1. Pillars for Carolina 1
Pillars for Carolina 2014
One-Year Marketing Plan
Introduction
This plan serves as a general framework for the marketing of the Pillars for Carolina program.
The Directors of Marketing and Recruitment have created this One-Year Marketing plan, in
coordination with the Executive Director, to provide a definitive analysis of the program’s status
and direction. Within the next year, Pillars for Carolina can expand its marketing reach and
increase the number of participants within the program.
Executive Summary
Pillars for Carolina [Pillars] is a small, student ran organization that transitions leadership
annually at the start of the academic year that was founded in 2011. Pillars offers a unique, high-
energy summer program for incoming students to the University of South Carolina with a current
reach of 84 participants in the summer of 2013. Pillars currently has an executive board [Exec]
with 8 members: Executive Director, Director of Logistics, Directors of Programming (2), and
Directors of Marketing and Recruitment (4). Exec works throughout the academic year and head
a team of 14 Extended Mentors [XMs] who participate in a semester long training, and lead
many of the events during the summer program. A major challenge facing Pillars for Carolina is
brand development and distinction, as one of the newest initiatives on campus.
Target Market
Pillars offers a week long summer program during the month of July each year to incoming
freshman aimed at easing the transition period for the students and promoting an understanding
of the principles that define students at the University of South Carolina. This program is aimed
at incoming first year students, as Potential New Participants [PNPs]. Pillars answers the need of
the customer who demands more of a multifaceted transition into their first year of college, as
opposed to the current programs that only offer an academic program. As of now, Pillars holds a
unique niche within the Carolinian community and only faces minor competition from
orientation services, as they are often confused with the outcomes of orientation versus the
outcomes of Pillars. Implementation of a niche differentiation strategy is necessary in order to
counteract this.
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis
Strengths
 Getting a variety of opinions and ideas when creating marketing materials
 Resources include different offices and personal contacts at USC that Pillars has
made throughout the past 4 years
 Others see our strength as being able to market in a variety of ways and reach as
many incoming freshmen as possible
 We utilize a variety of marketing tools, not just one
 Through our diverse student staff, we can reach the multifaceted student
population to promote Pillars
 Variety of marketing through recruiting XM’s and participants through word of
mouth and by electronic items

2. Pillars for Carolina 2
 Support from the Student government marketing team and executive officers
 Wide variety of marketing materials from last year
Weaknesses
 Internal marketing is something that need to improve on
 Others can see our growth rate of rough 200% per year as a weakness, as we
cannot sustain the rate, will overextend ourselves, etc.
 Lack of knowledge of our program from the rest of the University
 Lack of statistics due to the new nature of our program
Opportunities
 Utilize the marketing script from last year to increase our internal marketing
 Social media trends
 Employ our current contacts and get more ideas from ideas from outside sources,
to vary our marketing materials
 To reach the Board of Directors and every department on campus
 Reach every admitted student to USC
 Reach over 500 likes on Facebook
 Sponsorships
Threats
 Time (we ran into time constraints last year and that harmed us a lot)
 Orientation is becoming an overnight program, which will decrease the number of
people that now come to Pillars to fulfill their need of an overnight program
 Orientation could be seen as cost efficient option compared to Pillars
Matching Strengths to Opportunities/ Converting Weaknesses andThreats
 Getting a variety of opinions and ideas for creating marketing materials; use
current contacts to vary our marketing materials
 Utilize our diverse staff in order to reach every department, club, etc as possible
during the following year, making Pillars a more commonly known program
 Develop and maintain distinct language to use when describing Pillars to make
the distinction between Orientation and our program as evident as possible, to
convert the changing orientation program threat.
Brand Definition
Specializes in transitioning first-year students
Quickly developing and growing program
Personalized mentorship by upper-class students
Student ran and developed organization
Based on the University of South Carolina campus
Connected with multiple organizations and faculty, with ability to provide PNPs access to these

