Bateman Updates

May 23, 2013

PRSSA 2013 Bateman Competition Winning Summaries

    First Place: Loyola University New Orleans (campaign summary PDF)
    Second Place: Kent State University (campaign summary PDF)
    Third Place: North Dakota State University (campaign summary PDF)

April 15, 2013

The first phase of judging results for the Bateman Case Study Competition is now available online.

Finalist teams will receive information about the second round of judging soon.

Thank you to all teams for participating. Although this is a competition, the main purpose is to provide a learning opportunity. PRSSA Headquarters hopes all teams gained valuable experience from their hard work. Score sheets will be mailed to all teams by Wednesday, May 1.

March 19, 2013

As we approach Friday, March 29 – the deadline for PRSSA headquarters to receive four completed copies of your Bateman Case Study Competition entry – below is information regarding the judging process and awards. Also note several tips for creating a successful entry.

Websites, including social media accounts, associated with a team’s campaign should no longer be active in accordance with the Bateman rules and regulations. These websites and accounts may be re-activated/updated after the honorable mention and finalist teams are announced on April 15.

• Judging Process
  The judging process takes place in two phases.
  
  • Phase 1 — On April 13-14, several judging teams composed of PRSA members and public relations practitioners will convene at PRSSA Headquarters in New York City to select the honorable mention and three finalist teams. The finalist teams advance to Phase 2 of judging. Results of Phase 1 will be announced on April 15.
  • Phase 2 — Teams will present their campaigns to a panel of judges via Skype on Friday, May 10. Additional details about this phase will be shared with the three finalist teams after the Phase 1 selection.
• Awards
  
  • Finalist teams receive a certificate of recognition at the PRSSA 2013 National Conference in Philadelphia. The first-place team will receive $2,500 and a trophy; the second-place team will receive $1,500 and a plaque; and the third-place team will receive $1,000 and a plaque.
• Tips for Success
  
  • Proofread and organize. Judges look to see a team’s professionalism reflected in an entry that is well structured and thoroughly proofread. Judges regularly deduct points for entries with grammar and spelling errors, poor formatting or a disorganized structure. Your Adviser can be instrumental in reviewing your entry when given in a timely fashion.
  • Use your research. Your entry needs to clearly show the judges how you used your research to make your decisions.
  • Understand the terms. Strong entries outline important campaign elements such as the situation analysis, goals and objectives, strategies, tactics and evaluation. Understand the definition of each element. In the past, for example, some teams lost points because their objectives were not actually objectives or they confused tactics and strategies.
  • Measure your results. Judges may deduct points if the objectives are not measureable, or if the reported results are not relevant to the stated goals and objectives.
  • Follow the rules. Entries will lose points or be disqualified for not complying with the rules, which maintain a fair competition. Commonly missed rules include failing to include a ten-page summary or budget, not implementing the campaign and not providing justification for rule violations. The front of your entry binder should include names of all team members and the team or school name.
  • Examine campaign summaries from previous years. Review the winning campaign summaries from 2011 and 2012. Note: the campaign summary cannot be more than 10 pages in length. Typically, winning summaries use all 10 pages.

February 25, 2013

Thursday, February 28, is the last day of the implementation phase of your Bateman Case Study Competition campaign.

Please be sure to complete the following by 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, March 1 or risk disqualification:

• Delete/remove any websites, social media accounts or posts online. Content re-posted (such as a retweet or re-pin) by a third party is not subject to these rules.
• Finish any special event planning, outreach and/or collateral distributions.

Note: teams may reference media coverage that occurs after February 28 as long as the tactic that generated the media coverage was completed in the appropriate February timeframe.

Your team must submit four copies of your entry to PRSA Headquarters no later than 5 p.m. ET on Friday, March 29.

The three finalist teams will be announced on the PRSSA website on Monday, April 15. Those three teams will be notified and provided explanations for the second round of judging, which will occur on Friday, May 10.

Learn more about what is required for the entries and a complete explanation of the judging process in the Campaign Rules and Guidelines.

