MACE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

20212021

Celebrating communication, marketing, and fundraising excellence

at Stellenbosch University

forward together sonke siya phambili saam vorentoe

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SU and MACE 3

About MACE 4

Awards 5

SU’s 2020/ 2021 awards 6

Special awards 7

Platinum awards 8

Gold awards 10

Silver awards 12

Bronze awards 20

Contents

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As a valued strategic partner, the Corporate Communication and Marketing Division (CCMD) directly contributes to the competitive positioning of Stellenbosch University (SU), ultimately facilitating systemic sustainability in line with Vision 2040 and Strategic Framework 2019–2024. The Division offers direction-setting services in the professional fields of marketing and communication. These services are integrated with programmes, initiatives, campaigns and specialised projects that showcase our institution, enhance our excellent reputation, attract talent and resources, foster meaningful relationships, and advance purposeful partnerships with our wide network of stakeholders.

CCMD’s efforts are supported by a number of other SU entities that also contribute to the University’s competitive positioning. These include the Development and Alumni Relations Division as well as communication and marketing practitioners in the faculties and professional administrative and academic support services (PASS) environments.

To continue enhancing the professionalism and quality of SU’s communication efforts, the University has a long-standing relationship with MACE (Marketing, Advancement and Communication in Education). MACE is a membership-based organisation that promotes best practice among communication, marketing and advancement professionals in higher education. SU has been a MACE member since the 1990s, and several staff members have served in various positions in the organisation, including as chair of the board, treasurer and regional chair. SU has also hosted several regional and national MACE events over the years, including the annual MACE congress and directors’ symposium. Many of the University’s communication, marketing and advancement team members have served as speakers at MACE events.

Communication professionals from SU annually attend the MACE national congress. At this three-day event, experts in the fields of communication, marketing and advancement, both from the private and higher education sector, give inspirational talks and share best practice. Various networking opportunities are created during the congress, which have enabled SU staff to forge excellent working relationships with peers from other institutions. The congress is the only event of its kind focusing on the different subfields within higher education communication, marketing and advancement, so attending the congress is invaluable.

In addition, SU is an enthusiastic entrant to the MACE Excellence Awards, an annual flagship event that recognises and celebrates excellence in the marketing, advancement, communication and related fields. The University’s list of awards won at this event date back as far as its MACE membership.

Over the years, SU has performed exceptionally well at the Excellence Awards, especially in recent years, scooping 34 awards in 2018 and 36 awards in 2019. In 2021, SU received two of the highest honours at the MACE Excellence Awards – the Severus Cerff Award for Consistent Excellence, and the Chairperson’s Award of Excellence.

Our track record of awards shows the dedication and professionalism of the various teams directly involved in marketing, advancement and communication at SU. These include the Corporate Communication and Marketing Division, the Development and Alumni Relations Division, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Marketing and Communication Division, the Division for Research Development, and several other faculties and professional and administrative support services (PASS) environments that have entered the awards in recent years.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Excellence Awards did not take place in 2020. Avirtual event hosted in 2021 included entries for 2020 as well as the first semester of the2021 academic year. Similar to other institutions, SU entered fewer projects in 2021, butstill scooped 26 awards – two special awards, one platinum award, two gold, nine silverand 12 bronze awards.

“These awards give appropriate recognition to the continued high-quality work delivered by SU’s communication, marketing and fundraising teams. What makes it even more remarkable is that this was achieved during the pandemic, amidst many challenges. These teams truly embody SU’s value of excellence.” – Prof Hester Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy and Internationalisation

SU and MACE

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MACE (Marketing, Advancement and Communication in Education) fulfils a leadership role in the higher education, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and private education sectors in Southern Africa by adding value to practitioners in the fields of marketing, advancement and communication. This it does through high-quality development programmes, facilitating networking partnerships and transformation, as well as promoting best practice among these professions at MACE member institutions.

The mission of the organisation centres on three strategic focus areas, namely:• the promotion of best practice (benchmarks and standards of excellence);• networking and partnerships (among members and with relevant stakeholders); and• strategic positioning (of MACE practitioners at higher education/TVET institutions,

and of the different education sectors).

Having evolved out of several bodies focused on public relations, marketing, communication and development in the higher education sector, MACE celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019.

The board of directors comprises professionals from across the higher education marketing, advancement and communication sector. Supported by regional structures, MACE hosts regular regional workshops, as well as the annual national workshop and directors’ symposium. Its annual congress draws an average of 200 delegates and explores topics such as website management, events management, various communication and marketing issues, strategy development and fundraising.

About the Excellence AwardsThe Excellence Awards form part of the annual congress, and recognise and celebrate the excellence and achievements of specialists and practitioners in marketing, communication and advancement in the higher education sector. Awards are made during a gala dinner – the jewel in MACE’s crown.

Entries are prepared according to set guidelines. Entrants are required to demonstrate the strategic alignment of their project, articulate the objectives, outcomes and outputs, and show how the project achieved success as measured against its strategy and objectives.

Awards are made in the three divisions of campaigns, media and skills. The 30 award categories encompass brand building, fundraising, stakeholder engagement, crisis management, student recruitment, printed and digital publications and channels, events, design, writing, and multimedia production.

The entry guidelines are based on global best practice in professional communication, marketing and advancement. The team of evaluators comprise senior marketing, advancement and communication professionals, hand-picked from tertiary institutions and industry. The MACE board reviews and approves all panellists to ensure that only true leaders in the profession are allowed the privilege of determining the standard of excellence in their respective fields of expertise.

A pair of panellists – one from a tertiary institution and the other from the business world – evaluate each entry according to the set criteria and provide each entrant with detailed, constructive feedback. The comments and scores are moderated by a third panellist, who performs a final check on the standard and allocation of awards.

