Members of Live Oak Communications were invited to present a panel discussion on influencer marketing and its impact on millennial brand affinity at a September conference hosted by Pace.
A global content marketing firm based in Greensboro, Pace invited the Live Oak team to lead a Sept. 24 session titled “How Influencers Help Brands Connect with Young Millennials!”
Students shared the day of presentations with senior content marketing leaders from Southwest Airlines and Coca-Cola, among other recognizable brands. More than 150 integrated marketing communications professionals, representing advertising and custom content agencies, and PACE clients, including Walmart, Verizon, The Four Seasons Hotels, Wells Fargo, AAA and USAA, were in attendance.
The Live Oak students provided examples of brands that have connected with relevancy and value to millennial audiences. Additionally, they presented cases of “influencer fails” to offer lessons and best practices that audience members can incorporate or avoid as they seek to deepen relationships with this marketing segment.
“Our partnership with Pace to provide programming to all School of Communications students and develop unique, embedded experiential learning opportunities like Project Echo is rare. It’s confluence of the best of what industry and academe can offer,” said Hal Vincent, lecturer in the School of Communications and faculty director of Live Oak Communications. “And, wow, for students to be able to say, ‘I presented content marketing insights to 160 professionals from companies like Southwest Airlines before I graduated college,’ will help differentiate the Elon education from others when they seek to begin their full-time careers.”
About Project Echo
Launched in spring 2015, Project Echo provides Live Oak Communications staff members invaluable experience working with real-world clients and projects, as well as networking opportunities and Pace-led educational sessions. Additionally, the partnership offers Pace and the brands the agency represents more insight to the millennial population, gathering the perspectives of Elon students on how to connect to the young adult generation.
About Live Oak Communications:
Live Oak Communications is the Elon School of Communications’ award-winning student-run strategic communications agency specializing in public relations, advertising, video, web design, social/interactive media solutions, logo and graphic design, corporate identity and beyond. The agency helps corporate, nonprofit and university clients achieve their business goals through targeted, multiplatform communications strategies and tactics with measurable results. Live Oak’s industry replication prepares students to succeed in internships and strategic communications careers. For more information, visit Live Oak’s website or contact Hal Vincent, faculty director of Live Oak Communications, at hvincent@elon.edu or (336) 278-5348.