Wwu Comm MKTG Internship Portfolio

MARKETING INTERNSHIP PORTFOLIO
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview....... 2
About the Office of Communications and Marketing........ 2
Official Job Description........ 3
Supervisor........ 4
Summary of Skills Acquired........ 5
Letter of Evaluation....... 6
Work Samples/Projects........ 8
ASK! Infographic....... 9
Scholarship Releases....... 10
Press Releases/Articles....... 11
Connecting Western and Downtown Bellingham Research and Suggestions......... 35
Overview....... 36
Survey Results....... 37
Other Trends......... 42
Secondary Research......... 43
Suggestions........ 45
Appendix....... 46
Contract......... 47
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Marketing Internship Portfolio
OVERVIEW
ABOUT THE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
The Office of Communications and Marketing at Western Washington University offers
assistance with marketing, news management, media relations, writing and editing,
publications management, graphic design, web design and development and online
communications. They are part of the division of University Relations, which also includes Print
and Copy Services and the Office of Government Relations.
The offices award-winning staff consults others to determine the most effective approach to
sharing their story and impacting their audience. They are experts in journalism, marketing,
advertising, copywriting, graphic design and web development.
Western Today - daily online newspaper for the

Western community.
Window magazine - sent to alumni and friends
of the university.
The Soundings newsletter - keeps parents in the
loop on happenings at Western.
Brand and Style Guide - governs usage of
Westerns identity.
Social media for Western - Including

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, G+,
Foursquare, Linkedin, Flickr, Instagram,
and Tumblr
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OFFICIAL JOB DESCRIPTION

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AT THE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
The Office of University Communications is the prime liaison between Western and the public.
We strive to keep the media and ultimately, the public informed of the universitys
activities, accomplishments and needs through a variety of means including personal contact,
news releases, story idea pitches, tip sheets, Web sources, media advisories, public service
announcements (PSAs) and social media. In addition, we manage several university websites
and produce traditional publications such as Window, the alumni magazine; Soundings, a
quarterly newsletter for parents; and Western Today, the offices Web-based daily internal
communication with the rest of campus.
Our staff is currently comprised of Paul Cocke, director; John Thompson, assistant
director/manager of marketing and intern supervisor; Matthew Anderson, new media
coordinator; Mary Gallagher, publications editor; and Pam Smith, program assistant. In
addition, the office typically employs two work-study students and from two to four interns
each quarter.
YOUR INTERNSHIP
Interning with Westerns Office of University Communications will allow you ample opportunity
to gain a variety of professional experience in the field of public relations. It is our intent that
you walk away from this office with an impressive portfolio of promotional materials that you
have developed and news clippings/media coverage that demonstrate your successful results.
In addition, you will have had the opportunity to acquire communication and other essential
skills sought by public relations professionals and journalists. In other words, we want you to
leave us with the ability to wow future employers with your experience and working knowledge
of the field.
The internship is writing intensive, as good, persuasive writing is essential for anyone wanting
to pursue a career in public relations or almost any field for that matter. However, in addition
to polishing your writing and receiving daily critiques of your copy, you will also:
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Work with sources (faculty, staff and administrators) to discuss and develop
publicity opportunities for their events and work with them to craft promotional
materials (such as media advisories, news releases, public service announcements)
Help organize media events
Use the Internet to scan media Web sites for coverage about Western
Research story ideas using a variety of resources, including the Internet
Work with community organizations, businesses and nonprofits on publicity when

Western is co-sponsoring an event
Write features and news stories for publications produced by our office
Help manage Westerns social media networks
Meet interesting people
While structured to provide you with well-rounded, invaluable experience, this internship is
very much what you make of it. Show initiative, enthusiasm and never be afraid to approach
the staff with questions, suggestions or ideas. Jump in and seize every opportunity to learn!
For more information or to apply for an internship, please contact John Thompson at 650-3350
or John.Thompson@wwu.edu
SUPERVISOR
JOHN THOMPSON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Contact for university marketing, the College of Sciences and Technology,
College of Fine and Performing Arts, College of Business and Economics,
Huxley College of the Environment, Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary
Studies, Western Libraries, International Center, Graduate School, Research
and Sponsored Programs, Extended Education and Summer Programs.
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SUMMARY OF SKILLS ACQUIRED
Wrote clear and concise press releases in a timely manner to meet deadlines
Interviewed people of interest for feature stories and press releases
Photographed subjects to be included alongside stories
Networked with faculty and staff to generate leads for story ideas
Created a survey that was taken by 50 downtown Bellingham business managers
Conducted market research on downtown Bellingham to generate ideas for building

