| Course | MKT 438 Public Relations (MKT/438) |
|---|---|
| Week | 5 |
| Paper type | Public relations campaign plan |
| Length | about 1,018 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | University of Phoenix |
| Program | BS in Business |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MKT 438 Week 5
Fresh for All: A Public Relations Campaign Plan for Food Access From a Milwaukee Grocery Chain
[Student Name]
University of Phoenix
MKT/438: Public Relations
Week 5 Final Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Northgate Markets, the campaign, budget and targets are composites written for a model paper.
Northgate Markets, the composite family grocer with 14 Milwaukee-area stores, has had a hard year. It closed a neighborhood store with little explanation, then faced a deli recall that hospitalized a customer. Its fast, honest recall response and a new food rescue program have started to repair trust, but surveys still show doubt among employees and neighbors. The company wants a year-long campaign that shows, through action, its commitment to food access. A campaign about caring for the community will be judged by what neighbors can see on their own streets, not by what appears in a news release. This paper presents the Fresh for All campaign.
Planning Model
The plan follows four steps: research, objectives, programming and evaluation. Each step builds on the one before, so tactics serve objectives that come from research.
Strategic Communication
Hallahan et al. (2007) described strategic communication as communication an organization undertakes on purpose to advance what it exists to do. The emphasis on purpose matters here. Fresh for All is not a reputation exercise detached from the business; it advances Northgate's mission of feeding Milwaukee families well.
Research: Surveys
The employee survey shows trust in leadership at 41%. The neighborhood survey near the closed store shows 72% believe the company does not care about them. A shopper survey shows that 58% are unaware of the food rescue program.
Research: Media and Community
Media coverage over the past year was mostly negative on the closure, mixed on the recall and positive on the food rescue launch. Community groups report that two neighborhoods lack a full-service grocery within a mile.
What the Recall Taught
The recall showed that speed, honesty and visible action earned more credit than any statement. Local coverage of the recall was critical of the contamination but noted the company's quick product removal, direct customer alerts and public apology. Several residents told the advisory council that the recall response made them more willing to give Northgate another chance. Fresh for All applies the same lesson: act first, then describe the action plainly.
The Problem Statement
Northgate's commitment to food access is not visible or believed by the neighbors, employees and officials whose trust the company needs, especially in areas without nearby grocery stores.
Target Publics
Primary publics are residents in the two neighborhoods without nearby grocers, Northgate employees and city officials. Secondary publics are shoppers, local media and community health organizations.
Goal
Build trust in Northgate as a partner in Milwaukee food access.
Objectives
Raise favorable views among residents near the closed store from 28% to 45% within 12 months. Raise employee trust in leadership from 41% to 55% within 12 months. Reach 6,000 mobile market visits within the year. Raise shopper awareness of food access programs from 42% to 65%.
Strategies
Three strategies guide the tactics. First, show rather than tell, by putting visible food access services in the neighborhoods that lack them. Second, let others speak, giving residents, partners and employees a central role in content and events. Third, report openly, including setbacks, so the campaign's claims stay credible.
Key Messages
Fresh food belongs in every neighborhood. Northgate is working with neighbors to make that happen. Here is what we have done and what we are still working on.
Social Responsibility Messages
Du et al. (2010) found that social responsibility communication works best when it is specific, shows a clear fit with the company's business and comes from credible sources, and that stakeholders' skepticism rises when companies appear to seek credit. Food access fits a grocer naturally. Messages will report concrete facts and let partners and residents speak.
Tactic: Expanded Mobile Market
The mobile market will expand from three to six stops a week in the two neighborhoods, with schedules chosen by the advisory council. Owned and shared channels will publicize stops.
Tactic: Nutrition Classes
With a community health clinic, Northgate will host monthly cooking and nutrition classes at mobile market stops and libraries.
Tactic: Employee Volunteer Days
Employees will receive paid time to volunteer at pantries and the mobile market. Employees who helped design the program will speak at events.
Tactic: Quarterly Impact Report
A short report will share pounds of food donated, mobile market visits, class participation and what has not gone well.
Tactic: Dialogue Online
Kent and Taylor (1998) proposed principles for building dialogic relationships online, including a dialogic loop that lets publics ask questions and receive responses, useful information and easy navigation. The campaign website will invite suggestions for mobile market stops and respond publicly within two days.
Tactic: Media Relations
Stories will focus on residents and partners. Reporters will be invited to a nutrition class and given quarterly data.
Answering Skeptics
Some residents and reporters will see the campaign as image repair. Northgate will not argue the point. Instead, it will publish what it spends, what it delivers and what the advisory council asks for, and it will invite critics to visit the mobile market and classes. If the company cannot deliver a promised stop or class, it will say so in the next impact report.
Risks
The mobile market could lose money, weather could disrupt stops and volunteer interest could fade. A reserve in the budget and a midpoint review allow adjustments.
