Students looking for a last-minute something sweet for their significant other for Valentine’s Day might be able to find something at the bake sale at the Meeman Journalism Building today.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., The U of M Bateman Team will sell treats for 25 to 50 cents made with Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread made by Ferrero U.S.A, Inc., maker of products including Ferrero Rocher candies and TicTacs.
Nutella has been popular in Europe for about 50 years, and has been in America since 1982, but has yet to gain the popularity it holds in the East.
“We will have everything from Nutella-covered strawberries to Nutella cookies,” said Liz Taylor, the Bateman Team leader. “Everyone who stops by will find it almost impossible to resist.”
The team is baking the treats themselves.
The Bateman Team is a group of students involved in a national competition hosted by the Public Relations Student Society of America. The U of M PRSSA is one of about 230 chapters nationally, claiming over 7,000 members. For the competition, they must raise awareness of Nutella among college students, including what it is and how it can be used, and they must secure and detail “measurable results of communication efforts.”
The seven members of the Bateman Team must submit their entries by March 25 and must follow these criteria in their campaign:
They must communicate the product’s origins as a “European favorite” available in America.
They must also develop a plan for the adoption of Nutella in campus food service, such as cafeterias and catering.
Derek Foust, public relations major and member of the team, said the team will not be making money off of the bake sale.
“We dug into our own pockets last semester, so we just want to make a little of it back,” Foust said.
The team conducted over 250 surveys and four focus groups last semester as part of its campaign. They held their first bake sale earlier this week in the Panhellenic Building.
Last year’s U of M Bateman Team finished in the top 10 out of over 200 schools.
Foust said he enjoys the project and being involved in public relations.
“In public relations there’s something new everyday. It’s fast-paced,” Foust said. “This project gives us a grasp of how public relations work really is. It’s really challenging, because we’re competing against other schools that may have a lot of money to put towards their campaigns.”
