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Olympic-sized Swimming Pool Gets Added to UWGs Campus

Center
Promotion Plan
November 27, 2016

Presented by: Ashley Derden

Table of Contents

Promotions Plan Outline3-10

News Story11-12

Blog Post & Social Media.13

Audio News Story.14

Advertisement...15

Press Release.16

Promotions Plan Outline

Situation Analysis:
Throughout recent years, the University of West Georgias enrollment has been
increasing, leading to about 13,000 attendees each year. With new students come new requests,
many of which include a swimming pool. West Georgia is gaining more money from tuition that
could go towards campus center facilities. With this extra money, West Georgia hopes to satisfy
its students and create an Olympic-swimming pool not only for recreational use, but also
competitive use.
The University of West Georgias new goal is to expand the size of the three story,
131,000 square foot campus center and to add in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The
University of West Georgias (UWG) campus center is at the heart of campus. The campus center
brings in foot traffic from all kinds of UWG students. The campus center has several facilities
including: the game room, intramural fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, the fitness floor,
locker rooms, and group fitness studios. Students pay for these amenities through their tuition
money and can access them during operating hours.
Product and/Service Analysis:
The campus center was built in 2006 at West Georgia. The campus center is frequented
by students who enjoy working out, playing sports, or being active. Along with the students,
many members of faculty and staff use the campus center for office space. The University
Recreation (UREC) department is based in the campus center, so many students and staff work
there as well. Half a mile from campus, Club Fitness serves as the campus centers main
competition. Some students prefer Club Fitness and will pay fees for this gym because they have
more intense weight training equipment.
The Olympic-sized swimming pool brought to the campus center would help direct traffic
back to our gym. The pool would be enormous in size, include equipment such as lanes and
diving boards, and would include a heated option during the winter time. Adding this pool to our
campus center would bring in students who have an interest in swimming. West Georgia could
also create a swim team with the new swimming pool. The swim team would bring in
endorsements, scouted students, and sports championships.
The target audience would consist of UWG students because they are the ones who have
access to the campus centers facilities. Tour guides that give tours of the campus to prospective
students can make sure they show the pool to the upcoming students. UWG will scout high
schools with swim teams and advertise at those high schools about going west. The target
audience will also include students who like to swim recreationally, so we will target students
who enjoy water activities or being active in general.

Competitive Analysis:
Club Fitness
Strengths:
-

Located near campus

Has group fitness and personal training
Open 24/7
Free child care (with membership)
Free tanning (with membership)
Free pool/hot tub (with membership)
Free sauna (With membership)

Weaknesses:
-

Have to drive to get to

Cost $28-35 monthly, including a $20 initial fee
No form of athletic courts
No running track
Pool is not Olympic-sized

Campus Center
Strengths:
-

Located on campus
Paid for already with tuition
Versatile exercise equipment
Has different types of recreation (Game room, intramural fields, rock wall)
Has a track, basketball court and tennis court
Has different group fitness classes
Fairly new
Has large locker room space

Weaknesses:
-

Not open 24/7. Hours vary day to day.

Can sometimes be over crowded
Weight training equipment is average

Club Fitness caters to the college crowd by creating an environment that is hip and up to
date. The staff there makes fees low so that the average college student can afford it. Club
Fitness requires a one or two year contract which means that they hook the student in for that
long. Club Fitness knows that a students schedule is insane between classes, work, and

