Public Relations Archives - BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Small Town Boy Phil Bussey Becomes PR Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

Noelle Barrus — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 17:20:43 +0000

From living in a small town to working professionally in PR, alum Phil Bussey recognizes the impact BYU had on his career Phil Bussey was just out of college when his hard work led him to intern for the Rockey Company in Portland, Oregon. Now, forty years later, while serving as a mission president in Spain, Bussey received the 2020 Jay Rockey Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is from the Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Jay Rockey himself hired Bussey, and Bussey was the first BYU student the company had ever hired. “Jay was known as the godfather of PR in the northwest. He was incredibly well known and respected, and he cared about his interns. Even as my career progressed, I could call him up and he would counsel me,” said Bussey. “To even be considered in the same company as Jay is incredibly humbling.” The award is given annually to someone who worked in public relations for a minimum of 20 years, helped advance the field of public relations in the Puget Sound area, worked with outstanding professional ability and conduct, and served as a leader in the public relations profession. When Bussey looks back on his life, he thinks about growing up in a small farming town in California, and he is astonished by the experiences he’s had. “BYU opened my mind. I was given so many opportunities through professors who invested in me and a school that cared about its students,” said Bussey. “I have a big debt of gratitude to BYU.” Bussey graduated from the School of Communications at BYU in 1980 and worked at several different companies throughout his career, including the Westinghouse company, the Washington Roundtable, Puget Sound Energy and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Bussey spent the last six years of his career working as the senior vice president at Puget Sound Energy. “My job was to take the company from being rated the worst in customer service to being rated the best. By the time I left, we were the first or top quartile in all areas, and we did it without increasing our budget. It was really fun but also a real challenge,” said Bussey. “I had to learn a whole new side of the industry, but my PR, communications and advocacy experiences really came into play.” From his years spent working with professionals in large companies, Bussey believes one of the most important aspects of working professionally in PR is integrity. “Of all the gifts that you have, it is so important to maintain your integrity. Having integrity opened so many doors and created so many successes because people knew we were true to our word,” said Bussey. “Being honest is so incredibly important. You’re not always going to be working, and you want to know that you’re good with yourself and what you’ve done.”

The post Small Town Boy Phil Bussey Becomes PR Lifetime Achievement Award Winner appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Share Your Story: Madison Moulder

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 21:31:19 +0000

Communications student Madison Moulder shares how an experiential learning opportunity has enhanced her time at BYU The lights come on and an audible gasp comes from the audience. Time has been frozen in the early 1900s, and a bronze statue by Douglas Tilden Mechanics Monument” is brought to life. Bronze-hued performers balance on a structure with limbs unsupported in the air, completely still. The art I experienced was part of the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California which brings famous works of art to the stage in an unforgettable experience. This summer I interned at Front Row Reviewers, a reviewing company that celebrates the good in performing arts. “Pageant of the Masters” was the first performance I had the opportunity of reviewing, and it was an experience that gave me the necessary skills and experience in the public relations field. Writing an article on a tight deadline while following a style guide has helped me prepare for a future in communications. While writing, it was important to balance Front Row Reviewers image as positive and honest with the reputation of the theater and performers. Contacting theaters, researching performances, interacting with fellow interns and updating spreadsheet information all provided me with skills that I couldn’t have learned in a classroom. In my Intro to Public Relations class, two things helped me succeed with Front Row Reviewers. First, we were taught how to write concisely. It can be difficult to fit all the relevant information in an article while still making it interesting and engaging. This skill was practiced in class, and came in handy throughout my internship. Second, this class taught me the importance of targeting your audience. On a reviewing site, the audience is primarily people who are thinking about attending a performance. Knowing this helped me provide them with the information they were looking for. The communications classes provided me with the necessary knowledge to succeed in the field, but was up to me to take that knowledge and apply it to the real world to gain experience. This approach keeps me always on the lookout for new opportunities and ways to expand my skills. Interning at Front Row Reviewers provided me with real world experience while using the knowledge from my classes to build skills that will help me succeed for the rest of my life. Reviewing performances helped me more than academically, as I discovered a new appreciation for the performing arts along the way. The publication of student articles allows the College of Fine Arts and Communications to highlight the experiential learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences of students and faculty and tell stories with a unique voice and point of view. Submit your story at cfac.byu.edu.

