Washington Football Team Communication Plan

Strategic Communication Plan for the Washington Football Team:

Prepared by Champion Communications (in-class assignment)

Introduction

Champion Communications created this plan for The Washington Football Team. The plan provides recommendations for strategic public relations activities that will help enhance the Washington Football Team’s reputation and energize fans.

Situational analysis

The Washington Football Team has a longstanding history with the NFL. The team participated in the first NFL playoffs in 1932 and was ranked first in their NFC East division and 22 overall in 2020. The Washington Football Team was previously known as the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 2020 but recently changed their name to the Washington Football Team.

While this new name is inoffensive, it lacks authenticity and personality. A rebranding of the team would energize fans, investors and players. The Washington Football Team has a long-standing loyal following that deserves a dynamic team.

Goal

By Sept. 15, 2021, the Washington Redtails’ new name and the team will be positively viewed by key audiences. 

Objectives

The objectives of this plan follow:

• The Washington Redtails are well known by 95% of football fans and 30% of people in the U.S. by Sept. 15. 
• Write and distribute a news release about the Washington Redtails that leads to 100 placements in traditional media by Sept. 15.
• Observe a 10% growth in social media engagement with the team’s social media accounts by Sept. 15.

Strategy

Use media relations, social media, employee communications and community relations to rebrand the Washington Football Team and energize fans and staff.

Tactics

The tactics we will use in implementing this strategy fall into three categories: employee communications, traditional and social media campaigns and community relations.

• Employee communications
  • Inform players and coaching staff.
  • Inform all employees with a newsletter article.
• Traditional and social media campaigns
  • Release a news advisory to promote a news conference.
  • Hold a news conference at FedEx Field.
  • Send a news release to national and local media.
  • Update all social media accounts with the team’s new name.
• Community relations
  • Hold a fan meet-and-greet with players and coaches at FedEx Field and distribute a brochure to fans.
  • Hold an auction fundraiser for the Native American Rights Fund.
  • Involve players in a District of Columbia community clean-up.
  • Display a Red-tailed Hawk at the first home game of the season.

Key messages

These messages will be prominently placed in the communications produced and distributed through this campaign:

• The Washington Football Team recognized that there was a problem and took action.
• Team leaders created a new name that captures the unique native wildlife in the Washington area.
• Players for the Washington Redtails love to interact with fans and support community-enrichment initiatives.

Target audiences

• NFL fans
• Washington Football Team fans
• Residents of the Washington metro area
• Sportswriters and commentators

Timeline

This plan covers activities from May through the beginning of the NFL season on Sept. 15, 2021.

• May
  • Inform players, coaching staff and all employees through a newsletter article.
  • Redesign and rebrand team and staff uniforms, merchandise and stadium.
  • Release a news advisory, hold a news conference and send a news release to national and local media.
  • Update all social media.
• June
  • Promote the Washington Redtails on social media.
  • Involve players in a community clean-up event in the District of Columbia.
• July
  • Hold an auction fundraiser for the Native American Rights Fund.
• August
  • Hold a fan meet-and-greet and hand out brochures.
• September
  • Conduct a first home-game celebration with a Red-tailed Hawk
  • Evaluate plan effectiveness

Budget

The budget for this plan includes agency fees and expenses. It is estimated to be $177,000

• Agency fees: $20,000
  • 20 hours for employees
  • 55 hours for traditional and social media
  • 85 hours for community relations
• Expenses: $157,000
  • $5,000 for brochures
  • $5,000 for the banquet
  • $1,000 for news release and news advisory
  • $100,000 for team meet-and-greet
  • $40,000 for Native American fundraiser
  • $3,000 for community-cleanup event
  • $3,000 for hawk release at the first home game
• Total: $177,000

Evaluation

To determine the effectiveness of this plan, we will measure outputs and outcomes.

• Outputs
  • Production and distribution of the news releases, social media messages, brochure, emails and newsletter to employees
  • Number of stories published in traditional media
  • Number of articles and soundbites mentioning the Washington Redtails
• Outcomes
  • Survey of District of Columbia residents to measure awareness about the team’s name change to the Washington Redtails
  • Number of likes and shares with social media content

Authorization to proceed

Sign below to indicate your approval of this plan and permission to begin work in May 2021.

______________________________

Daniel Snyder, owner of the Washington Football Team