Marketing Plan

Waynesboro First Aid Crew

Marketing Plan for EMS Public Education, Recruitment and Retention
prepared by: Alan Perry 12/5/2012

Background

The Waynesboro First Aid Crew is a volunteer/career combination non-profit public safety organization that provides primary 911 emergency medical treatments and transport to the citizens of Waynesboro and surrounding Augusta County.  The organization currently spends less than $50,000 annually for volunteer recruitment and retention and has no budget for public education or promotion of volunteer contributions to the community. This expenditure represents less than 5% of the organizations budget for 2012. The lack of any marketing program to attract new volunteers or inform the public of the need and value of volunteers is having a negative effect on the organizations ability to attract and keep new members to sustain its operations. Failure to address the issue will require the employment of additional paid staff and increasing operating costs that the organization will not be able to support indefinitely.

Desired goals of this program

The primary goal of this marketing and retention program is to educate the community of the need and value of the volunteer in the community, and thereby generate interest by individuals in joining this or similar organizations within this community and the surrounding area. While the focus of this program is specific to the needs of the Waynesboro First Aid Crew, it acknowledges that other similar organizations may benefit from it and seeks cooperative alliances with other volunteer organizations to achieve a broader goal of raising public awareness and participation in such activities regionally. In achieving the first goal the second goal of improving volunteer morale will be realized and retention rates will improve.

Specific Request

Establish a marketing program in direct mail, newsprint and other media, that is coordinated and consistent in its message and delivery in such a way as to constantly, and in varied ways, attract the attention of and support of the general public for volunteer EMS services.

$15,000           Direct mail program to the entire City of Waynesboro delivered quarterly and staggered among neighborhoods so that recruitment rates can be quantified by neighborhoods within the city based on response rates during each mailing cycle. Mailer would be sturdy and contain useful information suitable for posting such as a medical history card, Hands only CPR instructions or event calendar.

$15,600           Newsprint campaign once a week ¼ page advertisements to promote the volunteer, announce WFAC activities and events, provide information about how to volunteer and the value of the contributions of volunteers to the city, and the value of volunteering to the individual.

$3,000             Develop an online presence and marketing program incorporating social media, web search engines and online media sources such as the Augusta Free Press, Facebook and Google to broaden the reach of the organizations message and reach newer volunteers and citizens that are connected to this medium.

$12,000           Produce a yearlong advertising campaign on local cable TV NBC-29, 30 second spots highlighting EMS activities in the community, Public events, Training, needs and rewards of being a volunteer EMS provider. This includes production of 4 spots ($650), and airing of 30 spots a month, twice a day during the first two weeks of each month @$30 each, or $900/month. Rate is based on non-profit discounts.

$16,000           Upgrade exterior signage with high visibility graphic display to promote activities, current events and provide public safety announcements. Replace interior bulletin board/calendar with graphic video display informing members of schedules, classes, announcements and achievements and relevant operational information.

$61,600           Total commitment required for the initial one year program. The intensity of this combined marketing plan will get measurable results within a few months, volunteer numbers and the public image of the organization will improve. Investments in future periods will not have to be as intense, however the message will still have to be played in the media to maintain awareness by the public and local government. It is expected that the investment in future years could be cut by as much as 50% but will remain a permanent cost of retaining volunteers and maintaining an informed public.