"Define Your Life, But Not For Likes" Xistance Campaign Plan

Define Your Life, But Not For Likes
Campaign
Wolfpack PR

TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD
7 Letter to the Client
9 Campaign Summary
SITUATION ANALYSIS
17 Executive Summary
18 Problem Statement
19 Internal Factors
20 External Factors
22 Relevant Publics
24 S.W.O.T. Analysis
28 Current Situation
RESEARCH FINDNGS
33 Executive Summary
34 Introduction
35 Research Plan
36 Methodology
38 Findings
45 Interpretation
CAMPAIGN PLAN
53 Executive Summary
55 Introduction
56 Target Publics
57 Campaign Plan
60 Goals, Objectives,
Strategies and Tactics
66 Evaluation
67 Stewardship
68 Implementation Timeline
68 Budget
74 Conclusion
75 References
APPENDICES
81 A: Survey Instrument
95 B: Content Calendar
97 C: Facebook Event Post
99 D: Capstone Production
Group Pitch Letter
101 E: Facebook
Advertisements
103 F: Google AdWords
Advertisement
105 G: Anil Dash Pitch Letter
107 H: Ancestry.com Pitch
Letter
109 I: Legacy.com Pitch Letter
111 J: Lanyard Sponsorship
at ISC Proof
113 K: Press Releases

