MSCM 370: Public Relations Writing

Lisa Weidman

Final project

Life Ball goes U.S.

A Public Relations Campaign for AIDS LIFE, Austria

Marina Stadlbauer

05/27/2015

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Contents

Situation Analysis ................................................................................................................... 1

Mission and Goals .............................................................................................................. 1

External Environment ......................................................................................................... 1

Organization Analysis ......................................................................................................... 4

Target audience ................................................................................................................... 7

Campaign Plan ...................................................................................................................... 10

Description of tactics ............................................................................................................ 16

Press Release ..................................................................................................................... 16

Strategy for making news .............................................................................................. 16

Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 16

Actions the audience should take .................................................................................. 16

Mass media used for conveying the message................................................................ 17

Central message............................................................................................................. 17

What is newsworthy about it ......................................................................................... 17

Relation of press release to campaigns goals ............................................................... 18

Press release copy.......................................................................................................... 18

Pitch Letter ........................................................................................................................ 19

Content .......................................................................................................................... 19

Selected medium ........................................................................................................... 19

Pitch letter copy ............................................................................................................. 19

PSA ................................................................................................................................... 20

Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 20

Central message............................................................................................................. 20

Target audience ............................................................................................................. 20

Actions the audience should take .................................................................................. 20

How to attract the listeners attention ........................................................................... 21

Types of radio stations targeted .................................................................................... 21

Public affairs directors would be willing to air this PSA, because ........................... 21

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This strategy and message are in keeping with the campaigns goals, because ........ 21

PSA script ...................................................................................................................... 22

Brochure ............................................................................................................................ 22

Strategy.......................................................................................................................... 22

Content .......................................................................................................................... 22

Brochure copy and mock-up ......................................................................................... 23

Video ................................................................................................................................. 23

Content .......................................................................................................................... 23

Strategy.......................................................................................................................... 23

Medium ......................................................................................................................... 24

It supports the campaigns goals because ................................................................. 24

Instagram and Facebook posts .......................................................................................... 24

Content .......................................................................................................................... 24

The posts support the campaigns goals because ...................................................... 24

Facebook status updates and tweets .................................................................................. 24

References ............................................................................................................................ 25

Appendix .............................................................................................................................. 26

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Situation Analysis

Mission and Goals

The Austrian non-profit organization AIDS LIFE was founded in 1992 and supports

Austrian as well as international HIV/AIDS projects. The organizations slogan is fighting

AIDS and celebrating life, so their mission is to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS and

their most important means for achieving this is the Life Ball, an event that takes place

every year in May or June in front of and inside the Vienna City Hall. Of course, raising

money is also one of their goals, because they want to support HIV/AIDS projects.

External Environment

As AIDS LIFE is an Austrian organization, but this campaign is aimed at the United

States, the situations in both countries are relevant. Therefore, I will first discuss relevant

issues in Austria and then in the U.S.

There are only a few other non-profit organizations that focus on HIV/AIDS

prevention and help in Austria. What is interesting about the other Austrian

nongovernmental organizations is that most of them focus either on helping people living

with HIV or AIDS in Austria, or on helping people in developing countries in general, in

which case AIDS is just one of the many problems they try to tackle. As far as I could find

out, AIDS LIFE seems to be the only non-profit organization in Austria that supports both

Austrian and international projects.

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Of course, there is more competition for AIDS LIFE in the United States. Important

HIV/AIDS help organizations from the U.S. include:

amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research

Clinton Health Access Initiative

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Forum for Collaborative HIV Research

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Global Strategies for HIV Prevention

Health GAP Global Access Project

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

However, other organizations that operate in the same area as AIDS LIFE cannot

really be considered competition for the organization, because at the end of the day, they

have very similar goals and should not try to compete with each other but rather help each

other out. With some of the aforementioned organizations, this is already the case, because

AIDS LIFE supports them.

AIDS LIFE is influenced by the political situation in Austria insofar as the Life Ball

takes place inside a political building (Vienna City Hall). Therefore, it is important for the

organization that the government supports the ball. Otherwise, they would not be allowed

to hold their ball in this building. At the moment, the right-wing Freedom Party of

Austria is getting stronger and stronger, and their candidate (Heinz-Christian Strache)

wants to become the mayor of Vienna (the next municipal elections in Vienna will be held

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this October). It is not very likely that he wins, but if he does, the Life Ball probably could

no longer take place in the City Hall and financial support for the ball would also be cut

drastically. In the past few years, the Life Ball has always received 800,000 euros

($897,800) of funding from the Viennese municipal government. As the Austrian

newspaper Heute reported, Mr. Strache and his party voted against allocating this sum to it

in 2014, arguing that the money had better be spent on education (Thalhammer, 2014). The

Life Ball still received the funding, because all other parties voted for it. However, if Mr.

Straches party becomes the strongest party in the municipal government, they would

probably not let the Life Ball take place in the City Hall anymore and would not let the

government support it financially.

Economic conditions influence the amount of money that can be raised, because

when the economic situation is bad, people are not so likely to donate money. In a crisis,

they focus on themselves first before thinking about others (which is totally understandable,

of course).