The post Share Your Story: Madison Moulder appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

CFAC Students’ Talents Take Them Around the Country for Experiential Learning Opportunities

Morgan Reis — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 23:37:20 +0000

Students from the College of Fine Arts and Communications travel to gain real-world experience and share their talents while studying abroad, competing, performing and interning Each summer, students in BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications take the knowledge and skills they have learned in the classroom and make their mark on communities. From Washington to New York, these students are having inspiring learning opportunities all over the country. Read more about how students from the College of Fine Arts and Communications answered President Kevin J. Worthen’s call for inspired learning during May, June, July and August. Ti Ti Tabor Hungarian Folk Dance Camp (Courtesy of McCall McClellan) This summer, dance students McCall McClellan and Ashley Paget traveled to Washington to attend the Ti Ti Tabor Hungarian Folk Dance Camp. McClellan and Paget were able to improve their technique in Hungarian folk dancing, which they began learning during a class offered on BYU campus. “The opportunity to dance with more experienced partners and live musicians was incredible. It was definitely unlike anything I’d experienced before. This community of Hungarian dancers and musicians were passionate about their culture,” said Paget. “They loved what they were doing — always wanted to help and teach us as newcomers. I was humbled to see how much they honor their roots and realized I should embrace where my family comes from even more.” In addition, they were able to participate in various other activities on Raft Island — a small island in the Puget Sound — like singing, canoeing, exploring the local harbor town, swimming and forming lasting friendships. Camp participants also took a night swim to see a bioluminescent bay. Internship with Food Blogger Tara Teaspoon (Courtesy of Tessa Samuelsen) BYU public relations student Tessa Samuelsen headed to the Big Apple this summer for an internship with food blogger Tara Teaspoon (@tarateaspoon). Through this experience, Samuelsen was able to sharpen the skills she has already learned at BYU through the communications program. “I loved working on this side of public relations — in the recipe development and food styling aspect of the food industry,” said Samuelsen. “It’s a beautiful world, full of fascinating people and interesting foods. I learned so many things and got to acquire many new skills.” In addition to the time spent at her internship, Samuelsen visited famous locations throughout the city, tasted the unique cuisine and saw more of what New York has to offer. Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teacher Training (Courtesy of Ryan Hatch) Dance student Ryan Hatch participated in a teacher training program at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet School and Company (CPYB). This school is recognized for its unique style of teaching ballet and has been known to produce highly-talented ballet dancers. “I was really excited to participate in the CPYB teacher training because the school has such a unique philosophy on teaching ballet,” said Hatch. “The teachers believe that anybody can be a ballet dancer — as long as they put in the work and have the necessary training. In ballet history, people have believed that you need to have the perfect body in order to succeed. At this training, they broke down how to teach children to dance and become beautiful artists.” Hatch walked away from this experience as a more confident dancer and teacher, which will help him to inspire future ballet dancers throughout his career. “This experience has given me so much knowledge as a dancer and a teacher,” said Hatch. “This teacher training paired with my methods of teaching classes at BYU has prepared me to teach and inspire my students.” Communications New York Experience (Courtesy of School of Communications) School of Communications professor Joel Campbell and 23 students traveled to New York for an eight-week field experience. Their time spent in New York was structured around two BYU communications classes: “Media and World Religions” and “Gender, Race and Class in the Media.” From the heart of New York City to Palmyra, students were able to learn more about others from different religions, races and cultures. One of the highlights of the trip was touring the Chabad Lubavitch Orthodox Jewish Community and learning more about the rituals of Jewish bath and synagogue. The group also had the opportunity to visit Flushing, Queens, one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in America. At the end of their time in New York, they were joined by nearly 50 communication grads for an alumni dinner overlooking Times Square. Hollywood Bowl (Courtesy of Susan Kupferer) Recent TMA grad Susan Kupferer, the assistant stage manager for BYU’s China Spectacular! 40th anniversary tour, was able to apply what she had learned during her undergraduate studies at BYU to a real-world experience that most stage managers only dream of having. In early August, Kupferer had the wonderful opportunity to work at the Hollywood Bowl — one of the top 10 live music venues in the United States according to Rolling Stone Magazine. “Working at the Hollywood Bowl was an absolute dream,” said Kupferer. “I met and worked with so many amazing and incredibly talented people. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do this show.”

