Created by Roger Williams University PRSSA 2010 Bateman Team
Kristie Schmitt
Emily Russe Jessica Forlenza Carly White Rachel Taylor
Advisor: Amiee Shelton
The Rhode Map
Trip Summary 1
The Rhode Taken
1
Planning the Rhode Trip 2
Passengers on our Rhode 2
Rhode Trip Theme 3
Rhode Directions 3
Rhode Blocks & Detours 3
Rules of the Rhode Navigating the Rhode The Route Traveled Evaluating the Rhode Trip Reaching the Destination 3
4
5
8
9
Appendix
Logo
I
Timeline XXXVI
Web Page & Social Media II
Budget XXXVIII
Partnerships V
Evaluation XXXIX
Salient Information XIV
Baseline Study
XLII
Media Materials XVII
Additional Materials XLIV
Trip Summary:
The 2010 Roger Williams University Bateman Team
presents The Rhode Counts campaign to guarantee Bristol,
RI follows the road to be counted in the 2010 United States
Census. With Bristol having one of the lowest response
rates in Rhode Island for the 2000 Census, we took the
opportunity to raise the response rate, ensuring Bristol
is accurately counted in 2010. To achieve this goal,
we developed a program that educated, motivated and
activated students and the Bristol, RI community.
Steeped in a rich history that spans three centuries,
Bristol, Rhode Island is a quintessential New England
waterfront town. With its unwavering commitment to
preservation, Bristol continues to maintain the pictureperfect charm of a historic port town. The town center is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a
comfortable pedestrian haven. The Annual Fourth of July
Celebration, established in 1785, is the oldest continuous
celebration of its kind in the United States. “The Military,
Civic and Firemen’s Parade”, is an event that draws over
200,000 people from Rhode Island and around the world.
These elaborate celebrations give Bristol its nickname,
“America’s most patriotic town.” To show this sentiment,
Hope Street is adorned year ‘round with the red, white, and
blue stripe down the middle of the road instead of yellow.
These red, white and blue lines inspired our central theme,
‘The Rhode Counts.’
Our integrated program utilized multiple communication
vehicles appropriate for our targeted publics as identified
through surveys and interviews. Our research found that
the main reason for the low response rate in Bristol is
because the majority of Bristol residents are of Portuguese
descent and are fearful of participating. Furthermore, a
large portion of the town’s population is made up of college
students who, in the past, have not counted in Rhode
Island because they assumed they needed to be counted
on their parent’s form back home. Therefore after careful
consideration we determined that the unique demographics
of Bristol regarding race and ethnic populations would
make Bristol be classified as hard to count (HTC) by the
Census Bureau. Thus, together with the Boston Regional
Census Bureau, and with the support of various businesses,
churches and schools in the town of Bristol, Roger Williams
University implemented The Rhode Counts campaign to
ease fears and steer community members to be counted in
2010, with a special focus on those of Portuguese descent.
We started down the road on February 1st, visiting
churches, businesses and other prominent locations in the
community. We informed residents that 2010 is a Census
year and that the Census is easy, mandatory and entirely
confidential. We stressed that the new Census form is
only 10 questions and only takes 10 minutes to complete.
Finally, we made sure students understood that they are to
be counted where they reside for the majority of the year,
making their counting location Bristol, RI. We approached
the end of our campaign by taking a stroll down the very
road from which our theme derived, going door to door
speaking with members of the community about the
upcoming 2010 Census.
The Rhode Counts campaign received over 500 pledges to
participate in the 2010 Census, had seven radio stations,
two newspapers and six websites run our messages, and
met with over 4000 people one-on-one through our events.
We also were able to secure placement of our message
on milk cartons across the state. We invite you to join us
on our road to count. The Rhode Counts will drive you
through the roads the 2010 Roger Williams University
Bateman team traveled and the stops we made along the
way to ensure Bristol, RI is accurately counted in 2010!
The Rhode Taken
We set off down the road to ensure everyone in Bristol
was traveling down the same ‘Rhode’ to be counted. After
careful consideration, we decided to create a community
relations campaign to ensure that our publics understood the
importance of the 2010 Census, and were all comfortable
in participating.
We chose a community relations campaign because of
the various methods we used to establish and maintain a
mutually beneficial relationship with the community in
which Roger Williams University operates. The underlying
principle of community relations is that an organization
accepts its civic responsibility to take an active interest
in the well-being of its community. To this end, we felt
that the long-term benefits for the community created by
the promotion of the Census 2010 by University students
would fit well within the parameters of Community
Relations.
By conducting this campaign, we also assisted in the overall
mission of the university by providing comprehensive,
ongoing community relations programming. Additionally,
the Census, Roger Williams University and PRSSA were
recognized as good community citizens through this
campaign.
