Zip Through The Woods

Hannah Curlee
Alex Boisselle
Laura Hang
Hannah Mirr
Max Richey
Jessie Wolfe

HUESTON WOODS

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Table of Contents
PROBLEM STATEMENT

RESEARCH

GOALS

OBJECTIVES

MESSAGES

STRATEGIES

TACTICS

TIMELINE

BUDGET

EVALUATION

APPENDIX

10

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Problem Statement
Hueston Woods State Park hopes to encourage local residents to visit the park through the new zip line
attraction.

Research
Questions on how to solve the problem:
What other parks do residents of Butler and Preble County visit?
What type of people visit (kids, thrill seekers, families, singles) parks?
Where do families hang out (church, school, parks)?
Hueston Woods high season/traffic months: April October
Activities and events offered by Hueston Woods:
Fossil expedition
Nature Center
Lodging and camping
Boating
200-acre virgin forest
Childrens playground
Hayrides
Golf course
Outback shack (restaurant)
Groups & Weddings
Population
Population of Butler County: 371,272 people
Population of Preble County: 41,732 people
Nearby Activities, Attractions and Points of Interest Competitors

Bulls Run Nature Sanctuary & Arboretum - nature walks and bird-feeding stations
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens - Jungle trails including a rainforest exhibit
Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad - nature trails with informative tour guides
Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park - Outdoor museum with meadows, forests and various gardens
Voice of America Park - Walking and jogging trails, athletic fields, Wiggly Field Dog Park
Smith Park - Baseball diamonds, playground, fishing pond, events throughout the year
Joyce Park - Wake Nation, nationally recognized events
Team Fastrax and Start Skydiving

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Butler County Competitors:

Voice of America Park
Smith Park
Joyce Park
Metro Parks (Indian Creek, Governor Bebb, Forest Run, Four Mile Creek, Sebald Park,
Chrisholm and Dudley Woods)
American Discovery Trail
Preble County Competitors:
Allen & Adaline Garber Nature Center-county park
Rush Run Wildlife Area-state wildlife area
Woodlands Trails Wildlife Area-state wildlife area
Covered Bridge- more than any other county
Camping: 5 besides Hueston Woods
There are 75 state parks in Ohio

Key Findings

Butler County School Districts: 18

Preble County School Districts: 6
High season/traffic months: April-October
Average zip line price: $48
Zip lining is a family-friendly activity
On average, 150 people will attend a zip line attraction each day.

Publics

Primary: Families of Butler and Preble County

Goals

Attract residents of Butler and Preble County to Hueston Woods new zip line attraction

Increase overall use of Hueston Woods

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Objectives

To build the number of visitors at Hueston Woods zip line attraction to 23,000 people by the end
of October 2015
Generate at least 200 Facebook likes by the end of October 2015.

Have #ZipThroughTheWoods tagged at least 500 times on Instagram and Twitter

Messages

Hueston Woods will be the only state park in Ohio that offers a zip line attraction

Zip Through The Woods

Strategies

Launch a media relations campaigns

Collaborate with nature/outdoor organizations to emphasize the importance of preserving nature
Collaborate with an outdoor store to provide information about nature activities

Tactics

Pitch letter to outlets about the grand opening of the new zip line attraction
o WLW (Top news radio station)
o Todays pulse (Butler County newspaper)
o Register Herald (Preble County newspaper)
Partner with American Forest Foundation: The American Forest Foundation works on-theground with families, teachers, and elected officials to promote stewardship and protect our
nation's forest heritage. We plan to partner with American Forest Foundation to help send the
message of the importance of forest conservationgo green. Hueston Woods is a place that
strives to uphold a strong appreciation for nature. Partnering with this organization will lead to
forming positive and effective relationships with people who are environmental activist. During
the Family Day, Back to School Bash and Fourth of July events, American Forest Foundation
donation boxes will be available to all guestsencouraging and promoting forest conservation.
There will also be a weekend-long event, Zip Line for a Cause, that engages the guests with

