Global Cut-A-Thon and Appointments for Clean Water

GLOBAL CUT-A-THON AND APPOINTMENTS FOR CLEAN WATER℠

EVENT PLANNING GUIDE & PUBLIC RELATIONS TOOLKIT

FY15 Period 3 // March 29, 2015 – May 2, 2015

Table of Contents

HAPPY EARTH MONTH 2015!

NEXT ACTION STEPS

SOCIAL MEDIA

Participation Listing

WHAT IS THE EVENT?

WHY THE EVENT?

WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE EVENT?

WHEN IS THE EVENT?

WHERE IS THE EVENT?

HOW THE EVENTS STANDS OUT?

24-HOUR GLOBAL CUT-A-THON - BEST PRACTICES

SAMPLE PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

PUBLIC RELATIONS GUIDE – FOR SALONS AND INSTITUTES

CREATING YOUR MEDIA LIST

YOUR PRESS MATERIALS

COMMUNICATING WITH THE MEDIA AND INFLUENCERS

KEY MESSAGING AND SPOKESPERSON TALKING POINTS

NEWS RELEASE TEMPLATE

MEDIA ALERT TEMPLATE

FOR AVEDA PR TEAM USE ONLY – NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION

HAPPY EARTH MONTH 2015!

Aveda’s signature Earth Month presents an enormous opportunity to raise awareness of our brand mission, and to secure stories beyond the beauty pages to raise funds and support our network in building an authentic connection to their communities. This year, Aveda is striving to reach the goal of $6.5 million in fundraising that supports clean water projects around the world.

This year, Aveda is launching a new Earth Month campaign called#ProtectWhatYouLove. This campaign was developed to enhance Earth Month engagement and raise awareness around the issue of protecting clean water by emotionally connecting with guests through the effect that clean water has on the top causes they care about most: children, animals, and habitat protection.

During this year’s Earth Month campaign, guests will be encouraged to show their support for Earth Month by voting for the causes that protect what they love the most – children, animals, or habitat – in the #ProtectWhatYouLove voting campaign. At Aveda locations across the globe, guests will be able to select a paper cutout that represents each of the three categories and their vote will be showcased together with votes from other guests. Guests can also vote online for the type of water project they want us to help fund using the Light The Way™ Candle proceeds at aveda.com/protectwhatyoulove.

As we have in the past, markets with a strong salon presence are encouraged to participate in our global initiatives – the 24-hour Global Cut-A-Thon– on Monday, April 13, as well as Catwalks for Water throughout the month of April.

One of our key objectives is to engage media, guestsand professionals in a way that enhances the love we know our guests have for our mission as well as attracting new people to the brand. We want to build upon the passionate network of advocates for Aveda’s clean water campaign and these events help us achieve that objective in a big way. These events are also encouragedas they are a great business opportunity to drive sales and services and bring in new guests.

This year, we will be hosting a Global Cut-A-Thonon Monday April 13th- PLEASE SAVE THE DATE

Global Communications strongly recommends that each market host at least one of the major fund-raising activities, either participate in the Global Cut-A-Thon OR host a Catwalk for Water fashion show.

We also encourage all salon/spa and Institute locations to continue to offer Appointments for Clean Water℠ throughout the month of to maximize visibility, publicity and fundraising results. As you know, it’s not just about haircuts. All services count, and it is up to the individual salons to decide what they want their donation to be for the day.

We look forward to celebrating our success in reaching our $6.5 million goal in 2015. Thank you for everything you do as a steward of the Aveda brand, your community and the planet!

Shelley Simmons

Vice President, Aveda Global Communications

GLOBAL CUT-A-THON- EXECUTION GUIDE FOR AVEDA PR TEAMS

NEXT ACTION STEPS

Review this Toolkit thoroughly with your internal team. Determine with Sales, Retail, Education, Marketing colleagues the best event format and location for your market, and establish roles and responsibilities.
Connect with your local sales leaders and Earth Month Champion to arrange briefings by conference call for salons, Experience Centers and/or Institutes in your markets. Use these conference calls to explain the initiative and build excitement. Review together the planning tools and public relations guide, news release and media alert. Allow time for question and answer.
PR teams who will be leading the organization of a Cut-A-Thon should work with internal Sales, Marketing, Education and Retail leaders, in addition to your Earth Month Champion, to set location, event format and establish roles and responsibilities. Salons should determine the length of the fundraising day – it could be two hours, it could be eight hours, it is your choice. Follow the steps in this guide to organize your event.
Market PR teams should follow up with your sales leaders or Earth Month Champion by March 2 to compile a list of locations who will participate. A template Participation Listing is included in this Toolkit on page 4. Submit your market’s list of participating salons to Global Communications by March 6.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Global Communications encourages you to share images/posts from your events on your regional social media channels. When posting on social media, please tag @Aveda (or your regional @Aveda handle) and use #CutsforCleanWater, #ProtectWhatYouLove, #EarthMonth #Catwalksforwater

