Littering Campaign

Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association Campaign

“Own Your Downtown” Anti-Littering

Anna Kate Craig

Situation and Research

The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association formed as a membership

based organization focused on promoting the downtown community. Their mission

is to bring awareness to the businesses through events and promotions in

downtown to form a striving economy and destination for those visiting Tupelo,

Mississippi.

The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association cares about its members and

wants to take a stand for what is right in the community. By taking a stance on their

current littering problem, the organization wants to form a positive perception to

those that live in and visit downtown Tupelo.

With these positives, there is always a negative. Downtown Tupelo has

grown significantly and businesses are interested in moving downtown for

increased exposure; unfortunately, with the growth there has been an increase in

litter. The campaign will educate natives of Tupelo on the side effects of litter in the

community and, ultimately, change littering habits.

Secondary Research

Source 1:

In a study of littering behaviors by the Keep America Beautiful organization,

the researcher is able to better understand the intent behind littering. One of the

key findings in the research that 81% of those studied littered with notable intent.

This includes flicking or flinging items such as cigarette butts, dropping, or other

notable intents to litter (Litter Behavior in America 2).

This study observed nearly 10,000 individuals across ten states in order to

better understand littering behaviors as a whole in the United States. The research

found that age was related to littering behaviors, as well as, availability to trash

dispensers. Unfortunately, research showed that the youth is leading the older

generation when it comes to littering more frequently.

"Littering Behavior in America." Keep America Beautiful. Keep America Beautiful, Jan. 2009. Web. <www.kab.org/site/DocServer/KAB_Report_Final_2.pdf?docID=4581>.

Source 2:

In order to see what other Main Street Associations were doing to prevent

littering, I visited the National Main Street Center’s website to look at other

communities. In order for Baltimore’s Federal Hill neighborhood to become more

beautiful and thrive, they created a Keep Federal Hill Clean and Green Campaign to

improve the quality of life in this neighborhood. By pairing up with one of the local

high schools in order to revitalize and volunteer to keep it clean in the area.

With the help of historic preservation the vacancy rate in this area has gone

from 20 percent to just four percent (Federal Hill, Baltimore 1).

Glisson, Linda S. "Federal Hill, Baltimore: The Hip Side of the Harbor." Main Street Story of the Week 259 (2009): Preservationnation.org. National Main Street Center. <http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/main-street-news/2009/02/federal-hill.html#.VE6L24vF9rY>.

Source 3:

In addition, litteritcostsyou.org presented many useful facts that would be

found useful to understanding littering characteristics.

According to their research, it was found that 50% of littered items are

cigarette butts though 50% of smokers in a poll conducted in the State of Tennessee

stated they properly disposed of their cigarette butts (litteritcostsyou.org 4-5).

A study conducted in Tennessee discovered that males are more likely to

litter than women and people ages 18-34 deliberately litter. It stated that older

people respect their duty to dispose of trash properly, while younger people tend to

neglect the effects of littering (litteritcostsyou.org 8-9)

King, Luther. "9 Interesting Facts and Statistics about Littering - Litter. It Costs You." Litter It Costs You. N.p., 18 Nov. 2013. Web. <http://www.litteritcostsyou.org/9-interesting-facts-and-statistics-about-littering/>.

Source 4:

Lastly, the “Executive Summary: Litter in America” research provided by

Keep America Beautiful gave a thorough understanding of the types of litter

produced and where it comes from. One interesting finding that is a benefit to my

campaign is that 23% of litter is attributed to pedestrians. The majority is still held

by motorists at 53% (3).

In reference to downtown Tupelo, research showed that roadways near

commercial establishments were 11% more littered; the same goes for roadways

near convenience stores (2).

Schultz, P. Wesley, and Steven R. Stein. "Litter in America: National Findings and Recommendations." Keep America Beautiful, n.d. Web. <http://www.kab.org/site/DocServer/Executive_Summary_-_FINAL.pdf?docID=4601>.

Primary Research

Responders:

Since the target public is focused on people that are often in downtown

Tupelo, it was important to find a way to reach this appropriate target. First, the

survey was created online using Qualtrics in order to be distributed through email.

The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association has a current mailing list for

newsletters and organization events. This mailing list was made available by Jessica

Hollinger, public relations director at Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, in

order to survey the appropriate group.

