Pictured above: BA 351 students who worked with Sloss Metal Arts shared photos from the annual Iron Pour on BSC’s campus in their social media campaign.

Last fall, students in BA 351: Arts and Nonprofit Marketing experienced Birmingham-Southern’s emphasis on service learning while also developing real-world marketing strategies.

Assistant Professor of Marketing Dr. Ream Shoreibah’s course required students to work in teams with different nonprofit organizations and run six-week social media campaigns. After the teams met with their partnering nonprofits to plan their campaigns, they created marketing plans based on each organization’s needs and pitched their ideas.

BA 351 students split into five teams – they worked with local Birmingham nonprofits Community Kitchens of Birmingham, McCoy Adult Day Care Center, Sloss Metal Arts, and YouthServe Birmingham, as well as New Hampshire-based Connor’s Climb Foundation.

Shoreibah taught this course for the first time in fall 2018, and while the original course allowed for more in-person visits and service days, the 2020 campaigns were just as impactful on both the partnering organizations and the students. Shoreibah says the course transitioned smoothly into a combined in-person and virtual format.

“Students had to conduct two initial virtual meetings, then report to and check in with their organization at least weekly,” Shoreibah says. “It’s not uncommon for marketing firms to work completely virtually with clients in this way.”

The class also met with several guest speakers over Zoom who shared their insight into nonprofit marketing, including Dr. Connie Hill ’86, president and CEO of Girls Inc. of Central Alabama, and Nicole Williams, director of development at the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama.

Once their pitches were approved by the organizations, the student teams launched the marketing campaigns, which involved customer engagement journey maps, brand style guides, social media posts, and impact results. Students led these efforts while communicating regularly with their partners.

For senior mass market communications major Katie Campbell, the partnership with her team’s organization, Connor’s Climb, was particularly meaningful. The New Hampshire foundation for suicide prevention education was founded by Campbell’s aunt. Since all the nonprofit partnerships were virtual, working with organizations outside of Birmingham became possible.

“Dr. Shoreibah worked with me and offered me the chance to work with this nonprofit that is so close to my heart and means so much to me,” Campbell says. “I also loved the real-life experience this class offered to me. I was able to run a real social media campaign for a real client.”

Campbell is currently applying for graduate programs, and she is proud to list this course and her team’s campaign on her resume.

In the 2018 course, Shoreibah’s students had a service day with their organizations that gave them a first-hand look at how the nonprofits operate. This service is a familiar element of BSC coursework and campus involvement. Most student organizations and programs emphasize service learning and encourage students to work with local organizations directly.

Service learning not only allows students to know their communities at a deeper level, feedback from real organizations allows students to grow professionally and prepare for careers after BSC.

“It’s impossible to fully replicate the true real-world environment in the classroom. Experiences like this project allow students to learn how to navigate through their mistakes when these mistakes could have real consequences, and to work with clients who may have vastly different backgrounds,” Shoreibah says. “This expands students’ skills in marketing, but also in communication and teamwork.”