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the overall importance of nature preservation. 80 percent of the proceeds will go towards the
foundation.
Social media: Through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, we will keep the public updated
on all of the upcoming events, as well as provide encapsulating pictures of Hueston Woods.
Facebook and Twitter will be the main social media sites to post the upcoming events that
include: grand opening of the zip line, Family Day, Zip Line for a Cause, Fourth of July and
Back to School Bash. On Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, our main hashtag will
#ZipThroughTheWoods. Pinterest and Instagram will offer pictures of the attraction and of the
various facets of Hueston Woods such as outdoor activities, golfing, lodging, zip lining and
fishing.
o We will feature a Hueston Woods experience on Facebook and Twitter twice a month#ZipThroughTheWoods.
o In order to get the community involved, we will be encouraging guests to use
#ZipThroughTheWoods. Guests who use this hashtag in their personal posts on different
social media sites will have the chance to be reposted by the official Hueston Woods
State Park Facebook page. The selected post will showcase families enjoying the zip line
and Hueston Woods. Each winner will receive one free zip line ride.
Coupons at Kroger: After gaining permission from Kroger, Hueston Woods staff will hand out
coupons at Kroger to encourage publics to come check out the new zip line attraction with their
families. The coupon will offer a 15 percent discount for an individuals first zip line ride.
Email flyers to Butler and Preble County School Districts: After contacting each of the
superintendents, we will send flyers, via email, to each school district in hopes to connect with
families on a more personal level. The flyer will be directly pasted into the email so it does not
have to be opened as an attachment. This will allow readers to view the information when they
first open their email.
Booth at Uptown Park and Kroger in Oxford: Zip line staff /Hueston Woods representatives will
inform visitors of the new zip line attraction and answer any questions they may have. We will
also be handing out coupons to help encourage all to come.
Promotional Items for Opening Day: For promoting the zip lines grand opening, reusable water
bottles and carabineers with our hashtag, #ZipThroughTheWoods, will be passed out throughout
the first couple of months at a variety of our events/partnership locations. There will also be
posters put up in the community centers of Butler and Preble County addressing opening day and
contact information.
Partner with DICKS Sporting Goods and Seaview Outfitters: We plan to create joint initiatives
benefiting both Hueston Woods zip line and retailers. Partnering with Seaview Outfitters will
benefit Oxford because they are a local store that attracts active community members. DICKS
Sporting Goods being a well-known outdoor company will bring families from all over Butler

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and Preble County. To kick off the zip lines grand opening, Seaview Outfitters and DICKS
Sporting Goods will participate our promotions.
o Posters in retail stores
o Flyers in the sales bags
o Pass out carabineers (with labeled hastag, #ZipThroughTheWoods)
o 10-15 percent discount store purchases when attending zip line attraction
o Retailers promote their services/stores at zip line events
Special Events
o Family Day: Encourage families to come check out Hueston Woods and the new zip line
facility while enjoying a free cookout complete with burgers, hot dogs, chips and drinks.
o Fourth of July: Families are invited to come to Hueston Woods and enjoy an open picnic,
live entertainment (DJ) and a fireworks display by the lake. There will be exclusive, onenight only zip line rides offered. Fourth of July lights will be strung throughout the trees,
making it a special and memorable experience.
o Back to School Bash: Families are invited to come and celebrate the upcoming school
year with ice cream and zip line rides. Children (12 and under) ride free, but an adult
must accompany every child.

Timeline
March 1, 2015 to October 1, 2015
March
o March 1: Create social media pages
o March 12: Create promotional materials
o March 23: Print all flyers, posters and coupons

April
o April 1: Distribute posters around Butler and Preble County (Appendix A) and post zip
lines grand opening day event on social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)
(Appendix B)
o April 2: Send out pitch letters (Appendix C & Appendix D) and start to hand out
promotional items with DICKS Sporting Goods and Seaview Outfitters (Appendix E)
o April 3: Email school district superintendent about new zip line, attach flyer (Appendix
F)
o April 4: Hand out flyers at 6 different Kroger locations (Appendix F and Appendix G)
o April 7: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience
o April 10-16: Booth in Oxford to inform families of the zip line opening

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o
May
o
o
o
o
June
o
o
o
o
o
July
o
o
o
o

April 21: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience

May 1: Grand opening of zip line
May 4: Hand out coupons for zip line (Appendix H)
May 5: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience
May 19: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience
June 1: Post for Family Day event on social media (Appendix B)
June 2: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience
June 13: Family Day
June 22: Post Fourth of July event on social media (Appendix B)
June 23: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience

