section twostrategic communication

writing samples

Strategic Communication Writing Samplessect

ion

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o Personality ProfileJackson Hill Foundation�z Headline: Student creates concer t in honor of his cousin

who died of cancer

�y Sub-Headline: The power of music strengthens and inspires

Print News releaseThe Ladder Alliance�z Headline: The Ladder Alliance celebrates 10 years of service

social media News releaseNew City�z Headline: New City residents practice xeriscaping during

stage 3 water restrictions

opinion columnDowntown Dallas�z Headline: Downtown Dallas needs to “free” up its parking problems

tracylocke intern campaignPizza Hut�z An Overstuf fed Challenge: Pizza Obsessed

personality

Jackson hill foundationSearch Engine Optimization Headline�z Headline: Student creates concer t in honor of his cousin

who died of cancer�y Sub-Headline: The power of music strengthens and inspires

Twitter Engagement�z @SMU Student creates a concer t of musical wellness in honor of his cousin who died

of #cancer. @JacksonHillFoundation ht tp://bit.ly/fZdQG1 �y Possible hashtags: #cancer, #JamforJackson, #osteosarcoma, #Plano, #music

#powerofmusic, #musictherapy

Linked Information�z “Yellow,” by Coldplay. ht tp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dn-uOfHixk�z The Jackson Hill Foundation. www.jacksonhillfoundation.org

Email PitchDear SMU,

Drew Cot ten, a sophomore business management major at the Cox School of Business, formed and created the Jam for Jackson, a summer concer t benefit ting the Jackson Hill Foundation. The concer t premiered in June 2011 in Plano and featured Texas ar tist favor ties such as Jillian Edwards, Jared Schwar tz and Sleeperstar. Cot ten organized all of this while still balancing a full class load.

I thought you might be interested in this stor y about one of your own business majors. He put his passion for music and his business skills towards a philanthropic cause.

For a more detailed inter view please see the at tached information.

Sincerely, Shelby But ton Writing for Strategic Communication student TCU Schief fer School of Journalism

profile

!!

!Student!creates!concert!in!honor!of!his!cousin!who!died!of!cancer!

The!power!of!music!strengthens!and!inspires!By!Shelby!Button!

!Drew!Cotten!and!Jackson!Hill!weren’t!your!typical!cousins!–!they!were!best!friends.!Travelling!from!Cotten’s!home!in!Dallas!to!Hill’s!home!in!Portland,!their!friendship!was!strong!but!certainly!had!its!obstacles.!!Distance!became!the!smallest!obstacle!of!them!all!when!Jackson!Hill!was!diagnosed!with!the!aggressive!bone!cancer!osteosarcoma.!Friends!and!family!remained!strong!but!in!2005!Hill!died!at!the!age!of!12.!!Hill’s!parents!started!the!Jackson!Hill!Foundation!to!give!back!to!all!of!the!people!and!organizations!that!helped!with!his!fight.!This!little!boy!inspired!his!cousin!to!understand!that!music!can!be!a!form!of!healing.!Cotten!learned!to!cope!with!the!death!of!his!best!friend!by!learning!guitar,!ukulele,!and!piano.!The!inspiration!prompted!Cotten!to!start!an!event!that!allowed!music!to!bring!healing!to!victims!of!childhood!cancer.!!!Cotten,!a!19KyearKold!business!management!major!at!Southern!Methodist!University!in!Dallas,!formed!and!organized!the!Jam!for!Jackson,!a!summer!concert!in!Plano!benefitting!the!Jackson!Hill!Foundation.!The!concert!premiered!in!June!2011!and!featured!Texas!artist!favorites!such!as!Jillian!Edwards,!Jared!Schwartz!and!Sleeperstar.!!!Musical!Inspiration!!Cotten!said!the!inspiration!for!the!concert!came!while!he!sang!a!piano!version!of!the!Coldplay!song!“Yellow”!his!senior!year!of!high!school,!just!after!the!Jackson!Hill!Foundation!was!created.!!!“While!I!was!playing!the!song,!which!was!in!memory!of!Jackson,!my!mind!started!wandering,”!said!Cotten.!“I!thought,!‘Well!I!love!music.!Jackson!loved!music.!And!I!want!to!be!a!part!of!this!foundation!and!want!it!to!grow.’”!!To!the!typical!teenager,!a!Coldplay!song!can!instigate!a!roller!coaster!of!internal!emotions,!but!to!Drew!Cotten,!it!inspired!philanthropic!action.!He!thought!performing!this!song!of!powerful!lyrics!was!his!own!way!of!telling!the!audience!about!his!cousin.!!“I!was!very!happy!with!how!I!was!sharing!his!story!while!performing!the!song!‘Yellow,’”!said!Cotten.!“So!I!said,!‘Well!let’s!do!this!again.’”!!The!light!bulb!clicked.!Cotten!decided!to!create!a!concert!in!honor!of!Jackson.!!Cotten!comes!from!a!large!musical!family.!All!members!of!his!immediate!family!sang!in!the!choir,!competed!vocally!and!appeared!in!various!operas,!shows,!and!musicals.!Performing!on!the!big!stage!is!an!everyday!occurrence!for!the!Cottens.!!!Cotten!jokes!how!Hill!would!always!ask!him!if!he!was!a!good!enough!singer!to!be!on!the!big!stage!himself.!With!reassurance!from!his!cousin,!Hill!would!persevere!on!like!every!other!aspect!of!his!life.!He!just!kept!on!singing.!!“I!thought!a!concert!would!be!a!great!way!to!relay!his!story!to!people!on!a!big!stage,”!Cotten!said.!“And!maybe!his!story!will!inspire!someone!to!do!something.”!Little!did!he!know,!that!“someone”!was!himself.!