We knew that to conduct a strong community relations
program we would need to provide compelling information
to diverse groups of people and involve them in an
intentional, constructive dialogue. We also knew that
because of the ethnic makeup of the community we would
have to work hard on fostering a sense of inclusiveness.
To achieve this inclusiveness, we worked hard to create
various collaborations with credible organizations and
individuals.
We created specific strategies and tactics to engage
residents with the goal of creating mutually beneficial
collaborations that would help us share the importance
of participating in the 2010 Census. Our partnerships,
strategic use of social media, events, press materials
and one-on-one communication were expertly woven
together to create an integrated community relations plan
specifically for our own community.
1
Planning the Rhode Trip
To fully understand the community’s attitudes and opinions
towards participating in the 2010 Census, significant
research was undertaken prior to planning for this
campaign. We conducted primary and secondary research
in the form of interviews, surveys, content analysis, and
a literature review. The findings from these research
methods provided specific strategies and tactics in order to
increase awareness and participation in the 2010 Census.
Secondary Research
Our secondary research found that as of the 2000 Census
there were 22,469 people residing in Bristol. In Rhode
Island, roughly 100,000 citizens identified themselves
as Portuguese in the 2000 Census. This ethnic group
dominates Bristol County, which is known for its seaports
and fishing industry. Portuguese fishermen were recruited
and settled in these port towns in the 1840s, establishing
ethnic communities with strong ties to Portugal.
The 2000 Census also revealed that Bristol, RI had
a response rate of only 63.7%, which was below the
statewide average. The reason for such a low response rate
was due to the large population of Portuguese people in
Bristol who are apprehensive to participate because they
fear government involvement and do not understand the
census. With over 10% of the local population speaking
Portuguese, we realized we needed to find a way to reach
this demographic. To accomplish this, we conducted
primary research.
Primary Research
Over 40 interviews were conducted with residents from
the Bristol, RI community, including members of various
organizations, business owners, and Portuguese residents.
From these interviews we learned that opinion leaders
are aware of the Census and expressed knowledge of
the benefits of filling it out. Most felt it was necessary to
participate in the census and that as community leaders
2
and U.S. residents they felt obligated to take part. While
community leaders agreed that the census was beneficial,
they expressed concern that the Portuguese community, as
a whole, may not understand the importance of the census.
Concerns regarding language barriers and privacy issues
were raised, especially in regards to elderly Portuguese
residents and other immigrants.
Our survey was given out to 876 residents of Bristol, RI
including various ethnicities, college students and a wide
range of demographics. We analyzed the data through
SPSS and found that participants must understand the
purpose of the census is directly beneficial to their
communities, and is not an invasion of privacy. Our survey
results found that our messages needed to be culturally
diverse and promotional materials needed to target
different ethnicities and people whose primary language
is one other than English. Information on the Census also
must continue to be disseminated through different media.
Through statistical analysis we were able to determine
useful information pertaining to fear and willingness to
participate. Results proved that people who were planning
to participate in the 2010 Census were comfortable sharing
private information with the government, while those who
do not plan to participate may be uncomfortable sharing
information with the government. In order to increase
participation, data analysis showed that an emphasis on
confidentiality and privacy was needed. From a chi-square
test it was found that those most likely to participate in the
census primarily speak English. However, about 15% of
the respondents believed that their language prevents them
from participating. These results show that in order to
increase participation in the census, more materials need
to be distributed in languages other than English. Thus, we
knew that all marketing and promotional materials would
need to be available in a variety of languages, not just the
census survey itself. Our research allowed us to understand
the unique perceptions of the Census in our community,
thereby mapping out our course regarding strategies and
tactics to educate our targeted publics.
Before selecting which publics to target, we first met
with a representative from the U.S. Census Bureau, who
confirmed what we had found out about the demographics
of the town. Knowing the Bristol Portuguese population
would be one of our main publics, we then turned to
opinion leaders within the Portuguese population, who
informed us the best way to reach this population is via
face to face communication and through opinion leaders.
The Census representative also informed us that college
students are one of their hardest to count populations since
most students have never completed a census; therefore they
do not know the accurate counting process and are often
double counted, both at home and at school. Furthermore,
they are part of the ‘internet savvy’ generation, who rarely
utilize the U.S. postal service.
Passengers on our Rhode
After learning this information, choosing our publics
was simple. We knew we needed to reassure the Bristol
population, especially those of Portuguese descent, that the
Census is 100% confidential. We knew it was essential to
inform college students of where to be accurately counted.
Thus we chose the following primary and secondary
publics for our community relations campaign.
