Research of Sooner Yearbook

Tina Bradley
May 6, 2008

Research of Sooner Yearbook

Initial research was compiled from various websites, books and Sooner yearbook. While primary and secondary research was conducted from the following client selection not much outside research was readily available regarding college yearbooks. From information obtained by the client only 82 college yearbooks were still in existence in the United States. Since "death of the yearbook" (http://www.collegemedia.org/) story was first reported, CMA Past President Kathy Lawrence of the University of Texas at Austin started compiling figures to try and produce a count of how many college yearbooks are still being published. Her current count puts that total at 533, "far better than the article reflected," she reported to colleagues on the list. (http://www.collegemedia.org/) Based on these reports, one online site – (www.CollegeOTR.com ) (On The Record) -- even went so far as to proclaim "Facebook Kills the College Yearbook." Upon secondary research it was thought that the yearbook would face an ultimate demise due to MySpace and Facebook being so prevalent in today’s society.

The primary focus for the client is to create sales to prevent the demise of Sooner yearbook. During the duration of initial research the found that price was considered a myth. Offered at a minimal price compared to other yearbooks, cost was not considered a primary issue for Sooner. The yearbook for the University of Oklahoma is considered as important as OU Football, right? So lack thereof would create the desire of something to be a chronicle of life spent at university. Colleges that have "lost" or killed off their yearbooks are now struggling, at immense cost, to revive a tradition that, once cut, bleeds. Surely there is a better way to increase morale and straighten the traditional yearbook. (http://www.scj.us/reporter/feb00.htm)
1. Death of the Yearbook
2. Yearbook List
3. Facebook Kills
4. Increase Morale

Many Yearbooks Incorporate Technology

Many Yearbooks Incorporate Technology

By Christie Gunn

Upon conducting research into college yearbook market trends for their client Sooner yearbook, Innovative PR, a public relations capstone group, found that many yearbooks are incorporating DVDs and CD-ROMs to combat poor sales.

College yearbook sales are dwindling across the country leaving many yearbooks to fight to stay in production. Yearbooks’ biggest competitors are social-networking Web sites such as Facebook and MySpace. These social networks can offer personalized, interactive content and provide instant gratification whereas printed yearbooks are static and generalized to the entire student body. In addition, students must pay for yearbooks in advance and wait months to receive them, unlike social networking sites that update instantly.

In order to keep up with growth in technological competition, several yearbooks have adopted supplemental pieces such as DVDs and CD-ROMs. The University of Texas’s Cactus yearbook comes with a DVD that includes content from the student newspaper and television station. In 1997, Marquette University canceled production of its yearbook entirely in favor of a CD-ROM version. The new format will include audio recordings from each senior to accompany their picture, video slide shows of campus events, footage of commencement and even music from local bands. “The editors say the digital publication will do things that yearbooks have never been able to do before.”

Other yearbook advisers like Ms. Widmer at Northwest Missouri State see the risks of solely using electronic formats for yearbooks. She said, “In 30 years you're not going to be able to do anything with [a DVD or CD-ROM yearbook] except use it as a coaster.” Librarians at Marquette echoed the sentiment, pointing out that electronic yearbooks may fail to accomplish a yearbook’s basic mission of preserving memories and records for the future.

Innovative PR will distribute surveys to continue researching if students at the University of Oklahoma would like to see their yearbook incorporate more technology, such as a supplemental DVD or CD-ROM.

Fading Traditions

Fading Tradition


How do you want to remember college or your classmates? Do you want be able to pick up your yearbook of the shelf at anytime? Or click online to communicate with old friends? Traditionally, one might have said through the yearbook. Today, you might find many students wanting instant gratification to connect with their classmates by using sites, such as Facebook and Myspace. These sites give students immediate interaction unlike a yearbook. A student has to wait a whole year to receive their yearbook. When they purchase the book they have no idea what is going to be the outcome of their purchase or if they are going to be featured in the book.

In my PR Campaigns group, Innovative PR, was assigned Sooner yearbook as our client. Lori Brook, Sooner yearbook advisor, and her staff are having trouble reaching out to students. Another problem they are dealing with is lack of sales, which is due to the first problem. Our group is in the process of promoting nostalgia and increasing awareness of the yearbook.

In an article from The New York Times, “A spokesman for Jostens Inc., the nation’s biggest yearbook publisher, said at some large campuses where students had less of a sense of belonging, yearbooks suffered declines but sales remained strong at many smaller ones.”

Through our research for the yearbook we discovered that many students are not aware that OU has a yearbook. The students that we have found that are aware simply do not care to purchase a yearbook. Their reasoning for not purchasing one is that they are afraid of not being in there and it is too expensive.

Innovative PR has designed a campaign from the outcome of both our primary and secondary research that we think will help increase awareness and promote nostalgia. We will be passing out stickers at Big Event this Saturday and we are screening a movie that is about remembering college life.

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