About MACE

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Severus Cerff Award for Consistent Excellence This award is based on the number of entries by a single institution, and the number and level of those entries winning awards. Therefore, the award is made to the institution with the highest success ratio.

Chairperson’s Award of Excellence The winners of the gold and platinum awards are considered for the Chairperson’s Award of Excellence, which is awarded to a single entry that embodies true excellence in marketing, advancement or communication.

Platinum award This award is made to the highest-scoring gold award-winning entry in each division.

Gold award This award is made to the highest-scoring entry in a category.

Silver award All entries that achieve a score of 5,75 or higher earn a silver award.

Bronze award All entries that achieve a score of 5,24 to 5,74 earn a bronze award.

Awards

Entries are scored on the following seven-point rating scale: 1. Information not provided, totally inappropriate approach.2. No indication of strategic alignment, approach not explained or

wrong, no measurement.3. Inadequate explanation of alignment with the strategy, most key

elements were missing, vague explanation of approach, only anecdotal results.

4. Professionally competent execution of the project, but not exceptional.5. Professionally competent and better than average.6. Clearly aligned with the business strategy of the institution, approach

well explained, and valid and reliable results.7. Exceptional and innovative approach, setting a new standard, insightful

alignment with the business strategy, exceptional motivation of approach, and impressive, valid and reliable results.

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SU’s 2020/ 2021 awards

Award category Project Recipient

Special awards

Severus Cerff Award for Consistent Excellence Stellenbosch University

Chairperson’s Award of Excellence #COVID-19 Relief Fund: Making a Difference Development and Alumni Relations Division

Platinum awards

Fundraising campaigns #COVID-19 Relief Fund: Making a Difference Development and Alumni Relations Division

Gold awards

Videography: Skills Human Touch FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

Events: Single and multiday FMHS gala concert 2019 FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

Silver awards

Writing for news media Improved care for children with TB Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

Writing for news media Offshore wind energy could help solve SA’s electricity woes Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

Student Recruitment campaigns Virtual graduation ceremonies Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

Community and social responsibility campaigns FMHS charter FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

Design for digital media FMHS content hub website FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

Websites FMHS content hub FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

Fundraising campaigns #MaskedMasterpieces Development and Alumni Relations Division

General campaigns #ThankYou/ Dankie/ Enkosi Development and Alumni Relations Division

Digital: External magazines and newsletters VIVUS newsletter e-mailer FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

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SU received two of the highest honours at the 2021 MACE Excellence Awards – the Severus Cerff Award for Consistent Excellence, and the Chairperson’s Award of Excellence.

Gold and platinum award winners are considered for the Chairperson’s Award of Excellence, which is presented to a single entry that embodies true excellence in marketing, advancement or communication. The moderator of the Excellence Awards and the chair of the MACE board of directors identify the winner. The Development and Alumni Relations Division’s entry for the COVID-19 Relief Fund was crowned the winner.

The Severus Cerff Award for Consistent Excellence is based on the number of entries an institution submits, and the number and level of the awards it ends up winning. Therefore, having garnered this prestigious award, SU was the institution with the highest success ratio.

Special awards

Bronze awards

Digital: Internal magazines and newsletters VIVUS newsletter e-mailer FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

Videography: Skills I want to ride my bicycle! An SU Campus tour Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

Brand-building campaigns #helloMaties campaign Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

General campaigns #WomenofSU Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

Websites COVID-19 website Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

Social media #SUgradstory Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

Videography: Skills Thank you, frontline workers! FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

Social media SU FMHS’s Facebook page FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

Audio, visual and audio-visual Postgraduate welcoming and orientation video 2021 #postgradSUccess Postgraduate Office

Printed and digital annual reports Research at Stellenbosch University 2019 Division for Research Development

Fundraising campaigns #Train4Fees Development and Alumni Relations Division

General campaigns Virtual events Development and Alumni Relations Division

SU’s 2020/ 2021 awards

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Development and Alumni Relations Division

The #COVID-19 Relief Fund campaign was launched in May 2020 under the hard lockdown to assist the University and its various communities financially through fundraising. Funds raised allowed SU to carry out essential research, help all students switch to online learning seamlessly, combat student hunger, provide support to medical staff working on the front line, and assist surrounding communities during the pandemic.

Based on research, Development and Alumni Relations knew that the number of social media users and the amount of time they spent online had drastically increased due to COVID-19. Therefore, a virtual campaign run on the SU and SU alumni Facebook and Twitter pages, along with a dedicated #COVID-19 Relief Fund webpage, were the ideal way to speak to a captured online audience. A call was issued to staff, alumni, donors and friends of the University to lend a helping hand through donations. The following five priority areas were identified for this philanthropic giving campaign:

• Digital access for SU students • #Move4Food• Support for SU healthcare workers• Research and innovation response• #StellenboschUnite

Success factors

Donations received and the priorities SU was able to address included the following:

• Donations received from January to June 2020 were 51% higher compared to the corresponding period in 2019.

• The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation in the United States made grant contributions totalling over R3,6 million. The funding was specifically earmarked for tailored academic and psycho-social support for vulnerable students at risk of not graduating or progressing to the next academic year, and for the digitalisation of the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at Tygerberg Hospital. The groundbreaking system uses cameras, tablet computers and voice and electronic notes to capture data onto a central database, which enables specialists to monitor patients remotely.

• The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust donated R1,75 million to support SU’s rapid switch to emergency remote teaching, learning and assessment (ERTLA) to help students complete the academic year successfully. The grant covered design capacity for online learning materials, the development of online assessment protocols, and a tutor and mentorship programme.