Primary Publics:
• Roger Williams University campus, including,
students, faculty & staff
• Bristol, RI residents
Secondary Audiences:
• Bristol organizations and businesses, such as
restaurants, churches and retail locations
• Community media
• Community leaders
Play on Rhode Island
Call to Action
Bristol Road
Client Front and Center
Rhode Trip Theme
Our theme is based on the red, white and blue paint that
lines the main street of Bristol, RI. Each 4th of July, all
of Bristol, along with the Roger Williams University
community, and at least 200,000 people from around
the world, join together on Hope Street to watch musical
bands, dance clubs, politicians and decorated floats march
down the red, white and blue parade route. This annual
celebration gave Bristol its nickname as ‘America’s most
patriotic town’. With this patriotism in mind, we chose
to make our slogan ‘The Rhode Counts’, which is a play
on both this well-known road in the heart of Bristol and
the state’s name, Rhode Island. ‘Counts’ represents that
although Rhode Island is the smallest state, it still counts
in the grand scheme of the nation, just as the U.S. census
counts all citizens in the United States.
The words, ‘The Rhode Counts,’ sits atop the red, white
and blue street to replicate Hope Street. The red, white
and blue road is a trademark of Bristol, RI; therefore this
theme effectively relates our campaign directly to Bristol
residents and the Roger Williams University community.
This relation grabs the attention of our publics and helps
them easily understand our message by association. This
familiarization makes our messages easier to believe and
remember among our desired publics. Finally, this local
connection will be most effective in motivating our publics
to action down the road to count in 2010.
Rhode Directions:
We knew that in addition to placing information in
places where it would be seen, we also needed to grab
the attention of our publics, get them to understand and
believe and remember our message in order to get them to
act. To this end we created several messages that all reflect
our overall theme. We placed these messages in multiple
media channels and repeated them to help overcome the
clutter that our publics encounter regarding messages.
Roger Williams University Campus:
• The Rhode Counts
• Find it. Fill it out. Send it Back.
• Census Day is April 1, 2010. Be Counted.
• Participation is simple, free, and mandatory and only
takes 10 minutes.
• Your Count Matters.
• Be counted where you live the majority of the year…
that’s Bristol!
Bristol Residents:
• The Rhode Counts
• Find it. Fill it out. Send it Back.
• Census Day is April 1, 2010. Be Counted.
• Participation is simple, free, and mandatory and only
takes 10 minutes.
• Take the first step in improving Bristol.
• It’s your duty and it’s confidential.
Rhode Blocks & Detours:
Rhode Block: Many residents in the Bristol community
are of Portuguese descent. The Portuguese are a tight knit
community fearing government involvement. Many of
these residents saw the Census as a way for the government
to obtain personal information, infringing on their privacy.
Detour: To ensure Bristol residents were not fearful
of participating in the 2010 U.S. Census, we focused
our messages to this public on the confidentiality of the
Census. We turned to respected community leaders in
the community, such as churches and local businesses,
to further reiterate this message of privacy. Furthermore,
these leaders were able to spread our messages to even
those who spoke limited English.
Rhode Block: Many students, especially those soon to
graduate, did not feel they should be counted in Bristol
since they only reside here for four years, and the Census
only counts every ten years.
Detour: When reaching students, we reminded them that
although they may only live in Bristol for four years,
new students will be filling their space at Roger Williams
University when they graduate. We asked students to
look back on their time at RWU and all of the benefits
and experiences Bristol has provided them with, and by
counting in Bristol they will be providing future RWU
students with those same experiences. By relating our
message back to the red, white and blue roads of Bristol
and the infamous Fourth of July parade that so many
students actively participate in, it provided a reminder to
students of how grateful we are to be a part of the Bristol
community, even if it is only for four years. This message
emphasized to students that their participation is a simple
way to give back to a community that has given them so
much.
Rhode Block: Students have never participated in a census
before; therefore many did not understand its purpose, the
questions asked or know where to be counted.
Detour: Educating students on the U.S. Census was one
3
of our main goals. Through informational tables and an
open discussion session, students were able to voice all
questions and concerns so they felt confident in their
participation. Furthermore our informational materials and
messages provided students with all of the information
they needed to know where, when and how to be counted
in 2010.
Rules of the Rhode
Passenger 1: Roger Williams University
Objective 1: Inform all Roger Williams University students,
faculty and staff of the importance of participating in the
2010 Census throughout the month of February 2010.
Objective 2: Increase the number of students, faculty and
staff on the Roger Williams University campus by 50%
who believe the Census to be an important by the end of
February 2010.
Objective 3: Have 350 people on the Roger Williams
University campus sign a Census pledge to participate in
the 2010 census by February 28, 2010.
Passenger 2: Bristol Residents
Objective 4: Inform 800 Bristol residents of the importance
of their participation in the 2010 U.S. Census throughout
the month of February 2010.
Objective 5: To have 500 Bristol residents agree that the
Census is an important tool by February 28, 2010.
