Public relations students take on activity for real world experience
Public relation majors displayed readiness for their future careers through an event that promoted nonprofit and for-profit companies and involved the community in a recreational activity at a discounted price, Saturday.
The eight seniors who organized the event decided to build it around outdoor equipment company Campsaver, which recently changed its name from Trailhead. Kevin Mouritsen, public relations senior and the event’s media relations specialist, said the company wanted publicity for its new name, so the group started there and then began to incorporate other businesses interested in putting their name out there.
The event was held from 3 to 11 p.m. at Rock Haus and welcomed all to participate to purchase a day pass and equipment rental for the discounted price of $8. At every hour, donated prizes were given away to raffle winners. In addition to Campsaver’s and Rock Haus’ involvement in the event, local nonprofit organizations, such as Boys and Girls Club, and Common Ground, set up tables in front of Rock Haus to raise money for their programs.
“Our main goal is to achieve an objective without having to throw a lot of money at it, like not having to pay for an advertisement on TV or in the newspaper,” Mouritsen said.
The public relations firm the students created was composed of seven boys and one girl, and all assumed a particular role in organizing the event. Amber Neil, public relations senior and team lead of the firm, said the Rock Haus event is one of many she has organized in order to gain experience for her future career as an event coodinator.
“I love being able to bring together different elements,” Neil said. “We are bringing people together for the common interests of being healthy, having fun, enjoying summer and enjoying life.”
She said she was glad Boys and Girls Club could be present at the event to boost their funding with a snack bar because their funding was recently cut. Bob Green, Boys and Girls Club executive director, said their budget was recently cut 50 to 75 percent, and they are looking for any outlets to gain support from the community. With the cuts, a number of summer programs are no longer available and their staff crew lost a handful of people. Their table sold chips, drinks, hot dogs and other snack that were donated by Lee’s Marketplace. Green said Lee’s Marketplace founder, Lee Badger, was one of the original sponsors for Cache Valley’s Boys and Girls Club.
“I’ve been in social services for 40 years and funding goes through cycles, but I’ve never seen it quite this bad,” Green said. “That’s just the nature of the beast.”
In addition to helping the Boys and Girls Club, the event featured Campsaver outdoor gear such as backpacks, jackets, vests and a high-value sleeping bag by giving them away as raffle prizes. Rock Haus donated free-day and month passes to their facility as raffle prizes and one of the largest prizes given was a rock climbing harness donated by Petzl, said Matt Frandsen, public relations senior. All who donated money or participated in the climbing competitions were entered into the raffle.
“Campsaver wanted an opportunity to do some demos of the products they sell,” Mouritsen said. “And, the climbing competitions were less about winning and more about just getting involved.”
Mouritsen said public relations covers all aspects of increasing the awareness and public image of any organization. This public awareness is necessary for any successful industry, he said.
“Knowing what media outlets to use to get the most amount of coverage is the hardest thing,” he said.
The student firm contacted The Herald Journal, Cache Magazine and radio stations in order to get the word out, Mouritsen said. The “Campsaver’s I’ve got a Thing for Spring” event was free to advertise on-air due to its involvement with nonprofit organizations, which established the ad as a public service announcement.
Neil said their project was successful because they were able to bring timely activities and products to the community as the weather warms up in Cache Valley. What was once a class project became a booming event that was beneficial to all participating companies, she said.
– catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu