The first objective is to increase the number of service users with the help of social media. Despite the fact that the senior population is not proficient enough in the use of platforms such as Facebook, promoting the project P.A.W.S. online will capture the attention of those users who may have parents or grandparents in need for someone to take care of their pets.
Strategy
Make sure that the project P.A.W.S. Facebook page contains all of the necessary information with regards to services, prices, and objectives of the program. It is important to present the project in the good light and promote it to Facebook users.
Tactics
- Make advertisement ‘deals’ with other Facebook pages that have similar aims or interests. For example, project P.A.W.S. can be promoted by a vet clinic’s Facebook page or a community that shares the latest pet news in a specific area. It is likely that Facebook users with pets follow such pages and will see the project P.A.W.S. mentioned in some of the posts.
- Offering discounts on the PAWS services to those users that share and like the Facebook page will be an effective marketing tactic. Furthermore, project P.A.W.S. can host competitions and giveaways to raise awareness and attract a larger audience.
Commercial
The second objective is reaching a much broader audience than just Facebook users. By creating a commercial that will air on television and online, the project P.A.W.S. will get more publicity and establish itself as a reliable service for senior citizens. Furthermore, the commercial may get the attention of volunteers that can offer their help.
Strategy
Making a commercial that will cater to the target audience (senior citizens unable to take care of their pets) at the same time with capturing the attention of other people (or potential investors) who may have an interest in projects such as P.A.W.S.
Tactics
- Use the target demographic when filming the commercial and appeal to their needs and problems.
- Stress the importance of taking care of pets when their owners are in nursing homes/other care facilities since many animals get abandoned or given away because some care establishments do not allow for their presence.
- The commercial must me short but informative and include a hotline number as well as other contacts so those interested in the services P.A.W.S. offers can call straight away.
Brochures
The third objective is reaching the audience that could not be reached with the help of social media or television. Brochures are reliable methods of advertising that can be used in hospitals, nursing homes, grocery and pet stores, vet clinics, as well as other places that the target audience visits regularly.
Strategy
Create visually appealing brochures that can be placed on brochure stands in different locations or just be given away by the volunteers in public places.
Tactics
- Involve experienced graphic designers that will create a colorful brochure containing all contact information and tell the target audience more about the project P.A.W.S. To capture more attention, photographs or drawings of seniors with their pets can be used.
- Then, it is important to collaborate with pet stores, healthcare facilities, nursing homes, and other facilities to have permission to place brochures on stands.
- It could also be effective for staff members to give brochures away with receipts or purchases because in such a way the target audience will be much more likely to study the contents of the brochures.