CHALLENGE

The University of South Carolina came to roger with the goal of increasing their public profile both on a local and national scale. In January 2020, news of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 broke and the public was anxious for answers about its implications. roger immediately knew there was an opportunity to plug the flagship university’s name and capabilities into the national news cycle. We identified infectious disease expert, Dr. Melissa Nolan of the Arnold School of Public Health, among other faculty members, to be used as subject matter experts in various COVID-19 related areas.

SOLUTION

roger quickly developed and executed a successful earned media campaign around Dr. Nolan. As a result, she has become a go-to expert on all things COVID-19 – providing insight, perspective, and clarity as the story evolved. Dr. Nolan helped the local, national and international public better understand the virus and continues to shine a spotlight on the groundbreaking work being done at the University of South Carolina.

In addition to Dr. Nolan, roger pitched professors and staff members. Professors have been quoted as experts in their respective fields, while members of the administration have provided important and thought-provoking commentary on issues affecting health and safety. University experts have provided critical insights on topics such as COVID-19, election systems, engineering, medicine, AI, and the role of social media to help create understanding while also highlighting innovation at the university.