PARSLEY

MOVING
FORWARD
WITH
CONFIDENCE
Prepared By :
Cayhla Smart
Cole Miller
Kaitlyn Jamieson
Noah Gray
Presented To :
Lana Wood

yourparsley.com
TABLE OF
CONTENTS

Background Survey Analysis

Campaign Goal Strategies
SWOT Tactics
SWOT Diagnosis Activities
PESTEL E&M
PESTEL Diagnosis Materials
Publics Budget
Objectives Timetable
Survey
 Campaign Outline

OBJECTIVE ONE
We will make Parsley’s graphic
material better reflect the purpose
of the benefits cliff calculator by
August 202

OBJECTIVE TWO
Expand social media presence
by 50% within nine months.
OBJECTIVE THREE
Rebrand Parsley’s website,
before release of the app, to
make it more welcoming to
users which will increase
website interaction
drastically. OBJECTIVE FOUR
Increase awareness of
benefit cliffs to target
OBJECTIVE FIVE audiences within a year.

Build a large, inclusive

community around Parsley’s
mission within a year.
 Background

The client for our PR campaign is Parsley. Parsley is an app still in

development, under the leadership of Lana Wood, which will help users
navigate government financial benefits. The app can be used by both
employees and employers, professionally and unprofessionally, and
gives users a friendly interactive experience as they navigate the
benefits cliff, especially those who are unaware of the hazards of benefit
cliffs. A benefit cliff occurs when public benefit programs taper off or
phase out quickly when household earnings increase. Parsley will allow
its users to weigh the pros and cons of navigating benefits when their
earnings increase.

With a one-million-dollar investment, Parsley is in the process of

developing this app for the public. The funding acquisition for this
app is split up into two five-hundred thousand-dollar portions,
including one part given before the app was developed in order to
kick start the program and one after successfully showing progress
for app development. The investors are a big part of the company, to
Lana, because their financial help has made the development of this
app and community possible.
Campaign Goal

The main goal of our public relations campaign is to inform and

persuade the public of the benefits of using Parsley.

In order to create a successful campaign, we will dig into everything

Parsley has done up to this point. We will critique Parsley’s social media,
website, and designs, and note the strengths, weaknesses, and much
more in order to determine how to successfully promote them. On top of
looking at what Parsley already has done, we will introduce new ideas to
Lana which will improve Parsley's public relations.

By implementing these initiatives, the end all goal is to increase the

amount of people using Parsley. We believe the actions in our campaign
will do so. Our campaign will introduce a good image of Parsley to
countless users. Due to our campaign, Parsley will be able to inform and
guide new users on benefits cliffs through their app.
We will work closely with Lana to achieve our goals. By combining
insight from Lana and the information we know and learn, we will
produce a successful campaign. Parsley will take our ideas to create a
positive public relations image for themselves.

SWOT

SWOT looks specifically at four main categories: strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. When looking at these main
categories, Parsley has a lot of strengths and a few weaknesses that
could be solved pretty easily. For example, Parsley demonstrates
transparency with the public. This would be a strong point for Parsley
to advertise based on the fact that transparency is something
consumers seem to be craving. Truth is something that is not easy to
find through all the different platforms of media.

Having an app that estimates benefits and can guarantee honesty will
bring attention and build loyalty. With that said, the lack of social
media presence may be one of the greatest weaknesses Parsley faces.
Facebook and LinkedIn are strong places to start, but different apps
will need to be utilized to attract different groups of people and more
attention. Tiktok and Instagram attract a younger generation that is
not informed about government benefits. Informational videos on
what a benefit cliff is and how the app would be used can help bring in
attention and bring in a younger audience.

 The government-run benefits calculator would be the greatest

competition that Parsley would face. Based on that information, this is
a positive thing for Parsley. Government distrust is something that is
constantly circulating (Edelman Trust Barometer). Parsley is at a great
advantage because it is a nonprofit that has intentions of just helping
the public better understand their benefits and they are not affiliated
with the government. They will not be giving users’ information to any
government entity. However, the greatest threat would be how easy it
is to find the government website and calculator. In order to avoid this
problem, Parsley needs to create a strong name and understanding for
consumers. This would include a stronger social media presence,
getting in contact with small businesses to begin giving Parsley a voice,
and trying to create traction around a need for understanding
benefits.