3. Pillars for Carolina 3
Marketing Goals and Aims
Goals: Increase internal marketing to a minimum of 100 faculty and staff members of the
University by the beginning of March, to increase awareness and communication about
the program to PNPs
Increase traffic to online information by 25% by the beginning of the registration period,
as well as keeping updated information available to the PNPs
Increase registration for the program by 25% by the end of the registration period
Aims: Market Pillars as a summer program versus extended orientation to combat the
changing orientation program to an overnight program
Market the all the benefits of Pillars to differentiate ourselves from other programs
available to incoming freshmen
Plan ahead for marketing during Pillars week (organize news coverage, newspaper
interviews, videos, etc)
Promote Pillars through a variety of sources in order to increase PNP awareness
Marketing and Communication Messages
Marketing Messages: Five-day, high-energy summer program for first-year students
Get a head start on making Carolina home.
Have an unforgettable week of service, leadership, and traditions while making lifelong
friends.
(Distinction from extended orientation to summer program)
Tagline: [There are no limits to your future] Your future starts here!
Marketing Strategies
Internal Marketing
Goal: To increase awareness of presence of Pillars for Carolina, and supporters
from within the Carolinian Community by xx to increase participation by
incoming first year students by xx
Tactic: Presentations will be given to multiple organizations, by Executive Staff
and XMs, to organizations on campus that interact with PNPs. These
presentations, include, but are not limited to, PowerPoints, videos, slideshows,
and marketing script readings.
Organizations:
 Recruitment Organizations (i.e. Carolina Callers, University Ambassadors,
HRSM Ambassadors, Greek Ambassadors, Admissions Staff, Admissions
Representatives)
 Academic/Honors Organizations (i.e. Capstone Scholars, Honors College,
Dean’s Office of Each College)

4. Pillars for Carolina 4
 Faculty and Professionals (i.e. Graduate Students of Student Affairs,
Advisors to Student Organizations)
 Summer Advisors (i.e. Advisors during orientation can plug Pillars to
PNPs)
Internet Presence
Goal: Increase internet presence and reach by 25% by the beginning of the
registration period, to promote an understanding of and gain promoters of Pillars
and influence PNPs.
Tactic: Utilize both the Pillars for Carolina website and social media outlets with
regular updates of information and visual media (i.e. pictures, videos, etc.).
Subsectors:
 Website
Goal: Increase website traffic by 25% by the beginning of the registration
period in order to attain an increased awareness and participation for
Pillars 2014
Tactics:
Update photographs to include photographs from Pillars 2013
Publish Biographies and Pictures for 2014 Executive Board and XMs
 Social Media
Goal: Increase appearance on social media by increasing followers and
likes by 23% (Roughly 115 more people) [385 likes on FB on 5/11/2013;
471 followers on twitter on 5/11/2013] by the beginning of the registration
period of Pillars 2014
Tactics:
Facebook- Update followers on important, relevant information
Encourage staff to spread awareness of site
Twitter- Update followers on important, relevant information
Ask XMs, Executive Board to follow and get friends, other organizations
to follow
Direct Mail, Handouts
Goal: Promote Pillars through at least 1000 handouts by the time the registration
period begins
Tactic: Utilize multiple handouts and mailings that incorporate the goal audience
from every angle.
Subsectors:
 Postcard
Aim: Mailing to all available PNPs in order to increase participation in the
program
Tactic: Different, distinct, simple design than admissions and orientation
To be sent out in May to all PNPs who paid deposit by May 1st
 Flyer for Orientation
Aim: Provide an informational flyer to distribute during orientation to
provide PNPs with a way they can continue their first-year summer
experience and to increase participation

5. Pillars for Carolina 5
Tactic: Half Size Flyer
Different design than admissions flyer, postcard
Deadline is in May
 Admissions Events Flyer
Aim: Be a presence at all University sponsored admissions events and
provide PNPs with updated information, to increase participation
Tactic: Distribute updated flyer with updated language at admissions
events (i.e. Open Houses, Scholars Weekend, Admissions Weekend)
Employ XMs in distribution efforts to increase their presence on PNPs
Admissions Information
Goal: Have a presence on at least 50% of admissions information packets
released by the university throughout the admissions period
Tactic: Include information in/ on Admissions packets, either on included paper
or separately
Press Presence
Goals: Have at least two separate press related releases before the ending of the
registration period
Have at least one press release during and after Pillars week
Tactic: Utilize different subsectors of press and submit possible stories for
publication to promote a constant, yet not annoying press presence
Subsectors:
 Newspaper
Aim: Have a constant newspaper presence through press releases and
interviews, thus creating an increased awareness of Pillars
Tactic: Utilize press releases to The Daily Gamecock in order to have a
brand presence for current students to be aware of the service we offer to
incoming freshmen, and for any touring students who may look at The
Daily Gamecock during their visit.
Video
Goal: Increase video views by at least 300 viewers before the registration period
and maintain a viewership of 50-150 viewers during videos released during the
registration period
Tactic: Release videos on both social media and the website that display pillars
Release testimonial videos throughout the registration period to display the
benefits of Pillars
Utilize videos that display Pillars activities and not just people discussing Pillars

6. Pillars for Carolina 6
Marketing Calendar 2013/2014
Marketing
Strategy
Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May June
July