USU PRSSA Hosts Public Relations Plan Competition

The Utah State University Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America recently created and hosted a public relations plan contest. Students worked with the I-System Institute and created a public relations plan to help them improve their brand recognition across Cache Valley.

Juniors Hannah Castro and Jaylan Porras worked as partners and received first place, sophomore Liv Seiler received second place, and senior Hannah Nelson received third place.

“I thought it was a very good opportunity as a student to get involved with a real client. It was great to get to know them and be able to help,” Castro said.

The PRSSA leadership team hosted an event March 4 where Tanya Pirtle, I-Systems Institute program coordinator, presented to students the institute’s goals for public relations plans and helped them understand one of the I-System Institute’s components, Mind-Body bridging.

The contestants submitted videos presenting their plans and the 2023-2024 USU PRSSA leadership team judged their work based on a rubric. The requirements on the rubric were:

• Client research.
• Key messages they want the institute to share.
• Measurable communication objectives.
• Strategies/tactics.
• A timeline for implementing those strategies/tactics.
• An event outline.
• Visual or written media.

The contestants had the option to create a press release, social media posts, photos, graphic or video.

Kelsey Gardner, USU PRSSA 2023-2024 president, said Castro and Porras stood out in the competition because of their video.

“Today, everything is (communicated) through video and that’s what keeps people engaged,” Porras said.

The winners were announced April 18 at Utah State University department of Journalism and Communication’s annual end-of-year event.

Porras said the competition made him bring out his best.

“Finding something we enjoy pushed us even further, and the competition brought out the hustle and drive,” Porras said.

This contest was inspired by the Public Relations Society of America Utah chapter’s PR Student of the Year competition.