The
Carolina Agency:
Student-run
PR agency launches successfully
by R. Smith Richardson
 Twenty of USC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Ad and Public Relations students have launched The Carolina
Agency, a learning opportunity that gives them an idea of
what the real-world will be like.
Entrusted with a difficult mission and fueled with only
hard work and a few leads, the juniors and seniors, along
with faculty advisors Dr. Tom Klipstine and Jeff Ranta, set
up a full-service public relations firm in approximately
60 days and had it running by the start of the semester in
August 2005. Not unlike PR challenges in the real world,
where change comes quickly and work includes a strong emphasis
on performance, the course offers students a taste of professional
agency experience while still in school.
At the end of the startup period, the agency was to be
successfully managed by a team of students actively working
with, and in some cases billing, clients. The team also had
to comply with Public Relations Student Society of America
guidelines for student-run agencies.
By all accounts, the students did exceptionally well. During
its kickoff semester, The Carolina Agency generated publicity,
planned events, provided tactics and ideas, and created marketing
and PR materials for university and community-based organizations
throughout the Columbia area.
"Being a part of the agency gave me the opportunity
to see where I was as a PR professional, what I could eventually
become and what I needed to do to get there," said Janet
Lawrence, one of the agency's founding students.
In addition to creating an original logo and operating
procedures, these first Carolina Agency students:
| • |
Designed and published a full-page, full-color
recruitment ad for the USC Innovation Center. |
| • |
Planned and executed graduation events for two of
the Center’s incubator companies. |
| • |
Worked to support media relations and PR efforts on
behalf of Graysail, a startup software company in the
Innovation Center. |
| • |
Assisted USC’s Colonial Center with promotional
ideas designed to increase popularity and student attendance
at men’s and women’s basketball events. |
| • |
Designed and published a Web site and newsletter for
the Public Relations Society of America Midlands Chapter. |
| • |
Marketed and managed two PRSA events and workshops
for professionals and students that included programming,
registration and logistics. |
| • |
Provided venture capital support to Lifetec, a startup
paramedic supply company. |
This semester, The Carolina Agency, which is becoming known
around the School just as "TCA," is expected to:
| • |
Continue supporting USC’s Colonial
Center and Innovation Center. |
| • |
Offer preliminary marketing and PR support for a recruitment
campaign by the School of Library and Information Science. |
| • |
Provide additional help to Lifetec by creating marketing and collateral pieces. |
| • |
Execute a PR strategy planned for Graysail. |
| • |
Continue Web site and newsletter support for the PRSA
Midlands chapter. |
| • |
Conduct focus group research for both a local Christian
Counseling Center and a Columbia-based women’s
fertility clinic. |
 Before
the agency went looking for outside work, the students had
to create its name, develop a logo appropriate for their
business identity and provide protocols essential for business
development. But because the agency also is an educational
experience, students must assume diverse roles and responsibilities
on different account teams. For example, one student might be an account executive
for the Colonial Center, but provide media relations support for Lifetec.
The students also had to learn how to manage the process.
Because the course is an independent study, governing rules
and policies had to be flexible enough to accommodate student
schedules, but strong enough to ensure the best service was
consistently delivered to the clients.
This semester, students will meet together at one time,
in addition to their team meetings, so they all get updates
simultaneously on issues and progress.
"We have gone from zero to supersonic in about three
months, and all of the students who participated did an excellent
job," said Ranta, the lead instructor. "I am really
looking forward to next semester. The students have all taken
on big pieces of work to get the job done, and I think TCA
will continue to be a great experience for our students.”
|
R. Smith Richardson was a
member of The Carolina Agency staff during Fall 2005.
He graduated in December 2005 with a degree in public
relations. He is employed as PR/Marketing Assistant by
Edens & Avant. |
|