!!

!Thus!began!the!long!process!of!putting!the!whole!thing!together.!Contacting!artists,!finding!a!venue,!renting!equipment!and!developing!marketing!plans!were!typical!tasks!for!this!college!student.!That’s!right;!Cotten!juggled!all!of!the!Jam!for!Jackson!plus!a!full!load!of!classes.!!But!having!a!background!of!music!and!a!loving!network!of!musical!professionals!greatly!benefited!the!advancement!of!the!Jam!for!Jackson.!From!knowing!what!sounds!harmonically!pleasing!to!knowing!how!to!work!the!sound!equipment!–!Drew!was!prepped!for!this!concert!since!his!earliest!days!in!the!choir.!!“Drew!always!knew!exactly!what!to!do,”!Schwartz!said.!“I!think!it!definitely!helped!that!he!came!from!a!musical!background,!and!it!showed!in!the!concert.”!!!So!like!the!Coldplay!song!says,!he!turned!this!passion!for!music!“into!something!beautiful,”!a!beautiful!way!to!heal.!!!Musical!Strength!!!The!Jam!for!Jackson!began!a!new!realm!of!philanthropy!for!its!parent!foundation.!The!Jackson!Hill!Foundation!started!with!a!bicycle!ride!in!Portland,!Oregon,!called!Jackson’s!Ride!the!Gorge.!Funds!from!the!ride!benefit!the!newly!opened!Jackson!Hill!Wellness!Center,!a!place!for!families!who!spend!most!of!their!time!at!the!Randall!Children's!Hospital!at!Legacy!Emanuel!in!Portland!due!to!a!diagnosed!child!or!sibling.!!!What’s!the!reason!behind!this!emphasis!on!exercise?!Well,!it!came!from!Hill!himself.!Hill!actively!participated!in!sports!until!the!day!he!was!hit!on!the!football!field!and!taken!in!for!an!XKray!where!doctors!discovered!a!tumor!in!his!leg.!This!news!prevented!him!from!participating!in!sports!ever!again.!!“That!didn’t!keep!him!from!being!strong!though,”!said!Cotten.!“He!one!time!challenged!me!to!a!push!up!contest.!He!did!100!–!I!did!about!20.”!!But!physical!strength!isn’t!the!only!thing!it!takes!to!be!strong.!Music!helped!the!family!heal!after!Jackson’s!death!and!the!Jam!for!Jackson!aimed!to!help!others!in!the!same!way.!!!“Music!itself!is!a!sort!of!wellness,”!said!Cotten.!“I!found!myself!several!times!during!the!concert!sitting!there!and!smiling.!Music!from!great!musicians!just!makes!me!feel!good!inside.”!!That’s!exactly!what!Cotten!aspired!to!recreate!–!a!musical!“wellness”!for!the!soul.!!!“I!completely!believe!in!the!power!of!music.!Otherwise!I!wouldn’t!be!in!this!business!”!said!Jared!Schwartz,!performer!at!the!2011!Jam!for!Jackson.!Schwartz!wrote!and!performed!the!song!“No!More!Darkness”!in!honor!of!Jackson.!The!song!was!another!musical!way!to!share!Hill’s!story.!!Hundreds!of!people!attended!the!Jam!for!Jackson!on!June!3,!2011,!to!get!their!own!taste!of!musical!strength.!To!hear!updates!on!The!Jackson!Hill!Foundation!and!future!Jam!for!Jacksons,!please!visit!www.jacksonhillfoundation.org.

!!

