press releases

SRA Builds Green Industry Career Awareness through Partnership with UNL Agronomy and Horticulture Department

LINCOLN, Neb. (June 11, 2007) - Swanson Russell Associates (SRA) has partnered with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s (UNL) renowned Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, creating the department’s "Go Green" awareness campaign. 

Armed with posters, t-shirts, bags, buttons and brochures, the "Big Red Green Team" now has an educational and vibrant campaign utilized at college fairs and through informational mailings that highlight the variety of opportunities and careers the department offers.

Struggling with lack of exposure and facing declining enrollment, UNL’s Department of Agronomy and Horticulture needed a branding campaign to showcase its strong faculty leadership and high-quality academic facilities.  As SRA has extensive experience working with agronomy- and horticulture-based, green industry clients, the agency offered its assistance in helping the department define its vision for the future.  The "Go Green" brand was the result.

With a target audience of high school and first- and second-year college students, the campaign showcases not only the exciting educational and career opportunities students receive with the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, but also calls attention to the national movement of "green living." The department kicked off its inaugural awareness campaign in early 2007 at the Big Red Road Show held on campus.  The campaign is pervasive not only on UNL’s campuses but in high schools throughout Nebraska.

As part of its commitment to its partnership with the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, SRA has established an internship program dedicated to ongoing “Go Green” campaign efforts.  Ross Brown has been hired as SRA’s inaugural “Green Team” intern and will help SRA build the “o Green” brand.  Brown is a student at UNL, majoring in fine arts with an emphasis in graphic design, and was selected based on his superior digital and graphics skills and interest in horticulture.  He is originally from Omaha and will graduate from UNL in December 2007.

By encouraging awareness of the department’s renowned programs, SRA receives valuable insight into horticulture-based businesses and their products.  This information helps SRA better serve its existing clients and attract new ones.  In addition, the department provides its testing services to analyze SRA’s green industry clients’ products for performance and quality.

“We are a bunch of scientists and educators who know very little about marketing,” said L. Mark Lagrimini, professor and head of UNL’s Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.  “We knew that most people did not really understand what we do and the variety of careers associated with our discipline, but we did not know how to get the message out.  The fit with SRA is perfect!”

Founded in 1962 and with offices in Lincoln and Omaha, SRA offers its clients advertising, public relations and other marketing communications services.  SRA serves a wide variety of businesses and other organizations across the country and specializes in the green, outdoor recreation, agribusiness and health care industries.  For more information, visit www.swansonrussell.com