Strengths
Aid in benefit cliffs (Lana)
Good at helping people understand
benefits that they are entitled to
receive. Parsley has an easy,
welcoming process. (Lana)
Lead a team of passionate and
talented people to build tools that
promote the economic flourishing
of working people through. (Lana)
Empower individuals decision-
making to result in greater
Weaknesses
Lack of social media presence.
(Lana)
Very broad target audience. (Lana)
Lack of advertising. (Lana)
Logo is not appealing. It is not
green. (LinkedIn).
The first thing to appear online for
Parsley would be different recipes,
food, etc (Google).

economic security and long-term

growth. (Lana)
Assist employers seeking to
improve job quality, retention and
advancement. (Lana)
Support workforce development
providers seeking to serve job-
seekers more effectively. (Lana)
 Opportunities
Government distrust is big in the
US and Parsley is a nonprofit not
government-run (Lana).
Mobile banking is a huge trend
right now in society making it
Parsley's time to be another app
that helps people better
understand their finances (Forbes).
Look specifically at how Parsley
believes that people deserve the
information to make an informed
decision (Lana).
Covid 19 led to a surge of job losses
in 2019 and now with so many
Threats
Under a strict timeline to make
progress or Parsley loses funding.
(Lana)
The competition is very easy to
discover online. The government
calculator is first to appear when
looking for a benefits calculator
(ssa.gov)
Need more engagement with the
idea of Parsley so that by the time
the app is released, people are
aware of what it does (Lana).

people returning to the workforce,

educating on benefits is essential
(UN News).

SWOT Diagnosis
Based on the SWOT, Parsley should consider looking towards creating a
stronger presence on social media, a logo that is more easily connected
to helping people navigate the benefits cliff, and making the website a bit
more friendly and easily connected to the product.. When looking at
Parsley’s social media, the posts were strong and educated viewers.

However, Parsley needs to look at appealing to a larger audience on

more social media platforms. When looking at the logo, it is confusing
and doesn’t seem to match what the calculator does. As for the website, it
was intimidating and very wordy. In conclusion, a friendlier media
presence would cause an uptick in engagement even before the app
comes out.
PESTLE
There is often a connection between PESTEL Analysis and SWOT
Analysis, and it should be noted however that the two tools have
diverse focuses. A PESTEL Analysis will allow for us to examine the
political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal
factors, opportunities and threats that Parsley may potentially face.

A main factor that Parsley is going to face is the social stigma of

needing government assistance and those who don't know how to
seek aid in the face of experiencing a benefit cliff. Opportunities here
mean that Parsley can identify and implement inclusion for future
clients so that they feel comfortable with the app. Threats from social
stigma means that Parsley needs to be clear about the process of
reaching clients with limited resources and limited knowledge on the
app itself.


P.E.S.T.E.L. Factor

Opportunity

Threat

Views on Policies
Political

government

Demographics

Stereotypes

assistance /Stigma

Aid in Time
Benefits assistance for
Economical

restraints

for
Cliff benefits cliff families

Lack of
Social

Stigma

Inclusion

resources

Limited
Technological

Social
Media Advertising

Platforms

Help clients
Financial
Environmental

Poverty

not reach

poverty level Stress

Secure Software
Legal

Confidentiality

Software Malfunction
PESTEL Diagnosis
Parsley should consider implementing more social media
platforms to get their message across to the communities and
families impacted by the benefits cliff. Advertising the inclusive
aspect to bypass the stigma and the discomfort that comes with
needing assistance for situations like this, will improve Parsley’s
chances of reaching their target audiences. Opportunity for
advertisements will come with improved social media presence.

Publics
One of the first publics Parsley should consider is the demographic of
college students. These are people that have gone through a big change
in life and aren’t aware of how paying off college would impact their
finances. College students have new challenges to face in the world of
benefits. These benefits are hard to navigate and can cause even more
stress to the newfound student. With Parsley, this stress can be avoided
as the graduate looks at their own benefits.
Parsley would be able to impact the college student’ beliefs and values.

This would help them to believe that Parsley is the best reliable option
for navigating the benefits cliff and that Parsley is a trustworthy
nonprofit. As for changing values, most media causes people to feel in
constant competition with others. When looking at benefits, it is often
difficult to understand which benefits impact the finances. With Parsley,
the college students would be capable of seeing what best fits their
choices and are able to look organized in comparison to other people.

Another important public of Parsley is the newly employed. Whether

that is entry-level college graduates entering the field or individuals
moving out of their parent's households - there is a potential for the
discussion of benefits with your new employer. Employers may discuss
health insurance, dental, vision, retirement, and more with you once
entering your position. These are all extremely important decisions to
make regarding your income and the level of benefits you are willing
to receive. With this, comes the sacrifice of copays and deductibles
from your paycheck when accepting new benefits from a new
employer.