FOREWORD

Dear Xistance Team,
Wolfpack PR was thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Xistance to create a
plan that would increase both awareness and usership of the website. Xistance’s values
of complete user privacy and unique storytelling are a welcomed contrast from today’s
social media sites. These values both inspired and motivated our team throughout the
completion of this campaign.
The following pages of this book detail Wolfpack PR’s uniquely designed campaign plan
based on extensive primary research, knowledge of Xistance and original ideas. Our
team believes that Xistance could benefit substantially from following our
recommendations. Implementing the tactics outlined in this book could dramatically
increase usership and awareness of Xistance among the public and the technology
sector.
Our team worked passionately, collectively and persistently on creating this proposal and
we are confident that our dedication will resonate in the quality of our campaign. If you
have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me by email at
bncallah@ncsu.edu.
We are elated to watch the positive effects our campaign will have on Xistance. Again, we
thank you for the opportunity and experience of working with such an innovative
company with strong values.
With sincere gratitude,
Britney Callahan
Account Manager
Wolfpack PR
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CAMPAIGN SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION. Wolfpack PR was excited for the opportunity to
work with a company just beginning their journey. The members of
our team have worked diligently over the past several months to
create and present a comprehensive campaign to help Xistance
establish a brand and increase name recognition. Through careful
research, analysis, and planning we are confident our proposed plan
will do just that. The theme of our campaign, “Define Your Life, But
Not For Likes” includes the company tagline and emphasizes
Xistance’s values.
SITUATION ANALYSIS. Xistance is a website that will help people
create authentic, auto-biographical stories and memorialize their
loved ones. Xistance plans to launch their website in June of 2017, and
their primary goal is to reach 5,000 subscribers within the first four
months. As a startup, Xistance’s problem is little-to-no name
recognition. To establish a brand and reach their goal, Xistance must
target key publics and raise awareness.
METHOD. Wolfpack PR conducted research through a quantitative
survey using Qualtrics to identify and understand demographic
characteristics in connection to certain attitudes and behaviors. The
population chosen was anyone over the age of 18. Our team chose to
survey all demographics because Xistance is a startup, and we wanted
to gain insight into all potential website users. Our proposed sample
size was 500; however, the survey received a total of 412 responses.
Our team distributed the survey through various online channels,
creating a voluntary sample, and shared the survey with
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people known to team members. The continued sharing by those
individuals created a snowball sample as well.
FINDINGS. Wolfpack PR’s careful analysis found better messaging
techniques to reach Xistance’s publics and raise awareness. We
discovered that most individuals see or hear advertisements through
television or social media. We also found that most people discover
new websites and internet-based services through word-of-mouth.
Our analysis also revealed some insights into social media usage and
attitudes. An overwhelming 97.78 percent of people surveyed said
they used social media, and Facebook was at the top of greatest daily
usage.
Very few individuals surveyed said they were likely to use a newly
launched website; however, this is in line with typical adoption
patterns. We did, however, have a significant interest in people
documenting their life. We also found privacy to be something most
individuals care about deeply, but that these individuals continue to
use social media websites that collect and share data with third party
sources.
TARGET PUBLICS. Wolfpack PR has identified three primary publics
for the purpose of our campaign. These three publics include: 50 to
70-year-olds, individuals who value privacy and are currently using
traditional social media platforms, and individuals in the technology
sector.
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CAMPAIGN GOALS.
• Increase the number of website subscribers by creating awareness
and a consistent image surrounding Xistance.
• Increase Xistance’s presence in the technology sector.
OBJECTIVES.
• Increase the number of users to 3,000 by Sept. 19, 2017.
• Increase the number of social media followers across all platforms
by 25 percent by Sept. 19, 2017.
• Build 12 relationships with other technology companies, bloggers,
journalists, and/or news media outlets by Sept. 19, 2017.
STRATEGIES.
• Improve Xistance’s social media presence by implementing
consistent and engaging posts on multiple platforms.
• Implement social media marketing techniques to increase
exposure to potential users of the website.
• Increase Xistance’s outreach to other companies, media
organizations, and potential partners within the technology sector.
• Cultivate beneficial relationships within the sector before and
after launch, maintain them, and capitalize on opportunities
for partnership and collaboration.
TACTICS. Wolfpack PR has carefully planned various tactics to achieve
campaign goals through our primary strategies. Some of our
proposed tactics are: Facebook advertising, Google AdWords, a 15
second YouTube advertisement, social media ramp up, attending the
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2018 International Startup Fair, and potentially forming relationships
with Ancestry.com and/or Legacy.com.
EVALUATION AND STEWARDSHIP. For evaluating the measurable
objectives, Wolfpack PR suggests that Xistance compare website data,
social media data, and the number of relationships before and after
the campaign. For stewardship efforts, Wolfpack PR can foster
relationships throughout the campaign inside of the technology
sector that can be maintained by Xistance through continued
presence at events where they may be. We also suggest that Xistance
maintain relationships cultivated during the campaign and continue
to be open to new partnerships afterwards.
KEY DATES FROM TIMELINE.
• June 8, 2017: Send all graphics and information to Capstone
Production Group for 15 second advertisement.
• June 12, 2017: Press Release announcing launch.
• June 15, 2017: Xistance Launch.
• June 19, 2017: Begin three-month social media campaign.
• Sept. 19, 2017: End three-month social media campaign and
evaluate.
• Jan. 1, 2018: Xistance app launches. Distribute press release
announcing app launch.
• May 2018: Attend International Startup Fair (specific dates not yet
announced).
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BUDGET OVERVIEW.
2018 International Startup Fair $2,989.58
Advertising $7,095.00
Meltwater Subscription $4,600.00
Total Cost: $14,684.58
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION. Xistance has the benefit
and challenge of a new concept. Their website aims to provide a
space for genuine, personal online expression. A place to tell your
story, share in the stories of your closest circle, and memorialize loved
ones. Through our research we found how much people care about
their privacy, and that people have a real interest in documenting
their life. Xistance offers a platform that people will find an interest in,
and Wolfpack PR has created the “Define Your Life, But Not For Likes”
campaign to emphasize that. We are confident our campaign can
raise awareness, solidify Xistance’s brand, and help reach the primary
goal of increased usership.
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SITUATION
ANALYSIS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Xistance is a website that seeks to provide a platform for online users
to digitally create their own autobiographies and memorialize loved
ones. The company plans to launch its website in June 2017. Xistance
offers complete user privacy when creating a digital legacy profile.
The website will allow users to define their familial backgrounds and
record life events through the creation of individual profiles. This
“tell your own story” approach offers a greater privacy aspect in
comparison to social media sites. By creating their own family trees
through Xistance, users can tell their personal story in a way that
reflects their unique family dynamics.
Xistance is completely self-funded and employs six people, which
allows for creative freedom and cohesive communication throughout
the organization. In preparation for the website's launch, Xistance has
engaged in a handful of public relations operations to increase public
awareness. To meet the organization's goal of 5,000 users within the
first four months, a more targeted public relations campaign is
needed.
One of the biggest challenges Xistance faces is the public’s general
lack of knowledge about the website. To ensure success following the
launch, Xistance has identified two target publics, along with their
demographics and psychographics. Designing innovative messaging
strategies to reach Xistance’s publics will be challenging because users
will not be used to the level of privacy offered by the website.
Thoroughly understanding the key publics will help Xistance create an
effective campaign and connect with the target audiences.
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A S.W.O.T analysis was performed to determine Xistance’s specific
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths of the
organization include the unique space provided for users to display
their own stories as well as its constant use of social media platforms
and the Xistance Podcast to connect with current and potential users.
Current weaknesses primarily revolve around the lack of public
exposure as a new platform. Potential partnerships with websites that
complement Xistance’s mission could provide opportunities for the
organization to grow in the future. A major threat to the organization
is social media — because social media is so prevalent and does not
offer the same amount of privacy as Xistance, the organization will
need to distinguish themselves from the typical social media platform
by reaffirming their value of privacy and emphasizing its importance
to future or current users. By doing so, Xistance will be able to raise
awareness and increase usership.
Wolfpack PR’s campaign strategy will specifically focus on raising
public awareness and name recognition among identified target
publics. In addition, the campaign will work to position Xistance in a
way that communicates the specific needs it will fulfill for users. By
understanding the target publics, Wolfpack PR and Xistance will be
able to successfully reach 5,000 users within the first four months.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Xistance’s goal is to launch in June of 2017 and reach 5,000
subscribers within the first four months. As a startup, the organization
faces the obstacle of little-to-no name recognition. Xistance must raise
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awareness in order to gain users. The website will help people create
authentic, auto-biographical stories, memorialize their loved ones,
and share that history and depth with a small circle. Emphasis on
their core value of privacy will play an important role here because
that is what sets them apart from social media. Privacy makes it personal
and provides a platform to be genuine.
INTERNAL FACTORS
MISSION STATEMENT. The mission of the organization is to provide a
“private, user-controlled autobiographical website built to help people
understand how both the past and present define who they
are” (Xistance [Profile Page], 2015).
VISION. The vision of the organization is to promote authentic
storytelling in a private setting.
VALUES. As an organization, Xistance holds the following values:
privacy, personal storytelling, unique familial history and
memorializing loved ones who have passed away.
ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY. While working toward his MBA, the CEO
and founder of Xistance, Samuel Hershey, had to create a fake
business for a class project. Instructed to fill a gap in the market,
Hershey chose to build a business to memorialize loved ones after
they have died using unique tombstones. Although tombstones are
no longer featured in the current business model, this idea
snowballed into what is now Xistance.
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Hershey’s vision was to create a webpage that wouldn’t disappear
after six months like an ordinary memorial page. This idea was
married with the concept of ethical will, leaving behind character
traits that made the person unique. Since then, the concept has
evolved into a website where individuals can narrate their own
autobiographies and create their unique family trees. Along with the
website’s appreciation for creating and documenting history, it has
also progressed into a website valuing complete privacy, a stark contrast
to social media platforms.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. Xistance currently employs a small
team of six individuals who are responsible for different aspects of
the company and its growth. The founder and CEO of Xistance is
Samuel Hershey.
FUNDING. Xistance is entirely self-funded, which the company views
as a benefit because the employees have complete creative freedom.
Currently, Xistance is in the process of obtaining Series A funding. As
the website grows in usership, another source of income will be those
who reach the predetermined data cap on the website and decide to
pay $3.99 per month to continue storing their information.
EXTERNAL FACTORS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS AND ISSUES. According to an
Ancestry.com study (2014), “online family history research has grown
in the United States by 14 times, with two-thirds (63 percent) of
respondents in a recent study reporting that family history has
become more important than ever.”
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COMPETING FORCES AND COMPETITORS. According to the Pew
Research Center (2017), 69 percent of the public uses some form of
social media. Facebook, Instagram and other social media websites
could draw potential users from Xistance. Although the website is not
intended to be a social media platform, users on Facebook and similar
networking websites may be uncomfortable with the level of privacy
offered. Additionally, managing various online accounts can be very
time consuming for users causing them to carefully select the
websites they use based on the specific personal needs they meet.
Therefore, these social media platforms are indirect competitors but
still a competing force in the market.
CHALLENGES. Xistance is challenged with setting themselves apart
from social media websites like Facebook. Since social media is so
prevalent, Xistance will need to distinguish themselves and position
the website as a solution to social media. The distinction from social
media is Xistance’s value of privacy. Although some may like the level
of privacy offered by Xistance, it could be a potential obstacle when