Results:

Using this email tactic, we received 20 responses to the survey. Question one

began with awareness of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association. Since it

was sent to people that were already on the mailing list for Downtown Tupelo Main

Street Association, the results showed 85% had heard of it.

As a follow up question, we asked if those being surveyed had ever dealt with

the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association. Most answered No, being 55%, but

a close 45% had dealt with the organization. For those that answered yes, they

were directed to an additional question asking their reason for dealing with the

organization. Each respondent could choice as many options that applied. Eight of

the nine that answered yes had attended events sponsored by the Downtown

Tupelo Main Street Association. Volunteering for events accounted for 67%, 33%

were members of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, and only one was

a downtown business owner.

A question that arose that would be beneficial to my research was how often

people visit downtown Tupelo. A surprising 45% come through downtown Tupelo

daily. An additional 20% come two to three times a week, 10% only come once a

week, and15% come two to three times a month. Lastly, only 5% visit once a month

and 5% come less than once a month. The survey was appropriately distributed

because there were no respondents that chose never. With that, there were no

responses to the follow up question of “If you do not go downtown, why not?”.

The next questioned asked those being surveyed to check all that apply when

naming their reasons for coming to downtown Tupelo. Eating accounted for 75% of

the responses, shopping was 55%, work 45%, and 20% marked other and specified.

Fifty percent of those that chose other come to downtown Tupelo for entertainment

and events, other responses were for walking/exercise and church.

When it comes to littering, a question came up about dumpster locations in

parking lots near businesses. We began thinking about how business owners may

be afraid to take their trash out late at night resulting in litter. Fortunately, 85%

said they always feel safe in downtown Tupelo, 15% said sometimes, and no one

answered that they never felt safe.

Next we asked if there are enough garbage cans on the streets in downtown

Tupelo. A staggering 50% responded no, while 40% said yes and 10% said they

were unsure.

The next question asked was a ranking question. It was asked to rank the

most important places you think garbage cans would be the most effective in

downtown. The highest ranked was parks, followed by “in front of restaurants”,

then “in front of businesses”, lastly alleyways.

On a scale of one to five, those surveyed were asked to rank their satisfaction

in garbage can placement downtown. Forty-four percent were very satisfied with

placement, but 35% were very unsatisfied.

In a combined effort to determine who should be responsible for downtown

litter. A close 45% believe it is the City of Tupelo’s responsibility, 40% think it is the

downtown Tupelo business owners, and 15% chose other. Two of the three

respondents for other did not specify who they believed to be responsible, but one

responder believed it should be a part of the work release group.

Luckily, 60% of responders have not noticed garbage cans being too full, but

40% have seen them too full. The final question asked if respondents had noticed

littering problems in other downtown communities. Seventy percent said yes they

have noticed and only 30% had not.

In means of the campaign, the survey served as great insight to the

awareness that the public has concerning littering and garbage control in downtown

Tupelo, Mississippi. Many of the results were expected, but it was reassuring to see

where the public stands on the matter.

Multiple Choice Survey:

1. Have you ever heard of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association?Yes No Unsure

2. Have you ever dealt with the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association?Yes No Unsure

3. If yes, what were your reasons for dealing with the organization. Choose all that apply.

Own a business downtown Member of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association Volunteered for events Attend events

4. How often do you visit downtown Tupelo?Never Less than Once a Month Once a Month 2-3 Times a Month Once a Week 2-3 Times a Week Daily

5. If you do not go downtown, why not?

6. What are you coming to downtown Tupelo for? Check all that apply.Work Shop Eat Other (Please Specify)

7. Do you feel safe in downtown Tupelo?Always Sometimes Never

8. Are there enough garbage cans on the streets in downtown Tupelo?

Yes No Unsure

9. Rank the most important places you think garbage cans would be the most effective downtown. Drag and drop answers

In front of restaurants 1In front of businesses 2Alley ways 3Parks 4

10. Please rank your satisfaction in garbage can placement downtown.Very Unsatisfied (1) – 2 – Neutral (3) – 4 – Very Satisfied (5)

11. Who do you think should be responsible for litter in downtown Tupelo?The City of Tupelo Downtown Tupelo business owners Other (Please Specify)

12. When you see a garbage can in downtown Tupelo, do you ever notice it being too full?

Yes No Unsure

13. In other downtown communities, have you ever noticed littering problems?Yes No

Target Publics

The target public for this campaign would be people ages 18-34 that are

frequently in downtown Tupelo.

