Final Notes
Use what is in this book as a guideline and a basis for what is necessary and build from there. For every class I’ve ever had, I challenged to add their own special flavor to create something for the client that wasn’t prescribed. When you aim for the bare minimum, that is what you achieve, but when you reach for the stars, I promise you all will achieve more than you knew you could.
As you move your way through the creation of the campaign, here are the questions I ask my students, which I remind them of often:
Have you dug deep and really looked at this from every angle?
Are you carefully phrasing what you are writing to be clear and to be honest, but also to be kind to the client?
Are you playing the what if game when you write?
Are you staying true to AP Style, the organization’s brand, and the class’s style?
Is your idea plausible within the timeline and budget the client has given to us?
Is this predictable and tired or something that is innovative and different?
Are you looking backward and forward to gain perspective? You need to look both ways before you cross a street, right?
Acknowledgments
It is only fitting to begin the acknowledgments of The PR Campaigns Worktext by specifically thanking the students I have had throughout my more than a decade in teaching this course at the elite college level. Every single class inspired me to tweak the curriculum, find new ways to allow students to have creative freedom, and inspire the PR practitioners of the future to push themselves to achieve their best possible work.
PR Campaigns is often the capstone class, and that means it is the moment in which students get to apply all they have learned and pour their hearts and souls into projects that demonstrate their professional capabilities to the world, to themselves, to their parents, and to the client. So again, to the students who have challenged, inspired, motivated, and taught me in the past, I simply cannot thank you enough. To the students I will have in the future, I hope this guides you through successful professional practices for many years.
PR Campaigns are only as strong as the clients who are willing to work with us, so it’s important for me to thank organizations such as Comic Cure, Florida Panthers Foundation, Gridiron Grill-Off, Hard Rock Energy, Miami Open, PGA Tour, and countless others for allowing the students to learn from you and create something for you.
A special acknowledgement in this PR Campaigns Worktext must be given to Shobie Callahan and the Irie Foundation for partnering with the class to create a PR Campaign for Irie Weekend and Irie Foundation. The work of Kaitlyn Hopkins and Krizia Mendez is featured as a stellar example of what students can create.
Professionally, when I started teaching Public Relations, Dr. Cornelia Splichal was always the most supportive of my teaching efforts and my methods for PR Campaigns and served as a wonderful mentor to me. Additionally, I would be lost if it wasn’t for the friendship and guidance of Dr. Shannon Campbell, who is not only brilliant and a gifted academic but also a well-rounded practitioner and a wonderful friend and colleague. I would also like to posthumously recognize my mentor Cal Sutliff, who helped me on my journey to be the best version of myself and who always believed in my efforts as an educator and mentor to others. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the advice, guidance, and support I received from: Professor Cathryn Edelstein (Senior Executive-in-Residence, Emerson College), Dr. Philip Glenn (Professor, Emerson College), Professor Jack Miller (Professor of Practice, University of Miami), Dr. Diane Millette (Chair, University of Miami), Dr. Greg Payne (Chair, Emerson College), Dr. Don Stacks (University of Miami, Retired), and Dr. Richard West (Professor, Emerson College).
I’d like to thank all the people who reviewed drafts of this book: Michelle Groover, Georgia Southern University; Jamie Ward, Eastern Michigan University; Victoria Brodie, California Baptist University; Dr. Christina Paxman, Minot State University; Dr. Candice Lanius, University of Alabama in Huntsville; Hazel J. Cole, University of West Georgia; Dr. Arshia Anwer, Manhattan College; Kurt Wise, University of West Florida; Carol Osborne, University of South Florida; Ilwoo Ju, Purdue University; Shannon B. Campbell, Metropolitan State University of Denver; and Lisa Du Bois Low, Texas Tech University.
Finally, I would not have achieved the success in my professional or academic careers if it wasn’t for the guidance and support I had growing up. To my mother, Pamela Elles, who is not only the best educator and administrator I’ve ever known but who also is a wonderful editor and is the best mother I could ever have hoped for—thank you. You gave me the gift of travel and enlightenment and taught me that I could do anything I put my mind to. Thank you also to grandparents who were instrumental in raising me and to my extended family in Tampa and the women who have become like sisters to me throughout my life. Your support has always been appreciated.
About the Author
Maria Elles Scott, Assistant Professor at Emerson College, teaches Public Relations and Sports Communication courses in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Dr. Scott comes with more than 10 years of teaching experience and more than 20 years of experience as a journalist and Public Relations professional. As an academic, Dr. Scott started her full-time teaching career in 2007 at the University of Miami, where she began applying her real-world experience to the classroom. Dr. Scott has taught more than 250 students how to create a full Public Relations Campaign for clients that include PGA Tour, NHL Florida Panthers Foundation, Red Bull, Hard Rock Energy Drink, Irie Foundation, Miami Open, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Jason Taylor Foundation, and so many more. Additionally, Dr. Scott taught Advanced Public Relations Messaging, where students created a full media kit for a client, a graduate graphics design course, and the Public Relations Experience Program.
In her professional career, Dr. Scott started at 20 years old as a sports journalist with the Tampa Tribune before she moved to the Philadelphia area and the Journal Register Company. Dr. Scott transitioned into Public Relations working for the Tampa Bay Super Bowl XXXV Task Force before moving to ESPN where she was the publicity and community relations specialist for all ESPN event properties, such as the X Games, Winter X Games, and ESPY Awards. Dr. Scott moved from Los Angeles to South Florida, where she managed Public Relations for the Miami Open and then moved to the South Florida Super Bowl XLI Host Committee. In 2007, Dr. Scott opened her own consulting firm while teaching full time. Dr. Scott has assisted with events and publicity for Michael Irvin’s PlayMaker Charities and Foundation, Battle of the Beauties, Sports Employment Inc., Dwight Stephenson Foundation, and the National Salute to America’s Heroes presented by Hyundai.
In her professional career, Dr. Scott created two campaigns in conjunction with the NFL as part of the Super Bowl Host Committee in 2001 and 2007. She developed the plan to deploy a community-wide pride program to recruit volunteers for the Super Bowl in Tampa (2001) and South Florida (2007). While at ESPN, she worked with the central marketing department to create grassroots campaigns in Philadelphia and Los Angeles to engage the target audience in the X Games.
Since joining the Emerson College family as the Public Relations Faculty Program Coordinator, Scott has worked with Emerson Launch and Voice @ Emerson as well as her students to create and launch Voicelets on the Amazon Alexa platform as a voice component to the curriculum. Additionally, in Fall 2018, she became the Emerson College Chapter Public Relations Student Society of America Chapter Faculty Advisory.
Chapter 1 Getting Started
Campaigns
What Is a PR Campaign?