January 31, 2013

Tomorrow, February 1, starts the implementation of your Bateman Case Study Competition campaigns.

Please remember the following information:

• The implementation of the campaign plan (including any special events, media alerts, collateral distributions, websites, etc.) must happen only in February. Failure to comply with this timeframe will result in disqualification.
• Teams may reference media coverage that occurs after February 28 as long as the tactic that generated the media coverage was completed within the appropriate timeframe.
• Teams are encouraged to fully utilize any social media platforms during the implementation phase of the campaign in February. Teams must delete/remove any accounts or posts published by the Bateman team by the February 28 cutoff. Content re-posted (such as a retweet or re-pin) by a third party is not subject to these rules.
• College students (not part of the four or five person team) are allowed to volunteer at events that are part of the Bateman campaign – however, they cannot be involved in the Campaign’s research, planning, evaluation or core decisions/parts of the execution.
• Teams may not spend more than $300 on the campaign. This money is not provided by National Headquarters. The value of in-kind donations cannot exceed $1,000. An in-kind donation is any service or product that normally has a cost, but is being offered “free of charge.” If the donation has no charge to the public, you do not have to deduct anything from the limit.  
• There is no national client-of-record for this competition. Teams must identify and partner with one or more local organizations with similar missions to create a local cause-related public relations campaign. Teams are strongly encouraged to include information in your 10 page summary explaining why you chose to partner with this organization to create this campaign.

January 14, 2013

As we approach the month of February and teams make final preparations for their campaign implementation, please keep in mind the following information.

Social Media Usage
Teams are encouraged to fully utilize any social media platforms during the implementation phase of the campaign. However, these accounts and information cannot be publicly accessible before February 1 or after February 28. Teams must delete/remove any accounts or posts published by the Bateman team by this February 28 cutoff. Violation of these time limits is grounds for disqualification. Content re-posted (such as a retweet or re-pin) by a third party is not subject to these rules.

Team Changes
If your team needs to remove or swap a person on your team, you may do so until January 31. Email Amy Ovsiew to make this change.  

Finances
Teams may not spend more than $300 (expense limit) on the campaign. The money is not provided by PRSSA. The value of in-kind donations cannot exceed $1,000. Your completed entry must include separate, itemized lists of expenses and in-kind donations, including the cost of producing your entry. 

November 16, 2012

Please note the following updates:

• All team contacts were sent a confirmation email that their team is registered for the 2013 Bateman Case Study Competition. If your team contact did not receive this email, contact Amy Ovsiew as soon as possible.
• At this time, there is no national client or sponsor for the Bateman Case Study Competition. If a sponsor/client is secured, the overall subject matter will not change. If a sponsor/client is not secured, teams will need to identify and partner with one or more local organizations with similar missions to create a local cause-related public relations campaign.
• As in past Bateman Case Study Competitions, the execution phase begins February 1, 2013, and ends February 28, 2013. The implementation of the campaign plan (including any special events, outreach, collateral distributions, etc.) may only occur in the month of February. Websites, including social media, associated with a team’s campaign cannot be accessible before or after these dates.
• If your team supplied its intent-to-enter form with missing information (such as the name of your Professional Adviser), please submit this information to Amy Ovsiew as soon as possible.
• Team contacts should frequently their email and the Bateman part of the PRSSA website for all updates.

Intitial Announcement

Bullying, both in person and online, has become a critical issue in recent years due to the rise of social media, as well as the rise in socioeconomic, cultural and religious differences as the United States becomes increasingly diverse.

The short- and long-term effects of bullying can be substantial – for the bully, the victim and even those who witness bullying. Bullying can lead to development issues, mental health disorders, sleep problems, school attendance issues and decreased academic performance.

The goals of the 2013 Bateman Case Study Competition goals are to increase awareness among children, teens, parents and other key audiences of the serious short- and long-term consequences of youth bullying (bullying between the ages of 10-19), and inform these audiences of the steps they can take to help prevent and report bullying.

Questions?

If you have any additional questions about the 2012 Bateman Case Study Competition, contact Amy Ovsiew (amy.ovsiew@prsa.org).