New Post: UB Class collaborates with immigrant institute

Publicity Methods class collaborates with local immigrant institute

BY: CHRIS HOGAN

MANAGING NEWS EDITOR

            When the opportunity arose to develop a promotion plan for the Downtown Cabaret Theater, last semester, UB Lecturer in New Media and Communications Studies Susan Katz and her PR and Advertising Campaigns Class took on the challenge to see what they could do for the company. This semester, Professor Katz and her Publicity Methods class will be assisting a completely different company.

Working with IICONN (International Institute of Connecticut), Katz’s class is developing an advertising campaign for them by designing everything from business cards and posters to solicitation letters for donors to video graphics. This promotion will help support the company in a positive light in order for growth. The campaign is run by Gennea Wells, who is acting as the assistant director and Katz as the creative director. She feels that collaboration process with ICONN was a win-win situation

“We assess their need and based on their needs and skills and qualifications of our students, we married together how we can invest service to them and provide as much media and collateral as we can,” Katz said.

IICONN, whose main location is in Bridgeport, and other facilities in Derby, Stamford and Hartford, help naturalize immigrants that want to become U.S. citizens. They also provide support with legal process, translation with reading documents and offer sustainability in finding a place to live and a job.

Katz’s class is broken up into four groups that are responsible for putting together the campaign that will be completed by the final week of April. The panels include that of editorial, brainstorming, video/photography and art and design. Senior and UB Scribe Staff Writer Andrew Dominick acknowledges working on this project has been a rewarding experience despite his lack of experience in certain areas.

“I am learning how to write things that I never knew how to write before like a brochure or solicitation letter, so I am kind of learning as I go on that,” Dominick said.  “If that can make me more valuable somewhere, one day, great, I am all for it.”

            Dominick, who is part of the editorial team, mentioned that the class is also putting together a newsletter as part of the campaign that will comprise of certain profiles on donors and some of the current and former naturalized citizens of the company as well as some success stories.

            “We want the greater Bridgeport community and behind to take an empathetic view on the issues of immigration and refugees and realize how much these people bring to our community and society once they are naturalized,” Katz said.

            Senior graphic design major Senad Ibrahimbegovic, who is part of the video team and assisting with the editorial team, has done some prior knowledge putting together brochures and posters for Kennedy Center, (a non-profit rehabilitation agency) in Trumbull feels like doing this campaign is very accommodating for his future.

            “To have the honor of helping out with this, it is very good for our portfolios and to get [this experience] before you go out in the real world [is awesome],” Ibrahimbegovic said.

            Dean of the International College Dr. Thomas Ward has and continues to work with IICONN by sending interns from the IPED program, while also having students work as translators and interpreters.

            “It’s a wonderful learning experience and most of us know little to none about the natures of this client, Katz said. “In the sense that in real life half the time you don’t know anything about the client and you have to research and are able to deliver to them the best campaign possible.”