DraftKings - Press Release & Strategic Plan
For my Innovations in PR course, I developed a press release and strategic plan for a mock DraftKings initiative called GameSmart, an educational platform built around the tagline “Bet on Better.” The plan responded to a real PR problem for sports betting companies: underage and young adult gambling. I researched the issue using data from the National Council on Problem Gambling, McGill University, and an NCAA survey on student sports betting. From there, I defined three audiences: young adults ages 16 to 25, their parents and guardians, and schools and youth organizations. I set measurable first-year objectives, such as a 20% increase in engagement and a 50% completion rate for financial literacy modules, and mapped out how each type of media would support the launch using the PESO model (paid, earned, shared, and owned). The press release announced the initiative’s learning modules, parental guidance, and age-restricted access.
The challenge was making a gambling company’s responsible-gambling message believable. Since DraftKings profits when people bet, an initiative aimed at young people could easily look self-serving. I framed GameSmart around education and accountability instead of promotion, and set measurable goals so the company could show it was working. I also learned how a press release and a strategic plan work together, with the plan explaining the thinking and the release delivering a clear, public-facing version of it. Through this project, I strengthened my skills in strategic planning, objective setting, audience research, press release writing, and reputation management.