Journalism and Mass Communications, College of
Date of this Version
5-2013
Document Type
Article
Citation
Busch, A. (2013). A Professional Project Surveying Student-Run Advertising and Public Relations Agencies at Institutions with ACEJMC Accredited Programs. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Abstract
A student-run agency is a valuable opportunity for advertising, marketing, and communication students to build experience, add to resumes, and apply their classroom knowledge to real-life situations. The opportunity to work with clients outside of the classroom helps students to develop skills that will set them apart later in their career search.
A student-run advertising agency essentially functions as a true advertising or PR agency does, with a few primary differences. Associated with a particular university, and usually under the guidance of one or more faculty advisors, the agency processes, clients, and projects are managed by the students involved. Depending on the size and specific specializations of the agency, students provide clients with strategies and creative direction for specific projects, campaigns, or with branding as whole. Typical clients may include other entities on the university campus, small businesses, or local non-profits.
A survey of current student agencies operating on university campuses is a helpful tool for anyone involved with a student agency who may be looking to compare their own agency to others, as well as a beneficial starting point for those looking to begin a new agency.
The purpose of this project is to develop a list of student-run agencies that meet certain qualifications and to record basic, and easily available, information through secondary online research. The primary deliverable of this project will be one-page fact sheets of the selected sample of agencies and an analysis of any trends that emerge. The project will then finish with some recommended best practices based upon those trends.
The intended audiences for this project are faculty advisors and student leadership teams who are currently part of a student-run advertising agency or are pursuing information on student agencies. A secondary audience consists of anyone searching for information regarding the current status of student-run agencies on university campuses today.