Question!and!Answer!!Drew!Cotten!a!19KyearKold!business!management!major!at!Southern!Methodist!University!in!Dallas,!formed!and!organized!the!Jam!for!Jackson,!a!summer!concert!in!Plano!benefitting!the!Jackson!Hill!Foundation.!Jackson!Hill!was!his!cousin!and!best!friend!who!died!at!the!age!of!12!from!the!aggressive!bone!cancer!Osteosarcoma.!Cotten!reflects!on!his!experience!creating!the!Jam!for!Jackson!in!a!recent!interview.!!Q:!I!know!Jackson!was!your!cousin,!but!can!you!describe!your!relationship!a!little!bit?!A:!Didn’t!know!him!too!well!because!they!did!live!in!Oregon.!But!when!Jackson!was!diagnosed!my!aunt!and!my!mom!both!thought!well!Drew!is!only!a!year!older!than!Jackson.!I!think!they!get!along!well.!It!would!be!nice!for!Drew!to!come!up!and!visit.!So!I!went!up!and!visited!the!summer!after!he!was!diagnosed!for!about!a!month.!Jackson!really!did!become!my!best!friend!at!the!time.!He!was!my!cousin!and!my!best!friend.!!!Q:!What!was!your!first!memory!of!the!Jackson!Hill!Foundation?!!A:!We!were!doing!the!third!Jackson’s!Ride!the!Gorge!in!partnership!with!Northwest!Sarcoma.!We!also!wanted!to!target!the!children!who!were!afflicted!with!osteosarcoma!specifically.!We!wanted!to!help!people!who!were!going!through!that!because!we!could!relate!to!it.!We!were!sitting!around!a!table!with!a!few!of![my!aunt!and!uncle’s]!friends!and!we!starting!brainstorming!more!goals.!This!brought!about!the!birth!of!the!Jackson!Hill!Foundation.!!Q:!What!do!you!remember!about!your!aunt!and!uncle!during!those!times?!!A:!My!aunt!and!uncle!are!really!are!two!of!my!biggest!personal!heroes.!They!dealt!with!the!loss!of!their!son!by!turning!what!they’ve!experienced!into!something!that!could!one!day!help!others.!They!definitely!had!great!a!bit!of!energy!and!desire!to!put!this!together!which!is!what!made!it!successful.!!Q:!So!what!was!the!inspiration!for!the!Jam!for!Jackson?!!A:!My!inspiration!for!the!Jam!for!Jackson!was!while!I!was!playing!“Yellow”!at!a!show!my!senior!year.!That!was!a!song!a!performed!for!Jackson.!While!I!was!playing!that!my!mind!started!wandering.!I!love!music.!Jackson!loved!music.!And!I!love!this!foundation!and!want!it!to!grow.!How!great!would!it!be!if!through!music!I!could!share!Jackson’s!story!to!more!people?!I!was!very!happy!with!how!I!was!sharing!his!story!while!performing!the!song!“Yellow.”!So!I!said,!“Well!let’s!do!this!again.”!Music!is!powerful.!!Q:!Did!you!have!Jackson!in!mind!when!you!first!chose!the!song!to!perform?!A:!It!started!off!just!being!a!fantastic!piano!reduction!of!the!song.!Jackson!is!an!everyday!part!of!my!life.!As!I!was!practicing,!I!just!started!thinking!of!Jackson.!I!thought!this!is!a!great!way!to!relay!his!story!on!a!big!stage.!And!maybe!his!story!will!inspire!someone!to!do!something.!!Q:!So!then!did!Jackson!like!music?!A:!Yes!!He!was!always!asking!me!if!he!was!good!enough!to!be!in!the!choir!and!perform!on!the!big!stage.!!!Q:!Your!family!is!big!into!music.!How!did!that!play!a!role!in!the!Jam?!A:!It!was!super!helpful.!Knowing!what!sounded!good,!how!something!like!that!should!be!run!and!even!down!to!understanding!how!the!sound!system!should!run!was!extremely!helpful.!And!learning!how!to!deal!with!people!in!whatever!way!from!Michael!Lysinger!and!Laura!Taylor,!directors!at!Pearce!High!School,!was!also!essential.!!!!

!!

Q:!What!skills!that!you!have!helped!shape!the!Jam!for!Jackson?!!A:!I!don’t!like!to!talk!about!myself!much!but!I!think!I’m!pretty!good!at!making!something!out!of!nothing.!With!the!Jam!for!Jackson!I!didn’t!want!to!put!the!Jackson!Hill!Foundation!in!any!possible!risk!of!losing!money.!I!decided!we!aren’t!going!to!spend!any!of!the!Foundation’s!money,!we’re!going!to!raise!it!all.!I!think!the!fact!that!I!can!take!some!money!and!turn!it!into!more!money!was!helpful.!!Q:!There!seems!to!be!a!big!emphasis!on!health,!wellness,!and!exercise!with!the!Jackson!Hill!Foundation.!What!was!the!cause!of!that?!The!main!focus!there!is!the!Jackson!Hill!Wellness!Center.!It’s!designed!for!the!children!and!the!families!who!are!going!through!treatment.!It’s!so!people!can!be!in!a!hospital!but!not!feel!like!a!hospital.!Fitness!is!a!really!good!way!to!let!go!and!just!channel!and!vent!all!your!emotions.!We!incorporated!that!a!lot!into!the!Wellness!Center.!!!Q:!Was!Jackson!really!into!sports?!!A:!The!reason!they!discovered!Jackson’s!tumor!was!because!he!was!hit!while!playing!football.!They!went!to!the!hospital!to!get!an!XKray!to!determine!what!was!going!on.!That’s!how!they!diagnosed!him!and!after!that!he!was!not!able!to!participate!in!sports!anymore.!That!didn’t!keep!him!from!being!strong!though.!He!challenged!me!to!a!pushKup!contest!one.!He!did!100!–!I!did!about!20.!!Q:!What!is!the!connection!between!the!Jam!and!this!theme!of!wellness?!A:!Music!itself!is!a!sort!of!wellness.!I!found!myself!several!times!during!the!concert!sitting!there!and!smiling.!Music!from!great!musicians!just!makes!me!feel!good!inside.!I!think!music!itself!just!makes!you!smile.!Simple!as!that.!!!Q:!Will!you!describe!the!process!about!creating!the!Jam!for!Jackson.!What!steps!did!you!have!to!go!through?!A:!The!first!thing!was!to!go!see!a!psychiatrist!to!make!sure!I!wasn’t!crazy.!The!biggest!part!of!this!was!figuring!out!this!was!going!to!cost.!We!looked!at!a!costKbenefit!standpoint.!Judging!likelihoods!based!on!different!artists!that!I!thought!we!could!get!at!different!prices.!From!there!I!went!on!and!contacted!different!artists!–!Ben!Rector,!Sleeperstar,!The!Civil!Wars.!The!venue!came!along!sometime!later.!There!was!some!insurance!that!came!along!with!that.!We!got!super!lucky!with!that!great!location!in!Plano.!Then!there!was!the!whole!idea!of!marketing.!It!just!all!kind!of!snowballed!!And!then,!hey,!there’s!the!day!of.!!

