The Bookies to host Sooner Art Gallery

The Bookies to host Sooner Art Gallery

Traci Reiserer

Our PR Campaigns group, “The Bookies,” has been given the Sooner yearbook as our client this semester. Rather than working on solely increasing yearbook sales, we have been given a task of increasing awareness, focusing on college nostalgia and how we can alter students’ perception of the OU yearbook in a more positive light.

Although the lack of yearbook sales is the main concern of the OU student media group and their supervisor, Lori Brooks, through our research we have also found that students feel a yearbook is not a necessity, and do not think the yearbook is an important part of the University of Oklahoma’s tradition. We have found that seniors associate “graduation” with caps and gowns, senior trips, class rings and walking the stage, not purchase a yearbook; a main problem for the yearbook staff trying to their hit sales quota.

Surprisingly, OU is not alone with it comes to low yearbook sales and a lack of awareness on campus. After researching and contacting the Big12 schools, over half of the Big 12 are struggling to keep their own university’s yearbook alive. Three of the Big 12 schools’ yearbooks have gone completely under and are now no longer a part of their university’s tradition.

In order to increase awareness and create a positive buzz about the yearbook, The Bookies will host a Sooner Art Gallery focusing on the yearbook’s content and layout of the 2008 book. We will hold the art gallery in three different locations: Price Hall, Gaylord Hall, and the Fine Arts building on April 15, 2008 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. We have chosen 20 (of what we think) are the most impressive spreads that students can relate to and will be showcasing them in all three buildings. Students will have a chance to stroll through the Sooner Art Gallery to learn more about the content of the yearbook as well as what the Sooner has to offer in terms of memories and keepsake items.

The Bookies have high hopes and aspirations that the Sooner Art Gallery will increase the awareness of the Sooner on campus, as well as modify how the students view the OU yearbook.

Bridges, formerly known as ILSY

Bridges, formerly known as ILSY

Katie Puckett

As an OU Public Relations campaign group, Team Purple was first presented with a client in hopes of implementing a new name for their unique program.  

Independent Living Services for Youth or ILSY, located in Norman, OK has recently undergone such a change. The program that helps high school students who live alone to succeed, has changed its name to Bridges. Such an important change for an agency means revamping everything from brochures to street signs. Team Purple has been working hard to implement this new and huge change for the non-profit organization.  

Team Purple first conducted primary research such as surveys and focus groups for the United Way of Norman agency. Through this research, our team got ideas from our key publics about what elements the new name should consist of. We presented our three name choices to the ILSY board members and after much anticipation, the name, Bridges, was chosen. After the new name was confirmed, Team Purple asked the Bridges' staff to give us feedback on a new logo for the organization. After hearing the staff's input, Team Purple designed three sample logos. Our team is now in the process of designing invitations and planning an open house event along with a news conference to promote the new name and logo.  

Team Purple and I are excited to move forward with our campaign and overall hope to bring Bridges more volunteers, donations and most importantly, awareness.

The Sooner yearbook campaign

The Sooner yearbook campaign
Carrie Musch

As part of the JMC 4403 (PR Campaigns) class, Innovative PR was assigned a client, Sooner yearbook, and charged with developing a public relations campaign that addressed Sooner’s lack of student awareness and poor sales.

Dr. Carstarphen suggested our campaign take an indirect approach – our efforts should focus on creating college nostalgia rather than directly promoting Sooner. We were also asked to develop a way for Sooner to participate in campus life so that it would be a more visible entity of OU.

Secondary research has shown that Sooner is not alone. College yearbook sales are dwindling across the United States. In fact, Lori Brooks, Sooner’s director, said only 83 college yearbooks are still in print. Yearbooks are also competing with newer mediums such as social networking Web sites like Facebook and MySpace.

Innovative PR distributed surveys to collect primary data. Our survey research reported that 60 percent of students said the yearbook was slightly or completely insignificant to their college memories. We will continue to collect data through updated surveys and a focus group.

Innovative PR has begun event planning. To evoke college nostalgia, we will host a free screening of Old School on Monday, April 14. We are currently seeking donations for this event in addition to executing our media strategy and finalizing our crisis plan. To keep Sooner in touch with campus life, we are implementing a sticker campaign during Big Event, a one-day student run community service effort. Our stickers will say, “Your smile is a Big Event in OU history.” The sticker will also direct students to a MySpace page that gives them more information on the yearbook and how to place an order.

