Community Involvement
Last September, Mike McFarland took some time away from the office and spent the day with middle school students as a guest speaker for their annual Career Day. Sharing the ins and outs of the advertising business, and how fun and exciting it can be, Mike offered them a glimpse using current client KAYTEE and their pet ownership public relations campaign as examples. The children viewed educational – and engaging – video shorts created with pet expert and TV personality Marc Morrone (which highlighted various small birds and animals), and were able to take home KAYTEE memorabilia, including reusable grocery totes, fans, and an informative brochure detailing the many values and benefits of owning a bird or companion animal.
Mike McFarland speaking with local area students during Elkhart Lake Middle School's annual Career Day.
“I was a bit surprised at how excited and interested the students were in the marketing and ad world,” Mike admits. ”They had so many questions and were amazed at the breadth of work I have the opportunity – and pleasure – of producing for our clients. And our KAYTEE PR Campaign was such a wonderful example of educating the kids on what public relations truly entails. I enjoyed the experience thoroughly, and was touched by the written responses of the students.”
With the terms ‘advertising,’ ‘marketing,’ and ‘public relations’ often being vague career generalizations for young aspiring students, Mike was happy to share his 30+ years of insight with those in his local community. ”I hope I was able to shed some light into the vast world that is marketing,” Mike finishes of his experience, adding, “it was a fun reminder of why I got into this business to begin with.”
Career Day in the Elkhart Lake - Glenbeulah School District- September 2009