• SU received a Harry Crossley Foundation grant of R250 000 for further expansions to the tutoring offering for students.

• To date, the University has supported 43 students (R98 500 per student) through the #Move4Food campaign.

• Some staff increased their donations, while others donated for the first time.

For more, visit the Relief Fund webpage:

Watch the video message by SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Wim de Villiers:

COVID-19 Relief Fund: Making a Difference

Fundraising campaigns

English Afrikaans

English Afrikaans

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COVID-19 Relief Fund: Making a Difference

Fundraising campaigns

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FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

Numerous staff and students from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) have dual roles at the Faculty and Tygerberg Hospital, and had to serve on the front line when the pandemic hit the Western Cape. They displayed courage and ingenuity, and demonstrated their commitment to a high-quality patient-centred approach while working under very difficult circumstances.

FMHS staff working in the COVID-19 ICU launched an innovative project that brought comfort to critically ill and, in some instances, dying patients and their families, and also lightened the load of overworked healthcare personnel. The project involved deploying Quintin, a Double Robotics robot that had been assisting doctors with their rounds in the COVID-19 ICU, to put concerned relatives in touch with ICU patients who had to be isolated. The robot was equipped to do video and voice calls using WhatsApp, or regular phone calls, allowing relatives to “visit” with ICU patients.

The video Human Touch, which was the subject of this entry, aimed to showcase this project. It sought to feature the impact of the project on communities, highlighting the human-interest aspect, as well as to give recognition to FMHS staff for the ingenuity and humanity displayed in their work. A further aim was to promote a positive public attitude towards Tygerberg Hospital (a key training and research partner of the FMHS), which has received some negative media attention since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To record the film, members of the marketing team had to work inside Tygerberg’s COVID-19 ICU, potentially risking their own health. Filming in this environment was particularly challenging due to the strict safety protocols, and the crew had to constantly don and doff personal protective equipment and sanitise all recording equipment each time they entered or exited a ward. The process was cumbersome, and filming took much longer to complete than it would have in normal circumstances.

Success factors

The primary objective was for the video to reach at least 25 000 viewers via the FMHS social media channels, and to elicit engagement that was at least equivalent to the benchmark statistics for these platforms. The video was loaded onto the FMHS Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram/IGTV accounts, where it reached 75 072 viewers in total – tripling the initial goal of 25 000.

A secondary goal was to generate uptake in the media, for which a media statement was issued featuring the story and highlighting the video to 115 media outlets. The objective was for the story to be featured by at least 20 media outlets, and to reach an audience of two million media users. This was not only achieved but exceeded: it featured in 28 news items and reached more than 63 million people.

The community response to the video was overwhelmingly positive, as is evident from the number of “likes”, “loves” and “wows” received on social media. The post and video managed to stimulate a positive conversation around the work done at Tygerberg Hospital.

Watch the video:

Human Touch

Videography: Skills

Click here

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FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

The FMHS gala concert was first conceptualised in 2013 when Dean Prof Jimmy Volmink suggested the creation of an inclusive platform for all FMHS staff and students to showcase their talents in creative arts. The event promotes the Faculty’s key focus area of being a leader in transformative experiences. The annual concert celebrates FMHS’s diversity and is an enjoyable evening where students, staff and other stakeholders socialise in a relaxing atmosphere.

The FMHS values a balanced and holistic lifestyle, and makes an effort to ensure that all students and staff feel included and are able to fulfil their potential. Mental, emotional and physical health is key for health professionals to maintain sustainable careers, and creativity plays a crucial role in this regard. In addition, the concert is a collaborative event that brings together staff and students from different disciplines and backgrounds to enjoy their shared interest in the creative arts and different forms of self-expression.

Success factors

Key success factors of this event include a proper understanding of the demographics of the target audience and their needs to encourage them to participate. Breaking the event down into detailed categories and following a multichannel approach to marketing have further aided the success of the initiative.

Watch the event video:

FMHS gala concert 2019

Events: Single and multiday

Click here

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Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

Tuberculosis (TB) claims more than a million lives globally each year. Children are hit particularly hard by this disease, yet often fall through the cracks in terms of treatment because of challenges with diagnosis and reporting. One of the ways to remedy this is through a TB care cascade that depicts all the essential steps (or pillars) to ensure successful treatment. As part of her doctoral study, Dr Karen du Preez from SU’s Desmond Tutu TB Centre investigated the role of diagnostic and treatment surveillance strategies to inform such a cascade for use in paediatric TB care in South Africa.

Sharing the findings of this study with the relevant target audiences – media outlets, politicians, provincial managers of TB programmes, and healthcare professionals at hospitals and clinics – was essential. A press release was issued to explain how the challenges with paediatric TB diagnosis and reporting could be addressed, and to demonstrate how SU uses research to improve health outcomes for children. Taking this research into the public domain by relaying the findings of a complex study in digestible terms most likely assisted in achieving overall systemic change.

Success factors

The press release was published on SU’s website and distributed in the media. It received good coverage and was carried in different print and online newspapers such as Cape Times (average circulation of 8 377), The Star (average circulation of 19 990) and News24 (7 million local users). Dr Du Preez also featured as a guest on a few radio and television stations such as Cape Talk (50 000+ listeners Mondays-Fridays), RSG (1,26 million listeners), eNCA (±900 000 viewers) and Newzroom Afrika (±2 727 823 viewers). Moreover, on World TB Day, the media approached her as one of the experts to speak on TB treatment in South Africa.

