Behind the Campaign: Promoting Reporter Magazine’s November Election Issue

Written by: Addie Carr

​​Engaging the Campus: The Strategy Behind Reporter’s Election Issue Campaign

Crafting impactful campaigns takes collaboration and a deep understanding of our audience. We had the opportunity to promote the November issue of Reporter magazine, RIT’s student-run publication that is a source of news and storytelling for the campus community. Focused on the high stakes presidential election, this issue aimed to educate and engage students on one of the year’s most pressing topics. Our team worked to amplify Reporter’s voice at a crucial time. Here’s a look at how we brought this campaign to life and what we learned from the experience.

The Challenge: Promoting a Critical Issue

The November issue covered the controversial 2024 presidential election. Our goal was to increase the magazine’s reach and encourage students and faculty to pick up a copy. We needed to create a campaign that resonated with a broad audience while maintaining the integrity of the magazine’s unbiased and informative voice.

Collaboration: Technically Speaking Meets Reporter 

We worked closely with Reporter’s Editors to understand their vision for the issue. 

• Content Alignment: Fully communicate the tone and theme of the magazine which centered around the presidential election.

• Outreach Planning: Design an outreach plan that includes email, social media, flyers and in-person interactions.

• Audience Engagement: Use multiple platforms to engage our audience

With less than a month to execute the campaign, we dove right in.

The Process: Converting Vision to Action

1. Strategy Development: We brainstormed creative ideas for promoting the issue. Our strategy focused on the use of digital and in-person touchpoints.

2. Content Creation and Media Outreach: We developed engaging emails, social media posts and flyers highlighting the November issue and its relevance to the election. Each piece was strategically distributed through social media platforms, emails and physical placements across campus to encourage faculty and students to pick up a copy. 

3. Tracking Engagement: Social media engagements increased according to Reporter’s Instagram analytics. One post reached over 2,000 accounts - 30.8%  followers and 69.2% non-followers. Faculty agreed to encourage students to pick up a copy. The client also reported that pickups of the magazine increased. 

Lessons Learned

This campaign was quick and impactful. We learned a lot along the way.

1. Start with a Clear Vision: Collaborating early on with the Reporter team made the deliverables authentic and compelling. 

2. Know your audience: Messages are most effective when they are tailored to the audience you're trying to reach.

3. Engage Multiple Platforms: Combining emails, social media posts and flyers provided a diversified reach

4. Celebrate Wins: Hearing positive feedback from the Reporter staff were the highs of the campaign. 

5. Reflect and Grow: Every campaign is a learning opportunity. We’ll use what we learned to improve our next project.

   
   

Promoting Reporter’s November issue was a rewarding experience that allowed us to showcase the power of teamwork and strategic planning. At Technically Speaking, we’re proud to amplify the voices of our clients and look forward to the next great project.