17th May 2010

NAME: Thai Thi Huong Giang

STUDENT ID: S3117184

GROUP: 1

TUTOR: Doan Mai Anh & Melanie Brown

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 Table of content

Executive Summary...........................................................................................2
Background........................................................................................................3
Situation Analysis...............................................................................................3
Key finding......................................................................................................4
Problem/ Opportunity Statement....................................................................4
Critical success factors....................................................................................5
Objectives..........................................................................................................5
Target Public......................................................................................................6
Corporate philanthropists...............................................................................6
Individual philanthropists................................................................................6
Key Message......................................................................................................7
Strategy Statement............................................................................................7
Tactics................................................................................................................8
Press release...................................................................................................8
Direct mail, emails and brochure....................................................................8
Invitation lettersr and conference...................................................................9
Website...........................................................................................................9
Facebook.......................................................................................................10
Newsletter.....................................................................................................10
Critical path plan..............................................................................................10
Budget..............................................................................................................10
Evaluation........................................................................................................11
Reference List:.................................................................................................12
Appendix .........................................................................................................13

Executive Summary

In 2010, LIN is planning to recruit skilled volunteers that will help NGOs improving their
operations and social activities to serve and support community better. In order to achieve high
awareness and positive perception among the target publics and encourage participation in being
volunteers for LIN, a strategic communication plan is developed to communicate positive sides of
being volunteers for LIN center to target publics. The campaign aims to get the target public’s
awareness and perception of volunteering campaign in Ho Chi Minh and its commitment as a new
way of doing CSR and support community at the end of December 2010. We also want to gain
participation of target publics by the end of December. We will focus on communicating with
corporations, Youth Business Association, and members of LIN on Facebook in attempt to achieve

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campaign’s objectives. We will persuade corporations and Youth Business Association that being
LIN volunteers is new way of doing CSR. That way will bring opportunities for them to improve
their images, reputations, and relationships with local community and government. For individual
participators, volunteering for LIN will help them improve their knowledge, skills, experience,
relationships, and satisfy their demands. Both controlled media and print media including press
release, direct mail, conference, website, and Facebook will be the tactics of the campaign.
Through newsletter and Facebook message, we keep updating information of the recruited
positions that NGOs are looking for, as well as additional information about upcoming events,
social activities, workshops, and conferences of NGOs and LIN center. For evaluating
effectiveness of the communication plan, we will measure quality and quantity of media coverage
of the conference and campaign, count the number of attendees to the conference; number of
participators after each tactic, then compare number of volunteers before and after the campaign to
evaluate objectives.

Background

In Vietnam, most of NGOs have not served and helped community with all capacities because of
lacking human resource. In order to support community better, NGOs firstly need to improve
themselves. As the consequence, LIN is planning to draw more skilled-volunteers from both
individuals and corporations in Ho Chi Minh to assist NGOs in improving their operations and
organizing activities as its main goal. A communication plan is required to communicate with
target publics about the positive sides of volunteering for LIN center to gain their awareness and
encourage their participations as well.

Situation Analysis

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Key finding

With the knowledge from attending workshops, events and conferences of international NGOs,
LIN center brings new CSR activity to corporations and helps NGOs improve operations and
activities by being a bridge of them. As the consequence, LIN center has raised awareness and has
gotten support from some big corporations and publics including 130 volunteers and Horizon
Capital Group, Vinausteel, and VinaCapital Foundation, etc.

Nowadays, corporate social responsibility activities become the new trend of corporations. They
are the commitment of whole corporations to support community instead of just donating money to
the community (Ramon Mullerat 2006). Besides doing common CSR activities as others did,
corporations are looking for new kind of CSR initiatives (Assessment3: Strategic PR Plan Vietnam
SEM 01.10 2010). Moreover, in economic and social developing period, contributing talents and
afford to strengthen community becomes a new social trend. Hence, people are willing to
participate in social activities (Businesspersons jointly help communities 2008). On the other hand,
LIN center’s volunteers have more chances to develop their experience, skills, knowledge, and
relationships with authorities and local people, and to popularize their images when working for
many NGOs.

