Fun fact: The contest was open for a month but I found out about it on the last day, when I was home sick with COVID. I sat down, spent six hours churning out a story, and submitted a minute before the deadline. Whether or not I win ($$ and a Zoom call with the fantasy writing legend, Christopher Paolini) it was a fun writing exercise.
In my Public Relations Campaigns class during the fall 2018 semester, my partner (Nisa) and I were assigned to develop a proposal for a comprehensive integrated communications plan. We were assigned a real client, although we were not affiliated with the organization. Our client was Best Friends Animal Society.
I took this photo at Best Friends’ annual “Strut Your Mutt” event, which we attended as a part of our research. And also to pet a bunch of adorable dogs.
Here is a selected portion of our plan, where we detailed the goal, objectives, strategies, and tactics we suggested Best Friends implement based on thorough research and analysis.
The “Meet Your New Best Friend” campaign utilizes multimedia content to increase awareness and attendance at events. The campaign’s goal is to bring more people into the awareness and evaluation/intent stages of the marketing funnel, hoping to bring them to events and reach the conversion stage.
The theme in this campaign is that an adopted
pet can be your long-term companion and friend, and the relationship can
benefit both you and the animal.
Goal: To increase overall awareness of and
participation in Best Friends’ various animal rescue events/fundraisers.
Objective 1: To increase regional event attendance to 100
participants per event by the end of 2019.
Strategy: Develop online video series for animal
lovers featuring footage of adoptable animals and event information to be
shared via all main social media channels monthly.
Tactics:
Pick six adoptable animals and feature their stories through photos, videos, and interviews with their caretakers.
For each animal, produce a two-minute video sharing their story. At the end, include a call to action to register for a local event. (In the video and post, include a URL that directs users to the Best Friends website where they can search by zip code to find an event near them.)
Post videos to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Objective 2: By the end of the year, conduct
events with five local animal shelters in states with worst animal homelessness
problems to expand event possibilities.
Strategy: Develop a working relationship with select
local animal shelters. Plan collaborative events that directly address animal
homelessness.
Tactics:
Identify geographical areas with above-average rates of animal homelessness
Contact local shelters in those areas and arrange meetings with key stakeholders
Interview them about their community’s situation and needs
Develop events that address those needs, and co-host them with the local shelters
I’ve been on the road for about six weeks, and so much has happened. Two weeks ago my sister flew back to the United States—which means I’m officially traveling solo. Right now I’m staying in a backpackers’ hostel attached to Central Station. I’m right in the heart of the city and it’s been so exciting to meet locals and other travelers! Experiencing music with a Cochlear™ Baha® 5 Sound Processor has been one of the major highlights on this trip. Here’s a breakdown of how my Baha 5 Sound Processor helps me hear every note:
Rock Concerts
When we were in Adelaide a few weeks ago, our hosts invited us to attend a concert with them. Their nephew is the guitarist of a popular band, which was performing a sold-out show. (Luckily he was able to get us in!)
Because I knew it was going to be in a standing-room-only venue with lots of dancing and jostling, I made sure to wear my Baha® Safety Line in case my processor was dislodged.
Soccer players must work together to defend their territory, move the ball forward, and predict the opposing team’s moves—all while working against the clock. In order to succeed, they need to communicate.
When all the team members are deaf or hard of hearing, communication takes on a whole new meaning.
Meet Patrick S., a Cochlear™ Baha® 5 recipient and defender on the USA Deaf Men’s National Soccer Team. His passion for the game has helped him find a community of likeminded players who inspire him to learn and grow—both on and off the field.
This article was written for The State Press and published on April 5, 2016.
A young woman, probably in her late twenties or early thirties, takes a few nervous steps toward the audience. Tattoos cover her arms and neck, and “SHERIFF’S INMATE- UNSENTENCED” is printed in bold red letters across her black-and-white striped uniform. She clears her throat, glances around the room and begins to sing.
“I’m not the average girl from the video / And I ain’t tan like a supermodel / But I’ve learned to love myself unconditionally / Because I am a queen,” she sings.
Her voice starts quietly, then builds as the women around her smile in support. When she finishes the song, 12 other inmates join her in a circle and take turns reciting lines in a group poem about self-worth and community.
This isn’t a normal event at Estrella Jail, a Maricopa County facility that houses approximately 1,000 inmates, predominantly female. On Saturday afternoon, the 13 inmates gathered to present their capstone performance as a part of Journey Home, an arts residency program facilitated through ASU Gammage.
The tour includes performances of Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ as well as a new play about the life and assassination of Malcolm X, titled ‘X’
By Skylar Mason
Photo courtesy of T Charles Erickson
This article was written for The State Press and published on Jan. 31, 2017.
In the midst of a tumultuous transition of political power, the arts have a unique ability to put today’s events into the context of history.
That is the belief of The Acting Company, a New York City-based theater company bringing its two latest productions to the Valley this week: Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” and Marcus Gardley’s new play about the assassination of Malcolm X, titled “X.”
Lisa Gutting, The Acting Company’s director of education and development, said at their core, the two productions—while set in completely different time periods—have similar themes.
“There are interesting connections on … why a man rising to power is being taken down in an assassination (and) the conspiracy theories that then come forth,” she said. “We hope the audience will make connections to what they’ve seen onstage and want to know more, to do their own historical digging into both Julius Caesar and Malcolm X.”
Associate art professor Angela Ellsworth brings her interest in contemplative walks to campus
Article and photo by Skylar Mason
This article was written for The State Press and published on Nov. 11, 2016.
Every day thousands of students rush from one end of campus to the other — whether on foot, skateboard or bicycle. They bump into and swerve around one another, many plugged in and listening to music or scrolling through Instagram while they move. It’s easy to fall into the motions and spend the lengthy commute preoccupied with a hundred distractions.
What if everyone took a moment to pause, set down their phones and pay attention to the simple act of walking?
“We’re living in a time where everything is so fast,” she said. “We’re pulled in different directions from our phones, computers and all these devices that are constantly pulling and throwing things at us. Our environment is doing that too. So I feel that more than ever, (it’s important) to return and pay attention to our bodies and slow down.”
Ellsworth co-founded the Museum of Walking in the spring of 2014 with intermedia student Steven J. Yazzie as a way of combining their backgrounds in the arts with their interest in movement and contemplative walking. Yazzie graduated from ASU in 2014 and went on to focus on digital video projects, so Ellsworth has since taken over responsibilities as the museum’s director.
Skylar Mason 