Franco Sponsors PESO Model Certification for More Than 130 College Students

Franco has always been a data-driven, people-powered agency. We’ve built our expertise by staying true to our origins while also evolving to remain at the forefront of a changed industry.

This has made us what we are today: an integrated communications agency that’s equal parts legacy and contemporary.

In 2022, we made the investment to put a significant portion of our team through the Spin Sucks PESO Model Certification. The eight-module course explores skills and strategies around Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned media.

As our team continues to embrace the power of integrated communications for our client programs, we began thinking of opportunities to extend this certification to future communicators. Investing in the next generation of talent – whether that’s through internships, agency tours or sponsoring students to become PRSA Detroit members – is very important to us.

We received such positive feedback from our team members who completed the PESO Model Certification that we decided to explore what this would look like if we extended the opportunity to PR/comms/marketing students.

Our Chief Marketing Officer Nikki Little and Integrated Communications Manager – Digital Catherine Pace created and then executed Franco’s PESO Model Certification student scholarship program, starting with their alma mater, Central Michigan University.

We’re proud to share we’ve sponsored more than 130 students at five Michigan-based colleges and universities. Here’s how we got to this milestone:

In the spring of 2022, Franco kicked off a partnership with Central Michigan University’s Integrative Public Relations (CMU IPR) program.

We worked closely with CMU professors to determine the best way to offer this certification to students. Dr. Elina Erzikova, professor of public relations at CMU, integrated the certification into the program’s capstone course, empowering students to work on it as part of the class to ensure maximum impact for the students and completion rate of the certification.

Kylie Rydjord and Brittney Rudat served as the first students to complete the certification at CMU. They then served as ambassadors the following semester to help the next round of students through the certification. Today, 85 students from the CMU IPR program are PESO Model certified, with 10 additional students going through the certification in the Spring 2025 semester.

“The Integrative Public Relations program extends beyond its current students and faculty to include our alumni, who contribute in various ways. One key example is our partnership with Franco, which has provided students with opportunities to connect theory with practice through the PESO Model Certification,” said Dr. Elina Erzikova. “This experience has broadened students’ understanding of contemporary practices and also helped them stand out in the competitive job market.”

After successfully launching the PESO Model Certification sponsorship with CMU in 2022, our team was ready to expand the investment to more Michigan-based universities.

In the fall of 2023, we partnered with Wayne State University (WSU). Shelly Najor, PhD, full professor of teaching and director of the undergraduate public relations program at Wayne State University, also incorporated the certification into a course.

21 students at WSU have completed the certification with 14 additional students starting the certification this semester.

While building these partnerships with CMU and WSU, our team has remained open to working with other local universities and students who are interested in this program. This past fall, we kicked off collaborating with professors and students at Oakland University, Eastern Michigan University and Albion College.

We believe in the power of integrated communications, and we believe in the next generation of talent. Having the opportunity to collaborate with students and professors in our communities over the last three years has been beyond rewarding, and we look forward to continuing this investment through our PESO Model Certification student scholarship program to empower future communicators with the tools they need to enter the workforce.

We are also committed to building up the next generation of talent through our internship program. Learn more about our internship program here and submit your resume to be considered for future openings.