The Life Ball attracts many people who identify as members of the LGBTQ

community, so it is good for AIDS LIFE that society in Austria and in the U.S. is becoming

more open toward non-traditional types of families or lifestyles.

A technological development that surely had a positive impact on the Life Balls

popularity was the widespread adoption of the Internet and social media. Now, it is much

easier for the organization to reach out to people all over the world and also to attract

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donors or ball guests from countries other than Austria. Without the internet and

globalization, this whole PR campaign would not make any sense.

External factors that could threaten the client would be another economic crisis,

because people would not have much money to donate or would not be willing to donate it.

As mentioned earlier, a right-wing government in Austria would be another problem, but

fortunately, this is not very likely to happen in the near future. This years Life Ball already

took place on May 16, so the next election in Vienna in October did not have an influence

on it; the 2016 Life Ball, however, might be influenced by the election results.

External factors that could be an opportunity for the client include the fact that

homosexuals or members of the LGBTQ community in general are nowadays supported

better than before. In some respects, homosexual couples already have the same rights as

heterosexual couples. When they can get married and receive the same benefits that

heterosexual couples get (which is the case in some states in the U.S.), they are more likely

to be able to afford going to the ball. Also, travelling is becoming cheaper, and there are

more and more cheap flights between New York City and Europe, so travelling to the Life

Ball becomes easier, too.

Organization Analysis

The organization has a very unique characteristic: The Life Ball is the only ball like

this in Europe. It combines Viennese ball traditions with modern elements. One example of

a Viennese ball tradition that they adopted is the traditional opening ceremony with young

dance couples who perform a typical choreography. Especially during the opening

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ceremony on the City Hall square, which is open to the public and also broadcast as a live

stream, there is always a mixture between classical music and dance and modern

performances. Usually, opera singers perform next to music stars from the U.S. In general,

guests can choose between wearing formal evening attire and flamboyant costumes.

There are a few other non-profit organizations that focus on HIV/AIDS prevention

and help in Austria. They include

Die AIDS-Hilfen sterreichs

Buddy Verein

HIVmobil

Positiver Dialog

Stop AIDS

When there is a natural disaster, people tend to rather donate their money to help the

victims of the disaster, but fortunately, there are not so many natural disasters in Austria

and the United States. Furthermore, AIDS LIFE collects money all year round, whereas

disaster relief funds collect money for a short period of time (until the people affected have

received help).

What the PR department of AIDS LIFE consider their biggest challenge right now is

that many media that report on the Life Ball present it mainly as a society event, with many

celebrities attending, and guests wearing extravagant costumes. The Life Ball is seen as a

very happy and very gay event. AIDS LIFE would like more media to really present both

sides of the ball celebrating life AND fighting AIDS. Many media only mention the

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reason for the ball very briefly, but the organization would like to have more balanced

coverage of the event.

One of the organizations goals is to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and in theory, a

ball that creates so much media attention is a perfect way to make people aware of the

problem. In practice, however, as always with uncontrolled media, there are gatekeepers

who decide which part of the story they present to their audience. Often, journalists focus

on the party (and on the celebrities who attended it) rather than on the reason for which the

ball takes place.

AIDS LIFE would also like to attract more scientific attention they want to be a

platform for researchers, too. The Life Ball can reach a lot of people with its messages,

because the opening ceremony is watched by so many people on the City Hall square, on

TV, and via the live stream. Therefore, scientists could inform the public about their

research if they gave a speech during the opening ceremony. Until now, there have always

been representatives of AIDS LIFEs partner organizations who talked about the projects

the organization supports, but no scientists. Having scientists present their research during

the Life Ball would emphasize the serious reason for the ball.

Internal resources and assets to support a PR campaign are the existing PR

department and connections (to journalists, etc.) that they have already established. They

also have printing houses as their sponsors, so PR materials could be printed for free. The

same goes for graphic designers. In the United States, it should also be mentioned that

President Clinton has been attending the ball the past few years and that AIDS LIFE also

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supports organizations like amfAr The Foundation for AIDS Research. There are also

always singers from the U.S. who perform during the opening show, for example Katy

Perry, Christina Perry, or Adam Lambert.

These famous people could support a PR campaign by posting about the Life Ball

on their social media pages, for example. They usually do that on the day of the event, but

it would be more effective if they kept mentioning the Life Ball afterward. Also, these

celebrities could provide AIDS LIFE with quotes that the organization can use on its

website or for various PR tactics.

An internal threat to the success of the campaign in the United States is that AIDS

LIFE is an Austrian organization, and as Austria is far away, the American public might not

see why this is relevant to them. If they want to attend the Life Ball, it is very expensive for

them. Also, as the Life Ball is apparently a very expensive event to organize, donors might

think that their money will be spent on organizing the ball rather than on HIV/AIDS

projects.

On the other hand, an internal opportunity for success is that we can build on what

is already there the PR team already established first contacts to U.S. media. There is a

solid foundation on which to build this campaign.