relationships between Western and downtown
Performed secondary research to identify successful practices of other universities and

downtown areas and to generate ideas
Acquired a proficiency in Associated Press (AP) style writing
Throughout my internship I was fortunate enough to have the freedom to explore different
roles in the Office of Communications and Marketing. I was given a chance to cultivate my
writing skills skills I believe marketers should obtain at some point in their studies to be well
rounded and more effective and at the same time, use previously learned marketing
techniques in a real-world situation. I was able to form ideas for stories and create projects,
such as the downtown Bellingham market research project, which gave me ownership over my
work and helped me enjoy what I was doing.
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LETTER OF EVALUATION
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WORK SAMPLES/PROJECTS
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ASK! INFOGRAPHIC
I researched the ASK! Program and
designed this infographic for use in
Westerns Soundings newsletter which
keeps parents in the loop on happenings
at Western.
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SCHOLARSHIP RELEASES
I wrote dozens of scholarship releases like the one featured below during the course of the
quarter. This one scholarship release shows what most of them looked like they were highly
uniform.
EVERETT RESIDENT EARNS SCHOLARSHIP FROM WWU

Contact: Western Washington University Office of University Communications, (360) 650-3350
Oct. 1, 2013
BELLINGHAM Western Washington University student Aaron-Jeramee Evangelista
Alonso, son of Jose-Antonio and Maria-Luisa Alonso of Everett, received a $1,000 College of
Fine and Performing Art's Annual Scholarship for the 2013-2014 academic year.
The CFPA Annual Scholarship is awarded to support the College of Fine and Performing
Art's scholarships which do not have their own unique funding.
Alonso graduated from Kamiak High School in 2010 and he is scheduled to graduate
from Western in 2014 with bachelors degree in Theatre Arts.
Alonso is currently a production stage manager at Village Theatre KIDSTAGE in Everett.
He is a 4-time 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards and Meritorious Achievement
Award recipient from the Kennedy Center.
After graduation Alonso hopes to work on theatrical productions in community theatre
and Broadway, in entertainment industry and hopefully behind the scenes in film.
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PRESS RELEASES/ARTICLES
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Westerns David Ramael Invites Orchestra Audience to Get Social Nov. 26

Contact: David Ramael, Western Washington University director of Orchestral Activities, at (360)
650-3516 or david.ramael@wwu.edu
Nov. 7, 2013
BELLINGHAM Western Washington Universitys Symphony Orchestra will encourage
audience members to interact with the show through the use of smartphones, tablets and
social media at the orchestras first concert of the year at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26 in
Westerns Performing Arts Center room 155.
Most audiences are directed to turn their phones off during performances, but
Westerns new Director of Orchestral Activities David Ramael is breaking this social norm in an
attempt to make the orchestra more accessible to the communitys younger audiences.
The Western Symphony Orchestra plans to incorporate social media into the concert
experience. The orchestra has already set up Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages where
members of the ensemble actively add new content during and after each rehearsal.
Ramael said he wants the orchestra to enter into a digital dialogue with audience
members; there will be a live Twitter feed during each concert with information on the music
and the performers, and audience members will be asked to leave comments during the
performance. The orchestra will also incorporate digital programs by posting all program notes
on their Facebook page, so that audiences can access them on their devices.
The incorporation of social media is just one aspect of the fundamental shift that
Ramael hopes to bring to concert organization.
Going back, around Beethovens time, the audience was much more involved: if
audiences enjoyed a movement, they would applaud until it was encored, which is something
unheard of in present day. In Mozarts time, the concert was a very social experience. People
would bring food and drink inside, they would come and go as they pleased and they would go
out into the hall to talk with friends. The model of the concert experience that we have today
did not start until the late 1800s. The model came from the idea of the artists being a separate
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entity larger than life. This drastic shift in the 19th century has stuck with us, even as society
and the cultural norms associated with listening to music have evolved, Ramael said.
Ramael wants to change the concert to fit the need of todays society and make the
classical music concert relevant within that context.
The music is still relevant, just like Shakespeare is still relevant, Ramael said. Great
art will always be relevant. Its how we present that art to the audience that makes it relevant
in our society or not. If you are using a hundred-year-old model of showing this great art, your
audience is going to stop connecting with it.
This season, the orchestra will also perform at the Bellingham Farmer's Market, in a
much less formal environment than most orchestra concerts. Next Spring, members of the
orchestra joined by Music Department faculty and students will be featured at the Wild Buffalo
House of Music, presenting an eclectic evening of contemporary music.
Ramael began working at Western in September. He grew up in Belgium and started
playing trumpet at the age of seven. He started his professional training at the Royal Brussels
Conservatory, where he studied trumpet, harmony and counterpoint. He also attended Free
Brussels University where he obtained a masters degree in Musicology. In 1998, Ramael moved
to Minneapolis, Minn., and received his doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of
Minnesota. Soon after, he was appointed as director of Orchestral Activities at Hofstra
University where he taught for nine years.
For more information, contact David Ramael, Western Washington University director of
Orchestral Activities, at (360) 650-3516 or david.ramael@wwu.edu
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Western Professor Merrill Peterson Offers Tours of Insect Collection
Contact: Merrill Peterson, Western Washington University professor of Biology at (360) 650-3636 or
Merrill.Peterson@wwu.edu
Photo by Vanessa Parraga

