Key Takeaways
- “The Bateman Competition Case Study is a full-blown communications campaign that mimics the real world,” Chapter President Vivian Moussa said. “It’s something you cannot find in class, and you learn what goes into it from start to finish.” She was a member of last year’s campaign “Bobcats, Get on the Map.”
- Think of this as a large group project that lasts for about six months! This is a competition that incorporates multiple marketing, public relations and advertising tactics. It encompasses everything for a successful campaign. For the past three years, Scripps PRSSA has won Honorable Mention in the Bateman Case Study Competition.
- The competition has phases. First, the team conducts and studies research. Then, in the ideation phase, the team brainstorms goals, strategic messages and ideas for an effective campaign. In the third stage, called implementation, the group publishes and conducts the entirety of the campaign. The last phase of analysis involves compiling and and assessing data, working toward the final report. This report is sent for judging.
- Each role on the team has specific tasks and duties to fulfill. However, members help in areas other than their assigned role.
- The managing director role, similar to the Chapter President, includes plenty of planning, organizing, agenda building and dabbling in other roles to ensure work gets done. This position holder also acts as a liaison and a main contact point for the group.
- The creative director’s main priorities are building/maintaining the website and creating graphics.
- The social media coordinator manages and facilitates interactions on social media platforms, namely Twitter and Instagram, with Facebook being useful for event planning. This person expresses the campaign’s themes, ideas and events to the followers.
- The event planner’s duty is to brainstorm and plan campaign events. This role is associated with plenty of outreach, emails and phone calls to organize unique events.
- The data analyst tracks and compiles all of the data collected throughout the campaign, with a lot of focus on crafting the final report.
- What are some lessons that you learned from being on the Bateman team?
- “The biggest lesson was how to work with a team in a very intense atmosphere but also a team environment. I talk about this all the time in interviews because people like to know you work well in a team environment.”
- “It’s OK to be lost at first.”
- “Knowing how to communicate and work with the team, and knowing how to ask for help.”
- “Having a plan B, C and D is crucial. Bateman moves, and you have to move with it. Any setbacks can occur, so plan ahead.”
- “Teamwork. Learning how other people work, as well as how you work with others.”
- Why did you apply and want to get involved?
- “It’s great opportunity for people who want to be on the Scripps PRSSA executive board.”
- “I wanted to push myself, but also, I wanted to make friends.”
- “It acted as a stepping stone, meaning it’s something you can put into your portfolio.”
- Why would you recommend Bateman to others who haven’t experienced it?
- “It’s a good thing to dedicate yourself something big like this. It’s an experience only offered through PRSSA, and it is highly undervalued. It’s a great experience to have before you enter the job market, and it’s a tangible campaign piece.”
- “All the skills you use during Bateman are transferable. There is not a single job where any of these skills wouldn’t be useful.”
- “The level of detail that goes into this campaign is intense. It’s a great skill to build on and walk away with. You become the closest friend group because of the experience.”