!!!

!!

Tweet:!!Student!creates!a!concert!of!musical!wellness!in!honor!of!his!cousin!who!died!of!#cancer.!#PowerofMusic!

@JacksonHillFoundation!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dnKuOfHixk!

!

Linked!information:!“Yellow,”!by!Coldplay.!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dnKuOfHixk!

The!Jackson!Hill!Foundation.!www.jacksonhillfoundation.org!!

!

Email!Pitch:!Dear!SMU,!

!

Drew!Cotten,!a!sophomore!business!management!major!at!the!Cox!School!of!Business,!formed!and!

created!the!Jam!for!Jackson,!a!summer!concert!benefitting!the!Jackson!Hill!Foundation.!The!concert!

premiered!in!June!2011!in!Plano!and!featured!Texas!artist!favorties!such!as!Jillian!Edwards,!Jared!Schwartz!

and!Sleeperstar.!Cotten!organized!all!of!this!while!still!balancing!a!full!class!load.!

!

I!thought!you!might!be!interested!in!this!story!about!one!of!your!own!business!majors.!He!put!his!passion!

for!music!and!his!business!skills!towards!a!philanthropic!cause.!

!

For!a!more!detailed!interview!please!see!the!attached!information.!

!

Sincerely,!

Shelby!Button!

Writing!for!Strategic!Communication!student!

TCU!Schieffer!School!of!Journalism!

!!

!

Peer!editing!sheet,!assignment!3!(Personality!Profile)!Writer’s!name:!Peer!editor!names:!!

First!read!the!story.!!Go!ahead,!right!now,!I’ll!wait.!Next,!think!again!about!these!issues,!and!make!comments!to!improve!the!story.!

1. !What’s!the!most!interesting!information!in!the!story?!(highlight!it!in!yellow!for!first!peer!editor;!

green!for!second!peer!editor)!!Is!it!in!the!right!place?!!Does!the!writer!make!the!best!use!of!this!

information?!Why!or!why!not?!How!could!this!information!receive!more!attention,!if!you!think!

it’s!been!neglected?!

I!like!the!aspect!of!have!music!as!being!a!source!of!wellness,!I!think!that!really!helps!tie!in!all!aspects!of!

your!story!together.!Nice!lead!into!it!with!“But!physical!strength!isn’t!the!only!thing!it!takes!to!be!strong…”!

!

Maybe!try!to!se!“to!understand”!instead!of!into!understanding!in!the!first!paragraph?!Should!“Jam!for!

Jackson”!be!in!quotation!marks!maybe?!I!am!not!sure.!!

I!really!like!how!you!delay!how!the!cancer!was!found!rather!than!put!it!the!lead.!!

Wonderful!quote!usage.!!I!also!really!like!that!you!got!a!quote!from!Schwartz,!the!performer.!!!

Love!the!last!line.!It!really!ties!the!story!together!nicely.!!

!

2. Give!the!paragraph!number(s)!of!the!summary!or!nut!graf.!What!other!info!might!belong!here?!

Paragraphs!2!and!3K!possibly!even!1.!You!tied!in!all!the!important!information,!Jackson,!Drew,!Ride!the!

Gorge,!Jam!for!Jackson!and!parent!foundation!

The!second!and!third!paragraph.!I!think!you!have!all!of!the!necessary!information!to!explain!this.!!

!

3. What!do!you!still!need!to!know!to!make!sense!of!the!main!subject?!

Possibly!ending!with!reminding!the!audience!that!music!brings!healing!

More!of!a!description!of!Drew’s!appearance!or!personality?!

!