July 1: Benchmark performance and measuring progress

July 4: Fireworks show and open picnic
July 7: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience
July 21: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience

August
o Aug. 1: Post event for Back To School Bash on social media (Appendix B)
o Aug. 4: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience
o Aug. 8: Back to School Bash
o Aug. 12: Post event for Zip for a Cause on social media (Appendix B)
o Aug. 18: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience

September
o Sept. 1: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience
o Sept. 4- 6: Zip Line for a Cause
o Sept. 15: Post to Facebook and Twitter Hueston Woods Experience

Budget
Total Budget

$6,000

Tactics
Coupons

$300

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Flyers
Posters
Ice cream for Back to School Bash
Burgers, Hot Dogs, Chips and Drinks (Family
Day)
Fireworks (Fourth of July)
String lights (Fourth of July)
Live entertainment (Fourth of July)
Water Bottles (500)
Carabineers (1000)

$300
$400
$650
$700

Leftover Budget

$242

$2,500
$200
$200
$345
$163

Evaluation

Observe all social media mediums to see if numbers increased.

Analyze revenue to evaluate change in the overall use of Hueston Woods.
Track all media relations campaigns and observe how many publics were reached via different
news stations/platforms.
Analyze web analytics and measure the number of increased visitors.
Evaluate partnership with American Forest Foundation by measuring donations.
Attach surveys to online platforms to gain understanding of publics opinions of events/how they
heard about each event.
Track number of coupons used and compare to the original number printed to analyze
effectiveness.

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Appendix
Appendix A: Posters

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Appendix B: Social Media

Facebook

Twitter

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Instagram

Pinterest

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Appendix C: Pitch Letter to WLW

Subject line: James Davis: Zip Through The Woods
Mr. Davis:
Hueston Woods State Park celebrates its zip line grand opening on Friday, May 1 by inviting all
residents of Butler and Preble County to a community, family-fun fitness day located at 6301 Park
Office Road, College Corner, Ohio. All can zip through the woods at a discounted price and enjoy free
pass-out gifts.
I think it would be the perfect opportunity if WLW could do a story on the new attraction. I listened to
your previous broadcast of Voice of America Park and thought it was well done. This local business
received much praise and attention due to your stations story and Hueston Woods would greatly benefit
from your communication expertise.
I will be happy to help set up interviews with Isabelle Sabatina and Tyler Weeks, two of the zip line
instructors, as well as the Susan Chapin, park manager. All are willing to voice their excitement about
the attraction. If you need additional information, I have zip line information and would be happy to
send one your way. My direct line is 330-696-3432. Please let me know if there is any way we can help.
I will call Thursday, April 16, to see if I might be of any help on a possible story. Thank you for your
time and consideration.
Hannah Curlee

Hannah Curlee
Public Relations Manager
Hueston Woods State Park
330-696-3432
Hannah.Curlee@hwsp.org

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Appendix D: Pitch Letter to Todays Pulse/Register Herald

Subject line: New zip line attraction at Hueston Woods
Hi [Reporter for Outdoor & Recreation],
I wanted to send you a quick note about the opening of a new zip line attraction at Hueston Woods State
Park on Friday, May 1, 2015. The attraction is a great way to appreciate the outdoor natural resources
and scenic view. To attract more visitors, Hueston Woods will become the first State Park in Ohio to
install a zip line. The public is invited to join us at Hueston Woods on opening day. Through
partnerships, social media, posters, and flyers, families will be aware of new events and various
promotions.
Isabelle Sabatina and Tyler Weeks, two of the zip line instructors, as well as the Susan Chapin, park
manager, would like to invite you to visit the new attraction. I have inserted a press release below that
may be of interest. It covers details about Hueston Woods outdoor recreation and the new zip line
attraction.
Thank you.

