ORU Advertising Team Earns 1st Place Regionally

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, April 16, 2018
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Stephanie Hill, Director of University Relations & Communications
Office: 918.495.7337, Mobile: 918.720.5548
sthill@oru.edu

Tulsa, OK - Oral Roberts University public relations and advertising students earned first-place honors in both overall campaign plan and media plan in the 2018 National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) sponsored by the 10th District of the American Advertising Federation (AAF). The first round, regional competition was held in Corpus Christi, Texas April 14-16. ORU advances to the semi-final round where the team will be interviewed by AAF judges; eight teams are chosen from this round to compete in person at the national competition in Chicago this June.

This is ORU’s fifth year to compete and its highest finish in the District competition, which includes about 20 public and private universities in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Participating students work in agency departments—account management, research, media planning, creative services, public relations and sales promotions—to develop a brand campaign to address the client’s business and communication challenge. AAF chose Ocean Spray as its 2018 client sponsor. As a grower-owned cooperative, Ocean Spray produces the best-selling brand of cranberry juice in the world. The company plans to expand its footprint in the millennial market, and where courting the millennial consumer seems to be a growth strategy for brands. The ORU team developed a 20-page plans book and presented the work in a 20-minute presentation to industry professional judges.

“This competition offers students a dual benefit—they learn the marketing side of the business, but also see the business from the consumer side,” said Cristi Eschler-Freudenrich, ORU assistant professor and NSAC faculty team advisor. “Students dive deep into consumer research and brand’s business strategies and have to consider both sides of the brand-consumer relationship. Within the nine-month experience, students also learn how their own skills and talents may be used to solve complex business problems."

ORU’s 17-person team includes: Mireya Bloom, Tara Lau, Ana Reed, Daniel Miller, Rachael Ngwarai, Emma Shaw, Xavier González, Annkelly Cameron, Matthew Foster, Sarah Hess, Olivia Sanders, Jeremy Lewis, Kyra Valderas Amazan, Jennifer Swyden, Di’Mehlia Adamson, Catherine Brandt and Ashleigh Cain. For more information on the team, please contact cfreudenrich@oru.edu.