4. Think!about!the!theme!of!this!profile,!and!name!it!here:!!!!!

How!do!you!know!this!is!the!theme?!!Is!the!theme!present!in!the!opening!and!closing!of!the!

story?!

!

Drew!Cotton!seeing!that!music!could!bring!healing!and!how!his!story!with!Jackson!brought!about!this!

organization!that!could!do!the!same!for!others.!

Theme!because!music!and!healing!are!the!focus!behind!most!of!the!paragraphs!

Possibly!for!the!last:!turned!this!passion!for!music!“into!something!beautiful.”!Have!that!connect!back!to!

the!“beautiful”!being!healing!to!those!who!have!been!touched!by!cancer!

!

Theme:!To!keep!the!spirit!of!a!friend!alive!and!incite!healing!through!music!and!helping!others.!Yes,!I!think!

that!it!is!part!of!both!the!beginning!and!ending!paragraph.!!

!

Downtown DallasSearch Engine Optimization Headline�z Downtown Dallas needs to “free” up its parking problems

Twitter Engagement�z Downtown Dallas needs to “free up” their parking problems. Literally. #freeparking

#downtowndallas @dtowndallasinc�y Possible hashtags:#freeparking, #downtowndallas, #Dallas�y Possible handles: @1500Marilla, @Dallas_Observer, @DallasNews

Blog Engagement�z Dallas Blog:

Oh the classic American struggle – where to park. The problem almost makes me just want to stay home on a weekend night rather than at tempt the struggle or pay an extraordinary amount for a few hours of fun. I find that downtown Dallas experiences this problem more than others… or at least more than our neighbors over in For t Wor th. Why can’t we have free downtown parking like them? Why can’t Dallas get the hint? Dallasites unite for free parking! [Inser t link to opinion column]

�z Downtown retailer’s Blog: There was a time when downtowns had more nightlife activity than uptowns. Ah, the good ol’ days. What’s the problem for us struggling downtown retailers? Well, it’s more like the struggle for our customers: parking. If there isn’t a way to easily and cheaply park in downtown, there’s no way customers are going to want to come here. My vote is for Dallas to take a look at the For t Wor th model of free downtown parking. It worked for them, and it works for me. For a happier, healthier downtown Dallas we need free parking! [Inser t link to opinion column]

