Education Benefit

Marketing Proposal

From: Lindsey Rieben

Partner Marketing Associate, Guild Education

To: Senior Director of Internal Communications,

Waste Management
 Executive Summary
Waste Management believes in creating a sustainable future. Unfortunately, losing an
employee can cost the company the time and money needed to build a viable
workforce. Studies show that 20% of turnover happens in the first 90 days of
employment (G&A Partners 2016). However, Guild Education's tuition assistance
benefits have proven to increase the 90-day retention rate to 98% in that crucial
timeframe (Guild Education N.d.). That is why it is vital that Waste Management
demonstrates its commitment to employees early by facilitating an understanding of
education benefits in the first 90 days.

With this campaign, we will:

Increase new hire retention rate by 20% in their first 90 days.
Increase enrollment percentage by 20% in 6 months.
Increase website traffic to the education benefit site by 15% in 6 months.
Increase Waste Management Application downloads by 15% in 8 months.
Target Audience
We will have 60% of new employees enroll in SMS/MMS messaging.
(These goals are estimates without knowing the actual data from Waste Management)

Target Audience
Full and part-time hourly employees within their first 90 days of employment.

Communications Channels
Mail- New Hire benefits packet
Day-One Training Video
Company Email
SMS/MMS
Waste Management Employee App
 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Website traffic
Click-through rates
Email open-rate
Opt-ins on SMS/MMS campaigns

Proposed Budget
3 hours of development time for new hire packet.
3 hours of development time for Waste Management website page.
3-5 months of development for SMS/MMS campaigns or $20/month for SMS/MMS
managing software.
5 hours of development time for app push notifications.
15 hours of development time for email campaign.

Tactics
New Hire Information Packet
Upon employment, new hires are mailed a "pre-boarding" packet with relevant
information and benefit overviews. This tactic will add a one-page flyer from Guild
Education to establish an understanding of education benefits before day one. The
packet will include:
Eligibility information for full and part-time employees.
Programs offered.
Benefits of earning a degree or learning a skill.
Website Q&A Information to learn more.

Results will be measured using website traffic data generated following the "pre-
boarding" packet.
Tactics
First Day Training Video & SMS/MMS Campaign
Create a video featuring success stories from Guild Education's case studies that
showcase employees moving into higher roles and provide more for their loved ones.
Using emotional storytelling can help persuade an audience to take a desired action
(MasterClass Staff 2020). A prompt to opt-in for SMS/MMS messaging for more
information on education benefits will be included throughout the video. After opting-
in, employees will receive information like:
Welcome messages.
Program updates.
Event & info session invitations.
Eligibility updates.
Coaching booking confirmation & appointment reminders.

SMS/MMS campaigns can be a cost-effective way to ensure effective communication.

Studies suggest smartphone users check their phone every few minutes to once an
hour (Stokes 2018). Since Waste Management has employees that may not have
access to email daily, using text is an efficient way to distribute information. The key
performance indicator for this tactic is the number of opt-ins generated following the
video and click-through on SMS/MMS communications.
 Tactics
Email Campaign
This tactic will use an email marketing campaign as a cost-effective way to keep employees
engaged and informed throughout their first 90 days. Emails will be strategically distributed
to increase enrollment when eligibility has been reached for the Waste Management "Your
Tomorrow" education benefits program. Each email will be unique and use statistics and
stories to compel employees to enroll at the end of their 90-day period. Personalization in
subject lines is used because it has been shown to elicit better responses (Stokes 2018).
Emails will be distributed at the following rate:

Days 1-45: Every 15 days.

Days 45-75: Every 7 days
Days 75-87: Every 3 days
Days 87-90: Every day

Below are 5 samples of email headlines:

Day 1: Welcome (insert employee name)! We are here to help you create a sustainable
future.
Day 15: Why should you go back to school?
Day 45: Get an Education. Let WM pay for it.
Day 67: Your family can get an education for free, too!
Day 80: One-on-one education coaching made just for you, (insert employee name).
Day 90: Congratulations (insert employee name)! You are eligible for education benefits!

