The University of Nebraska – Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications advertising and public relations capstone course worked with FOX Sports to enhance Millennials’ brand experience with its flagship sports show FOX Sports Live.
The purpose of the capstone course is to give students the opportunity to apply everything they’ve learned in all their other classes to a real-life situation, doing real work. This spring, ADPR 489 taught by professor Frauke Hachtmann, and assisted by Adam Kroft of Red Thread, had the opportunity to create a fully integrated marketing communications campaign for FOX Sports Live.
FOX Sports Live challenged college students from around the country to come up with ways to engage and attract new millennial viewers. University of Nebraska–Lincoln students accepted the challenge and presented their work to representatives from FOX Sports this week.
FOX Sports executives flew to University of Nebraska–Lincoln to give campaigns students an overview of the program on Jan. 21. This partnership is part of FOX Sports University, a nationwide program that provides the practical element to learning whereby students create concepts for FOX Sports businesses.
The class was divided into two teams, Thirteen90 and Kobalt, and both teams stressed social media interaction and the use of second screen. Each team presented several ideas to FOX Sports executives Kaitlyn Beale, Peter Leimbach and Yaron Deskalo, Coordinating Producer for FOX Sports Live.
The most popular segments are fantasy sports and entertaining highlights. That's what the students are attacking.
“Millennials say they want more interactive content that's funny and that they can relate to,” said Kaitlin Johnson who is a student in the class.
“And to get sports fans, young millennials to produce content themselves about the sports experience, tailgating and about going to games,” said Frauke Hachtmann.
At the end of the presentation, Kaitlyn Beale of FOX Sports explained that each senior student would have the opportunity to take a practice video interview with a FOX recruiter that would allow them to practice their communication skills as they interview for jobs post-graduation. For students, interested in applying for jobs at 21st Century FOX, this video interview and experience through FOX Sports University allows them to have a leg up against their competition.
Students are in a competition with Southern Methodist University, Penn State University and the University of Missouri to see whose pitch will be selected by FOX Sports as the winning presentation.