opinion column

Downtown&Dallas&needs&

to&“free”&up&its&parking&

problems&

&

By&Shelby&Button&

Parking:&it’s&a&frustration&we&TCU&students&

are&well&aware&of.&But&we&also&are&able&to&catch&

a&little&sigh&of&relief&when&we&head&downtown&

and&can&enjoy&dinner&or&a&show&without&having&

to&wonder&if&our&car&is&getting&booted.&Scoot&on&

over&to&Dallas&and&you&will&not&see&the&same&

courtesy.&

I&am&a&proud&DFW&native.&I&grew&up&in&the&

suburbs&of&Dallas&but&spent&a&lot&of&time&at&my&

church&in&downtown&Dallas.&Then&for&college&I&

moseyed&on&down&IH30&to&TCU&in&Fort&Worth.&I&

love&both&cities&equally,&but&they&obviously&have&

their&pros&and&cons.&&

When&it&comes&to&downtown&parking,&Fort&

Worth&has&a&popular&and&accessible&free&parking&

plan,&and&Dallas&needs&to&jump&on&bandwagon.&

Fort&Worth&saw&a&parking&problem&in&the&

‘80s&when&its&downtown&life&was&suffering.&

"We&strove&to&instill&more&vitality&into&the&

initial&success&of&Sundance&Square,”&said&Ed&Bass&

in&a&2008&Fort&Worth&Weekly&article.&“The&

classic&urban&theorists&say&you&have&to&have&

people&working,&living,&shopping&and&enjoying&

to&make&a&real&city.&We&believed&that&and&I&think&

we&have&proven&it&correct."&&

Downtown&Fort&Worth&has&more&than&3,000&

free&parking&spaces&on&nights&and&weekends&in&

over&15&garages&and&street&meters.&The&spaces&

are&funded&by&a&Tax&Increment&Finance&District&

(TIF).&

“Back&then,&retail&in&downtown&was&not&

going&good,&and&there&was&not&much&of&it,”&said&

Bill&Boecker,&president&and&CEO&of&Sundance&

Square&Inc.&in&the&1990s.&“And&because&we&were&

competing&with&suburban&shopping&malls,&free&

parking&became&what&we&needed.”&

Apparently&this&downtown&development&is&

working.&Fort&Worth&was&given&the&Urban&

Award&in&2010&and&named&an&AllHAmerican&City&

for&the&third&time&in&2011.&

Other&cities&such&as&San&Jose,&Pittsburgh,&

Nashville&and&Austin&have&also&implemented&

free&downtown&parking&programs&and&have&

seen&the&benefit.&

The&hope&is&that&by&creating&free&parking&in&

downtown&areas,&people&will&be&more&likely&to&

go&downtown&and&spend&money&on&food,&drinks,&

retail&and&entertainment,&resulting&in&economic&

stimulation.&

One&of&the&findings&from&the&Dallas&360&

Parking&Study&Strategic&Plan&stated,&“Charging&

for&parking&on&weekends&is&counterproductive&

to&attracting&retail&business.”&&

It’s&hard&to&be&a&large&metropolitan&area&

when&downtown&nightlife&suffers.&Look&at&the&

greats&–&New&York,&L.A.,&Chicago&–&they’re&all&

hopping&with&activity&when&the&quitting&bell&

rings.&But&anyone&who&has&been&to&those&cities&

knows&that&free&parking&there&is&a&laughing&

matter.&The&difference?&Those&cities&already&

have&a&defined&nightlife&scene&and&large&tourist&

base.&

On&the&other&hand,&Dallas,&ranking&No.&9&in&

the&US’s&biggest&cities,&turns&into&a&ghost&town&

when&5&o’clock&hits.&All&cars&seem&to&

automatically&appear&on&Central&Expressway&in&

traffic&jam&form.&

Another&finding&from&the&Dallas&360&Plan&

stated,&“Changing&people’s&perceptions&of&how&

to&access&downtown&would&go&a&long&way&in&

changing&their&perceptions&of&downtown.”&

Dallas’s&current&philosophy&is&that&paid&

parking&garages&are&the&best&option&since&they&

can&generate&revenue&for&the&county.&However,&

according&to&a&Dallas&Morning&News&article,&the&

city&has&experienced&problems&of&people&

breaking&through&the&exit&gate.&Not&only&does&

this&cause&physical&damages&that&Dallas&has&to&

pay&out&of&pocket,&but&it&also&results&in&multiple&

people&reaping&the&benefit&of&this&unintended&

free&parking&via&vandalism.&&

And&the&most&commonsense&question&of&

them&all:&Does&it&make&sense&to&keep&

maintaining&parking&garages&that&are&costly&(and&

consistently&losing&money)&when&the&spots&

aren’t&even&close&to&filling&capacity?&

The&overHarching&goal&is&that&residents&will&use&the&Dallas&Area&Rapid&Transit&(DART)&system&to&make&their&commutes&in&this&spread&out,&flatHlanded&city.&And&for&major&city&events,&where&attendees&are&thinking&ahead&about&parking&problems,&they&are&using&the&light&rail.&Ridership&tripled&during&the&Mavericks&championship&playoffs&in&2011,&according&to&the&DART&website.&&

But&until&we&get&the&DART&system&as&efficient,&popular&and&widespread&as&the&New&York&City&Subway,&these&green&initiative&hopes&will&still&cumulatively&decline.&The&numbers&show&that&more&people&were&using&the&DART&system&in&1998&than&they&were&in&2011.&&

The&city&of&Dallas&is&in&a&time&of&growth.&With&a&steady&increase&in&population&and&the&additions&of&the&AT&T&Performing&Arts&Center&and&a&new&public&park&over&Woodall&Rogers&Freeway,&the&downtown&area&needs&to&find&ways&to&suit&visitors&in&every&aspect&of&their&downtown&experience.&

“Parking&is&a&crucial&factor&in&how&people&decide&where&to&go&and&where&to&be&entertained,”&said&Dan&McGraw&of&Fort&Worth&Weekly.&When&people&can&easily&get&downtown,&they&are&more&likely&to&want&to&spend&time&there.&

Dallas,&it’s&time&to&learn&a&lesson&from&your&neighbors.&Free&downtown&parking&on&nights&and&weekends&would&make&for&a&happier&and&healthier&city.&

Shelby'Button'studies'Strategic'Communication'at'Texas'Christian'University'in'Fort'Worth,'Texas.'She'may'be'contacted'at'shelby.button@tcu.edu.&&

Tweet:&Downtown&Dallas&needs&to&“free&up”&their&parking&problems.&Literally.&#freeparking&#downtowndallas&@dtowndallasinc&&Dallas&Blog:&&Oh&the&classic&American&struggle&–&where&to&park.&The&problem&almost&makes&me&just&want&to&stay&home&on&a&weekend&night&rather&than&attempt&the&struggle&or&pay&an&extraordinary&amount&for&a&few&hours&of&fun.&I&find&that&downtown&Dallas&experiences&this&problem&more&than&others…&or&at&least&more&than&our&neighbors&over&in&Fort&Worth.&&Why&can’t&we&have&free&downtown&parking&like&them?&Why&can’t&Dallas&get&the&hint?&Dallasites&unite&for&free&parking!&[Insert&link&to&opinion&column]&&Downtown&retailer’s&Blog:&There&was&a&time&when&downtowns&had&more&nightlife&activity&than&uptowns.&Ah,&the&good&ol’&days.&What’s&the&problem&for&us&struggling&downtown&retailers?&Well,&it’s&more&like&the&struggle&for&our&customers:&parking.&If&there&isn’t&a&way&to&easily&and&cheaply&park&in&downtown,&there’s&no&way&customers&are&going&to&want&to&come&here.&My&vote&is&for&Dallas&to&take&a&look&at&the&Fort&Worth&model&of&free&downtown&parking.&It&worked&for&them,&and&it&works&for&me.&For&a&happier,&healthier&downtown&Dallas&we&need&free&parking!&[Insert&link&to&opinion&column]&

news release

The ladder allianceSearch Engine Optimization Headline�z The Ladder Alliance celebrates 10 years of service

Search Engine Optimization Tags�z The Ladder Alliance, For t Wor th, Texas, Nonprofit, Wor thington Hotel, Computer skills,

Service, Anniversary, Tools for success

Twitter Engagement�z Join #TheLadderAlliance on Mar 31 to celebrate 10 yrs of service to low-income

women. See www.ladderalliance.org for more info!

