University of Minnesota
Office of Human Resources
http://www.umn.edu/ohr
612-625-2016

Enhanced Marketing Plan for The Aurora Center

Sponsor:
Jerie Smith, Volunteer Coordinator, The Aurora Center

Overview of the Project

The Aurora Center (TAC) provides free and confidential crisis intervention to victims of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and harassment. It serves approximately 400 people per year through its advocacy services, and also provides education and training to University of Minnesota students, staff and faculty, as well as to the Twin Cities community, reaching nearly 5,000 people per year with a prevention message of hope and respect. TAC also builds partnerships with other departments on campus, creates awareness about sexual violence and oppression at the University of Minnesota, and provides meaningful volunteer and leadership opportunities.

Project Goal

The goal of this project is to identify how TAC and its services are perceived by selected members of the campus community, and to develop tools and an enhanced marketing plan that allows TAC to more effectively reach its stakeholders and market its services. This goal will be met with the following objectives:

  • Identify TAC’s key stakeholders
  • Identify how TAC is perceived by selected key stakeholder groups
  • Benchmark the performance and current marketing activities of TAC to other similar organizations both inside and outside of the University of Minnesota system. We will also identify marketing best practices.
  • Develop a detailed marketing plan and tools to allow TAC to more effectively promote their services to key stakeholder groups.
  • Disseminate project findings and recommendations in a final report and poster presentation.

Project Team

Team Members

David Anderson
Information Technology Manager
Office of Information Technology
612-625-3029
dander20@umn.edu
Mentor: Diana Martenson

Matthew Aro
Research Fellow
Natural Resources Research Institute, U of M Duluth
218-720-2700
maro@nrri.umn.edu
Mentor: Dr. Timothy Holst

Sara Foster
External Relations Office Administrator
College of Education and Human Development
612-625-1310
sbeyer@umn.edu
Mentor: Jennifer Soderholm

Heather Nelson
Associate Administrator
Division of Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases
612-624-6843
nelso476@umn.edu
Mentor: Rich Portnoy

Anne Mason
Assistant Director of Communications
Humphrey School of Public Affairs
612-625-9436
amason@umn.edu
Mentor: Kathy Brown