An email campaign is an efficient way to reach employees because every employee is

provided with a company email address, creating an immediate database. This email
distribution pace is designed to increase engagement and improve enrollment at the end of
90 days. The KPIs for this campaign include open rate, click-through rate to the attached
website link, and conversion rate to enrollment.
 Tactics
Waste Management Mobile App Outreach
This tactic will utilize Waste Management's existing mobile app to reach employees
through push notifications and application pages. On average, Americans check their
phone 262 timer per day (Wheelwright 2021). A mobile app allows internal
communication that is convenient and efficient, even when email is not. Push
notifications can send important alerts about education benefits while giving the
employee control by being able to turn off notifications.
Mobile app push notifications will be used to send:
Eligibility updates for new hires.
Event & information session invites.
Education benefit updates.
Motivational education quotes such as: "Education is the most powerful weapon
you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela.
The KPIs for this tactic are app engagement and click-through.

Waste Management Company Page

A company website page about education benefits increase enrollment. The goal of
the webpage is to give employees access to information including:
Eligibility.
Learning paths:
Complete High School.
Earn a Bachelor's Degree.
Earn a Master's Degree.
Learn a New Language.
Learn a Trade.
Schools and degrees offered.
Step-by-step guides for applications.
A CTA button to connect with a coach.
An FAQ Page.

Creating easy access to information can reduce frustration, thereby increasing the
probability of enrollment. The KPIs for this tactic include click-through, website traffic,
and enrollments.
 Project Management Plan
Project Milestones
Phase 1: Initiate (Weeks 1-2)
Week 1: Create internal onboarding to get the Guild team on the same page.
Week 1: Set and prioritize objectives & goals.
Week 1: Define deliverables.
Identify what works based on the tactics above.
Week 2: Meet with Waste Management to discuss needs and expectations.

Phase 2: Plan (Weeks 3-4)

Week 3: Define the scope of the project and establish a project timeline.
Week 3: Collaborate to schedule deadlines and assign deliverables.
Week 3: Determine optimization dates to assess project success for 30, 60, and 90 days.
Week 4: Create a contingency plan.
Week 4: Review plan with Waste Management team.

Phase 3: Execute (Weeks 5-7)

Weeks 5-6: Create deliverables.
Weeks 6-7: Use a planning software like Monday.com to collaborate, make content calendars,
communicate deadlines, and generate timelines.
Week 7: Distribute deliverables to Waste Management teams.

Phase 4: Measure & Adjust (Ongoing)

As an ongoing plan, adjusting is essential to success. Using KPI measurements, content should
be adjusted to best fit campaign objectives.

With this campaign, we will:

Increase new hire retention rate by 20% in their first 90 days.
Increase enrollment percentage by 20% in 6 months.
Increase website traffic to the education benefit site by 15% in 6 months.
Increase Waste Management Application downloads by 15% in 8 months.
We will have 60% of new employees enroll in SMS/MMS messaging.
 References
G&A Partners. 2016. "The First 90 Days Are 'Make or Break.'" G&A Partners. Accessed August 15,
2021. https://www.gnapartners.com/resources/articles/why-an-employees-first-90-days-
are-make-or-break

Guild Education. N.d. "Empowering Companies to Offer Education as a Benefit." Guild Education.
Accessed August 14, 2021. https://students.guildeducation.com/for_companies

MasterClass Staff. 2020. "What is Pathos? Definition of Pathos with Examples." MasterClass.
Accessed August 14, 2021. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-pathos-definition-
of-pathos-with-examples#what-are-the-origins-of-pathos

Stokes, Rob. 2018. eMarketing: The Essential Guide To Marketing in a Digital World. 6th ed. Red &
Yellow: Cape Town.

Wheelwright, Trevor. 2021. "Cell Phone Behavior in 2021: How Obsessed Are We?" Reviews.org.
Accessed August 15, 2021. https://www.reviews.org/mobile/cell-phone-addiction/