aspect of the 5k that you would change?
From the survey results, we will be able to see how many people are satisfied with the 5k
from one year to the next. We can also measure how well our advertisements worked by seeing if
the runners mentioned any of our advertising techniques such as posters, flyers in professors
mail boxes, notifications in the mail, advertisements in the alumni magazine, announcements on
the radio station, etc. in their answers. With this information about our advertisements, we can
also adjust our advertising strategy in the future so that we can effectively reach more people.

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-- Appendix -Survey
1.
2.
3.

Have you participated in the Footprints for Fatima 5k / one mile run before?
Yes (37.14%)
No (62.86%)
How familiar are you with the Footprints for Fatima 5k at JCU during Homecoming weekend?
Not very familiar (25.71%)
I know of it (48.57%)
I know a lot about it (25.71%)
What would motivate you to sign up to participate in the race? (you can choose more than one
answer)
- If you buy a race ticket, you get a discounted Homecoming ticket (23.53%)
- If you sign up with a group of 10+ people, you get a discount and an opportunity to win prizes
(70.59%)
- I would run no matter what (47.06%)
4. Would you attend a service trip to help at the Fatima Family Center?
- Yes (65.71%)
- No (8.57%)
- I dont know what the Fatima Family Center is (25.71%)
5. How do you get your JCU news? (you can choose more than one answer)
- Inside JCU (68.57%)
- Social media (48.57%)
- Advertisements/posters on campus (65.71%)
- The Carroll News (8.57%)
- Word of mouth (88.57%)
*Out of 35 respondents*

5k Participants in Past Years

2015: 136
2014: 236
2013: 154
2012: 182
2011: 151
2010: 121

Communication with Client

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When meeting in person with Lisa Ramsey, the assistant director of student engagement,
we discussed our objectives for the Footprints for Fatima 5k and received feedback as well as
ideas that we can use within our campaign. She was completely onboard with our idea to have
the 5k registration in person next to the Homecoming Dance ticket sales booth in the atrium, in
addition to receiving a discount on a Homecoming Dance ticket if a student also registered for
the Footprints for Fatima 5k. In addition, Lisa encouraged our plans to create a Cheer Squad
section for non-runners to participate in the event while also providing an activity to keep them
busy in addition to supporting the runners. She also encouraged the idea of creating the incentive
buttons given at the end of the race to promote the Footprints for Fatima 5k in addition to
giving the runners a reward, such as discounted Homecoming football game tickets or discounted
concessions. When asked about challenges she has faced when running/planning the event, she
mentioned that creating the run's route/location has been tricking, particularly with setup for the
Homecoming tailgate. She along with other Homecoming committee members have suggested
changing the start/finish location to Dolan Science Center, but this idea hasn't been 100%
accepted. Lisa also stressed the desire to have more cross-promotions for the event with CSSA
and to have a greater outreach to students. Lisa commented that most runners in the community
are always dedicated to coming to these type of events, but the event needs to bring in more
student involvement, despite the fact that it takes place the morning after the homecoming dance.
Lastly, Lisa provided us with multiple contacts to reach out to if our campaign were to be
set in motion for the upcoming Homecoming season. Contacts included Katie Spring and Mariah
White, who both work in CSSA and are members of the Homecoming Committee. She also
suggested reaching out to The Running Club, a student organization that hasn't been confirmed
yet but is hoping to become a legitimate organization next year. Walter Simmons is the advisor
and Jordan Conrad (jconrad17@jcu.edu) is the creator of the group. Lisa said to contact them to
see if they would be interested in creating a "training program" for the "Footprints for Fatima" 5k
for students to train during the weeks leading up to the event. Also, Lisa informed me that the
event teams up with HMA Running Agency, an outside agency who facilitates the 5k registration
online and who also provides benefits for the event, including time tracking and running chips
that notify when runners pass the finish line.