sarah beron zero homes final

8/14/2019 Sarah Beron Zero Homes Final

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2010 Public Relations Campaign for the

Zero Homes Initiative

Sarah BeronChristopher Brito

Abigail BrownMaya Ganguly

Emily Pratt

Go Green, Save Green.


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Table of ContentsCover Letter 1Executive Summary. 2Client Research 3Situational Analysis.3

Primary Research..4Graphs..8Primary Target Public15 The Theme15The Logo16 Goal17Informational Objectives17

Strategies and Tactics17

Motivational Objectives.24Strategies and Tactics..25

Behavioral Objectives..30 Strategies and Tactics..30

Evaluation33

Timeline..34

Budget.37


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To Whom it May Concern,

The following is the proposed Zero Energy Home public relations plan for the 2010 year. As theenvironment is slowly being suffocated by the human race and all of its pollutants, it is

extremely important that home owners take part in the Zero Energy Home initiative and employgreen home innovations.

The Zero Homes initiative is dedicated to decreasing and possibly reversing the harm anddestruction the human population has implemented on the planet by focusing on the eliminationof household carbon production.

Zero Homes is a recently popular initiative that requires the help of home owners everywhere.The following public relation campaign targets the East Bay home owners community withinRhode Island. The plan demonstrates numerous ways that the Zero Homes Initiative can work toexpand their support and overall participation numbers.

The campaign utilizes strategies to inform homeowners about the initiative, along with itsecological and economical benefits, and provides various ways the public can get involved. Theenvironment is depending upon the human race to take the initiative and help fix the damage thatstill has the capability of being reversed. From complete green home renovations to the additionof simple innovations, every effort towards the initiative helps.

Sincerely,

Sarah BeronAccount Executive

PRestige Communications


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Executive Summary

The Zero Homes Initiative was created to support and promote homes that not only createtheir own energy, but can also produce enough energy to be transferred back to the utilitycompany.

The Zero Homes Initiative is dedicated to informing and helping the community encompassthese green innovations into their home.

With the recent decline in the economy, many people are concerned with their personalfinances. Zero Homes allow energy to essentially be created in an extremely cost-effectivemanner. After time, money can actually be made from the production of a homes personalenergy when it is sold back to the energy company.

If action is not taken, Global Warming along with the destruction of precious naturalresources will continue to cultivate. Eventually the world we live in will turn into complete

ruin if initiative is not taken now.

For this exact reason, a public relations plan has been developed to increase awareness andknowledge about the Zero Homes Initiative and all that the cause encompasses.

The plan targets East Bay couples that own their own home, are well-educated, and betweenthe ages of 30-50. Green home innovations do cost money, therefore, this target public wasideal because they are the most likely to have a disposable income.

By implementing this plan, it is hoped that a greater number of East Bay home owners willinvest in green home innovations to further strengthen the Zero Homes Initiative.


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Client Research

A Zero Home is a home that creates as much power as it uses over the course of a year. Becausea Zero Homes creates its own energy, it has net zero carbon dioxide emissions. A Zero Home notonly creates its own energy, but it can also produce enough energy to be transferred back to the

energy company.

The first step in turning an existing home into a Zero Home begins with taking an initiativetowards reducing the home's carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the total set of greenhousegas emissions the home releases into the environment. Such carbon dioxide emissions havebecome one of the major man-made greenhouse gases that are currently a key cause of globalwarming. A carbon footprint is expressed as tons of carbon emitted by a home on an annual basis.Additionally, a carbon footprint makes up 50% of the overall human Ecological Footprint.

Zero Homes is dedicated to reducing the carbon footprint of individual households across theEast Bay. The gradual reduction of a home's carbon footprint will eventually lead to the creation

of a zero-carbon home. Zero Homes provides information regarding the countless waysindividual households can reduce their carbon footprints as well as their monthly utility bills.Solar panels, effective home insulation, and energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs are onlya few of the innovations promoted by the Zero Homes initiative.

Situational Analysis

From littered forests to the extremes of nuclear aftermath, signs of mans destruction of the planetare everywhere. Manipulation of natural resources has always been an integral part of manstechnological progress. This reality has become more evident after the industrial revolution,when mankind curbed its respect for the environment for the sake of industrial development.

Prior to and during the Industrial Revolution, there was little to no knowledge about the impactof rampant carbon emission. Today, however, the fact that has been proven time and time againthat the emission of greenhouse gases and aerosols resulting from human activities are changingthe amount of radiation coming into and leaving the atmosphere. Changes in climate and theresulting unusual environmental phenomena can be chalked up to this human imposed imbalanceof radiation.

With knowledge of the damage caused by human actions has come scientific study on how thistrend can be halted, and technology to combat it has been developed. One method of lowering

carbon emissions has been development of technology that operates using less power, whichhave come to be known as green. This method has seen widespread application in theproduction of consumer appliances. These appliances have been marketed as a means oflowering ones energy bill, and to a lesser extent, their lower impact on the environment.

Along with the development of these technologies has come study of alternative and sustainablesources of energy that dont emit as much orany greenhouse gasses during operation. Using the


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new information from these studies, homes are now being designed with innovations such aslarger windows and more open spaces to allow more natural light and less electric light and, self-sustaining power sources such as solar panels.

Zero homes are households that emit little to no greenhouse gasses, thus leaving no carbon

footprint. The concept of saving money while helping the environment sounds will be extremelyappealing to many homeowners. If properly informed on the facts about carbon emissions andhow they can be reduced in their homes, there is a strong likelihood of homeowners takingadvantage of such innovations. The Zero Homes Initiative will serve the community byproviding information about how energy saving innovations can fit into the home renovationplans of those residing in the East Bay.

Primary Research

Research ExplanationIt is vital for us to conduct research regarding the Zero Homes Initiative. The results of our

research will provide us with a means of reasoning different approaches to completing ourobjectives. First, we have completed an interview process with 20 adult individuals. We chose toutilize this research methodology because it provides insight into the knowledge individualscurrently have of a zero-carbon home. By understanding the current understanding of thesehomes among our audience, we will be able to determine which information needs to beexpanded upon. Additionally, these interviews provide information regarding personal attitudesand opinions on zero-carbon homes. Such information will prove to be beneficial to thecompletion of our plan as we will be able to create our strategies and tactics based upon thecurrent mindsets of our audience. Additionally, we have conducted a Content Analysis whichprovides us with insight into what the media has said about zero-carbon homes. This researchwill provide our team with further insight into the specific attributes of a zero-carbon home as

well as the current opinions of the various aspects of reducing a homes carbon footprint.

Interview Results

DemographicsA total of twenty adults were interviewed, eleven of which were male and nine of which werefemale. Four of the subjects fell into the 18-25 age category, eight fell into the 26-39 agecategory, six were in the 40-50 age group, one fell into the 51-65 age group, and one subject wasolder than age 65. Eleven of the interviewees were potential home owners, and nine of themalready owned their own home; they all currently reside in New England. The subjectsdistinguished their marital status (9/20 were married), along with their average annual income,

which ranged from less than $25,000 to $100,000 and above, to help us understand theirfinancial positioning. Each person was asked ten questions in order to assess their knowledge,opinion, and openness towards the Zero Energy Home initiative.

The interview included a series of questions designed to gain understanding of the participantsinitial awareness of the subject of green homes, along with the benefits of the Zero EnergyHome initiative. In addition, we asked for their opinion of the Zero Energy Home initiative fromtheir financial standpoint and asked how they anticipated the progression of the initiative in


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general. We were also interested on the subjects views on their possible individual impact on theenvironment through Zero Energy Homes. The information found in this survey will allow is tounderstand the interest of New Englanders and eco-friendly homes, what factors may be holdingback the population from taking part in this initiative.

