Inaugural ComGroup Classic

Based on the findings of the research, the committee concluded that the proposed event would be built around students, leverage the firm’s existing internship program, and be uniquely positioned as a demonstration of The  Communications Group’s commitment to fostering the profession’s next generation of practitioners. It would create an  opportunity to interface with in-state students studying PR, marketing and related fields, and attract top talent for the firm’s internship by promoting the program. 

With the idea firmly established, the committee was able to start defining the structure of the project. The overarching goal of the event was to create statewide admiration for the firm among students studying communications. To accomplish this goal, the committee defined 3 SMART objectives: 1.) Host at least 15 students at the firm’s new location by the end of the 2023 spring semester, 2.) Engage with at least 3 Arkansas universities during the project, and 3.) Collect at least 10 internship applications by the end of the firm’s 2023 summer internship application deadline.

The committee used the ABCD framework to help inform its strategy for the project. The primary audience (A) was defined as in-state college students pursuing a degree in public relations, communications or a related field. Professors teaching these students were identified as a secondary audience. The committee defined the firm’s brand voice (B) as a modern, innovative integrated communications firm with a unique, inspiring and inclusive culture of creativity.

The committee discovered through competitive analysis (C) that other agencies in the market were in the habit of declining to open their doors or make time for students when approached about tours or job shadowing, citing heavy workloads 
and tight schedules. Finally, the committee identified the firm’s differentiator (D) which was its commitment to fostering the profession’s next generation of practitioners. Based on this framework, a strategy was developed to position the firm as an approachable advocate for students that supported their career goals through networking, friendly relationship building activities and mentorship opportunities.

As part of the planning process, the committee’s initial step was to outline a proposed run of show and itinerary for the  event. Next, the committee chose a date for the event based on feedback from the students and professors. From there,  the committee reverse engineered a schedule leading up to the event date, assigning deadlines for key milestones that would propel the project forward. During this process, the committee identified where expenditures would occur in the plan, gathered estimates from vendors, and built a budget based on those estimates, totaling approximately $1,000. The committee then defined the roles and responsibilities of each committee member and estimated the number of hours it would take each member to complete their assignments. These hours were translated into service fees and were 
calculated into the budget as personnel costs. Finally, the committee pulled together all the elements of the plan into a proposal, which were then presented to and approved by the leadership committee.

The event, dubbed the ComGroup Classic, was held on April 11, 2023, in the ComGroup office. Immediately following the approval of this plan, the firm’s intern led the tactical execution of the project by refining the itinerary for the event. Next, contact lists were developed targeting professors in the communications departments of Arkansas universities. The Arkansas PRSA chapter also shared its contact list for PRSSA members in the state. These lists were used to distribute save-the-dates, which were followed by invitations and RSVP reminders, using an email marketing platform. In-house designs for t-shirts and promotional items were developed and created. Branded tote bags filled with ComGroup promotional items such as a stadium cup, a pop socket for mobile devices, a custom t-shirt and a notebook were created as parting gifts for each attendee including the attending faculty advisors. Using the total headcount number from the RSVP list, catering was ordered to provide lunch for the students that attended following the event. Students arrived at 10 a.m. and were met at the door where staff socialized and guided them to the office common areas. Here students were invited to mingle with peers from the other universities until all attendees had arrived. 

At 10:30 a.m. students were greeted by our intern. After his opening remarks, the event officially kicked off. Students were divided into groups of 4 or 5 and traveled in a counterclockwise route through the office, stopping at different stations where they met with staff from each department who informally explained their role and function at the firm. 
Each group ended their circuit of the office in the conference room where they heard about the firm’s internship from the intern and the agency’s internship coordinator. A QR code pointing to the dedicated internship page on the firm’s website was projected on the screen. Students were encouraged to apply for the internship in real time during this portion of the program. The QR code was also used to collect the contact information of the students. These contacts were used later to send a follow-up email newsletter covering the event with bonus content not shared during the event, including a post-event survey and a CTA to apply for the internship. That list will also serve as the foundation for the 
firm’s New Hire Network, which will be the first to receive notices about new employment opportunities at the firm. Before breaking for lunch and dismissal, students were given a final opportunity to ask questions from the staff. Following the event, a news release about the event was distributed via the firm’s monthly newsletter to all subscribers, 
and multiple social media posts recapping the event were published.