Quick Facts�z The Ladder Alliance will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year with a luncheon at the

Wor thington Hotel 11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 31.�z The Ladder Alliance is a For t Wor th-based nonprofit organization that teaches low-

income women basic computer skills and builds self-esteem.�z Former and current students, founding board members and donors will be recognized

for their commitment to the nonprofit organization.

Linked Information�z The Ladder Alliance website. ht tp://www.ladderalliance.org�z Event location. ht tp://www.marriot t.com/hotels/travel/dfwdt-the-wor thington-

renaissance-for t-wor th-hotel/

Diversity Enhancement�z The Ladder Alliance serves women of domestic violence and low-income families, a

lot of who are minority classes. With this news release I would get a couple of photos of the graduating classes that are representative of the nonprofit’s community. I would also be sure and send the release to potential employers or recruiters who specialize in this field or in employing Spanish speakers. Many of the students of The Ladder Alliance would be at the event and it would be good for employers to get a feel for their achievements.

print

!!

Shelby!Button!(214)!45042824!

shelby.button@tcu.edu!Feb.!2,!2012!

The$Ladder$Alliance$celebrates$10$years$of$service$!FORT!WORTH,!Texas!–!The!Ladder!Alliance!will!celebrate!its!10th!anniversary!this!year!with!a!luncheon!at!the!Worthington!Hotel!11:30!a.m.!Saturday,!March!31.!The!luncheon!will!commemorate!The!Ladder!Alliance’s!past!10!years!of!service!in!educating!female!domestic!violence!victims!and!low4income!women!in!computer!skills!and!self4esteem.!!“Our!mission!is!to!provide![these]!women!with!the!tools!to!lead!self4reliant,!independent!and!successful!lives,”!said!Sharon!Cox,!founder!and!executive!director.!“Studies!say!that!the!main!way!to!pull!someone!out!of!poverty!is!to!give!them!education,!and!that’s!exactly!what!we!do.”!!The!nonprofit!organization!serves!approximately!175!students!per!year.!Members!of!the!first!graduating!class!and!the!most!recent!classes!will!be!recognized!at!the!luncheon!for!their!hard!work!and!commitment!to!the!program.!Kimberly!Jackson,!one!of!the!program’s!first!graduates,!will!be!the!keynote!speaker!sharing!her!family’s!story.!!“We!often!see!children!who!normally!act!up!in!school!tend!to!calm!down!and!gain!more!confidence!when!they!see!their!mothers!with!self4esteem,”!said!Cox.!Jackson’s!story!will!tell!of!her!experiences!with!The!Ladder!Alliance!and!how!it!positively!affected!her!entire!family.!!Founding!board!members!will!be!honored!at!the!anniversary!luncheon,!and!other!partners!and!donors!will!be!thanked!for!their!contributions.!!Single!tickets!are!$40!and!sponsored!tables!of!eight!are!$500.!To!purchase,!please!call!(817)!83442100.!!The!Ladder!Alliance!is!a!Fort!Worth4based!nonprofit!organization!that!teaches!low4income!women!basic!computer!skills!and!builds!self4esteem.!Since!2002,!The!Ladder!Alliance!has!provided!the!tools!women!need!to!succeed!in!today’s!competitive!job!market.!For!more!information,!please!call!(817)!83442100!or!visit!www.ladderalliance.org.!!

###!

news release

new citySearch Engine Optimization Headline�z New City residents practice xeriscaping during stage 3 water restrictions

Search Engine Optimization Tags�z Drought, xeriscaping, New City, landscaping, water conservation, stage 3, Texas, water

restrictions

Twitter Engagement�z @NewCity residents #xeriscape through the Stage 3 water restrictions. Learn water-

saving tips at www.newcity.gov!

Quick Facts�z “Xeriscaping” is water conservation through creative landscaping. �z Soaker hoses and organic fer tilizers can help reduce the need for water. �z New City will hold an information session about water consumption 7 p.m. Friday Jan.

27, at New City Hall.

