Murdoch Sports | Georgia Earnshaw

Murdoch Sports Campaign

The Brief

Murdoch Sports, the predominant sporting department at Murdoch University, aims to earn an FISU accreditation to align Murdoch University with health values focused on the physical and mental wellbeing of its staff and students. They hope to raise awareness around new and old programs, as well as revive Murdoch Sports as a key campus service provider and wellbeing driver amongst internal stakeholders.

In a group comprised of six people, we were given the task to develop a campaign that raises awareness of Murdoch Sports among staff at Murdoch University.

The Team

We are a team of passionate, creative and high achieving individuals, who each incorporate a range of unique and dynamic skills that contribute to the development of original, effective and memorable campaigns.

Being a team of six, our diverse set of skills are inclusive of communications, graphic design, journalism, screen production, photography and accounting. Our unique skill sets as individuals make us indefatigable as a united team, where we are able to utilise each of these skills to curate innovative and well-informed campaigns.

We pride ourselves on being not only communicators, but creatives. We think outside the box and ideate extraordinary channels and tactics, which enable us to develop exciting and innovative campaigns. Our extensive research strategies ensure that we understand our clients’ needs, and can therefore create campaigns that are relevant and meaningful.

We aim to influence change for the better.

10 Point Plan

Background Research

There are two collaborative clients for this campaign, Murdoch Sports, the Murdoch University department primarily responsible for the provision of sports, recreation and fitness on campus as well as Access, Wellbeing and Equity, the university department working on the basis of creating a diverse and inclusive campus; creating wellbeing benefits for all.

Murdoch Sports is responsible for the management of the Sports and Recreation Centre, including the outdoor courts and the new eSports Gaming Hub. They are going through a reformation that hopes to grant Murdoch Sports with an FISU accreditation, aligning Murdoch with health values focused on the physical and mental wellbeing of its staff and students. They hope to raise awareness around new and old programs as well as revive Murdoch Sports as a key campus service provider and wellbeing driver amongst internal stakeholders.

Access, Wellbeing and Equity hopes that, through these implementations and wellbeing promotions, Murdoch University can improve student success. They have a number of goals and intended achievements including, the natural embedding of wellbeing on campus, empowering staff and students wellbeing knowledge, current and new wellbeing system evaluations and the burgeoning of a healthy campus. They also hope to create and improve new and existing health and wellbeing amenities.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

New campaign with an open budget.
Access to Murdoch Sports resources.
Potential collaboration/access of Murdoch’s online platforms to promote tactics.

Weaknesses

COVID-19 restrictions on on-campus games.
Risk of non-involvement especially for busy staff members.

Threats

Failure or lack engagement the campaign tactics.
Inappropriate use of the online platform.
Second wave of COVID-19.

Opportunities

Rebrand the sporting community at Murdoch University.
To improve/create the health and wellbeing programs.
To get Murdoch University accredited as a “healthy campus”.

The Problem

Target Audience

Staff of Murdoch University (Casual): They are a part of the target public because they want to feel more involved with the Murdoch University community and are a part of the university.

Staff of Murdoch University (Permanent): They are a target public because Murdoch University should offer a way for permanent staff to have downtime, according to the survey we carried out (Staff lacked free time).

Stakeholders

Manager of Murdoch Sports
Fitness and Wellbeing Coordinator
Senior Manager of Access, Wellness and Equity
Health Promotion
Murdoch Board of Directors
Murdoch University Staff (Casual)
Murdoch University Staff (Permanent)

Message

This campaign intends to improve the physical and mental health of Murdoch’s staff. This will be achieved through channels that implore values of well-being, connectivity, community and fun. Specific tactics will be utilised to help accomplish the endeavours of this campaign, focusing on the creation of a house system as well as an online platform intended for intra-staff communications. The aforementioned house system hopes to build a sense of pride and interactivity amongst staff, whilst benignly promoting healthy practices. The creation of an online forum keeps the campaign relevant and forum posting promotes a sense of inclusivity.

Strategy Statement

Goals & Objectives

Channels & Tactics

Tactic 1: Introducing Houses

Channel:

Interpersonal

Description:

Murdoch University’s staff and students are sorted into 5 houses; Bolton, Walters, Nexus, Lionel and Emeritus. These houses have been named after some of the people who are apart of Murdoch’s history, who have shaped Murdoch University to be the university that it is today.

Each month a sports event will be held where the houses can compete against each other. A variety of sports games will be offered each time (eg. Basketball, Chess, Netball, Tennis).

Incentive:

All members of the winning team’s house will receive a 10% discount to coffee/ hot chocolate.

Objective:

Brings Murdoch community together (between staff and staff and students).

Create a sense of belonging. Students and staff who have never interacted before can socialise by being in the same house.