Nov. 22, 2013
BELLINGHAM Tens of thousands of insects lie in the basement of Western Washington
Universitys Biology building, unnoticed by most who traverse Westerns campus daily.
Not to worry, these insects belong to Professor of Biology Merrill Peterson, the curator of
Westerns little-known insect collection, which he hopes to share with more people. The collection,
which has more than 50,000 specimens, was recently moved into a new space, making it possible for
Peterson to give guided tours by arrangement.
To my knowledge, Western's insect collection is the second largest publicly-held insect
collection in the state, second only to the massive collection at WSU, Peterson said.
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From the Aerial Yellow jacket to the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly, the collection became well
established in the 60s and has been built up through the years by donations, curators and students.
One of the latest donations came from a Western Biology alumna, Marie Churney, who started
collecting when she was an undergraduate in the 1960s. Her collection included specimens from
Washington, North Carolina, Florida, and across the Southeast.
Peterson said that the Western Insect Collection offers numerous educational and scientific
benefits to the community.
Its useful for supporting a lot of our classes here at Western, he said. I often loan specimens
out to an Invertebrate Zoology class or our introductory Biology courses that deal with diversity.
Entities outside of Western have found the collection useful as well.
Three years ago an invasive sawfly species was discovered in the region. They feed on alder, a
very prolific tree species in Washington, so there was a concern among entomologists that the sawflies
could cause a problem.
The entomologists in the area put out a call for specimens and Peterson sent what he had to
them. Our collection had the oldest specimen in the Pacific Northwest, dating back to 1995, Peterson
said. That specimen was collected by a student in the Biology departments entomology course.
Having evidence that the sawfly had been around at least since 1995 gave state entomologists a better
idea of the problem at hand.
Tours of the insect collection are available, by appointment, to individuals or groups of up to 15
people, including K-12 students. For more information, contact Merrill Peterson at (360) 650-3636 or
Merrill.Peterson@wwu.edu
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CONNECTING WESTERN AND