Preliminary AwarenessFor interviewees to understand the Zero Energy Home initiative, the interviewer first explainedwhat being eco-friendly essentially means. When the subjects were asked what the phrase,reducing your carbon footprint meant to them, the majority of the interviewed agreed that thephrase meant being aware of your negative impact of the environment and making an effort toreduce it. Not one subject was incapable of answering this question. As a result, it can be statedthat 100 percent of the participants understood, to an extent, the definition of sustainability andeco-friendliness. As a follow-up, interviewees were asked if they could talk about any greenhome innovations that they were aware of and 90% (18 out of 20) could name at leastone. Examples of home innovations that the subjects were aware of included sustainablewindows and doors, reusable insulation, solar panels, and reclaimed wood and counter tops.

The 90 percent of subjects who were aware of eco-friendly home innovations were asked whichinnovations, if any, they currently utilize. A minority of the subjects (4/18) had energy-efficientwindows, while the majority (12/18) used florescent Energy Star light bulbs. Subject One, arecent home owner, stated, Most of my kitchen appliances are Energy Star, an appliance brandthats very eco-friendly. I even use a wood stove to heat my house, which I believe is moresustainable because the emissions from the stove arent as harmful to the environment as gaswould be. For the two interviewees who could not describe any available green homeinnovations, they were informed of some examples. The Zero Energy Home initiative wasexplained to all of the participants to make them fully aware of the concept we would bereferring to in the questions that were to follow during the interview.

The Benefits of the Zero Home InitiativeThe interviewees were asked what benefits they could identify regarding the Zero Energy Homeinitiative aside from environmental preservation. 100 percent of the interviewees agreed that theinitial cost of green home innovations are extremely expensive, however, the future benefitswould outweigh the original financial setback. Subject Two explained the matter in detail;Basically, you pay a lot of money upfront, and as time goes on, all of the upgraded eco-friendly renovations in your home will pay themselves off. The energy-efficient appliances willsave you energy, which will save you money, maybe even time. In the long, long run, you couldpotentially be making money. The interviewees considered this to be the greatest benefit of theZero Energy Home initiative.

12 out of 20 subjects highlighted the financial benefit, which some subjects referred to asincentives, given by the government, such as tax benefits. The majority of the subjects thatmentioned governmental incentives/benefits noted that they believe the government supports theZero Home initiative. Many subjects gave examples of the tax benefits and financial rebates thatthe government currently offers, which reflects government support of the initiative. SubjectThree expressed, They like it; at least, theres always ads for that stuff. I feel like if thegovernment didnt like it, it wouldnt always be advertised. Two interviewees mentioned a


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rebate they heard about where the government would offer a rebate of up to $1,500 to peoplewho would replace their old windows with sustainable ones. Although a little over half of theinterviewees brought up governmental incentives, the remaining group was unaware of any suchincentives. In conclusion, it is obvious that the government incentives and efforts made towardspushing the Zero Energy Home initiative have not been extremely effective.

The Future of Zero Energy HomeWhen asked for their opinion on the future of Zero Energy Homes, 17/20 subjects mentionedsomething about the real estate market. The majority of those subjects suggested that the ZeroEnergy Homes Initiative would positively affect the future real estate market. Subject Sixexpressed, The Zero Energy Home initiative could maybe help sell houses more in the future.People will like the idea that [a house] is already eco-friendly and sustainable, and they wonthave to spend more money on making the green renovations themselves. Subject Sevenclaimed, My guess is that in ten to fifteen years from now, its going to be the it thing thatpeople will be looking for in a home. Is it sustainable? If the answers no, people mightreconsider, just like cars! Pretty soon, well all have those smart little things. The remaining

subjects who did not see the market being positively affected in the future still believed that theZero Energy Home initiative would become more popular over time. Those who did notmention the real estate market at all mentioned that the popularity of Zero Energy Homes willeither rise or remain steady; while not one subject believed that it would decline or become lesspopular than it currently stands.

Financial SpectrumThe subjects were asked how much they believed it would cost (roughly) to make a home as eco-friendly as possible, and if they believed that the number is practical for them or not. All twentyinterviewees gave specific numbers, ranging from $2,000 to $75,000. A majority of the subjects,over 75 percent, explained that the cost of putting in eco-friendly innovations into their homes isnot economically practical at this current time. The subjects that expressed cost impracticalityall stated that the economy was the cause of this. Subject Eight claimed, The primary concernof the average American homeowner is economical. Environmental consciousness is secondary.We can conclude from this that regardless of the widespread benefits the Zero Energy Homesinitiative provides, if those benefits negatively affect the immediate finances of the homeowner,then it is less likely that that homeowner will become interested.

The subjects of the younger age bracket (ages 18-25) suggested that younger people do not havethe disposable income that older, more settled, married couples may have. Subject Nine, a singlefemale that fell into the 18-25 age bracket suggested, Because Im not married, and I dont havea double income to contribute to my household, I dont have the extra money to simply take on abunch of new renovations. Her feelings were reflective of 75 percent of the 18-25 agegroup. Overall, the majority of subjects feel that they are not currently capable of spendingmoney on home renovations.

The Individual and the EnvironmentThe subjects were asked their opinion on how much of an effect an individual could have on theenvironment by making their home a Zero Energy Home. Most agreed that the impact was little,but agreed that there definitely was some sort of impact. Subject Ten expressed his view on his


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individual environmental impact, Depends. Me, and my home? Not much. Me and telling otherpeople, who tell other people, who tell other people? Probably a lot. Another intervieweesview on the matter also reflected the majoritys opinion, the subject expressed, Carbon output ishuge for an individual person. So for my whole family based on my decisions, it wouldnt be toobig in the overall picture of things, but I would talk to others, and down the line it would

become more tangible, and I think it could help the environment a lot. In conclusion, all of thesubjects agreed that individual efforts may not be necessarily noticed in the big picture ofthings, however, when hundreds and thousands of people come together making the sameefforts, that is truly when a difference will be made.

Interview ConclusionsThe information our team gained through conducting the interview process will becomebeneficial to the creation of our public relations plan. For example, because all of thoseinterviewed understood the general knowledge of what a carbon footprint is, we createinformational objectives that focus more on specific information of a carbon footprint and less onthe general knowledge of its negative environmental impact. Next, interviewees emphasized the

fact that the greatest incentive associated with reducing their carbon footprint is financialbenefits. This information is useful to us because we can stress the idea that the use of greenproducts saves money. Additionally, almost half of those interviewed were unaware of the taxcredit from the government that is available to households taking initiatives to reduce theircarbon footprint. Furthermore, the majority of those interviewed stated their opinion that takingsteps towards reducing their carbon footprint was not economically practical because of the stateof the economy today. They further stated that most people were more concerned with the theeconomy than they are with the environment. This information will prove to be useful to our plancreation because we know now that finances are the most important factor in decision making;thus, we will stress the financial benefits of carbon footprint reduction as well as theenvironmental benefits.

The following questions were the base of each of the previous interviews:

1. If you were looking to buy a new home, what are the most important qualities in thathome you would be looking for?

2. What does the phrase reducing your carbon footprint mean to you?3. What times of green home innovations are you aware of? Which ones, if any, would you

or do you utilize?

4. Do you have any reservations of altering your home to reduce your carbon footprint, if so,what are they?

5. How much do you think it would financially cost you to make your home as carbonfriendly as possible? Is that cost practical to you?

6. Other than just helping the environment, do you see any other incentive or benefits oftaking on the Zero Home initiative?


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7. How do you think the Zero Home initiative will affect the future real estate market?8. What do you think the Governments stance is on the Zero Home initiative?9. By getting involved in the Zero Home initiative, how much of an impact do you believe

that you as an individual can make on the environment as a whole?

10.How do you think others can become more familiarized the Zero Home initiative to makethe world a better place?

The following graphs represent the interviewees opinions and feelings towards the abovequestions and explanations. By utilizing the graphs, it puts a visual image with the writtenexplanation of the feelings tied to our interviewees. Graphs are easy to understand, and showdramatic similarities and differences among the participants. The graphs reflect the same order asthe above ten questions. All numbers within the graphs represent percentages.


