Office of Branding, Marketing and Communication earns two Public Relations Society of America Bluegrass Chapter awards

 

MURRAY, Ky. – Murray State University’s Office of Branding, Marketing and Communication earned two Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Bluegrass Chapter Awards at the chapter’s 2025 Landmarks of Excellence awards ceremony, which was held in Louisville, Kentucky.

The office received awards for its marketing and communications efforts in Murray State’s advocacy for a School of Veterinary Medicine, as well as for the development of an economic impact report print and design piece. 

The PRSA Bluegrass Chapter has served communications professionals in Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding areas, including southern Indiana, since 1957. The chapter represents a diverse mix of experienced practitioners with a shared passion for advancing the practice of public relations across the region. 

Founded in 1947, the Public Relations Society of America is the nation’s largest professional organization seeking to advance the communications industry and its practitioners, and brings together the collective disciplines of public relations and marketing.

The Office of Branding, Marketing and Communication helped lead an integrated marketing and communications strategy centered around advocacy efforts toward the development of a new School of Veterinary Medicine at Murray State. The initiative is a key institutional and legislative priority in order to benefit the Commonwealth due to the current and projected shortage of veterinarians, particularly those who treat large animals.

From the award submission: “The primary purpose of our work was to present information in a factual and compelling way, for external audiences to better understand the need for this initiative. This is a topic that may not be fully understood by some…particularly, those who may not be from a farm or rural setting, or do not practice nor study veterinary medicine. We needed to start from that foundational standpoint in explaining the present situation in Kentucky, along with why this initiative is critical, perhaps most importantly, from an economic development standpoint in the Commonwealth.”

In the fall of 2024, the Office of Branding, Marketing and Communication created an Economic Impact Report print and design piece to highlight Murray State’s economic impact on the Commonwealth and the west Kentucky region. Based on a 2017 comprehensive study led by Professor Emeritus Dr. Gil Mathis, updated for inflation, Murray State generates more than $633 million in economic output activity for the Commonwealth. Based on a 2024 Economic Impact Report led by Murray State Professor of Economics Dr. Simone Silva, University construction projects will generate more than $348 million in economic output activity from 2024-2030. That information was featured in the report, which provided figures including annual revenue generation, tax revenue generation, job creation and data points specific to several campus construction projects to further illustrate the University’s impact. One of the primary goals of the piece was to be an impactful, yet easy-to-read deliverable. 

From the award submission: “It had been nearly eight years since the University had completed an economic impact report, so a fresh snapshot was needed to help convey Murray State’s significance to the region and Commonwealth. Including specific metrics associated with several ongoing construction projects was necessary to reflect the University’s commitment in modernizing its campus and working not just with the General Assembly to advocate for project funding, but showing that through these projects, the greater gain is found in advancing the Commonwealth through specific initiatives (nursing, agriculture, among others) while benefiting countless future students pursuing these and other careers. We are quite pleased that the end result provided an updated snapshot of the University’s impact at a statewide and regional level, while also pinpointing the current impact with multiple building projects in progress – arguably, the biggest period of capital expansion on our campus since our earliest days, with concurrent building projects underway! Another key success for our office was a deep level of collaboration with our Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business, an important academic area with which we now have a deeper relationship for future projects.”

“We are pleased and humbled to receive these awards from the Public Relations Society of America Bluegrass Chapter. PRSA is known nationally for its excellence in public relations, communications and marketing, and  encompasses virtually every practice area and professional setting,” Murray State University Executive Director of Marketing and Communication Shawn Touney said. “What makes these two awards even more meaningful is that collaboration was essential with key academic areas such as our Hutson School of Agriculture and Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business. These two awards are to be shared by our team with them, along with others who partnered with us on these two initiatives. We are very appreciative of the PRSA Bluegrass Chapter and grateful for our relationships with departments and units across Murray State University.”