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A $1 million three-year gift from the Omnicom Group Inc. will establish a Laboratory for New Media Strategy and Design at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The lab will be a site where CU students, faculty and industry professionals will work together on educational programs and research designed to prepare students for new marketing challenges in the Information Age. The journalism school will partner with CU聮s Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society (ATLAS) program in the effort.
"Our intention is to develop ideas and talent for the digital environment," said David Slayden, a journalism professor and director of the new laboratory. "The lab will serve as a crossroads where industry and the university can come together to challenge existing practices and develop new ones for the multi-media Internet-based market."
Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE-OMC), the leading marketing communications company in the world, consists of advertising agency networks BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide and TBWA Worldwide. The group also includes Goodby, Silverstein & Partners; Diversified Agency Services (DAS), which operates a number of leading, independently branded companies in marketing services and specialty communications; and Communicade, a division of wholly owned and significant minority investment interests in several leading interactive and new media companies.
Tom Watson, Omnicom聮s executive vice president and chief growth officer, believes it is critical for all companies to reengineer their communications in order to address the challenges created by emerging technology.
"We believe that CU聮s program will accomplish the equally important goal of building a critical base of understanding and training future leaders in the field," Watson said. CU聮s best students will intern at Omnicom Group companies.
CU-Boulder Chancellor Richard L. Byyny said the campus is pleased with this academe-industry partnership.
"Our ATLAS initiative, which is focused on preparing students for careers involving a combination of content knowledge and information technology skills, and the journalism school聮s expertise in new media, together offer an ideal environment for learning how to use the Internet to solve marketing problems," he said.
Slayden said the initial phase of the new media strategy and design program is already underway.
"We are extremely grateful to the Omnicom Group for sharing in our vision," he said. "We look forward to the opportunity to work with their top talent in a true spirit of collaboration."