Marketing Plan: Increasing Access & Creating a Local Voice

Too many youth in Santa Cruz County are not seeing their basic needs being met. Basic needs of residents include education, health and financial stability, three of the main focuses described in United Way of Santa Cruz County’s (UWSCC) mission. The pandemic has only exacerbated the effects that low-income families and individuals have experienced, with youth at the forefront of those affected. UWSCC aims it’s programming towards local at-risk youth, providing needed support services and resources to the community. When systems for distributing these services and resources were switched from in-person to predominantly virtual pathways, it became harder for low-income families in the county to meet these basic needs. Having internet access at home is a luxury that many did not consider prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. If needs go unmet for a prolonged period of time, growing age youth see higher rates of homelessness, as well as increased physical and mental health related needs. This paper will describe the marketing plan created for UWSCC’s Marketing and Resource Development department to help streamline outreach to youth in the county who could use the support services available. The project was successful in creating an organizational tool that can be used as a reference for maintaining a consistent and structured presence on social media, using a localized tone to increase organizational engagement over time