Click on links to some of the articles and interviews:

Improved care for children with TB

Writing for news media

Cape Times

News24

Cape Talk

Click here

Watch the eNCA video:

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Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

Loadshedding continues to disrupt South Africans’ lives and has a crippling effect on the national economy. With the country’s ageing coal-fired power plants becoming increasingly unreliable, tapping into renewable energy sources could help solve the nation’s electricity woes. One such source is off-shore wind energy. Dr Gareth Erfort and Mr Gordon Rae from SU’s Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering conducted the first comprehensive assessment of South Africa’s offshore wind energy resources. Having quantified these resources in terms of how much electricity could be generated, they found that South Africa’s abundant offshore wind energy could very well be the solution to the country’s electricity crisis.

Knowing that the energy debate tends to be highly technical and inaccessible to non-experts, it was important to distil Erfort and Rae’s key findings into a user-friendly press release. This was shared with specific target audiences, including media outlets, policymakers and officials in the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources, renewable-energy lobbyists and clean-energy activists. The goal was to demonstrate that (i) South Africa has enough offshore wind energy resources to solve the country’s electricity problems and do away with loadshedding; and (ii) SU scientists’ research helps address the nation’s pressing developmental challenges in an effort to create a better society for all.

Success factors

The press release was published on SU’s website and sent to media outlets across the country. The story received extensive media coverage in, among others, Cape Argus (daily circulation of 8 900), The Mercury (daily circulation of 11 000) and on Business Insider (5 339 567 unique browsers). The researchers were also interviewed on radio and television stations such as Cape Talk (50 000+ listeners, Mondays-Fridays), Power FM (100 000+ listeners), e.tv News (±2,5 million viewers) and SABC3 (±1 million viewers).

Click on links to some of the articles and interviews:

Offshore wind energy could help solve SA’s electricity woes

Writing for news media

Cape Argus

Business Insider

Cape Talk

Click here

Watch the e.tv News video:

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Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

The goal of this campaign was to ensure the successful continuation of SU’s annual autumn graduation ceremonies despite the COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings and social contact.

Pre-recorded faculty-specific graduation ceremonies were identified as the best option for the University’s graduates to be awarded their qualifications at a dignified virtual event. As graduation ceremonies are large-scale events, properly and timeously informing all students and their guests of the relevant details so that they knew when to tune in for their online graduation on SU’s YouTube channel was no small task.

Links to each faculty ceremony were sent to graduates via e-mail, posted on the graduation website, published in the weekly staff newsletter, and advertised on all SU social media platforms. Each recording included speeches by the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, deans of faculties, the Registrar as well as the Development and Alumni Relations Division. Graduates’ names scrolled across the screen, with subheadings for the various degrees, and cinematic music playing in the background. To ensure accessibility and inclusivity, all speeches and announcements were subtitled.

Success factors

In the period 1 March to 1 April 2021, the graduation website received more than 13 000 views – more than thrice the number of graduates. The graduation newsletter recorded an average opening rate of 79%, which was well above the industry standard of 25%, and the graduation videos had more than 25 000 views. Clearly, the website and newsletter served their purpose of informing graduates of the ceremonies and driving video views. The sense of excitement among graduates, their parents, current students and alumni during the graduation period was palpable from the video comments and social media posts. Despite all the challenges of 2020, therefore, it is safe to conclude that the virtual graduation ceremonies left a lasting positive impression on graduates and other stakeholders.

Virtual graduation ceremonies

Student recruitment campaigns

Click here

View the ceremonies on YouTube:

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FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

SU’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) seeks to build an institutional culture that welcomes, develops and supports a diverse body of students and staff. While the Faculty had built a strong reputation for advancing health and equality, its staff and students recognised that the pace and extent of transformation was inadequate.

FMHS realised that to achieve real change and curb all forms of discrimination, they needed a strategy that would inform new ways of living, working and studying. To this end, the FMHS Marketing and Communication Division joined forces with the Faculty’s Dean’s Advisory Committee on Transformation (DACT) to create a series of workshops and conversations, which culminated in SU’s very first faculty charter. In welcoming the charter, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers said it strengthened the University’s aspiration of being “a transformed academic community that celebrates critical thinking, promotes debate and is committed to human rights and social justice”. The charter was unveiled across three panels in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa in October 2019.

The launch of the charter is one of the Faculty’s most significant projects in its 65-year history. It is the manifestation of a proud, forward-thinking pledge, highlighting the ways in which the FMHS works to celebrate all forms of diversity and cultivate empowering environments in its academic, administrative and clinical settings.

Success factors

The overall goal of the FMHS charter launch campaign was to raise awareness of the Faculty’s pursuit of an institutional culture that welcomes, develops and supports a diverse student body and staff corps.

Overall, the campaign’s social media posts, e-mailers and newsletter performed very well, exceeding average engagement levels for the industry. News about the FMHS charter launch also achieved above-average engagement rates among the target audience.

The FMHS has since initiated discussions to start incorporating the charter values into the curricula of all academic programmes, all on-boarding processes for new staff, and the work performance agreements of existing staff. In this way, the charter facilitates transformative learning.

FMHS charter

Community and social responsibility campaigns

Click here

Read the charter:

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FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) comprises 15 academic departments, 33 academic divisions as well as 18 centres, bureaus, institutes, and student and business administration centres. It is home to 5 000 students and over 1 600 academic and administrative staff, the majority of whom require marketing support to fulfil their various roles. The Faculty is a dynamic institution with a strong focus on quality teaching and learning, including the provision of effective support services to students and staff. A self-driven hub of global excellence, it has also been the launchpad for multiple groundbreaking medical and health sciences initiatives.

The FMHS Marketing and Communication Division is responsible for supporting the work of the Faculty’s 7 000 people through key marketing and communication initiatives. Over time, however, processes involved in this undertaking became blurred as students and staff started creating their own logos, websites and marketing material to achieve their research, teaching and learning objectives. The creation of a content hub is an effective solution to bring together all forms of FMHS media, offering staff and students a one-stop shop for all their marketing and communication requirements. At the same time, the hub also streamlines the Marketing and Communication Division’s own operations.