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Content Analysis

OverviewContent analysis is extremely important because it allows us to describe a scientific, non-biasedview of the media coverage of zero-carbon homes. Measuring the media coverage of zero-carbon

homes as well as finding out what the media has said about zero-carbon homes will allow us tocreate our messages and tactics based upon the information that is currently in the media. Weneed to know what media coverage already exists because it will allow us to formulate strategyin conducting our media coverage of zero-carbon homes. The databases used to find mediacoverage of zero-carbon homes include NexisLexis and JStor. To find the best coverage andinformation, we used the search terms low carbon construction, green construction, zero-carbon, green home construction, homes carbon footprint, and zero energy homes. Inorder to get the best information of all areas of the country, articles were searched for both in theNew England area, as well as from California, Tennessee, and New York. Such diversity oflocations allowed us to compare the attitudes of zero-carbon homes in different areas of thecountry. Finally, because the idea of zero-homes is relatively new, we needed to search opinions

within the past five years.

The articles 21 articles found were then put into categories based upon the information theyprovided. The categories include the general understanding of zero-carbon, the construction ofhomes with no carbon footprint, the reduction of carbon footprints in existing homes, currentapproaches to reducing carbon footprints, and the cost of reducing ones carbon footprint.

Areas of Media CoverageGeneral understanding of zero-carbon

All of the articles that dealt with the description of a carbon footprint stated that it was caused by

individual people, homes, buildings, and organizations. Interestingly, approximately 80% of thearticles explained the concept with an example of the high amounts of carbon emissions anindividual home releases. Many state that individual homes are one of the main sources of thegreenhouse gases that increase a carbon footprint as about 40% of greenhouse emissions comefrom the home. Roughly 35% of these articles went into detail regarding various householdappliances and the extreme effect these have on increasing a homes carbon footprint.

Building new homes with no carbon footprint

Opinions on building new zero-carbon homes were split almost directly down the middle. Onone hand, the media showed positive feedback on creating new homes in that it has become a

trend with both new home owners, as well as celebrities. Just as going green has become atrend among popular society, zero-carbon and energy-efficient homes have become a sort offashion statement. Cate Blanchette and Brad Pitt, for example, both have zero-carbon homes.One article stated that the construction of zero-carbon homes would become part of themainstream residential building market by 2012. Next, about 25% of the articles explained thatbuilding a zero-carbon home requires a dramatic lifestyle change and others stated that peoplemay or may not be willing to make such drastic lifestyle changes, depending on how important


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they see reducing their carbon footprint being. Lastly, another 25% of the articles that discussednew zero-carbon homes stated that the creation of the home would simply be too expensive.

Reducing carbon footprint in existing homes

Aside from the articles that examined creating new homes in an effort to lessen the carbonfootprint of an individual household, seven articles looked into the ways in which existinghouseholds could reduce their carbon footprints. Five of these articles included data regarding areduction in annual energy costs for the home in addition to the reduction of the carbon footprintpounds. The other two articles discussed the various ways homeowners could reduce their carbonfootprint, by switching to energy-saving appliances or decreasing household temperatures, forexample.

Company and government approaches to reduce the carbon footprint

Three of the articles dealing with various attempts of large organizations to reduce their carbon

footprint discussed the major steps taken by Californias legislators. For example, Californianow has energy efficiency requirements for home appliances. Additionally, the Los AngelesCommunity College district is taking strides in getting nine campuses close to having zerocarbon. The West Coast has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the entire country. Twoarticles discussed similar attempts to Californias in Boston, including the Department ofNeighborhood Developments requirement that it will now only fund affordable housing tohomes that have a low carbon footprint. Further, the local energy company National Grid willsoon be giving more than 1 million customers the option of receiving their power from the sun.Additionally, the state of Massachusetts hopes to have 15% of their power taken from arenewable source by 2020.

Cost

75% of the articles that discussed the cost of low-carbon homes examined the decrease in energycosts. Also, one article stated that, to make a home closer to a zero-carbon home by installingsolar panels would cost the homeowners $18,000 to $35,000. Additionally, the green or zero-carbon labels placed on homes adds thousands upon thousands of dollars on both new andexisting homes. Additionally, many of the articles examined frustration in building zero-carbonhomes because it is extremely difficult to get a zero-energy building because the builders muststill purchase some power from renewably sourced utility company.

Content Analysis ConclusionsThe goal of the Zero Homes initiative is to eliminate from homes all carbon emission resultingfrom used energy. Through content analysis, we discovered that todays homeowners andpotential home purchasers are looking towards home solutions and appliances that cansignificantly lower energy costs and reduce carbon footprint. Ecological sustainability hasbecome a significant selling point in the real estate market. Green features are becoming one ofthe top three priorities to consumers, after only price and location. This information is vital to thecreation of our plan because we will focus one of our messages towards the fact that reducingyour homes carbon footprint can drastically reduce energy bills.


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Further, Content Analysis illustrated National and local builders responding to buyer interest ingreen building. Although many house builders dont want to engage in the challenge ofproviding zero-carbon homes, other builders recognize catering to the trend of green homedevelopment as a profitable opportunity. We can use this information in our plan because wenow know that new construction of zero-carbon homes is less likely than the reduction of an

existing homes carbon footprint. Thus, we can create messages that explain the steps that can betaken to reduce an existing homes carbon footprint.

Finally, Content Analysis provided us with the information that government agencies have begunto play a part in the movement towards green building by subsidizing green innovations, andby working with private financiers on the movements behalf. Additionally, Government grantsand initiatives have encouraged Zero Homes by supporting green housing research anddevelopment. This information is useful to the creation of our plan because we can use thegovernments support of such green initiatives as persuasive tools. First, we can describe thefinancial benefits associated with the tax credit after lowering your homes carbon footprint.Additionally, we can use the government figures in support of zero-carbon homes as credible

sources to support our initiatives.

Primary Target Public

The primary target public for this public relations plan is a couple within the age range of30-50 that owns their own home in the East Bay. The East Bay is a growing suburbancommunity where renovating new homes is quite common. In order to sustain a household,typically both parties need to be working. Partners in a dual income household are among themost likely of Americans to have the financial means to undergo home renovations, incomparison to the average single person with only one income. The age demographic of theprimary target public is more probable to have a disposable income because they more likely

than others to have established careers. Those younger than 30 may not have settled down in acareer and home, and those over 50 may not be concerned with undergoing change in theirprogressed lifetime. Senior citizens are a very large public but do not accept change well. Due tothe fact that both parties within our primary target public have careers, it is also likely that themarried couple is well-educated. During this day and age, many new innovations are concernedwith the idea of being eco-friendly. The couples higher education would provide them with afoundation for understanding the importance of carbon footprint reduction. They are more likelyto keep themselves informed through hard news sources and to be informed through a two-stepflow by their like-minded peers.

The Theme

Go Green, Save Green

Our theme, or slogan, is going to be embedded in all of our tactics that we will expose to ourtarget public. Due to the fact that it will be found on all of our visual tactics, it will easily berecognized and remembered. The slogan as a whole is enticing because it does not give away tomuch information. In addition, the theme serves as a call to action. The phrase is enticing


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because it is saying that those who go greenand invest in green home innovations will savegreen, meaning they will save money. Dollar bills are green, so this is a quite literal term.

The theme is a call to action because it is telling our target public to go green, meaning they needto take action to become a part of the Zero Homes Initiative. We decided that it was best to keep

this slogan extremely short and simple for two reasons. The first reason being it can easily beremembered, and the second being it does not require too much thought to be understood.

By having a theme that will be included in all of our tactics, our target public, over time, willbegin to recognize anything shown in the East Bay community that is a part of the Zero HomesInitiative.

The Logo

The below logo that we created will be utilized as the official logo

of the Zero Homes initiative and will be seen on any product involved with the initiative:


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Goal

To drive the East Bay homeownerscommunity to invest in green home innovations,

which will directly support and strengthen the Zero Homes initiative.

