Our qualitative research shows that our target market  uses social media as a means of current events and personal communications. These potential volunteers are concerned about the illiteracy rate in Marlboro County, South Carolina and want to do something to change it. They may says things such as, “Things have to change,” “We need to do something” and “How can I make a difference”? This target volunteer type needs this campaign by Marlboro Literacy Council because:

 

• Volunteering increases self-confidence.

• Volunteering combats depression.

• Volunteering helps you stay physically fit (Saisan,, 2014).

 

Goals for Marlboro Literacy Council

The current capstone goals for Marlboro Literacy Council over the course of the next six months are to: create brand awareness, create consistency through out the brand and drive more people to volunteer for Marlboro Literacy Council.

 

Current Communication

Currently the client uses email, news releases, phone calls, and brochures as communication. These forms of communication are not effective because of the low volunteer population it currently has had over the past two years. There has not been any consistency for any of the current communication efforts due to the structure of the governing board and the blurred lines of Marlboro Literacy Council with Marlboro County Adult and Community Education and Marlboro County School District’s Family Literacy Program. The implications of the current state of Marlboro Literacy Council is that job duties need to be made clear of the literacy coordinator’s role in coordinating more literacy focused programs as well as the Workkeys aspect. Current forms of communication talk more about Workkeys than it does the mission of the literacy council.

 

Image and Reputation

Marlboro Literacy Council’s image and reputation with the community is that it is only there to serve those citizens that are attending adult education to receive their high school diploma or GED. The image and reputation that the client wants and needs to convey is that the Marlboro Literacy Council not only teaches those citizens who do not know how to read or write, but it also combats the high unemployment rate by assisting those citizens with the Workkeys Assessment that is needed to be employed in most manufacturing jobs in Marlboro County and surrounding areas. It helps with this effort with their Literacy Learning Labs across the county. The problem is the community or targeted volunteers may not be aware of this resource or volunteer opportunity.

 

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

After conducting the SWOT analysis, I have identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for this campaign. The strengths are the relationship that the client and I hold. We have worked together for several years; so many things come natural to us during this process. Marlboro Literacy Council is definitely at a point in which in order to grow it needs to make these necessary changes. The main strength is that the Literacy Council Coordinator is open to new ideas and ways of doing things.

 

One of the weaknesses of the campaign is that the organization does not have a solid board in order to move fast with these changes that we are making. Structurally, with the coordinator being the only paid employee, she has not had the time nor the resources to do the things that she truly needs to do in order to change the unwanted patterns of the literacy council. She does not have time to do the research needed to fully evaluate her effectiveness or keep track of her volunteers and participants. That is where the opportunity comes in for this Capstone.

 

I am able to assist the Literacy Coordinator as needed in order o get her to a point in which I can truly relaunch the organization forward. These past few months of planning have been wonderful and our timelines have had to change accordingly, but her willingness and support to continue has been tremendous. With the weakness of not having a strong board or many necessary members, one of the threats is that Marlboro Literacy Council will gain the volunteers needed through this campaign, but will not be able to manage it all. This provides an opportunity to offer other volunteer opportunities besides serving as a literacy tutor.

 

References

 

Duggar, M., & Bremmer, J. (2013, February 14). The Demographics of Social Media

       Users — 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media        /Files /Reports /2013/PIP _ SocialMediaUsers.pdf

 

How To Conduct An Online Survey and Engage Customers In A Dialogue. (n.d.).  

      Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://www.esurveyspro.com/article-how-to-conduct-an-           online- survey-and-engage-customers-in-a-dialogue.aspx

 

Market Research Surveys. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2015, from

     https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/market-research-surveys/?ut_source=header

 

Saisan, J., Smith, M., & Kemp, G. (2014, October 1). Volunteering and its Surprising

     Benefits. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/work-

     career/volunteering-and-its-surprising-benefits.htm