Linked Information�z Xeriscaping website. ht tp://xeriscapelandscaping.org/�z New City water restriction summary. ht tp://pdf.plano.gov/water/

DroughtStagesSummary1.pdf�z New City Water Depar tment. ht tp://plano.gov/Water/Pages/defaultOLD.aspx�z Planting for your area. ht tp://www.drought-smar t-plants.com/#axzz1kWxnyqQo

YouTube Links�z Xeriscape Gardening. ht tp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blUf fiqGEFw�z Xeriscape Rap. ht tp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_

embedded&v=1bAjmkk9D9Y�z Eye on New City. ht tp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_

embedded&v=uNlnXRGBeOU

social media

An

OVERSTUFFEDPizza Hut Challenge

Shelby ButtonLindsey Boston

John WolfeMark Borys

Mallory Vogt

Team Am!e

2

The Assignment

Develop campaign activation

idea to drive Overstuffed

awareness based on the

“Go All in on Pizza Night” idea.

3

Considerations

1. Must Make it Great 2. Drive massive engagement with brand and product in the digital space3. Extend to PR and exclusive events

4

The Eating Machine

“Convenience is King,cooking is overrated.”

“I’m always on the hunt for the next

big thing.”

“I want excitement, I’m always willing to try new foods.”

What’s he thinking?

5

Overstuffed Timeline

6

Not your average pizza

7

Pizza Obsessed

8

The Pizza Obsessed

The customer’s truth

They want to live life to its fullest. They want to push the envelope.

They like to try new things.They are very willing to experiment.

9

The Pizza Obsessed

Engagement

Activation

Sharing

The path to overstuffed

10

Good is the enemy of great. Great takes courage. Great rises up to the challenge. Great defies the conventions.

11

Good is the enemy of great. Great takes courage. Great rises up to the challenge. Great defies the conventions.

12

Epic Meal Time CULINARY COURAGE

13

Epic Meal Time Engagement

• Targets the Eating Machines

• Obsessed with overstuffed food

• EMT goes all in

14

Epic Meal Time

• Well over 430 million views• 2 million subscribers• YouTube Superstars

Overstuffing Youtube

15

Epic Meal Time

Already in Partnership with: - Netflix - GameFly- GoDaddy - Audible.com- JackThreads - BustedTees

They are ready for Pizza Hut.

16

Epic Meal Time

Pizza Hut will sponsor 2 OverstuffeD Episodes

• End of video will provide a code

• Viewers of EMT will get an epic

discount for only 24 hours

- Make it Great by getting a

2 Liter soda & breadsticks with your

Overstuffed Pizza

Always going all in

17

Epic Meal Time

gets Saucy

• Go All In with customized sauces

hand-picked from the EMT Crew

• Making your Overstuffed

experience great

• Variety & value to drive in-store

18

Epic Meal Time gets Saucy

19

Text Messagingstay in the know

• Send a text message to the Pizza

Obsessed promoting:

- Epic Meal Time episode with

Overstuffed from Pizza Hut

- Weekly text to drive in-store to try the   new & outlandish EMT sauces

20

Text Messagingstay in the know

“Pizza Hut is teaming up with Epic Meal Time to create the next most

Indulgent pizza! Check out the video on our Youtube channel.”

21

Good is the enemy of great. Great takes courage. Great rises up to the challenge. Great defies the conventions.

22

The Most Epic Coupon

• Buy 5 Overstuffed pizzas to

receive PH swag

• Swag acts as an endless coupon when

you wear in-store

• Collaborate with already established

partnerships, JackThreads&BustedTees

Activation

23

The Most Epic CouponIt never ends

The Most Epic Coupon

24

The Most Epic Coupon

It never endsThe Most Epic Coupon

• Track online

• Encourages online ordering

• Pizza Hut will ship to customer

25

Good is the enemy of great. Great takes courage. Great rises up to the challenge. Great defies the conventions.

26

Social Status 49% of millenials call their favorite online site. With coming in second.

Source: 2012 Tru Study, eMarketer.com

How Fans want to interact with Brands on Facebook

36% Freebies

from the Brand

13% Interact

with the Brand

40% Discounts

& promotions

27

Social Status

Source: Mashable

28

Social Status

29

Source: Digital Buzz Blog

The Face off

30

Choose your Obsession

Pizza Or Facebook

• Monitors users online status

• Join your friends in showing your

obsession with Overstuffed

• Team up with 2 friends to receive a

FREE Overstuffed Pizza

31

32

Challenge Accepted App Post

End of challenge App Post

Pizza Hut Face Off Share the obsession

33

Choose your Obsession

Pizza Or Facebook

• Innovative & never been done before

• Data goldmine: track who is really

obsessed with pizza

• Cost efficient:

- Sharing component

- Ingredients to go viral

- PR buzz

34

The Most Pizza Obsessed City

OverStuff iT • The City with the most completed

Face Off challenges will have their

city Overstuffed

• Reward those who are pizza

obsessed by giving them a legendary

Overstuffed pizza party

• Nationwide competition

35

The Most Pizza Obsessed City

OverStuff iT

36

Variety: EMT Sauces

Innovation: EMT Episodes & Face OffValue: Coupon SwagFun & Togetherness: obsessed Cities

Why consumers love Pizza Hut

Overstuffed works

37

Pizza Obsessed

GO ALL IN Make It Great

38

c39