PR WRITING & PRODUCTION

COM 268 – SPRING 2022 – 125 points

FINAL PROJECT
Project Due: April 29, 2022 at 11:55 p.m.
Format: Project submitted as an Adobe Spark shareable link to Sarah (submit link in submission box on
ReggieNet). Only one person per group needs to submit the final project).
*Note: The ultimate goal is to have a polished, cohesive, professionally designed press kit.

Using Adobe Spark and working in groups, you will create a press kit for Illinois Shakespeare Festival’s upcoming season using the
writing skills you have learned in this course. The kit will highlight three of the upcoming shows as well as additional
background information about the festival. You can find more info about the Illinois Shakespeare Festival on their website
linked on ReggieNet. See our ReggieNet for Adobe Spark tutorials. We will also discuss more in class. On the landing page (or initial
page), there should be links available to all the components listed below. Be creative with this project and think about how you would
want to present this information to the media!

Please note: All the writing should be in your own words. If it is not, it is considered plagiarism. If you have a question about
something, please come to me before submitting and ask to clarify if it’s ok to use. Also, please edit each other’s work. The
point of having a group is to have multiple pairs of eyes on these documents. Editing and revising is part of the writing
process.

PRESS KIT
The press kit must include the following elements:

1. Landing Page: A professionally designed header section identifying and introducing the organization with everyone’s names
noted somewhere. This page should contain links to the components below and other supplemental images and materials you
feel appropriate to include.
2. Pitch Letter: A letter addressed to one specific person in the media introducing yourself, ISF, and the 2022 season. This
should be designed as an appropriate business letter.
3. Fact Sheet: Create a fact sheet with necessary information about the upcoming shows.
4. News Releases: You’ll need to create a news release for each of the shows you choose (you will pick 3).
5. PSAs: You’ll need to create a 30 second PSA for each of the shows you choose (you will pick 3).
6. ISF Backgrounder: Outline of information regarding ISF. This might include history, services, locations, number of staff,
highlight staff, etc.…
7. Design Element: Using Adobe Spark, you are to produce ONE promotional piece for ISF. Please create a direct mail
piece (ex. post card, back and front design) - promoting the upcoming book clubs to potential attendees.

*Please see your textbook and ReggieNet examples for backgrounders and fact sheets*
**To link documents, I recommend hyperlinking text in your project**
 Score Sheet
Press Kit Assignment

FORMAT AND CONTENT QUALITY (75 points possible)

Landing page designed well and everyone’s name is included (5pts)
Included:
 Landing Page with links to each of the required components (10pts)
 Pitch Letter (5pts)
 Fact Sheet (5 pts)
 News Releases (15pts – 3 @ 5pts each)
 PSAs (15pts – 3 @ 5pts each)
 ISF Backgrounder (5pts)
 Additional Design Element (5pts)
 Overall there is a cohesive, polished, professional design that makes it unique and ties it together (5 points)
Submitted shareable link from Adobe Spark (5pts) _________

WRITING (20 points possible)

Press Kit is free of grammatical errors
Press Kit uses formal writing style
Press Kit uses proper AP Style
Logical flow of information
Writing is original and in writer’s own voice
Writing is cohesive between pieces and is active
Sentence structure is varied _________

OVERALL IMPRESSION (10 points possible)

Followed guidelines for assignment
Press Kit is designed as a cohesive piece
Clear that the group worked together
Impression based on kit as a whole _________

PEER EVALUATIONS (20 points possible)

Average of scores from other group members __________

TOTAL _________

*Please note that peer evaluation scores may be different for each group member, so just be aware that final scores may differ for each group
member.