Public Relations seniors Alyssa Sotiros and Nora Suknaic won gold at the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) University PR World Cup 2023 for their “Fall in Love with Earth” public relations campaign on November 6.
The Belmont duo was one of 30 teams from 20 educational institutions worldwide to compete in the initiative. Sotiros and Suknaic developed a campaign on climate change for the United Nations Development Programme as part of a 72-hour international public relations competition.
“Just having the opportunity to share our work with these major organizations was truly motivating and still mind-blowing,” Suknaic said. “The outcome is something we’re both still trying to process.”
The Belmont team was commended by the judges for their creative, clear, and well-rounded pitch that incorporated a hopeful message about climate change. “I loved the winning team’s approach,” said Busi Roberts, an ICCO judge from Edelman Africa. “Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. The Gold campaign idea ticks all the boxes. It meets the stated objectives and even more, addresses the mental health issue.”
Sotiros and Suknaic’s campaign sought to change the tone surrounding climate change and engage Millennials and Gen Z in climate change efforts.
“Our goal was to meet the next generation where they’re at and appeal to their pre-existing interests, habits, and needs,” said Sotiros. “[Our] campaign shows our audience that a relationship with the Earth is just like a relationship with loved ones: personal, action-filled, and two-sided.”
In addition to winning gold, Sotiros and Suknaic will have the opportunity to intern with a leading public relations agency as well as attend the 2024 Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA)Virtual International Summit. The pair will also be invited to discuss the implementation of their campaign with the United Nations Development Programme.
“Alyssa and Nora’s campaign was the perfect blend of strategy and creativity,” said Christie Kleinmann, faculty mentor of Belmont’s team. “They developed a campaign that was not only engaging but immediately implementable."
This international recognition is a wonderful testament to Alyssa and Nora’s abilities and conveys publicly that our students are not only professionally gifted but passionate about using their abilities to make our world better.”
The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) represents public relations organizations in more than 81 countries and includes over 3,000 public relations firms. The University PR World Cup 2023 is an international competition for public relations students at accredited universities. Teams of two are presented with a client brief and given 72 hours to address its key components and present their ideas in video format. The client and an international jury of public relations professionals judge the entries to determine the gold, silver, and bronze winners.
Belmont’s Department of Public Relations offers undergraduate majors and minors in public relations and social media management. It seeks to prepare aspiring professionals to engage and transform the world through strategic communication management.