internships, so they made sure to have staff working all day so that they can be open 24/7. A
student may be going all day and the only time he/she has to work out is at 11 oclock at
night. Club Fitness caters to the young crowd because many like to work out at late hours of
the night.
Club fitness also caters to males who are heavy lifters. They provide extensive weight
lifting equipment to assist in muscle gaining. Football players, gym enthusiasts, and any
other male who lives an active lifestyle tend to prefer muscle gain over cardio, so Club
Fitness tends to be the choice for them. Club Fitness has noticed this trend over the years and
has established more and more equipment that meets the needs for muscle gain.
Current Financial Info:
The University of West Georgias students are largely from in-state. The average in-state
cost to attend is a little over $7,000. In comparison to other schools in Georgia, such as the
University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Georgia State, the University of West Georgia has a
reputation of being affordable. UWGs finances appeal to middle income families who are
looking for a nice, reasonable priced college. UWGs pricing is seen as reasonable, which has
resulted in increased enrollment every year.
Carrollton, GA, the city in which UWG is located, is known as being a college town.
Businesses have sprung up within the city because of that reason. In the mile radius around
UWG, you can find countless restaurants, bars, boutiques, gyms, shopping strips, etc. The
surrounding environment on UWG makes it a more compelling choice when choosing to
attend West Georgia.
Chief Decision Makers:
Dr. Kyle Marrero
President
(678)839-6442
kmarrero@westga.edu
Jami Bower
Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing
(678)839-6640
jbower@westga.edu
Taylor Bryant
Assistant Director of Communications
(678)839-6643
taylorb@westga.edu
Xiaojuan Christian
Visual Services Specialist Senior

(678)839-6295
xiaojuan@westga.edu
Amelia Garcia
Visual Services Specialist
(678)839-5217
agarcia@westga.edu
Current Market Activity:
The University of West Georgia is using all forms of mediums to market to students.
Their main source of communication is through email and social media. With it being the
digital age, students are glued to their phones. Whenever an important announcement about
the University needs to be told, administration will email out the information to each student
email account. If classes are cancelled due to inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances,
a text message is sent to the students.
The campus center currently has its own webpage where you can view the different
amenities that it provides. The webpage gets a good amount of traffic by student, staff, and
faculty. However, the campus centers other forms of social media need some work. An
Instagram account exists for UREC but it is not used frequently. In order to increase
awareness of the Olympic-sized swimming pool coming to the campus center, different
social media accounts would need to be updated or created.
SWOT Analysis:
Campus Center
Strengths:
- Located on campus
- Paid for already with tuition
- Versatile exercise equipment
- Has different types of recreation (Game
room, intramural fields, rock wall)
- Has a track, basketball court and tennis
court
- Has different group fitness classes
- Fairly new
- Has large locker room space

Weaknesses:
- Not open 24/7. Hours vary day to day.
- Can sometimes be over crowded
- Weight training equipment is average

Opportunities:
- Can increase enrollment percentage by
adding a swimming pool
- Create competitive swim teams

Threats:
- Competition from other gyms
- No elaborate weight training machines
- Competition may offer exclusive deals
and coupons

Club Fitness
Strengths:
- Located near campus
- Has group fitness and personal training
- Open 24/7
- Free child care (with membership)
- Free tanning (with membership)
- Free pool/hot tub (with membership)
- Free sauna (With membership)

Weaknesses:
- Have to drive to get to
- Cost $28-35 monthly, including a $20
initial fee
- No form of athletic courts
- No running track
- Pool is not Olympic-sized

Opportunities:
- Can stress weight equipment and
fitness classes
- Can offer special discounts for UWG
students

Threats:
- West Georgia will be equal with the
amount of amenities provided
- Swimming at Club Fitness is not
competitive

Primary Target Market

The target audience for this campaign will be current students, faculty, and potential
students. These will be the only markets focused on because these are the only people who
will have access to the campus centers new swimming pool.

Current students

The current students will be targeted mainly through campus. They will see the expansion
being built and will want to know more about it. There will be tabling on campus to inform
the current students of the expansion, along with the features the pool has. Current students
are into things that are quick and easy. We will stress about how easy and accessible the pool
will be for them.

Faculty

Faculty will also be targeted through on campus efforts. With them being able to see the
construction going on, they will want to know more about it. Faculty like to be informed of
changes happening before students are aware so we will make sure to send an email out to
them to explain the expansion process.

Potential Students

For potential students, we will reach out to them through advertisements and by word of
mouth conferences. We will visit surrounding schools and inform them of the new pool being
built. Scouting for potential competitive swimmers will also be done at surrounding schools
swim matches. When the potential students are touring West Georgia, our tour guides will show
them the Olympic-sized pool in an effort to win them over.