The secondary public will be 3rd grade students enrolled in Tupelo public

schools.

Objectives

The purpose of this campaign is to meet the following objectives.

To increase awareness of littering in downtown Tupelo, Mississippi amongst people ages 18-34 in Tupelo by 25% by May 2015.

To form a positive attitude about litter cleanup for people within our target public.

To encourage the target market to take appropriate actions for cleanliness in downtown Tupelo.

Why Littering?

Strategy: The reasoning behind this campaign is to benefit the value of life in

downtown Tupelo, Mississippi. When visitors come to downtown Tupelo, the community wants to be in a positive light and the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association believes that littering is a big obstacle to tackle to better the community. By introducing the month of April as Clean Up Tupelo Month, the DTMSA wants to educate and inform locals of the harmful effects of littering and get them involved in productive ways to make it stop. To bring awareness to the target public, people ages 18-34 in Tupelo, Mississippi, the campaign will communicate different facts and information daily, as well as, get them involved in community service that keeps downtown clean. As for the secondary public, 3rd grade students enrolled in the nine public schools in Tupelo, we intend to educate them at their age on how they can be the leaders of their generation and stop littering.

Key Messages:When visitors come to Tupelo, they are your guests. Help us clean the “front

porch” of Tupelo.The “front porch” is a common Tupelo reference to the Fairpark district in

downtown Tupelo.

Slogan: Own Your Downtown

Spokesperson: There will not be a specific spokesperson appointed for this campaign.

Colors: Green & Blue, these are the colors of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association and they tie in being “green”.

Actions

Tactic 1: The first action tactic has several components, but will be similar to a

competition. This tactic will be focused on the secondary public, 3rd grade students enrolled in the nine public schools in Tupelo, Mississippi.

The third graders will be asked to produce one, class decorated, trashcan per school. These trashcans will be worked on during their art class time. School principals and art teachers will be contacted with directions and materials that can be used, as well as, a photography agreement for the trashcans on March 1. The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association will be providing the trashcans to each school. Each school will have the month of March to design and decorate their trashcan.

On April 1, the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association and the City of Tupelo will hold a press conference in Fairpark to announce April as Clean Up Tupelo Month. Here the trashcans will be unveiled and placed on Main Street in downtown Tupelo for display and use.

School principals and art teacher will be asked to attend. Each participating school will be presented with a plaque of accomplishment given by Mayor Jason Shelton for their contribution to keeping Tupelo clean.

In addition to the trashcan presentation, the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association will inform the media about their upcoming events for the “Own Your Downtown” Campaign and ask the media to visit their social media and website for more information.

Since the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association owns their own large white tents, they will have one set up at Fairpark in case of incremental weather, so a contingency plan would not be necessary. If the weather became threatening, the press conference would be postpones until the weather passed. We would keep the media and attendants informed through the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association’s Facebook page.

Tactic 2:Through the month long campaign, Tupelo locals will be asked to take a

photo of any litter they see and post it to Instagram using the hashtag #ownyourdowntown. This tactic will cause others to pay more attention to their surroundings and spread the reach of the campaign.

On April 18, the inaugural Clean Up Tupelo Day will be held. This will be a volunteer event designed to cleaning up litter and garbage throughout the streets of downtown Tupelo.

Volunteers will be asked to register as team leaders and they will be responsible for forming a five-member team. Team leaders will have to turn their registration in by April 13 with their team member’s names, t-shirt size, and a signed waiver. It will be a free event for the teams.

Participants will begin to arrive at 9:30 a.m. at the Downtown Tupelo Farmers Market located at 415 S. Spring St. Here the team leaders will sign in and get the t-shirts for their team, large trash bags for each member, and their

assignment for where they will be cleaning. Door prizes donated by various businesses in downtown Tupelo will be given out at this time.

A brief introduction and thank you will be given at 10 a.m. There will be a projector set up with a slideshow of Instagram images posted using #ownyourdowntown in the background of the stage. After the conclusion, teams will disperse to their clean up location.

At noon, teams will regroup with their bags of garbage at the Farmers Market. Food and drinks will be donated by restaurants in downtown Tupelo for team members to eat after their work.

In the case of rain, the event will be rescheduled for the following Saturday, April 25.

