Carefully read the following:

You are the Marketing Officer for Broad Shire Council. The Council runs a number of campaigns throughout the year aimed at changing residents' behaviour.

This year, the Council is keen on raising awareness about the problems of single use plastic and to encourage residents not to use single use plastic in July, as well as on an ongoing basis. This relates to a national initiative called Plastic Free July as detailed in:

http://www.plasticfreejuly.org

The Council has indicated that it wishes to promote Plastic Fee July to local residents, schools and businesses. Specifically, discussions with senior management indicate that its objectives for the campaign are:

To create awareness among local business, schools and residents about the problems associated with single use plastic.

To encourage local business, schools and residents to get involved in the challenge to attempt not to use any single-use plastic during July.

The council understands that it needs to compete with a range of numerous environmental initiatives, so they would like to ensure that marketing communication is innovative and creative to capture the attention of the target groups.

The Council's overall communication and marketing strategy indicates that, generally, a combination of advertising, editorial, digital and social media are to be used for all marketing campaigns, along with targeted community engagement activities as relevant i.e. one event or more must be conducted.

There is a small budget attached to the campaign, $5,000. Essentially it is expected that the budget may cover an event or series of events during Plastic Free July and that marketing communications need to focus on low cost marketing communications options.

Assume that it is April and you have approximately 12 weeks to plan and implement the campaign.

Complete the following activities:

1.Research marketing communication tools

Research marketing communications options for Broad Shire Council, using the Plastic Free July website as your main resource. You will be required to prepare a report and action plan for senior management that will need to be approved prior to developing and implementing marketing communications (Assessment Task 3). Your trainer will provide you with templates for developing the briefing report and action plan.

Using the Plastic Free July website and any other resources you choose, research possible marketing communication options to achieve the stated marketing communication objectives of raising awareness and encouraging behavioural change, as well as to meet the budget allocated.

You should review at least six options for marketing communications, ensuring that you identify and evaluate a mix of marketing communication options in accordance with the Council's overall communication and marketing strategy as indicated in the scenario. Your report will need to explain traditional marketing communication techniques and their relevance to Council's requirements, as well as how such techniques can be integrated with digital and social media marketing to form an effective integrated marketing communication campaign. As the customer is the key in integrated marketing communication, you should also explain the importance of customer-centric marketing.

2.Write a briefing report for marketing communication

Develop a briefing report that includes:

A purpose statement to clearly identify the purpose of marketing communication for Broad Shire Council for Plastic Free July.

The objectives of the marketing communication for Plastic Free July, as well as the target groups to whom the marketing communication is directed.

Key messages to convey to the target groups and that will be consistent across all marketing communication. Use the Plastic Free website to come up with your own ideas about logos/slogans that can be used across all marketing communication to create the key message. Explain how these key messages are important for an effective integrated marketing communication campaign.

An evaluation of each of the six marketing communication options and how these take into account the marketing communication objectives of the Council. As indicated above, your report should address a mix of marketing communications, including both traditional marketing communication methods, as well as digital marketing, as well as how the identified marketing communication options integrate to create effective integrated marketing communication. Your report should also explain the importance of customer-centric marketing.

Recommended marketing communication options.

Use the Briefing Report Template.

3.Develop an action plan for identified marketing communication options

Develop a Marketing Communications Action Plan that shows how the marketing communications that you have identified will be actioned leading up to Plastic Free July, as well as during Plastic Free July.

Use the Action Plan Template.

4.Review and report on legislation, regulations and policies

The final part of this assessment requires you to develop a brief report to send to your trainer about legislation, regulations and polices that can impact on marketing communication. The Council insists that this is considered when carrying out all marketing communication.

Your report should address each of the following headings and be a maximum of two pages:

Consumer legislation that protects consumers and ensures fair trading. You should include the name of the Act, as well as an outline of the key areas that impact on marketing.