BICsters Win PR Council's Diversity Challenge with Not Just a Box
Rising to the PR Council’s first annual Student Innovation Challenge, Kacy Charles ’18 and Sean Feol-Baugh ’18 won the $1,000 first place award as well as recognition at the PR Council’s Annual Dinner & Diversity Distinction in PR Awards, in partnership with PRWeek, on September 14, 2017 in New York City. Their “Not Just a Box” campaign highlights diverse Americans, showing that they are more than their ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation in a creative visual.
The PRC’s Student Innovation Challenge asked current and recently-graduated collegiate students to create a communications campaign and video on one of the two following topics related to diversity in America.
When asked the inspiration for their winning idea, Kacy and Sean stated that, “We immediately thought of how the recruitment process asks applicants to self-identify. Our idea is a response to that “othering” experience to show that diversity and inclusion is much more than checking a box or merely being present – it’s about being heard and valued for our point of view and varied experiences.”
The contest attracted 40 entries from across the U.S. Chairs of the PRC’s Diversity Committee, Brad MacAffee, Chief Executive Officer & Senior Partner, Porter Novelli; Barri Rafferty, Partner and President, Ketchum (and BIC Advisory Board member); and Tonya Veasey, President and CEO, OCG PR judged the entries.
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| Kacy Charles and Sean Feol-Baugh |
Sean and Kacy’s efforts dovetail nicely with BIC Professor Angela Chitkara’s recent white paper on diversity in the PR industry which was recently featured in The Holmes Report.