DOWNTOWN BELLINGHAM
RESEARCH AND SUGGESTIONS
VANESSA PARRAGA AND BRIANNA KUPLENT
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OVERVIEW
Downtown Bellingham is about a mile away from Western Washington University. Thats a
four- minute car ride or a 15-minute walk. Although the two are close in distance, there still
seems to be a disconnect between them.
The relationship between Downtown Bellingham and Western is fairly weak and has not been
cultivated much, even though both could benefit the other. After surveying downtown
Bellingham businesses, it was clear that many depend on Western students for revenue and
most would like to have more western students, alumni and faculty visiting them. Western
students are always looking for something to do and downtown businesses could be a
resource for that.
We conducted a survey to figure out if there was enough interest from downtown businesses
to connect to Western more. We looked at what businesses were already doing and what they
would be willing to do in the future. After each survey we offered a I <3 Western window
cling for the business to put up in their storefront, and we discussed some of their survey
answers and gave them a chance to make comments. We were also able to gather ideas of
ways in which Western could accomplish more connections, and have come up with a few
suggestions based on secondary research of other institutes and feedback received during the
surveys.
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SURVEY RESULTS
Figure 1: 100 percent of downtown businesses said that they relied on Western students for
business. This number was 80 percent for Faculty/staff and 74 percent for alumni.
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Figure 2: When asked how important Western students were to their businesses, 82 percent
of businesses downtown said that on a scale of 1-5, one being least important and five being
most important, they would consider Western students to be a 4 or 5.
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Figure 3: 64 percent of respondents said that they gave out student discounts and 56 percent
said they gave out coupons.
A few respondents commented in the other box and said they use apps, such as Campus
Special, for discounts.
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Figure 4: 50 percent of respondents said that students used their promotions often. This
number was lower for faculty and staff. A possible explanation could be that faculty members
are not as easy to identify compared to students, and promotions are not normally geared
toward alumni/faculty/staff.
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NOT
INTERESTED
SOMEWHAT
UNINTERESTED
Student
Discounts
20.8%
8.3%
Discounts at a
certain time of
year (back to
school)
11.5%
Print promotions
NEUTRAL
SOMEWHAT
INTERESTED
VERY
INTERESTED
16.7%
20.8%
33.3%
7.6%
19.2%
19.2%
50%
12%
12%
20%
20%
40%
Giveaways
20%
12%
16%
16%
32%
Events (contests,
coming to
campus)
15.4%
11.5%
15.3%
15.3%
42.3%
Table 1: When asked what promotions businesses would be interested in, 50 percent of
respondents said they were very interested in doing discounts at certain times of the year
(such as a back to school discount), while only 10 percent said they were not interested at all.
When asked about other promotions, it was not as clear.
About 33 percent of businesses downtown have only 1-4 employees. Talking with the owners,
it seems that this would make it difficult for them to participate in events outside of
downtown and still have their store staffed. This had an effect on their answer about partaking
in events, which contributed to a low 4 percent saying they were interested.
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OTHER TRENDS
Many respondents said the reason they were not doing discounts was that it did not fit into
their business strategy.
We noticed on the main strip of downtown (Railroad Ave.), businesses were more open to
collaboration and wanted to attract more Western students. As we did surveys further out
from Railroad Ave. we noticed less and less willingness.
There were a lot of comments about wanting to be a part of the info fair or being involved in
an event related to back to school.
Back to school and parent weekends were brought up often. Multiple respondents
recommended that Western create publications to let students and family members know of
places off campus where they could eat/shop/explore.
A handful of respondents commented on how it seemed as though Western students were
isolated to campus (especially as freshmen) and should be encouraged to get into the local
community more often.
When we offered the I <3 Western window clings, there were a few common reactions.
Happy and excited they thought it was a nice gift. They put it up right away.
Neutral - seemed not to care either way and said they would put it up.
Hesitant did not know if they wanted to put it up and attract more Western students.
One respondent said that there were some Western students who did not fit the vibe
of her business and she did not want to attract those. Another respondent was
worried that the cling implied they had discounts for students or Western affiliates.
There were 50 respondents to the survey. We focused on the retailers and food/drink
businesses. Although there were many offices law, real estate, etc.we decided to leave
them out of the survey as either few students/faculty/alumni use their services or it would be
more of a challenge to connect.
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SECONDARY RESEARCH
DOWNTOWN BUSINESS STUDENT/UNIVERSITY CASE STUDIES
Other universities in the United States have implemented programs to develop relationships
between students and downtown businesses. The most notable is the University of Scranton,
Pa., who plans special events to draw students downtown. Through the University-Downtown
Engagement Initiative, their University of Scrantons Small Business Development Center,
Center for Student Engagement, Office of Resident Life, Scranton Tomorrow, and the Scranton
Chamber of Commerce pool resources for summer and fall events.
Last October, the Resident Life partnered with Scranton Tomorrow to hold a Scavenger Hunt
