Clever rebranding ticks all the boxes in university competition

Rebranding an old idea turned out to be a winner for a group of communications students at the University of Waikato’s Management School.

Chesterman Group Public Relations Campaign Awards

The 10^th annual Chesterman Group Public Relations Campaign Awards were held on October 13 in front of a full Waikato Management School auditorium.

The event celebrated the completion of the University of Waikato’s Management Communications Public Relations Campaign paper with presentations of comprehensive campaign proposals for a real-life local client.

The 2011 client was Opportunity Hamilton, a non-profit organisation that promotes economic growth in the region by assisting and attracting new businesses and investment in Hamilton.

Fifteen teams were whittled down to four for the final presentations. The four teams conducted research, defined goals, objectives, and strategy, and prepared a list of public relations activities all relevant to the issues they identified as significant. The students’ overall challenge was to develop a public relations campaign that would help Opportunity Hamilton to achieve its goal of economic growth in the Waikato.

Judging Panel

Joining Deputy Mayor Gordon Chesterman on the judging panel were: Professor Juliet Roper (from the Department of Management Communications, Waikato Management School), Suzi Luff (Community Relations Representative TrustPower Ltd), Graeme Purches (representative of PRiNZ – the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand). Mr Chesterman said it was the “strongest year of presentations ever;” and across the board the winning team ticked all the boxes.

“Their big focus was on a carefully planned strategy of economic growth, co-working, and the main thing that we (judges) all liked, was the rebranding of an old idea.” Mr Chesterman said. “Team PROspect Consultants (Rebecca Foote, Vivienne Hall, Anna McAdam, Bethany Pawson, Chamanthie Sinhalage, Chloe Walker-Liddy) were clearly well prepared in every aspect; in fact, we judges had very little to ask afterwards.”

Digital Environment

Team PROspect Consultants’ focused on the concept of co-working in a digital environment as a recent global trend that succeeds in many urban centres in the world, including Auckland and Wellington. The students approached the founder of one such franchise and in turn he formally registered interest in a partnership with an operator in Hamilton. “Working for yourself, but not by yourself” was the main theme of their presentation.

Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker responded to the students’ presentations ahead of the announcement of the winner. Mr Chesterman, the long-time sponsor of the event, was acknowledged for his decade of commitment to this prestigious and popular public relations’ educational event.