First Tee Greater Austin

PR Plan

Group 3Paige KimballAlex DockeryDustin VillarrealMax Crutchfield

First Tee Greater Austin

• Mission: The First Tee of Greater Austin strives to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character-development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. 

• Objective: Make the game of golf and its positive life values accessible to youth who would not normally have an opportunity to play.

Foundation Tour – Jan. 2008

Our Challenge

• The Harvey Penick Golf Course opened in 2002.

• That was the last time they received substantial coverage.

• No public awareness• Confusion over who can

play the course• No PR Budget or

Strategy to date• Lack the resources to

reach target audiences

SWOT of Current PR Efforts

Strengths-Own the course they operate on

-High profile figures participate in events

-Large individual gifts from donors

-Many newsworthy events and feature stories on continuous basis

-Austin has nice weather year-round

Weaknesses-No PR Budget or Strategy

- “About Us” on Course website does not refer to First Tee at all

-No current staff available to perform PR functions

-No existing relationship with golfers or golf businesses in Austin

-Only 9-hole course.

Opportunities-Large university community

-Inexpensive membership compared to competition

-Many state associations and new businesses in Austin

-Can trade coupons for survey answers; receive and give information

Threats-Storms & droughts

-Regular courses keep all their profits

-Target (lower income) must work more and often too busy to play

-Many non-profits in Austin; must compete for volunteers

Harvey Penick Golf Course Website

“About the Course” webpage is dull,

drab, and makes no mention of First Tee!

PR Goals & Objectives

• Long-Term Goal: Generate more revenue from the course to provide more scholarships to kids.

• Short-Term Goal: Raise public awareness of what course offers and how it is affiliated with First Tee.

• Objectives:– Reach UT community– Reach “middle-management” and associations in Austin to

encourage corporate events at the course– Establish presence with golf businesses in Austin– Begin research to identify target audiences & create a base for

measurement and evaluation of PR efforts and program– Utilize events to obtain coverage of the course

Progress Report

• Met with executive director of golf course and founder of First Tee Greater Austin

• Knowledge of staffing & budget issues• Knowledge of past coverage• Have definite plan for conducting primary research• Obtained their current media contact list for revision

purposes• Brainstorming improvements for website• Group Member is affiliated with UT Golf League and

working on forming relationship with First Tee• Currently writing and revising possible releases and

features

Present Concerns

• Budget of $0.00 will make it difficult to recruit qualified PR specialists.

• Lack of research makes it difficult to identify specific target audiences.

• The plan will take a long time to implement because of no PR staff.

• Major events will take place very soon & there will not be enough time to carry out the full strategy.

Our Problem: They expect us to implement each idea we develop.

How can you help?

• Please Pass in the survey.• Feedback:

– Questions?– Comments?– Suggestions?

• Thanks from Group 3 and First Tee!• (That Rhymes)