Communications

The glue that holds this campaign together is communications. In order to

reach all of our target publics, mass media plays an important role. When it comes

to mass media, they will be communicating our basic plans for events and informing

the publics about the problems with littering in downtown Tupelo.

Social media is just an additional benefit to communicating with the publics.

For those individuals seeking more information on ways to get involved, social

media will be their media of choice.

The first event to kick off the campaign will be a press conference held on

April 1. There, the media will be invited to hear from the director of the Downtown

Tupelo Main Street Association and the Tupelo Mayor about the reasoning behind

the campaign and benefits of what will be taking place. This will be a huge part of

implementing the plans and gaining positive exposure for the organization.

Through social media, the organization will form interactive ways for

individuals to become involved. One-way of integrating the campaign through the

different mediums is by using the hashtag #ownyourdowntown. With this, people

living in Tupelo will be asked to take a photo and post it to Instagram using this

hashtag. It will bring awareness to the problem of littering, as well as broaden the

exposure of the campaign.

Another use of social media will be to educate members of the community on

facts and ways to change littering habits. In addition, we will have an event posting

for people in our target publics to volunteer for Clean Up Tupelo Day.

Medias

Since the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association already has such a

broad reach, a new website will not be created. Instead, a separate tab on their

homepage will be created for those seeking additional information on becoming

involved with the cause. Ultimately, it will lead back to the different social media

platforms.

A live feed of Instagram posts and Tweets will scroll the right panel of the

page. The body of the webpage will consist of the current press releases to keep

visitors informed on what is going on with the organization. There will also be a

place to contact the organization and volunteer for Clean Up Tupelo Day.

Non-Media

Forms of non-media that will be used are banners. The banners will be

rectangular and hung over Main Street at either end of downtown. It will be visible

for those driving either direction on the road. The banners will simply say “Help

Clean the “Front Porch” of Tupelo for Clean Up Tupelo Month” then in smaller print

“Visit tupelomainstreet.com for more information”.

Mr. Melvin Carlock, Assignment Manager WTVA Inc.P.O. Box 350Tupelo, MS 38802

Dear Mr. Carlock,

Have you ever wondered what downtown Tupelo would be like if the buildings stood empty and there was garbage flying through the town?

Us either. With the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association’s mission being to sustain and enhance the downtown experience, we hope that it will never get that way. Please consider running an article on keeping Tupelo clean during our “Own Your Downtown” campaign scheduled April 1-30, 2015.

When visitors come to downtown Tupelo, they are your guests. We want to clean the “front porch” of Tupelo for our guests. Litter can cause property values to drop and in order to continue to grow, we must enhance the value of our community.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation reported that nearly 3 million tax dollars are spent annually on litter clean up efforts. The “Own Your Downtown” campaign is focused on educating and bringing awareness to the matter.

The following media kit includes a fact sheet, a news release and tips release, as well as photos and B-roll for your use. I would be happy to forward you some extra sources when the time comes. A press conference will be held as the kick off to the campaign, details are given in the media alert.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact me at [email protected] or by phone at 731-444-0894.

Sincerely,

Anna Kate Craig

Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association“Own Your Downtown” Littering Fact Sheet

Motorists produce the majority of litter, while pedestrians make up for 23% of litter. (Keep America Beautiful)

Roadways near commercial establishments are 11% more littered. (Keep America Beautiful)

According to litteritcostsyou.org, 50% of litter is made up of cigarette butts, though 50% of smokers stated that they dispose of their butts properly.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation stated that the state alone spends nearly $3 million annually to clean up litter on Mississippi roadways.

Research has found that males are more likely to litter than women and a majority of those that litter are between the ages of 18-34.

Media Advisory

Media Contact: Anna Kate Craig, [email protected]

Press conference to be held April 1Announcement declaring “Clean Up Tupelo” Month

WHAT: The city of Tupelo will be declaring April as “Clean Up Tupelo” month, as well as unveiling student decorated trash cans that will be displayed on Main Street for the month. The event is sponsored by the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association in order to gain awareness of littering in the downtown community. Details will be given in order to involve the community in anti-littering tactics.

WHO: The event hosted by the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association will feature Mayor Jason Shelton who will be giving the official announcement of “Clean Up Tupelo” month, as well as, unveiling the student-designed trashcans. Debbie Brangenberg, director of DTMSA, will be informing attendants of the benefits of the campaign for downtown Tupelo commerce.

