Social media contest lands college student his dream job

What made this entry for the 2012 PR Daily Awards Best Executed Social Media Contest trump the competition?

Well, for starters, it resulted in a dream job for a college student. But the contest also brought a lot of new media attention to the PR firm.

Here’s how the story unfolded.

Affect is a public relations and social media firm in New York. To raise awareness about its brand and look for new employees, it launched “The New York Intern Project” in February 2011. It was a social media contest aimed at college students who wanted to start a career in public relations and social media. The contest was promoted on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Nick Stackhouse, who submitted Affect’s entry, says students were asked to submit a creative photo or video, along with a short biography and questionnaire. The contestants petitioned for votes and comments in an effort to secure placement in the next round, while using their own social media presence to drive buzz back to Affect and the contest.