Through their work in Crested Communications, UHart’s student-run communications agency, students have collaborated with the Marine Band to develop a strategic communications campaign that honors the band’s legacy while helping it reach new audiences.
Crested Communications works with an external client every semester, and the Marine Band is one of the biggest yet. “Securing a client begins months in advance and demands a partner who brings the right balance of energy, commitment, and shared vision for collaboration,” says Clinical Associate Professor Sarah Miner, the agency’s faculty director. “It was not only an honor, but a transformative experience to support an organization with a 250-year legacy.”
In the semester-long project, students created a marketing campaign aimed at increasing concert attendance for the band’s anniversary tour and attracting new supporters. The campaign materials included:
- A website audit, social media audit, and competitor analysis
- The development of a new media press kit
- The creation of a style guide, specific to “The President’s Own”
- A social media content calendar, template designs, and strategy
The students then unveiled the plan to Master Sergeant Rachel Ghadiali, the band’s communication strategy chief, who made a special trip to Connecticut from Washington D.C. to hear the pitch in Wilde Auditorium.
Students say the project gave them valuable real-world experience which they’ll carry forward to their future careers in communications.
“Working on this project has taught me to research, research, research,” says Julia Cyr ’25, part of the design team and the lead on creating the style guide. “Before starting any designing, doing comprehensive research on my client so that I can be better aligned with my client’s vision and needs. I was able to practice communicating my needs to my client as well as ensure that I created work that supported their vision. Working with ‘The President’s Own’ communications team has helped me prepare for my future career working in a design agency.”
Tom Eytan ’25 has worked with Crested Communications for two semesters and says the experience has been nothing short of incredible. “Going into the agency experience, I knew I wanted to do something in the field of communications and digital media,” Eytan says, “but I wasn't sure what I was passionate about until I was appointed to be the social media manager for the course. I loved the duties of creating social content so much, I completed an internship with ConnectiCon as their social media and publications intern the following summer. Now after completing a 12-month content calendar for ‘The President’s Own’ United States Marine Band, I have once again gained a handful of tools that I can bring into the working world.”