1. Rugby World Cup
Communications/
Marketing/Event
Plan – March 2015
Project lead (marketing): Niall Halford

2. Communications Plan:
Overall aim of this plan
This example plan sets out the communications principles and key messages for
communicating information and messages around the Rugby World Cup Trophy
Tour visiting Hartpury College on July 15th, 2015.
Key objectives of plan:
 Set out the values that underpin the project
 Provide clear, consistent messages to be used in all communication
 Ensure the key internal and external stakeholders are communicated with at
every stage
 Provide the right communication tools for reaching relevant audiences at each
stage of the process
Objectives/values
Objectives/values on which the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour for the college is
based:
Produce targeted internal and external messages to maximise attendance of
selected areas
Shout about the part Hartpury College is playing in the Rugby World Cup
Key Messages
 We will show Hartpury College to be an environment synonymous with elite
opportunities
 We will show our potential students the opportunities that are available to
them if they came to study at the college
 We will be able to celebrate the part that the college is playing in the Rugby
World Cup
Priority audiences
Internal (examples below)
Staff directly affected by the changes (departments, plus brief reception/admissions
for increased call volumes)
Students directly affected by the changes
Executive/Management Team
Subject leaders/Heads of Department
Governors

3. External
Applicants
Prospective students (UK and international)
Wider Gloucestershire community
Partner organisations
Media
Social media influencers
Communication channels and budget
Total budget available to the marketing team for targeted communications or no
communications budget has been set for this project.
All communications will use existing internal and external channels set out in the
table below, with more detail in the communications activity schedule.
Please consider in your planning whether reception and/or FE and HE admissions
need to be alerted to potential dates when actions in your communications plan are
likely to result in increased call volumes/e-mails to them, and whether they need to
be provided with a briefing sheet/FAQs
Please consider whether a social media campaign or targeted social media activity
could support you in communicating your messages. Please speak to Ed Gibbs
about setting up analytics/monitoring hashtag use/buzz and identifying and targeting
social media influencers as early as possible
AUDIENCE CHANNEL/FREQUENCY STAFF/MARKETING LEAD
Staff/departments directly
affected
Direct communication, staff
portal, social media, marketing
collateral
NH to liaise with Alan
Powderhill to discuss
arrangements of the day at
the Sports Academy.
Students directly affected
Direct communication, student
VLE, social media, marketing
collateral
Executive/Management Team Direct communication
NH to liaise with PdG, SDB
and MB throughout.
Subject leaders/Heads of
Department
Direct communication, team
meetings
Governors Direct communication
Partner organisations
Direct communication, social
media, marketing collateral
NH to liaise with Active
Gloucestershire
Applicants
Direct communication, social
media, main website, marketing
collateral
Email invitations to be sent
out to applicants of FE and
HE?

4. Prospective students
Direct communication, social
media, main website, marketing
collateral
To target year 10s with
marketing material and email
campaigns
Wider Gloucestershire
community
Via media, social media, main
website, marketing collateral
NH to liaise with EG to
implement effective social
media campaign to target
selected institutions
Media
Press releases, media
opportunities, direct
communication
NH to produce PR throughout
the timescale, targeting local
media
Social media influencers Targeted social media activity
NH to include #glosbiz on any
tweets as build up for 15th
July
Key dates
April 29th, 2015 – FE run Primary Schools Tag Rugby Tournament
June 10th, 2015 – Festival of Rugby starts
July 15th, 2015 – Trophy Tour visits Hartpury College
Communications Activities Schedule (example only!)
Date What happens Comms/actions needed
26th March
RWC release
announcement of trophy
tour schedule
ES to produce press release on
announcement of trophy visiting the college
w/c 30th March
NH to source staff for FE
Tag Rugby Tournament
NH to book JH’s time to take photos of event.
w/c 30th March
Arrangements for Trophy
Tour
NH to arrange meeting with Alan Powderhill to
discuss current plans for 15th July
w/c 13th April
Preview on FE Tag Rugby
Tournament
NH to produce press release previewing
upcoming rugby tournament
28th April
Collateral for Tag Rugby
Tournament
NH to ensure areas are fully stocked with
collateral and flags/banners are provided for
the event
29th April
FE Tag Rugby
Tournament
JH to take photos and NH to take notes from
event. (10am – 2.30pm)
30th April
FE Tag Rugby
Tournament
NH to produce post-feature on tournament
w/c 18th May Production of collateral NH to brief AH on design of flyers and posters

5. w/c 25th May (if
poss)
Production of collateral AH to send collateral to print
w/c 8st June Sending out collateral
NH to source ambassadors to assist with
stuffing of envelopes which will be sent to
targeted locations
10th June Festival of Rugby
FoR begins, NH to ensure social media tags in
future posts
w/c 15th June Email campaign
NH to create email to send out to targeted
areas, inviting them to event
w/c 22nd June Email invitation Send out email to targeted areas
w/c 6th July Trophy Tour
NH to produce preview of trophy visiting the
college
w/c 6th July
Land Rover PR
opportunity
NH to liaise with PdG re: Land Rover XC
promotion
w/c 13th July Trophy Tour preview NH to produce preview piece
15th July Trophy Tour
NH to ensure constant tweeting throughout the
day
15th July Trophy Tour JH to take photos throughout the day?
16th July Trophy Tour NH to produce PR of the day
Other collateral to consider:
If you are delivering a campaign or marketing programme/collateral, please consider
providing the following additional information:
 Creative brief
 Schedule
 Guard File
 Post campaign report/measurement/analysis/learning