gaining users who are not as concerned with privacy on social media
or similar platforms because they may not see the value in a
completely private platform. Xistance will need to communicate to
potential users that this privacy is refreshing to the social media
websites used today.
Since Xistance is a startup that has yet to launch their website, one of
their biggest challenges is the public’s lack of awareness, particularly
regarding their purpose and values. Identifying target publics and
constructing messages to reach them will be key in raising awareness
and gaining usership of the website.
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RELEVANT PUBLICS
Xistance is a website that welcomes all demographics to become
active users. However, to create a succinct and effectively targeted
campaign, Wolfpack PR has identified the following target publics:
• 50- to 70-year-olds with a good handle on technology, but who also
value privacy and are ready to tell their own unique stories.
• According to the Pew Research Center (2017), 72 percent of
adults ages 50 to 65, who use the internet, have a Facebook
account, and 64 percent of all Americans between the ages of
50 to 65 have a Facebook.
• These individuals are older in age and value family history,
They may also have completed genealogical research in the
past and are looking for a platform to display their findings. In
addition, these individuals will be motivated to use the
website to write their autobiography that will be available for
future generations to view after they have passed away.
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• Individuals who have recently had major life changes or
experiences
• Examples include empty nesters (parents whose kids have
recently left home and are between the ages 35 to 49) or new
moms.
• According to a study done by Influence Central and
Vibrant Nation, in 2015, 90 percent of empty nesters
reported having Facebook accounts. In addition,
59 percent reported they often shared posts on
Facebook and Twitter (DeBroff, 2015). Empty nesters
are a target audience because they are already active on
social media, showing they have the knowledge to
navigate Xistance’s website, and are more inclined to
create a space that allows them to look back on
memories.
• According to Edison Research (DeCesare, 2016),
78 percent of moms use Facebook. New moms often
use social media websites to upload pictures of their
newborns and family. They are a target audience
because the organization offers a private space to store
pictures of the major life events of their child’s life, like
an online baby book, that can be shown to them later.
This demographic also has a strong knowledge of
technology allowing them to easily grasp Xistance’s
concept.
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S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS.
• Xistance provides a free service to customers that allows users to
track and record their "family tree" through the website.
• Considering privacy is a leading priority for this company, both
parties must request and accept one another to connect with
anyone on the website. Additionally, Xistance assures that data is
not sold to third-party organizations.
• Users can use the social media website without constant
advertisements.
• The organization consists of six employees, allowing for constant
and consistent communication throughout the organization.
• Xistance consistently posts on social media (Twitter and Facebook)
— posts vary every two to five days and accounts are interactive
with their followers (Xistance [DefineYours], 2015) (Xistance [Profile
Page], 2015). This allows the organization to increase its exposure
on social media websites while bringing attention to the services it
offers.
• Xistance Podcast provides an opportunity to connect with their
current users and expose potential users to the website, while
creating an interactive space for individuals to share their stories.
• Xistance recently hired an experienced, part-time host for the
Xistance Podcast — all previous episodes were hosted by different
individuals and featured different openings. Having the same host
will help establish consistency throughout the podcast and with
their listeners.
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• Xistance has created teaser videos to post on YouTube, Facebook,
Twitter and other social media websites to create awareness and
excitement around the website’s launch.
• After registering, users are shown an instructional video to explain
how to use the website and tips are shown to the user as they
construct their profile. With this addition, users can learn how to
use the website more efficiently and grasp the concept of Xistance
more easily.
• Users can create multiple Xistance pages with one account — this
allows users to have unique family trees for themselves and their
family members that show their true life without feeling the need
to position themselves or their family members in a favorable light.
• Xistance allows users to define their own family in a unique way
that differentiates the company from other social media
databases. Xistance claims to be more specific and sensitive to
concepts such as blended families, rather than solely focusing on
biologically related family members, like comparable family history
websites such as Ancestry.
• Xistance offers legacy pages to memorialize loved ones. Legacy
pages are completely free, regardless of the data cap.
WEAKNESSES.
• Xistance lacks awareness within the surrounding community and
internet/technology sectors because the company has still not fully
launched.
• Current users of the website are primarily tech-savvy individuals
whose ability to navigate the website may be greater than that of
the average target user. This is a weakness because there may not
be adequate testing of the website to evaluate the ease of use.
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• Since the service has not yet launched, interested individuals
cannot begin utilizing the website and if they do request early
access to the website, they don’t receive any further information.
• Once users hit a certain data cap, they must pay to continue using
the website. This is a weakness since some users may not
contribute to their pages as often because they are worried about
hitting the data cap and having to choose between stopping their
use of the website or paying the monthly fee.
• The concept of Xistance is very different from traditional social
media platforms, meaning this unique business concept may be
difficult to understand or explain to others.
• The Xistance Podcast only has 30 subscribers and is also not yet
ranked among other podcasts within its category (Xistance).
• Xistance does not have a clearly written mission, value or vision
statement.
OPPORTUNITIES.
• Xistance can serve as a complement to genealogical research
websites. Partnerships with Ancestry.com and similar websites can
increase public awareness and provide a place for users to put
their recently discovered ancestral findings.
• Xistance can also serve as a complement to memorial websites
such as Legacy.com, allowing people to transfer their temporary
memorial pages to free, permanent Xistance legacy pages.
• The company is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, which
houses a large technology industry.
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• Reaching out to local technology companies and universities could
substantially increase Xistance’s name recognition in the
technology sector as well as gain investors who are looking to give
back to their community.
THREATS.
• The organization is completely self-funded — without more
funding from investors or users who pay to increase their data
storage on the website, Xistance may have to scale back
promotions, increase their subscription cost or lay off current
employees to keep operations running as efficiently as possible.
• With the continued growth of social media, privacy may not be
valued as much by potential users of the website. This may deter
potential users because it establishes a level of privacy they are not
used to. These users may not understand the importance of having
a place where one can compile their own history and not a
presentation of their history.
• Ancestry and Facebook could possibly take away potential
customers from the website. Ancestry offers a similar concept to
Xistance while Facebook offers the level of connectivity and sharing
that potential users would be familiar and more comfortable with.
Xistance could be seen as an unneeded addition if the potential
user already uses Ancestry and Facebook on a regular basis.
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CURRENT SITUATION
CURRENT POSITION. Xistance is currently working to create name
recognition and public awareness through company created digital
content — Xistance has produced multiple short videos that are
primarily featured on their Facebook and Twitter accounts and
provide potential users with information about the website’s mission.
In addition to the digital advertising, Xistance has also reached out to
“Mommy Bloggers.” Xistance sees these bloggers as an important
influencer in their target audiences because they may encourage new
mothers to join the website and create a “baby scrapbook” or
document their own family history for their children to read in the
future.
Xistance has also attended various startup and tech events in Raleigh
and surrounding areas to raise awareness of the organization and
establish relationships within their community. To coincide with the
launch, Xistance has created a teaser advertising campaign to be
featured on their Facebook and Twitter. The campaign will also be
hosted on a YouTube page that the organization plans to establish
before launching the website in March.
To date, public relations efforts of the have been minimal, and more
strategic planning will be needed to reach all target publics.
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DIRECTION. Wolfpack PR’s campaign will focus on increasing public
awareness associated with Xistance and targeting the identified
publics will be key in meeting the desired outcome of 5,000 users
within the first four months. Additionally, Xistance must convince
relevant publics the level of privacy offered is a positive and help
them recognize the need it will help fill in their lives. By doing so, the
company will not only increase awareness and name recognition, but
they will also gain users.
POTENTIAL OBSTACLES. One potential obstacle for Wolfpack PR’s
campaign is how to reach key publics, while still setting Xistance apart
from social media. Because the concept of the website is difficult to
explain or understand, effective messaging for each target audience
will be needed to reach Xistance’s goal of 5,000 users within the first
four months of their launch date.
Because the company is completely self-funded, monetary resources
may also become a cause for concern.
RESOURCES. Wolfpack PR has access to Xistance’s marketing
manager, Cassady Channita, to answer any questions and provide us
with needed information.
The company website and social media accounts — Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn — will provide Wolfpack PR with immediate updates
concerning the organization as well as their growing user base as the
launch date of the website approaches.
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Qualtrics, provided to North Carolina State University students, will
serve as the main tool used to conduct primary research on Xistance’s
target publics and to identify potential problems with the website or
messaging techniques.
The NCSU Libraries database will serve as an essential tool for
Wolfpack PR to do secondary research on target publics and monitor
emerging trends.
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RESEARCH
FINDINGS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The foundation of any successful public relations campaign is primary
research. Keeping this in mind, Wolfpack PR conducted and analyzed
research to identify key attitudes and preferences among potential
publics for Xistance. Wolfpack PR completed the necessary research
and gathered quantitative data that will serve as the cornerstone for
the development of the public relations campaign. Our goals were to
discover the best channels to increase public awareness and reach
Xistance’s target publics and to identify the motivations and values of
individuals who use social media or social media-type services. In
order to achieve these goals, our research addressed the following
questions:
• What are the best messaging techniques to reach Xistance’s target
publics?
• What is the best way to raise awareness of a startup company that
has not yet launched?
• What does each target public, as identified by Xistance, look for in a
social media or social media-type platform?
• How does the value of privacy vary among Xistance’s target
audiences?
In order to answer these questions, Wolfpack PR developed an
instrument for an online survey. Participants for the survey were
recruited based on Xistance’s target publics. In order to reach these
recruits, the survey was posted to specific Facebook groups and
Reddit forums, as well as directly emailed to individuals known to
members of Wolfpack PR. These individuals were then asked to
forward the survey link to others, creating a snowball sample.
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With a completed tally of 412 participants, the survey asked all
multiple-choice questions designed to understand the attitudes and
values of participants. The data collection from the survey instrument
revealed several key findings that will aid Wolfpack PR in the creative
process of campaign planning.
Key findings from data collection include:
• Word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful tools for creating
recognition about new social media websites and internet-based
services.
• Social media is used for various reasons and to fulfill different
needs.
• Privacy is a concern and is valued by those who use traditional
forms of social media.
INTRODUCTION
In order to develop an effective public relations campaign, Wolfpack
PR conducted primary research using an online survey. The purpose
of the survey was to gather useful insights on publics’ attitudes
toward privacy and social media, as well as their interest in
discovering and documenting family history. The survey also aided in
identifying the most appropriate ways to reach target audiences. The
survey was made available from Feb. 20 to March 12. There were 412
responses to the survey during this period. The findings from the
survey will guide decisions regarding a successful public relations
campaign for Xistance.
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RESEARCH PLAN
RESEARCH GOALS. Throughout the research process, Wolfpack PR
sought to discover the best channels to increase public awareness
and reach Xistance’s target publics. Wolfpack PR also sought to
identify the motivations and values of individuals who use social
media or social media-type services.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS. Based on our evaluation of Xistance’s
current situation, Wolfpack PR developed specific questions to direct
our research:
• RQ1: What are the best messaging techniques to reach Xistance’s