WHERE: Fairpark in front of City Hall, 71 E. Troy St., Tupelo, Miss.

WHEN: April 1 from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m.

WHY: With the growth of downtown Tupelo, there is also an increase in litter. In order to have a beautiful community, Tupelo needs to “Own Your Downtown”

Details for reporters: Interviews will be held before and after the event. Reporters will have free parking access in front of City Hall on East Troy Street. Reporters are welcome to photograph the student-decorated trashcans throughout their display period.

About Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association

The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association is an organization dedicated to the growth and experience of downtown Tupelo, Mississippi. Through annual events and community outreach, the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association expands the exposure of downtown business to the community and visitors that are coming to Tupelo.

Downtown Tupelo Main Street AssociationFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Anna Kate CraigTel: 731-444-0894 Email: [email protected]

April named “Clean Up Tupelo” Month

Plans implemented to make downtown Tupelo a tourist destination

TUPELO, MISS. (April 2, 2015) – A press conference held Wednesday, April 1

by the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, named the month of April as

“Clean Up Tupelo” month.

Mayor Jason Shelton gave the official announcement at the press conference

in Fairpark in downtown Tupelo.

“This campaign is designed to improve downtown Tupelo’s standard of living

and benefit our city in beautification,” said Anna Kate Craig, public relations director

for the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association. “With downtown Tupelo

continuing to grow, an increase of litter comes with it.”

In order to educate locals and bring awareness to the effects of littering, the

Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association invited third graders from the Tupelo

public schools to decorate trashcans that will be displayed on Main Street for the

month of April. DTMSA will also host an inaugural Clean Up Tupelo Day on April 18.

To learn more about Clean Up Tupelo and the events visit

www.ownyourdowntowntupelo.com or call the Downtown Tupelo Main Street

Association at 662-841-6598.

###

Downtown Tupelo Main Street AssociationFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 13, 2015

Media contact: Anna Kate CraigTel: 731-444-0894 Email: [email protected]

Clean up your own backyard!

Tips on how to educate your children on anti-littering during “Clean Up Tupelo” Month

TUPELO, MISS. – There’s nothing worse than stepping on an old bottle cap

while walking through your yard.

That’s one thing that Anna Kate Craig fears while watching her children run

in her front yard near downtown Tupelo.

“We love the convenience of living downtown, but with so many restaurants

and businesses nearby, we never know what is in some of the litter that wanders

into our yard,” said Craig.

The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association is tackling some of those

concerns head on during “Clean Up Tupelo” Month and they are working their way

into educating the youth about those effects.

Jessica Hollinger, public relations at the Downtown Tupelo Main Street

Association explained how today’s youth could be the leaders of change for the

future generations.

“Research has found that a majority of those that litter are ages 18 to 34,”

said Hollinger. “We are trying to educate the youth now, in order to stop litter from

-MORE-

Litter Tips, p. 2

becoming an even bigger problem.”

With that being said, Hollinger provided helpful tips on ways to educate your

children, while making it fun for the family.

1. Implement a plan to pick up one piece of litter a day. Even though to

many this seems like a gross lesson for kids, parents can make it into a scavenger

hunt.

2. Learn how to compost. Composting is an organic decomposition

procedure that can become soil or fertilizer. Instead of producing your own litter,

use foods and other matters to create compost for a home garden.

3. Take children to a littered area. Once children see how littered and

ugly the area is, you can play a game of I Spy. See what all your children notice as

being litter.

“I think it is important for my children to understand that the litter in our

yard is bad and it is their responsibility to make things right,” said Craig.

For more information to Keep Tupelo Clean, visit tupelomainstreet.com or

call the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association at 662-841-6598.

###



Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association Audio PSA

:60 Littering Spot

SFX: SOUND OF EMPTY DRINK CAN BOUNCING ACROSS THE GROUND (FIVE

SECONDS)

DRINK CAN #1 (WITH A GROUCHY OLD MAN VOICE): IT’S TOUGH BEING A CAN. I

WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MY FRIENDS BACK AT THE OLE

JUNK YARD. LOOKS LIKE I WON’T BE MAKING IT TODAY.

SFX: CAR HORN HONKS AND SPEADS BY. HEAR THE CRUNCH OF THE CAN AS

IT’S RUN OVER AND FLATTENED.

