SUNY Canton Public Relations Wins CASE, SUNYCUAD Awards for Excellence
The SUNY Canton Office of Public Relations has been recognized for outstanding video production and marketing from two prestigious higher education associations.
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) selected the college’s “Best Year Ever” 60-second commercial to receive two acknowledgements: a 2022 Circle of Excellence Award (Bronze) and a Best of District II Award in the “Videos: Commercials” group. In addition, the campaign earned a first-place finish in the 2022 SUNY Council for University Advancement’s “Excellence in Television Marketing” category.
“The Best Year Ever campaign was one of our premier projects of 2021, so for it to be recognized with three awards is extremely gratifying,” said SUNY Canton Public Relations Director Travis G. Smith.
The video was developed and released in Summer 2021 to highlight the college’s plans to expand in-person academic, recreational and athletic activities for the upcoming semester. Clips of previous high-profile events were used to creatively portray SUNY Canton’s vibrant campus life. The advertisement was shot and produced by Morgan D. Elliott, who is the owner of Ridge 44 Productions and an adjunct instructor in the college’s Graphic and Multimedia Design program.
To reach as many viewers as possible, the commercial premiered during the televised Summer Olympic Games’ opening ceremony in the Central and Northern New York markets, and appeared during other signature events. It was also released via a targeted social media campaign, receiving the highest engagement of a singular post in college history. The TV and digital marketing plans were overseen by Public Relations Manager Lorette A. Murray.
“This commercial received more positive community feedback than any other we have produced in recent memory,” Smith added. “Our team did an outstanding job creating a high-energy, visually exciting product and developing an impactful marketing plan to elevate the college’s brand.”
The Office of Public Relations has previously received CASE and SUNYCUAD Awards for design excellence, magazine production, and video production.
About CASE
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is the global non-profit association dedicated to educational advancement—alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and advancement services—who share the goal of championing education to transform lives and society.
About SUNYCUAD
SUNYCUAD represents all professionals employed in a cross-section of institutional advancement areas at every State University campus. SUNYCUAD has evolved from a small corps of public relations officers into a diverse membership which includes advancement professionals responsible for a wide gamut of specialties, from publications and web page maintenance to alumni relations, marketing and development.
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, management, and healthcare fields. It is home to the Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.