The Bateman Case Study Competition is PRSSA’s premier national case study competition for public relations students. It provides you an opportunity to apply all you've learned — from both inside the classroom and through internships and work opportunities — to create and implement a full public relations campaign.
Not only that, but you'll have a great piece of work for your portfolio!
The 2021 USC Bateman Team awarded Honorable Mention
The USC Bateman Team received an honorable mention (one of only eight given this year) out of a nationwide competition of 54 teams. They were responsible for implementing a PR campaign promoting civility in public discourse — specifically digital civility.
The "On the Line" campaign focused on what's at stake when you act uncivil both in person and online and how to hold yourself and your peers accountable. The team partnered with university President Bob Caslen to implement a campus-wide civility day; secured a citywide civility proclamation from Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin; collaborated with the South Carolina Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for a civility week for communications professionals; worked with faculty to propose a civil discourse module to be implemented as part of the University 101 curriculum; and obtained more than 500 signatures on a digital civility pledge from individuals in 17 states.
“The members of this year’s Bateman team fully embraced not only the creative brief of the national competition but also the responsibility to enact real change in online discourse,” said Kelly Davis, public relations sequence head and Bateman Team faculty advisor. “Through extensive primary and secondary research, a detailed strategic plan, a short 30-day implementation time frame, and in-depth evaluation of their results, they created a nationally-competitive campaign that can serve as a pilot program to be adopted and duplicated by universities, PRSA chapters and communities around the country.”
Student members of the Bateman team are: Contessa Davis, Olivia Dodds, Stephanie Justice, Hannah O’Toole and Ali Pardue. The team was assisted by professional advisor Amy Coward, APR, Fellow PRSA (MA ’96) of Prisma Health Midlands Foundation.