The guidelines, standard operating procedures, brand manuals, publications, news and event management tools, image library and general FMHS information contained in the hub have had a major positive impact on staff and students’ engagement with marketing content since the hub was launched in February 2021.

Success factors

The overall goal of the FMHS content hub was to equip staff and students with the best possible tools to meet their marketing and communication needs. In a mere six-month period following the launch, nearly 2 100 staff and students already accessed the hub.

The launch took the form of a special-edition 40-second video that was e-mailed to all FMHS staff and students and also shared on the Faculty’s social media platforms.

In an April 2021 survey, nearly 60% of staff and student respondents indicated that the information in the hub was valuable, and 60% agreed that the content hub would change the way in which they approach their work in future.

FMHS content hub website

Websites, and Design for digital media

Click here

Visit the content hub (SunID required):

Click here

Watch the content hub launch video:

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Development and Alumni Relations Division

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating financial impact on students as well as their parents or guardians, who were suddenly faced with income cuts, unemployment and business closures. This spurred SU’s Development and Alumni Relations Division (DAR) to explore ways to provide support, especially to students from the so-called missing middle, who often fall through the cracks. One DAR-initiated project to raise funds to support and empower students was #MaskedMasterpieces.

Portraits by various famous South African artists, broadly reflecting the country’s art history landscape, were selected, and masks were superimposed on the works. The art was subsequently displayed in key outdoor locations across Stellenbosch in a supersized (5 m x 3 m) format as a powerful visual reflection of COVID-19 times. The selected artists are all considered South African art masters. They include Vladimir Tretchikoff, Maggie Laubser, Jan Gerard Sekoto, Irma Stern and Zanele Muholi. Each artwork was featured on DAR’s social media platforms. Direct appeals were also made to alumni, high networth individuals and others to donate to the initiative. In addition, a virtual tour was created to accommodate those who could not visit Stellenbosch because of the lockdown restrictions.

Because the initiative utilised art as a vehicle, the decision was made to use the funds raised to support missing-middle bursary students of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Success factors

While a target of R1,5 million was set, #MaskedMasterpieces managed to raise R1,8 million to support students hardest hit by COVID-19.

The works also became landmarks, and a reminder of South Africa’s great artistic heritage. A Stellenbosch resident who is an avid cyclist even created his own virtual tour and challenged fellow cyclists to visit the sites. Selfies were posted on social media, and a limited A3 poster print run were gifted and sold, and were even sent to South African embassies overseas to display in their public areas. #MaskedMasterpieces masks were also manufactured and given to donors and friends of SU to thank them for their support. Visit Stellenbosch, the local tourism body, subsequently adopted and further promoted the project.

Project costs were covered by Investec Bank, the Fuchs Foundation, Beck Family Trust, Rupert Art Foundation, Norval Foundation, and Strauss and Co.

#MaskedMasterpieces

Fundraising campaigns

English

Afrikaans

Visit the project website:

Click here

Watch the exhibition video:

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#MaskedMasterpieces

Fundraising campaigns

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Development and Alumni Relations Division

The COVID-19 pandemic affected individuals across the world in various ways, and SU donors were no exception. Despite the tough economic times, however, many SU stakeholders continued to make financial contributions to the various online campaigns the University launched throughout 2020 to address critical SU and local community needs.

Therefore, the #ThankYou campaign was introduced to acknowledge repeat donors as well as new donors who came on board to support the University’s COVID-19 Relief Fund early in 2020. The campaign, which was run on the Development and Alumni Relations Division’s social media platforms, was solely aimed at highlighting SU’s valued donors and showing them the direct and positive impact of their contributions on the lives of students, SU health workers and surrounding communities, as well as research to combat the pandemic.

Research and the University’s own experience have shown that thanking donors can turn donor engagement from a pure transactional activity into a more emotionally connected one, which increases the likelihood of a long-term relationship.

Success factors

A distinct look and feel was created for all campaign marketing materials. A special tagline – “You donated. You volunteered. You made a difference.” – further helped the message stand out above other social media content.

The campaign kicked off with a personalised e-mail message from the Senior Director of Development and Alunni Relations (DAR). The e-mail contained links to a video from the Rector, thanking our stakeholders for their continued support. This was followed by daily posts on all DAR social media platforms, featuring a different donor every day, along with messages from beneficiaries who expressed their appreciation for the support they had received.

All social media posts were later compiled into a digital publication, which was shared with relevant stakeholders.

#ThankYou

General campaigns

Click here

View the publication:

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FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

The digital newsletter VIVUS is one of the core channels used by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science (FMHS) to showcase the achievements and activities of staff and students to key internal and external stakeholders.

VIVUS is a popular read and has achieved engagement rates (opens and clicks) above the industry average over the past four years. However, a closer look at individual audiences revealed high engagement among some groups (students), yet only average (FMHS staff) and even below-average engagement with others (alumni).

Therefore, to increase engagement with particularly the latter two audiences, the FMHS Marketing and Communication Division undertook a process of redesigning VIVUS to be more enticing. The redesigned newsletter was launched in April 2020. The main features were a refreshed look and feel, the ability to view all content, and a click-through function to individual articles directly from the e-mailer. This was a major improvement on the original e-mailer, which highlighted only three articles from the newsletter, and only allowed users to click through to the web platform, not to individual articles.

Success factors

The redesigned e-mailer achieved its goals in the following ways: • All groups recorded above-average engagement with the redesigned e-mailer.• Opening rates increased by 5% for all groups except FMHS stakeholders. A very

encouraging result was that opening rates for two of our primary target groups increased by more than 5%, while alumni, who had had the lowest engagement with the original e-mailer, increased their opening rate by 12%.

