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Erin Bosman, Erin Brault, Jennifer Oppor,
Emily Lovvik, Jack Delahunt
Dr. Martha Fay
CJ 355
8 December 2016
Rationale Paper
Over the course of this semester,in our Strategic Message Design class, we have addressed
concepts, theories, and strategies to communicate more effectively. We utilize these three areas to
develop a hypothetical visual, collective “we” and inclusive messaging, and to create a unique identity for
River Prairie. We plan to develop a unique identity through a memorable message and utilize social
media to promote what River Prairie is yet to be. Our rationale for these strategies include an objective, an
audience, and an intervention; it is our intention to also address exigence, the constraints and assets to this
project, as well as the resources that are already available to River Prairie. In order to achieve a successful
strategic messaging campaign for Altoona’s River Prairie, our group proposes a three-pronged initiative
which addresses sharing high-impact visuals with the public, selecting proper language that best resonates
with the target audience, and building a unique reputation within a niche market to remain competitive.
Based upon our existing knowledge of the River Prairie project and the city of Altoona’s
intentions, we have recognized a serious exigency: the improper usage of social media platforms which is
detrimental to the attraction of ideal audiences. A lack of awareness about River Prairie is keeping the
community from understanding the magnitude of the project or how they can be included in the
development. By addressing this exigency, River Prairie administrators will find that their messaging
campaigns have a broader reach and make meaningful connections with the audience. The following lists
of constraints, assets,and resources will be helpful in ensuring that the exigency is optimally resolved. A
few constraints faced by the developers of River Prairie include fast-approaching deadlines, an ineffective
use of communication across social media platforms, a lack of top-down management styles, and
noteworthy competition from venues or parks in Eau Claire. River Prairie’s assets are their excited

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community members who believe that this development will add to the Altoona area and the strategic
partnering of River Prairie with Visit Eau Claire to share resources in a mutually beneficial relationship.
Critical resources available to River Prairie include the vast expanse of land for construction, existing
social media platforms that can be altered for increased impact, professional concept drawings, and ample
funding. River Prairie will prove to be a successfulventure if it remains aware of the constraints, assets,
and resources which affect the potency of their messaging campaigns among target audiences.
Of the social media posts which are currently promoting River Prairie, there was an
overwhelming lack of engaging visuals that could be used to create personalconnections with the
prospective audience. Our group identified a strong need for a consistent use of images across the City of
Altoona and River Prairie’s Facebook pages. During the initial meeting with Altoona administrators, it
was brought to our attention that there are numerous concept drawings of various River Prairie facilities.
We posit that these images would be highly appealing to the target audience as they demonstrate the
impressive variety of amenities that community members will be able to enjoy. Sharing these images one-
by-one as teasers would intrigue the audience and could be rejuvenated once the construction for River
Prairie is complete because they could place a faux “before and after” by posting the concept drawing
next to a photo of the finished facility. This would build trust among community members as they will see
that Altoona city administrators had a plan and delivered upon their promises.
A second concern that our group’s proposal would address is the improper use of language which
often feels distant and ingenuine for the average audience. A critical example of intangible language was
the initial proposal to market River Prairie in association with the term “conviviality.” This suggestion,
and the enthusiasm with which it was proposed, was worrisome because it showed a misunderstanding
between the administrators and their audience. It also lead our group to believe that this idea was brought
forth without having experimented with a focus group as the overwhelming majority of the class was not
in agreeance that “conviviality” would be the ideal descriptor for this development. Furthermore, the
danger of misusing language is that the audience will not be able to associate themselves with River

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Prairie and will lose interest in the development as it appears to not apply to their lifestyle. To resolve this
concern, our group has chosen to reword future messaging to highlight the collective “we” which feels
welcoming to everyone through its inclusive verbiage. All posts to social media and the various forms of
marketing collateral that are distributed will be tailored to use “we” so that the target audience knows they
are an integral part of a bigger picture. They are a member of the River Prairie family. People who
identify themselves with an organization remain loyal to the products and services of that organization, so
River Prairie can reap the benefits of prioritizing strong relationships with their target audience.
The third strategy we have developed positions River Prairie within a specialized market so that
they have room now, and into the future, to continue building a unique identity. Our message states that
River Prairie is, “Your Destination for Every Occasion” which provides a space for individualization and
appeals to the varying interests of niche markets. By selecting micro-messages that fit within a general
framework, each target audience can be shown their own advertisement which will increase the popularity
of River Prairie. Below our framework message of, “Your Destination for Every Occasion” we envision
catchy phrases such as “happy homes” or “luxury living” to sell apartments,“hottest hotels” to attract
vacationing families, or “brand name bargains” to draw attention to the strip mall. Professional images of
each amenity will be highlighted in its respective ad. Social media campaigns can then be streamlined so
that advertisements are sent out based on demographics or interests. The series of finalized ads would also
make a gorgeous, interactive centerpiece for a new River Prairie webpage since it could be formatted as a
series of photos like the Visit Eau Claire page or could be moving graphics in a slideshow like on the
Altoona City page. Both of these options are captivating, professional, and will set River Prairie apart.
River Prairie could truly become an impressive establishment in the Altoona community if city
administrators quickly begin to improve upon their failing change management plans. For example, they
are currently hoping for the best with a spray and pray tactic which is a communication strategy where
managers or partners barrage employees with information (Fay, 2016). This technique is beneficial for
getting information out in the open however is less effective with the assumption that employees will