Objective 6: To have 200 Bristol residents sign a Census
card pledging to participate in the 2010 census by February
28, 2010.
Passenger 3: Bristol Businesses
Objective 7: Inform 100% of selected Bristol business
locations of our The Rhode Counts campaign about the
2010 U.S. Census by February 1, 2010.
4
Objective 8: Improve attitudes about partnering with The
Rhode Counts campaign among 90% of selected Bristol
business locations by February 2, 2010.
Objective 9: To have 85% of selected Bristol business
locations partner with the Rhode Counts Campaign
Passenger 4: Community Media
Objective 10: Inform all media (primarily radio and
newspapers) within the East Bay Rhode Island area of
the goals and objectives of The Rhode Counts campaign
throughout the month of February 2010.
Objective 11: To secure a positive opinion of editors, news
and promotion directors of the necessity to spread the word
about the 2010 U.S. Census throughout the month of Feb.
Objective 12: Place at least one story in an East Bay Rhode
Island newspaper publication by February 28, 2010.
Objective 13: Place at least one PSA on four East Bay
Rhode Island radio stations by February 28, 2010.
Navigating the Rhode
We effectively used strategic alliances, opinion leaders,
two-way communication, salient information, source
credibility, selective exposure, verbal and non-verbal
communication and audience participation.
We started off down our Rhode by creating strategic
alliances within the Bristol community. We partnered with
Bristol businesses, restaurants, churches, senior centers
and schools to spread our messages. Each of the locations
chosen were well-known respected places in Bristol.
Furthermore, the owners, employees and pastors at each
of these locations served as opinion leaders. The opinion
leaders received our messages and passed them on to their
patrons via the two-step flow process, providing source
credibility for our messages.
All of our collateral materials provided salient, relatable,
consistent messages. These messages contained a call to
action (to participate in the 2010 U.S. Census), while also
connecting the national Census directly back to the Bristol
community via our The Rhode Counts theme.
Additionally, we used selective exposure on all collateral
materials to ensure each public received appropriate,
relevant information. The creation of all of these materials
contained non-verbal communication elements, such as
colors and our logo.
Audience participation was effectively exercised via our
pledge cards and all of our campaign events. This audience
interaction allowed for two-way communication with our
publics so that we were able to answer all questions and
make certain our publics felt confident in their participation
in the 2010 U.S. Census. Furthermore, this one-on-one
communication allowed for us to receive feedback from
our publics about whether our campaign messages were
providing adequate information. Finally, we verbally
communicated with our publics at all events, specifically
at our informational tables and street team event.
One of the most important strategies we employed was
that of social media. One of our overall goals for this
campaign was building relationships; we knew we had to
use social media in order to further reach our goals through
social networking. We used social media to create an open
dialogue with our target publics to get our message across.
Our goal in using social media was to better understand our
target publics. We were able to interact without promoting.
In using two-way communication we were able to help
each other out. Only then were we able to establish a
message that we could use to better our society.
We also used various appeals. One of the most
relevant appeals was to our target publics’ self-interest,
and was accomplished
through primarily one-onone
communication and social media techniques.
Contemporary history shows that when leaders appeal to
something better than mere personal self-interest, they
often arouse great enthusiasm and achieve great results.
Therefore, we worked hard to create an appeal that urged
citizens to sacrifice one’s private interests for the sake of
a national interest: that of Census 2010.
The Route Traveled
Highway Patrol: Social Media and Networking
We used several types of social media networks to
effectively disseminate our messages and information
about the 2010 Census, along with upcoming Rhode
Counts events. We created a Facebook, Twitter, MySpace,
YouTube, Blogger and Flickr. On each of these social media
accounts we reminded followers and friends of upcoming
events, shared informational articles, links, videos, etc.
on the 2010 Census, and posted recaps and pictures of
past events. These tools opened up a lot of opportunities
for us to connect with others on a personal level. These
tools allowed people to be heard, as we could converse
with them and reaffirm positive opinions or correct their
misconceptions. We found that people listen better when
they felt they had been heard.
Facebook served as our main hub that linked to all of our
other social media outlets. We had 217 members on our
‘The Rhode Counts’ Facebook group. The group page
contained links to all of our other social media network
pages. This success of our Facebook group generated
interest among other clubs and organizations on campus,
such as the Interclass Council and Resident Assistant
program, about working with our campaign. These groups
contacted us via Facebook to create partnerships with our
campaign, such as the ‘What’s this Nonsense about the
Census’ Bayside Resident Hall ‘Mock Census’ Event. All
of our campaign materials were available on our Facebook
page, along with pictures, events listing and a link reel to
Census videos and articles.
We specifically posted all of our campaign pictures to our
Flickr account and all of our campaign videos and radio
PSAs to our YouTube account. We also linked our
YouTube account to the 2010 Census
YouTube, so that visitors could
have easy access to their videos and
commercials.
We used Twitter and tweeted before,
during and after all of our events,
as well as tweeting informational
Census articles we were reading and
informational videos we were watching
on YouTube. Furthermore, we tweeted
each of our blog posts to generate traffic
to our more detailed articles on our ‘The
Rhode Counts’ blog.
We embedded our YouTube videos
along with the U.S. Census’ YouTube videos in our blog.
We posted articles and pictures from past campaign events,
along with links to informational web articles. Finally, at
the end of each blog article was a ‘tweet this’ button, so
that all blog visitors could easily tweet our most recent
post.
Why it Worked?
Our social media and networking were successful because
the majority of the RWU and Bristol communities
use the Internet as their main way to communicate and
obtain information. The Internet allowed for us to easily
communicate and share information 24/7 with all of our
publics increasing the exposure of our messages; therefore
reaching more people than we would have been able to
reach via face to face. At the completion of our campaign
we had 217 Facebook friends, 93 followers on our twitter,
56 people following our blog and 163 views of our
YouTube videos. We also were linked to 15 other sites.
Social media was one of the most effective and cost
efficient ways for us to mass spread our messages. Each
day we received numerous friend requests on each of our
social media networks, wall posts from page visitors, along
with comments on pictures and links. We received over 75
comments through these communication channels.
Rhode Side Assistance: Partnerships
Our partnerships made our campaign successful and
allowed us to reach astounding numbers of people within
our target publics. These partnerships disseminated
messages to our publics via the two-step flow of
information. We partnered with eleven Bristol business
establishments, including a local pizza place, a sandwich
shop and a tanning salon which all allowed us to offer
“Census Specials”. Other businesses that did not create
specials, allowed us to hang informational posters and
flyers at their locations. Through this flow of information,
we exposed approximately 21,350 people to our messages.
Rhody Fresh Milk PSA
We chose to run a PSA with a local dairy company, Rhody
Fresh. The concept of this PSA was simple: to draw
attention to our The Rhode Counts campaign. We used
an everyday household product to efficiently reach our
publics. The PSA featured our logo, coupled with ‘Census
2010,’ which served to raise awareness that 2010 is a
Census year.
Cents for Census
Most notable of our partnerships was working with the
local CVS on a “Cents for Census” pledge drive. For the
entire month of February, CVS promoted our campaign
5
by asking customers to sign a card pledging to fill out and
return the 2010 Census by April 1, 2010. Coupled with the
pledges was a voluntary dime drive, in which customers
could throw change as a sign of their commitment to
participate. The money raised was given directly to CVS
for use at their discretion. The pledges were then hung up
at the entrance to the store. We chose CVS because it is a
local company based in Woonsocket, RI.
Church Bulletins
We placed our message in the bulletins of the three major
Bristol churches, as well as one monthly church newsletter.
The message was targeted towards churchgoers; it was
positive and concise and encouraged members to fill out
the Census to benefit their community and congregation.
Why it Worked?
We partnered with these well known, trusted Bristol
locations to utilize opinion leaders for source credibility.
Each location chosen was a popular location with a high
volume of traffic daily, ensuring that our messages reached
many residents. Via the multi-step flow, our messages were
delivered to our publics through these credible sources.
Our Rhody Fresh PSA allowed our message to reach
above and beyond Bristol, exposing approximately 15,000
residents throughout the entire state. Our partnership with
four Bristol churches exposed over 1,600 people to our
messages. Each of our partnerships enhanced the credibility
of our messages and allowed us to reach large amounts of
our public providing salient, consistent messages.
Rhode Signs: Salient Information
Ten types of informational materials were created to
spread our campaign messages. These materials were
then mass-produced, totaling 6,135 copies of our various
materials. Based on attendance numbers at locations
where our materials were available, approximately 8,500
people were exposed to our messages via the following
informational materials.
6
Stickers
We printed 2,000 oval-shaped stickers with “The Rhode
Counts” logo. These stickers were distributed to high
school students at sporting events, college students during
our ‘census on campus’ week events and to seniors at our
nursing home visits. We also put stickers on the plastic
cups that were used at our Census Bar Night. The stickers
spread the word about our campaign, as well as reminding
the community of the upcoming 2010 Census.
Post Cards
We distributed postcards with key census dates and
information during several of our events, including the
Street Team event and our senior center events. The post
cards were also distributed to 1,200 Roger Williams
University student, faculty and staff mailboxes. The
postcards were double-sided featuring English on one
side and Portuguese on the other, making the information
accessible to all of our publics.
