Backgrounder
Capstone Agency
Brittney McCombs
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Summary of Organization’s Problem:
Capstone Agency at The University of Alabama would like to reach out to other
universities in order to increase the awareness of binge drinking through the Less Than You
Think campaign, or LTUT. The agency must continue to reach out to colleges in order to
increase the strength and awareness of its campaigns. Although Capstone Agency has worked
with many colleges, the agency has only worked with a very small percent of colleges in the
country. Through gaining the cooperation and support of more colleges, the agency can achieve
its ultimate goal of spreading awareness of binge drinking.
Background and History of Organization:
The Capstone Agency is a student-run communications firm at The University of
Alabama. The agency is composed of public relations and advertising students. It works closely
with student organizations, local businesses and private parties to better the client internally and
externally. The services of the agency include public relations, communications, advertising,
event planning, marketing, crisis management, branding, promotions, fundraising, company
management, campaigns, special events and media relations. Some of the past and current clients
include The Century Council, The Student Health Center, Alabama Public Library Services,
Premiere Service Company, International Student Association, Capture Studio, Midtown
Village, Platform Magazine, Beat Auburn Beat Hunger, UA Athletics and Good Shepherd’s
Project (UAPRSSA, n.d.).
The Capstone Agency faculty advisor is Mrs. Teri Henley, MBA, APR. Henley has over
25 years of experience in nonprofit and academic communications. She became the Capstone
Agency advisor in 2008 and PRSSA Bateman Team advisor in 2011. Henley was chair of the
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Department of Communication at Loyla University in New Orleans until she was hired by The
University of Alabama in 2007 (“About Us”, n.d.).
Capstone Agency’s LTUT campaign generated from The Century Council’s desire to
“decrease dangerous overconsumption of alcohol by college students.” After placing second in
the National Student Advertising Competition, the Century Council granted Capstone Agency a
$75,000 grant for the LTUT campaign. Following the LTUT campaign that took place in 2010 at
The University of Alabama, studies found that the knowledge of the correct definition of binge
drinking increased by 22.5 percent. Also, the campus decreased the number of students who
believed that alcohol was an important part of college from 51 percent to 38 percent (Portfolio,
n.d.).
The anti-binge drinking campaign continues to target college students through humorous
messages that portray the negative social and physical consequences of unsafe drinking. The
obvious success achieved on The University of Alabama campus in 2010 influenced Capstone
Agency’s decision to take the LTUT campaign nationwide. The National Alcohol Beverage
Control Association has provided the campaign with extended funding (LTUT, n.d.).
Current Situation:
Since 2010, Capstone Agency has worked with 12 colleges on the LTUT campaign to
produce binge-drinking awareness (Henley). The agency is currently working with colleges in
California, Ohio and Connecticut. Capstone Agency previously caught the attention of Shaquille
O’Neil and was featured in his series of PSAs (Less, n.d.). It is Capstone Agency’s current goal
to reach out to many college students in order to spread binge-drinking awareness.
Importance of Addressing Issue:
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It is important for the agency to reach out to as many colleges as possible in order to
achieve its goals. It is very important that Capstone Agency has other colleges to help implement
its college campaigns in order to be able to reach out to as many college age adults as possible. If
the agency doesn’t successfully gain the support of other colleges, its campaigns will weaken
and become less effective.
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References
CapstoneAgency.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.capstoneagency.org/about-us.html
Less Than You Think. (n.d.). Tuscaloosa, Al: Capstone Agency.
LTUT. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://Ltut.org
UAPRSSA. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.uaprssa.org/capstone-agency.html
http://www.capstoneagency.org/about-us.html
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Less Thank You Think news release
Ltut.org
http://www.uaprssa.org/capstone-agency.html
Henley 2014- interview