Benefit cliffs occur when a person's income from a new job

opportunity is insufficient to compensate for the loss of state benefits,
which worsens their financial status. When income rises, people can
lose all or part of their financial support. These can include the
Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), school nutrition programs,
health care, child care assistance, and housing. A net loss of income or
merely a modest overall rise is frequently the result of salary increases.
The cliff effect can occasionally appear more like a hillside or valley,
but it still serves as a deterrent to effort. Many people "stall" or "slip off
the cliff's edge" when lost perks surpass salary increases, which stalls
advancement in their professions and careers.

Objectives
In our campaign, we will make Parsley’s graphic material better reflect
the purpose of the benefits cliff calculator by August 2023. We
categorize this objective under the brand genre. This objective is
specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. In our campaign,
we specifically want to re-evaluate any graphic designs pertaining to
Parsley and look for ways to improve the connection between the
graphics and the calculator. We will be able to measure our success with
this objective if more people can easily connect the graphics to the
calculator. This objective is relevant to our overall goal.

We want more people to use Parsley, and these people would be more
willing to click on a website or brand that clearly indicates the purpose
of the app and appeals to them. We believe rethinking the graphics will
help. Lastly, we want the graphic clarity to be finished before August
2023 which is the timeline for our campaign. Expanding parsleys media
presence is tedious, not just because parsley has to avidly post good
material and keep their followers present with their company. The
company must also have a unique yet clearly identifiable look and a
very organized media presence operation.
That is why developing a successful social media campaign is as hard as
anything else, and that is why there is a strict guideline parsley should have
to follow to be at the top tier with their peers when it comes to media
presence. The first step to having a solid media presence is producing
insightful information that consumers can read and thus feel more in touch
with your company. Information is the primary key to keeping a firm grip
on the consumer's thoughts about the company.

The second key to producing a professional media brand is avid posting.

This means that someone at parsley will have to post daily and even more
than once, and this is because it shows the consumer that parsley is there
for them and want to keep them in the loop as much as possible. Posting
religiously will also show the people how much work company leaders put
into the company and how much they want it to succeed. The third and final
key to preparing a significant social media presence is always listening to
the organization's followers. Listening to the followers' comments will give
the company crucial insight into what they want personally from parsley.
After listening to them it will be easier to answer questions and to give the
people the information they have asked for.

Increasing the awareness of benefit cliffs is an objective that needs to be

completed for the company and for the people who want and need the
necessary information that will allow them to make good choices. The world
of benefit cliffs is challenging to process, so Parsley is here to save the day.
With the app Parleys is developing, people who have trouble understanding
benefits state-wide and nationwide will have the information they need to
be ready for their next raise, their next kid, and even their next spouse. It
isn't just about the app being developed: It is essential to engage the
community for which the app was initially developed for.
 A company needs to have a good website to explain the workings of the
company. Parsley's current website is very difficult to understand, and
because it’s not immediately clear what the purpose of Parsley is, it
doesn't bring that welcoming nature that a helpful app like Parsley
should. That is why making sure the website is accessible to all who
might need the app is crucial for the company before the app's release. A
newly made website that brings a new and simple look to the company's
operation will give the consumer a better understanding of what Parsley
is and how it might benefit them. This is all to bring forth new views to
the company and give insight into how their app will benefit people
navigating government benefits.

Our last objective is to build a large, inclusive community of 500-plus

people who engage with Parsley’s app and social media within a year. We
categorize this objective under the audience genre. This objective is
specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. In this objective,
we specifically want to increase the size of the community that supports
Parsley. We can measure this objective's success by seeing how many
people actively support Parsley. This objective is attainable because if we
succeed in our public relation campaign, this objective will fall into
place on its own. Building a larger community around Parsley is relevant
to our main goal because we want more people to be aware of Parsley. A
larger community will spread information more quickly. Lastly, the
objective is timely because we seek to complete it within a year. For this
objective to be successful, as a campaign we will simply need to spread
the word about what Parsley is. If we can successfully show how
beneficial Parsley is to users, a community will build itself around
people who use the app. We will also need to be active on social media.
Posting on social media will give the community a place to interact and
grow. In this day in age, it is easy to interact online so Parsley needs to be
part of the conversation to grow.
Survey Questions
Are you newly employed and/or recently graduated?
Have you been presented with benefit package options at your
workplace?
On a scale of 1-10, how much would you appreciate assistance in
choosing a benefits package at your workplace?
How confident are you in knowing what a benefit cliff is? (add
definition)
Is your total compensation impacted by government benefits?
Yes, no, idk
On a scale of 1-10, how valuable would you find an app that helps
you avoid benefits cliffs?
On a scale of 1-10, how intimidating are government websites to
you?
Do you find this logo approachable? (Insert picture of Parsley’s
logo)
Which social media platform are you most likely to see
advertisements? Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, etc.
How likely are you to use a benefits opportunity calculator? Very
likely, not likely, etc.
Have you heard of the company, Parsley? (add links)

