Throughout my education in public relations, I have learned the ins and outs of writing communication plans that centre around the nine core concepts: situational analysis, audience, key messages, objectives, strategies, tactics, timeline, budget and evaluation. In the Winter 2021 term of my writing class, I was given this already known skill and was introduced to a new concept of it. I was tasked to write a communication plan proposal, which has the same ideas of a fully written communication plan, but more condensed and written in hopes of getting approved. This assignment was in correlation with the briefing notes I wrote and uses the same fictional scenario and information.

Written by: Ross Lopes

Produced: April 2021

Ross Lopes

VAX AGAINST COVID ROCK CONCERT 

Communication Plan Proposal 

Submit to:

City of Toronto, Government of Ontario, Government of Canada

Live Nation, Ticket Master

Preamble: Vax Against COVID Rock Concert is an initiative that aims to celebrate and education the public about the vaccination programs that will be in place to keep COVID under control, which in turn enables mass gatherings and concerts like this one to take place. 

Backgrounder: in 2003, SARStock was the largest rock concert that was held in Downsview Park in Toronto in July that celebrated the end of the SARS pandemic, which recorded 490,000 attendees. It was held to both erase the negative messages about SARS with respect to Toronto and fundraise for healthcare and hospitality workers hurt by SARS (which resulted in $7.1 million being raised).

Goals: To create a bigger, more notable rock concert for when COVID controlment has been implemented in order to (1) promote vaccine rollout programs for future vaccine participation, (2) fundraise for healthcare workers and small businesses most affected by the pandemic, and (3) encourage the public to vaccinate every year.

Objectives:

• Generate $3 million in donations from fundraising that will go towards healthcare workers and small businesses by August 2022. 
• Ensure 90% of attendee’s are aware of the vaccination rollout programs coming by the end of the concert, with 65% pledging to get vaccinated through social media hashtags.
• Reach 2 million media impressions — with 30% related to pledges of attendees and 70% related to audience engagement, awareness and participation — by August 2022. 

Target Markets: City of Toronto, Government of Ontario and Canada, Healthcare facilities (such as regional hospitals, nursing homes, etc.), and small business across Canada. 

Target Media: Traditional Outlets (such as CTV News, Global News, CBC, etc.); Social Media (such as Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Facebook). 

Target Audience: Working Class individuals, students, and industry professionals akin to social media aged between 18-55, in addition to senior and retired individuals aged 55 and up who prioritize traditional media.

Tactics:

1. Social Media Campaign: #IWillBeVaxxed 

Running three months before concert date, the hashtag #IWillBeVaxxed is the pledge people can take that ensures they will be getting the yearly vaccination that fights against COVID. Influencer’s will be reached and asked to participate.

• Media Relations Distribution

Write press releases in relation to gaining media attention about the concert’s specific details. Create sign-up portals for small businesses to attend the concert to sell their food in provided food trucks. Write pitch letters to companies asking if they’d like to sponsor the event and sell their products (such as liquor, marijuana, etc.) 

• Fundraiser Promotion 

Create a website that outlines the details about the concert and more detail about the fundraising that is taking place with it for healthcare workers and small businesses. 

Budget:

• For the concert: estimated at $13 million
• For PR team: estimated at $650,000 

Evaluation:

• MRP Reporting: use the service to measure if the concert reached the objective of media impressions as well as to measure media coverage of event. 
• Survey E-mails to attendees: send out emails after the concert is over to measure audience awareness about the vaccine rollout programs
• Social Media Monitoring: using analytics to measure the success of the hashtag #IWillBeVaxxed to see if the event reached the objective. 

Team: will consist of Public Affairs Communication PR team, the Communication Department within City of Toronto as well as Government of Ontario and Canada, and have spokespeople of John Doe and Jane Smith, representatives of Public Affairs Communication.