target publics?
• RQ2: What is the best way to raise awareness of a startup company
that has not yet launched?
• RQ3: What does each target public, as identified by Xistance, look
for in a social media or social media-type platform?
• RQ4: How does the value of privacy vary among Xistance’s target
audiences?
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE. Before conducting primary research, Wolfpack
PR set a measurable objective in order to gain insight into the
research questions previously stated.
• Survey 500 individuals who range in age, race and ethnicity.
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METHODOLOGY
OVERVIEW. Wolfpack PR conducted a quantitative survey to identify
demographic characteristics that are related to certain attitudes and
behaviors.
POPULATION. Wolfpack PR chose to survey individuals of all
demographics to gain insight into all potential audiences. Because
Xistance is a startup company without an existing user base, it was
important to learn about any potential publics. However, keeping in
mind that Xistance’s stated target audience is individuals over the age
of 50, Wolfpack PR did want a larger number of responses from
individuals within this demographic.
SAMPLE SIZE. Wolfpack PR’s proposed sample size was 500.
However, the survey received a total of 412 responses. Of the
participants, 76.69 percent identified as female and 87.04 percent
identified as white. In addition, participants ranged from 18- to 72-
years-old, with an average age of 30.
SAMPLING TECHNIQUE. Wolfpack PR used non-probability sampling
methods. The link to the survey was posted in Facebook groups, on
relevant Reddit posts, and in forums focusing on gene and/or family
history mapping, creating a voluntary sample. The link was also sent
to individuals who are known to Wolfpack PR members — these
individuals were instructed to take the survey themselves and then
send the survey to others they know, creating a snowball sample. As
an incentive to participate, respondents had the option of entering a
random drawing to win a $50 Amazon e-gift card.
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INSTRUMENT. The survey was created using Qualtrics. The survey
questions were specifically designed to provide answers to Wolfpack
PR’s research questions. Qualtrics’ skip logic was utilized to direct
participants to certain questions based on their answers to previous
questions.
Before taking the survey, each participant was required to
acknowledge they had read and understood their rights as a
participant on the provided informed consent form — after
consenting to participate they were prompted to start the survey.
The survey consisted of three sections with 28 questions in total.
Section one addressed social media uses and privacy, section two
addressed how the respondent finds out about new products or
internet services, and section three addressed demographic
information. All questions were multiple choice.
An incentive drawing was offered to participants after completing the
survey. Each participant could enter their email address for a chance
to win a $50 Amazon e-gift card — this question was optional.
See Appendix A for the complete survey including consenting information,
questions and exit message.
DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES. A link directed participants to the
web-based survey hosted in Qualtrics. All survey responses,
completed and uncompleted, were stored in the Qualtrics database
for further review and data analysis. Wolfpack PR distributed the link
to participants on Feb. 20 and closed the link March 12. Between
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these dates, Wolfpack PR frequently reposted the link to Facebook
groups and Reddit forums to recruit more participants. The data from
all responses was downloaded and analyzed on March 13.
DATA ANALYSIS. In order to analyze different characteristics among
the key demographics, Wolfpack PR separated the survey responses
according to the participant’s age. Means, frequencies and the
standard deviations of these defined age groups were examined to
determine the best messaging techniques. Qualtrics data was
imported to SPSS and Excel for analysis.
FINDINGS
MESSAGING TECHNIQUES. The following two questions assess the
best methods to reach Xistance’s publics and increase awareness
about the organization.
The first question asked where advertisements are seen/heard most
often, and respondents were instructed to select all that applies. The
responses were:
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The second question asked participants how they hear about new
social media websites or internet-based services. The responses
were:
A common response found in the “Other” category was “Podcast.”
SOCIAL MEDIA USES AND ATTITUDES. The following six questions
analyze what individuals look for in a social media or social mediatype
platform.
The first question asked if the participants uses social media. The
responses were:
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The second question asked how frequently participants use specific
types of social media platforms. Because not everyone used each
platform, percentages will not add up to 100. The responses were:
The third question asked how often the respondent uses apps or
social media features that allow them to revisit previous posts. The
responses were:
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The fourth question asked how likely they would be to start an
account on a newly launched website with few existing accounts and
little name recognition. The responses were:
The fifth question asked respondents to choose the option that best
represented how they feel about their social media uses. The
responses were:
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The sixth question asked how interested they are in documenting
their life. The responses were:
These responses were then tested to see if a correlation existed
between an interest in documenting one’s life and age — these two
variables showed a significant inverse relationship, r = .15, p = .006,
meaning younger people value documenting their life more.
PRIVACY VALUES AND EXPECTATIONS. The following five questions
analyze how the target audiences of Xistance value privacy when
using social media or social media-type platforms.
The first question asked how important privacy online is. The
responses were:
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These responses were then tested to see if a correlation existed
between valuing privacy and age. These two variables are significantly
correlated, r = .27, p < .01.
The second question asked what their privacy settings were for social
media sites. The responses were:
A common theme among those who responded with “I have different
settings on different social media sites,” was Facebook and Instagram
with the most privacy settings while Twitter, Reddit and other similar
websites were more lenient. For example, one respondent said:
“Facebook: some posts public, some for friends/friends of
friends (usually the ones I don't want a prospective
employer to see); my main twitter account is personal
(mainly because I don't want prospective employers and
my sister to see; also, I like faving/retweeting tweets
without the person who posted it knowing); I have 2 more
twitter accounts to follow more people/tweet people who
don't follow me; one of these accounts is for music-related
stuff”
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Questions three and four evaluated the use and accessibility of
privacy policies on social media. Question three asked if privacy
policies were easy to understand while question four asked if they
gave full control to the user when deciding who can see what they
post or share. The responses were:
Are Privacy Policies Easy to Understand?
Do Privacy Policies Give Complete Control?
The fifth question asked how they felt about social media and other
websites tracking their interests and then providing that information
to third party sources. The responses were:
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INTERPRETATION
MESSAGING TECHNIQUES. Wolfpack PR’s survey used two questions
to determine how most people view advertisements.
The first question asked where people see/ hear advertisements most
often, and the two most selected responses were social media and TV.
Since this survey was shared through social media and word-ofmouth,
this poses a limitation on the data because the responses are
consistent with how each participant would have originally heard
about or saw the link to the survey — on social media. Because of
this, there could be a portion of the population that is not accurately
represented in the data collected. While this finding could be skewed,
it does provide relevant information to Xistance on how to reach
potential users through the use of social media.
The second question asked how people heard about new social media
websites and internet-based services. The two primary responses
were through “word-of-mouth from friends, family, or trusted
individuals” and “word-of-mouth from colleagues or acquaintances.”
This finding is consistent with the general trend of finding out about
new technology services or products — there will be a few early
adopters, while most wait until they hear about new products or
services from the people they know and trust.
Wolfpack PR will use both findings to help Xistance further its
awareness in the technology sector and gain more users in the
process. Since respondents said they see most advertisements on
social media, but the way they hear about new products or services is
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through word-of-mouth, Wolfpack PR determined it is important that
Xistance increases its social media presence. By doing so, Xistance
would increase its name recognition and get more individuals talking
about its product — Xistance has an opportunity to share its message
with people and have those people keep it going.
SOCIAL MEDIA USES AND ATTITUDES. The survey also utilized six
questions to specifically analyze what individuals look for when using
social media platforms.
The data shows that approximately 98 percent of respondents use
some form of social media platform semi-frequently. The top four
most frequently used social media websites were Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and Snapchat. The responses also show that the majority
of the survey participants use at least some of these platforms more
than once a day. Furthermore, when asked how participants generally
felt about their social media use, the most important factors
mentioned by the respondents included “using social media to share
information about their life with others,” “using social media for
entertainment purposes” and “using social media for passing time
and social interaction.” This shows that the main reasons given for
using social media are to connect with individuals in a space that they
can make their own — Xistance has an opportunity to utilize this
finding by promoting their product on the four most frequently used
social media websites in a way that showcases the unique and
creative space of their platform.
The next question evaluated respondents’ attitudes towards creating
an account with a newly launched website with few existing users and
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little name recognition. The two most frequent responses were
“somewhat unlikely” and “extremely unlikely”. Wolfpack PR sees this
as the participants being less willing to invest time and/or money in a
social media account if there are few accounts and is not yet popular
among the masses. This finding poses a particular challenge for
Xistance because it will need to utilize the findings on how individuals
learn about new technology services to reach their target publics and
grow in usership.
Considering many of the participants claimed they use social media to
connect with other people, share information about their lives and to
track life experiences, Wolfpack PR can conclude that participants are
generally not interested in devoting energy to a social media platform
that is less relevant in the current social world. We can use this
information to ensure our campaign plan includes tactics that align
with trends on social media and grab the attention of potential users.
PRIVACY VALUES AND EXPECTATIONS. The survey also included five
questions to determine how Xistance’s target audiences value privacy.
The first question asked participants how much they value privacy
online. Out of the 412 respondents to our survey, a total of 97.37
percent reported finding online privacy either “extremely important,”
“very important” or “moderately important.” The results showed a
positive correlation between age and valuing privacy. This means that
as people get older, their value for privacy online grows. Since
Xistance’s target audience is primarily 50- to 70-year-olds, it is
beneficial to highlight the company’s core value of privacy in Wolfpack
PR’s campaign plan to appeal to the target audiences.
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The second question asked what their privacy settings on social media
sites were. The responses varied, but a majority (about 66 percent)
have their social media privacy settings on “friends only.” Most people
only want to share their posts with people they know. Therefore,
Xistance’s privacy and privacy setting options will appeal to its target
audience and be a major component of all messaging techniques
used in the campaign plan.
The third and fourth questions evaluated people’s opinions on the
use of privacy policies. The third asked if privacy policies were easy to
understand, to which 38.70 percent said yes and 61.30 percent said
no. Wolfpack PR interpreted this to mean that it is vital to make sure
Xistance is clear and open about its privacy policies and how to
navigate them. The fourth asked if the respondents felt privacy
policies give complete control — 42.42 percent responded with no.
Since Xistance prides itself with the value of privacy offered on the
website, it is important to be transparent about Xistance’s policies, options
for privacy settings and how important protecting users’ information
is to the company when designing the campaign plan. By doing
so, Xistance will be able to appeal to potential users who feel as if
their information is not as protected as it should be on the internet as
well as those who want to become more informed about the policies
of the websites they use.
The fifth and final question asked how they felt about social media
and other websites tracking their interests and then providing that
information to third-party sources. The majority answered that this
practice bothers them, but they still use the websites, while another
16 percent responded the practice is pushing them away from using
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these websites. Wolfpack PR interpreted this to mean that users are
uncomfortable on some level with data tracking. This information is
beneficial to learn because Xistance does not use any form of data
tracking and promoting this piece of information in our campaign
plan will help Xistance connect with its target audience and gain more
users in the process.
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CAMPAIGN
PLAN