Target audience

The target audience for this campaign is rather young, open-minded, liberal, and

successful (i.e., they have enough money to donate some). They come from the New York

City area, because there are direct flights between New York City and Vienna, so it would

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be easier for them to attend the ball than for Americans from other regions. Also, New

York state is socially rather liberal: Same-sex couples can get married there, for example.

Speaking in VALS categories, the target audience consists of Thinkers (they are

motivated by ideals) as well as Experiencers (because they are driven by self-expression,

and the Life Ball clearly gives them a chance to express themselves). Of course, Innovators

are also targeted by the campaign, because they like luxurious things (and have the money

to afford them); and if you book a table at the Life Ball, it is very expensive.

When it comes to values and attitudes of the target audience members, they are

surely very outgoing, open-minded, and liberal. They are also generous; otherwise, they

would not donate money to a charity. Topics they are interested in include fashion, popular

music, and partying, but also more serious topics like equality.

AIDS LIFEs PR department would like to reach the following media in the U.S.:

HIVPlus Magazine (http://www.hivplusmag.com/) and a&u Americas AIDS magazine

(http://aumag.org/wordpress/).

The most important opinion leader who could help with a campaign is Bill Clinton.

With his wife running for president in 2016, he might be interested in getting some more

media attention that is not related to politics, and supporting a good cause is usually an

effective way to get positive media coverage. His Clinton Health Access Initiative is one of

AIDS LIFEs partner organizations and therefore, he has been attending the ball for years,

so he clearly supports it and would surely be willing to help with a campaign.

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Many Americans also really like and respect the British Royal Family. As Prince

Harrys organization Sentebale is supported by AIDS LIFE this year, he would surely be

willing to support the campaign, too.

Another possibility would be Michel Sidib, executive director of UNAIDS and

undersecretary general of the United Nations, although I am not entirely sure how many

Americans know him. They do know the United Nations, however, and as long as his title

is mentioned, they will realize that he must be an important figure.

It would be better call upon these people than upon pop stars to support the PR

campaign, because the Life Ball is currently trying to emphasize the serious reason for the

ball rather than the party aspect.

Campaign Plan

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Goals: To inform people in the U.S. that the Life Ball exists

To make them visit AIDS LIFEs website To make them donate money to AIDS LIFE

Objective 1: To increase name-recognition of the name Life Ball in New

York City by 50.000 people

=> Stage 1: Awareness

Strategy 1: Use uncontrolled media to make people aware

that the Life Ball exists. This will also serve

Objective 2, because it will make them interested in it, too.

Tactic 1: Press release about this year's Life Ball (took

place on May 16)

Tactic 2: Pitch letter: "Behind the scenes of the

Life Ball"

Strategy 2: Use controlled media to inform people about HIV/AIDS and

what can be done to reduce its spread. This also serves Objectives 2 and 3,

because the tactics used include corresponding calls to action.

Tactic 1: PSA about the transmission of HIV, so that

people realize what an important topic HIV/AIDS is and that something needs to

be done

Tactic 2: Brochure about the Life Ball and AIDS LIFE, including calls to action

about donating and visiting the website

Objective 2: To create 10% more traffic from the U.S. on

AIDS LIFEs website

=> Stage 2: Interest and Stage 3: Evaluation

Strategy 1: see Objective 1

Strategy 2: see Objective 1

Objective 3: To receive $50,000 in donations from

U.S. citizens before 2016s Life Ball

=> Stage 4: Trial and Stage 5: Adoption

Strategy 1: Use social media to solicit donations and

provide compelling reasons to donate

Tactic 1: Video: 3 minutes long, includes statements by opinion leaders and celebreties, shows

where the donations go

Tactic 2: Instagram and Facebook posts with photos of the

Life Ball and/or supported projects

Tactic 3: Facebook status updates and tweets that describe how much money was raised and

where the donations go

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The campaign has three goals: Firstly, it is supposed to inform people in the U.S.

that the Life Ball exists. Secondly, it should make them visit AIDS LIFEs website and

thirdly, it should make them donate money to AIDS LIFE. Although the Life Ball is

already well-known in Austria and in many parts of Europe, it has not really reached the

United States yet. This campaign aims to change this fact and make the Life Ball not only

known in the U.S., but also lead to more Americans attending it or making donations to

AIDS LIFE.

In order to reach these goals, there are three objectives to be achieved: Objective 1

is to increase name-recognition of the name Life Ball in New York City by 50.000

people, which can be measures by a simple survey. Objective 2 consists of creating 10%

more traffic from the U.S. on AIDS LIFEs website, and objective 3 is to receive $50,000

in donations from U.S. citizens before the 2016 Life Ball.

This campaign uses the Diffusion of Innovation theory as a theoretical basis. As

Wilcox and Reber (2013) point out, the theory was developed by Professor Everett Rogers

at Stanford University in the 1930s. It states that individuals go through five stages when

they are first confronted with a new product or idea: In stage 1, which is awareness, a

person first discovers the idea. Stage 2, interest, is when the person starts to look for

information about it. The next stage is trial, where the person samples the product or talks

to other people who have already tried it out. In stage 4, evaluation, the person tries to find

out if the idea is good for him or her. If he or she decides that it is good, he or she will

reach the fifth and final stage, adoption. He or she has now incorporated the idea or is using

the product.