However, there are some challenges that LIN Center has to take in account. As a new NGO, LIN
center has a very limited budget for promotion and communication campaigns and a low
reputation among NGOs, corporations and community. Thus, the stakeholders do not have clear
ideas about the purposes and activities of LIN center. Moreover, public generally underestimates
LIN volunteers’ affords because they misunderstand that volunteer is something for students. LIN
also has a limited source of volunteers when it requires only skilled volunteers that have
experience and skills such as CEOs, managers, directors, and supervisors. These people are
normally busy with office works as well as at family cares, hence they are rarely able to cease their
jobs or neglect their families to being volunteers for LIN.

Problem/ Opportunity Statement

Problem:
LIN center is a new established organization that has to face with financial and reputation
challenges. Besides unwell-known fame, stakeholders of LIN do not have clear knowledge about

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purposes and benefits of being volunteers for LIN and do have misunderstandings of volunteering
activities.

Opportunity:
Doing CSR and participating social activities are new trends of corporations as well as demands of
citizens that match with the purposes and activities of LIN volunteers. Moreover, volunteering for
LIN center is new way of doing CSR and helping community that distinguish from normal CSR
activities such as donations, events, fundraising, sponsorship and small scale of visiting charity
centers as what corporations are looking for.

Critical success factors

In order to gain awareness of target publics about volunteering for LIN, we need to communicate
the purpose of this activity.
In order to change the perception of target publics about volunteers, we need to announce and
explain the work of volunteers.
In order to leverage participation of target publics in volunteering for LIN center, we need to
communicate the benefits for being volunteers.

Objectives

• Increase 60% awareness of target publics about the purposes, benefits, and works of LIN
volunteers in order to get their attentions to and interests in being volunteers by the end of
2010 (from August to December).
• Achieve 40% target publics percept volunteering for LIN as a new CRS initiative and
another way supporting community as by the end 2010.
• Attract 15% target publics become LIN volunteers after the campaign ending at the end of
2010.

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Target Public

Based on goals of LIN, we define three main target publics as the primary publics, which are
corporations in Ho Chi Minh, Youth Business Associate in Ho Chi Minh City, and members of
LIN on Facebook. We will attract both Vietnamese people and foreigners.

Corporate philanthropists

Reason Characteristic
Corporations • LIN wants to have volunteers who have • Medium and large
working skills and experience, so corporations are the main
corporations’ staffs satisfied the targets because they have
requirements. higher concern on CSR and
• We will communicate with PR directors have big human resources.
because they know the staffs that are • The target staffs have at least
mostly close to requirements. Moreover, 3 years working experience
we cannot send mail to single staff such as assistants, supervisors,
because it will cause ineffective and managers.
communication and inorganization.
• Moreover, the benefits of this activity
match with PR department’s interests and
concerns.

Individual philanthropists

Reason Characteristic
Youth • The members of YBA are directors, • They are from 25 to 45 years
Business
Association deputy directors, and members of board old.
of directors that match with the • They have high working
requirements of LIN volunteers. experience, skills, and wide
• Moreover, they will probably have knowledge.
positive influences on PR directors of • Participating social activities
their companies about volunteering for and events are relaxing

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 LIN. activities of them.
• YBA has high concerns on CSR in order • They would like to widen
to improve its image, reputation, and their knowledge and
relationship with public. relationship.

Reason Characteristic
Members on The number members of Facebook are They are from 25 to 45 years old.
Facebook of large, so there might be some members that They have years working
LIN match with the requirements such as experience and skills.
managers, supervisors, and assistants. They are active and they love
They are normally interested in social participating in social activities,
activities, so they will probably participate events, and outdoor working.
in being volunteers if we recruit.
Their participations are for their own
benefits and their own needs, so they are
willing to do that.
Targeting Facebook members is to improve
the limited volunteer source of LIN.