We believe that both of these events will add value to Sooner.

AN UPHILL BATTLE

AN UPHILL BATTLE

Amanda Miller

Our client, the OU Yearbook located in the Norman, Oklahoma is having a frustrating time. It's sales are incredible low not to mention the fact that over half of the student body does not even realize that we have a yearbook. The current media relations staff of Sooner Yearbook has tried all types of research to dissect the problem. The staff has research results from surveys, focus groups and current sales all conveying the same results. Students simply do not know and do not care about a college yearbook. 

My campaigns group feels like we have been fighting an uphill battle. Our research tells us that students do not find the yearbook interesting or exciting. The thought of a yearbook being a priceless memento of our college years holds no apply to the student body. Through our research my group has found that the only new approach to test out is to change the content of the Sooner Yearbook. Unfortunately, whenever we even mention suggestion to our client they do become defensive and do not want to discuss the possibility of change. 

So here we are, mid semester, and we are nowhere closer to a helpful solution to our clients' problem. Through our event of distributing a promotional piece during the University of Oklahoma's BigEvent T-shirt pass out we hope to discover new research to help improve our client's current situation of minimal sales and lack of awareness. I am confident that my group will have a successful event and with any hope we will have exciting results to share. 

Graphic from www.nlc.state.ne.us/publications/images/bookawardgsx.gif

Name Change Implementation

Name Change Implementation

by Holly Jones
There are many factors that are implemented when an organization undergoes a name change. Not only can choosing a new name become difficult, but it can also be costly and ineffective if not completed correctly.
Just recently, Independent Living Services for Youth has undergone such a change. The organization is now known as Bridges, and is in the very early stages of the implementation process.
Impowering students who live alone to succeed. The organization has created a new tagline to follow their new logo which are both user friendly and describes the organization better than the original. These items will be the new uniform for all of the organizations documents and promotional materials.
There are three PR Campaigns groups who are assisting with the development of the new identity for Bridges. Each group is taking the lead on branding the new organization. The organization will need new brochures, press materials, fliers, signage, and to design a magnet to leave with people for later use. The groups are also coordinating an event for the organizations internal publics to help reveal the new name. The event will help to establish the new identity within the community and supporters for the organization.
The branding of the organization will also lead to other services needed by community members. These services include: volunteer opportunities, donation of goods, tutoring hours, and many other beneficial services that are needed by the students in this program.

For more cartoons on name change, clich here.

A New Name For Success

A New Name For Success

By: Amanda Pardee

Bridges, formerly known as Independent Living Services for Youth (ILSY), has initially chosen a new name in hopes of increasing positive awareness for its organization. Bridges is actually one of few organizations in the nation that recognizes and supports high school homelessness as something that is solvable and can be overcome with a boost of help. This United Way organization began in the early 1990's when Norman Public Schools counselors began noticing an increase in students that had become homeless for some reason or another. In turn, ILSY began and ever since has been striving to give these students the parental figure that they need to complete and succeed at the high school level. The assistance ranges from food to medical needs to even furniture. According to the organization's statistics, "In 2006, 59% of ILSY (Bridges) graduates went on to college or technology school." Bridges can serve up to 200 students with any needed assistance and can actually house 22 students in its on site apartments.

Through a variety of primary research methods, my group of PR Perceptions has utilized our skills to create not only new name choices, but also a strong campaign that will promote this organization. Through our research we found that much of the Norman community is unaware that this type of service exists and would truly support it if they knew more about it. Also through our research we were able to grasp several new ideas for the name change steering clear of acronyms and desiring a name that would display this organization's mission. PR Perceptions came up with: 1.) Bridge to Beyond- Connecting Students to Success, 2.) Step to Tomorrow- Connecting Students to the Future and 3.) Uniting Futures for Youth. After much anticipation our client informed us that the new name would be "Bridges- Empowering Students Who Live Alone to Succeed." We were thrilled by this decision and, consistent with the main goal of our campaign, we plan to create a logo as well as several publication pieces that will attract much attention to the success and importance of Bridges. We are also going to hold a news conference inviting all major media outlets in the area prior to a kick off event of the new name.