PRSSA Students Participate in the 2008 Bateman Competition

Public Relations students from the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma are again competing in the Bateman Case Study Competition. This will mark the second year that Gaylord College students have participated in the contest. Gaylord student-group Focus PR received Honorable Mention in the 2007 competition.

For the 2008 competition, Gaylord College will have nine students forming two teams. This year’s teams are CASA Public Relations comprised of students Ashley Carter, Cassi Doolittle, Andrew Flynn and Sheridan Samples; and Zenith Strategies comprised of students Jamie Jackman, Hayley Hartman, Emily Westbrooks, Madison Withers and Charli Weir.

The Bateman Competition is a joint project between the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and a different national client each year. For 2008, the student teams will be developing campaigns for Chevrolet, a division of General Motors, and their non-profit partner, Safe Kids Worldwide. The project entitled, Safe Kids Buckle Up (SKBU), will work to educate families in order to prevent unintentional childhood injury from improper use of or absence of safety equipment in vehicles. The challenge for the students this year is to expand SKW’s focus from children ages 0-10 and to focus on older children ages 11 to 14.

Students will use the RPIE planning method taught in the public relations campaigns capstone course: research, planning, implementation and evaluation. Each program will be developed and implemented on the local level with all events taking place during February.

The teams have formed partnerships with community groups and local Chevrolet dealership, and have activities planned with youth groups such as the Norman Girl Scouts, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma City, and with several Norman-area churches and elementary schools. One group also has planned a movie night at the Memorial Union with an information session from the Norman Police Department as well as a one-mile march and picnic at Andrews Park. Each event will provide information about buckling up and vehicle safety.

For more information about the competition, go to http://www.prssa.org/resources/bateman2008.asp or contact faculty adviser Natalie Tindall at 325-4052 or ntindall@ou.edu.