Timeline
Months one to three: expand the market, launch the website and the first class. Months four to six: first impact report and volunteer days. Months seven to nine: midpoint survey. Months ten to twelve: year-end report and community celebration.
Budget
Mobile market expansion $160,000; nutrition classes $35,000; volunteer time $40,000; website and content $30,000; impact reports and events $25,000; evaluation surveys $20,000. Total $310,000.
Evaluation
Outputs such as stories and posts will be tracked, but success will be judged by outcomes: survey changes in resident and employee trust, mobile market visits, class attendance and shopper awareness.
Conclusion
Fresh for All builds on a year of hard lessons. It follows a planning model, sets measurable objectives, uses specific social responsibility messages, invites dialogue and delivers visible action through the mobile market, classes and volunteers.
References
Du, S., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2010). Maximizing business returns to corporate social responsibility (CSR): The role of CSR communication. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), 8-19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00276.x
Hallahan, K., Holtzhausen, D., van Ruler, B., Vercic, D., & Sriramesh, K. (2007). Defining strategic communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1(1), 3-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/15531180701285244
Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M. (1998). Building dialogic relationships through the World Wide Web. Public Relations Review, 24(3), 321-334. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0363-8111(99)80143-X
What the MKT 438 Week 5 instructions ask
The final MKT 438 assignment usually asks students to create a complete public relations campaign plan. Common requirements include situation research, a problem or opportunity statement, target publics, goals and measurable objectives, key messages, strategies and tactics across earned, owned, shared and paid channels, a timeline, a budget and an evaluation plan. Some prompts follow a named planning model such as RACE or ROPE. Draw on earlier weeks' work on ethics, media relations, stakeholders and crisis, support choices with public relations research and use APA citations throughout. Describe how the plan will answer likely skepticism. Write objectives that state an outcome, an amount and a date, because vague goals cannot be evaluated.
How this MKT 438 Week 5 example is built
After a store closure and a deli recall, a Milwaukee grocery chain plans a year-long campaign on food access. Research reviews survey data, media coverage and community needs. The paper sets objectives for awareness, trust and participation among neighbors, employees and officials. Research on strategic communication frames the campaign as purposeful, and research on social responsibility messages warns that claims must be specific and backed by action. Tactics include an expanded mobile market, nutrition classes with a health clinic, employee volunteer days, a quarterly impact report and a dialogue-focused website. A $310,000 budget, a quarterly calendar and outcome measures complete the plan, with a midpoint survey that allows changes.
MKT 438 Week 5 grading rubric: where the points go
Strong campaign plans move logically from research to objectives, strategies, tactics and evaluation, with every tactic serving a stated objective and a named public. Instructors credit clear situation analysis, defined publics, measurable objectives, consistent messages, a sensible mix of channels, a realistic timeline and budget and evaluation that measures outcomes rather than outputs. Papers that build on earlier analysis and address possible skepticism show maturity. Reviewers look for public relations research, ethical messaging and practical detail. A midpoint check that allows changes shows practical sense. Tables for objectives, calendar and budget help readers, and organized headings with careful APA referencing make a long plan easy to evaluate fairly.
MKT 438 Week 5 help: mistakes to avoid
Students often jump to tactics before research and objectives. Follow the planning sequence. Another frequent gap is writing objectives without numbers or dates. Make each measurable. Students also count outputs, such as releases sent, as success. Measure outcomes, such as changes in trust or participation. Tie every tactic to an objective and a public. Address skepticism directly, especially after a crisis, by reporting spending and results openly. Use owned and shared channels, not just media coverage. Include a budget that adds up. Keep messages consistent with actions. Plan evaluation from the start, including a baseline survey. Finally, summarize how the campaign builds on earlier work so it reads as one strategy.
Related MKT 438 sample papers
Other MKT 438 week samples
- MKT 438 Week 1: Public Relations and Ethics
- MKT 438 Week 2: Media Relations and Publicity Tools
- MKT 438 Week 3: Building Stakeholder Relationships
- MKT 438 Week 4: Crisis Communication
More BS in Business sample papers
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- MKT 431 Week 5: Advertising and Customer Loyalty
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MKT 438 Week 5 questions, answered
What does MKT 438 Week 5 usually cover?
It usually covers a public relations campaign plan: research, publics, goals and objectives, messages, strategies and tactics, timeline, budget and evaluation.
Where can I find a free MKT 438 Week 5 sample paper?
The complete food access campaign plan for a grocery chain is shown above; writers can prepare a campaign plan for your own organization.
What is the RACE model?
A public relations planning model with four steps: research, action or planning, communication and evaluation.
What is the difference between outputs and outcomes?
Outputs are activities and materials produced, such as releases or events. Outcomes are changes in awareness, attitudes or behavior among target publics.
How should a company communicate social responsibility?
With specific facts, clear links to its business and community and honest reporting of results, avoiding vague or exaggerated claims.
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