To help drive traffic to your events, we encourage the following tactics:

Countdown posts to your fundraising event.
#ProtectWhatYouLove Photo Challenge – Leading up to your event, encourage your guests to post pictures of what they love and want to protect
Encourage guests to share their vote using the #ProtectWhatYouLove hashtag and post a picture of themselves at your fundraising event.
VOTING CAMPAIGN: Please drive your guests to vote online by linking to: aveda.com/protectwhatyoulove

IMPORTANT ACTION:

We would also like to gather photos for use on Living Aveda for a Cut-A-Thon round-up post as well as corporate video. Market PR Managers should identify key locations that have successfully hosted past events and gather photos and model releases for those photos and send them to Global Communications.

When sending photos to Global Communications, please make sure that these are high resolution photos (300dpi) and that you have signed releases from every personin each of the photos. This is your opportunity to showcase your efforts and share with the network. Send all photos and captions to .

24-HOUR GLOBAL CUT-A-THON- PARTICIPATION TRACKING

In an effort to help you track the important information that is needed to gauge global participation and help tell the global story, Global Communications has developed an Earth Month 2015 spreadsheet so that we can track Earth Month participation. ENCLOSED you will find the Earth Month 2015 spreadsheet.

It is important for markets to utilize this spreadsheet as Global Communications will use this list to tell the global story of Earth Month in a Living Aveda blog promoting the Global Cut-a-thon as well as in Earth Month round up storytelling in corporate newsletters, internal communications and the Earth Month results news release.

Participation Listing

Follow up with your sales leaders or Earth Month Champion by March 2 to compile a list of locations who will participate. Submit your list of participating salons to Global Communications byMarch 6.

The tab in the Earth Month 2015 Data spreadsheet will require you to gather the following information about those locations participating.

Salon/Institute Name
Location Address
City
Country
Email Contact
Event Date
Event Timing
Type of Event
Regional Earth Month Partner

24-HOUR GLOBAL CUT-A-THON - EVENT EXECUTION GUIDE

WHAT IS THE EVENT?

Aveda is organizing a Global Cut-A-Thonfor the #ProtectWhatYouLove Earth Month Campaign, a new campaign in support of the annual fundraising activities dedicated to protecting water, which in turn protects what Aveda guests love most: children, animals and habitat.

WHY THE EVENT?

Giving back has been a part of Aveda’s Mission since the beginning and Earth Month is our greatest opportunity all year to share our story with the media, and current and potential guests. Focusing communal efforts on a high-impact event will allow for maximum efficiency, visibility, fundraising results and fun!

WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE EVENT?

Aveda salon/spa and Experience Center professionals, Aveda Institute Students, Aveda Education and Corporate and Field Sales Staff join forces to offer Aveda services to the public atGlobal Cut-A-Thonfundraising event. Past learnings have shown that best results come from collaboration by several locations to create one highly visible, high impact event within a community.

WHEN IS THE EVENT?

The Global Cut-A-Thon will be held on Monday, April 13, 2015. Recommended event time is 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm in your local time zone, comprising daytime and evening hours, to accommodate a maximum number of guests. A Monday event will also minimize impact on regular business operation, and allow for employees to volunteer outside of their regularly scheduled working hours.

WHERE IS THE EVENT?

Earth Month Cut-A-Thons have traditionally worked best when hosted in Aveda Institute locations, or in flagship salons, with the participation of students, local salon/spa, Experience Center and Aveda field personnel. Institutes should also consider inviting alumni to help support the event. This allows for a high-impact, large-scale and festive event supported by the local Aveda network. Depending on your geographic location and proximity to other Aveda locations, you might choose from the following options:

Aveda Institute hosts the Cut-A-Thon, staffed by volunteer stylists from the local Aveda network, Institute students, alumni and Aveda retail and field staff.
Salon location hosts Cut-A-Thon, staffed by internal team.
Cut-A-Thon is held in highly-visible public location, staffed by volunteers from the local Aveda network.
Corporate teams are encouraged to work with local salons to set up a Cut-A-Thon in their office, inviting all ELC sister brands for services.

