Take
Your
Chapter
to the
National
Level
PRSSA 2014–2015
NATIONAL PRESIDENT
Fall is almost here, and with
it comes potential in the realm of
PRSSA. You’ve started recruiting a new pool of bright-eyed
students with an interest in public
relations. You’ve planned Chapter
meetings and secured guest
speakers. You may have even
started fundraising for upcoming
events. If you have done all these
things and still feel there is more
to be done, it’s time to take your
Chapter to the next level — the
national level.
This fall, grow your Chapter
and engage with others by participating in as many national activities and initiatives as possible.
NATIONAL EVENTS
National events occur
virtually and in person. National
Conference is the largest physical
gathering of PRSSA members,
with approximately 1,000 attendees. Encourage your members to
register for this year’s Conference
in Washington, D.C., Oct. 10–14.
Ask those who attend to present
about their experience when they
return so your entire Chapter can
benefit from this incredible event.
If your Chapter is unable
to attend National Conference,
members can connect virtually
during any of PRSSA’s monthly
Twitter chats. See our website for
a list of upcoming chats.
Although spring seems far
away, keep National Assembly on
your radar as well, especially as
you budget and make long-term
Chapter plans.
NATIONAL INITIATIVES
National Initiatives are at the
heart of PRSSA. Participating in
these initiatives will enhance your
Chapter’s success and help your
members gain a better understanding of the profession. These
initiatives include participating in
the annual Bateman Case Study
Competition, starting a studentrun firm and writing for PRSSA
publications. Set a goal now to
complete as many initiatives as
SEE NATIONAL, PAGE 2
OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY
not every day that part
of your client’s SWOT analysis
talks about being part of former
East Germany,” said University
of Oklahoma student Nathan
Robertson.
Robertson, along with three
other students from University
of Oklahoma, traveled to Erfurt,
Germany this past May to present
the results of an in-depth research
project they completed for the
Erfurt City Marketing Department.
RESEARCH REAPS REWARDS
The City Marketing Department selected the winning
team, comprised of University of
Oklahoma PRSSA seniors Katherine Brannen, Dusti Gasparovic,
Katherine Fikes and Robertson.
They competed against over
40 students enrolled in the university’s public relations research
class. Students in the required
course sought to discover why
U.S. tourists go to Europe and
Germany specifically. At the
end of the semester, the winning
team was asked to continue the
research. The winning group’s
research included 99 interviews,
10 focus groups and 441 survey
respondents.
CONNECTING WITH
OTHER COUNTRIES
Katerina Tsetsura, professor
at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication
at the University of Oklahoma,
public relations course for the fall
2014 semester, said Brannen.
“International work
experience is where the advantage lies today. Having a successful track record in two countries
puts students in a position to
justify an international career
at an early stage of the career,”
Robertson said.
University of Oklahoma professor Katerina Tsetsura (left) poses in front of the
City Tourism Office of Erfurt, Germany with students Katherine Fikes, Nathan
Robertson and Katherine Brannen. The student team was chosen by the Erfurt
City Marketing Department to present their international tourism research in
person this past May. Photo courtesy of Tsetsura.
evaluated the different group
presentations and chose the top
three to send to the client, who
ultimately decided the winning
team. The reward for the group
was a trip to Erfurt to do addtional research and show a new
presentation.
The opportunity was possible
because Tsetsura developed a relationship with the City of Erfurt.
Tsetsura manages the Summer
Program in Communication at
Erfurt (SPICE) study abroad opportunity, Brannen explained.
“After our research class and
trip, I believe the college-client
relationship strengthened tremendously,” Brannen said.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
PROVES USEFUL
The international nature of
the project has given students a
different perspective on public
relations.
“Practicing in a different
country turns basic assumptions
of public relations upside down,”
Robertson said. “You are dealing
with different audiences and different market realities. Knowing
the basics is still vital, but it takes
cultural knowledge to do public
relations in another country.”
The future outlook for
international research projects is
positive, as the City of Erfurt will
continue to work with Tsetsura’s
RAISING THE BAR FOR PRSSA
Brannen hopes new ideas
from the trip will inspire PRSSA
members back on campus. One
idea is to host research-themed
Chapter meetings where members
are given scenarios and assignments that will carry to subsequent meetings. Brannen believes
this will give members a tangible
way to improve their skills and
gain a competitive edge over their
classmates.
“Sometimes I think we get
in the routine of going through
the motions, but I really want
our PRSSA members to know
there is so much opportunity
right in front of them and to
take it ... any chance they get,”
Brannen said. “Whether that is
going the extra mile for a class
or working on a small project for
someone, you never know what
might come of it.”
Click to see more
photos from the
Germany trip.
Fashion Forward:
A Lookbook for National Conference
UNISEX
If you’re planning on attending National Conference in
Washington, D.C. — whether it
be your first or last year — you
need to be prepared to dress to
impress.
With such a star studded
schedule of speakers, first im &W76