Public Relations & Marketing - wiu.edu · Public Relations and Marketing...all of which are in line...
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Public Relations & Marketing Alison McGaughey, Public Information Specialist
Transcript of Public Relations & Marketing - wiu.edu · Public Relations and Marketing...all of which are in line...
Public Relations & MarketingAlison McGaughey, Public Information Specialist
Super Short Summary of My Background● B.A. Monmouth College (double
major in English and Communication)
● Nearly 20 years professional experience in writing, editing, PR & marketing
● Former journalist for daily newspapers; freelance writer (1999-2002)
● Transitioned into higher education marketing (Knox College 2002-2006)
● Editor, promoted to Public Info
Specialist WIU -Macomb (2006-
2011);
● M.A. WIU (English - Writing
Studies/ Composition track) 2010
● Adjunct instructor and literacy
program coordinator (BHC and
EICC, 2011-2017)
● WIU-QC (April 2017)
What I’m Going to Cover: achievements and overall areas of effort in 2017,
divided into larger overall categories of :
● Public Relations
● and Marketing
...all of which are in line with the University,
Strategic Plan, and/or PEI goals:
Goal 1: Increase enrollment of freshman, transfer, and graduate students
Goal 2: Support Community Awareness & Engagement
Goal 3: Support Diversity
Goal 4: Support Innovation
Goal 5: Support Mentoring
Goal 6: Support University Planning
Public Relations Initiatives
● Raising our visibility, credibility,
and public awareness ;
● generating and maintaining
positive public perception
● Created dramatic increase in social media presence and engagement
● Consistently reached and gained new Facebook followers,
now up to 2,269
● Increased Facebook engagement (via consistent use of
tags, shares, and other forms of interaction)
● Experimented with adding new forms of social media
● Launched new digital storytelling platform incorporating
video
3.4k viewsHighest “organic” (un-paid) post: feature on WIU-QC student vet’s involvement with local group
promoting healing from PTSD
3,860 reached announcement of Moline Foundation ag gift (in December 2017)
● Inaugurated the use of “Boosted”/sponsored Facebook posts, resulting in increased views by the thousands:
example:A post highlighting Dispatch feature on Cameron Ruiz’s Bachelor of
Liberal Arts and Sciences (BLAS) project benefiting Rock Island High
School students
2,531 people reached
example: LEJA open house
Boosted ad: 1.5k reached, and within a highly specific
targeted audience
● Enhanced Instagram presence, content and followers
● Dramatically increased frequency and variety of
new content
● Currently 212 followers
● Are you following us on Instagram?
example:● highest engagement level: Undergrad Speaker video
99 interactions
Additional social media efforts:
● Launched first Snapchat geo-tagged filter
(Welcome Week Block Party)
● Increased YouTube presence by creating,
posting, transcribing 20 accessible videos
● Maintained Twitter presence (983 followers)
● Created and launched a new blog, The QC
Current
Created new digital marketing content/campaigns
● Scripted, crafted, and creating success story videos via Wibbitz
● Collaborated with UTV
● Reached audiences in medium proven to be effective with social
media users
example:
● UTV video featuring
student Hunter Doyle
urging fellow students
to apply for
scholarships and
thanking donors
Launched & use of Wibbitz platform:
..resulting in new capability to promote WIU-QC students and programs
Wibbitz example: Math on the Mississippi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeNmgOi9Yzg&list=PLF69E202DEE87B97B&t=0s&index=35
Wibbitz example 3: We’re Superheroes!
https://youtu.be/i8Sm3v5x-qQ
● Greatly increased visual representation of the WIU-Quad Cities campus
Student life
Faculty-student interactionCampus visits; small, friendly community
Depicting a small but dynamic campus community
● Garnered positive media coverage
Public Relations Initiatives, continued
Does it happen on its own…?
● Cultivating relationships with area journalists,
● crafting and executing expert story “pitches,”
● generating news releases
...results in positive news coverage focusing exclusively on WIU-QC.
Additional examples
● Promoted diversity-focused programming on campus
Additional examples
● New partnership(s) between RPTA students and
Trimble Funeral Home (and future/additional
businesses)
● Commencement
● Handled media queries
Timely and urgent, every time
● advanced the PEI
via promotion and publicity
● enhanced Development
communicationefforts
Such as donor recognition, scholarship steward
communications, etc.
● Executed event
planning & promotion
Small and large scale
● Ready to Run,
● The Bix WIU-QC sponsorship and many more
● Ready to Run : administration of all social media promotion,
strategizing web presence collaboration w/ UTech
● Increased community
engagementBuilding and maintaining
relationships plays a role in promoting positive public
perception
● Dress for Success Quad Cities
● Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities
● Quad Cities Chamber (including InternQC initiative)
● QC Hispanic Chamber
● YWCA (Rock Island)
● VIVA QC
● NAMI
● United Way of the Quad Cities (including Day of Caring
participation and promotion)
● Improved publication production
From contributing to the University magazine to collaborating on Viewbook
and other pieces
● Helped lead QC Presidents’
and Chancellors’
Council“Make it Here” campaign
promoting ALL higher education in the Quad Cities
Tie-in to Q2030
● Enhanced SBDC
promotion● press releases and social media promos
● promoting workshops and services, educating public on their
presence as part of WIU-QC
● Collaborated with WQPT
Promotion and publicity● Social media event promotion
● The Wall that Heals photography, promotion and press coordination
● garnered/ gained positive feature articles through relationship
cultivation w/ WIU-QC intern
● Ready to Learn, Imagination Station, and Gala promotional assistance
● Coverage of Rives/ Brouette Historic Gift
Marketing Initiatives
Paid promotions and other opportunities to
● increase our brand awareness,
● target specific audiences, and
● drive prospective students and “influencers” to take action
Created marketing efforts to increase enrollment:
TV, Radio, Digital, Print and Other Paid Advertising
● TV commercials
● Radio spots during drive times
● Digital Impressions and ads
● Traditional print advertising
● Billboards
● and more.
Print and digital examples
with the Quad City Times, the Dispatch, WQAD, KWQC, iHeart Media, and more
Marketing efforts, continued
Paid sponsorships, Discover Western ads,
billboards and more
● Strategized for greater
military enrollment
● Strategizing for QC involvement and representation
● Contributing marketing publication design/ copy / web tie-in
● Increasing attempt to reach military audience
Military Task Force ollaboration and
promotion
wiu.edu/qcCollaboated with University Marketing Director and UTech to
enhance front-door portal to ALL prospective students and
audiences
FY ‘19 GOALS
Increase Enrollment
● Plan and execute marketing campaigns via billboards, print
and digital advertising, radio and television, etc.
● re-launch The QC Current blog with plan to highlight
student, staff, faculty, and alumni achievements,
● Increase social media presence and engagement for both
prospective student and “influencer” (i.e. parent) audience
Support Mentoring● Continue to support and participate in Building Mentor program
● Hire and guide 1-2 student Communications intern(s)
Continue to increase community awareness, engagement, and development
● Continue participation in above listed organizations as time and resources allow
● Increase engagement in Public Relations Network of the Quad Cities
Support Diversity and Internationalization● Increase participation in minority publications (online and digital) by 5%
● Strategize and plan photo shoots with greater student, faculty and employee diversity represented
Support regional economic development
● Attend quarterly PEI meetings to promote streamlining and roundtable/summit attendance
Promote Innovation● Solicit information additional information from faculty, and/or faculty-student partnerships highlighting new and
interesting projects
