Evaluation
We successfully raised the tides to meet our goal
Goal and objectives
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Our regional conference was centered around one goal: to provide professional development opportunities to students and highlight the vast reaches of the PR industry. We worked towards our goal by drawing 80 guests across all three conference events from more than 400 miles outside of San Diego to dive into diverse opportunities and meet well-respected public relations professionals.
Twenty-three members and non-members volunteered their time to plan and implement the conference, which allowed our Chapter to grow externally and strengthen internally. These volunteers and the members that attended our conference grew from aware members into active ones. We achieved and exceeded two of our three objectives: increasing a sense of pride and community among our members and increasing positive perceptions of SDSU's legacy PR program and our Chapter. Our third objective will be measured this coming fall, when our Chapter collects membership dues. |
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Quantitative research: Post-campaign surveys
A post-campaign survey washed ashore for guests who attended the conference. Its findings were used to evaluate how much the needle moved on awareness, attitudes and perceptions toward SDSU's PR program and our Chapter. Specifically, our objectives were:
- To increase a sense of pride and community among our members by 10 percent by May 2017
- To increase positive perceptions of SDSU's legacy PR program and our Chapter to the southwest region by 10 percent by May 2017
- To increase our Chapter's membership by 15 percent by fall 2017
Overall, the team successfully moved the needle in a positive direction regarding feelings and attitudes toward SDSU's PR program and our Chapter.
Qualitative research: In-depth interviews
We dived into our conference's intangible impact on our 80 guests with an in-depth interview with one conference guest. The team chose to interview a junior journalism major with an emphasis in public relations who recently joined PRSSA SDSU in fall 2016. The team asked him a few questions regarding his experience with our Chapter and his thoughts on the conference weekend. The interviewee said overall the conference brought him closer to PRSSA SDSU members, inspired him to get more involved with the Chapter and educated him about PR from perspectives he wouldn't have been able to hear elsewhere.
Before attending the conference, the interviewee was not involved with the Chapter and only superficially knew other members. The conference itself allowed the interviewee to develop stronger relationships with PRSSA SDSU members and other PRSSA members across the Southwest region. The interviewee had the opportunity to be an active volunteer during the conference and afterwards, decided to run for an executive position on the PRSSA SDSU executive board.
This interview represent's the campaign's success in turning an aware member into an active one and uniting and engaging Chapter members. Lastly, the team asked the interviewee what he thought was the most important takeaway from the conference. He stated,"I feel like I'm better suited to step into, or dive into PR. Dive into the ocean of PR,that is."
Before attending the conference, the interviewee was not involved with the Chapter and only superficially knew other members. The conference itself allowed the interviewee to develop stronger relationships with PRSSA SDSU members and other PRSSA members across the Southwest region. The interviewee had the opportunity to be an active volunteer during the conference and afterwards, decided to run for an executive position on the PRSSA SDSU executive board.
This interview represent's the campaign's success in turning an aware member into an active one and uniting and engaging Chapter members. Lastly, the team asked the interviewee what he thought was the most important takeaway from the conference. He stated,"I feel like I'm better suited to step into, or dive into PR. Dive into the ocean of PR,that is."
Engagement
Social Media: SDSU vs. UNR
The campaign team compared the performance of social media promotion of PRSSA SDSU's conference to that of the UNR PReimagined conference, as one of the campaign's main competitors taking place the same weekend and within the region. The overall Twitter engagement showed that despite having fewer posts overall, our Chapter achieved a greater impact through engagement. Our total of 66 tweets reached a total of more than 35,000 impressions. Our Chapter reached a wider audience despite having a following of only 183 accounts versus UNR's following of 700. However, UNR surpassed our Chapter in average engagement through mentions and tags.
Overall, our Chapter's averages across all platforms surpassed UNR's presence. Additionally, our Chapter's average engagements per post had a wider reach, despite having fewer posts on Twitter and Facebook, than the UNR PReimagined regional conference.
The campaign team compared the performance of social media promotion of PRSSA SDSU's conference to that of the UNR PReimagined conference, as one of the campaign's main competitors taking place the same weekend and within the region. The overall Twitter engagement showed that despite having fewer posts overall, our Chapter achieved a greater impact through engagement. Our total of 66 tweets reached a total of more than 35,000 impressions. Our Chapter reached a wider audience despite having a following of only 183 accounts versus UNR's following of 700. However, UNR surpassed our Chapter in average engagement through mentions and tags.
Overall, our Chapter's averages across all platforms surpassed UNR's presence. Additionally, our Chapter's average engagements per post had a wider reach, despite having fewer posts on Twitter and Facebook, than the UNR PReimagined regional conference.
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Snapchat
The team created three Snapchat filters for the conference weekend that allowed attendees to use social media to interact with PRSSA members from their home Chapters and simultaneously promote the conference. Once a filter maxes its allotted time, Snapchat creates metrics based on views, impressions and conversions. Views are the amount of times friends see a filter either through a direct snap or by viewing it on a user's story. Impressions are the amount of times Snapchat users see the filter as they swipe through the various filter options in their area. Conversions are the amount of times a user chooses a filter either for a direct Snapchat or by posting to a user's story. |
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Across all three Snapchat filters during the two-day conference, filters garnered 7,400 views, 848 impressions and 118 conversions. This engagement created more reach for our Chapter through guests using the filters and making the conference events, brand and messaging visible to multiple publics.