HOW THE EVENTS STANDS OUT?

A Cut-A-Thon looks much like a regular day in the Salon or Institute, with the addition of event dedicated branding. There may be special Stress-Fix™ ritual stations set up for additional donationsor Mr. Chakra Sensory Journey experience, and the Earth Month Partner organization may set up an information table to share their mission with guests and collect donations. Ideally, invite a local influencer or VIP to help kick off your event, providing a great photo and video opportunity for the media. Having a DJ or music to draw attention to your location also helps. However, please be mindful of noise levels.

24-HOUR GLOBAL CUT-A-THON- BEST PRACTICES

Your goal is to host a festive and productive event while ensuring your guests receive high-quality Aveda services. Advance and thorough planning will assure a well-organized, stress-free – and lucrative – event.

Here are a few best practices gathered from well-seasoned Aveda salon teams:

BEVERAGES / Make sure you have plenty of Aveda Comforting Tea at the ready to serve to your guests.
DÉCOR / Post clear signage outside of your location announcing the event and directing new guests who may not be familiar with your location. Aveda #ProtectWhatYouLove Earth Month collateral will serve perfectly as interior décor. Ask your local Earth Month partner to print small posters of their work to display on easels. This will very clearly illustrate the positive impact of the donations made by your guests on their local environment. In addition to #ProtectWhatYouLove, you may also use #CutsforCleanWater, #EarthMonth, #Catwalksforwater on your signage. You should also include the link for voting: aveda.com/protectwhatyoulove
DRESS CODE / All staff should wear their Earth Month t-shirt. Get creative with hair and makeup.
EARTH MONTH PARTNER / Ask your local Earth Month Partner to set up an information table to meet and educate guests about their mission. Allow guests to make a direct donation via a collection container. If your Earth Month Partner is not available, request brochures and/or posters to place in the waiting area and at styling stations.
Also ask your Earth Month partner to promote your event to their supporters – either via a newsletter or social media channels – and tag your social media handles with the above approved hashtags. This will help us track the conversation.
PROMOTION / Make sure your existing guests know about your event ahead of time.
Publicize your event to potential new guests via media coverage, consult the tools in the “Public Relations” section of this guide.
Submit your event to local calendar listings – this should be done 2-3 weeks in advance of your event.
Work with neighboring businesses to recruit new guests.
Encourage your friends and family, as well as those of your employees to attend the Cut-A-Thon.
RECRUIT NEW GUESTS / Give guests a reason to return to your salon. Our Marketing Collateral is designed this year with a call to action to Bring A Friend – please leverage this message to increase the number of people attending. Offer new guests a bounce-back coupon for a return visit.
SET-UP & EVENT FLOW / Set-up does not need to be elaborate or expensive, as Cut-A-Thonsrun very much like a busy regular day in the salon.
Plan to finish set-up one hour before your event is scheduled to begin so you will have time to sort out last minute issues that arise.
Hold a team meeting to kick off the event and make sure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.
An “assembly line” approach works best and most efficiently. Assign specific roles to your team members in order to handle the large volume of guests the event will bring in:
-Greeters are the first point of contact. They welcome the guest and explain the event layout and manage traffic.
-The Check-In Team welcomes guests who have pre-booked an Appointment for Clean Water℠ or reserve appointments for walk-ins.
-The Waiting Area Team offer Aveda Comforting Tea, ensure the space stays clean (restrooms included), and help manage traffic.
-The Shampoo Team (a great job for Aveda Institute Students) preps guests for their hair cut appointment.
-The Cutting Team deliver the hair cut service and finish the client.
-Retail Area Team offer Stress-Fix™ rituals and/or Chakra Sensory Journey and product consultations.
-The Check-Out Team takes payment and asks if the guest would like to make an additional donation.
SUPPLIES / Be ready with a fully-stocked backbar, lots of towels, Comforting Tea, restroom supplies. Establish in advance a process for re-stocking throughout the event.

SAMPLE PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

Advanced and thorough planning is essential for holding a successful event. A Production Schedule is a great tool for managing your timeline and event details.