Survey Analysis
Strategies
(Objective 1) To achieve our goal or objective of re-evaluating all of
Parsley’s graphic material by August 2023 to improve brand
recognition, we use specific strategies to do so. We will implement
these strategies into our campaign. First, we will create an outline of
Parsley’s current graphic material for Lana to review. In doing so, we
will shed light on Parsley’s current graphic material situation. An
overview of the graphics will allow us and Lana to see what material is
appealing and successful and what material needs to be improved.
After the outline is made, we believe Parsley should consult a
professional graphic designer. This designer will give insight on the
graphic material which our team and Lana may not see. The designer
will be able to help improve any areas which need it and give us
approval on previous designs. Using these strategies will give us the
edge we need in order to complete our graphic material evaluation
objective.

(Objective 2) expanding Parsley media presence in the next year will

have to be a hands-on job. Though it is difficult to develop a strong
media presence for a new company there are many great tools they can
use to make their company shine bright. The first tactic Parsley can use
is making an instagram and this will give the companies media a boost
within a couple months. Instagram is one of the world largest and most
used social media platforms with 2 billion people surfing the
application on instagram.
The app also has a feature where you can make said profile a
company-based profile. With a company-based profile, you can make
and post ads to put your company's name out to the public for a
reasonable price. The second option Parsley has to put their company
out to the public is Spotify ads. The application Spotify is a music-
playing media where people pay for the premium version with no ads
or there is a free version with ads. Their ad program is 6 months of
streaming of your company's ad for $1,000. These are some options for
Parsley's distribution of ads.

(Objective 3) increasing awareness of benefit cliffs ties into the

objective of expanding Parsley’s media presence. With the expansion
of their media presence, you can use that to give information on
benefit cliffs and what they are all about. Coming up with a catchy
slogan is also a good idea for helping the consumer understand who
you are and what you are trying to help them with.

The more people the company reaches out to and helps understand
what their problem is the more people willing to share what benefit
cliffs are and how Parsley's app is there to help them. Lastly, being
honest and upfront about the issues concerning the people tied down
by benefit cliffs will give a sense of authority and show the people that
Parsley is the one that can help them.

(Objective 4) Building a website for a company like Parsley should

give the consumers the information they need from you and how the
company can help them. The website should show the personality of
the company.
Under Armor has a website built for their personality of being active,
fierce, and strong. Parsley needs to have that sense of helping hand
and therefore you feel for their website. With a good website comes a
lot of foot traffic and with that traffit comes people that need help
from Parsley.

Installing colors and words that express the company's views and
goals is also another great addition to its website, and this is because
it brings an easier thinking process before the consumers understand
the company as a whole. (objective 5) To achieve our goal or objective
of building a large, inclusive community around Parsley’s mission
within a year, we will implement specific strategies in our campaign
to do so. In today’s society, the easiest and most effective way to
interact with a large group of people is through the use of social
media.

If Parsley is to have a strong community, social media must be

involved. The first step in creating an online community will be for
Parsley to be active on their social media. Parsley should post more
often and more effectively. Parsley can already be found on LinkedIn
and Facebook; however, to be successful on social media, it must
expand its reach onto more platforms.

The more platforms Parsley is on, the more users and different
audiences they will reach. Parsley’s posts should be interactive so that
users connect through the post. Their posts should also be consistent.
Doing this will start to form a community around Parsley and its app.

Tactics
The first strategy needed to make Parsley more successful would be
creating an outline of Parsley’s current graphic material for Lana to
review. The tactics would entail looking further at the media already
created for Parsley. This means doing a deep dive on the website,
social media, and any other platforms that Parsley can be found on.
Another tactic would include putting out more information regarding
the release of the Parsley app. This means that more information
would be put out into the media Parsley already has access to because
of educating more viewers. In order for this to be successful, Parsley
needs to find a designer online that will help evaluate the content
being released and be capable of reaching out to other reliable
sources to help strengthen Parsley’s reach.

Another strategy for Parsley is being active on their social media.

