Market Me: Building a Collaborative Relationship with your Campus Marketing Department. Dawn Aubry Slowik Melinda Booth Kelly Smith

Transcription

1 Market Me: Building a Collaborative Relationship with your Campus Marketing Department Dawn Aubry Slowik Melinda Booth Kelly Smith

2 Session Goals Share why it s important to align with overall institutional branding and marketing Suggestions for improving the working relationship between admissions and the marketing department Help you identify action items in your office

3 OU Overview Located in Rochester, MI Division I athletics Classified as doctoral research-intensive 2,350 freshmen; 1,674 transfer 18,169 (14,397 undergraduate, 3,772 graduate) as of fall 2008

4 Background Steady enrollment growth for 11 years 80s and 90s: maintain enrollment, not strategic Last five years: huge shift in thinking, more aggressive recruitment and marketing campaigns (radio, billboard, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook)

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9 Future Students Web site

10 My OU Page

11 Facebook page

12 Reporting Structure Admissions and Marketing department may report within separate divisions Some institutions may use outside vendors Tendency to work in silos Collaboration across divisions

13 Communications and Marketing At OU, reports directly to president Central marketing agency that encompasses communications, marketing, web, public relations and advertising Departments act as clients Varies by institution

14 Common Pitfalls Poor communication Territorialism/competition They don t understand what we do it goes both ways! Not presenting a unified front

15 Benefits of Collaboration Uniform look and feel to institutional publications, web and advertising Make sure areas not sending mixed messages Communicate goals effectively and appropriately Role model and advocate to other campus partners

16 How can the marketing department help? Editing services Style guidelines Print publications Web design projects Forms Content management Public relations Advertising: radio, print, television, outdoor, internet Marketing plans

17 Impact on Enrollment Promote specific events and programs Creation of view book, search piece and family of supporting pieces Web and new media support Advocate for overlooked areas Ensure that student support service info is updated and correct

18 Impact on Retention Overall communication plan for incoming and current students t Registration deadlines Push for summer enrollment Policy changes Recruitment and yielding messaging through first year

19 Ask Yourself What is your current relationship with campus marketing? What is the role of your campus marketing department? Admissions role? What goals can you achieve together?

20 Data Collection Identify who has the data Review and disseminate the data Justify media purchases Ask for additional funding Determine effectiveness of current tactics Could include: admissions reports, event attendance, office of institutional research, demographics, web analytics, president s councils, retention data, tuition and fees, economic development reports

21 Practical Tips: How You Can Help Look at rules and guidelines ahead of time, meet to discuss the process Avoid surprises: Clarify design, size of piece through samples Prepare your content: revisions can increase cost Ask for a quote Have a timeline in mind Prepare to be flexible Relationships are key: meet for coffee, spread the good will about your respective departments

22 Also Consider Know your budget Billing: are design and printing billed together or separately? Where is account housed? Prepare for the unexpected: crisis, system outage, snow, breaking news, shift in institutional priorities/strategy Maximize resources when everyone is clear on goals and strategy

23 You Can Afford This Short term marketing campaign Response to current economic conditions i Initiated and implemented largely within two months Affirmed that OU is affordable through comprehensive campaign Earliest response in Michigan

24 Thank You! Dawn Aubry Slowik Associate Director, Undergraduate Admissions Melinda Booth New Media Coordinator, Undergraduate Admissions Kelly Smith Marketing Director, University Communications and Marketing