CHELSEA ANNE PERSON
January 12, 2015
Columbus State University Athletics: Girls in the Game
COMM 4698 SENIOR INTERNSHIP &
COMM 4143 STRATEGIC MEDIA WRITING
CHALLENGE:
In April 2015, Columbus State University is Athletics hosted its inaugural Girls in the Game luncheon. The goal was to gather women from across the community to affirm CSU female athletes as fierce competitors and talented students through a collaborative fundraising effort.
STRATEGY:
Athletic Director, Todd Reeser approached me in December 2014 about leading all public relations efforts for the luncheon. Within a 15-week timeline, I helped CSU Athletics create the Girls in the Game brand, manage media and community relations, produce promotional content, and plan the event.
Since Girls in the Game was the first of its kind on CSU’s campus, I was tasked with shaping its personality. To position Girls in the Game as a necessary initiative, I collected data that supported the need for a women’s empowerment event. These statistics provided CSU Athletics employees and community members with a frame of reference, which motivated them to join our team.
I also strategically created the Girls in the Game logo with CSU’s official colors to help our audience establish a connection with CSU Athletics. All materials followed a set of brand guidelines, which I also developed for Girls in the Game.
To reach Girls in the Game’s various publics, I crafted specific messages for each group. While the messages were diverse, the content maintained one clear voice that prompted interest and action.
RESULTS:
Across the board, the responses were positive. Players, coaches, community women, and more thoroughly enjoyed the event. We seated nearly 100 supporters and raised more than $16,000.
We received media placement in the Ledger Enquirer Local section and CSUCougars.com.
SAMPLE MATERIALS:
BRANDING: