Writing (and executing) an Integrated Marketing Plan for Student Recruitment

1. Writing (and executing) an Integrated Marketing Plan for Student Recruitment Jamie Ceman, Executive Director, Integrated Marketing & Communications

2. Our focus today • What is integrated marketing communication (IMC) • Why do you write a plan • How to write the plan • Measure success • Q&A

3. Defining integrated marketing communications • A customer-centric, data-driven method of communicating with consumers. • The management of all organized communications to build positive relationships with customers and other stakeholders – stresses marketing to the individual by understanding needs, motivators, attitudes and behaviors.* *Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications (JIMC) Medill -- Dept. of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

4. Sounds good doesn’t it? Try doing that in higher education…

5. There is no question that we need to do it. • Higher education is getting increasingly more competitive • We all have resource issues • Inconsistent messaging impacts recruitment, retention & outreach • We have to take control of our reputations

6. But how do we do it? BRAND News/Media Relations Print Web Social Media Public Relations Mobile Marketing Communications

7. But how do you do it? BRAND fundraisers departments college/schools recruiters program assistants administrator faculty

8. The Process Brand Development IMC Infrastructure

10. Brand champions Mission & Values Communicating authentically and in alignment with the university’s mission and values. Distinctiveness Leveraging the brand consistently to effectively communicate the distinctiveness of the university. • Authentic Representation • Demonstrating strategic, collaborative and authentic representation of the university’s brand within their division or unit. • Integrated Marketing Strategy • Supporting the university’s integrated marketing and communications strategy.

11. Brand Development/Rollout Phase 1: Visual Consistency BRAND Phase 2: Messaging

12. A University Brand

13. Why write a plan? • The process brings forward a better campaign • The information within it helps build buy-in • It can be used in requesting funding

14. The pieces of the plan • Executive Summary .....2 • Background and Project Motivation .....3 • Constituency Analysis .....4 • SWOT Analysis.....5 • Current Brand Positioning and Personality .....7 • Key Findings from UW Oshkosh Perception Analysis .....9 • Integrated Strategy - Diagram of Decision Factors .....11 • Creative Approach ..... 12 • Print Strategy 13 • Email Marketing Strategy 14 • Social Media and Mobile Strategy 15 • Website Strategy 16 • Online Advertising Strategy 17 • Outdoor Advertising Strategy 18 • Event Support Strategy 19 • Total Budget Summary .....20 • Communication Flowchart/Media Plan.....21 • Measuring Success .....22 • Conclusion .....23

15. Key pieces of the plan • Research • Strategy statement • Creative approach • Media Plan • Measurement

16. Research • Background and Project Motivation • Constituency Analysis • SWOT Analysis • Current Brand Positioning and Personality • Key Findings from Perception Analysis • What do people think today? • What are they looking for? • What problems are you trying to solve?

17. Integrated Strategy - Diagram of Decision FactorsUndergraduate Admissions

18. Integrated Strategy - Diagram of Decision FactorsGraduate Studies

19. Get Creative! Brainstorming based on Data

20. Creative Concepts Focus Group Test Concepts

21. Finalize creative based on feedback

22. Define channels and integrate campaign across them

23. Create the campaign pieces – all channels

24. Integrate it…

25. Measuring success • Inquiries • Admissions • Enrollment • Web Traffic from regions of advertising • New email addresses • Direct traffic from advertising • Web searches from regions of advertising

26. Visual proof Advertising Map Web Traffic Map

27. Jamie Ceman, Executive Director, Integrated Marketing Communications cemanj@uwosh.edu @smithj90