F88 Festival Re-Launch

KCOU 88.1 FM is the student-run radio station at the University of Missouri. In 2023, the station relaunched the F88 Music Festival after a three-year hiatus.

Problem

The festival needed to reintroduce itself to a new generation of students while reconnecting with the broader creative community surrounding the station.

The challenge was not only promoting the event, but clarifying how the festival fit within KCOU’s cultural identity and programming.

Approach

I helped shape the campaign’s messaging and tone, developing language that positioned the festival as a natural extension of the station’s creative community.

The goal was to balance accessibility with cultural credibility, blending the station’s DIY, effortless sensibility with a more intentional outreach strategy to capture students’ attention.

Work included

• Campaign messaging and positioning
• Social media voice and content strategy
• Promotional language across digital platforms
• Event storytelling and audience engagement
• Business communications supporting the festival’s venue partnership

Outcome

The campaign helped reintroduce the festival to campus audiences and supported its first successful return after the hiatus, rebuilding awareness around F88 as a cultural event connected to the station’s creative identity.