The Zero Homes Initiative will not survive without the participation and action of homeowners.Our ultimate goal is to get homeowners throughout the East Bay to invest in green homeinnovations to help save and preserve the environment. In order to obtain this goal, our targetpublic first needs to be informed about the initiative, along with both its economical andecological friendly benefits. Our goal calls for great dedication from our target public because itrequires them to spend their own money to get involved with the initiative, however, this goal isrealistic.

Informational Objective #1

To inform 75% of dual income households in the Easy Bay within the age range

of 30-50 of the definition of a Zero Energy home by April 2010.

The above informational objective strives to simply inform our target public what the ZeroHomes Initiative actually is. Without first informing people what the Zero Homes Initiative is,they will have no interest to get involved in something that they are completely unfamiliar with.This informational objective is crucial to our public relations plan. Without this objective, nonof our following objectives would be possible.

Strategies and Tactics

Use of the Internet- The Internet can easily reach a specific target audience, and it is accessible toalmost everyone. The Internet can constantly be kept up-to-date, and is very easy to maintain.

Zero Homes Website- A website would be a great way to disseminate information to thetarget public, and is extremely cost effective and is easy to maintain. A webpage wouldserve as a convenient source of information for the Zero Homes Initiative.We will place the address of our webpage on all material we produce because we want toensure that our target public has easy access to more information on Zero Homes. Thewebsite will consist of an array of in-depth information regarding the specifics of a ZeroEnergy Home, the impact an individual carbon footprint, sustainability, and the reduction

of a carbon footprint. The webpage will expand on the information provided in thebrochure, as our target public will be visiting our website for further information on thatprovided in the brochure. Also, because our target public is interested in news, it ishighly possible that they get their news from an online source, which brings them onestep closer to visiting our webpage as they are already internet users. (See Appendix 10for Webpage example.)


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Newsworthy Information- An event or issue becomes newsworthy when it issomething that the community needs to know, should know, or would be interested inlearning about. The newsworthiness of almost any piece of information is always debatableand is dependent on what each individual thinks is important for the community to know.Newsworthy information is often spread along once distributed, if it is printed material, by pass-

along-readership. Our target public consists of heavy readers who are very concerned with thenews, and utilizing newsworthy information to pass along news regarding the Zero HomesInitiative.

Press Release- A press release would be sent to East Bay weekly newspapers, along withthe Providence Journal, because it is a free means of disseminating information to theEast Bay community. Newspapers are constantly seeking new stories, therefore, wewould send out a press release notifying the public about the growing trend in zero-carbon home renovations. A press release needs to be news, and this topic would benews because it is focusing around the crucial change that the housing market will beundergoing. This issue is likely to be covered because it is concerning the East bay

communitys trend towards carbon footprint reduction through green home innovations.Our target public often reads the newspaper, and it is likely that this story will reach themif published.

Collateral Material- Collateral materials are beneficial because they provide an informationresource that the reader can review at their own convenience and pace in contrast to a fast-pacedbroadcast, over which they have little control. In addition, collateral materials can be easilypassed from reader to reader.

Brochures- A brochure will be able to serve as a great source of information for the targetpublic to truly understand exactly what a zero carbon home means for both the individualhome owner and the environment. In addition, the brochure will include informationabout various green home innovations that are available, the specifics of what a zerocarbon home are, the prices of various innovations, and where more information can befound. The brochure will include a visual diagram of a zero carbon home, showingvarious innovations, such as solar panels. The reason for the large diagram is becausesome readers will be able to understand a diagram more easily than they would a writtenexplanation. In addition to the visual representations of a zero energy home, there willalso be a written explanation about what a Zero Home is. The main point of the brochureis to truly define to its viewer what a Zero Home actually is. Our target public is careeroriented and reads a lot, and there is a high possibility of this brochure to receive pass-along-readership. A brochure is a great way to disseminate the information to our targetpublic. The brochure will also include the Zero Homes logo, images to further attract theaudience, and contact information.

The brochures will be handed out in the downtown areas of each individual town withinthe East Bay community. (See Appendix 7 for Brochure example.)

Advertisements- Advertisements are guaranteed messages. Unlike a press release or publicservice announcement that may not get placed into the media, advertisements always will.


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Advertisements are capable of reaching a very large audience, or an extremely small, specificaudience. Strategic planning goes along with advertising, the ads can be directly placed intocertain mediums. Therefore, advertising within this public relations plan is going to beextremely useful.

Magazine Advertisement- This magazine advertisement would be a quarter-pageadvertisement inRhode Island Monthly magazine, the January 2010 issue. It would be apicture of a very attractive, modern, green home. We do not want to lose peoples interestwith giving too much information within the advertisement; however, this advertisementwould support the informational objective. This ad would expose each reader ofRhodeIsland Monthly to the Zero Homes initiative. The advertisement would show a picture ofa green home, and in the bottom right-hand corner there would be brief amount ofinformation describing Go Green, Save Green and directing the target public to thewebpage.

We feel that an advertisement inRhode Island Monthly would be very successful because

many stores in Bristol carry the magazine, and people often turn to this outlet for opinionon new trends throughout the state of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Monthlydemographics, provided by their website, claim that the average reader income is$168,000 per household, and of those people 65% are married. In addition, 89% went tocollege, and the magazine overall has more than 100,000 readers per month. Thesedemographics directly reflect the target public that we are trying to reach. Furthermore,our target public who is well-educated and more likely to read this magazine would beable to easily understand the new trend in home renovation that is trying to be established.

Enticing Visuals- This strategy is useful because it immediately catches the eye of the targetpublic. Enticing visuals are easy to understand, attractive, and serve as a form of disseminationof information.

Magnets- Magnets easily pass along information, and people generally put magnets ondisplay in kitchens and desks for others to notice. For this public relations campaign, wewill be utilizing three different magnet designs, one for each informational objective, toserve as a constant reminder to our public about the Zero Homes initiative. Thesemagnets would be placed in all of the various shops around the East Bay community, andhanded out by our Green Team volunteers in the downtown areas of East Bay townsbecause these areas contain the highest concentration of people.

The first set of magnets will be in the shape of a basic house. The magnet will be white,outlined in the same shade of green found in the Zero Homes logo. In the center, in bold,black font, will be a brief description of a Zero energy home, however, it will be in theform of a teaser. The magnet briefly describes what the Zero energy home is, but itdoes not give away too much information. The magnet will briefly inform our targetpublic, and also provide them with a source where they can access more information.Our theme, Go Green, Save Green is also included. The magnet will read:

Can you imagine a house where energy creates itself?


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We can.


www.greeninitiative.com

(See Appendix 8 for full magnet example.)


To raise awareness about green home innovations environmental impact within75% of dual income households in Bristol, RI within the age range of 30-50 by

April 2010.

The above informational objectives purpose is to inform our target public of the environmentalimpact of the Zero Homes Initiative. After the previous objective, informing the target publicwhat Zero Homes is, this informational objective adds on to the information that they need toknow. The environmental impact is what guides the Zero Homes initiative in general. If the

environment was not struggling, green home innovations would not likely be necessary. Tobecome part of the initiative, our target public needs to be informed of the ecological benefits ofinvesting in green home innovations.



Magnets- As mentioned previously, magnets easily pass along information, and people

generally put magnets on display in kitchens and desks for others to notice. Thesemagnets would be placed in all of the various shops around the East Bay community, andhanded out by our Green Team street team volunteers in the downtown areas of theEast bay towns. This second set of magnets will be in the shape of a basic tree. Themagnet will look similar to the house-shaped magnet, carrying the same theme. Themagnet will be white, outlined in the same shade of green found in the Zero Homes logo.

In the center, in bold, black font, will be a brief description of a Zero energy home,however, it will be in the form of a teaser. The magnet briefly describes how the a zeroenergy home can help save the environment, but it does not give away too muchinformation. The magnet will briefly inform our target public about one main

environmental impact, and also provide them with a source where they can access moreinformation. Our theme, Go Green, Save Green is also included. The magnet willread:

Can you imagine a world without global warming?We can.




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Electronic Media- Although print material is very effective and often results in pass-along-readership, electronic media is another great way to deliver a message to our target public.Electronic media is easy to update and can easily target a specific group of people, primarily the

radio.

