For the second consecutive year, UM students, under the team name Montevallo United, took the top collegiate honor during United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) and marketing firm blr | further’s second annual social media challenge.
Five total teams from UM, Birmingham-Southern and UAB each planned a nine-week social media campaign to promote UWCA and other local agencies.
The Montevallo United team included students Saralyn Campbell, Madison Mosley, Claire Quirk and Cage Williamson. Marketing faculty Amiee Mellon and Carolyn Garrity advised the Montevallo United team.
The Montevallo United team focused their campaign on education, specifically the many UWCA affiliated agencies that provide educational opportunities to citizens across the state.
The students utilized Facebook and Instagram to engage the local Montevallo community. Between the campaign’s start on Oct. 2 and conclusion on Dec. 3, the Montevallo United team’s top 10 posts from both Facebook and Instagram managed to reach a total of approximately 9,400 people.
In addition to raising awareness online, the team set up tables to directly engage with their peers at campus and city events, including the city of Montevallo’s annual Artwalk and the campus Carnival for a Cure.
On Jan. 18, the four students presented an overview of their campaign to United Way executives and board members during the organization’s annual luncheon. Chip Graham, UWCA’s senior vice president of marketing and communications, then presented the students with a $2,500 check for their efforts.
“Montevallo United’s largest advantage was how connected they were with their community,” said Graham. “They very clearly showed engagement in local issues while bringing more awareness to fighting for better education in Central Alabama.”