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Although this theory is usually used in connection with technological products, it

can also be useful for this campaign. In this case, the idea that people should adopt is

donating money to AIDS LIFE and attending the Life Ball.

Objectives 1 and 2 serve the first two stages of the process of diffusion of an idea.

Most members of the target audience have probably never heard of the Life Ball before, so

this campaign really needs to start from the beginning.

First of all, objective 1 is to make the name Life Ball known in the U.S. This is

the awareness stage. Through the use of uncontrolled (strategy 1) and controlled media

(strategy 2), awareness for the global problem of HIV/AIDS is raised and the target

audience is for the first time exposed to the idea of attending the Life Ball and donating to

AIDS LIFE. Strategy 1 uses uncontrolled media to raise awareness of the Life Balls

existence. There are two tactics for this strategy: A press release about this years Life Ball,

which took place on May 16, is sent to newspapers, online magazines, and bloggers.

Furthermore, a pitch letter that contains behind-the-scenes information about the Life Ball

is sent to an HIV/AIDS-related online magazine. Strategy 2 uses controlled media to inform

the target audience about HIV/AIDS and what can be done to reduce its spread. The tactics

used are a public service announcement to be aired on local radio stations about the

transmission of HIV, so that people realize what an important topic HIV/AIDS is and that

something needs to be done, as well as a brochure about the Life Ball and AIDS LIFE

including calls to action about visiting the website and donating money.

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Secondly, the same strategies and tactics that are used to achieve objective 1 also

help to achieve objective 2 (website traffic; stage: interest), because the tactics present the

Life Ball in a way that creates interest for it. When people read an article in a newspaper

that resulted from the press release, for example, they will hopefully want to learn more

about the Life Ball. Of course, this is more difficult to achieve with uncontrolled than with

controlled media, because with uncontrolled media, there is always a gatekeeper (i.e.

journalist) who will eventually write the article and there is no way to control what exactly

will be written in the newspaper article. Hopefully, however, members of the target

audience will be encouraged to visit the website by all the tactics created. This objective

should also bring members of the target audience to stage 3 (evaluation). In this stage (as

well as in stage 4) personal contact is more important than the media. However, the media

can support the process by providing useful information about the event and the cause.

Even though evaluation is something that every person does individually, the tactics used

give them many things to consider. They contain information on the organizations that

AIDS LIFE supports and what they do, so that possible future donors see that their money

is used in a good way.

Lastly, there is objective 3, which is to receive donations from U.S. citizens. It

comprises stage 4 (trial) and stage 5 (adoption). Strategy 2 of objective 1 (Use controlled

media to inform people about HIV/AIDS and what can be done to reduce its spread) also

helps to achieve this objective, because the PSA and the brochure contain calls to action

about visiting the website and making a donation. The other strategy that is used to solicit

donations and provide reasons to do so involves social media and the tactics used are a

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video as well as social media posts. The video and the posts can be seen as a form of trial,

because the video contains footage from the last Life Ball, so that people can see what it is

like to attend it. The posts include statements by (famous) people who attended the ball and

provide information on the supported projects. When members of the target audience talk to

others who have already attended the ball in previous years, they also try it out in a certain

way, but this cannot be controlled by a PR campaign. People have finally reached stage 5

when they decide to donate to AIDS LIFE or attend the Life Ball, which the PSA, the

brochure, the video, and the social media posts encourage them to do.

For the campaign, and especially for objectives 2 and 3, the elaborated likelihood

model is also relevant. It was developed by Richard Petty and John Cacioppo and assumes

that there are two different ways to influence people. The first one, which they call the

central route, only works when people are already interested in the idea and think about it.

They also need to be willing to listen to the messages they receive and have an open mind

about it. As this is not always the case, there is also a peripheral route. This is a more subtle

way to influence people, because it involves the use of credible spokespeople, repetition, or

offers for rewards. (Lattimore, Baskin, Heiman, Toth, & Van Leuven, 2004)

This model is relevant for this campaign because the central route influencing

people directly, because they are interested in the idea from the beginning and actively

thinking about it will not be possible in the case of the Life Ball. Most people in the

United States have probably never heard of the Life Ball and many dont even know where

Austria is, so why would they bother to even consider travelling there to attend a charity

event. Therefore, a peripheral route has to be used to make them interested in the

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organization. Incentives for attending the ball are that it is such a big party with

performances of famous artists, that guests are encouraged to come up with flamboyant

costumes, which is a lot of fun for many people, and that guests might meet some

celebrities who also attend the ball. The Life Ball also has many more serious

testimonials it can use. They include opinion leaders like Bill Clinton, Charlize Theron,

Prince Harry of Great Britain, and Michel Sidib, executive director of UNAIDS and

undersecretary general of the United Nations. They will be quoted in the pitch letter and the

brochure as well as speak in the PSA and the video.

