PR Students Place 2nd in National PR Campaign

In the few short years that the University of Cincinnati's

Department of Communication

has offered its public relations certificate to students, it has grown in mass and reputation.

Since its inception in 2003, the program has grown to more than 100 students pursuing the certificate (and has been designated as one of only two programs in the state to achieve certification from the Public Relations Society of America).

And just recently, UC’s chapter of the

Public Relations Student Society of America

(PRSSA)—an organization that was only formed in 2005—has been named the runner-up in the national Kohler’s

Save Water America campaign

.

“Winning second place in a national competition is a great indication of the way the program is growing,” says Communication Professor Maribeth Metzler, the director of UC’s

Public Relations Program

and faculty advisor of PRSSA. “Our students are seeing the benefits of their hard work and it’s causing them to become more competitive and proud of what they’re doing.”

The PRSSA chapter created a public relations proposal for a water conservation competition sponsored by PRSSA and Kohler, Inc. The group produced a plan to raise awareness about conserving water by featuring a Kohler booth at Cincinnati’s Findlay Market, participating in the Cincinnati Reds’ opening day parade, and running radio advertisements for the cause.

University of Cincinnati came in second place behind Syracuse University with Ohio State University finishing in third.

“The unique situation with us is that we are the University of Cincinnati—we could utilize the entire city in our campaign. That’s why we went beyond campus to include Findlay Market,” says senior Brad Okel. “We had two goals for our campaign: use Cincinnati as an example for water conservation trends, and position Kohler as an expert in water conservation.”

The original plan by Kohler and PRSSA called for the implementation of the top three campaigns. However, due to a number of execution issues, the groups were unable to do so. Still, the group will receive an award for their hard work. And the recognition they’re receiving is great, too.

“It’s only been a short couple of years but we’ve made some amazing strides,” says junior communication major Matt Stephens-Rich. “In the last three campaigns we’ve participated in, we’ve received awards in them—if not won them outright.”

Last year, UC’s PRSSA chapter won first place in a statewide

Donate Life Ohio campaign

, the organ donation effort sponsored by the Ohio Department of Health. The year prior, in its Debunkify campaign, the chapter earned “Best Creative Execution.”

PRSSA does more than participate in competitions. The organization sends students to national conferences and features a mentoring program, connecting students to professionals in the field.

“PRSSA has definitely provided us with experience,” Stephens-Rich says. “It’s one thing to learn about campaigns in class, but when you’re doing it in the real world it’s totally different. It provides ground zero to build off of in our future careers. It’s an experience that’s irreplaceable.”