The post CFAC Students’ Talents Take Them Around the Country for Experiential Learning Opportunities appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

PR Graduate Spencer Norawong Discusses How Students Can Overcome Rejection

Sydnee Gonzalez — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 18:12:43 +0000

Norawong will speak at the School of Communications Convocation at 9 a.m. on April 26 The first time Spencer Norawong applied for the public relations major, he didn’t get in. He started looking at other career paths like marketing or elementary education. But, at the end of the day, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was on the wrong path. “I definitely went back to my roots and thought about it for a long time and prayed,” said Norawong. Norawong’s decision-making process was influenced by his grandfather, who fled communist rule in Laos and became a refugee in the United States. “My grandpa Soukphaly is a man of resilience. He has been through so many trials and challenges in his life. He’s a fighter,” said Norawong. “He honestly taught me the importance of making decisions based on how you feel and making sure that what you feel is true within your gut.” The realization that PR was the right decision for him came in one of those gut feelings, said Norawong, something he’s glad he listened to, despite his initial rejection. One of Norawong’s biggest challenges has been learning how to deal with rejection, but it’s also a process that he’s learned a lot from. “Instead of being a product of a situation, be a product of triumph and struggle,” said Norawong. During his time in the PR major, Norawong has proved he’s more than the initial rejection he faced. He has worked as an account executive in Y Digital, something he says is one of his proudest accomplishments along with being asked to speak at graduation. “I didn’t realize I was noticed by that many people or that they would feel comfortable with me representing the School of Communications,” said Norawong. During his time at BYU, Norawong has worked on multiple projects for the Y Digital Agency. One of his favorites was a campaign for Wimbledon, where he and other students had to create content for an Australian audience. “We’re at the Brimhall building from like 12 in the afternoon till about 3 in the morning,” said Norawong. “It was cool to see all these people engage with our posts and our comments.” Working with peers on projects both in and out of class have had the most impact on Norawong. “My best learning moments were when I was with talented people in groups, where we had guidance from our professors, but they weren’t necessarily willing to solve every single thing,” said Norawong. “That’s what really helped me to learn how to succeed in public relations.” During his time in the program, Norawong came to better understand his love for PR. When he first got into the program, he thought he liked PR because he liked people. Later on, however, he realized it was a lot more than that. “I like the strategy behind everything and how PR emphasizes using all these different things to create a data-driven solution to a tough problem,” said Norawong. He wishes that people knew PR isn’t just about crisis management. “We’re not the cleaner-uppers; we’re the preventers in the corporate world,” said Norawong. As graduation approaches, Norawong is excited to dive into the professional world, something he feels the PR program has thoroughly prepared him for. “By the end, the PR program definitely equips you with the tools you need in your toolbelt to succeed in a career,” said Norawong. He is moving to San Francisco after graduation to work for Methods+Mastery, a digital marketing agency that is housed under FleishmanHillard. He hopes his time working in an agency will be a springboard for his dream job: a chief marketing officer (CMO). Q&A with Spencer Norawong, BA ‘19 Communications | Communications: Public Relations What did you want to be when you were a kid? “I wanted to be a whale doctor. I don’t know why, I think I went to SeaWorld and I was obsessed with the trainers, but I was like ‘I can’t ride the whale because that’s scary,’ so I wanted to be a whale doctor. I’m glad I didn’t choose that path.” What is your fav snack? “Takis. I’m obsessed with Takis; I owe my whole college career to them.” Where are you from? “Puyallup, Washington near Seattle.” What are your hobbies? “If I had money, I would go to Disney every day. I enjoy spending time with friends. I’m also obsessed with Marie Kondo, it’s like fancy spring cleaning. You throw out things that don’t make you feel joy. I really enjoy that stuff, so hit me up if you ever need someone to organize your stuff.”

The post PR Graduate Spencer Norawong Discusses How Students Can Overcome Rejection appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

BYU Professor Named Social Media Innovator of the Year

Sydnee Gonzalez — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 18:48:37 +0000

School of Communications professor Adam Durfee was recently recognized as the social media innovator of the year by The Social Shake-Up. The organization holds an annual conference featuring cutting-edge social media techniques and the people behind them. To read more about Durfee’s work and the award, visit the School of Communications website.

The post BYU Professor Named Social Media Innovator of the Year appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

BYU Communications Students Address Diversity

Sydnee Gonzalez — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 23:41:09 +0000

A lack of diversity in the workplace can lead to a series of issues. As a stepping stone into the workplace, universities and colleges are trying to create inclusive environments, welcoming people of all backgrounds. At BYU, administration, faculty and students are taking steps to address these issues. To ignite the conversation surrounding diversity in their major, public relations seniors Abby Giles, Monica Chabot, Tucker Toolson, Ashley Young and Colin Wylie spent February and March developing a campaign they hope will provide solutions. To read more about their campaign, visit the School of Communications website.