DRINK CAN #1: WELL GUESS I’LL BE ABLE TO SHOW THEM MY NEW SLIM

PHYSIQUE WHEN I GET THERE, THAT IS… IF I GET THERE.

SFX: HEAR ANOTHER CAR GO BY AND ANOTHER CAN HITS THE PAVEMENT.

DRINK CAN #2: SO HOW LONG YOU BEEN HERE.

DRINK CAN #1: JUST LONG ENOUGH MY FRIEND, JUST LONG ENOUGH.

SFX: SOUND OF ANOTHER PIECE OF GARBAGE HIT THE PAVEMENT

DRINK CAN #1: LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE SOME COMPANY COMING TO JOIN US.

ANNCR: ACCORDING TO LITTERITCOSTSYOU.ORG, NEARLY 11.5 BILLION

DOLLARS ARE SPENT EVERY YEAR TO CLEAN UP LITTER. THE MISSISSIPPI

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION STATED THAT MISSISSIPPI ALONE SPENT

WELL OVER THREE MILLION DOLLORS EACH YEAR FOR REMOVAL OF LITTER.

LETS PUT THAT TAX MONEY TOWARDS SOMETHING ELSE. PICK IT UP. THIS

MESSAGE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE DOWNTOWN TUPELO MAIN STREET

ASSOCIATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

TUPELOMAINSTREET.COM.

Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association TV PSA:60 Script

Title: Don’t Let Litter be the Party Pooper

LS: Group of people standing outside a bar smoking cigarettes. Cut to CU: One man finishing up cigarette then throws it down.

Animated Cigarette #1: Wait, wait let me go back with you. I don’t want to stay out here. It’s cold and I’m alone.

MCU: a pot with sand by the door where other cigarette butts are. Cigarettes pop up from the side of the pot.

Animated Cigarette #2: Hey you, why aren’t you in here? This is where the real party is at, come join us.

MCU: Cigarette #1 is rolling side to side to get momentum. Then a strong wind blows him off track into the street.

Animated Cigarette #1: Ok I can do this I’ll just roll right over, and one, two,… ahh

LS: The same man that threw the cigarette down hadn’t gone inside yet and noticed his cigarette butt. He reached down to pick it up and places it in the pot by the door.

Animated Cigarette #2: Wow man that was a close one, glad you’ve joined us. You’ve got to come meet the gang.

B-Roll: Group standing outside of the bar still, talking and laughing.

Announcer VO: According to litteritcostsyou.org, an estimated 50 percent of litter is cigarette butts. Don’t loose your butt, put it in an appropriate place to be disposed of properly and keep Mississippi clean. This message is brought to you by the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association. For more information, visit our website at tupelomainstreet.com.

Event Planning

Set Type of Event & Theme: This type of event is similar to a competition, but it will

gain exposure and educate children. Don’t Be a Litterbug! For the month of March,

3rd grade classes in all nine of the Tupelo schools will be asked to decorate a trash

can that will ultimately be displayed down Main Street. April 1, they will go on

display and be there through the month of April.

Set Objectives: The purpose of this event is to educate Tupelo’s youth at a young age

in order to teach them the effects of littering before they become “litterbugs”.

Key Messages: Don’t be a litterbug, clean up your own backyard.

Target Publics: The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association and city officials will

invite 3rd grade students in the 9 elementary schools in Tupelo to participate in the

trash can decorate.

Set a Date: The decorating will be announced to the schools on March 2 and they

will be required to have them complete by March 30. There will be an unveiling on

April 1, given by the mayor to introduce the campaign and events taking place

during the month.

Event Planning

Set type of event and theme: Clean Up Tupelo Day is a day dedicated to volunteers

improving the quality of life in downtown Tupelo. Members of volunteer teams will

be assigned a certain location in downtown Tupelo to clean.

Set Objectives: The main goal with this event is to encourage the publics of the

importance of keeping the city clean.

Key Messages: Help clean the “front porch” of downtown Tupelo.

Target Publics: This event will be open to public and media will be invited. It is

designed to reach our target public, Tupelo residents ages 18-34, but is not limited

to frequent visitors of downtown Tupelo and business owners.

Set a Date: Clean Up Tupelo Day will be held April 18, with April 25 as the

alternative date in the case of rain.