Key Message

Corporation:
We bring to your companies opportunities of doing CSR and gaining the corporations’ images by
contributing your afford and talents to help NGOs improving their operation and organizing social
activities.
Individual:
We commit to satisfy your demands in gaining experience, skills and relationships, and using your
afford and talent to serve and help communities by working for NGOs and assisting them in
operating and organizing social activities.

Strategy Statement

The strategy uses controlled media and print media including interpersonal, web-based, and print
to communicate with corporations and individual to inform the purposes of volunteering for LIN,
and benefits and works of LIN volunteers as a new method to do CSR and support community in
five months of the campaign.

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Tactics

Beside using print media, the strategic plan will use external controlled media as the tactics to
determine and control various messages’ attributes including contents, timing, packaging,
presentation, tone, and distribution to the outside of the organization (Smith 2009). Therefore,
press release, direct mail, invitation and conference, website, and Facebook will be the tactics.

Press release
• Two press releases will be sent to the journalists to inform them about the volunteering
campaign of LIN and report the outcomes of the campaign.
• Press release will present the purposes, activities, general information of the campaign.
Lately, another press release will present the result of the campaign such as how many hours
the corporations promise to being volunteers to help NGOs and community. It is the first
time senior boards and corporations participate in a new kind of CSR activities on a large
scale, so it will probably take attention of journalists.
• The first press release is to inform journalists about the campaign in order to communicate
with them more easily next times. The second press release is to gain awareness of the
community and create motivations for participations.

Direct mail, emails and brochure

• Mails will be sent to PR directors as the representatives of corporations and Youth
Business Association of Ho Chi Minh. Moreover, emails will be used to communicate with
members of LIN center on Facebook.
• Mails and emails combining with brochures aim to introduce about LIN center, previous
and future events, the purpose of volunteering for LIN center, benefits and works of
volunteers, requirements for volunteering, and registration instruction which emphasizes on
the key messages.
• Mails and emails will gain knowledge of target publics about LIN center and volunteering
campaign and create the interests of PR directors and individuals in it.

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Invitation lettersr and conference
• Print invitations will be sent to announce the target publics about the conference’s agenda,
its guests, and its schedule. We need use both print and phone call invitations in order to
control the number of participators and the responses of the target publics. Moreover, phone
call invitations are a backup method in case of target publics missing the print invitations.
• Member of LIN center on Facebook will receive e-invitations about the conference.
Through emails, we can collect contact information and the responses to the conference of
those people.
• Press releases will be sent to journalist before and after the event to announce and report
about the event. The pictures and clips of the event will be published on the forums, websites
and social networks for businesspersons as well as Facebook and website of LIN center.
• The conference will have the short presentations of some organizations, NGOs,
businesspersons and LIN center about CRS initiatives of corporations, demand of
contributing for communities of the youth, the need of human resource of NGOs and so on.
• The purpose of the conference is to gain the target public’s perceptions of volunteering for
LIN as a CSR initiative and a way of helping community and to strengthen their interests and
participations in being volunteers. Mutual communication aims to increase the feeling of
involvement and helps the target publics understanding more about NGOs and situations.

Website
• Website of LIN center needs a new design including content and context because the
context of website as a visual element also affects to viewers’ interests and the impressions
of LIN center. The homepage of LIN needs to cover all the significant topics and functions
such as articles, news, panel, and logo of sponsors in order to update the latest information of
LIN center and social activities. It will be more attractive and persuasive when there are more
pictures and videos of activities and volunteers that are helping NGOs organizing events,
training their staffs and so on.
• The expected outcome is people have good impressions of LIN center before deciding
whether they participate in being volunteers. Moreover, people can understand more about
LIN center through the information on the website.