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Wolfpack PR has created a targeted campaign for Xistance to achieve
its primary goal of increasing website usership. Xistance wants to
reach 5,000 users within the first four months following its launch.
Wolfpack PR conducted careful research and analysis to better
understand potential users. With the help of this data, target publics
have been identified, and the best ways to reach those publics is
outlined throughout our campaign. The publics identified are
individuals 50- to 70- years-old, individuals who value privacy and are
currently using traditional social media platforms, and individuals
working in the technology sector.
The campaign will primarily seek to raise awareness, especially
amongst identified target publics. The theme of our campaign is
“Define Your Life, But Not For Likes.” This theme incorporates the
company tagline, “Define Yours,” and emphasizes the website’s
opposing position in the market to social media platforms. Key
messages will be used to communicate with target publics. These
messages will raise awareness for Xistance and result in individuals
signing up for an account. A few of the key messages our campaign
will convey are:
• Record your life story and family history all in one place with
Xistance.
• Xistance offers digital legacy pages for loved ones that can be
preserved for generations.
• Xistance offers users complete control of their privacy settings,
contrary to traditional social media platforms.
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Wolfpack PR discovered in its research that most people encountered
advertisements online, and they typically tried new products or
services based on recommendations from people that they know. Our
strategy will include placing consistent and engaging content and
advertisements on social media platforms and search engines in
order for people to encounter these throughout their daily lives. The
engaging content will help facilitate conversations between friends,
colleagues and others to bring in more users based on word-ofmouth
and personal recommendations. In addition to increasing
usership, Wolfpack PR also plans to increase Xistance’s presence in
the technology sector. Our strategy for this will include outreach to
other companies, media organizations and potential partners within
the sector. Our campaign objectives include increasing the number of
new website users, the number of social media followers, and the
number of relationships in the technology sector. Here are a few of
the tactics we propose in our campaign:
• Facebook Advertisements
• Google AdWords Advertising
• Social Media Posts with specific hashtags
• #DefineYours, #MemorializeMonday, #FamilyHistoryFriday
• 15-second advertisement for YouTube
• Form relationship(s) with Ancestry.com and/or Legacy.com
• Attend 2018 International Startup Fair
Wolfpack PR has included a campaign timeline that will run from the
website's launch day to May 2018, with a total budget of $14,684.58.
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INTRODUCTION
Wolfpack PR created a public relations campaign focused on
increasing usership as well as Xistance’s presence in the technology
sector. Because Xistance has not yet launched, it is vital to build
awareness of the company. A successful public relations campaign
will increase the number of new users at the time of the launch, and
in turn the number of social media posts mentioning Xistance. In
addition, the campaign will lead to the company building relationships
with news media outlets and technology companies or journalists.
Through our research, Wolfpack PR identified that the best way to
reach Xistance’s target publics is through advertisements on social
media and word-of-mouth from friends, family or trusted individuals.
Therefore, our campaign focuses on advertising through social media
and forming connections with technology experts that can help
spread the word about Xistance.
The goals, objectives, strategies and tactics all focus on the theme
“Define Your Life, But Not For Likes,” which places emphasis on the
unique aspects of the company: control over documenting one’s life
and how it’s different from traditional social media platforms. We
believe focusing on what sets Xistance apart from other social media
websites and genealogy-mapping websites will help the company gain
awareness and usership.
The key and supporting messages will guide each goal, objective and
tactic. These messages will communicate the uniqueness and values
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of Xistance. With a budget of $15,000 and an outlined timeline, each
tactic is carefully planned to meet each objective effectively.
TARGET PUBLICS
Wolfpack PR has discerned three primary publics for the “Define Your
Life, But Not For Likes” campaign. These three publics include:
individuals 50-to 70-years-old, individuals who value privacy and are
currently using traditional social media platforms, and individuals in
the technology sector.
The first two publics are obvious targets in order to accomplish the
campaign goals of increasing awareness and gaining usership of the
website. These first two publics are potential users of the website.
According to our research, there is a positive correlation between age
and valuing privacy. Our research also revealed that privacy is a
concern and is valued by those who use traditional forms of social
media. Considering these findings, Wolfpack PR’s campaign will not
only showcase the features of Xistance in documenting one’s life, but
also capitalize on its value of complete user privacy. These two publics
will overlap in many areas. Wolfpack PR will specifically target
individuals 50-to 70-years-old, and will also target those who use
social media but value privacy regardless of age. However, defining
them separately will help to streamline campaign plans in order to
effectively reach these potential users through various platforms.
The third primary public will be individuals in the technology sector.
These individuals will be targeted because of their interest in new
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ideas and innovations. Considering Xistance’s status as a startup
company, support from this community will be important in the
success of the website. These tech-savvy individuals can offer ideas
and assistance in making Xistance the best it can be. In order to
appeal to this public, targeted messages will highlight the new,
innovative concept of Xistance, as well as the pre-existing issues it
resolves.
A secondary public identified by Wolfpack PR is other social media
users who do not value privacy. This public may be harder to
convince, so messages will need to communicate how Xistance is still
the best platform to document their lives, although it is a very private
website.
Another secondary public identified by Wolfpack PR is current users
of ancestral and memorial websites like Ancestry.com or Legacy.com.
These individuals can be recruited from these sites. An aspect of
Wolfpack PR’s campaign plan will involve forming relationships with
said websites to recruit users. We will appeal to these secondary
publics by engaging with them through the family history websites
they already use.
CAMPAIGN PLAN
The following campaign plan, as created by Wolfpack PR, illustrates
strategic efforts in increasing awareness and usership for our client,
Xistance.
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THEME. Wolfpack PR’s extensive primary research has revealed that
among aging individuals and those who use social media, privacy is
both a concern and a value. In addition, those who use social media
do so for various reasons, one of them being to document and track
life experiences. In today’s society, with social media being a part of
everyday life, Xistance will need to separate themselves from all other
traditional platforms.
Our theme, “Define Your Life, But Not For Likes,” while coinciding with
the company’s tagline, “Define Yours,” will capitalize on the two
unique features of the website. Our theme articulates that Xistance is
a place where users have full control in documenting their own lives
and writing their own stories. The latter half of the theme positions
the website opposite of social media platforms. We want to explicitly
communicate to publics that Xistance is not a social media platform;
there will be no “Like” buttons. We will also communicate the
comprehensive level of privacy that each user is promised. Our
theme, in keeping with the campaign goals, communicates what is
new and innovative about Xistance in order to increase both
awareness and usership.
KEY AND SUPPORTING MESSAGES. The “Define Your Life, But Not For
Likes” campaign includes key and supporting messages to both the
primary and secondary target publics. These messages will
communicate unique characteristics of Xistance, highlight values and
encourage usership. The messages will communicate what we want
each target public to know about Xistance.
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The messages to potential users will communicate the unique
features and values of Xistance.
• Record your life story and family history all in one place with
Xistance.
• Xistance offers digital legacy pages for loved ones that can be
preserved for generations.
• Xistance values complete user control of privacy.
• There are no ads, news feeds or “Like” buttons on Xistance.
• Xistance does not share any user information with outside sources.
• Xistance is not another social media platform.
The messages targeted to individuals in the technology sector will
communicate the new and innovative ideas of Xistance.
• Xistance is a revolutionary website that offers a unique experience.
• Xistance offers users complete control of their privacy settings,
contrary to traditional social media platforms.
• Xistance does not share any user information with outside sources.
• Xistance is a start-up and has great potential to thrive.
Messages targeted to our secondary public of current users of various
genealogy and memorial websites will position Xistance as a website
that will meet the needs of these users.
• Xistance does not delete user profiles after they have passed away.
• Legacy pages can be created to memorialize loved ones and will be
available for future generations to view.
• Xistance allows users to tell their own unique stories.
• Xistance can be used to organize information collected from
genealogy tracking websites.
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GOALS, OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
GOAL 1. Increase the number of website subscribers by creating
awareness and a consistent image surrounding Xistance.
OBJECTIVE 1. Increase the number of users to 3,000 by Sept. 19,
2017, as measured by website data.
OBJECTIVE 2. Increase the number of social media followers across
all platforms by 25 percent by Sept. 19, 2017, as measured in
comparison to the number of followers on launch day.
STRATEGY 1. Improve Xistance’s social media presence by
implementing consistent and engaging posts on multiple platforms.
Implement social media marketing techniques to increase exposure
to potential users of the website. According to our research, most
social media users receive their information about new online
platforms or services through advertisements they encounter
throughout their daily life. By placing consistent advertisements on
several social media platforms and search engines, Xistance has the
potential to increase website usership and awareness surrounding
the website.
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TACTICS.
Implement the following social media strategies for Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube:
• Create platform-specific content plans.
• Content plans will be created at least one month in
advance of the post date to ensure enough content has
been generated.
• “Platform-specific” indicates that each platform (i.e.
Twitter, Facebook or YouTube) has separate plans with
individual posts generated for each.
• See Appendix B for a sample content plan.
• Engage with users who post about the organization to create
a two-way conversation.
• If questions are asked on any platform, they should be
answered within 24 hours.
• Encourage followers to use #DefineYours to create a
community between Xistance users, the organization and
potential users.
2. Implement the following Facebook guidelines:
• Xistance should post on Facebook at least one time a day.
• See Appendix B for a sample Facebook post.
• Share videos that pertain to gene tracking, gene mapping or
family history.
• Create events to promote the events Xistance will be
attending or hosting.
• See Appendix C for a sample event post.
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3. Implement the following Twitter guidelines:
• Xistance should post on Twitter at least seven times a day.
• Every week, posts on this platform should be consistent with
the following hashtags:
• Monday - #MemorializeMonday
• Posts should be centered on remembering those
who have passed on but made an impact on
someone’s life or the world.
• Wednesday - #DefineYours
• Posts should be centered on a defining moment in
a specific person’s life.
• Friday - #FamilyHistoryFriday
• Posts should be centered on highlighting a fun fact
about an Xistance employee’s family history or a
historical figure.
• See Appendix B for a sample post of each hashtag.
• Posts featuring the hashtags should be retweeted and
favorited by the Xistance Twitter account to promote
conversation.
• Monitor hashtags for trolls.
• Trolls are individuals on the internet who use hashtags
specifically for gaining attention and provoking
arguments.
• Trolls will not be contributing to the overall conversation
started by the hashtags.
• Do not respond to these tweets.
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4. Create a 15 second advertisement to be placed on the following
websites:
• Xistance’s personal YouTube channel.
• YouTube advertising
• Advertisement will play when users are about to watch
a video on any of the following topics (YouTube
Advertising):
• Ancestry Research • Ancestry.com
• DNA sequencing • Facebook and Privacy
• Genetic testing • Genetics
• Internet privacy • Privacy
• Family
• Family tree
• Family history
• Family tree research
• See Appendix D for the advertisement pitch letter to Capstone
Production Group.
5. Implement Facebook Advertising.
• An advertisement will be targeted to users who like specific
pages or post about the following topics on their Facebook
accounts (Facebook Business):
• Ancestry Research
• DNA sequencing
• Genetic testing
• Internet privacy
• Family
• Family history
• Ancestry.com
• Facebook and Privacy
• Genetics
• Privacy
• Family tree
• Family tree research
• See Appendix E for sample Facebook advertisements.
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6. Implement advertising on Google AdWords
• An advertisement for Xistance will appear when individuals
use Google’s search engine and use any of the following
keywords:
• Ancestry search • My family history
• Ids genealogy
• Ancestry family tree
• Family tree search • Find my family tree
• Family ancestry • Ancestry sites
• Find your family tree • Family history search
• Family tree websites • Ids family history
• Family tree finder • Family tree research
• Family tree online • Ancestry
• Family tree
• Genealogy
• Ancestry DNA
• Family history
• Privacy
• Privacy on Facebook
• Privacy on the internet • Ancestors
• See Appendix F for a sample advertisement on Google AdWords.
GOAL 2. Increase Xistance’s presence in the technology sector.
OBJECTIVE 1. Build 12 new relationships with other technology
companies, bloggers, journalists and/or news media outlets by Sept.
19, 2017.
STRATEGY 1. Increase Xistance’s outreach to other companies, media
organizations, and potential partners within the technology sector.
Cultivate beneficial relationships within the sector before and after
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launch, maintain them, and capitalize on opportunities for
partnership and collaboration. Reach out to known potential partners,
attend conferences and networking events to continuously grow
brand recognition within the industry.
TACTICS.
1. Form a relationship with Anil Dash, an activist and writer focused
on making the technology sector more humane and ethical (Anil
Dash: A blog about making culture).
• With one of Xistance’s primary goals being user privacy, Dash
could blog about his experience on the website and how the
organization’s mission aligns with his vision for the future of
technology.
• See Appendix G for a pitch letter to Anil Dash.
2. Form a relationship with Ancestry.com to allow users to import
information found on Ancestry to their Xistance profiles for a more
comprehensive view of their history. This add-on for both websites
will increase usership and benefit both companies.
• See Appendix H for a pitch letter to Ancestry.
3. Form a relationship with Legacy.com to allow users to connect
obituaries to existing Legacy pages or import information from the
obituary to a new legacy page for users to visit later with no time
limit on how long the page will be accessible.
• See Appendix I for a pitch letter to Legacy.
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4. Attend 2018 International Startup Fair (International Startup Fair).
• Purchase Pit Table for Startups & 2 Conference Ticket
Package.
• Purchase the lanyard sponsorship at the conference to
further Xistance’s brand recognition.
• See Appendix J for a sample proof of the lanyard.
5. Submit an application to be a participant in the Pitch Competition
at the 2018 International Startup Fair (Startup Competition).
• To do this, Xistance will need to use its existing
AngelList.com account to submit an application.
6. Distribute press releases to specific news media outlets and
leaders in the technology industry that are found using Meltwater.
Each press release will focus on a specific topic to generate buzz
around Xistance, including:
• Official launch of Xistance.
• Attendance at the International Startup Conference and/or
participation in the Pitch Competition (if selected).
• Launch of Xistance app.
• See Appendix K for all press releases.
EVALUATION
To determine if the objectives have been met, Wolfpack PR suggests
Xistance use data from its website to determine how many new
accounts were created and compare how many clicks the website gets
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efore and after the campaign. We also suggest performing a
calculation of mentions the organization is tagged in on social media
to see how much the number of posts about Xistance has increased.
In addition, an audit should be done for the organization’s social
media to determine how many followers it had before the campaign
and how many it has afterward. Wolfpack PR also suggests
considering the amount of media coverage Xistance has received
following the campaign to determine if relationships with news media
outlets are set in stone. We believe it is also beneficial to observe the
current relationships Xistance has in the technology sector and
monitor ways to build upon those relationships.
STEWARDSHIP
Through the “Define Your Life, But Not For Likes” campaign, Wolfpack
PR can foster relationships with individuals in the technology sector
who are interested in new ideas. Wolfpack PR plans to create and
maintain these relationships through attendance at events where
these individuals may be. Relationships with both current and
potential users will be maintained using effective two-way
communication on various platforms. Xistance will respond in a timely
manner to build relationships. Furthermore, Xistance will form
relationships with Ancestry.com and Legacy.com by partnering with
them to gain usership.
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IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE
• June 8, 2017
• Send all graphics and needed information for the 15 second
YouTube advertisement to Capstone Production Group
• Capstone needs 24 hours to create, produce and edit
the advertisement
• June 12, 2017
• Create media list in Meltwater for press release announcing
launch
• June 15, 2017
• Xistance launches — distribute press release to media list
• June 19, 2017
• Begin three-month social media campaign
• Implement 15 second YouTube advertisement
• Implement advertising on Facebook
• Implement advertising on Google AdWords
• Being posting consistently on Facebook and Twitter
• Contact Anil Dash about reviewing/blogging about Xistance
• July 19, 2017
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the following social media
campaigns to determine if changes need to be made before
the three-month campaign ends:
• 15 second YouTube advertisement
• Advertising on Facebook
• Advertising on Google AdWords
• Consistent posts on Facebook and Twitter
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• Sept. 19, 2017
• End three-month social media campaign and evaluate the
success and failures of the following:
• 15 second YouTube advertisement
• Advertising on Facebook
• Advertising on Google AdWords
• Consistently posting on Facebook and Twitter
• Sept. 21, 2017
• Wolfpack PR reports findings from social media campaigns to
Xistance
• Collectively, Wolfpack PR and Xistance will decide
whether to continue each based on the results
• Dec. 14, 2017
• Create media list in Meltwater for press release concerning
the launch of the Xistance app
• Jan. 1, 2018
• Xistance app launches — distribute press release to media list
previously created in Meltwater
• Feb. 1, 2018
• Purchase Pit Table and Lanyard Sponsorship at the
International Startup Conference
• March 1, 2018
• Submit application for the Pitch Competition at the
International Startup Conference
• March 12, 2018
• Purchase plane tickets for the two representatives attending
the International Startup Conference
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• April 15, 2018
• Create media list in Meltwater for press release concerning
Xistance’s upcoming attendance at the International Startup
Conference and/or participation in the Pitch Competition
• April 16, 2018
• Distribute press release about Xistance’s upcoming
attendance at the International Startup Conference and/or
participation in the Pitch Competition to the media list
previously created in Meltwater
• May 2018
• Attend International Startup Conference (specific dates not
yet announced)
BUDGET
BUDGET OVERVIEW.
2018 International Startup Fair $2,989.58
Advertising $7,095.00
Meltwater Subscription $4,600.00
Total Cost: $14,684.58
IN-DEPTH BUDGET. Wolfpack PR has created an itemized budget for
each tactic, as described above. This will allow Xistance to evaluate
their options and recalculate the budget based on their preferences
and resources.
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2018 International Startup Conference
• Early Bird Demo Pit Table (startups) package (International Startup
Fair)
• This package includes one eight-foot table for display and two
conference tickets for the company representatives selected
to attend.
• The total cost of this package is $650.00
• Lanyard Sponsor (International Startup Fair)
• By purchasing this sponsorship, Xistance’s logo will be placed
on the lanyards given to all conference attendees.
• The total cost of this sponsorship is $1,500.00
• Airfare
• Includes two round-trip tickets from Raleigh, NC to San
Francisco, CA on American Airlines (Expedia).
• Combining the costs of both tickets, the total is $839.58
Advertising
• 15 second advertisement
• Capstone Production Group will create and produce the
advertisement for a total cost of $795.00 (Capstone
Production Group).
• This quote includes the following:
• Labor
• Music licensing
• Licensing of stock assets • Voice-over-talent
• Professional equipment • Creative services
• Contact: Matt Curry — matt@capstoneproductiongroup.com
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• YouTube Advertising
• Total cost is $2,000.00 (YouTube Advertising)
• A cost-per-view (CPV) bid will be placed on the
advertisement for $0.20 allowing for a maximum of
10,000 clicks or interactions.
• The maximum number of clicks or interactions may be higher
depending on the number of competitors targeting the same
demographics and if their CPV is higher than Xistance’s
(About cost-per-view (CPV) bidding).
• If a competitor has placed a higher CPV for the same
target audience, their advertisement will be placed
instead of Xistance’s.
• If Xistance has the highest CPV in the bid, Xistance will
only be charged one cent more than the competitor’s
CPV.
• Xistance will not be charged the CPV if the viewer does not
interact with or watch the advertisement all the way through.
• Facebook advertisement
• A lifetime budget of $2,000.00 will be set for the three-month
campaign period.
• The daily reach results are estimated to be 3,900 - 10,000 of
120,000,000 Facebook users (Facebook Business).
72

