The Case Study Competition in Corporate Communications, which is sponsored by the
Arthur W. Page Society and the
Institute for Public Relations (IPR), awards students whose original case studies best examine the practice of corporate communications in a business issue or crisis.
This year's competition drew 86 entries from 35 schools across the country.
The winning case study, "Walking the 'Encryption Tightrope': Getting to the Core of Apple's Privacy and Security Battle with the FBI," was authored by Brooke Lichtman, Jaymie Polet, Bria Smith, Rubai Soni, all students at DePaul University's College of Communication in Chicago where they are pursuing a Master's in Public Relations and Advertising. Their study explores Apple's decision to protect consumers' privacy following the San Bernardino shooting, a decision that was met with praise and criticism by the public and other technology companies.
"Apple's response set a precedent and started an important dialogue across the business world about customer privacy and security," said Roger Bolton, president of the Arthur W. Page Society. "We are pleased to honor Brooke, Bria, Jaymie and Rubai with the Koten Award for their thoughtful work on this case study, which will be an important resource for PR and communications practitioners worldwide. Congratulations, as well, to all of the other winners for the exceptional quality of their entries."
The grand prize winners will be recognized at the Page Society's Spring Seminar on April 6 in New York City. In addition to the overall grand prize, the competition awards winners in the categories of Communications Schools and Business Schools. This year's winners represented the University of Notre Dame, University of Dayton, DePaul University, Brigham Young University and Bridgewater State University.
"This case presents many interesting facets about corporate communication and technology that will serve as a benchmark for the privacy argument for years to come. Like Arthur W. Page espoused during his career, this case represented the ideals of a corporation acting on behalf of the public's interest," said Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., President & CEO of the Institute for Public Relations.
This annual competition is judged by a panel composed of Page Society members and members of Page Up, a membership organization for senior-level communicators who have the potential to rise to a CCO or another Page Society eligible role.