Communication Students Work on Rebranding City in Mexico

A group of Emerson College students traveled to Rosarito, Mexico, this summer to put their public relations and marketing skills to work in rebranding the city.

Eight Emerson students arrived in Rosarito, a coastal city in Baja California, on July 23, for the tenth annual Rediscover Rosarito public diplomacy project and Rosarito Film Festival, part of Emerson’s Global Pathways program.

“We are here, as we have been for the past ten years, to make a difference, said Communication Studies Chair Greg Payne, who teamed up with Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres to create the campaign.

Graduate and undergraduate students began the program by meeting with Torres to get his perspective on the issues facing Rosarito, a city impacted by violence by drug cartels and economic hardships.

The students spend three weeks meeting with various people, including the U.S. consul in Tijuana, and a global PR specialist. The program culminates with the Rosarito Film Festival, on August 12 at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, featuring films by Baja California students. The festival is organized and promoted by the Emerson students.

“Getting involved with the Rediscover Rosarito Public Diplomacy Program is definitely a right choice for me,” graduate student Zilun Lin said in an email. “This immersive PR workshop for the rebranding of the city of Rosarito brought me numerous real-world workplace experience as a media  coordinator, as well as the opportunity of exploring the local culture and the beauty of Baja California, Mexico.”

In addition to Lin, participating students include undergraduate students Amelia Semprebon, Andrew Geiger, Isabella Saporito, Kevin Haoran Fang, Meghan Bratton, and Remi Taylor, and graduate student Dory Yutong Wang. Also joining the group is Willamette University student Dylan Ross.