Radio PSAThe following Public Service Announcement will be sent to 92 WPRO FMand 93.3 WSNE FM local radio stations. These are two radio stations that air around the clock,and they have many commuters that tune in on their way to work in the morning. The PSA is 20seconds long. It directly reaches out to our target public, and briefly informs them of theenvironmental responsibility that they have.

Calling all homeowners! Go green while saving green and do your part to save the

environment and your bank account! The Zero Homes initiative encourages you to turn

your home around the right way before its too late. You can wait, but the environment

cant. Take the initiative and help. Visit www.greeninitiative.com for more information.

Print Material- Our target public reads a lot, and one very easy way to reach them is throughprint material. In addition, print material can serve as pass-along-readership. Once one personreads the information, they may put it down and another person may pick it up to read. Printmaterial has the capability of reaching an extremely high portion of our target public.

Magazine Query- We will be sending a query toRhode Island Monthly magazine. Ourtarget public is avid readers, constantly gathering information from mediums such asnewspapers and magazines, so a story inRhode Island Monthly would be very beneficial.Rhode Island Monthly magazine can be found all over the East Bay, in numerous stores,shops, bakeries, cafes, and dealerships. The Query headline will read Zero HomesAnnounces New Direction to Save World's Natural Resources. The query will discussthe general environmental outcomes of eco-friendly home renovations that will promotethe use of renewable means. The term going green is part of the focus as homeownersthat participate will help the reduction of carbon emissions going back into theenvironment. This magazine query is directed toward inspiring East Bay residences toadopt eco-friendly innovations and make them a part of their own households. (SeeAppendix 1 for Magazine Query example.)

Advertisements- Advertisements are guaranteed messages. Unlike a press release or publicservice announcement that may not get placed into the media, advertisements always will.Advertisements are capable of reaching a very large audience, or an extremely small, specificaudience. Strategic planning goes along with advertising, the ads can be directly placed intocertain mediums. Therefore, advertising within this public relations plan is going to beextremely useful.

Newspaper Advertisement- This quarter-page, color advertisement supports ourinformational objective that, when making renovations to their homes, homeowners can


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help to save the environment. The advertisement will be placed in the Home and Gardensection of the Providence Journal because this is where it would be the most applicable.An advertisement in the Providence Journal is much more likely to be seen by more ofour target public than any other newspaper in the area. In addition, the Home and Gardensection is completely applicable to the initiative that we are promoting.

The use of bright colors and a medium-large sized photograph of a trendy house drawthe readers eye to this advertisement, allowing it to stand out. The Zero Homes nameappears twice as repetition of it makes more memorable for readers. Both a website and aphone number are provided for those interested in learning more about Zero Homes. Thewebsite will serve as an information center, and interested readers can contact a ZeroHomes associate with any questions or comments.

To further the readers interest beyond a desire to help the environment, the concept ofsaving money is introduced, but not explained, as to further the readers desire to learnmore through the website. A newspaper advertisement with too much information can be

overwhelming, unappealing and inconvenient to people, and is likely to be passed over.However, an advertisement with a few relevant and interesting bits of information whichleaves readers wanting to learn more by visiting the website will result in a larger amountof well-informed people.

The body of our message is focused on the benefits of a zero home, so in order to letreaders know what the initiative sets out to accomplish, our boilerplate message is placednext to the Zero Homes logo. (See Appendix 4 for Newspaper Advertisement example.)

Magazine Advertisement- We will pay for quarter-page advertisement inRhode IslandMonthly magazine to run in the February 2010 issue. The magazine will have theheadline Greater Green Inside Your Home and Outside Your window. The headlinehas a dual meaning. It is saying that the Zero Homes initiative will help sustain theenvironment, producing more green life outdoors, and it will keep your green, meaningmoney, inside. The advertisement will include facts and ways adding green innovationsto your home can reduce the average homeowners energy bill. There will be variouspictures of Green Homes, as well as our theme Go green, Save Green. (See Appendix 3for Magazine Advertisement example.)


To inform 75% of dual income households in Bristol, RI consisting of a couple within theage range of 30-50 of the economic benefits of a carbon-friendly home by April 2010.

The above informational objectives purpose is to inform our target public of the economicalbenefits of the Zero Homes Initiative. After the previous objective, informing the target publicwhat the ecological benefits are, this informational objective adds on to the information that theyneed to know in order to want to get involved. The monetary benefits will strongly appeal to ourtarget public because they are home owners and are required to pay monthly bills; ways to save


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money are extremely appealing. To become part of the initiative, our target public needs to beinformed of the economical benefits of investing in green home innovations.



Magnets- As mentioned previously, magnets easily pass along information, and peoplegenerally put magnets on display in kitchens and desks for others to notice. Thesemagnets would be placed in all of the various shops around the East Bay community, andhanded out by our Green Team street team volunteers in the downtown areas of theEast bay towns. This third set of magnets will look exactly like a one hundred dollar bill.In the center, in bold, black font, will be the writing, shown below. This magnet is tryingto provide our target public with brief information regarding the economical benefits of

investing in green home innovations. The magnet will read:

Can you imagine a home that pays for itself?We can.




Advertisements- Advertisements are guaranteed messages. Unlike a press release or publicservice announcement that may not get placed into the media, advertisements always will.

Advertisements are capable of reaching a very large audience, or an extremely small, specificaudience. Strategic planning goes along with advertising, the ads can be directly placed intocertain mediums. Therefore, advertising within this public relations plan is going to beextremely useful.

Billboard- A billboard on Metacom Avenue (Route 136) opposite the MetacomCondominium complex, along with a Billboard on East Main Road in Portsmouth, RIwould draw the attention of a large quantity of motorists. These two roads are two of themost utilized roads located in the two towns; they contain many stores and otherattractions that drive people. Our target public is a group of working people; therefore,they utilize some form of transportation to get to their jobs. Placing a billboard in each of

these places would be very useful. The top of the billboard would read in large, simple,black letters My house pays me. Does yours? There would be an image of a woman,fitting the description of our target public, holding dollar bills. Under the question wouldbe our slogan, Go Green, Save Green with a small leaf above it. This advertisementfocuses around the aspect of saving money, even though the theme gives a dual meaning.The simplicity of the billboard will be very easy for our target public to read as they passby. While driving, many people cannot read a great deal of information, and it iscommon for people to simply glance at a billboard for two seconds. Our message can


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easily be transferred to our target public within this time frame. The billboards will be putup for the month of April. (See Appendix 2 for Billboard example.)

Radio Actuality- Our actuality advertisement will run on 92 WPRO FM, WPRO 630 AMand 93.3 WSNE FM between the hours of 7am and 9am. The actuality with be mentioned

once between this time on each station. These are popular radio stations throughoutRhode Island, and in the morning these radio stations give their daily news cast. We arerunning this advertisement on WNRI because it focuses most of its airtime on local andnational news and our target public is interested in hearing the news on a daily basis. Weare running the advertisement between the hours of 7 and 9am because our target publicworks on a daily basis, which means the majority of them will be commuting to work atthis time, increasing the chances of them hearing our advertisement while tuning in tohear news updates. Two DJs will discuss their carbon footprint and how you can savemoney in your home by reducing it.

Our advertisement will not seem to be an advertisement because it will be spoken by the

DJs of the radio show, not aired during the typical commercial break. The second DJ willcomplain about his high utility bills of that month. The first DJ will then interject andexplain how his co-host should not be paying that much money per month for his energybills. This first DJ will then go into the details he and his wife took in order to lower boththeir carbon footprint, but also their monthly energy costs. (See Appendix 6 for completeradio actuality.)

