University of Scranton Social Media Agency Connects Campus to City

by Maggie Westerman | Staff Writer

SCRANTON — A University of Scranton media company is taking Scranton by storm, both on and off campus.

The student-run Mulberry Media launched when Brian Snee, Ph.D., approached members of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) with a new angle for the club to increase membership virtually — a social media agency that connects campus to the city of Scranton. Senior Jonna LoPresti, Vice President and Social Media Manager of Mulberry Media, said that Snee came up with the name.

“The mentality behind it is that Mulberry Street is the divine line between campus and the city,” LoPresti said. “It straddles campus life and real life, and this agency is meant to bend those two worlds together.”

Mulberry Media’s mission is to serve as a bridge between Scranton’s social and academic life. The agency’s goal is to have one internal and one external client per semester. For the Spring 2021 semester, Mulberry Media will be taking over the University’s Communication and Media department’s platforms. The group is also working with Keep Well, a local smoothie and juice bar.

The new club hopes to provide real-life experience for those interested in both social media marketing and public relations campaigns.

“We felt that it could be a great way to get experience for our resumes, increase contact and network in the community, and expand our knowledge on public relations and social media marketing,” LoPresti said.

Board members Kathryn Donfield, Emma Davidson, Kelly Chavez and Christine Jiang have been working on the agency since last semester. LoPresti said the group worked hard to create a roadmap that can be followed after the group graduates.

“We learned all of the details that must be handled when starting a project from scratch and how to navigate making decisions,” LoPresti said.

The spring will be a trial run for the new agency. The board is hoping to learn what works and what does not, and then adjust to make the agency as professional as possible.

“This experience will give students a real look into how campaigns work with advertising and promotions, and also how to communicate with others in an agency setting,” LoPresti said, noting that Mulberry Media hopes to spark creative interest in students and create amazing products for their clients. She said the agency has big plans for growth, both on and off campus.

“In the future, our goal is to have other clients on campus, like different departments and groups,” LoPresti said. “We also hope to work with more external businesses as our club grows.”

While Mulberry Media is geared toward the communication and media department students, it is open to all majors, especially those interested in marketing and campaigns. Students are welcome to join at any time. The group meets every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Those interested in joining or following along as Mulberry Media grows are encouraged to follow @uofs_mm on Instagram for updates.

If you would like more information about Mulberry Media or to join, you can reach out to President of Mulberry Media Kathryn Donfield, kathryn.donfield@scranton.edu, Vice President Jonna LoPresti, jonna.lopresti@scranton.edu, or moderator Brian Snee, brian.snee@scranton.edu. Students can also contact the club through the group’s Royal Sync page, The Public Relations Student Society of America.