Positioning:
The opening of the UWG Olympic sized swimming pool will be centered around
informing students and faculty of the changes, mainly through activities on UWGs campus.
The promotion will be positioned to inform the audience of the positive qualities of the pool,
such as recreation use, competitive use, fitness classes, and special events for different
organizations. We will promote these qualities by providing information sessions to local
high schools, tabling in the grassy triangle, creating social media websites, and hosting a
huge grand opening event.
Promotional Strategies and Tactics:
Strategy 1: Table in the grassy triangle on UWGs campus for two weeks prior to the
opening, informing students and faculty of the grand opening of the pool.
Tactic 1: Invite students to come out to the grand opening of the pool
Tactic 2: Hand out raffle tickets at tabling for prize baskets that will be awarded at the
grand opening
Strategy 2: Host a grand opening inside the campus center for the new Olympic sized
swimming pool
Tactic 1: Have coverage of the event by inviting UWG radio, local newspapers, and local
media to the opening
Tactic 2: Give out prize baskets containing swim related items such as swimwear, swim
accessories, and gift cards to local athletic stores
Tactic 3: Host a swim race where winner holds the honor of receiving a plague
Tactic 4: Have the grand opening be a Hawaiian theme complete with cuisine, games, a
DJ, and free giveaways

Strategy 3: Starting one month prior to opening, utilize media by creating social networks for
the UWG swimming pool such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, along with
updating their current website.
Tactic 1: Update each social network informing target markets of the grand opening, as
well as the start of a UWG swim team.
Tactic 2: Update URECs website to make it more up to date, as well as create a website
for the UWG Swim team.
Tactic 3: Create advertisements that can be played over radio stations or displayed on
billboards.
Strategy 4: Host assemblies at local high schools to recruit potential students for the swim
team, as well as to increase enrollment rates.
Tactic 1: Make assemblies fun by having giveaways such as UWG t-shirts
Tactic 2: Make a sign-up sheet for students who would be interested in receiving more
information about West Georgia and its swim team
Tactic 3: Have current students come talk to the potential students to share their
experiences with West Georgia and why theyre excited about the swimming pool addition to
the campus

Creative Strategy and Creative Brief:

To address current students, potential student, and faculty, we will need to keep it simple.
They currently think that the campus center is mainly used for athletic students. Many
students and faculty will be intrigued by the new pool because it will offer a new form of
exercise that is easier for them. We want these audiences to know that this pool will be
welcome to all UWG students and staff. The most persuasive idea we can convey to our
audience is for them to know that the addition of the pool will be beneficial in entertainment,
competition, and revenue. They should believe this because we will be showing all this
through our tactics.
Media Strategy:
Facebook: A UWG Swim page will be created. This is where anyone who is interested in
swimming can like the page and access information about the addition of the pool. There will
also be postings on the UREC Facebook page informing likers of the activities going on for
the opening of the pool.

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Twitter and Instagram: An account will be created informing students of the expansion, along
with activities going on to promote the new pool.
Snapchat: This will be a live version of showing students the process of building the pool.
We will keep them updated of the expansion process by showing them changes in the
construction time frame. We will also provide live coverage of promotion activities through
Snapchat.

News Release

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November 15, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ashley Derden
UWG Communications Director
(404)992-9161
aderden1@my.westga.edu
1601 Maple Street
Carrollton, GA 30118
New Swimming Pool to be Unveiled at Grand Opening Event
The University of West Georgias Campus Center is set to reveal the Olympic-sized swimming
pool in the upcoming month at a themed grand opening event.
CARROLLTON, GA --- The University Recreation Department (UREC) is unveiling the
new Olympic-sized swimming pool expansion to all University of West Georgia (UWG) students
and faculty at a Hawaiian-themed grand opening event on Jan. 13. Starting at 6 pm, students and
faculty will be invited to partake in West Georgias biggest expansion since 2006.
Students and faculty can expect to be transported into a Hawaiian paradise at the Grand
Opening sponsored by UREC. At the grand opening of the swimming pool, guests can expect
Hawaiian cuisine, raffle drawings, swim races, music, and free gifts.
Weve put a lot of effort into the grand opening of the new swimming pool so were
really excited about. The hype from the students has been even more encouraging so were
expecting a big turn out, said Manica Pierette, the Director of Events for UREC.
The UREC Department has several events throughout the night to encourage
participation at the grand opening. Students are encouraged to purchase raffle tickets with the
UREC department prior to the grand opening so that they have the opportunity to win prize
baskets. The prize baskets will include sports themed items such as gift cards from local stores.
Students will be able to purchase raffle tickets two weeks before the opening at tabling
in the grassy triangle on campus. Weve been able to get prizes from local business like Sports
Academy and Dicks Sporting Goods so the baskets are worth some money, said Shayna
Sandbank, URECs Graduate Assistant of Event Operations.
-more.

