Four Tips for a Successful Bateman Campaign
Are you thinking about competing in the Bateman Case Study Competition? Bateman is not for the faint of heart, but if done right, you can walk away with an extremely valuable experience. These are some tips I came away with after my experience with Bateman last year:
1. Make the Commitment
If you are going to participate in Bateman, you need to commit 100 percent from the beginning. It’s not an easy competition, and it will take up much of your time. Be ready to make sacrifices because you may be putting in a lot more time and effort than you expect.
2. Pick a Strong Team
Every Chapter is different, so you may or may not have much of a say on whom you work with. However, if you have any input, pick people who bring different strengths to the table. Skill-wise, I would suggest a strong writer, a networker, a strong designer, a leader and a confident speaker. Personality-wise, make sure you have a good balance and a little bit of everything. Keep in mind you will be working with these people for the next few months, so you want to have people you can really trust and depend on.
3. Evaluate Throughout
Nothing is worse than executing an amazing campaign and then realizing at the end, in February, that you haven’t kept track of your successes. If you hand out fliers, make sure you immediately record how many you passed out, to whom, where, when and even why. Execute a really solid social media campaign? Take screen shots daily, and show how you’ve been using it to really communicate and connect with your key publics. Evaluate throughout the entire month. You’ll be grateful when it’s time to start writing your case study. The evaluation is not just about showing the quantity, but also the quality of your case.
4. Have Fun
Get excited! Enjoy what you’re doing and be passionate about the cause. The more fun and excitement you put into your work, the better your experience will be. Take pride in your work and use this opportunity as a chance to showcase your skills and maybe even learn some new ones.
The Bateman Case Study Competition is an amazing opportunity. You’ll be able to take your case study to future employers and show them your ability to create a strategic plan, execute it and evaluate its effectiveness. Don’t forget: intent-to-enter forms are due to PRSSA Headquarters by Friday, Oct. 28.
This is a guest post from the Vice President of Member Services Vanessa Perkins.