Campus TV Network
We secured placement of our key messages on several
large flat-screen televisions located in high-traffic areas on
the Roger Williams’ campus, including the entrance to the
dining commons and the entrance to the campus’ largest
academic building. The messages were also available to
students living in dormitories on the Campus Television
Network Channel 5. The message was a single frame
with a layout similar to our posters. The message used
non-verbal communication techniques to grab attention
with bright letters on a white background. The message
was not text heavy; therefore it was easy-to-read even for
students passing by the televisions quickly.
Table Tents
We incorporated a design similar to our posters for table
tents that we placed at the center of each table in the
university’s dining commons during our Census Dinner.
The table tents served as a quick reference, census reminder
to all students of when, where and how to be counted. The
table tents were also displayed on the tables at Census Bar
Night.
Daily Dose
We placed a simple 2010 Census reminder message in the
school’s Daily Dose, a listing of school information and
events sent to every undergraduate student and all faculty
and staff members daily. The Daily Dose is sent through
e-mail and is also posted on the announcement section of
the Roger Williams’ webpage.
Posters, Flyers & Banners
We created several flyers and posters to reach each of
our publics. Our posters contained quick facts with
bright colors and enhanced visual aids. They were hung
throughout the town of Bristol, in the RWU residence halls
and RWU academic buildings. Posters were also created
for each of our events and hung in the same locations. Our
flyers contained more detailed information about the 2010
U.S. Census. A flyer was created for each targeted public,
specifically answering the 5 W’s accordingly for each
targeted public. The flyers were hung in Bristol business
locations and distributed at all of our events. The banners
were a simple 2010 Census reminder hung in the dining
commons at Roger Williams University.
Pledge Cards
We wanted our publics to actively think about participating
in the Census, so we designed pledge cards to have our
publics sign, pledging their intent to participate in the
2010 Census. The pledges also represented residents’ first
steps towards completing their 2010 Census. We garnered
pledges at our campus events and at CVS Pharmacy in
Bristol. The pledge cards were then hung at the CVS
pharmacy in Bristol and in the dining commons at RWU
to serve as a motivational reminder to all patrons.
The Rhode Counts Webpage
Therhodecounts.com was a simple, one click webpage
that took visitors directly to the 2010 U.S. Census website.
When deciding on the content for our webpage, we felt the
2010 U.S. Census webpage conveyed all of the necessary
census information, so it seemed unnecessary to recreate
this information. Instead, our website was a single page
with our logo, brief local census information
and our contact information. With one click on this page
all visitors were taken directly to the easily navigable 2010
U.S. Census webpage.
Video PSAs
We created three short, informational video PSAs. The
purpose of the PSAs was to remind viewers that 2010
is a census year and that their participation matters.
Furthermore, all videos contained our logo and the date
of the 2010 Census day: April 1, 2010. Two of these
videos focused on our ‘Rhode’ theme and were geared
specifically towards Bristol by containing the red, white
and blue painted roads, along with other familiar Bristol
landmarks. The third video was simply text, containing
our logo and other important information. All of these
videos were uploaded to our YouTube and then shared on
our Blog, Facebook and Twitter.
Portuguese Materials
Because over 10 percent of the Bristol population was
of Portuguese descent, we targeted Portuguese Bristol
residents, specifically with all written tactics translated
into Portuguese. We were able to break the language
barrier and also gain the trust of Portuguese residents
through this tactic.
Why it Worked?
All of these tactics informed our publics about our
campaign, our upcoming events and important census
facts. All of the messages in these tactics were engaging
and straightforward. They were successful due to effective
non-verbal communication and appropriate placement that
ensured all of our publics would be efficiently reached.
Furthermore, we used selective exposure in all of our
materials to guarantee we reached each specific public
appropriately. The main way our publics, specifically
students, accessed information was via the internet, so our
website conveniently offered easy access 24 hours a day.
At the end of February, this website had over 800 visits.
Our posters, flyers, post cards, pledge cards, stickers, table
tents, etc. served as a constant reminder of our campaign
and the 2010 Census. We created 600 flyers, 200 posters,
500 pledge cards, and 75 table tents distributed them
all over the Roger Williams University campus and
throughout the town of Bristol.
Our video PSAs offered a familiar, visual appeal, linking
the 2010 Census back to the direct effect it will have on
the Bristol community. These videos were uploaded to
our YouTube and had 163 views at the end of February.
Finally, the Portuguese materials allowed us to reach even
those in our public of Portuguese descent, who spoke
limited English.
Pit Stops: Events
Our research revealed that people like hands-on experiences
and one-on-one communication best when learning new
things. To meet the needs of our targeted publics we
created numerous events.
Census Bar Night
On Thursday, February 11th we hosted a Census Bar Night
at Gillary’s, a local pub in Bristol. We invited all students
and community members of age to attend this event via
Facebook and word of mouth. That evening all of the cups
were labeled with our The Rhode Counts sticker. We hung
our posters on the walls of the pub, and placed our table
tents on all of the tables. All RWU students and Bristol
community members who visited the pub that evening
were exposed to our message.