for the summer 2013 FAM tour. The FAM tour familiarizes 85 Resident Assistants and 40
faculty and staff with downtown businesses. The Scavenger Hunt, designed by the Community
Relations office, asked the RAs to find businesses based on 40 clues that contain fun facts
about the businesses. When the business was found, the group took funny or creative photos,
and uploaded the photos to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag, #Ratour.
The university surveys students on their weekly spending, and how much they spend
downtown. They also hold annual meetings with 30 downtown businesses to discuss the
progress of the Engagement Initiative. A key element to the initiative is the use of Foursquare,
a free app that allows users to find businesses, share experiences and find deals. Users checkin when they enter a business, earn badges and locate friends to coordinate a night out.
About 26 Bellingham businesses are using Foursquare, but only one-sixth are locally owned.
Downtown businesses in Orono, Maine, worked with the University of Maine to create
UMaines Welcome Weekend in 2011. Today, it is a four-day event from Friday to Monday, and
combines new student orientation with trips to downtown. For the first Welcome Weekend
the UM offered free shuttles to downtown and a new contest encouraging students to enter
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stores. For every 20 stamps for visiting 20 businesses, students would be entered in to a
contest to win a bicycle from a local bike shop or an iPad. The Orono Village Association also
distributed coupon booklets to students. The Village Association also planned an Orono Village
Festival in September, offering musical acts, food and allowing student groups to set up tables
next to vendors and organizations.
West Kentucky University, Ky., has employed a similar incubator program to Westerns Startup
Weekend that encourages entrepreneurs, business owners, and students to develop their
ideas. Students in WKUs 2012 Entrepreneurship 496 class formed nine consulting groups that
work with nine downtown businesses to develop strategic marketing plans. Results in a 2012
press release reported that the businesses used the strategy plans developed by the teams,
and some students were hired as paid consultants on a long-term basis.
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SUGGESTIONS
Tour of Bellingham: Before the school year begins, resident advisors could take groups of
students downtown to complete a scavenger hunt through Geocache while visiting downtown
businesses.
Back to school and family weekend events: Hold events during the beginning of Fall quarter
or during Western Preview, Fall Family Open House and Back 2 Bellingham in conjunction with
downtown businesses and campus groups.
Publication of businesses who discount to students: There could be a map of downtown
businesses who offer discounts to students.
Western student review website: An online community could be created similar to Yelp that
would tell students when a business was open, if they offered a discount and allow students to
rate and review their experience. This could be created by a higher level computer science
intern.
Music events: Western, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership and downtown businesses can
collaborate to create more live music events and festivals during the school year. Students and
the Bellingham community would have the opportunity to visit booths and familiarize with
student clubs and downtown businesses.
Apps: Western and downtown businesses could optimize the use of Foursquare, a free app
that allows users to find businesses. Foursquare allows users to share experiences, find deals,
check-in to a business and earn badges. Very few downtown Bellingham businesses use
Foursquare. They could also be encouraged to use Campus Special, an app designed for
coupon use at businesses that cater to university students.
Expanding Startup Weekend: Upper level Western classes could collaborate with downtown
businesses through a service-learning project to develop strategic marketing plans. Teams of
students would be partnered with downtown businesses to learn about the business, conduct
research, determine the market and implement a marketing plan.
More research: Future Office of Communications and Marketing interns can use the survey we
created to expand on further research in the Fairhaven area.
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APPENDIX
CONTRACT ATTACHED
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MARKETING INTERNSHIP PORTFOLIO

WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA

Marketing Internship Portfolio

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA

Western Today - daily online newspaper for the

Social media for Western - Including

Marketing Internship Portfolio

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA

OFFICIAL JOB DESCRIPTION

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA

Work with community organizations, businesses and nonprofits on publicity when

Marketing Internship Portfolio

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA

SUMMARY OF SKILLS ACQUIRED

Interviewed people of interest for feature stories and press releases

Photographed subjects to be included alongside stories

Created a survey that was taken by 50 downtown Bellingham business managers

Conducted market research on downtown Bellingham to generate ideas for building

Performed secondary research to identify successful practices of other universities and

Acquired a proficiency in Associated Press (AP) style writing

Marketing Internship Portfolio

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA

Marketing Internship Portfolio

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA

Marketing Internship Portfolio

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA

Marketing Internship Portfolio

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA

Marketing Internship Portfolio

FALL 2013| VANESSA PARRAGA

EVERETT RESIDENT EARNS SCHOLARSHIP FROM WWU

Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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Marketing Internship Portfolio

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