The post BYU Communications Students Address Diversity appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

YDigital Helps Contain the Spread of Misinformation During Utah Valley Wildfires

Sydnee Gonzalez — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 20:46:38 +0000

Last September, the Eagle Mountain and Pole Creek wildfires raged across Utah Valley in September. While firefighters were fighting to contain the fires, BYU’s YDigital Lab Managing Director Adam Durfee was fighting another dangerous force: misinformation. To read more about how Durfee worked with the public information officers and students to contain the spread of fake news and subsequent fear during the fires, continue reading at The Daily Universe.

The post YDigital Helps Contain the Spread of Misinformation During Utah Valley Wildfires appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

New Y Digital website streamlines Utah wildfire information

Emily Webb — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 16:12:51 +0000

BYU students have set up an online information hub, organizing the flood of information on two major wildfires that have chased more than 6,000 Utah residents from their homes in recent days. Less than 24 hours after its creation, the Utah County Fire Relief Website had received more than 15,000 visitors. That’s about one new visitor every second. Y Digital Agency Manager Adam Durfee teamed up with BYU students and local volunteers to build a central hub for real-time updates on the Pole Creek and Bald Mountain fires burning just outside Spanish Fork, Utah. Finish reading “New Y Digital website streamlines Utah wildfire information” at universe.byu.edu.

The post New Y Digital website streamlines Utah wildfire information appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Digital lab lands students major clients

Emily Webb — Wed, 30 May 2018 17:50:07 +0000

Y Digital, a student-run digital- and social-media agency, opened a year ago, with the goal of preparing BYU communications majors and minors for a digital-first professional world. And over the past year, more than 60 students have done social-media analytics, social-media listening, digital-media production, content creation and search-engine marketing for such real-world clients as Pepsi Co., Marriott International, Subaru and the NBA. “The more society turns to the internet, the more we need people who are savvy with the internet and technology to produce work for companies,” said Adam Durfee, public relations instructor and the lab’s director. And he’s passionate about helping students become savvy. “We have a whole range of skills — advertising, strategic messaging, writing, pitching, design and video — we help students put together to coexist online. That great writing is nothing without great visual. That great video is nothing without great targeting. Those are the connections we want them leaving with.” Read the rest of the story on news.byu.edu.

The post Digital lab lands students major clients appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Nastassja Krupczynski on Becoming a Communications Leader

Leslie Owusu — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 19:18:36 +0000

Convocation for the School of Communications will take place at 2 p.m. on April 27 Nastassja Krupczynski was drawn to the communications major because she knew it would not confine her to one industry. Krupczynski said she has always been passionate about people and communications has allowed her to learn how to interact with different audiences, people and cultures. Krupczynski’s most memorable experience in the news media emphasis has been her time participating in the Y Digital Agency in the School of Communications. “This digital marketing lab has allowed me to grow in so many ways,” said Krupczynski. “It has taught me how to be a leader as well as how to work with many different types of clients, projects and campaigns. I really love being a part of Y Digital because it has prepared me for the real world. I can truly say the people I have met and skills I have developed have prepared me to enter the corporate world.” Participating in Y Digital since its beginning has given Krupczynski the opportunity to work with real-world clients and issues. She said it allowed her to put what she has learned in the classroom into practice and has helped her develop skills she would not have learned in a traditional classroom setting. “When I look back at my academic career,” said Krupczynski, “I am most proud of becoming a Senior Account Director at Y Digital, being asked to speak at convocation and receiving an award for Outstanding Digital Contribution to the news media program.” Krupczynski’s future plans are to pursue an MBA and become a leader in the communications and business world. What did you want to be when you grew up? “I actually wanted to be a heart surgeon and go into the medical field. I had always had a love for people and for business but it wasn’t until I was about 17 that I found my passion for communications and business.” Where do you find inspiration? “I have always lived by the mantra ‘Do the best that you can do and be the best that you can be.’ From a young age, my father has told me this and has inspired me to be the best person that I can be in all of my endeavors. My biggest inspiration is my parents.” What was the hardest challenge you had to overcome at BYU? “As a convert to the LDS Church, I was not used to being surrounded by such a large population of Mormons and initially coming to BYU was a bit of a culture shock that I had to get used to.” What is your favorite snack? “Diet Dr. Pepper and Sun Chips.”

The post Nastassja Krupczynski on Becoming a Communications Leader appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.