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Description of tactics

Press Release

Strategy for making news

The press release is going to announce that the 23rd

annual Life Ball took place in

Vienna on May 16. It describes the ball and its guests and is supposed to make people

interested in the event, the organization that invented it, and the cause it raises money for,

namely the fight against HIV/AIDS. As a consequence, people should be encouraged to

visit AIDS LIFEs website and consider donating money to the organization or attending

the next Life Ball.

Objectives

The news release has three objectives: First of all, it informs people who do not

know it yet about the existence of the Life Ball. Secondly, it motivates people who already

know the event as was well as new people to visit its website and get more information

about it. Ultimately, people should be persuaded to make a donation, watch the live stream,

or attend the ball.

Actions the audience should take

The people reading about this should look up AIDS LIFEs website and consider

making a donation, watch the live stream of the next Life Ball or even attend it. It would

also be good if they talked to other people about the ball in order to increase its popularity.

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Mass media used for conveying the message

The press release will be sent to liberal daily newspapers in the New York City area,

because the target audience is well-educated and interested in topics like equality. They are

also successful (i.e., they have enough money to donate some).

Online magazines that focus on HIV/AIDS will also get the news release, because

they are more likely to report on it than mainstream media.

The press release will also be sent to American fashion and lifestyle bloggers,

because the target audience includes people who are rather young, outgoing, and open-

minded. They are interested in topics like fashion, lifestyle, popular music, and partying, so

they are more likely to read blogs than newspapers.

Central message

Attending the Life Ball is a unique way to celebrate life and fight AIDS at the same

time. According to Funders Concerned About AIDS (2013), AIDS LIFE was ranked 10th

of

all European HIV/AIDS fund-raising organizations in terms of money spent for HIV/AIDS

help projects. As no other European event was ranked higher, the Life Ball can be called

Europes biggest HIV/AIDS charity event.

What is newsworthy about it

One of the relevant news values of the release is timeliness: The news release is

published shortly after this years Life Ball, which took place on May 16. The news hook is

that HIV/AIDS is definitely an ongoing issue all over the world that many people would

like to solve. The Life Ball is raising money for projects that help people all over the world,

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because it is a global problem that we all have to fight together. Even though the situation is

not so bad in the United States, many people realize that it is necessary to help people who

are living with HIV/AIDS in other regions of the world. The topic is of great significance,

because the goals of the organization are definitely significant on a global scale. We all

need to work together if we want to achieve an AIDS-free generation. Human interest

plays a role because the organization raises money for a humanitarian cause. People feel

good when they donate money to a good cause. Furthermore, attending the ball gives

people a chance to dress up in fancy costumes and have a great time at a huge party, which

should sound intriguing to many young and hip New Yorkers. Newness is a value in this

press release insofar as many people have probably never heard of the Life Ball and it is

also unusual, because there are not many other AIDS fundraisers that are so

unconventional. Prominence is another value, because many famous people attend the ball

every year (Bill Clinton, Dita Von Teese, Elton John, Naomi Campbell, Sharon Stone,

Kelly Osbourne, Jean Paul Gautier, and many more).

Relation of press release to campaigns goals

The press release fully supports the campaigns goals, because it helps raise

awareness for the topic (stage 1), spark peoples interest (stage 2) and will hopefully give

them some good reasons why they should consider attending the ball or donating money

(stage 3).

Press release copy

See appendix.

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Pitch Letter

Content

The pitch letter proposes an exclusive backstage story of the next Life Ball , which will

take place in May 2016 in Vienna. However, it is not only about the party aspect of the Life

Ball, but also emphasizes the serious cause for which the Life Ball raises money.

Selected medium

The pitch letter is addressed to HIVPlus Magazine (www.hivplusmag.com). On its Twitter

account, it calls itself the countrys largest publication aimed at people with HIV and

people who care about them. Although its headquarters are in Los Angeles and this

campaign is aimed at people from the New York City area, it is still a suitable medium,

because it is published online and its readers are therefore not geographically limited to

California or the West Coast. The magazine has reported about the Life Ball in 2012 and

2014 and therefore, they will probably be willing to write about this years ball again. The

story could be published in their Events or Activism sections. The pitch letter is

addressed to Neal Broverman, who already reported about the 2014 Life Ball.

Pitch letter copy

See appendix.

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PSA

Objectives

The PSA informs the public about the transmission of HIV, so that people realize

what an important topic HIV/AIDS is and that something needs to be done. It also tells

them that HIV can be treated rather well in the United States, but that HIV-positive people

in other countries dont always have access to treatment. It should make them think about

the topic.

Central message

Everybody should know his or her HIV status and HIV should no longer be a taboo

subject.

Target audience

The target audience for this PSA comprises basically everybody in New York City,

because HIV/AIDS is a topic everybody should be concerned about. Even people who do

not belong to typical risk groups should know and talk about it, because if we want to

remove the stigma, everybody should participate.

