MWWPR, one of the world’s leading independent public relations firms, has partnered with American University’s School of Communication to launch an innovative PR research program, which will better enable MWWPR clients to reach a rapidly growing segment of consumers, Generation Z. Entitled “MWWPR Z-Suite,” this program is designed to empower Public Relations and Strategic Communication undergraduate and graduate students to generate creative ideas that meet the unique objectives of MWWPR’s current and future clients, while simultaneously applying classroom learnings to a rapidly-changing PR landscape.
According to a recent whitepaper by Altitude Inc., 40 percent of global consumers will be from Generation Z by 2020. As a result, the messaging and the medium of receiving those messages are rapidly changing. MWWPR, through this partnership, will be able to keep clients ahead of this evolution.
“With Generation Z quickly becoming the fastest-growing consumer segment, our clients are increasingly looking for campaigns specifically tailored to reach this audience,” said MWWPR Founder and CEO Michael Kempner. “Our collaboration with American University’s School of Communication will better enable our account teams to create innovative client campaigns for Generation Z, by Generation Z. These students will obtain real-world, hands-on experience within the PR industry and be better prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation.”
Each month, a cohort of ten competitively chosen Z-Suiters will receive a series of creative briefs intended to outline an initiative or challenge of MWWPR’s clients. Students will then respond with proposed ideas strategically tailored to address the client’s needs. Following the submission, Z-Suiters will receive feedback, counseling and mentoring from current MWWPR associates thus including an important mentoring component to the program.
“This completely virtual program helps to expand the experiential learning opportunities we provide to students outside of the classroom,” said Pallavi Damani Kumar, assistant professor and director of the Public Communication division. “I know that the AU students selected for the program will bring their unique perspectives and valuable insights into the challenges, which will be a value-added asset to MWWPR and their clients.”