WEEK 8 – FEBRUARY 16
SCOPE & SCALE / Set event budget, concept and scale
Will you host a Cut-A-Thon or partner with a local Institute, salon or Experience Center?
Will you invite a local influencer or media personality to kick off your event? Make a list of local influencers who you want to invite. Initiate contact and extend invitations.
MAP IT OUT / Map out the guest experience from arrival to departure in an event scenario. This will help you determine your event needs in terms of staffing and supplies.
Keep it simple. A well organized and uncomplicated event will allow for fun and fantastic productivity.
PLAN YOUR PREP / Begin making note of what and when event preparations need to be done by building a production schedule (like this one).
Brainstorm with your team on promotion and execution of your Cut-A-Thon.
Establish a process for booking Appointments for Clean Water℠ and Cut-A-Thon Appointments.
WEEK 7 – FEBRUARY 23
DESIGN & WRITE / Download and customize your Cut-A-Thon invitation from the Marketing Libraryon Aveda PurePro – this can be printed or electronic.
Complete your news release and media alert templates included in this toolkit.
Develop your press list (see instructions in this toolkit).
Follow up with local influencer/media personality to answer questions/check-in.
KICK IT OFF! / Hold a team meeting to kick off Cut-A-Thon promotion, and ensure all staff understand how the event will work, how to book appointments and where to go for more information.
Share the news release and media alert with staff and let them know that the press will be contacted the following week.
Keep copies of the news release and media alert at the front desk. Ensure front desk staff is well prepared to speak about the event and to book appointments.
WEEK 6 – MARCH 2
GET THE WORD OUT / Confirm attendance of local influencer/media personality – include them in your news release and media alert.
Email your invitation and news release to local media, follow up by telephone*
Post event announcement at styling stations and cash wrap, distribute printed invitations at the cash wrap.
Email your invitation to existing guest database.
Preview the event on your website, Facebook and Twitter (#CutsforCleanWater, #ProtectWhatYouLove, #EarthMonth).
Begin booking appointments.
*Aveda Global Communications will work with national media; Aveda locations should reach out to media outlets in their local communities as well as their mall partners, etc.
WEEK 5 – MARCH 9
GET THE WORD OUT / Distribute printed invitations via neighboring businesses.
Submit your event to local online community calendars.
WEEK 4 – MARCH 16
GET THE WORD OUT / Send out reminders via Facebook and Twitter.
Remind friends and family to mark their calendars and come along.
WEEK 3 – MARCH 23
STAFF CHECK-IN / Keep booking appointments.
Staff check-in to share status of appointment bookings and to answer any questions they may have about Earth Month or the Cut-A-Thon.
WEEK 2 – MARCH 30
GET THE WORD OUT / Send your media alert to radio stations asking them to announce your upcoming Cut-A-Thon, offer an on-air interview.
Send your media alert to television stations asking them to help kick-off your Cut-A-Thon. Make sure they know at exactly what time they should be there to film your local influencer receiving their Appointment for Clean Water℠, or offer to host a reporter live in your salon during their morning or afternoon show.
Add prompts in for Facebook and Twitter posts to help spread the word
WEEK 1 – APRIL 6
GET THE WORD OUT / Follow up one final time with print media and bloggers to confirm their attendance.
Follow up with radio and television stations for event announcements, interviews and coverage on Earth Day.
Book those last open appointments.
CUT-A-THON DAY! – APRIL 7
9:00 AM / EVENT SET-UP
Give yourself plenty of time to get your salon and staff ready for the event. Plan to complete set-up at least one hour before guests arrive.
11:00 AM / REHEARSAL
Do a walk-through with your team to make sure everyone understands their role and tie up loose ends.
12:00 PM
/ LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
Have fun and your guests will, too.
Post pictures to Facebook throughout the day.
Be sure to identify your best photos and get model releases for those images to submit to your market PR team.
Tweet your fundraising progress throughout the event using @Aveda and #CutsforCleanWater, #ProtectWhatYouLove, #EarthMonth.
8:00 PM / Post-event celebration!
Team leader ensures donations are counted and safeguarded.

PUBLIC RELATIONS GUIDE – FOR SALONS AND INSTITUTES

**Please note that this section is for the market PR teams to provide to salons and institutes. This is to help support them in their local market media coverage of events.