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understand the message being revealed (Fay, 2016). Underscore and explore is a communication strategy
that utilizes core messages developed by the management team which is linked to organizational success
(Fay, 2016). Underscore and explore allows for employees to express any misunderstandings and
potential obstacles (Fay, 2016). It is essential that River Prairie develops core messages to represent the
project as whole. These messages need to be properly conveyed to all partners of this project with the
ability to be fully understood. We find it most beneficial for River Prairie to develop core messages and
share those as soon as they are available. It is important the the communities surrounding this project
know what is offered through this development.
The River Prairie development will provide a variety of amenities to Altoona and the surrounding
communities however we believe the purpose of the project has been lost. We feel that the intended
purpose of this project is to bring communities together and to provide a unique, friendly, and lively
atmosphere in a safe location. We have decided that there has been a lack of messaging to convey this
specific purpose to the River Prairie Development. The participation with regards to this development has
also been lacking meaning (Fay, 2016). We feelthis disconnect is due to ineffective communication with
stakeholders as well as community members. The River Prairie development could create participation
from all audiences with proper, effective messaging and rhetoric. Another evaluation we have made is the
unrealistic expectations put forth by the city administration (Fay, 2016). These expectations include
having all individuals be interested and invested into this development, wanting to fill the empty lots with
businesses, etc. The rate that the construction is going with this development is relatively slow and
majority of individuals have yet to hear about the project. The expectations made for this project have
become unrealistic due to the lack of effective messaging and communicating with the surrounding
communities. In our revitalized proposition we would like to make the suggestion for River Prairie to
reimagine and rethink the expectations and messaging that are currently in place and we believe are not
effective.

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This triple-tactic campaign is the ideal solution for River Prairie’s strategic messaging plan
because our group has analyzed the needs assessment and responded accordingly. Community members
voiced their love of current amenities to include public parks, retail options, restaurants and cafes,and
local food options. Additionally, survey-takers mentioned that they feelsafe and “at home” in Altoona
while valuing their proximity to ample resources in Eau Claire. The development is already going to be a
unique spot for a range of demographic groups to explore. Just by education levels alone, there are
individuals with high school diplomas, some college, Associates degrees,Bachelors degrees,Masters
degrees and Doctoral degrees. By addressing ways to make messaging campaigns more aesthetically
pleasing and interactive, the River Prairie development will be associated with modernity. We also asked
participants where they obtained their local entertainment news and found that 37% preferred social
media sites for keeping up-to-date. While this number may seem low, it was directed at selecting a
singular, preferred choice but does not include those who may opt for social media as their second choice
for entertainment news. Our solution will be valuable to River Prairie because it posits that colorful
imagery and interactive web formats will pull the newest addition to Altoona into the 21st Century.
To create a personalized strategic messaging campaign for Altoona’s River Prairie, our group
proposes a three-pronged initiative which addresses sharing high-impact visuals with the public, selecting
proper language that best resonates with the target audience, and building a unique reputation within a
niche market to remain competitive. Based upon the sheer amount of research and thought that went into
this proposal, we posit that this series of tactics will be a meaningful upgrade to River Prairie’s current
social media campaign. We hope to see River Prairie grow into a thriving entertainment destination for
years to come!
Works Cited
Fay, M. (2016, Fall). Key Concepts in Organizational Change. Microsoft Powerpoint. Eau Claire,
…… Wisconsin.

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Please paste the following grading criteria onto the end ofyour paper.
Rationale Paper: 50 points
_____/ 20 points: Explanation of Choices: How well does the author explain her/his choices concerning
rhetorical goal and strategy? Does the author use specific information from the needs assessment and
specific examples from the final communication piece to provide support for the explanation?
_____/20 points: Use of Communication Concepts: Does the author select appropriate communication
concepts to help explain the choices made in the message? Are the concepts clearly explained using
correct terminology? Does the author correctly cite sources for the concepts?
_____/ 10 points: Clarity of Writing: Was the essay well organized? Is it appropriately introduced and
concluded? Were paragraphs clearly structured including topic sentences? Were sentences clear and easy
to follow? Are conventions of grammar observed? Does the essay show evidence that it has been
proofread?