Appalachian State launches new student-run agency

BOONE, N.C. --- Appalachian State University students are opening Second Story Media, their own student-run communication agency.

“The thing I am excited about is that we have the three student media, right? --- We have the radio, tv, and The Appalachian,” said Dr. Janice Pope, interim Communication Department chair.

“Now we are going to have an agency for students who are on the other side of the equation with advertising and public relations thinking about information campaigns and helping people reach their communication goals.”

Second Story Media is a collaboration of majors in the Communication Department and the Department of Art. After surveying the community’s needs, they plan to serve organizations by providing public relations, advertising and graphic design expertise. At the moment, it is in production as the students establish the structure to the company. They hope to begin serving clients in Fall 2019.

The survey used to identify the needs of potential clients in North Carolina yielded that many could benefit from the agency’s “young eyes” and “different perspective”. It specifically found that organizations could use Second Story Media’s help in five primary areas: social media, strategic planning, website creation, graphic design, and print media content creation.

“There are a lot of opportunities to help out organizations for social good and I think the more that we can do that’s not only reputationally what we want to do, but genuinely what we want to do,” said Pope.

Alumni of Appalachian State University Bob Bertini helped solidify this idea in the department, because he saw a great need for communication services in Boone, especially regarding nonprofits. He supported a student-run agency as a long term solution.

“Even after working with the agency’s first class for a short time, I can already tell that we can make difference in the Boone community,” Assistant Agency Director Olivia Remsberg.

The agency is hosting their Launch Party on March 22nd at 8:30 P.M. at Ransom Cafe.

“I cannot speak enough praise about this agency’s wildly talented, anomalous, high-energy team,” said Agency Director Dennis Saunders. “Together we are a powerful force with incalculable potential.”