Class project turns into real campaign; Marketing group raises public awareness.

FITCHBURG - A marketing class group project at Fitchburg State College received more than a passing grade: Materials created by the class will be used by its client, Fitchburg Lead Action Group.

Writing for Advertising, taught by Rob Carr, assistant professor of communications media, teamed up with Cindy Soule of the Fitchburg Lead Action Group, to create an integrated community marketing campaign that promotes awareness of lead paint poisoning hazards.

Ms. Soule, coordinator of FLAG, said although childhood lead poisoning has been dramatically reduced in the last two decades since lead paint and leaded gasoline were outlawed, it remains a serious environmental health risk in communities like Fitchburg that have a high percentage of pre-1950 housing stock.

"We want to reduce the risk of childhood lead poisoning in Fitchburg. We encourage property owners to have their buildings inspected for lead, to have properties de-leaded where necessary, and to routinely maintain them to stay in compliance with the Massachusetts Lead Law. The law requires that homes with children under the age of 6 years old be de-leaded and maintained to keep them in compliance. We encourage families to ask their doctors about lead screening results at annual checkups and to learn ways to reduce exposure until their homes can be de-leaded," Ms. Soule said.

FLAG contacted Fitchburg State before the fall semester to seek marketing help, and Mr. Carr knew his Writing for Advertising class would be a good fit.

"When I started talking with Cindy, I thought that we could make an impact in the Fitchburg area. It was a great opportunity, through visual and textual work, to create a campaign that will help our children," Mr. Carr said. "The students were highly productive and started from scratch, not even knowing the client."

Throughout the semester, Mr. Carr's 25 students met with FLAG members and gathered information. They created a full campaign, including posters, business cards, brochures, signage, a PowerPoint presentation, and a Web site. The campaign also involves an original children's book, a documentary video, a promotional video, a public service announcement, and 25 feature stories to be used in local newspapers or other publications. One student is working on a grant proposal to pay for publishing the materials.

Sandra Waronen, a senior majoring in communications media, said she felt prepared for the project because she's worked with actual clients in the past for other classes. The FLAG project is something she'll use in her portfolio. Ms. Waronen designed the logo, which uses the shape of a house, and the FLAG acronym is used as fingers on a child's hand.

"A lot of my classmates knew what to expect and how to do the work and what to produce quality-wise, the caliber of the work, and the production schedule. It was a really good experience. Rob was really proud of us. And our client was very impressed when she met with us," Ms. Waronen said.

Professional communications student Chris Cruise, who worked on Web site content for FLAG, said that working with real clients has been a positive experience.

"One thing I love about Fitchburg State is that every class I've taken has definitely taken professional approaches on everything. I felt prepared to work with a client. The class had good communication skills. We worked well together," Cruise said. "After we met with the client, you could tell by looking at everyone that they were excited for the next class."

FLAG will launch a public awareness campaign in 2008 that involves the marketing materials. The group is also working with Jane Zhang, associate professor of geo/physical sciences, on a GPS mapping project that would track homes with lead paint.

"Working with attentive young adults who were really enthusiastic, and sharing their energy was a real treat for me. Their efforts were guided by their instructor, who had so much enthusiasm," Ms. Soule said.