Student-run PR agency takes off with BNA as a client
Housed within the Lipscomb chapter of PRSSA, Herd House gives students real-life experience in the fields of advertising, public relations and social media
Cate Zenzen |
The Department of Communication and Journalism at Lipscomb University encourages students to use their knowledge and talents to complete professional work for the Nashville community. Through classes and on-campus groups, students are challenged with real-life projects in the fields of journalism, public relations and more. One such opportunity lies within the collegiate chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, or PRSSA. The organization houses Herd House, a student-run public relations agency that just completed its second year of operations. This semester the group acquired Nashville International Airport (BNA) as a client, and presented a social media campaign for the launch of an online merchandise store for airport apparel.
“This client presentation is a major moment of progress in our vision to build out the agency around our practicum courses and the graduate program,” said Dr. Aerial Ellis, assistant professor in public relations and advisor to the Lipscomb PRSSA chapter.
Students and Herd House team members Katie Christ, Katrina Hughes, Aleksa Loch, Abby Miller, Mason Thomas, and Kayla Wood researched and developed strategies to virtually present to BNA executives. They were given the independence to work as young professionals rather than students, despite the youth of the agency.
Through this project, the students hoped to increase awareness of the online store, establish the BNA brand as a recognizable name in merchandise, and consequently increase sales and online engagement. To meet these goals they chose to utilize social media platforms Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to reach their target audiences: tourists, frequent BNA visitors, and current digital audiences. The team researched useful features and tools within each platform and created mock posts and hashtags as visual examples.
In addition to identifying the capabilities of each platform, the student team analyzed the social media accounts of several other airports. This research led them to discover that no other airport has its own line of merchandise, therefore allowing BNA a unique opportunity to engage with the fanbase and Nashville community through an online store.
In the final part of the presentation, the students suggested budget options for BNA representatives. With a price breakdown of each option, there was complete transparency as to the financial requirements for various levels of the social media plan. Additionally, the group suggested return on investment platforms to monitor the success of social media activity alongside the sales of the merchandise. Overall, this complete analysis certainly impressed the team at BNA.
“The executives at the airport emailed me a few minutes after the call singing their praises,” said Ellis.
Not only did the presentation provide valuable information to the BNA team, but Herd House team members grew in their expertise of communication, advertising and social media. PRSSA co-presidents Abby Miller and Kayla Wood expressed that the project seemed daunting at first, but with a great team and guidance from Dr. Ellis, they were very happy with the end result.
“It was really exciting working on this project with BNA and developing some fun ideas for the launch of their new merchandise. It was a bit challenging at first to go from working in-person to working virtually, but this experience allowed us to see the importance of being able to adapt to unforeseen challenges when working within the PR industry,” said Wood.
“It was a great way to start making some professional connections within the Nashville community. I believe that it is so important to have experiences outside of the university while still a student. Our Herd House and PRSSA team is greatly looking forward to tackling other projects like this in the future,” said Miller.
The proliferation of new media choices in online and satellite radio is replacing the traditional media outlets as the primary source of news and entertainment. The Department of Communication and Journalism offers experiential learning with facilities and faculty to help students take control of and shape a career in communication. Degree programs prepare students for careers in digital, broadcast, print or public relations.