studentof the

year

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Entry Kit 2012

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year

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Contents

My campaignMy strategyMy creativityMy win!

Alyssa Vande Leest2011 Winner

WWhhaatt ccaann II wwiinn??The winner will receive a gener-ous $5,000 cash prize, a paidinternship with the award spon-sor, Hill & Knowlton, and a paidtrip to the annual PRWeek Awardsin New York in March 2012. Onerunner-up may receive a $1,000cash prize and a paid internshipwith Hill & Knowlton. Also, up tofive shortlisted students willreceive a paid trip to New Yorkfor the final day of the Student ofthe Year judging. The top twofinalists will receive a trip to thePRWeek Awards.

FFAAQQss:: WWhhaatt ddoo II hhaavvee ttoo ddoo??You must devise and write a newcampaign for a real client. Youwill need to use your creativityand ability to think strategicallyand analytically to create a campaign that ensures the clientachieves its desired objective. Shortlisted contestants will beflown to New York in January2012 for a final day of judging,including a live pitch to the clientand the media. Finalists will also have the chance to handle a fictional crisis scenario.

WWhhaatt iiss tthhee ddeeaaddlliinnee??The entry deadline is December 9, 2011.

WWhhoo ccaann eenntteerr??Whether a major in media or math, communications or chemistry, anyone can enter as long as he or she was enrolled as an undergraduate student at aUS college or university betweenDecember 14, 2010, andDecember 14, 2011.

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Do you have what it takes to be PRWeek’s Student of the Year?Test your PR and communications skills by entering our contest, sponsored by Hill & Knowlton. You could win $5,000 and a paidinternship at one of the world’s largest PR firms – not to mention the honor of being the PRWeek Student of the Year 2012.

Sean Whelan2010 Winner

Background on FordFord Motor Company, a global automotive industryleader based in Dearborn, MI, manufactures and distributes automobiles across six continents. Withabout 166,000 employees and about 70 plants world-wide, the company’s automotive brands include Fordand Lincoln. The company provides financial servicesthrough Ford Motor Credit Company. For moreinformation regarding Ford’s products, please visitwww.ford.com.

The AssignmentIn January 2010, Ford Motor Company took centerstage at a location you might not traditionally thinkof for an automaker: the Consumer Electronics Show.It was there that Ford unveiled what it called its connected car strategy – SYNC – where throughyour own smart phone, you can utilize all the featuresof your phone, such as an address book and musicthrough your MP3 player, safely through voice con-trolled commands. For Ford, it is all about keepingyour eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

Since January 2010, Ford has introduced a series ofupgrades and enhancements to SYNC, includingvoice-activation, on-demand navigation, traffic,sports scores, weather, and even horoscopes andstock quotes. And, most recently, Ford launched thecapability to voice control smartphone apps, such asPandora. However, with competitors catching upwith technology introductions of their own, and “millennial” customers reporting that they find theirmobile electronics to be more important to themthan cars, how can Ford leverage their technologyleadership by promoting and showcasing Ford’s connected car technology as a key differentiator fromthe competition to help attract the “millennial” generation? For more information on SYNC, pleasevisit www.ford.com/technology/sync.

Your campaign should have no more than three separate components. For example, the campaignmay include a social and traditional media relationscomponent, an event, and a competition. The writtenentry will include the following components: objectives, research and planning, strategy, tactics,and evaluation/measurement of success.

Questions?Please contact Eva Chan for more information.Phone: 646.638.6059E-mail: eva.chan@prweek.com

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By submitting your entry for the PRWeek Student of the YearAward, you agree to the rules and regulations listed below.

OOffffiicciiaall rruulleess• Entries are to be submitted at PRWeekus.com/SOTY.

Written entry must be no longer than five pages. A two page supplement can also be submitted in addition that may include pitch letters, press releases and other materials.

• Entries must be from undergraduate students enrolled at a US college or university.

• Entries must be written in English.• Entries must be submitted online by Friday, December

9, 2011 at 11:59pm ET. Entries which are not submitted online will not be accepted.

• Support materials are not accepted.• PRWeek and Hill & Knowlton reserve the right to

disqualify any entry deemed unsuitable for any reason, not limited to, but including: failure to meet any of the previously stated rules; plagiarism or non-attributed use of copyrighted material or images; excessive use of profanity, nudity, or violence; or any content that advo-cates and supports racial, cultural, religious, or gender bias.

• Five students will be selected for a final round of judging in January 2012.

• Up to five finalists will receive travel to New York for the judging, including airfare and standard hotel room

expenses, which will be paid for by the sponsor. Meals will be provided during the final judging session.

• The top two finalists will receive travel to New York for the PRWeek Awards in March 2012, including airfare and standard hotel room expenses to be paid for by the sponsor.

• The winner of the Student of the Year Award will receive $5,000 and an internship with Hill & Knowlton (for a period of time to be determined).

• One runner-up for the Student of the Year Award may receive $1,000 and an internship with Hill & Knowlton (for a period of time to be determined).

• The winning students agree to permit their likenesses to be used by Hill & Knowlton and/or Haymarket Media Inc. for advertising or promotion.

• The judges of the Student of the Year contest will includerepresentatives from Hill & Knowlton, PRWeek, and the featured client, Ford Motor Company.

• The criteria for judging include creativity, presentation, writing ability, understanding of PR principles and strategy, and oral presentation skills (in final round).

• All entry materials become the property of the sponsoringorganizations and will not be returned.

• Immediate family members of employees of Hill & Knowlton or Haymarket Media Inc. (PRWeek) are not eligible to enter.

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