• Google AdWords
• Total cost is $2,300.00, equating to $25 per day during the
three-month campaign period (Google AdWords).
• Google AdWords has estimated Xistance’s advertisement
placement to produce the following results:
• 770+ clicks
• Clicks are the number of times an advertisement is
expected to be clicked on (Click: Definition).
• 42k+ impressions
• Impressions are the number of times an
advertisement is expected to be shown on a
search result page or other site on the Google
Network (Impressions: Definition).
• Xistance will only be charged if the individual clicks on the
advertisement.
Meltwater Subscription
• A yearly subscription to the online database is $4,600 (Meltwater)
• This will allow Xistance to distribute press releases and other
forms of content to specific individuals, demographics or
regions and further their outreach.
• Contact: Emily Freeman — emily.freeman@meltwater.com
73

Conclusion
Wolfpack PR’s campaign “Define Your Life, But Not For Likes” has been
specifically designed to solve Xistance’s problems of little public
awareness and lack of usership. We believe that this campaign will
achieve the goals of increasing both awareness in the technology
sector and number of subscribers. Our campaign focuses on
effectively utilizing social media, advertisements, and partnerships. It
also involves attendance at a startup event in order to interact with
target publics. Our campaign will communicate Xistance’s value of
privacy and storytelling. We believe our campaign will not only
increase usership but also build beneficial relationships that will
contribute to the success of Xistance.
74