• Click rates increased by 1,5% across all groups. In fact, two of the primary audiences (FMHS staff and stakeholders) achieved approximately double the targeted increase.

VIVUS newsletter e-mailer

Digital: External magazines and newsletters, and Digital: Internal magazines and newsletters

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VIVUS newsletter e-mailer

Digital: External magazines and newsletters, and Digital: Internal magazines and newsletters

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Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

SU needed a fresh new way to showcase the Stellenbosch campus environment. The existing campus map had become outdated and could no longer be shared externally. A virtual tour seemed an effective way to showcase the area and introduce prospective students to the campus environment. Upon contacting various virtual tour service providers, however, the Corporate Communication and Marketing Division (CCMD) found that the costs associated with developing such an offering would simply be too high.

A unique opportunity then presented itself. Nils Riecker, a German trial cyclist, was busy with his summer training in Stellenbosch. CCMD’s multimedia producer happened to come across him performing tricks in front of Admin B and struck up a conversation, which sparked the idea of a creative campus tour video featuring Nils.

With more than 500 km of trails to explore, Stellenbosch is widely considered the mountain biking capital of South Africa. Having played host to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in 2018, Stellenbosch further cemented its place as a world cycling destination, so using a professional cyclist for a campus tour was quite fitting.

The footage of Nils doing bike tricks on campus and in front of buildings is an innovative way to attract viewers and showcase the Stellenbosch campus. A map graphic overlay was also added for viewers to orientate themselves and get to know the campus layout.

Success factors

The video was shared across SU’s social media platforms. Since it was uploaded, it has received more than 24 000 views in total.

I want to ride my bicycle! An SU Campus tour

Videography: Skills

Click here

Watch the video:

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Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

The annual welcoming of first-year students is one of the highlights on the SU calendar. To ensure a successful welcoming period, all newcomers need access to relevant information about the welcoming programme, as well as other institutional details such as academic and wellness support, student governance and registration processes. In light of the pandemic, another crucial element of the 2021 welcoming campaign was to share COVID-19 safety measures.

To meet this need, a multichannel #helloMaties campaign was conceptualised, which ran from February to March 2021. The primary target audience was the first-year students themselves, while the secondary audience was the newcomers’ parents and guardians, who also required access to relevant and updated university information.

Success factors

Having received an average of 10 300 impressions and 357 engagements, the campaign doubled the average statistics SU normally records on Facebook. The posts were also well received on Instagram and Twitter.

The welcome website did particularly well and received more than 65 000 views between January and April 2021. The Rector and Vice-Chancellor’s welcome video recorded more than 93 000 views.

#helloMaties campaign

Brand-building campaigns

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Watch the welcome video:

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Visit the welcome website:

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#helloMaties campaign

Brand-building campaigns

25

Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

The annual internal communication programme of SU’s Corporate Communication and Marketing Division (CCMD) utilises every possible opportunity to promote the University’s vision and strategy. One such opportunity is South Africa’s national commemorative days and months.

To mark national Women’s Month (August), CCMD first conceptualised the #WomenofSU campaign in 2017. Since then, the campaign has been implemented annually, each time focusing on different content or channels. For the 2020 campaign, CCMD implemented a month-long multichannel #WomenofSU campaign to showcase the excellent, inclusive and innovative research undertaken by female researchers at SU.

Success factors

The multichannel campaign was well received by both internal and external stakeholders, and received excellent coverage in the national media.

Twelve articles were posted on the SU website and featured in the staff newsletter. Twelve podcasts were also recorded, which reached 2 309 listeners.

In terms of social media, the campaign had an exceptional reach of 10 950 on Facebook, which is far higher than the average post reach. On LinkedIn, the average reach was just over 8 000, also well above the average.

Eight opinion editorials by the following female scholars also appeared in the external media:

Prof Juliana Claassens of the Department of Old & New Testament

Dr Linda Zuze of the Research on Socio-Economic Policy (RESEP) Group

Prof Nox Makunga of the Department of Botany and Zoology

Prof Amanda Gouws of the Department of Political Science

Delecia Davids of the Department of Curriculum Studies

Caitlin Troup, a new Political Science master’s graduate at the time

Prof Nuraan Davids of the Department of Education Policy Studies

Profs Keymanthri Moodley of the Centre for Medical Ethics & Law, along with Prof Amanda Gouws

#WomenofSU

General campaigns

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Read the Women’s Month newsletter:

Visit the Women’s Month webpage:

News24

News24

Mail & Guardian

News24

City Press

Weekend Argus

Daily Maverick

The Conversation

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#WomenofSU

General campaigns

27

Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world into lockdown in 2020, all face-to-face university activities moved online, including at SU. This sudden change required the University to be agile and adapt its operations. A key component of the transition was the implementation of a crisis communication plan to ensure that the correct information about the new way of working, teaching, learning and research reached the relevant SU stakeholders.

The strategy to achieve this was to create a hub for all COVID-19-related communication. This would not only offer various SU stakeholders a single source of reliable, up-to-date information, but would also become a repository for all associated communiqués and other important documents. The COVID-19 website was created for this purpose, and links to the site were included in various other SU communications, including staff newsletters and on social media.

The website includes campus updates, a database of all communiqués, student and staff resources for online learning and teaching, as well as resources and information for researchers. It also features safety and other protocols, mental health resources, campus health resources, links to external COVID-19 websites (such as those of government and the World Health Organisation), a COVID-19 dashboard, frequently asked questions, and key local and national contact numbers.

