Mercy College and Quad Village Rotary Team Up
Communications Majors work to put Quad Village 'On the Map'
As a capstone course for their course, "Advanced Practice of Public Relations: Studio", Mercy College Communications Majors took on Quad Village Rotary as a client to help with gaining membership through awareness and exposure to a larger target audience. Find out what they did and how this project has built a lasting partnership between Mercy College and the Rotary community.
The Quad Village chapter of the International Rotary Club has been looking to expand its membership to qualified individuals in search of a making a difference in society. Communications students at Mercy College have been running a student-run public relations and advertising agency they have affectionately named The Mercy Connection.
As a capstone course for their major, the "Advanced Practice of Public Relations: Studio" course is meant to simulate real-world client interactions, and gain meaningful insight into the process. In doing so, they teamed up with the Quad Village Rotary to address their challenge of membership in a crowded space where so many organizations can offer service for a good cause. So how did they do it?
"We’ve developed a formula that will gain new membership, entice a younger generation willing to give back and attract recent retirees to use their free time for a worthwhile cause," says student, Alessandro Lopez.
"Here at the Mercy Connection, we believe that the Rotary Club goes above and beyond the meaning behind charity. The Rotary Club is viewed as a family that connects with their communities. What makes the Rotary Club different from other foundations is their views and perspectives that help them see challenges in distinct ways," Lopez continues.
The Rotary Club applies their knowledge and leadership qualities in order to find solutions. Lastly, the Rotary club is not only a local institution but also an international organization that can be found in communities across the globe.
The Rotary Club primarily consists of professionals and retirees, both women and men. In order for the club to grow, Mercy Connection believed the club should be expanding their reach to a generation who have solidified themselves in their careers, whom have a thorough meaning of what they stand for, and are willing to volunteer their efforts to the communities.
Solutions included a launch into social media like Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram. The Mercy Connection also targeted emails and print materials specifically to different key audiences, including Young Professionals and the group of Young Apprentices--those who have had experience of scholarship of relation to Rotary. Such audiences are primed for service, and it is the hope of Quad Village that they seek Rotary when they are ready to give back.
Change is inevitable and you can be a part of the new face of Quad Village Rotary!