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UREC- 2 / 2

The University of West Georgia has invited several local news media to the grand
opening as well as UWG media sources, including UWG radio, WUTV, and The West Georgian.
Students and faculty can stay updated on the event through UREC and West Georgias social
media pages.
--

The University of Recreation Department was founded in 2006 to maintain activities that go on
within UWGs campus center. The UREC department is over several facilities such as the game
room, intramural fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, the fitness floor, locker rooms, and
group fitness studios.

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The University of West Georgia Announces New Swimming Pool

Beginning in January, the University of West Georgia will be opening a brand new,
Olympic-sized swimming pool. The pool is going to be in the campus center alongside the
basketball courts and fitness equipment. With the new pool, West Georgia will be incorporating
new programs. Fitness classes are already in place at West Georgia, but swim lovers will soon be
included as well with classes such as swim aerobics and Zumba swim. A competitive swim team
will also be formed so that West Georgia will be able to compete with other teams in the region.
This expansion is sure to have a positive effect on West Georgias enrollment and success with
prospective students.
Word Count: 113

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Ashley Derden
30 Sec Radio Spot/Audio News Story
A brand new Olympic-sized swimming pool will be unveiled at West Georgias campus
center in January. Stretching 50 meters, the pool will be the biggest expansion to West Georgias
campus since the building of the campus center in 2006.
The Director of University Recreation, Billy Bob, announced the news of the expansion
this morning at a press conference. West Georgias University Recreation Department hopes that
the expansion will help to bring in prospective students who may be interested in competitive
swimming. Students and faculty will be able to experience amenities such as fitness classes in
the pool, swim meets, and experiencing the thrill of two diving boards.

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Advertisement for Promotions Plan

If youre on the hunt for which college to go to, look no further! For those interested in
athletics, West Georgia is the best bet for you. Not only does West Georgias University
Recreation Department offer amenities such as intramural fields, fitness equipment, basketball
courts and more, but it is also adding a new Olympic-sized swimming pool to its campus center.
As a UWG student, youll be given unlimited access to the pool and the different services it
provides including: fitness classes and competition swimming with the Universitys swim team.
So stop by our information table and receive a pamphlet on how to get involved with UWG
Swim!

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November 15, 2016

Ashley Derden
(678) 839-5500
(404) 992-9161
urec@westga.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
University of West Georgia Adds Olympic-Sized Swimming Pool on Campus
CARROLLTON, Ga., (November 15, 2016) The University of Recreation Department
(UREC) announced today that the campus center will be undergoing construction to add in an
Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Stretching fifty meters, the pool will be the biggest expansion since the creation of the
Campus Center in 2006. The University hopes that with the expansion, enrollment rates will
continue to rise.
Students have been expressing their concerns about wanting a swimming pool for a long
time now. On our questionnaire surveys that we have prospective students fill out, a large portion
suggested the addition of a swimming pool, Dr. Kyle Marrero said, the President of the
University of West Georgia.
The UREC Department has planned to incorporate new amenities with the expansion of
the pool. Along with everyday use of the pool, students are going to be able to use the pool for
fitness classes, diving lessons, and competitive swim teams.
We wanted to have a way of bringing in prospective students and the pool is a great way
of doing that. With the new pool, were going to be able to create a competitive swim team and
compete all across the state, Marrero said.
UREC Staff has already begun recruiting at local high schools, informing potential
students of the new pool expansion. They have also created multiple social networking sites to
inform the public on advancements of the construction.
The pool is set for a grand opening in January of 2017, with the majority of construction
being done over the Holiday break.
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