Actions the audience should take

The audience should openly talk with their family and friends about HIV/AIDS, get

tested for HIV (many people get infected because their sexual partners do not even know

that they are HIV-positive), and make a donation to AIDS LIFE.

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How to attract the listeners attention

The first speaker is Gery Keszler, founder of the Life Ball and CEO of AIDS LIFE.

He speaks English with a rather strong Austrian accent, which should make people listen

more closely. The next speakers are Bill Clinton and Charlize Theron, whose voices the

audience should recognize.

Types of radio stations targeted

As the target audiences are many different people from New York City, the PSA

should be aired on as many different public stations as possible. They include WNYC FM,

WNYC AM, WQXR FM, and WFUV.

Public affairs directors would be willing to air this PSA, because

it is about an important issue that should matter to many people (topicality), it is

localized (specific data for New York is used), and the speakers include famous

personalities (Bill Clinton and Charlize Theron). Furthermore, PSAs related to health and

safety often receive air time in general.

This strategy and message are in keeping with the campaigns goals, because

the organization wants to reach as many people as possible in order to raise

awareness of HIV and AIDS (stage 1) and make them interested in the topic and the

organization (stage 2). Also, the PSA gives the target audience facts to consider when they

evaluate the idea of donating to AIDS LIFE (stage 3) and contains a call to action to make a

donation (stage 5).

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PSA script

See appendix.

Brochure

Strategy

With this brochure, people in the U.S. are informed that there is such a thing as the Life

Ball (stage 1). The brochure also creates interest in the ball (stage 2) and gives people a lot

of information to consider when they are evaluating the idea (stage 3).

The target audiences are people from New York City who are already interested in

supporting HIV/AIDS projects. The brochure will be available in hospitals that specialize

in HIV/AIDS treatment and care, at gay and lesbian clubs and events, as well as at certain

HIV/AIDS charity events. Members of the target audience are open-minded, liberal, and

successful (i.e. they have enough money to donate some).

The brochure encourages the audience to look up the Life Balls website, consider

attending it in the next years, and donate money.

The brochure will support the campaigns goals because it will increase the number of

people who know what the Life Ball is, it will spark their interest, and will hopefully also

lead to some donations being made to the organization.

Content

The central message of the brochure is that there is a way to celebrate life and fight AIDS at

the same time, and that this is the Life Ball in Vienna, Austria.

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The brochure is a classic bi-fold (6 pages), because it is a standard format that easily fits

into brochure racks.

It includes photos of past Life Balls and guests costumes, because possible future

guests of the ball should get a good impression of what it is like. It also includes the

organizations logo and pictures of Bill Clinton and Prince Harry, because they are

testimonials for this campaign.

Brochure copy and mock-up

See appendix.

Video

Content

The short video (3 minutes) is a compilation of footage from this years Life Ball,

statements by opinion leaders and famous supporters of the ball (e.g. Bill Clinton, Prince

Harry of Great Britain, Michel Sidib, Charlize Theron, Dita Von Teese), and pictures of

projects and people supported from all over the world.

Strategy

The video serves as a trial for the audience, because they can experience what it

would be like to attend the Life Ball. At the same time, they see that the money they donate

really goes to important projects and really makes a difference for the people who are

supported. The fact that opinion leaders and famous personalities endorse the Life Ball

shows that it is a trustworthy organization.

24

Medium

The video is going to be available on the Life Balls website and Facebook page and

on YouTube. There will also be a tweet containing a link to it.

It supports the campaigns goals because

it shows possible future ball guests what the Life Ball is like (stage 4) and helps solicit

donations (stage 5), because it contains a call to action and shows where the money goes

and that it is really spent on the projects.

Instagram and Facebook posts

Content

There is going to be a weekly Facebook and Instagram post with photos of the Life Ball

(plus famous testimonials) and/or supported projects.

The posts support the campaigns goals because

they make people interested in the ball (stage 2), give them reasons to consider attending

the ball (stage 3), and help solicit donations (stage 5), because they show where the money

goes and that it is really spent on the projects.

Facebook status updates and tweets

Additionally, there will be weekly status updates and tweets that describe how much money

was raised and where the donations go. They can also contain links to AIDS LIFEs partner

organizations websites or to articles about the supported projects, for example.

25

References

Funders Concerned About AIDS. (2013). Philanthropic support to address

HIV/AIDS in 2013. Retrieved from

http://www.fcaaids.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/Public/2014/RT/FINALFCAA_2013

TrackingReport_web.pdf.

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. (2015). New York City

HIV/AIDS annual surveillance statistics 2013. Retrieved from

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/ah/surveillance2013-table1.1.pdf.

Lattimore, D., Baskin, O., Heiman, S.T., Toth, E.L., & Van Leuven, J.K. (2004).

Public relations: The profession and the practice. New York: McGraw Hill.

Thalhammer, A. (2014, April 24). Freedom Party of Austria says No to the Life

Ball. Heute, p. 16.

Wilcox, D.L, & Reber, B.H. (2013). Public relations writing and media techniques.

