Event Development
The proposed event will be called ‘Retrospect Offline at Ruffner’, which will be simply referred to using the acronym ROAR; its slogan will be ‘Alive Offline’. The purpose of this event is to gather several young people between the ages of 18 to 25 to review some of their past decisions away from the pressures of the digital world, mainly in the form of social media. One ESP of this event is that it will offer those in attendance an opportunity to meditate in the quietness of the serene environment available at Ruffner Mountain. In addition, once the participants get to the entrance of this nature park, they will be required to hand in their phones and other gadgets connected to the internet. ROAR aims at providing a real friendship experience reinforced by a natural environment that provides an opportunity to explore and learn.
Communication Brief
This communication brief is developed with the purpose of providing a concise explanation of what the event will communicate to its target audience.
Communications Objective: The main message that the event will want to pass is the need for young people to take time off social networks to meditate upon decisions they have made and develop plans for their lives.
Business Objective: In addition to the revenue generated from the ticket sales, the event organizers wish to start a culture of meditation done in the wild for young people; the latter will create repeat clients and demand for future events.
Target Audience: Young people aged between 18 and 25 years
Actions: Participants will be required to spend a third of their time in the nature trail, a period during which they will be instructed not to communicate with each other unless it is a necessity. This walk will be used to meditate on life choices and goals. The second third will be used discussing life goals with peers, which will help motivate or correct behavior. The remaining third will be spent on touring sites such as mines and quarries at Ruffner Mountain.
Single Benefit: The event organizers believe that these activities will give participants a chance to evaluate whether their past and current life decisions are in accordance to who they want to be in future.
Evaluation: A week after the event, participants will be requested to fill review questionnaires on whether they feel ROAR’s objectives were achieved.
Visual Research
Figure 1: Nature Trail at Ruffner Mountain
Figure 2: Turtle feeding at the Nature Center
Figure 3: A view of Ruffner Mountain
Design Elements
The theme colors for ROAR will be orange and blue. Orange was selected because it represents energy and vibrancy, which are characteristic of the youth, whereas blue exemplifies calmness similar to that of the sky. The image below will be used to show that this retrospective event will require all participants to be offline.
Rough Draft Ideas
Above the Line
Ads on social media
Billboards
Television ads
Event organizers to co-host a local radio show to promote the event
A colored poster in a magazine with a youthful audience
Below the Line
Personal selling in campuses
Distribution of pamphlets
Stickers for vehicles
Brochures placed at retail stores
Banners in selected shops
Figure 4: Mind-map Sketch for ROAR
Press Release
Retrospect Offline at Ruffner
Alive Offline
[Street Address]
Birmingham
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
For any clarification:
Tel: [Phone Number]
March 22, 2016- ROAR’s event organizers will be conducting the first of its kind on April 16, 2016 at Ruffner Mountain.
The event will be an opportunity for young people, 18-25 years, to meditate and bond with peers outside the virtual world of social media. All participants will be required to hand in their mobile phones and other devices on arrival at the event.
The organizers believe that the serene environment at Ruffner Mountain will allow retrospective meditation. The participants are expected to take this time away from the pressures of their lives to ponder whether the decisions they have made align with their goals in life. Additionally, the sharing of insights after the meditation among peers will help encourage or correct behavior. All these activities will be conducted in a friendly manner to ensure that participants enjoy themselves. Additionally, a tour of mines, quarries, and nature trails at Ruffner Mountain will also ensure enjoyment of the event.
Tickets for the event can be bought online or on selected shops within the city. In addition, event promoters will be touring campuses, parks and other social places to sell the tickets. Detailed information on the event is available on its website at www.roar1.com
Final Solutions
Above the Line
Below the Line
Creative Justification
The social media revolution has increased the number of individuals spending their time online; nonetheless, studies indicate that a large percentage of these persons are interested in periodical moments of being offline (McDonald, 2015; Richards, 2015). This event, ROAR, will tap into this demand gap by providing an experience and environment for individuals to be offline. Young people are keen on achieving their goals and this event will be marketed as an intrinsic review of whether an individual is following his or her life plan. The use of social media is essential for reaching the masses, and it will be reinforced using print media and radio. On the other hand, the organizers recognize the need for personal selling in communicating the purpose of the event in clarity to the audience. This promotional method will be reinforced using brochures and banners in selected stores and retail shops, and stickers for vehicles. The colors selected for the event are orange and blue, which are perceived as energetic and calm respectively. The energy will represent the vibrancy of the youth, whereas the calmness will highlight the need for retrospective meditation. In addition, the use of peer motivation will help highlight members of this age group that are on track to achieving their goals and are still having fun.
References
McDonald, J. (2015). Social Media Marketing Workbook. London: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Richards, M. (2015). Social Media. London: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
