Skip to main content

Case Study

Trial by fire for the California State University San Marcos PR team

Find out how CSUSM handled its crisis communication with Presspage.
CSUSM_NOBG_TEST

Case Study

Trial by fire for the California State University San Marcos PR team

Find out how CSUSM handled its crisis communication with Presspage.
csusm-header-test-v3
csusm-california-state-university-san-marcos1468-removebg-preview

Case Study

Trial by fire for the California State University San Marcos PR team

Find out how CSUSM handled its crisis communication with Presspage.

The public relations guide to Crisis Communications

PP Hero Full Platform

The public relations guide to Crisis Communications

PP Hero Full Platform

Case Study

Trial by fire for the California State University San Marcos PR team

Find out how CSUSM handled its crisis communication with Presspage.

case-study-hero-image-v3

Case Study

CSUSM keeps control during wildfires

How California State University San Marcos used Presspage to stay in control and keep the public informed during crisis.
CSUSM | case study image square

California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) is home to more than 16,000 students. When wildfires forced the campus to shut down, their small PR team had to act fast. With Presspage, they stayed in control, kept everyone informed, and managed the pressure with ease.

We have established ourselves, not only during emergencies, as the source of accurate and fast campus information.
Katie Chappell
Web and Social Media Specialist, CSUSM
Scared_PP

BEFORE Presspage

Comms during emergencies were inconsistent and hard to manage

  • No single place to publish info.
  • Couldn’t handle high traffic volumes.
  • Delays in sharing critical updates.
Happy_PP

AFTER Presspage

A single, reliable platform to share urgent updates

  • One link for all stakeholders.
  • Newsroom handled sudden traffic spikes.
  • Team worked faster, with less stress.

Real-time response during wildfires

When nine wildfires broke out in the region, CSUSM closed campus and set up a Situation Room. The team published updates regularly through Presspage, ensuring students, staff, families, and the wider public stayed informed.

Read more

The newsroom became the go-to source for verified updates, accessible from any device. Presspage’s auto-scaling system absorbed traffic spikes without issues, so the team didn’t have to stress about tech.

  • The public got accurate info fast.
  • The media pulled updates directly from the newsroom.
  • The team avoided duplicate work across channels.

 

“We had set the expectation for where people could find information, and where we would be updating it. It was a much, much smoother process from our perspective.”

Katie Chappell,
Web and Social Media Specialist, CSUSM

Ready for a PR systems reboot?

We've got you covered. Book a demo with our friendly team and see what Presspage can do for you! 

From emergency tool to everyday platform

After the wildfire crisis, CSUSM didn’t stop using Presspage. What started as a tool for urgent updates became part of their regular communications workflow.

Read more

With the newsroom already in place, the team continued using it to publish campus news, events, and updates for students, staff, and media. Presspage gave them an easy way to manage everything in one place, reducing their dependency on IT.

  • Used for everyday campus communications
  • The same tools work for crisis and routine PR
  • A small team keeps the output consistent and professional

 

“Now we have pre-written messages and press releases in the event of most campus emergencies. The statements have been vetted and approved by the university leadership and would only need slight updates if they were ever needed.”

Katie Chappell
Web and Social Media Specialist, CSUSM

The results

With Presspage's help, CSUSM built confidence in their PR strategy and with their audience. 

  • One central hub for all crisis updates
  • The team could act fast, without IT
  • The public trusted their communications
  • Same tools are now used for day-to-day PR

Want to see how Presspage can transform your brand’s PR workflow? Book a demo today.
CSUSM-Logo-White
"We have established ourselves, not only during emergencies, as the source of accurate and fast campus information"

Katie Chappell

Web and Social Media Specialist

Explore our other success stories

smart case study image-resized-v4
smart Automobile

smart Automobile’s rapid international expansion with Presspage by ‘Thinking Global, Acting Local’

sif group case study
Sif Group

Sif Group’s Successful Public Listing Transition with Presspage: Maximizing Investor Communications

gore-tex-with-logo-preview


GORE-TEX Professional:

A Robust Approach to Spreading Innovation Stories

PR-for-Education
PR that speaks your language

Discover a comms solution tailored to the Higher Education industry

We had set the expectation for where people could find information, and where we would be updating it. It was a much, much smoother process from our perspective. We have established ourselves, not only during emergencies, but just in general, as the source of [campus] information, and that we also provide accurate information as quickly as possible.

Katie Chapell

Web and Social Media Specialist,
CSUSM
 

 

Ready for a PR systems reboot?

We've got you covered. Book a demo with our friendly team and see what Presspage can do for you! 

Ready for a PR systems reboot?

We've got you covered. Book a demo with our friendly team and see what Presspage can do for you!