Capstone Project Public Relations

Part One: Background Research and Client Communication Audit (Phase One)

Students should submit this on Blackboard as a PDF file but also include a link to a Google Doc the professor can provide in-depth feedback in. Phase one should include the following:

Part One Strategic Plan (single-spaced, 12-point font/ Minimum 3 pages)

Executive Summary– who is the client, their corporate history and mission
Proposed Campaign Objectives and Goals
Include how each goal will be measured for success post-campaign
Remember the SMART Model (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based)
Target Audience Research
Consider the following parts of audience research (and use the categories that apply to your project)
Basic info on Adrian MI ( Census Records will have this )
Breakdown by EthnicityAverage IncomeAverage Education Level
Gender and percentage of population in the key public age range
Communication Audit
What are the client’s current communication channels (website, social media etc?)How often do the update content on those channels?How much engagement do they get on those channels from the publics they are trying to reach?
What do similar organizations use for communication? Ideas that could improve their reach?

Part Two: Developing & Implementing Tactics & Evaluation

Should be completed during individual capstone project weeks but detailed notes need to be written up and included in the PR strategic plan (phase 3)
After work is done for client evaluate the success of the tactics in a post-campaign analysis section (phase four)

Sample Student PR Capstone Strategic Plan

PR Capstone Poster

Rationale: The capstone poster presentation allows students to showcase their PR campaign, highlighting key steps, decisions, and challenges encountered. Students should focus on illustrating points for all phases of PR strategic planning. Open to the entire college, this presentation provides an opportunity for students to reflect on their problem-solving skills and growth as PR professionals.