This includes various tactics including strengthening the Facebook
and LinkedIn pages already created. Along with strengthening what’s
already used, Parsley needs to look at expanding into different social
media platforms as well. This would include creating accounts for
Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. These tactics would help attract a
younger audience and keep Parsley relevant. Relevance is something
that creates traction and keeps people invested in Parsley. This also
means that once these platforms have been created, Parsley needs to
find someone who will post on social media. This means hiring
someone who will make sure to keep the pages up and running.
Activities
The main activities that would need to take place in order to make
Parsley’s social media more successful is proceeding to learn more
about Instagram and Twitter. This would mean looking into studying
trends and which posts would be most visually appealing. This would
also mean meeting with a consultant regarding the most effective way to
handle social media as well. Parsley’s social media is something that has
plenty of room to grow. This means working with consultants and
creating new profiles would only help Parsley grow as the app is
continuing to be worked on. Once these new profiles are made, it is
going to be necessary to continue to work towards making posts that
appeal to a greater audience.

Evaluation & Measurement

When goal setting, it is important to be able to evaluate and measure the
progress along the journey of achieving that goal. Measuring goals or
objectives will help to see the effectiveness of the campaign.
With our first objective of re-evaluating all graphic material by August
2023 to improve brand recognition, we will evaluate this goal after
Parsley's graphic material has been looked over by a professional. We
will measure the goal by seeing if any improvement has been made to
Parsley’s graphic material. In order to measure this, we will need to
survey random groups asking them if the material is more appealing or
not.
Next, when expanding Parsley’s social media presence by 50% within
nine months, we will evaluate this goal after the nine-month test
period. We will measure the goal by seeing if Parsley's social media
interactions have increased or decreased. In order to measure this, we
will need to monitor all of Parsley’s social media profiles and content.

Then, when rebranding Parsley’s website, before releasing the app, to

make it more welcoming to users which will increase website
interaction drastically, we will evaluate this goal at the release of the
app. We will measure this goal by seeing whether there is improvement
in Parsley’s website. In order to measure this, we will need to survey
random users, asking if they believe there is improvement in the
website or not.

Next, when increasing awareness of benefit cliffs to target audiences

within a year, we will evaluate this goal after the year's timeframe. We
will measure this goal by the number of audiences aware of benefit
cliffs. In order to measure this, we will need to know the number of
people aware of benefit cliffs before and after the objectives timeline.
Finally, when building a large, inclusive community around Parsley’s
mission within a year, we will evaluate this goal after the set time of a
year. We will measure this goal by the number of users in Parsley’s
community and the amount of interaction with each other. In order to
measure this, we will need to know the amount of users and
interaction before the goal was made and after.

Materials
Electronics including cellular phones, laptops, etc.
Electronics is the baseline object we as PR professionals need
to communicate and create during our campaign.
Professionals
Hiring and having professional working men and women is
key to making the best possible work while orchestrating a
public relations campaign.
Social Media
Expanding Parsley's social media is a key feature of our
group's outline and having applications such as Instagram,
Snapchat, and Facebook are key to success.
Website builder
Having a professional website builder helps parsley create a
beautiful website that not only persuades the consumer into
using Parsley but it shows the professionalism behind Parsley.
Google services
Using and implementing googles provided services such as
Documents and Forms helps us as a team provide what we
need for Parsley. Using forms gives us results on survey
releases for information about Parsley. Documents help us
create a professional template for Parsley.
Budget
With our budget being $5,000, we intend to use as much as possible
towards the online presence of Parsley. The hiring of a professional
would cost Parsley around $2,000 for the amount of time that would
need to be taken to increase the appeal of the website and create new
social media accounts. This would also include the cost of managing the
accounts Parsley already has.

The professional may be the most expensive part of the entire campaign.
After this costs would include whatever it would take to create a
widespread survey and analyze these results. Generally, these things are
low-cost and show a variety of answers that are captured by a greater
audience.

Once again the analysis of the results of the social media campaigns
would be around $300 for a social media professional to evaluate the
success of the campaign. Once again, our goal is to keep the cost low and
try to reach out to as many viewers and inform as many people about
Parsley as possible. With the use of professionals throughout the surveys
and analysis, there would still be leftover money to continue growth in
social media if necessary. This could mean expanding far enough to
include a social media expert over time in Parsley. Initially, there would
be close to $2,700 remaining that allows for give and take in the social
media department.
Timetable

Time
Objective

Deadline


Completed

Allotted

Re-evaluate
Graphic

August
2023 12 months

No

Material

Expand
Social Within 9

months 9 months

No

Media

Rework Before
Website

release

of Late
2023 No

app

Increase
Within a
Knowledge

of
12 months

No

year
Benefits Cliff

Build Within a


12 months

No

Community year