New York: Pearson.

26

Appendix

AIDS LIFE Life Ball Team Werdertorgasse 1

1010 Vienna, Austria

Phone: +43-1-595 56 00

Email: lifeball@lifeball.org

1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fighting AIDS and celebrating life 23rd Life Ball in Vienna

Media Contact:

Katharina Karmel

+43-1-595 56 00 12 presse@lifeball.org

VIENNA, Austria. (May 18, 2015) On Saturday, the 23rd annual Life Ball took place in

front of and inside the historic Vienna City Hall, raising nearly $2 million for international

HIV/AIDS relief. Combining traditional Austrian ball traditions such as a classical opening

dance by young couples with modern elements like performances by Mary J. Blige and

others, the ball raises approximately $2 million every year for international HIV/AIDS

projects. It is Europes biggest and most unconventional HIV/AIDS charity event.

Around 40,000 people watched the public opening ceremony on the City Hall square and

4,000 had tickets for the party inside the City Hall.

In 2016, the theme was Gold, which was an allusion to famous Austrian painter Gustav

Klimt. Ball guests dressed up accordingly, and the stage was a reproduction of the golden

dome of the Vienna Secession building, where Mr. Klimt worked.

The two-hour opening ceremony that took place on the City Hall square included a fashion

show by Jean Paul Gaultier and musical performances by Mary J. Blige and others, as well

-more

23rd

Life Ball in Vienna

2

as statements by spokespeople of some of the organizations supported. One of the speakers

was Charlize Theron, who thanked the Life Ball for supporting her Africa Outreach Project.

President Bill Clinton, who has regularly attended the ball in recent years, sent a video

message saying how thankful he is for AIDS LIFEs support. As the opening show was

admission-free, around 40,000 people watched it on the City Hall square. For those who

were not in Vienna at the time, a live stream was available on YouTube. Around 10,000

people from all around the world watched it.

Gery Keszler, founder of the Life Ball, gave an emotional speech during the opening show:

In the past 23 years, I have lost many friends. A lot has been achieved since the first Life

Ball took place, especially in terms of medicine. Social AIDS, however, still exists HIV

and AIDS still carry a huge stigma. I would prefer that this party is not necessary anymore

because we have defeated AIDS; but reality is different. The Life Ball wants to give all

people living with HIV or AIDS courage. Lets celebrate together in order to make AIDS

history. Mr. Keszler dedicated this years Life Ball to a friend who recently passed away.

With the donations raised, the Life Ball supports projects all over the world. It works to

reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa with the Clinton Health

Access Initiative; it supports amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, and its pediatric

network in Southeast Asia; and it focuses on HIV prevention for women and girls with The

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

-more-

23rd

Life Ball in Vienna

3

The Life Ball celebrates life and fights AIDS at the same time. The illness can only be

defeated by joint efforts, and the Life Ball is a platform for this international cooperation.

Anyone who would like to find out more, make a donation, or buy tickets for the next Life

Ball can do so on www.lifeball.org.

About the Life Ball:

The Life Ball (www.lifeball.org) is a charity event that has taken place every year since

1993 in May or June in Vienna, Austria. It aims to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS and to

generate funds for the fight against HIV and AIDS. Guests are encouraged to wear

costumes that match the theme, which changes every year. The opening show on the

Vienna City Hall square is publicly accessible and free of charge; Tickets for the party

inside the City Hall are 90 euros ($100) for guests in costumes or 160 euros ($175) for

guests in formal evening attire.

About AIDS LIFE:

The Austrian nonprofit organization AIDS LIFE was founded in 1992. It employs 20

people, who organize the Life Ball and some smaller events with the help of countless

volunteers. With the funds raised, AIDS LIFE supports Austrian and international nonprofit

organizations that help people who are living with HIV or AIDS.

###

Life Ball Press Team Werdertorgasse 1 1010 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43-1-595 56 00 Fax: +43-1-595 56 77

1

April 15, 2016

Neal Broverman

HIVPlus Magazine

c/o Here Media

10990 Wilshire Blvd, PH

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Backstage at the Life Ball, which raises millions to end HIV and AIDS

Dear Mr. Broverman,

I work with the Austrian nonprofit organization AIDS LIFE, which organizes the Life Ball,

Europes biggest AIDS charity event. Last year, more than $2 million were raised during

the Life Ball weekend. Since you covered the Life Ball in 2014, you might be interested in

an exclusive backstage story of this years ball.

The 24rd

annual Life Ball will take place on May 21 in front of and inside the Vienna City

Hall. As this years motto is Gold, many of the 40,000 people who will watch the

opening ceremony on the City Hall square will probably wear glittery costumes. Thousands

more from all around the globe will watch the live stream on YouTube. Around 4,000

people purchased tickets for the party in the historic City Hall that will follow the public

opening ceremony.

Life Ball Press Team Werdertorgasse 1 1010 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43-1-595 56 00 Fax: +43-1-595 56 77

2

However, none of these people will have access to the backstage area, where international

music stars and models as well as spokespeople of AIDS LIFEs partner organizations

prepare for their performances and speeches.