Materials and Budget

Materials: Fortunately, the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association has access to

almost all of the materials necessary for the events. If they are unavailable, such items will be listed in the budget.

White Tents Podium Chairs Table Registration Packets Banners Projector Trashcans Port-O-Potties T-Shirts Lunch Drinks Plaques Door Prizes Local Police notification

Budget: Since many of the items are on hand to the Downtown Tupelo Main Street

Association, expenses are minimal. Sponsors and DTMSA members will donate the other items. The following will be on the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Associations budget.

Trashcans – 9 x $21.67 = $195.03 Port-O-Potties – 2 x $75 = $150 Plaques – 9 x $20.48 = $184.32 Total for DTMSA = $529.35

Timetable

January 5, 2015: Strategic planning begins for Own Your Downtown campaign.

January 7: Begin secondary research on causes and effects of littering.

January 9: Define target public and write survey draft.

January 12: Decide how to distribute and administer survey.

January 13: Write final version of survey and create using qualtrics.com.

January 14-20: Distribute survey to 100 members of target public.

January 21: Compile results of surveys.

January 26: Determine budget for campaign.

January 28: Decide on dates for campaign to take place. (Earth Day is in April,

public calendar of events is clear for April)

January 28: Establish strategy, key messages, and slogan.

February 2: Contact Mayor Shelton about making April “Clean Up Tupelo Month”.

February 5: Plan events that will take place during Clean Up Tupelo Month.

February 9: Nail down dates for Clean Up Tupelo Day and elementary school

trashcan decorating.

February 10: Mark April 1 on calendar for press conference announcing “Clean Up

Tupelo Month” in Fairpark.

February 16: Invite Mayor Shelton to speak at press conference.

February 18: Write letter draft for principals and art teachers in all nine of the

elementary schools regarding trashcan decorations for students in the third grade.

February 20: Finalize letter and send.

February 23: Purchase nine trashcans.

February 27: Distribute trashcans to the nine elementary schools in Tupelo.

March 2-30: Trashcan decorating to take place in elementary schools.

March 2: Create media kit regarding press conference.

March 9: Create social media sites and web page design.

March 12: Reserve Downtown Tupelo Farmers Market for April 18 and April 25.

March 16: Send media kits to the media.

March 18: Design t-shirts for volunteer day.

March 19: Place order for nine plaques to be presented at press conference.

March 23: Begin using social media accounts and promoting the campaign.

March 25: Create registration form for clean up day volunteers and post to social

media.

March 27: Contact downtown restaurants to set up food for volunteer day and

contact city officials to hang banner.

March 30: Pick up student decorated trashcans by 5 p.m. and plaques for the

schools.

March 31: Set up tent in Fairpark for press conference and move chairs and podium

into tent. Banners to be hung over Main Street.

April 1: Press conference

April 1-30: Post daily to social media. Photos, videos, and tips/facts.

April 12: Run ad in the Sunday paper to remind people to sign up for volunteer day.

April 13: Registration forms due.

April 14: Place t-shirt order for those registered plus 25 extras.

April 15: Purchase garbage bags and gloves for volunteers.

April 17: Pick up t-shirts and make sure power is on at Farmers Market. Set up

projector.

April 18: Clean Up Tupelo Day!

April 20: Begin evaluation of campaign.

Evaluation

In order to evaluate the success of the campaign, we would first measure the

outcome of the press conference and media perception. How well did the message

get out and what were the media’s comments on the subject. Next we would

measure the success of the inaugural Clean Up Tupelo Day. Is this event that would

become annual? How could it be improved or what would be done different?

When it comes to the objectives for this campaign, the Downtown Tupelo Main

Street Association wanted to increase awareness of littering, change attitudes about

littering, and encourage cleanliness in downtown Tupelo among the target audience.

Evaluating these objectives can come in many forms, as well. As far as the

awareness, the organization could observe their following in social media and

website hits.

Through the various events throughout Clean Up Tupelo Month, the Downtown

Tupelo Main Street Association expects to change attitudes about littering and

encourage cleanliness. With the community effort and family friendly events, such

as Clean Up Tupelo Day, the organization hopes to get as many involved as possible.

This day will promote cleanliness and introduce the change. We would be able to

measure the amounts of litter prior to the campaign and after.

Littering Campaign

Documents

Transcript of Littering Campaign