Q&A with PRSSA’s Bateman Coordinator
An Inside Look at PRSSA’s Bateman Case Study from the 2023-2024 Bateman Coordinator, Izzy Kang
By: Amanda Vogel
For aspiring public relations professionals, experience is a key component to success. For MSU PR students, involvement in the Public Relations Student Society of America is a great way to gain experience during your time on campus. The registered MSU student organization holds an annual national case study called Bateman for PRSSA chapters. The case study competition features a different client annually. The 2023-2024 client was CULTURS Magazine, a global multicultural magazine. The goal of the case study was to research and plan a campaign strategy to promote the client on college campuses.
The Brief sat down with the 2023-2024 MSU Bateman coordinator and fourth-year public relations student, Izzy Kang. Kang now serves as 2024-2025 PRSSA president.
Q: How does Bateman benefit advertising and public relations students?
A: “Bateman is an engaging way to earn the field experience hours needed to graduate. It also gives you real-world experience that is needed for your future career, such as knowing how to properly research.”
Q: What are the Bateman teams like?
A: “We had two teams of five for the 2023-2024 academic year. There is one captain for each team, whose responsibilities include coordinating meeting times, making sure everybody is doing their part and ensuring everything is running smoothly.”
Q: How often do the teams meet and what do they do in their meetings?
A: “The groups meet once a week. They start with the ‘research and planning phase’ of their campaigns. After the research is done, both teams moved on to their campaign strategy, which was launching social media pages to promote their campaign to the community.”
Q: What is the entry process like and who are they up against?
A: “The deadline for submission is end of spring semester and our chapter’s entries are up against other teams from schools with PRSSA chapters.”
Q: What happens when a team wins?
A: “The first-place team wins a $3,500 prize for their school that they can use toward PRSSA-related things, like events.”
Q: What are some tips you have for students interested in participating in Bateman?
A: “It’s a very good experience, the work you put in makes it all worth it. You’re working with a team, and they’re all here to help and guide you through it.”
Being involved in Bateman is a great way to gain experience and PRSSA plans to be involved in Bateman again for the 2024-2025 school year.
Learn more about MSU’s Bateman Competition at https://www.prsa.org/prssa/scholarships-awards/bateman-competition.