REFERENCES
About cost-per-view (CPV) bidding. (n.d.). AdWords Help. Retrieved
from https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2472735?hl=en
Anil Dash: A blog about making culture. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://
www.anildash.com
Capstone Production Group. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://
www.capstoneproductiongroup.com
Click: Definition. (n.d.) AdWords Help. Retrieved from https://
support.google.com/adwords/answer/31799?hl=en
DeBroff, S. (2015, September 25). Today’s Empty Nesters: 4 Surprising
Insights Around the New Power Generation. Bunsiness.com. Retrieved
from http://www.business.com/online-marketing/todaysempty-nesters-4-surprising-insights-around-the-new-powergeneration/
DeCesare, M. (2016, May 5). moms and media 2016: the recap. Edison
Research. Retrieved from http://www.edisonresearch.com/momsmedia-2016/
Expedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.expedia.com
Facebook Business. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/
business
75

Google AdWords. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.google.com/
adwords
Impressions: Definition. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://
support.google.com/adwords/answer/6320?hl=en
International Startup Fair. (n.d.). The Startup Conference. Retrieved
from http://thestartupconference.com/international-startup-fair/
Meltwater. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.meltwater.com
Online Family History Research in United States Grows by 14 Times in
Past Decade. (2014, November 19). Ancestry.com Retrieved from
http://www.ancestry.com/corporate/newsroom/press-releases/
Online-Family-History-Research-in-United-States-Grows-by-14-
Times-in-Past-Decade-
Samuel Hershey [Profile Page]. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://
www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-hershey-
Social Media Fact Sheet [Blog post]. (2017, January 12). Pew Research
Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/
social-media/
Startup Competition. (n.d.). The Startup Conference. Retrieved from
http://thestartupconference.com/startup-competition/
76

Xistance. (n.d.). Xistance Podcast. iTunes Preview. Retrieved from
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/xistance-podcast/
id1156681359?mt=2
Xistance [DefineYours]. (2015, September). Twitter. Retrieved from
https://twitter.com/DefineYours
Xistance [Profile Page]. (2015, September). Facebook. Retrieved from
https://www.facebook.com/Xistance.Define.Yours/
YouTube Advertising. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://
www.youtube.com/advertising
77

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: SURVEY INSTRUMENT
We are Wolfpack PR, students at North Carolina State University
creating a public relations campaign for a startup company as part of
our public relations campaigns course. We appreciate your time
completing this survey.
What is the purpose of this study?
The purpose of this study is to examine how different age groups use
social media, value privacy and learn about new technology trends.
What would I do if I participate?
During the study, you will be asked to respond to a number of
questions about your uses of social media, how much you value
privacy when using social media, and how you learn about new
technology. The study will take no longer than 10 minutes to
complete.
What are the possible risks or discomforts involved from being in
this study?
The risks and discomforts of this study are very minimal. This study is
completely voluntary and you are welcome to discontinue
participation in the study at any point if you begin to feel
uncomfortable. You are not required to answer questions that you do
not want to during the study. You are more than welcome to contact
our instructor at nmlee2@ncsu.edu with any questions you may
have.
81

How are you protecting my privacy?
Your responses provided during this study will remain completely
confidential. The aggregate results of our research will be presented
to our instructor and our client at the end of this semester.
If I have any questions about this study, who should I ask?
Please feel free to contact our instructor, Dr. Nicole Lee, at
nmlee2@ncsu.edu.
How will I benefit from participating in this study?
This research will be used to understand social media, privacy when
using social media and the implementation of new technology trends.
As such, the questions may help you reflect on your web use and
privacy online. One participant will be chosen at random to win a $50
Amazon e-gift card.
1. Do you use social media sites?
• Yes
• No
82

Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q1
2. How frequently do you use the following types of media? (Check
one box per medium
More than
once a day
Daily Weekly monthly Rarely/
Never
Facebook ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Twitter ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Instagram ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Snapchat ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Pinterest ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Reddit ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
LinkedIn ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Other ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q1
3. On average, how much time do you spend daily on social media
websites?
• Less than 1 hour
• 1-3 hours
• More than 3 hours
Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q1
4. Do you accept friend requests from people you do not know on
social media?
• Yes
• Sometimes
• No
83

Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q1
5. Please select the option below that best represents how you feel
about your social media use for each statement.
Strongly
disagree
Disagree
Somewhat
disagree
Neither
agree nor
disagree
Somewhat
agree
Agree
Strongly
agree
I enjoy using
social media
to update
my status
I enjoy using
social media
to upload
pictures
I enjoy using
social media
to engage
with friends
and family
I enjoy using
social media
to read the
latest news
I enjoy using
social media
for relaxation
purposes
I enjoy using
social media
to play
games
I enjoy using
social media
to track life
events
I enjoy using
social media
to pass the
time
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
84

6. How important is privacy online to you?
• Extremely important
• Very important
• Moderately important
• Slightly important
• Not at all important
Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q1
7. Generally, on social media sites, what are your privacy settings?
• Anyone can see
• Friends only
• Friends and friends of friends
• Unsure
• I have different settings on different social media sites
• Please specify your privacy settings for your different social
media _____________________________________
85

Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q1
8. Please select the option that best represents how you use social
media for each statement.
Strongly
Disagree
Somewhat
Neither
Somewhat
Agree
Strongly
disagree
disagree
agree nor
agree
agree
disagree
I use social
media for
Information
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
I use social
media for social
interaction
I use social
media for
passing the time
I use social
media for
entertainment
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
I use social
media for
relaxation
I use social
media for
expressing my
opinions
I use social
media to track
life experiences
I use social
media to share
information
about my life
with others
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
86

Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q1
9. How often do you use apps or social media features that allow you
to revisit previous posts or pictures (i.e. Timehop, Memories on
Facebook, etc.)?
• Always
• Very often
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never
Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q1
10. Do you think that privacy policies on social media (i.e. Facebook,
Twitter, etc.) are easy to understand?
• Yes
• No
Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q1
11. Do you think that privacy policies on social media (i.e. Facebook,
Twitter, etc.) allow the user to have complete control over what
they do and do not want to share?
• Yes
• No
87

Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q1
12. On your social media sites, how do you decide who can and cannot
see your posts?
• I let anyone see my posts
• I let people I know and people they know see my posts
• I only let people I know see my posts
• I only let close friends and family members see my posts
• I never post on social media
• Depending on the social media site, I let different people see
my posts
13. How interested are you in your family history?
• Extremely interested
• Very interested
• Moderately interested
• Slightly interested
• Not interested at all
14. Have you ever used a genealogical tracing website (i.e. Ancestry,
etc.)?
• Yes
• No
88

Display the following question if “Yes” was answered for Q14
15. Why did you decide to track your genealogy? (Choose all that
apply)
• Learn more about my family history
• To trace my family history for future generations to see
• Create a timeline of my life
• It was required for a school project to learn about my family’s
history
• DNA mapping
• Other _______________
16. How interested are you in documenting your life?
• Extremely interested
• Very interested
• Moderately interested
• Slightly interested
• Not interested at all
17. Have you ever made a scrapbook or collage of your life to show to
future generations?
• Yes
• No
89

18. How do you feel about social media and other websites tracking
your interests and then providing that information to third party
sources?
• I don’t have a problem with this practice
• This practice bothers me slightly but I still use these websites
• This practice has pushed me away from using these websites
• I was unaware of this practice
19. Would you be interested in a website that did not provide your
data to third party sources?
• Yes
• No
20. How interested would you be in using a website that allows you to
track your family history as you define it?
• Extremely interested
• Very interested
• Moderately interested
• Slightly interested
• Not interested at all
90

21. How interested would you be in using a website that allows you to
create a digital scrapbook of your life?
• Extremely interested
• Very interested
• Moderately interested
• Slightly interested
• Not interested at all
22. Where do you see/hear advertisements most often? (Choose all
that apply)
• TV
• Radio
• Newspapers/Magazines
• Billboards or flyers posted around my community
• Social media sites
• Other websites
• Traditional media
• Other _______________
91

23. How do you find out about new social media sites or internetbased
services? (Choose all that apply)
• Word-of-mouth - from my coworkers or acquaintances
• Word-of-mouth - from my friends, family or trusted
individuals
• Forum posts or blogs
• I am constantly searching for the next trend in the technology
sector
• Other _______________
24. How likely are you to start an account on a newly launched website
with few existing accounts and little name recognition?
• Extremely likely
• Somewhat likely
• Neither likely nor unlikely
• Somewhat unlikely
• Extremely unlikely
25. How old are you? _______________
92

26. What is your ethnicity?
• White
• Hispanic or Latino
• Black or African American
• Asian/Pacific Islander
• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• Other _______________
27. What is your sex?
• Male
• Female
93

28. What is the highest degree or level of education you have
completed?
• No schooling completed
• Nursery school to 8th grade
• Some high school, no diploma
• High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (for
example: GED)
• Some college credit, no degree
• Trade/technical/vocational training
• Associate degree
• Bachelor’s degree
• Master’s degree
• Professional degree
• Doctorate degree
29. (Optional) Please provide your email address to be entered to win
a $50 Amazon e-gift card. Your email will not be shared with
anyone outside of the research team and will only be used to
contact your if you are the winner. _______________
EXIT MESSAGE: Thank you for participating in this survey! If you
entered to win the $50 Amazon e-gift card, you will be notified
through the email provided if you are the winner.
94

APPENDIX B: CONTENT CALENDAR WITH SAMPLE
POSTS
Day Platform Content Image Hashtag
Monday Twitter John Glenn, the first
American to orbit earth,
and later a four-term
U.S. senator, died at age
95 on Dec. 8, 2016.
#MemorializeMonday
#Memorialize
Monday
Wednesday Twitter
Wednesday Twitter
Elizabeth Blackwell was
the first woman to graduate
from medical
school in 1849 in Geneva,
NY. Her life is inspiring!
#DefineYours
In 2015, gymnast Simone
Biles became the
first woman to win 3
World All-Around titles
in a row. Her life embodies
dedication.
#DefineYours
Friday Twitter The crazy-haired genius
Albert Einstein, has five
great-grandchildren
that are still alive and
live all over the world!
#FamilyHistoryFriday
Tuesday
Facebook We are heading to sunny
California on May
17th for the International
Startup Fair, taking
place outside the
Startup Conference.
Make sure to stop by
our booth and meet our
incredible Xistance
team!
#DefineYours
#DefineYours
#FamilyHistory
Friday
95