Success factors

The website went live on 14 March 2020 and has been well received. It is the third most visited SU-linked website and, to date, has received more than 330 000 views. The site has been adjusted in accordance with the unfolding situation and associated communication needs.

COVID-19 website

Websites

English Afrikaans

Visit the COVID-19 website:

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Corporate Communication and Marketing Division

Students’ graduation is the highlight of their academic career. Little did the 2020 graduands know that their special day would be dramatically changed due to a global pandemic.

When COVID-19 hit South African shores, stringent regulations meant that SU’s in-person autumn graduation ceremonies scheduled for the week of 31 March to 3 April 2020 had to be cancelled. A decision was taken to confer degrees virtually on 2 April 2020. The social media team subsequently conceptualised the #SUgradstory campaign as a means to give recognition to graduands and celebrate their achievements, even though they were not able to graduate in person.

Graduands were asked to share with the social media team videos or pictures of how they celebrated their virtual graduation, which were then combined into a single video.

Success factors

The Corporate Communication and Marketing Division was overwhelmed by graduands’ response. Many held their own ceremonies with friends and family, even dressing up to mimic a real ceremony.

#SUgradstory

Social media

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Watch the video:

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FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

Fulfilling dual functions in both the academic and clinical environments, numerous staff and students of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science (FMHS) have been serving on the COVID-19 front line. Despite the trying circumstances, they have displayed courage, ingenuity and resourcefulness.

With this video, FMHS aimed to show appreciation for their efforts, acknowledge them for their service, and document their positive contribution in managing this once-in-a-century health crisis. To help lift morale, the video was released in December 2020, when South Africa experienced a particularly severe second wave of infections, and frontline staff were under severe pressure.

Organising and coordinating a photoshoot of this magnitude (involving more than 250 individuals and groups) posed significant logistical challenges. A makeshift photo studio had to be set up inside Tygerberg Hospital to accommodate busy healthcare staff, who did not have time to travel to a professional studio.

Success factors

The primary objective was for the video to reach at least 25 000 viewers via FMHS’s social media channels, and to elicit engagement that was at least equivalent to the benchmark statistics for these platforms. The video was uploaded to FMHS’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram/IGTV accounts, where it reached 26 409 viewers in total – thereby surpassing the initial goal of 25 000.

Overall, social media posts performed well and recorded engagement levels well above the industry standard. Many followers commented on how grateful they were for the work done by the frontline workers.

The video showcased the FMHS staff members who went above and beyond their duty to assist during a time of crisis, and promoted the Faculty’s people as its most significant asset. It also offered an opportunity for the rest of the FMHS community to celebrate their COVID-19 frontline workers, which generated considerable positive sentiment towards the Faculty and its staff at a time when many of them were in desperate need of encouragement.

Thank you, frontline workers!

Videography: Skills

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View the video:

30

FMHS Marketing and Communication Division

The Facebook page of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) is an important communication tool to spread the word about the Faculty’s work, alongside the FMHS website, newsletter and press releases.

The three primary objectives identified for the FMHS Facebook page for the period March 2020 to March 2021 were:

• to showcase and communicate the FMHS’s values of inclusivity, accountability, excellence, compassion, respect and equity in 90% or more of the content posted, thereby contributing to FMHS’s prestige;

• to ensure that the page grows, and that post reach and engagement remain well above industry benchmarks, being a measure of the Faculty’s communication success; and

• to drive a positive social sentiment towards the FMHS and its work by sharing celebratory, informative and valuable messages (measured by likes and care emojis).

These objectives aligned with the aims of the FMHS Marketing and Communication Division to: • foster a ‘students-first’ culture; • position the Faculty as a leader in transformative educational experiences; • ensure national and international recognition for the impact of the Faculty’s research;• advocate for health equity in South Africa; • promote recognition of the FMHS’s people as its most significant asset; and• position the Faculty as a world-class role model for future sustainability.

Success factors

The FMHS Facebook page is the leading medical faculty page in South Africa, with about 11 667 followers. (By comparison, the University of Cape Town’s medical faculty page has 7 513 followers, and the University of the Free State’s 6 795.)

Between March 2020 and March 2021, the FMHS Marketing and Communication Division uploaded 248 Facebook posts, of which 91,5% emphasised the Faculty’s values. The page recorded 18,3% growth compared to the previous 12 months, and achieved an overall reach of 361 300 (44,5% up from the previous 12 months) and 129 778 engagements. The social sentiment towards the FMHS also improved, as 99% of reactions were positive.

FMHS’s Facebook page

Social media

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Visit the FMHS Facebook page:

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SU FMHS’s Facebook page

Social media

32

Postgraduate Office

With SU’s 2021 welcoming programmes primarily tailored for first-year undergraduates, the University’s Postgraduate Office identified a need for a welcoming and orientation resource specifically geared towards the postgraduate cohort. In particular, the resource had to provide postgraduate-specific registration information, create awareness of the University’s postgraduate support offering (which was especially being made available online due to COVID-19), alert postgraduates to important procedures, and make postgraduates feel at home by hosting a welcoming reception (albeit a virtual one).

The choice fell on an animated video featuring characters that were visually relatable to the University’s diverse postgraduate audience. The video needed to be simple to follow, capture viewers’ attention with appealing graphics, communicate essential information, and be easily accessible online. Key messages conveyed to postgraduates were how to register and access technical or information technology services, how to utilise the University’s holistic postgraduate support services, and how to comply with COVID-19 practices to stay safe when on campus. The video was shared with all registered postgraduate students digitally via a mailer, and also featured on the new postgraduate welcome and orientation webpage from February 2021.

Success factors

The impact of the video was measured by the feedback received from academic departments, other support divisions and postgraduates themselves, as well as by how many postgraduates accessed the welcoming digital e-mail that contained the video, or viewed the video on YouTube.