Let me give you a sneak peek of what happened backstage at the Life Ball last year:

Charlize Theron and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho bonded over their mutual desire to prevent

children from an HIV infection, for example. They attended the ball on behalf of their

respective programs (Charlize Theron Outreach Project and Sentebale), which receive

donations from this years ball. Both attended the Life Ball for the first time and were

fascinated by the flamboyant costumes, the great show, and the impact the ball makes.

You just have to love the Life Ball for all it does for people living with HIV or AIDS.

Unfortunately, there is no event like this in the U.S., said Ms. Theron.

If you are interested in reporting exclusively from the Life Ball backstage area, we can

offer you a flight from New York City to Vienna on the official Life Ball plane on May 20

and a two-night-stay in our partner hotel Le Mridien in Viennas first district.

Please let me know if you are interested in the story. Also, feel free to contact me if you

need additional information.

Thank you,

Marina Stadlbauer

+43-1-595 56 00 12 presse@lifeball.org

PSA : 60 SECONDS

Gery Keszler: 117,618 PEOPLE IN NEW YORK CITY WERE LIVING WITH HIV OR

AIDS IN 2013, ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF

HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE.

Bill Clinton: THOSE ARE THE OFFFICIAL NUMBERS. BUT WHAT WE DONT

KNOW IS HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE DONT HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THEIR

HIV STATUS IS, BECAUSE THEY CANT BE BOTHERED TO GET TESTED.

Charlize Theron: AND IF THEY HAVE UNPROTECTED SEX, THEY MIGHT

INFECT OTHERS WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING IT.

Bill Clinton: YOU DONT WANT TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, DO YOU? NOW,

GO TO YOUR NEAREST CONFIDENTIAL STD CLINIC AND GET TESTED. IT

ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES. AND DONT BE AFRAID BEING DIAGNOSED

WITH HIV IS NO LONGER A DEATH SENTENCE IN THE U.S. LUCKILY, WE

HAVE THE MEDICATIONS AND FACILITIES TO TREAT THE ILLNESS.

Charlize Theron: OTHERS ARE NOT SO LUCKY IN MANY POOR REGIONS OF

THE WORLD, MOST PEOPLE DONT HAVE ACCESS TO HIV TREATMENT.

Gery Keszler: IF YOU WANT TO SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY, AND SUPPORT

PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV OR AIDS ALL OVER THE WORLD, GO TO LIFEBALL-

DOT-ORG AND MAKE A DONATION. THATS LIFEBALL-DOT-ORG.

Would you like to go to the sameparty as Bill Clinton, Mary J.Blige, and Charlize Theron?

And how would you feel aboutattending Europes biggestHIV/AIDS charity event?

Werdertorgasse 11010 Vienna, AustriaPhone: +43-1-595 56 00Email: lifeball@lifeball.org

Our bilingual team is lookingforward to answering your callsand emails in English or German.

To see more photos of the ball andto learn more about the projectswe support, visit

Have you ever wanted to visitAustrias beautiful capital

Vienna?

Life Ball Team

The work AIDS LIFE does iswonderful. I attend the LifeBall every year, not onlybecause it is a great event, butalso because so many peoplecan be supported with thefunds raised.- President Bill Clinton

Gery Keszler, founder of the Life Ball,visits a hospital in Zanzibar that issupported by AIDS LIFE.

http://www.lifeball.org

or go to

LifeBall

lifeball_official

@lifeball

lifeballvienna

AIDS LIFE and the Life Ball

History of the organization

AIDS LIFE was founded in 1992 as a charitableorganization. One year later, the first Life Balltook place. It started out as a rather smallevent, but soon became bigger and moreinternational. The Tickets for the 2015 ball soldout in less than a minute.

What makes the Life Ball special?

It combines Viennese ball traditions such as aclassical opening dance of young couples withmodern elements such as fancy costumes. Theball begins with an opening ceremony on theVienna City Hall square that includes afashion show and performances by musiciansfrom all around the world, followed by a partyinside the historic City Hall.

What is it good for?

The aim of the ball is to raise awareness andmoney. In 2014, more than $2 million wereraised for Austrian and internationalHIV/AIDS projects.

Want to learn more?

If you want to know how you can fight AIDSand celebrate life at the same time, visitwww.lifeball.org.

The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) o Cooperation since 2005

Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)o Cooperation since 2007o Today, AIDS LIFE is one ofCHAIs most important supporters

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malariao Cooperation since 2014

UNAIDS the Joint United NationsProgramme on HIV/AIDSo Cooperation since 2010

Supported organizations include:

You can help, too:Start fighting AIDS and

celebrating life right now.To learn more or to make a

donation, visitwww.lifeball.org.

I wholeheartedly thank AIDS LIFE forsupporting my organization Sentebale,which gives children in Lesotho achance to have a better life. Amongother things, they are taught how toprotect themselves from contractingHIV, which is really important in acountry with such a high HIV infectionrate.

- Prince Harry of Great Britain