Newspaper advertisementThis is a quarter-page advertisement, and will be placed inthe East Bay weekly newspapers, including theBristol Phoenix, Warren Times Gazette,The Sakonette Time, Newport This Week. In addition, the same advertisement will beplaced in the Providence Journal within the month of June. The advertisement will run in

the weekly newspapers forthree consecutive weeks, and once in the Providence Journal.The weekly newspapers are distributed all over the East Bay, and the Providence Journalis accessible all over the community as well. This is because typically people haveSundays off of work and they are more likely to read the newspaper when they have freetime. Due to the abundance of newspapers papers, pass-along-readership is more likely.The advertisement will display a pile of change with a home on top of the pile. Theadvertisement will read at the top Need some change? Make a change! Followed byvarious sub-headlining regarding the facts about the zero homes initiative. Concludingthe ad at the bottom with be our theme Go green Save Green followed by our website.(See Appendix 4 for Newspaper Advertisement Example.)

Motivational Objective #1

To inspire 50% of dual income households in Bristol, RI consisting of a couple within the

age range of 30-50 to invest in green home innovations by September 2010.

The above motivational objective revolves around enticing our target public to get involved inthe Zero Homes Initiative. Our target public will not actually take action and get involved unless


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they first feel good about the initiative. The strategies and tactics that follow this objective allwork to inspire our target public.

Strategies and tactics

Advertisements- Advertisements are guaranteed messages. Unlike a press release or publicservice announcement that may not get placed into the media, advertisements always will.Advertisements are capable of reaching a very large audience, or an extremely small, specificaudience. Strategic planning goes along with advertising, the ads can be directly placed intocertain mediums. Therefore, advertising within this public relations plan is going to beextremely useful.

Television Advertisement #1- We are running this commercial on NBC, ABC, and FOXbetween the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. This commercial will be played once during thistime period, once a week, for two consecutive weeks. The advertisement is not going tobe repetitive by not being played often. However, it will get our target public to start

talking about the Zero Homes initiative, and when the begin seeing our other visualsthroughout the East Bay it will add to their inspiration.

We are choosing this station because our target public watch the news regularly and NBC,ABC, and FOX have extremely high ratings of the number of people who watch theirmorning news broadcast. Also, we are running this commercial during the morning newsinstead of the evening news because the commercial portrays a homeowner goingthrough their daily routine of getting ready for work in the morning. The commercialbegins with an attractive, well-dressed 30-year-old man getting ready in the morning. Hewill make his breakfast using an energy-efficient refrigerator, stovetop, and dishwasher.It will be clear to the audience that his appliances are energy-efficient because the camerawill zoom in on the Energy-Star logo printed on each appliance.

Next, the commercial will show a less-attractive man, having a disheveled appearance,going through the same steps of making breakfast as the first man. However, the secondman will be using clearly outdated appliances. Next, the first man will shut a lamp offand the camera will zoom in on the light bulb in the lamp, showing that it is an energy-efficient bulb. The commercial will then show the second man shut off a similar lamp,but the camera will zoom in on a light bulb that is not energy-efficient. Next, the camerawill zoom out of in close-up of a solar panel to eventually show the first man walking outof an attractive house with a solar panel on the roof. The camera will then be zooming outof a roof with no solar panel and show the second man walking out of the house. Thefinal shot consists of a split screen showing both men at the steering wheel of their carsand the text Which Guy are You? written beneath the images.

By asking which guy are you? we are forcing our audience to choose between twooptions: the first or second man. This commercial will hopefully motivate our targetpublic towards investing in energy-efficient innovations, as they will want to relatethemselves to the first man instead of the second. Also, this commercial will motivateour target public to invest in products that will reduce their carbon footprint because we


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offer numerous ways for them to do so, such as energy-efficient appliances and solarpanels. We chose to have both of these men appear to be approximately 30 years of agebecause this age falls within that of our target public, and they will likely be able to relateto the commercial because of this. (See Appendix 5 for Television AdvertisementExample.)

Television Advertisement #2-Our second television advertisement will air on FOX,NBC, AND ABC between the hours of 6-8 p.m., once per week, for two consecutiveweeks. By airing this commercial just briefly, our target public will be likely to see it,because they follow the news, and it will get them to talk about our message to others.The advertisement is a one minute commercial.We are utilizing televisionadvertisements to appeal to the emotions of our target public. Pollution and destruction ofthe environment by humans is a phenomenon everyone is aware of, but goes largelyignored. We will bring these issues into the publics homes by using pictures of strandedpolar bears, a home devastated by flooding due to rising water levels, and once fertilefarmland turned desolate by global warming. We aim to invoke sympathy and to instill a

sense of responsibility in the viewer. Although our target public is largely comprised ofreaders and those interested in hard facts, it is more difficult to solicit emotions throughprint media. Those that both read and watch television will be further driven to takeaction out of a sense of social responsibility as informed people.

As made evident by the 2009 Presidential election, President Barack Obama isrecognized by Americans is highly respected for, among other attributes, his intelligence,foresight and compassion. Direct quotes from his addresses is a powerful means ofdisseminating information of this type to our highly educated target public because of thePresidents perceived trustworthiness.

Senator Jack Reed is a well known local politician and advocate for the environment,having been a speaker at the 2008 Save Bristol Harborfundraiser which drew a crowd ofover 250 Rhode Islanders, mostly residing in the East Bay. The Senator could record hisaddress for our advertisement digitally and transmit it to us via the internet. His localaccent will bring a sense of familiarity to our Rhode Island viewers, and will let themknow that reduction of carbon footprint from homes is a cause that President Obamaendorses, and Rhode Islanders can make this goal a reality. (See Appendix 5 forTelevision Advertisement Example.)

Magazine Advertisement- We will run a full-page advertisement in the February issue ofRhode Island Monthly Magazine. We have chosen to purchase ad space in this magazinebecause it has high levels of readership in Rhode Island. Additionally, magazines tend to

have a high rate of pass along readership, which will increase the percent of our targetpublic reached. This advertisement will show powerful facts regarding the Zero HomesInitiative. It will literally show a green home- made of leaves, etc. to show a play onwords and catch our readers attention. The advertisement will claim, Be a Hero, ShootFor Zero inspiring our audience to get involved in the initiative. Go Green, Save Greenwill be printed at the bottom of the advertisement with our website underneath it in orderto continue consistency of our ads and messages. This advertisement forces our target


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public to relate to one of the couples and will hopefully make them want to relate moreclosely to the more attractive couple with the smaller carbon footprint. Additionally, thisadvertisement will be effective towards persuading our target public to reduce theircarbon footprint because they are interested in hard facts and evidence, which weprovided by showing the difference in the couples carbon footprints. (See Appendix 3

for Magazine Example.)

Newsworthy Information- An event or issue becomes newsworthy when it issomething that the community needs to know, should know or would be interested inlearning about. The newsworthiness of almost any piece of information is always debatableand is dependent on what each individual thinks is important for the community to know.Newsworthy information is often spread along once distributed, if it is printed material, by pass-along-readership. Our target public consists of heavy readers who are very concerned with thenews, and utilizing newsworthy information to pass along news regarding the Zero Homesinitiative.

Press Release- We will send a press release to the Providence Journal for release onJanuary 2, 2010 a Sunday. The release will about a Bristol, RI couple who have recentlybuilt a zero-carbon home. Since living in their new home, they have seen a drasticdecrease in their monthly energy bill. The article will emphasize the fact that thecouples energy bill is drastically lower than those homeowners who do not have energyefficient homes. The couple in the article reflects our target public directly. (SeeAppendix 1 for Press Release example.)

Press Release- This press release will be sent to the Providence Journal and theBristolPhoenix for immediate release. The press release contains an account of a Tivertoncouples experience of adding a solar panel to their home. We chose to highlight thisspecific couple because they are perfect examples of our target public as they are both 35years old and live on the East Bay. The Press Release contains specific numbers becauseour target public searches for hard facts and evidence that backs up an argument. TheZero Homes contact information is provided at the conclusion of the press release inorder to make it as easy as possible for our target public to gain more information onreducing their own utility bills. (See Appendix 1 for Press Release example.)

Electronic Media- Although print material is very effective and often results in pass-along-readership, electronic media is another great way to deliver a message to our target public.Electronic media is easy to update and can easily target a specific group of people, primarily theradio.