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 Facebook
• The members of LIN center page will receive emails from LIN to collect their contact
information including phone numbers, official email addresses, and addresses. Generally,
they will receive monthly e-mails or mails that inform the information of recruited positions
that NGOs and LIN are looking for. Through Facebook and emails, the members will receive
additional information about upcoming events, social activities, workshops, and conferences
of NGOs and LIN center.
• Facebook can be used as the second website of LIN center that including pictures and video
of events, volunteers, news, logos of the sponsors, and so on.
• The aim of this communication is to update information about being volunteers for LIN
center in order to keep encouraging participations. Moreover, using social networks help to
spread out the reputation and information of LIN center and contact more target audiences.

Newsletter
• The monthly newsletters will be sent to PR departments of corporations and individuals to
update the information of the recruited positions that NGOs and LIN are looking for and
additional information about upcoming events, social activities, workshops, and conferences
of NGOs and LIN center.
• The aim of this communication is to inform about being volunteers for LIN center in order
to ask them participate in it.

Critical path plan

Budget

Cost
Items Hour Timely rate Fixed cost (VND)
Press Release (2 items) 700,000 1,400,000

Direct mail and email (writing and

3,000,000 3,000,000
distribution)
Brochure
Design + copyright 5 1,200,000 6,000,000

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 Print 4,000,000 4,000,000
Print invitations 2,000,000 2,000,000
Phone invitation & miscellaneous 2,000,000 2,000,000
Press Release 700,000 1,400,000
Conference 9,400,000
Venue hire 6,000,000
Decoration 2,000,000
Drink and food 1,000,000
Printed material 400,000
Newsletter (writing and distribution) 1,500,000 4,500,000
Website upgrade 9,000,000 9,000,000
Consultancy cost 20 1,000,000 20,000,000
Total 42,700,000

Evaluation

To ensure that the campaign runs smoothly and effectively, evaluation will keep track all activities
throughout the campaign.
• Monitoring media is to measure media coverage of conference and campaign. Besides
information on websites, forums and social networking, the quality and quantity of news
about LIN conference and campaign will gain LIN reputation and encourage target publics’
participations.
• After the campaign, we will reckon the number of volunteers before and after the
campaign. We also keep tracking number of volunteers after each tactic to measure the
effectiveness of communication methods.
• Using number of viewers and number of comments on the website, forums and Facebook is
to measure the responses of community and target publics.

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Reference List:

‘Assessment3: Strategic PR Plan Vietnam SEM 01 10’ 2010, Blackboard, RMIT Vietnam
University, viewed 9 March 2010,
<http://blackboard.rmit.edu.vn>

‘Businessperson jointly help communities’ 2008, Doanh Nhan 360 News, 12 June, viewed 7 May
2010,
<http://www.doanhnhan360.com/Desktop.aspx/Giao-luu-360/Su-kien-Giao-
luu/Doanh_nhan_giup_do_cong_dong/>

Global Giving 2010, LIN Center for Community Development - Empower Nonprofits to Reduce
Inequality in Vietnam, viewed 10 May 2010,
<http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/empower-nonprofits-to-reduce-inequality-in-
vietnam/team/>

LIN center for community development 2010, LIN center for community development, Ho Chi
Minh, viewed 28 April 2010,
< http://www.linvn.org/>

Mullerat, R 2006, Corporate social responsibility: new trend, Cies, viewed 10 May 2010
<www.mes-d.net/grupcies/boletin/ArticuloI_Edic_47.pdf>

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Pham, S 2010, ‘LIN scenario – question and answer 2’, paper presented to RMIT students of
Strategic PR Plan course, Ho Chi Minh, 10 March 2010.

Smith, DR 2009, Strategic planning for public relations, 3rd edn, Routledge, New York.

