Overview
Nearly two and a half years after his arrival at Michigan State University, President Kevin Guskiewicz announced Wednesday, May 27, 2026, that he would be leaving to serve as president of Clemson University in South Carolina. As MSU’s seventh leader to hold the position of president in 10 years, news of Guskiewicz’s departure sent shockwaves across Spartan Nation.
A coalition of Michigan business leaders and stakeholders organized by the Gillespie Group saw an opportunity to respond with positivity and gratitude; and in the days following the announcement formulated its plan to engage the community to help elevate and amplify Guskiewicz’s leadership and impact on MSU’s culture, people and position in the world.
Challenge
On Monday, June 8, Guskiewicz would be flying back to East Lansing for what could be the final time. With the window of opportunity closing, Gillespie Group engaged M3 Group to create and execute a high-impact PR campaign in 48 hours to mobilize Spartan Nation and send one resounding message to MSU’s outgoing president: We ♥ Kevin G!
Solution
Messaging and visual identity
Created a simple, emotionally resonant “We ♥ Kevin G.” campaign identity that could be immediately recognized and easily shared. Developed unified messaging centered on gratitude, appreciation and Spartan pride. Created a cohesive visual toolkit spanning social media, digital advertising, email, print and physical activations.
Multi-Channel Execution
Launched WeHeartKevin.com as the campaign hub, featuring a public message board and downloadable social and print graphics. Distributed more than 380,000 emails through partner and stakeholder networks. Conducted proactive media outreach to turn the community’s show of support into a broader earned media story. Extended the campaign into the physical environment through approximately 400 yard signs, digital billboards, painting of The Rock, Spartan Statue activations and Sparty appearances, and airplane banner flyovers.
Results
Within the first 24 hours, the campaign generated:
- 228K+ social media views.
- 21 news mentions with a combined 171.1M audience reach and $90.6K in publicity value.
- WeHeartKevin.com attracted 605 visitors and 157 public messages of appreciation.
On Monday, July 6, Guskiewicz announced he would remain at MSU. In an interview with the Lansing State Journal, Guskiewicz cited the “We ♥ Kevin G.” campaign as a driving factor:
“It was emotional whenever Amy and I returned back to Cowles House that first week of June … to see all of that. It was overwhelming, to be honest with you, and emotional. That played a role in this. It’s a special community.”