PAST EVENT
Making Your Message Span the U:
Innovative and Effective On-Campus Communications
December 16, 2003
Speaker 1: LeAnn Melin, Orientation & First
Year Program Initiatives
Student Research: |
| • |
Discovered each incoming student received between 24-47 pieces
of literature, program specific |
| • |
Most students responded that there was too much, overwhelming
information |
| • |
Important information was discarded because of the volumes |
| • |
Ten years ago, research indicated that students weren't receiving
enough information. Current research discovered the reverse
was true. |
| Initiatives (2): |
| 1. |
Created a "Monster" Brochure - A bigger
brochure with a unique size and shape |
| |
• |
Collected pertinent information from various programs and
combined the information in the monster brochure as a guide
to help students |
| |
• |
Overview provided of how to manage information, symbols and
icons, where to go, etc. |
| |
• |
Brochure supported by an student orientation CD-rom (ex. campus
bus information for recognition purposes) and Web site |
| 2. |
Began branding with the "Class
of 2007" |
| |
• |
Previously the Bookstore provided an Orientation folder that
held 40 different pieces |
| |
• |
The branding effort blended together information using the
maroon & gold colors and the same images in the orientation
convocation program on the first day, on the T-shirt given to
all incoming students, portal, and will be used in all publications |
| |
• |
Encourages the name "Class of 2007" to promote graduating
within four years |
Speaker 2: Santiago Fernandez-Gimenez, Cross-Cultural Learning
- Study Abroad Curriculum Integration & Learning Abroad Center
Learning Abroad Center offers resources for faculty, departments,
and communicators regarding Study Abroad Curriculum Integration
at http://www.UMabroad.umn.edu/ci
| • |
Merger of units: Global Campus +LSTC = Learning
Abroad Center |
| •. |
Marketing Includes-- |
| |
• |
Paper (catalog, program brochures, ad materials) |
| |
• |
Electronic (Web, e-mail, etc.) |
Campaign: Featured institutional priority (by President
Bruininks) with grant requests and delivered to all four campuses
| Communication Strategy: |
| • |
Use evaluations to identify priorities and collect data to
document success (included faculty surveys, student surveys,
focus groups, accurate data collection) |
| Leverage Institutional Commitments |
| • |
Use pictures and quotes of president, deans, vice
presidents |
| • |
Work top down and bottom up |
| • |
Connect work to University priorities (ex. recruit
top students, promote four-year graduation, etc.) |
| Value Relationship; Work Within Existing Structures |
| • |
Target stakeholders |
| • |
Create a safe space for groups to meet and discuss
needs |
| • |
Have a plan (Assess-Match-Motivate) |
| • |
Work with deans, directors, department heads;
AANs (the University's Academic Advising Network), Communicators
Forum, etc. |
| Long-Term Planning Focus |
| • |
Work with administration to design materials: |
| |
• |
11 Academic Interest Sheets to target freshman |
| |
• |
Major advising sheets for upper division |
| |
• |
Global adviser newsletters to inform advisers & faculty
of opportunities/options |
| |
• |
Encourage advisers/faculty to incorporate communication about
Study Abroad into their plan |
| Look for Missing Pieces |
| • |
Comprehensive list of campus communication contacts |
| • |
Encourage communicators to use Study Abroad information
with other communications sent to students |
| • |
Encourage communicators to contact Study Abroad
for more information |
Speaker 3: Janis Tiedemann - Aurora Center
| Questions asked when designing promotion: |
| • |
How to get the communication out? |
| • |
How to get to students we serve? |
Marketing and Promotional Needs
Need to be creative in approaching a promotional campaign
With name change, need to brand -- use of bright, recognizable colors
(Note: Grants funding of $150,000, Advocacy in Education - Student
Affairs,
made marketing possible over the last five years)
| Marketing Tools Used: |
| • |
Professional style brochure, sent to DDD list |
| • |
Heat-sealed clear plastic magnet designed by University
Relations as a visual to help in recognition of program (color
theme branding continued with the magnet) |
| • |
Relevant statistics used whenever possible |
| • |
Bookmarks for students and new employee orientation
to inform them of the program
(A catchy slogan used, "How to spot a loser…"
which generates discussion and comments and which helps trigger
memory of the program) |
| • |
Goal: Message to the people who need it with
catchy or eye-catching materials |
| • |
Plan events to promote program, ex. Pledge Against
Violence, Silent Witness Conference |
| • |
Promote events, ex. March is the Sexual Assault
Month |
| • |
Take advantage of free real estate, Kiosk/Brief
articles, Radio K, Women's Press articles, and the Daily (nurtures
a point person at the Daily and invites over for an interview
intermittently to help promote an event such as the Silent Witness) |
| • |
Collaborate and partner with other (small) programs
to make a bigger impact: ex. GLBT, Women's Studies, Psychology,
etc. |
| • |
Include others in the design of an effective Web
site (ex. invite student interns and advocate volunteers to
participate in a design contest -- to be part of the process.
Pass out flyers, using the opportunity to inform at the same
time |
| • |
Continually keep the promotion going. Can't just
flood the market in the fall and hope that is all that is done.
Must continue it regularly. |
| • |
Word of mouth used to reach another six or seven
people |
Speaker 4: Steve Baker, University Relations
Steve recommends checking out the UR Web site for a good overview
of their services: http://www.umn.edu/urelate
Overview of U of M Home Page: Leverage Ability to Compete
60,000 hits/day
This is prime real estate for promotion
| 1. Calendar Highlights is taken from the Campus
Events Calendar (you must be on the Campus Events Calendar to
be eligible for Calendar Highlights) |
| • |
500 events listed in Nov./Oct. |
| • |
Suggest at least a two-week notice |
| • |
Suggest pre-review for openings on Events calendar
and book ahead of time |
| • |
Contact/follow up w/Bill Magdalene in UR for Calendar
Highlight requests |
| 2. Spotlight |
| • |
Varies with time of year and composition |
| • |
Good visual image |
| • |
Snappy copy |
| • |
Good Web site link |
| • |
All increases chance of spotlighting on homepage |
| • |
Contact Matt Sumera in UR |
| 3. Brief - 23,000 hits/every Wednesday it comes
out |
| • |
No event will be included unless previously listed
on Events Calendar |
| • |
Get items in early (a couple weeks early) |
| • |
Brief - short, snappy, newsy |
| • |
Brief Extra - once a month for longer feature
items with a link to Web site |
| • |
Contact: Jason Sanford in UR |
| 4. E News - Sent to all staff & faculty, 32,000
subscribers (includes donors/alumni and faculty/staff has been
added) |
| • |
Maximum 300 words/article |
| • |
Features research, profile, etc. articles |
| • |
Re-edited from colleges/depts |
| • |
Contact: Pauline Oo in UR |
| 5 . M (Magazine) |
| • |
Print piece |
| • |
Coordinated w/Alumni Assn/Fdn |
| • |
Sent to every (following closure of Kiosk) |
| • |
370,000 |
| • |
User group: intelligent, who care about the U |
| • |
Feature stories -- international, research, and
innovative stories about students, faculty, and staff |
| • |
Contact: Martha Coventry |
| New News & Information Web site: Coming |
| • |
More comprehensive |
| • |
Features best content |
| • |
Place for people to go for ALL information at
the University |
| • |
Uses Content Management System |
| • |
Lots of links, staying within the University |
| • |
Easier in-take editing process |
| • |
Create a news room, triage work |
Note: January 27, 2004 Communicators Forum meeting will present
an update on the State Legislative process with an overview by Donna
Peterson
|
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