As the Duck TV segments plunge into production season, the Public Relations team has also been busy planning events. On Monday, April 30 the team held a successful fundraiser at Yogurt Extreme.
Kelly Vigil, Publicity Manager, explained that the event “had a dual purpose.” Although the money raised at the event will definitely benefit Duck TV, the primary purpose of the fundraiser was outreach.
PR members Kelly Vigil and Mary Yeager table by the EMU amphitheater.
Before the event, the PR team tabled by the EMU amphitheater to pass out fundraiser fliers, free candy, and spread the word about Duck TV. “The tabling was a good way to measure how widespread we were,” said Kyle Morrisey, Internal Affairs Facilitator. “We got more ‘yeses’ when we asked people if they know about Duck TV…which was great!”
Many people from Duck TV stopped by Yogurt Extreme that night, as well as students outside the program. “People were interested,” said Morrisey.
Ian Shirley and Andrea Vigil enjoy their frozen yogurt at Yogurt Extreme
Along with fundraising events, the PR team is searching for other ways to promote Duck TV such as Facebook ads and Twitter. “If we get 600 likes on facbeook we can get some free advertising,” Vigil said. Teasers and behind-the-scenes videos are being made available on the website to give shows publicity, and also to provide insight into the sometimes confusing workings of DuckTV for future applicants.
Lucas Stewart, External Events Coordinator, sees the PR team conducting more fundraisers similar to this one. Many places near campus, such as Yogurt Extreme and Qdoba, seem to work well with student groups. “These are the preliminary stepping stones into being a fully-functioning group,” he explained, referring to Greek life and other student organizations that participate in such fundraising opportunities as a means for gathering interest and support. “I think the next step is reaching out to the community for donations,” Stewart added.
PR is also conscious of the structure of Duck TV and want to bridge the gaps between members of different segments that can sometimes arise. “I’ve come up with ideas,” Morrisey said. “I found an athletic management website and it provided a very detailed outline to make that division of whatever company you’re part of the best.” He stressed the importance of leadership in uniting the members of Duck TV. “Everyone needs to be on the same page with each other socially,” he said.
He envisions a survey focused on group chemistry, “just to gauge the level of involvement and enjoyment of Duck TV.”
The PR team formed this past fall to provide a body of students to represent Duck TV across campus. As the executive producers restructured certain aspects of Duck TV, the PR team began to envision their goals and function within the TV station. “A lot of [fall term] was just a crash course in what we should be doing,” Morrisey explained. “Now is when the ball is starting to get rolling. We haven’t really done that many events besides the screening.”
For this reason, the success of the Yogurt Extreme fundraiser is particularly encouraging to this new sector of Duck TV. “This is a good time to be a part of the group,” Morrisey said.