Vietnam Financial Review 2009, NGOs: Neglect at your own risk, VFR, Vietnam, viewed 10 May
2010,
<http://www.vfr.vn/business/ngos-neglect-at-your-own-risk.html>

Youth Business Association Ho Chi Minh 2003, YBAHCM, Ho Chi Minh, viewed 12 May 2010,
<http://ybahcm.com.vn/index.aspx>

LIN Center for Community Development Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/LINCenter

Appendix

SWOT analysis
Strengths
• LIN organization is the one of professional organizations that handles both non-financial
and financial supports in order to being a bridge of individual and corporate philanthropists
with NGO.
• LIN center has raised awareness and has gotten supports from some big corporations as
sponsors and public as volunteers (Pham 2010).
• LIN center can help corporations develop CSR activities and assist operation and activities
of NGOs (Global Giving 2010).
• LIN center has many skills and knowledge in operating and managing social activities
when attending many conferences and events with big international NGOs (LIN center for
community development 2010).

Weaknesses

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 • LIN is a new organization, thus it is not so famous among NGOs, corporations and
community (LIN center for community development 2010).
• The purposes and activities of LIN center are unclear for the stakeholders. They do not
know what LIN center really does and how their businesses relate to LIN.
• LIN has a low budget for the campaign (‘Assessment3: Strategic PR Plan Vietnam SEM 01
10’ 2010).
• LIN is lack of information of stakeholders and social situation. Therefore, LIN is still
developing research activities to create a good orientation material (‘Assessment3:
Strategic PR Plan Vietnam SEM 01 10’ 2010).

Opportunities
• The new trend of corporations is to look for news CSR activities instead of just giving
money to the community (‘Assessment3: Strategic PR Plan Vietnam SEM 01 10’ 2010).
• Volunteers of LIN center will have more chances to develop their experience, skills and
knowledge in new fields when working for many NGOs (LIN center for community
development 2010).
• Participating social activities and helping community is becoming a lifestyle of young
people. Thus, people are willing to contribute their talents in attempt build up community
(Businessperson jointly help communities 2008).
• Hundreds members on Facebook probably contains many people belong to target publics
(LIN Center for Community Development Facebook 2010).

Threats
• LIN has limited source of volunteer because they require only skilled volunteers that have
experience and skills such as CEO or Manager or Directors. These people are usually busy
at office works; hence, they are rarely able to stop their jobs for participating in long-term
social activities.
• Community usually thinks that volunteer is something for students. People normally
misunderstand the word ‘volunteer’ and underestimate what LIN volunteers do
(‘Assessment3: Strategic PR Plan Vietnam SEM 01 10’ 2010).
• The individuals have to take care of their family, thus they cannot spend much time for
being LIN volunteers. As the consequence, the number of volunteers is limited.

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Force Field
Our current situation:
LIN is planning to attract more skilled-volunteers in order to help NGOs improving their
operations and activities management.

Driving force
• Participating social activities and helping community is becoming a lifestyle of young
people. Thus, people are willing to contribute their talents in attempt build up community
(Businessperson jointly help communities 2008).
• The new trend of corporations is to look for news CSR activities instead of just giving
money to the community (‘Assessment3: Strategic PR Plan Vietnam SEM 01 10’ 2010).
• Volunteers of LIN center will have more chances to develop their experience, skills and
knowledge in new fields when working for many NGOs (LIN center for community
development 2010).
• LIN center can help corporations develop CSR activities and assist operation and activities
of NGOs (Global Giving 2010).

Restraining force
• The purposes and activities of LIN center are unclear for the stakeholders. They do not
know what LIN center really does and how their businesses relate to LIN.
• Community usually thinks that volunteer is something for students. People normally
misunderstand the word ‘volunteer’ and underestimate what LIN volunteers do
(‘Assessment3: Strategic PR Plan Vietnam SEM 01 10’ 2010).
• LIN has limited source of volunteer because they require only skilled volunteers that have
experience and skills such as CEO or Manager or Directors. These people are usually busy
at office works; hence, they are rarely able to stop their jobs for participating in long-term
social activities.
• LIN is a new organization, thus it is not so famous among NGOs, corporations and
community (LIN center for community development 2010).
• Target publics do not have much free time for social activities.

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