The University Communications and Marketing team captured four significant honors at the Public Relations Society of America Colorado Awards on Aug. 28, marking yet another year of excellence in storytelling and community engagement at Metropolitan State University of Denver. The team’s outstanding work was recognized with two PRSA Colorado Gold Pick Awards and two PRSA Silver Pick Awards.
“These awards are a reflection of UCM’s commitment to advancing the mission of the University by telling stories that not only highlight our achievements but also connect us with the Denver community,” said John Arnold, senior director of communications. “I couldn’t be prouder of the creativity and innovation of our team and the increasingly high standards that they continue to set.”
PRSA Gold Pick Award for Feature Stories for ‘Call Me Mister’
This feature story was published on MSU Denver’s online newsroom, RED, Oct. 5, 2023. Authored by Keylen Villagrana with photography by Alyson McClaran, the story aimed to raise awareness around MSU Denver’s Call Me Mister program, which prepares male undergraduate students of color, especially Black men, for careers in K-12 education.
The story aimed to attract external media interest to amplify MSU Denver storytelling and reach a larger audience. It ultimately secured placement in three of the largest media channels — Denver7, The Denver Post and 9News — for a combined potential reach of 43 million. In the RED newsroom, the story surpassed the original goal of 1,000 views, with 1,525 views total. The boosted Roadrunner Rundown video also performed well on YouTube, with 77,000 views, compared with an average of 500 views for this series.
PRSA Gold Pick Award for Newsletters/Magazines for the RED Newsfeed
The RED Newsfeed is a bimonthly (twice per month) newsletter that features the most recent stories published in MSU Denver’s online newsroom, RED. The newsletter launched in 2018 and has proved to be a valuable tool to drive traffic to the website as well as attract external media interest to MSU Denver stories. The newsletter received a refresh in 2021 and, in 2022, underwent extensive strategic evaluation to ensure it reached its maximum potential.
As the result of 15 A/B tests and an in-depth audience analysis, the RED Newsfeed experienced significant growth, including a 28% increase in open rates and a 40% increase in click-through rates. Meanwhile, traffic from the email campaign to the RED website increased by 113.5%.
PRSA Silver Pick Award for Videos for ‘“Fight Club” teaches the art of dueling’
This video was published in RED and on YouTube on March 14, 2023. Produced by Polina Saran with copy by Laura Miller, the story aimed to raise awareness for the Department of Theatre’s certification in stage combat.
The story was a success, both on social media and in achieving the team’s primary goal: media coverage. A reporter with Denver’s Fox31 spent a morning with stage-combat students, highlighting the program in seven live shots and a produced package. Media reach was 104,093, according to the TVEyes report.
Additionally, the boosted video garnered 22,000 views on YouTube with organic traffic totaling 7,383 views on Instagram and 557 views on RED. The story highlighted a unique academic program for prospective and current students, supporting the University’s successful strategic push to reverse enrollment declines caused by the pandemic.
PRSA Silver Pick Award for Events and Observances for the 9News Denver Mayoral Debate hosted by MSU Denver
MSU Denver partnered with 9News to win a competitive bid from the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office to host a two-hour, live television production featuring an unprecedented 13 candidates. The event allowed the University to engage voters and inspire public service through experiential learning for students. In addition, the University elevated its reputation through the partnership with Colorado’s most popular television station while building relationships with Denver’s leaders.
The result:
- Forty-three students studying Political Science, Journalism and other disciplines gained hands-on experience assisting with the production and event.
- The live debate garnered 145,284 impressions on-air and online.
- The University secured $84,871 in total local-market publicity value.
- 9News aired promotional spots worth $50,000, in addition to multiple newscast mentions.
- MSU Denver secured 17 unique media placements in addition to stories that aired on 9News and were published in MSU Denver’s online newsroom, RED.
- The earned-media reach was 40,632,455, demonstrating to a large audience MSU Denver’s commitment to civic engagement and quality education.
- Two hundred eighty-one students, University employees and community members watched the debate in person from the campus’ concert hall, which was at capacity.
Additionally, University employees tallied 100 work hours to plan and execute the initiative. The entire project, from security and infrastructure planning to promotions and scripting, was a true partnership with KUSA-TV 9News. Considering the local-market publicity value, along with 9News promotional spots and extensive earned-media exposure, we saw a very strong return on investment.
Congratulations to the UCM team for another year of telling the MSU Denver story with passion, creativity and impact. These awards are a testament to the team’s dedication and talent in bringing the University’s mission to life.