Senior Center Programs
We visited two Senior Centers. The first was the Bayview
Independent Living Center. The second was Franklin
Court Assisted Living. These two locations allowed us to
spread our message efficiently among our senior citizen
population in Bristol, many of whom were of Portuguese
descent. We shared with the seniors the importance of
filling out the census form at the senior center. Speaking
with them face to face allowed us to answer any questions,
appease all fears and effectively get our message across.
Socrates Café
Socrates Café is an open discussion panel on various topics
held at RWU. It is open to all students, faculty, staff and
community members to attend and contribute to the topic
at hand. We hosted a Socrates Café entitled, “Census 2010:
Should I refuse to participate?” The panel ran for nearly two
hours. Participants expressed their thoughts on the Census
concerning the questions on the form, confidentiality,
who participates and where to participate. The discussion
concluded with a unanimous vote: everyone in the United
States needs to participate. This was an effective way to
get participants thinking about the upcoming 2010 U.S.
Census and for us to answer any questions or appease any
fears they may have.
Census Week on Campus
We chose to hold a number of census-themed events during
our ‘Census on Campus Week’, February 8th – 12th. We
held informational tables Monday through Wednesday
from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (peak lunch hour), offering materials
and answering questions from students, faculty and staff
entering and exiting the Dining Hall. We also asked visitors
to sign a pledge card, pledging their intent to participate in
the 2010 Census.
Wednesday, February 10th, we held our Census themed
dinner. That night Dining Services put our logo on their
menu, the Dining Hall was decorated with our table tents
and more informational materials were distributed.
Promotional banners were also hung in the Dining
Commons during this week, and we ran promotions on
television screens that are set up both in the Commons and
The Global Heritage Hall (the largest academic building
on campus). By coordinating all of our on campus tactics
into one week, it was most effective in providing the RWU
community with consistent, recurring messages.
‘What’s this Nonsense about the Census’ Event
Our Facebook group gained interest in our campaign
among the Resident Assistants at Roger Williams. As a
result, we partnered with the Bayside Residence Hall to
7
create a mock census event. During this event we went
to each dorm room in the living area and took a ‘mock’
Census, asking questions such as age, gender, home state,
etc. of the people living in that room. We distributed
information to each room about how and where to
participate in the upcoming 2010 U.S. Census. The results
of our mock census were then posted on all of the bulletin
boards in the Bayside living area for residents to see the
Bayside Census results.
Social Media Seminar Presentation
A group of R.I. high school students visited Roger
Williams University on Saturday, February 27 to learn
about marketing and social media. This was the perfect
opportunity to share the social media tactics we put
together to promote our Rhode Counts campaign. During
the seminar we showed the students how we effectively
used social media networks such as, Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, and Flickr, to spread The Rhode Counts message.
‘Census special’ menus. Furthermore, our general
information press release was featured on the Roger
Williams University website and the announcement
section of the website.
with students face to face to get our message across. It was
a chance for the RWU community to ask questions and
voice any concerns they may have about the 2010 U.S.
Census.
Our radio PSAs were promoted on air through the campus
radio station and recorded PSAs were sent to local radio
stations across the state. PSAs were prerecorded and carried
reminders of the importance to be counted in 2010.
Seven radio stations ran the PSA’s during various hours
from 6am to 7pm.
Why it Worked?
Face-to-face communication is the number one way to reach
people and ensure a message is received and understood.
The one-on-one communication with our publics allowed
us to ensure all questions were answered and ensure our
publics felt confident in participating in the 2010 U.S.
Census. Furthermore, this interaction allowed us to obtain
feedback. We were able to guarantee 950 people within
our target publics were reached via this interaction.
Why it Worked?
The use of media allowed us to reach a wider audience,
creating third party credibility for our messages. Press
releases contained a local angle featuring the direct impact
participation in the 2010 Census will have on Bristol.
Through newspaper circulation of our two published press
releases, 7,369 were exposed to our message.
Why it Worked?
Events allow for the number one form of communication:
face-to-face communication to occur. Therefore, all of
our programs were effective in reaching our publics
because they allowed for this effective interaction,
audience participation and two-way communication.
Through feedback at these events, we were able to learn
what information our publics still needed to feel secure
in participating in the 2010 U.S. Census. Through our
numerous programs we were able to interact one-on-one
with approximately 1,708 people, ensuring they were fully
equipped with the information needed to complete their
journey down the 2010 Census Rhode.
