A Change in Plans

MiTalk- University of Michigan Mental Health
I submitted a project proposal stating otherwise last week... but after meeting with Todd Sevig, Ph.D., the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) it looks like my project will be focusing on the promotion of MiTalk.org. MiTalk is a website which was developed by CAPS and released last year to all three of the UofM campuses.

1. Business Objectives:

Fundamental Entity: Counseling and Psychological Services -MiTalk.org
Is it better to discuss MiTalk as the fundamental entity rather than CAPS? MiTalk is a comprehensive mental health wellness tool which isn't entirely separate from the services of CAPS. If MiTalk is the FE, that may change the CC to "skill @ online mental health services".

Core Competence: Skill @ mental health services and outreach.

Strategic Assets: Counselors, Mental health expertise

Benefit: Assisting U of M students attain a community of wellness.

Goal: Increase # of Students using MiTalk from each of the UofM campuses 15% by the end of the 2010-2011 academic year.
-Is this a reasonable goal? Too low, or high?

2. Strategic Quadrant:

Category Definition: CAPS is in the business of campus mental wellness, they are the leader on UofM campus, though other competitors in outreach include The Depression Center (not just for UofM pop), and UHS.

Customer Definition: University of Michigan students (undergraduate & grad) who have accessed MiTalk.org >1x per semester and registered on the site.

Marketing Objective: Acquisition of new users

Source of Volume: stimulate demand for mental health resources and information, increase awareness of and use of MiTalk.org

4 B’s Analysis:
Bodies: Students (grad and undergrad) @ all three of the U of M campuses who are not currently using CAPS services and have never accessed MiTalk.org, or are already CAPS customers but haven't yet used MiTalk.org.
Beliefs: "I can do something to help myself and/or friends with mental health needs."
Behaviors: New registers w/ MiTalk, accessing the many resources available on the site.
Benefits: Increased community of mental health wellness in the University of Michigan student population.

What's this Blog all about?

Click here to check out the main course blog Social Marketing: The Big Picture, authored by Professor Christie Nordhielm

From the MKT 614 syllabus, Winter 2010:

"Blog: The purpose of this blog is to reveal and explore the process you undertook in approaching your marketing plan; other people reading the blog should be able to gain some insights into how best to approach a social marketing case.

There are two essential elements to this process: the what and the why.

The what is mostly considered with data sources and tools – how you decided on them, which worked best/worst, etc.

The why is about your analytical/logical thinking – what went into your assumptions for your projections, how you developed your strategic analysis, etc.

In contrast to your marketing plan, the blog should be relatively unedited, capturing your process as you go through it. The emphasis should be on problems/obstacles you encountered and how you addressed them, your thinking process, what information you wish you had, frustrations, aha’s, etc."

Topic Selection & Unbridled Excitement

As a first year masters student in the University of Michigan, School of Public Health, the opportunity to get a taste of life outside of my disciplinary bubble is refreshing and a welcomed challenge.

After anticipating the chance to test my sea legs in social marketing for public health, I am now set with the task of choosing an organization to write a plan for.

In order to focus my interests and options, let's unpack the possibilities:

-UHS Stay in The Blue-
As a member of the School of Public Health Social Marketing Club I have been working on assisting the Stay in the Blue campaign with their campus engagement efforts. To work on Stay in the Blue for this course would be a great extension of what they are already doing, but may duplicate a lot of what the director of the program has done as part of another course. Gathering data for this organization may be less of a problem due to having already established a relationship. I haven't discussed this possibility yet with the director, but would like to keep mulling this idea over as I consider the options.

-CAPS Outreach and Education-
I am interested in mental health (specifically depression and anxiety management and the effect on other behavior) and curious about the promotion of services and awareness efforts on the UM campus. I am also interested in how possible stigma around mental health issues effects the use of any services and information seeking behavior by UM students. I am not currently involved with CAPS in any professional capacity, but I would be really interested in teaming up with their outreach and promotion department to come up with some cool ideas for increasing awareness on campus and de-stigmatizing mental health. I have emailed the the Assistant Director of Outreach and Education to try and establish a connection.

-Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC)-
As part of a group project for HBHE 641, Material and Methods, I have been working with DHDC to develop a market analysis and plan for their technology hub. Though we have spent a lot of time on the market analysis, we will not be able to develop a full marketing plan within the scope of the course and I believe the plan would be greatly benefited by my applying the methods taught in MKT 614. I have suggested to my professor, Dr. Melissa Valerio, that I may be able to extend my work on the project into a more comprehensive marketing plan by making it my project for this course. She was really into the idea and offered to connect me with the marketing person at DHDC. From DHDC's website, here is their mission:

Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC) is a non-profit organization committed to make a difference by creating life changing opportunities for youth and their families.

Areas they could use help with are developing their marketing of their technology center on their website and to the community. The group project for HBHE 641 has been working on the market in detroit and who might use the center, and by developing a full marketing plan in MKT 614 I would be able to assist the organization further in gaining more sustainable funding through rental use of the center.


So there you go. Three potential organizations, three different topics. Which should I choose? Which will be most benefited by the project?