Channels of Promotion:

LMS sliding advert column

Screen in Student Hub

Social Media posts (cross posting - Murdoch Uni’s official Instagram and Facebook)

Video Trailers (posted on social media and Murdoch Website)

Publish the event on Staff Announcement Page

Evaluation:

An online survey will be sent to all staff members to determine if the implementation of the housing system is improving health and wellbeing on campus for staff.

(Quantitative/qualitative).

Tactic 2: House Carnival

Description:

Biannually, Murdoch will hold carnival, based in conjunction with the 5 new houses. Competing in numerous sporting and social activities the “House Carnival” brings staff, students and the community together in a day of sporting fun. Each teaching department is encouraged to provide one staff member to take part in the carnival. Family of staff are welcome. Bringing about comradery, sportsmanship, creativity and fun the “House Carnival” benefits the mental and physical wellbeing of staff and students, as well as bringing a diverse range of demographics together to connect. Improving staff-student relationships can encourage them to talk to each other.

Games will range from netball and soccer to athletics, chess and lighthearted games of sack racing.

Stalls, animal farm, games and food trucks, guild groups are also welcomed to set up and stall.

Music students can play.

Film students can film.

Campus radio can chat.

Incentive:

Big campus event where students and staff can be entertained with sports games, food, performances.

A way to de-stress.

Objective:

Brings Murdoch community together (between staff and staff and students)

Promotes health and wellbeing

Opportunity to cover expenses: during the event Murdoch can charge rent price for food trucks

Channel:

• Posters

• Signage on campus

• LMS Portal Sliding Advert

• Merchandise

Evaluation:

Upon arrival, all students must put on a wristband. The number of wristbands taken will be monitored to give an approximate number of people in attendance. The wristbands would have an incentive of being able to have a free sausage sizzle. (Quantitative)

Tactic 3: Online Platform

Channel:

Digital Media via a Murdoch SharePoint Website (Staff Intranet)

Aim:

Promote sports activities happening around campus.

In built Games (eg. Chess - staff members are able to challenge other staff members online for a chess game).

Video bank of fitness activities.

The main messaging forum to meet staff members with similar interests.

Eg. hiking groups, book clubs, games nights.

Creating activities for staff members to involve themselves in, even making/widening friend circles.

Tactic:

An online messaging platform for all staff on Murdoch’s campus.

An interactive platform to find similar interests within the staff community.

Incentive:

Staff have control over what activities they want to participate in, and when and where they will take place.

Staff are able to find other staff members with similar interests.

Encourages staff to engage socially with each other more, that there would be an increased sense of community amongst them.

Benefits fitness and mental health.

Evaluation:

The online forum will be evaluated through web analytics, where the bounce rate will determine how many people have been using the platform, and the amount of time in which people stayed on the platform. Records of people who attend each activity as a result of the platform will be undertaken, to ensure that we are kept informed as to whether people are actually engaging with the platform, and with the activities that it presents.

(Quantitative)

An online survey will be sent to all staff members to determine if the implementation of the online forum is improving health and wellbeing on campus for staff.

(Quantitative/qualitative)

Tactic 4: Online Platform Activities

Activity 1: Monthly Fitness Meet-up

Tactic:

Monthly excursions for staff, there is a space on the online platform and a notice board near bush court where staff can sign up. Staff can choose an activity such as, squash, bowling, swimming, etc.

Incentive:

Bit of fun, staff can choose an activity they’d like and they change each month. Staff’s families can join in too!

Benefits:

Encourages staff to bond

Encourages fitness

Good for mental well-being

Enjoyable and breaks up their schedule

Activity 2: Fortnightly Gathering

Aim:

Heighten a sense of community among staff at Murdoch University.

Encourage staff to engage with staff members from other disciplines (people they usually wouldn’t associate with).

Encourage staff to build strong friendships and support systems, that they would feel more supported while at work.

Tactic:

Organise a fortnightly gathering where staff can socialise; could be something as simple as getting a coffee on a Wednesday evening or breakfast on a Friday morning.

Can be integrated into the online platform as one of the activities.

Incentive:

Staff able to meet new people and build friends within their work environment.

Build a bigger, stronger support system so their place of work is more enjoyable.

Evaluation:

This will be evaluated through both a role system where people who attend can write their names down, or someone can be allocated to count how many people are in attendance.

(Quantitative)

Budget

Timeline

Presenting our Campaign

Once we had all finished the development of our campaigns, we held a conference where we presented our campaigns to our clients, as well as industry professionals. Both the clients and industry professionals provided feedback regarding how we presented, and what they thought of our campaign ideas. We were pleased that they were impressed with our professionalism in our presentation, as well as the creativity of our proposed tactics.