Radio PSAThe following Public Service Announcement will be sent to 92 WPRO FMand 93.3 WSNE FM local radio stations. These are two radio stations that air all day long, andthey have many commuters that tune in on their way to work in the morning. The PSA is 30seconds long. It directly reaches out to our target public, inspiring them to want to join the ZeroHomes initiative. The radio reaches a very specific target public, and hearing this PSA ratherthan reading about this in a newspaper gives off our message exactly the way we want it to beheard.


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We know that global warming is real, and that if we dont do anything about global

climate change that we could see catastrophic results. The flooding in North Dakota, expanding

desert in Africa, droughts in China: all are signs-- our call to action.

But there are ways we can stop this destruction. Zero-Homes is an initiative that

promotes use of environmentally friendly innovations, such as low-energy appliances, naturallight, and solar power to help us reduce our carbon footprint. You can save money on energy

bills while saving our fragile ecosystem. Be a better steward to our environment and consider

going-green when remodeling or building your home. Visitwww.greeninitiative.com for moreinformation.

Motivational Objective #2

To have 300 East Bay home owners communicate with Prestige Communications

liaisons regarding the Zero Homes Initiative by September 2010.

The above motivational objective motivates our target public to communicate with the liaisons ofthe Zero Home Initiative. By doing this, the target public will be able to better understand theinformation that they may be seeking out, and it will make them feel more positive about theZero Homes Initiative.

Strategies and tactics

One-On-One Communication- One-On-One communication is the most persuasive means ofcommunication. By utilizing this with our public relations plan, we will be able to communicateto our target public in a way that will allow us to directly come in contact with them.

Green Team- Along with the responsibility of handing out our magnets and brochuresaround East Bay, while handing out these visuals, the Green Team will be serving asliaisons between our company that is representing the Zero Homes Initiative, and the EastBay community. They will be briefly mentioning facts to passers-by about Zero Homesand ask the people they talk to for their thoughts and opinions. When people expresstheir opinions, they will be able to get feedback from the Zero Homes representatives.The Green Team, in order to be easily recognized and distinguished, will have GreenTeam T-shirts that will be donated by the local Gob Shop in Warren, RI. (See Appendix12 for Green Team T-Shirt Design).

Use of the Internet- The Internet is an ideal way to reach very specific groups of people. Whileon the Internet, specific audiences visit specific types of websites. With this, it is a greatopportunity to reach our target public because they are more interested in receiving hard factsand the truth, rather than visuals that will not emotionally affect them as much as others outsideof our target public.

Blog- A blog will serve as a form of dissemination of information and two-waycommunication between the Easy Bay community and those organizing the Zero HomesInitiative. Our target public is interesting in seeing facts, and on a blog, numerous posts


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can be added regarding any topic. Easy Bay followers will be able to comment on theblog, directly communicating back their opinions, questions, and any other informationthey may want to share regarding Zero Homes. With the blog, we will be able topersuade the readers towards ultimately reaching our goal and investing in green homeinnovations. (See Appendix 11 for Blog example.)

Establish Local Relationships- By collaborating with local people and establishments that ourtarget public is familiar with, we will be able to utilize the two-step flow form of disseminationof information.

Better Business Bureau- We will send our brochure and a letter to the Better BusinessBureaus throughout the East Bay. Better Business Bureaus serve as a reference systemfor the public. It is a non-government regulated association which strives to keepbusinesses in check, primarily when it comes to integrity. After speaking to the BetterBusiness Bureaus throughout East Bay, they would have a good sense of what the ZeroHomes Initiative is, and common questions that potential home innovation investors may

have. Our target public is very concerned with getting the facts, and they rely on honestyand straightforwardness. Better Business Bureaus are capable of giving both positive andnegative feedback to their callers. The Zero Homes initiative is new to the East Bay, andit would be very difficult for users to receive negative feedback from the Bureau. Ingeneral, by establishing a good relationship with this association, they will serve as aliason between those who organize Zero Homes and our target public. An example of aBristol homeowner utilizing the Better Business Bureau would be as follows:

[Segment of a phone call]

Homeowner: Hi, I have been hearing a great deal about Zero Homes and itsimportance to the East Bay community. I am interested in getting involved and

potentially adding solar panels to my home. Do you know if green innovations are

actually beneficial? If so, do you have any further information or a general opinion from

others?

Better Business Bureau of Bristol: Thank you for calling. We have a great deal ofinformation regarding Zero Homes. A couple in Bristol recently installed solar panels on

their home and have given us some great feedback. I can give you further information on

this, and the names of the contractors that they worked with.

William Sesson- We have established a relationship with William Sesson, a hugeadvocate for green homes, from the University of Tennessee. To establish thisrelationship, we utilized our current resource, the Rhode Island Chapter of the UnitedStates Green Building Association. We have decided to have William Sesson as a guestspeaker open to the East Bay community. We decided that it wouldbe in our plans bestinterest to hold the event in the Global Heritage Hall at Roger Williams Universitybecause the building is energy-efficient and would thus reestablish our emphasis onlowering the East Bays carbon footprint. The speaker from UTC is a credible source


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because the UTC works with companies that produce the energy-efficient appliances inwhich we want our target public to invest.

We are submitting a press release to the Providence Journal and the weekly East Bayweekly newspapersfor immediate release. This release talks about the event featuring

William Sesson as a keynote speaker held in Roger Williams Universitys GlobalHeritage Hall. After contacting the Rhode Island Chapter of the United States GreenBuilding Council, we were informed that Sesson would be willing to speak at no cost.Following the information presented by Sesson, Zero Homes representatives will havevarious stations set up in the area with specific information on various ways the attendeescan reduce their homes carbon footprint. Additionally, there will be two Zero Homesrepresentatives mingling with the attendees, promoting Zero Homes and answering anyquestions individuals may have. It is vital that the Zero Homes representatives are presentand approachable at this event because one-on-one communication is the most effectiveform of persuasion, especially with a concept as new as a zero-carbon home. (SeeAppendix 1 for Press Release example.)

Behavioral Objective #1

To entice 200 Easy Bay homeowners between the ages of 30-50 to give their contact

information in order to purchase a ticket to the Green Affair on October 9, 2010.

This objective not only strives to have 200 home owners in East Bay attend the Green Affair thatwill be held in Bristol, RI, but it calls for people to write down their contact information in orderto purchase a ticket. By receiving the contact information of these home owners, who are ourtarget public, we will be able to easily contact them and monitor their future actions affecting ouroverall goal of having East Bay homeowners invest in green home innovations.

The Green Affair is a formal event under an ecologically-friendly gazebo promoting the Zero

Homes Initiative. The cause encourages houses to adopt eco-friendly, zero-carbon home

innovations. Guests will be able to view various green renovation options, chat with experts from

this specialized field, listen to RI Senator Jack Reed present about the importance of the cause,

and enjoy a local, organic dinner. Attendees will have the opportunity to book one free green

home assessment to evaluate their personal homes potential. In addition, a raffle will take

place that will award two free Energy Star standardized windows.


Print Material- Our target public reads a lot, and one very easy way to reach them is throughprint material. In addition, print material can serve as pass-along-readership. Once one personreads the information, they may put it down and another person may pick it up to read. Printmaterial has the capability of reaching an extremely high portion of our target public.

Invitations- The invitations will focuses around the style of a Black and White affairinvitation, but utilizing the color green. The invitation will be very formal, because thisreflects the tone of the event. Invitations will be handed out by out Green Team door-to-


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door throughout Bristol, RI. The reason the Green Team will only be handing theinvitations out door-to-door in Bristol is because the East Bay consists of so many housesto cover. The event is taking place in Bristol, and it is more likely that Bristolhomeowners will attend because it is in the same town that they reside in. For the rest ofthe East Bay, the invitations will be given to the town halls so that residence can pick up

copies if they stop in. (See Appendix 9 for Green Affair Invitation Example)


Press Release- A Press Release will be sent to the weekly East Bay weekly newspapers,along with the Providence Journal. The release will talk about the importance of theevent, why it is happening, what it consists of, and the benefits that attendees of theevents will receive. The Press Release is a great way to acquire media attention. Becausethe East Bay has never experienced any event like this before, the story may easily getpicked up by the newspapers that receive the release. This form of media was chosenbecause our target public gets a great portion of their news from reading, especially fromnewspapers. (See Appendix 1 for Press Release example.)

