Division of University Relations Formed August 2009 –Public Affairs –Media Services –Publications –Government Relations –Board of Trustee Operations –FOIA

Division of University Relations

• Formed August 2009– Public Affairs– Media Services– Publications– Government Relations– Board of Trustee Operations– FOIA Requests Intake

President Peters’ Charge

• Develop a brand identity and a corresponding marketing strategy for NIU, to allow us to compete and flourish despite the increasing cacophony of higher education options for potential students -- community colleges, quality private colleges and universities in the region, as well as public universities including UIUC, UIC and ISU.

Discovered

• NIU has extraordinarily talented in-house videographers, graphic artists, writers, editors and web content specialists.

• No staff devoted to social media…..Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Channel, Flicker Pages

• Best organizational structure for NIU is one that encourages cross-disciplinary teamwork.

Reorganizing Communications Resources

• Organize Division of University Relations to be more efficient and utilize complementary communications tools we have within the university.

• Two year reorganization to enhance communication and coordination of NIU messaging on day to day and overall strategic and branding/ marketing basis.

Interim Steps

• Media Relations & Internal Communications Team/New leadership; experience in media relations, production and videography

Interim Steps

• Web Communications Team

• Enhance communications and working relationships between web communications and production including photography, graphic design and videography.

• Team consists of 5 people, all internally reassigned – NIU webmaster, graphic designers, videographers, editorial support and one full time person devoted to social media.

Branding Initiative Staff

• Full time administrative staff dedicated to branding initiative.

• Develop measurement program to evaluate success in marketing and branding initiatives.

• Interim branding needed by November, 2010.

• Implement marketing initiatives based on branding beginning in January 2011.

Major Premise

• Enrollment Issues Drive Branding

• The answer is basis for NIU's branding and marketing efforts in 2010.

Excavating our Brand

• NIU needs to develop and "own" our own brand identity

• Must be authentic and represent the real experiences NIU offers

• Best brands are also aspirational – illustrate what NIU can be

The Branding Process

• Branding & Marketing Committee established with representation from every college and major department (Foundation, Alumni Association, Athletics included)

• Advertising Committee established (Foundation, Alumni Association, central administration creative staff, communications staff in COB and COL)

• Branding exercise developed for use with every group – objective is to surface words and phrases that resonate with all stakeholders

The Branding Process, cont.• NIU’s branding initiative strongly grounded in research

• Extensive review of all previous branding/ marketing/ planning documents, including student surveys, strategic plan, college & department branding materials, mission statement, Baccalaureate Review documents, graduate satisfaction studies, etc.

• Extensive research into the attitudes and opinions of all our stakeholders: students (current and prospective), parents, alumni, faculty, staff, coaches, high school counselors, etc.

The Branding Process, cont.• NIU Public Opinion Lab conducting focus groups and

online surveys:

- Student focus groups convened Fall 2009

- Four alumni focus groups interviewed March 2010

- Online surveys underway April – June 2010:

Current students

Parents of current students

Prospective students

Parents of prospective students

High school guidance counselors

Faculty & Staff

Branding Process, cont.- Two-hour session with NIU coaching staff in April

- May survey of Foundation & Alumni Boards, Senior Cabinet & Deans; branding exercises with each group

- May/June discussion and survey of BRTF members; branding exercise if possible

- Faculty and staff surveys currently under development

Must make sure that brandinglanguage resonates with all

stakeholders!

Branding Goals• Define NIU brand attributes

• Develop a positioning statement (clear, concise dominant “selling” idea – NIU’s “specialty”)

• Write the NIU brand story (combines attributes, values and positioning)

• Develop elevator speech (a few sentences)

• Develop value proposition for use by development, etc.

• Determine brand architecture (how all units relate to core brand)

• Develop message architecture (themes)

• Develop university tagline

In the Meantime…• Branding process lengthy; important to build

consensus

• Strong need to step up marketing efforts even before branding process is complete

• Reorganized teams hard at work on new and improved communication vehicles

Updated NIU Website Coming June 2010

New Northern Today

• All Campus and Community Communications/Calendar/News

• Updated daily as appropriate….• Goal is to make this the number one university

communication mechanism

Examples: • www.today.ucf.edu• www.bu.edu/today/• www.bu.edu/calendar/

http://www.today.ucf.edu/

http://www.bu.edu/today/

http://www.bu.edu/calendar/

Ad Concept: The Power of Education

• Primary purpose: recruitment• Targeted audience: college-seeking individuals, undergrad level

(ad concept also carries strong appeal to parents)• Concept uses the stories of alumni/students to share the

fulfillment of their dreams, with their degree info displayed for subliminal effect.

• Could be a series with 2-3 versions to represent all the colleges.

• Translates across:– TV (uses voice over and text for the degree info and the university sign off)– Billboard– Web– Radio

• Each media component is tied to specific open house or specific on-site recruitment activities

• Each media component ties to a specific companion micro site that encourages users to take an action (i.e., apply to the university or register for open house events)

TV SPOT: The Power of Education

“The power of education helped Joe Peterson turn his childhood love of dinosaurs . . .


. . . into an exciting profession as a ground-breaking paleontologist.


• It helped Nichole Luchs turn her fascination for a heavenly sound . . .


• . . . into a career as a concert harpist who performs with symphony orchestras.


• The power of education helped Patrick Yarbrough turn his love of debate. . .


• . . . into a love for practicing law as a respected attorney and later as a judge.


Discover the power in your dreams through the power

of education at NIU.

Microsite

Northern Illinois UniversityThe Power of Education

power.niu.edu


Other subject possibilities

• Engineering grad playing with Tinker Toys or Legos as a child.

• Nursing grad playing doctor with her teddy bears as a child.

• Business grad operating a lemonade stand as a child.• Education grad teaching their younger siblings as a child.


Questions & Comments

Documents

Division of University Relations Formed August 2009 –Public Affairs –Media Services –Publications –Government Relations –Board of Trustee Operations –FOIA