To commemorate its 100th anniversary, the University of South Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications (SJMC) partnered with The Carolina Agency to honor a century of academic excellence and professional impact. The campaign aimed to celebrate the school’s legacy while strengthening connections among students, faculty, alumni and industry professionals. We were tasked with developing a strategy to showcase the SJMC’s achievements and reinforce its reputation within the communications field through a 100-post social media campaign. Additionally, TCA was tasked with developing and managing a student-focused anniversary celebration.
Our primary objectives were to commemorate the SJMC’s history, increase awareness of its impact and strengthen connections between alumni and current students. The campaign focused on driving online engagement and in-person participation in a centennial celebration event. Measurable goals included securing 30 alumni interviews, highlighting 20 historical milestones and implementing a 100-day social media campaign to build momentum for the milestone celebration. Additionally, our team aimed to plan and execute a meaningful, engaging on-campus event that brought together the past and present SJMC community.
We implemented a comprehensive communications strategy rooted in primary research. Using surveys, interviews and archival research, we developed tailored content that recognized the SJMC’s history and connected with its target audiences. Our team produced a 100-day social media campaign featuring alumni spotlights, milestone highlights and facts about the school to build excitement ahead of the event. The centennial celebration for students included food trucks, live music, games, prizes and branded merchandise, bringing in nearly 160 attendees and generating notable engagement across social platforms. The campaign successfully enhanced SJMC’s visibility on and off campus.