Behavioral Objective # 2

To acquire 150 Easy Bay homeowners between the ages of 30-50 to fill out aquestionnaire when leaving the Zero Homes open house on November 14, 2010.

The above behavioral objective is a small call-to-action by our target public. By visiting the openhouse, our target public will fill out brief questionnaire that will allow us to tell how manyhomeowners attended the event.

Special Events- Events are a great way to get people to experience something in a hands-on way.People are more likely to get involved with an initiative if they are more exposed to it, especiallythrough a special event that supports the initiative.

Open House - Zero Homes, with the help of Rondeau Associates Real Estate, will beopening the doors to a carbon-friendly home in Bristol to the East Bay community fortours. The home will have energy-efficient windows, energy-star appliances, and a solarpanel on the roof. The Zero Homes representative will be prepared with specific data ofthe difference made by reducing a homes carbon footprint. They will have statisticsregarding the amount of money the average household will save on utility bills as well asstatistics on the average amount of carbon footprint reduction.


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When leaving the open house, attendees will be asked to fill out a brief questionnaireregarding their opinion on the Zero Home that they saw. By filling out the survey, ourtarget public is taking action, and we will later on be able to understand how many peopleparticipated.

1. After seeing these green home innovations, is this something you are interested in for

your own home?

2. What innovations, if any, would you consider?

3. If you decide to invest in green home innovations and become a part of the Zero

Homes initiative, can we keep in touch?

Contact information:

Name:____________________________Phone:____________________________

Email:____________________________


Press Release- A press release will be sent to the Providence Journal and the East Bayweekly newspapers, such as theBristol Phoenix,for immediate release. Our target publicreads a lot, and one very easy way to reach them is through newsworthy information. Inaddition, an article in a newspaper can serve as pass-along-readership. Once one personreads the information, they may put it down and another person may pick it up to read.Print material has the capability of reaching an extremely high portion of our targetpublic. We are teaming up with Rondeau Associates Real Estate to show the many waysa homes carbon footprint can easily be reduced. A representative from our team willattend an open house and show the attendees various energy-saving innovations withinthe household, along with explaining the benefits of the green home. Statistics regardingthe amount of money the average household will save on their energy bill, for example,would be spoke about. (See Appendix 1 for Press Release example.)

Direct Communication- It is extremely important that our target public is aware of an event thatis happening, and why. Through direct communication with the target public, it can beconfirmed that the message was delivered to them.


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Phone Bank Calling- Zero Home initiative volunteers, mostly volunteers that make up theGreen Team will be used to call our target public to let them know of the green openhouse in Bristol that is going to be occurring. Phone calls are not only an easy way to getpeople to understand the importance of the event, but it is simply a way to spread the

word. Phone numbers are generally public information and can easily be accessed. Bycalling, we will be able to see how many people we made aware of this event.

Evaluation

In order to determine whether or not our final Zero Homes Public Relations plan was successful,we must complete an evaluation. In order to evaluate our success, we much measure production,exposure, awareness, and audience action. Though determining these measurements, we will beable to compare the data to the objectives created before the actual implementation of the plan.

Measurement of Production

By utilizing the measurement of production, we will determine the number of printed materialswere produced and disseminated throughout the East Bay. From this number, we will then beable to determine the number of people actually received and viewed our printed materials.Through this method of measurement, we will be able to have an idea of the number ofindividuals within our target public who were informed of the Zero Homes Initiative. Althoughthis method of measurement is important, it informs us solely of the quantity of items produced,not the number of people who received the information.

Measurement of Exposure

Because the Measurement of Production only gives quantity of printed materials produced, theMeasurement of Exposure is vital as it gives us insight into how many people actually receivedthese printed materials.

Hits on the Internet- This method of conducting the Measurement of Exposure is helpfulin determining the number of people who received the Zero Homes materials. We have placedthe address to our website on every piece of collateral material. If we receive hits on the internet,we know that individuals have received these materials in order to visit the website. Also, theinternet is extremely useful in conducting Measurement of Exposure because its technologyallow for us to know specific numbers of visitors to our website.

Media Impressions- Media Impressions track the number of people who may have seenan article, heard something on the radio, watched something on television, or read something ona web page or blog. This method of measurement is vital towards determining the overall successof our PR plan because we have placed information in multiple medias and we need to determinewhich media was the most successful in information dissemination.

Measurement of Awareness


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In order to further determine the success of out Zero Homes PR plan, we must consider audienceawareness. This measurement is conducted by determining not only the number of people whoreceived our information, but paid attention to, understood, and retained our information. Thismethod of measurement gives us great insight into how useful our strategies and tactics actually

are. For example, an individual from our target public may have seen one of our televisionadvertisements, but did not understand it. If this was the case, they would not retain theinformation we disseminated and would thus not take any steps towards reducing their carbonfootprint.

Measurement of Audience Action

This form of measurement is determined by deciding whether or not our campaign objectiveswere met. We will be able to determine this in various ways. For example, we can receiveinformation from the town halls throughout the East Bay of whether the number of homeownersthroughout the East Bay has acquired building permits for installing solar panels on their roofs.

Additionally, we can determine audience action by contacting National Grid, the utility providerfor the East Bay. They will inform us of whether or not utility usage has decreased throughoutthe East Bay.

Timeline

December 2009December 7: Post BlogDecember 7: Post WebsiteDecember 7: Press Release for Zero Homes Initiative sent to the media

December 14: Brochures placed in local businessesDecember 21: Brochure supply replenished at local businessesDecember 20-24: Green Team sent out (first series of magnets distributed)

January 2010January 1: Magazine Query: General Zero Homes informationJanuary 1: Green Home magazine advertisementJanuary 2: Press Release: Reduction of Bristol couples utility billJanuary 4: Brochure supply replenished at local businessesJanuary 4: Brochures hand-delivered to East Bay Better Business BureausJanuary 10: Newspaper Advertisement: Home & Garden Section

January 18: Brochure supply replenished at local businessesJanuary 23-24: Green Team (second series of magnets distributed)

February 2010


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February 1: Magazine Advertisement (Couple Comparison)February 1: PSA sent (save money and environment)February 1: Brochure supply replenished at local businessesFebruary 2: Press Release for William Sesson event sent to mediaFebruary 6-7: Green Team (third series of magnets distributed)

February 21: William Sesson Event at the Global Heritage HallFebruary 20-21: Green TeamFebruary 15: Brochure supply replenished at local businesses

March 2010March 1: Billboards: My house pays me, Does yours?March 1: Brochure supply replenished at local businessesMarch 13-14: Green TeamMarch 15: Brochure supply replenished at local businesses

April 2010

April 1: Magazine Advertisement: Green inside home & outside windowApril 5: Brochure supply replenished at local businessesApril 5: PSA sent to local radio stations: General Zero Homes informationApril 10-11: Green Team

May 2010May 1-2: Green TeamMay 3: Radio Actuality: Utility BillsMay 10: Brochure supply replenished at local businessesMay 17: Press Release for Immediate Release: Tiverton couples utility billMay 29-30: Green Team

June 2010June 6: Newspaper advertisement: First of 3 week series in East Bay WeekliesJune 7: Brochure supply replenished at local businessesJune 12-13: Green TeamJune 13: Newspaper Advertisement: Second of 3 week series in East BayWeeklies

June 19-20: Green TeamJune 20: Newspaper Advertisement: Final of 3 week series in East Bay Weeklies

July 2010July 3: Green TeamJuly 4: Green Team (extra volunteers)July 5: Brochure supply replenished at local businessesJuly 24-25: Green Team

August 2010August 2: The Green Affair Press Release sent

sarah beron zero homes final

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