Of the 7 900 students who received the digital communication containing the video, 69,5% viewed the communication. Utilising the heatmapping feature, the most popular click-through was identified as the link to the welcoming website, while the second most popular was the link to the welcoming video. To accommodate postgraduates who might have missed the first communication, a link to the video communication e-mail was also included in the March Postgraduate Times newsletter. This generated a further 409 click-throughs. On YouTube, the video recorded an additional 772 views.

The Postgraduate Office received very positive feedback: A number of postgraduates made contact to say how helpful the video had been, and subsequently felt more comfortable to phone or e-mail with additional questions. Moreover, based on the feedback received from departments and support divisions, the information communicated in the video managed to avert any registration crises, as most postgraduate students had everything they needed to register. Following the welcoming e-mail notification, the Postgraduate Office also achieved better response rates with their subsequent communications.

Postgraduate welcoming and orientation video 2021 #postgradSUccess

Audio, visual and audio-visual

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Visit the postgraduate welcome and orientation webpage:

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View the video:

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Division for Research Development

The need for an annual research report grew from SU’s commitment to address both the national and institutional goals of excellence, relevance and impact by conducting research for the betterment of society. This inevitably required user-friendly science communication and public engagement to showcase the University’s research to a broad audience. Therefore, through the functions of the Division for Research Development, the annual publication Research at Stellenbosch University was conceptualised.

With the 2019 edition of the publication, the aim was to show that SU was moving forward with its research, building on the solid foundations established in the University’s first 100 years of existence. The key message was that SU wanted to have a significant and positive impact on society through its research over the next decades of its existence as a world-class research-intensive university. While the core strategic theme of “Research for impact” remained the focus, the 2019 edition did introduce some changes as well. For instance, while the 2018 edition included the contributions of a selection of high-level research entities, the 2019 publication focused on specific, individual research projects and initiatives, and their contribution to SU’s five strategic research themes as well as the global sustainable development goals.

As the publication was produced during the COVID-19 lockdown, the decision was made to issue it as an online publication only.

Success factors

The Division for Research Development measures the success of Research at Stellenbosch University through benchmarking it against other research reports available nationally and internationally. Feed-back from contributors and other stakeholders, including the media, as well as the number of national and international views of the online publication are also extremely valuable success indicators.

Moreover, media coverage arising from the publication is tracked, and the report is used as a platform to raise the profile of SU’s research on the Division’s Facebook page (which is carefully monitored) and through specific communication campaigns (which are widely advertised).

Research at Stellenbosch University 2019

Printed and digital annual reports

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View the publication here:

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Visit the research Facebook page:

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Research at Stellenbosch University 2019

Printed and digital annual reports

35

Development and Alumni Relations Division

The #Train4Fees campaign was implemented in response to a need for financial support among academically talented student athletes. The particular focus group were those athletes who had lost their bursaries due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and were struggling to pay their outstanding fees. The campaign was executed by the Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) Division in collaboration with Maties Sport. As the funds were in aid of student athletes, Maties alumni and the general public both locally and abroad were challenged to get moving in a bid to raise R2 million in two months. Alumni and others could register as fundraisers on GivenGain and raise funds by asking friends and family to sponsor every kilometre they completed of a 5 km run, cycle, power walk or any other physical activity. Supporters could also choose to skip the physical activity and donate directly to fundraisers or SU.

The official SU and DAR social media platforms as well as other online services were used to raise awareness, gain supporters who would fundraise on SU’s behalf, and solicit donations. A dedicated #Train4Fees webpage was also created, where individuals could find information, donate or sign up as fundraisers.

Success factors

The success of the project was measured by the number of individuals, both Maties and non-Maties, who signed up as fundraisers (109), the number of donations received (481), and the final amount raised (R1 852 680). Altogether 45 high-performance student athletes could subsequently be assisted with an average of just over R40 000 each.

#Train4Fees

Fundraising campaigns

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View the #Train4Fees webpage:

36

Development and Alumni Relations Division

The Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) Division normally engages with alumni, donors and friends of the University through in-person events in the areas where stakeholders are based. However, with the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown, an alternative way to deliver on its mandate had to be found. In response, DAR chose to invest more time in relationship building, and to leverage the overnight global move to virtual interactions to continue its work.

Hosting virtual events was about creating a continued touchpoint for the University’s stakeholders at a time when in-person human interaction was not possible. From a relationship-building perspective, the aim was to offer a space for stakeholders to connect and interact with real people talking about real events, albeit virtually. These events allowed the DAR to engage with alumni everywhere and create new relationships, opening up new opportunities that in-person events could not.

A targeted engagement campaign of 22 virtual events – from discussions about the COVID-19 vaccine to talks by prominent figures such as former Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus – was rolled out between March and December 2020 to drive engagement with current and new stakeholders. The MACE entry focused on two of these virtual events, namely the launch of the Stellenbosch University Women Alumnae Network (SWAN), and the Maties Wine Club hosted across DAR’s target markets.

Success factors

Thanks to all its virtual events, DAR could continue to fulfil its mandate of engaging with stakeholders.

The initial aim for the SWAN launch was to have 100 alumnae tune in, yet 421 ended up attending the event, exceeding all expectations. Selfie videos created by four prominent alumnae prior to the event were pivotal in driving interest in the launch, and one of the videos reached 13 555 individuals.

There was also huge interest in DAR’s wine tastings. The Wine Club was launched in Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The virtual wine tastings have since become regular events on the DAR calendar and are attended by an average of 20 alumni at a time.

Alumni feedback regarding both events were overwhelmingly positive.

Virtual events

Stakeholder engagement campaigns

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