Each year, the MARUG PR & Promotion Officer plays a crucial role in shaping the association’s visibility, creativity, and brand identity. From designing promotional materials to guiding committees and running social media channels, the role combines strategy, creativity, and hands-on execution. We sat down with Rianne, last year’s PR & Promotion Officer, to reflect on her experiences, challenges, and the personal growth that came with the position.
What Does PR & Promotion at MARUG Really Involve?
During her board year, Rianne was responsible for all promotional outings of the association.
This included:
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Creating posters, stickers, and branded gadgets
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Managing MARUG’s Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok
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Ensuring strong attendance at events
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Developing promotional stunts and creative campaigns
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Guiding committees such as the PR Committee and the Digital Marketing Team
“It’s a mix of creativity and coordination,” she explains. “You’re constantly thinking about how to present the MARUG in a fresh and engaging way.”
Before the year officially starts, every incoming board member receives a two-month onboarding period. According to Rianne, this transition phase prepared her well: “My predecessor taught me everything I needed to start confidently. Of course, questions always come up along the way, but I felt ready.”
Weekly Rhythm: Planning, Creating, Posting
One of the biggest recurring tasks was the promotional planning, a detailed schedule of all posts across social media platforms. This included Instagram and LinkedIn content, but also the increasingly important task of creating TikToks.
Throughout the year, specific projects demanded extra attention. For example:
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The Board Promotional Video, which required planning, filming, and editing
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Introductory period promotions, when new students arrive
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Event-based promotions, coordinated with committees
The board video stands out as one of her proudest achievements. “It was challenging and time-consuming, but the final result made it all worth it. And filming it with my board was just a really fun experience.”
Rianne also looks back proudly on her design work: “Before my board year, I had never used Adobe InDesign. A year later, I felt completely comfortable creating posters and visuals. Seeing that progress is something I’m really proud of.”
Creative Inspiration: Trends, Brainstorms, and Tools
Where do ideas come from? For Rianne, creativity was a combination of sources:
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Board brainstorms
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Promotional materials from previous years
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Inspiration from other associations
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TikTok trends and social media culture
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And occasionally ChatGPT
To bring ideas to life, she worked heavily in Adobe Creative Cloud—InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop—alongside tools like Canva. The learning curve was steep, but rewarding: “It took all summer, and even longer, to really master everything. But by the end of the year, I felt confident and creative.”
Working with Committees
As PR & Promotion Officer, Rianne also supervised several committees.
Her experience: “Most collaborations went really smoothly. The committees were enthusiastic and fun to work with, especially the ones organizing parties and social media content.”
The SME (Sustainable Marketing Event) committee stood out for being extremely committed.
Only toward event deadlines did challenges appear—mostly around ensuring enough participants signed up. “That was tough at times. But we always managed in the end.”
The Digital Marketing Team, being a newer committee, required more guidance because expectations were still evolving. “I think that structure is much clearer now for this year’s team.”
The Biggest Challenge: A Small Cohort
Looking back, one challenge overshadowed the rest: getting enough students to attend events.
“Our year had only around 90 Marketing master’s students,” she explains. “Even with great companies and strong organization, it was sometimes hard to get high sign-up numbers. People were enthusiastic but often couldn’t make it.”
Despite this, the board consistently succeeded in filling events—though not without effort.
If She Could Do It Again… More TikTok
When asked what she would change if she could redo her board year, her answer was clear:
“I would focus much more on TikTok. MARUG still focuses heavily on Instagram, and even Facebook is in the planning—though I barely used it. TikTok is where students are.”
She cites the MARUG Conference as an example: “Because of Bette’s TikTok strategy, everyone in Honours knew about the conference. That visibility was huge.”
TikTok content takes more time than traditional posts, but Rianne believes it is worth the investment—something the current Digital Marketing Team has already started embracing.
Personal Growth: More Than Just Marketing Skills
A board year is as much about collaboration as it is about tasks.
“You work incredibly closely with five people you didn’t know before,” she says. “You learn how to communicate, how to manage conflict, and how to balance friendship with responsibility.”
Running MARUG is in many ways like running a mini-company:
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Operational decision-making
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Stakeholder communication
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Coordinating teams
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Managing deadlines under pressure
Beyond that, Rianne gained significant creative and strategic marketing experience—skills that later shaped her academic path and career ambitions.
From MARUG to a Marketing Career
Her board year reaffirmed her passion for marketing.
After attending conferences, speaking with recruiters, and working closely with company partners, she realized marketing was the right direction for her.
Today, Rianne is pursuing the Consumer Marketing master’s programme at the University of Amsterdam, and she intends to build a career in the field.
“The board year gave me the reassurance I didn’t have before. It showed me that marketing is really something for me.”
Final Thoughts
Rianne’s story shows how dynamic and rewarding the PR & Promotion Officer role can be—blending creativity, leadership, collaboration, and marketing strategy. For students interested in graphic design, social media, event promotion, or simply shaping the MARUG brand, this position offers both challenge and growth.
Inspired to follow in her footsteps?
Keep an eye out for MARUG board applications later this year.