Laura Hang
Laura Hang
Public Relations Director
Hueston Woods State Park
440-381-9617
Laura.Hang@hwsp.org

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Appendix E: Promotional Items for DICKS Sporting Goods and Seaview Outfitters
Reusable Water Bottle

Carabineer

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Appendix F: Flyer

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Appendix G: Kroger Locations

5420 Liberty Fairfield Rd Liberty Township, OH
7300 Yankee Rd Liberty Township, OH
1212 W Kemper Rd Cincinnati, OH
130 Tri County Pkwy #324, Cincinnati, OH
300 S Locust St, Oxford, OH
1603 N Barron St, Eaton, OH

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Appendix H: Coupons

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Appendix I: Biographies
Alexandra Boisselle is a senior at Miami University, studying Strategic
Communications, German, and Management. After competing on behalf
of Team USA for four years, Boisselle moved to Berlin, Germany to
figure skate for the German National Skating Team in 2014. In Berlin, she
studied International Business Management at The Berlin School of
Economics and Law. Boisselle has successfully completed internships in
digital marketing, talent acquisition and corporate partnership. In her spare
time, Boisselle enjoys kickboxing, rowing, traveling the world, and skiing
with her family.

Laura Hang is a junior at Miami University, studying Strategic

Communications. She holds an administrative assistant position at Youth
Opportunities Unlimited, a nonprofit organization that serves at-risk youth
in Northeast Ohio. Hang is a member of a womens fraternity, Zeta Tau
Alpha (ZTA), serving Public Relations Assistant. She is responsible for
representing ZTA and the fraternitys national philanthropy of breast
cancer education and awareness through social media. Hang is also a
member of Miami Universitys Club of Fashion & Design (MUCFD) and
Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Hang enjoys
spending her summers as a counselor at Camp Lindenmere and traveling
the country.

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Hannah Mirr is a junior at Miami University, majoring in

Strategic Communications with an expected minor in English. Mirr
holds the Public Relations internship position at MKaltenbach
jewelry designs, and works on all integrated marketing tasks
including advertising, marketing, blogging, event planning, sales,
social media and editorial. Her recent study abroad experience in
Florence, Italy strengthened her intercultural communication skills,
and helped her learn the ins and outs of the high fashion industry
and the Italian language. Mirr coaches and plays lacrosse, teaches
special education as a camp counselor, works as sales associate for
Spruce Boutique and works with underprivileged children. Her
skills and strengths in intermediate Spanish and Italian, leadership,
writing, design, production, and event planning have developed
from each experience.

Hannah Curlee, a Miami University (MU) junior, is a digital

marketing intern for Designed Learning Inc., an online consulting
company. Curlees responsibilities include creating and enhancing
all online advertisements using Google Analytics and Adwords
management, optimizing web activity to generate leads and
designing online messages through LivePerson. During the
summer of 2014, Curlee worked under the direction of Akron,
Ohio Mayor Don Plusquellic as a public relations intern. She
designed and edited speeches, proclamations and city newsletters
each week. She also worked closely with the LeBron James Family
Foundation to plan the Welcome Home event for James, which
attracted thousands of Cleveland basketball fans. Curlee is a
strategic communications major with a minor in Spanish, who
serves as the public relations executive for Audio Engineering and
Music Production, recruitment chair for MU Student Ambassadors
and member of Public Relations Student Society of America.

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Jessie Wolfe is a sophomore at Miami University, pursuing

Bachelors degrees in Strategic Communications and
Journalism. Wolfe is part of the event planning team for UP
Fashion Magazine. This position reflects her interest in fashion
and has given her hands on experience with planning events,
such as UPs seasonal release parties. Wolfe is a member of a
womens fraternity, Kappa Kappa Gamma, where she is
involved in local philanthropies, including an organization
called Opening Minds Through Art. Through this
organization, Wolfe has the opportunity to spend time and
make crafts with elderly people in memory care. In her spare
time, Wolfe enjoys meeting new people, seeing new places,
and catching up on the latest fashion trends.

Max Richey is currently studying to earn a bachelors degree in

Strategic Communications at Miami University. Richey was
recently selected to Miamis communication program, Inside
NYC, a program in which communication students have an
opportunity to shadow multiple mid-to large-sized corporations as
Marketing and Public Relations interns.
Richey has held several internships that developed his skills and
expertise in the communications and P.R fields. During the
summer of 2014, he held an Inside Sales internship for Round
Tower Technologies, a global technology firm. During this
internship, Richey communicated directly with multiple clients and
constructed plans to cater to the customers needs. Before that,
Richey worked as a marketing, customer relations and events
intern for the same IT company. In Richeys first internship he was a marketing and events intern for
Commuter Advertising, where he coordinated and set up a trade show booth for largest transit trade
show in the country.