APPENDIX C: SAMPLE FACEBOOK EVENT POST
97

APPENDIX D: CAPSTONE PRODUCTION GROUP
Dear Mr. Curry,
PITCH LETTER
I’m currently representing Xistance, a startup social media website,
and am looking to get a 15 second pre-roll spot made. Xistance is a
company that provides a service for people to record their life story
and family history in a completely private space. The privacy Xistance
provides on its website is a major theme we would like conveyed in
the spot.
We were thinking the spot would be comprised mainly of video
showing people spending time with family, going on adventures, and
just generally living life. We want to convey a message that Xistance is
a personal and secure place, just for you and your loved ones.
Creating an online digital legacy that can be passed down is a major
component, so maybe something like a web/tree of video and images
that shows how they are all connected would be an interesting
concept.
Please let me know if you have any questions about this – I look
forward to your script and seeing what you all come up with.
Thank you,
Britney Callahan
Account Manager
Wolfpack PR
99

APPENDIX E: SAMPLE FACEBOOK ADVERTISMENTS
How the advertisement
would appear when
viewing Facebook on a
desktop
How the advertisement
would appear when
viewing Facebook on a
mobile device
101

APPENDIX F: SAMPLE GOOGLE ADWORDS
ADVERTISMENT
103

APPENDIX G: ANIL DASH PITCH LETTER
Dear Anil,
I recently saw you speak to a class at North Carolina State University and one of
your main talking points made me think of a client I’m currently representing. You
spoke a lot about privacy of the users of technology and how companies aren’t
doing enough to protect them — this immediately made me think of Xistance.
Xistance is a private social media platform that allows users to track their own life
events in a setting free of criticism or judgment. In order for users to connect,
each party has to send and accept the invitation (think of it as a double
handshake) in order to see the others’ posts. Another amazing thing about
Xistance is that it doesn’t track data, which completely rids the fear of information
being leaked from the minds’ of their users.
Xistance is newly launched and would love for you to create an account and
review the website on your blog — criticism is exactly what we’re looking for. Both
you and Xistance hold privacy very close and we at Wolfpack PR would love to
help spread the word about how user privacy isn’t always valued at other
companies.
Thank you,
Britney Callahan
Account Manager
Wolfpack PR
105

APPENDIX H: ANCESTRY.COM PITCH LETTER
Dear Lauren Austin,
In an effort to benefit and supplement both websites, Xistance is seeking a
partnership with Ancestry.
Xistance is a startup website that seeks to provide a platform for online users to
digitally create their own autobiographies and memorialize loved ones. The
company plans to launch its website in June 2017. Xistance offers complete user
privacy when creating a digital legacy profile. The website will allow users to
define their familial backgrounds and record life events through the creation of
individual profiles.
Xistance would love to partner with your website to offer users a platform to
organize and store the ancestral information they have gathered using Ancestry.
Xistance would act as the perfect supplement to Ancestry, in that it would provide
a place for your users to store the information they have worked so hard to
gather. Xistance would then promote Ancestry to offer users a way to discover
more about their unique genealogy.
With corresponding values of ancestral discovery and authentic family history,
Xistance feels that a partnership would greatly benefit both companies. Xistance
is excited about this potential partnership with the leader in online genealogy
research.
We hope that Ancestry considers this wonderful opportunity to partner with
Xistance.
Sincerely,
Britney Callahan
Account Manager
Wolfpack PR
107

APPENDIX I: LEGACY.COM PITCH LETTER
Dear Legacy Team,
In an effort to benefit and supplement both websites, Xistance is seeking a partnership
with Legacy to gain usership.
Xistance is a startup website that seeks to provide a platform for online users to digitally
create their own autobiographies and memorialize loved ones. The company plans to
launch its website in June 2017. Xistance offers complete user privacy when creating a
digital legacy profile. The website will allow users to define their familial backgrounds and
record life events through the creation of individual profiles.
Xistance would love to partner with your website to offer a platform for users to create
permanent memorial pages for loved ones after they have passed away. Xistance will
have “Legacy” pages that are specifically created to memorialize loved ones. On your
website users would be given the option to export all information on their loved ones’
obituary to a Xistance “Legacy” page. These “Legacy” pages would be completely free.
Xistance would then promote Legacy to offer users a way to share information about a
loved one that has passed away to others who are not Xistance users. Xistance users
would also have the opportunity to utilize the other services Legacy offers, like contacting
funeral homes and sending condolence flowers.
With corresponding values of memorializing loved ones and celebrating lives and
legacies, Xistance feels that a partnership would greatly benefit both companies. Xistance
looks forward to this potential partnership with the most notable online source for
obituaries.
We hope that Legacy considers this wonderful opportunity to partner with Xistance.
Sincerely,
Britney Callahan
Account Manager
Wolfpack PR
109

APPENDIX J: LANYARD SPONSORSHIP PROOF FOR
INTERNATIONAL STARTUP CONFERENCE
111

APPENDIX K: PRESS RELEASES
HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL JUNE 15
New Website Promotes Storytelling and Memorializing Loved Ones
Xistance seeks to provide platform to create personalized family trees and
memorialize loved ones.
RALEIGH, N.C., June 12, 2017 — Interested in mapping out your family history and
telling your story, your way? Now’s your chance. With the launch of the new
website Xistance, users have the chance to digitally memorialize loved ones and
create autobiographies to share with whomever they choose. Xistance is an
online platform that allows users to define familial backgrounds and record life
events through individual profiles.
Xistance sets itself apart from other family history websites with its core values of
privacy and personalized storytelling. Everything about the website is private —
there are no ads and no data tracking. With its privacy settings, users choose who
they want to view their profiles, if they want their names to be searchable and
what they want to share with others.
“We want a raw story, not a curated view you want to share with the world … Tell
your real story to pass down to family members … You have complete control,”
said Cassady Channita, the marketing and PR manager for Xistance.
The aspect of personalized storytelling makes Xistance different than
gene-mapping sites, such as Ancestry.com. Users create their own family trees in
a personal way that reflects their family dynamics. They can choose to include
whoever they want in their family history. In addition to family trees, users can
create legacy pages to memorialize loved ones who have passed away. The two
different portions of the site allow for users to control the legacy they leave
behind.
For more information, email Britney Callahan: bncallah@ncsu.edu.
—END—
113

HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL JAN. 1
Xistance Launches New App for Users
The company introduces an app that allows users to record family history on the
go.
RALEIGH, N.C., Dec. 14, 2017 — For years, people have been keeping up with their
family history through sites such as Ancestry.com. Recently, Xistance offered a
new way for users to document lives and share a personalized family history.
Now, Xistance introduces the Xistance app, giving users the opportunity to tell
their stories and document family history on the go.
The Xistance app includes a number of new features to improve usability. It offers
the option to scan files, so users can upload family documents directly to their
profiles. It also offers the ability to record live audio, which gives users the
opportunity to memorialize audio in its natural form.
Xistance sets itself apart from other family history sites and social media with its
values of privacy and storytelling, and the app capitalizes on these values. It gives
users more options to share the family history they want to share by letting them
upload what they want straight from their phones. Xistance wanted to create a
platform that’s exciting to family members and gets others excited about family
history, and the app provides that platform.
The Xistance app further expands Xistance’s core values, as well as its goals to
create a private and personalized way for users to share their family history with
loved ones and connect with others who are doing the same.
For more information on the app or Xistance itself, contact Britney Callahan at
bncallah@ncsu.edu
—END—
115

HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL APRIL 16
Xistance to Attend International Startup Conference
Representatives of Xistance will be present at the International Startup
Conference to promote the company.
RALEIGH, N.C., April 15, 2018 — In May 2018, Xistance will attend the International
Startup Conference. The conference is one of the largest in Silicon Valley and is
designed specifically for startup companies. At the conference, Xistance will be
looking to pitch its company to the press, reach influencers and promote its
brand.
The conference includes a fair that is free and open to the public. Xistance will
have a booth at the fair, where two representatives of the company will be
answering questions about the company, handing out lanyards and promoting
Xistance to attendees.
Xistance is an online platform that prides itself on the values of privacy and
storytelling. It allows users to define familial backgrounds and record life events
through personalized, individual profiles. It gives users the chance to digitally
memorialize loved ones and create autobiographies to share with whomever they
choose.
For more information about Xistance and/or its attendance at the fair, email
Britney Callahan: bncallah@ncsu.edu.
—END—
117

HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL APRIL 16
Xistance to Participate in Pitch Competition at International Startup
Conference
Xistance will enter the Pitch Competition at the International Startup Conference
to promote the company.
RALEIGH, N.C., April 15, 2018 — In May 2018, Xistance will attend the International
Startup Conference and participate in the Pitch Competition. The conference is
one of the largest in Silicon Valley and is designed specifically for startup
companies. At the conference, Xistance will be looking to pitch its company to the
press, reach influencers and promote its brand.
The Pitch Competition gives applicants the opportunity to pitch their company on
stage for more than 1,000 people. Xistance is looking to spread the word about its
company and form connections with influencers through its pitch. The audience
will decide the top three pitches, who will then qualify for the afternoon VC panel,
which will determine the winner.
The conference includes a fair that is free and open to the public. Xistance will
have a booth at the fair, where two representatives of the company will be
answering questions about the company, handing out lanyards and promoting
Xistance to attendees.
Xistance is an online platform that prides itself on the values of privacy and
storytelling. It allows users to define familial backgrounds and record life events
through personalized, individual profiles. It gives users the chance to digitally
memorialize loved ones and create autobiographies to share with whomever they
choose.
For more information about Xistance and/or its participation in the Pitch
Competition, email Britney Callahan: bncallah@ncsu.edu.
—END—
119