New media class spurs social media faceoff

Students on campus might have noticed an evil, chalk-drawn Rameses or stumbled upon VHS tapes hiding in various academic buildings.

These messages were created for both a good cause and a class.

Journalism students in a course titled “New Media Technology and Its Impact on the Future of Advertising, Marketing and PR” are participating in a social media contest to raise money for local nonprofit organizations.

The course is divided into two sections — of about 40 students each — that create advertising campaigns for a nonprofit organization using social media. The teams compete against each other to see which campaign gets the biggest response.

Journalism professor Gary Kayye, who teaches the course, said its goal is for students to gain the real-world experience they will need in order to succeed in the current media climate.“This year, they’re mostly the same in that the goal is for them to use new media and new media marketing tools that are readily available to brand and market an event with no money,” he said.

Kayye has been teaching the course since 2009, but said this is the second year the projects have been launched campuswide.

He said he thinks it is essential that students create a product with a purpose.

“We don’t want to create something just for the sake of creating it,” he said.

He said students need to be familiar with all types of media in order to market their brand.

“The world of media in the J-school side and the advertising and PR side (is) sort of going through revolutionary changes,” he said.

“Everything from print to online to everyone participating in the conversation.”

Senior advertising major Tricia Cleppe is the leader of one of the teams, “Heel Heist for the Monday Life,” which is raising money for The Monday Life — a nonprofit that works in the N.C. Children’s Hospital.

Team members have been promoting their cause through their mascot “Scamzees,” or “Rameses’ evil twin,” on social media.

“At the beginning of the campaign, we tried to be mysterious about it,” she said. “A lot of people really liked our strategies and creativity.”

Cleppe’s team has raised $130 so far and plans to hold events each Monday night until the contest ends Nov. 14.

The other team, led by senior public relations major Kelly Crupi, is raising money for Camp Kesem, which is run by college students for children who have parents with cancer.

Their team is called “tbtunc” and is hosting events themed with 1990s pop culture.

“Since most of the current UNC population grew up in the ’90s, we figured this could appeal to everyone,” Crupi said.

tbtunc’s final event will be on Nov. 14 at R&R Grill and will feature a band playing covers of hit songs from the 1990s.

Crupi said she plans to work at a PR firm when she graduates and said the class has been useful in helping her learn how to manage of team of creative people.

“Really just being able to utilize everyone’s strength has been the biggest thing,” she said.

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