By Holly Desrosier
Craven Community College (Craven CC) received two Medallion Awards from the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR), which were presented during the 2019 NCMPR District 2 fall conference in Asheville from Oct. 21-23.
The college received gold in the category of Successful Marketing Program, and bronze in the category of Community Relations Campaign.
The Successful Marketing Program submission followed the college’s “Your First Choice” campaign, which was designed to focus on a brand refresh of all recruiting materials to elevate the college’s position as an institution that can exceed a student’s expectations and inspire them to dream big. Marketing materials associated with the campaign included printed brochures; videos for TV, movie theaters, online advertising and social media; retractable banners and recruiting events; campaign webpage; radio advertising; and postcard mailers.
The Community Relations Campaign entry detailed the community’s experience leading up to and following the destruction of Hurricane Florence. The campaign submission represented the many steps the college took to assist faculty, staff and students, as well as the community at large. Such materials included numerous news stories, press releases, hurricane resources webpage, postcards, digital billboards, banner ads, print advertising and a specialty publication.
The “Your First Choice” and “Hurricane Florence” campaigns were the result of collaborative efforts between Craig Ramey, director of communications; Meredith Laskovics, marketing specialist; and Holly Desrosier, administrative specialist.
“We are truly humbled that the NCMPR recognized the time, creativity and energy we put into these campaigns,” said Ramey. “There were a record number of entries for the awards this year and to bring home two awards, one being first place, is an honor that reaches beyond words.”
The NCMPR Medallion Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication at community and technical colleges in each of NCMPR’s seven districts. The regional competition is exclusive to marketing and public relations professionals at two-year colleges. Craven CC is part of District 2, which consists of two-year colleges in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands and The Bahamas.
NCMPR is an organization that represents the marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges across the nation. Their mission is to provide professional development opportunities, advocate on behalf of the profession and the institutions it serves and recognize professional excellence.
This article was originally published in the New Bern Sun Journal on October 30, 2019.