Traffic Stops: Face-to-Face Impact
Press Materials: Rhode Reminders
Informational Tables
The informational tables were set up on the Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday of our Census on Campus Week
during the lunch period from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. During
this time we sat at a table outside of the Dining Hall,
offering informational materials and speaking with all of
the students, faculty and staff who entered and exited the
dining hall. This was a great opportunity for us to speak
Our campaign successfully reached local media outlets
through press releases and radio PSA’s. The Bristol
Phoenix ran a release highlighting the “Cents for Census”
pledge drive. The campus paper, The Hawks Herald, ran
an in-depth article about the entire campaign on the front
page, featuring our logo and one of our Bristol business
8
We knew going into this project that to best persuade our
targeted publics, we would have find ways to be face-toface with them. We did this with the following tactics.
Street Team Door to Door
We ended our campaign with a bang by going door to door
to answer questions and speak with Bristol residents about
the 2010 Census on Sunday, February 28th. We also spoke
with church parishioners as they exited Sunday mass. We
made sure residents felt fully prepared to participate in the
Census that would soon be arriving in their mailbox. We
left informational materials with all of those we spoke to.
Evaluating the Rhode Trip
Objective 1 – Exceeded. Through bulk e-mails, bulk
mailings, and the informational tables, alone, it is
guaranteed that we informed at least all Roger Williams
University students, faculty and staff. In addition, our
flyers, posters, and other informational materials posted
around campus reached at least another 1000 people,
totaling nearly the 4500 people in the Roger Williams
University community. This objective was evaluated based
on the number of materials we distributed and audience
attendance at the locations our materials were posted.
Objective 2 – Met. Throughout our various events on
campus, including the Socrates Café, information tables,
Census Dinner and the Bayside residence hall event, we
spoke with well over 600 RWU community members and
improved attitudes about participation in the 2010 Census
among the majority of those we spoke with. We measured
this objective based on interviews with members within
the public and a baseline study.
Objective 3 – Exceeded. We aimed to receive 350 signed
pledge cards and received an additional 160, totaling 510.
Objective 4 – Exceeded. The Rhody Fresh Milk PSA
alone allowed us to exceed our goal of reaching 800
Bristol residents. This PSA reached approximately 15,000
Rhode Island residents. In addition, the Bristol Phoenix
circulation numbers (reached 7,369), radio PSA ratings,
and Bristol business patrons (reached 13,000) allowed
us to exceed our goal. The objective was measured using
audience exposure and attendance in locations where we
disseminated our messages.
Objective 5 – Met. During our street team event, we
spoke with at least 500 Bristol residents who ensured us
they agreed or strongly agreed their participation in the
Census would benefit their community. This objective was
measured using a baseline study. Prior to exposure to our
messages, residents were more likely to be neutral or even
disagree.
Objective 6 – Not Met. We fell just under our goal of
pledge cards completed by Bristol residents. We fell 40
pledges short, only receiving 160 of the 200 we had aimed
for.
Objective 7 – Exceeded. We initially targeted ten Bristol
business locations to help spread the word of our campaign,
but gained three additional businesses who were interested
in partnering with our campaign, such as the U.S. Post
Office.
Objective 8 – Met. We improved attitudes about partnering
with our campaign among eight of our targeted businesses,
along with the additional three Bristol business locations
we gained.
Objective 9 – Met. In the end, all but two of the Bristol
business locations we targeted partnered with our
campaign. Therefore we partnered with a total of eleven
popular Bristol business establishments.
Objective 10 - Met. We sent three press releases to all East
Bay newspaper publications. We sent three radio PSAs to
all radio stations in the East Bay area, thus we informed
100% of all targeted East Bay media outlets.
Objective 11 - Met. A positive opinion was secured among
the editors at the Bristol Phoenix and The Hawk’s Herald.
A positive opinion was also secured among seven radio
stations in the East Bay area.
Objective 12 - Met. A story ran in the Bristol Phoenix, as
well as a front page article in The Hawks Herald.
Objective 13 - Exceeded. Our three radio PSA’s were aired
on seven radio stations in the East Bay area throughout the
month of February.
Reaching the Destination
Conclusion:
The overall goal of The Rhode Counts campaign was to
inform the Roger Williams University community and the
Bristol Community of the upcoming 2010 United States
Census and to ensure they knew when, where, and how
to be counted. We wanted to be sure to appease all fears
among Bristol residents about participating so that Bristol
would have a much greater response rate than the 2000
Census. We also wanted to guarantee that at all Roger
Williams University students knew what the census was,
how to participate and where to be counted. The Rhode
Counts campaign successfully achieved these overall
goals as evidenced by our baseline study. We met, if not
exceeded, nearly all of our objectives.
Although we will not know until April if all of the RWU
community members and Bristol residents our messages
reached will participate in the 2010 Census, we know that
all of our publics’ questions are answered and they have
all of the information needed to follow the road to count
in 2010.
9
10