End f Year Reprt President s Marketing and Cmmunicatin Advisry Cmmittee 2014-2015 Academic Year Reprt Cmmittee Membership Timthy Walsh, Assciate Vice President fr Cllege Relatins, Chair Bnnie Durand, Chief f Staff, President s Office Susanne Bair, Vice President fr Institutinal Advancement Erin Alnz, Assciate Vice President, Enrllment Management Jerd Dahlgren, Public Relatins Directr Christine Lai, Assciate Prfessr, Business/Marketing Department Seth Oyer, Assistant Prfessr, Cmmunicatins Department Kevin Railey, Assciate Prvst and Dean f the Graduate Schl Debrah Silverman, Cmmunicatins Department Carmela Thmpsn, Directr, Admissins Kevin Williams, Earth Sciences/Science Ed Rbert Wd, Prfessr, Design Department Danny Valez, Assciate Vice President, Student Success Undergraduate Student Representative The President s Marketing and Cmmunicatin Advisry Cmmittee met five times in 2014-15: January 28, March 9, April 13, May 11, and June 15. 2014-15 Charge: The President s Marketing and Cmmunicatin Advisry Cmmittee will develp recmmendatins t enhance r facilitate Buffal State Cllege s cmmunicatin/marketing messages r braden the range f messaging t prspective students r thers that influence the cllege chices f current students.
Marketing and Cmmunicatins Advisry Sub Cmmittees 2014-15: Develped and initiated during the Cmmittee s 2013-14 meetings under interim president Hward Chen, the 2014-15 Cmmittee cntinued under president Katherine Cnway-Turner t hld discussins relating t fur key grups: Cllege Relatins Marketing Updates, Plan, Strategies, and Actins Parent Cmmunicatin Undergraduate Student t Graduate Schl High Schl Admissins Cunselrs In additin t the established sub cmmittees, the grup discussed pprtunities, initiatives and recmmendatins t increase Buffal State s marketing and cmmunicatin presence via: New Yrk City/Lng Island Metr Regin Digital Vide Marketing Cntent Buffal State s Brand Identity Cmmunicatin Standards and Plicies OVERVIEW OF COMMITTEE S WORK: Cllege Relatins Marketing Updates, Plan, Strategies and Actins: At each cmmittee meeting the Cllege Relatins Office presented a brief update related t current Buffal State marketing plan strategies and activities that ccur thrughut the academic year frm July 1, 2014 t June 30, 2015 Highlights: Crdinatin and implementatin f President s Blg (Tumbler, Twitter, and Facebkweekly insights and reflectins) Thrughut the year Transfer Student Opprtunities Campaign - July/Aug Graduate Schl Open Huse Call-t-Actin Campaign Sept Undergraduate Open Huse Call-t-Actin Campaign Sept/Oct Cntinued Buffal State Identity Campaigns t increase awareness and encurage applicatins frm September thrugh January Presentatin and crdinatin f the Buffal State Visual Identity Prgram (VIP) Cmmunicatin Standards and Plicies Buffal State Pints f Pride items fr web, scial media and Did Yu Knw Publicatins Presentatin f marketing assessment/roi reprting Preview 2015-16 Marketing Plan Overview Parent Cmmunicatin Recmmendatins and Activities: Parents are increasingly invlved in a student s decisin n where they attend cllege all the way thrugh their time as students enrlled in cllege. The ability t engage parents in parallel t the prspective student thrugh impactful and imprtant infrmatin is essential. The cmmittee has spent time discussing hw the campus can execute this type f cmmunicatin with the current resurces acrss varius departments. Highlights: Seek best practice examples f electrnic cmmunicatin (enhanced email, enewsletters, scial media) t parent ppulatins (bth prspective students and enrlled) frm private and public clleges
Recmmending the develpment f a system, thrugh Admissins and Registrar, t capture parent email cntact infrmatin garnered frm the prspect, applicant, and enrlled stages f a student s cycle Once targeted email lists are secured, develp apprpriate messaging fr each stage Enhance imprtant, impactful cntent within Buffal State s Parents and Families website n Buffalstate.edu Nted discussin n the research pinting t the increasing Hispanic ppulatin f students attending cllege. Hw can we develp unique, targeted marketing initiatives t address this increasing audience? Small campus cmmittee frmed t discuss Hispanic parent cmmunicatin, culture, challenges: When recruiting Latins, it is imprtant t recruit the entire family, as there is a strng family bnd and an verprtectiveness that can ccur Cnsider a dedicated Spanish speaking staff member in varius areas including Admissins, Financial Aid, and Orientatin. Currently, existing Spanish-speaking staff members are ften asked t assist n an as needed basis in varius scenaris with students and parents Seek t cntinue additinal student campus tur guide training frm the Athletics Department in supprt f Undergraduate Admissins prgram Undergraduate t Graduate Schl Marketing/Recruitment Recmmendatins and Activities: Under the charge as an advisry grup, the sub-cmmittee and Graduate Schl staff develped multiple ideas and initiatives. Many have been implemented in additin t the schl s strategic enrllment plan. The Graduate Schl leadership and staff members, wrking in cllabratin with varius departments and units thrughut campus, execute the majrity f the activities. Highlights: Mem t all graduate chairs and crdinatrs asking them t maintain rlling admissins deadline fr their prgrams t cntact all accepted students t assure they enrll t cntact all rejected students t explre further ptins. Letters t all Buffal State senirs encuraging them t cnsider attending Buffal State fr graduate schl. Change in recruitment strategies, reaching ut t a wider audience f students Explred tuitin discunting with Adult Educatin and Institutinal Advancement. Dr. Railey gained apprval t ffer five half-tuitin schlarships t ut-f-state adult educatin students frm the prvst. Only ne was utilized. Seek t ffer this type f incentive again. Wrked with GSA t plan a graduate student cnference t which undergraduate students and all accepted graduate applicants were invited. Wrking with Creative Studies t admit internatinal students int a new prgram. Lking t create a certificate fr anther chrt f internatinal students. Will be ding mre advertising in Buffal State publicatins targeting undergraduate students as well as placing ads in ther clleges newspapers. Will target undergraduates as well thrugh meetings spnsred by department sand/r schls t discuss graduate educatin and ur prgrams. Graduate Schl ffice held a series f infrmatin sessins fr undergraduates wh had questins abut r interest in graduate schl. Departments did nt accept the invitatin t spnsr sessins with their students that the Graduate Schl wuld run. Wrking with departments that have students n prbatin t see if we can keep these students at Buffal State. Reviewing all denied applicatins t see if there is a way t wrk with these students t imprve their credentials. Drs. Seversn, Christy and Dr. Wendy Patersn slidified a number f new 3+2 agreements with Chinese universities.
Recmmendatins frm the Dean and sub cmmittee mving frward include: The ability fr the Adult Educatin Department t develp an nline infrmatin sessin fr its prgram. Streamlining appintment/hiring prcess fr graduate assistants in the sciences. Search engine marketing fr specific degree prgrams including Adult Educatin and Music Educatin prgrams. Wrk with Alumni Affairs Office t secure a list f alumni f the SPA/HESA prgram in rder t seek their help in recruiting students. High Schl Admissins Cunselrs This sub cmmittee has established an annual cmmunicatin plan that cmmunicates t New Yrk State high schl cunselrs thrugh the Admissins Office and survey pprtunities related t Buffal State Awareness. Recmmended cntinued cllabratin thrugh Admissins and Cllege Relatins thrugh digital cmmunicatins strategies will increase awareness amng this imprtant ppulatin. The use f vide testimnials frm students and faculty was recmmended as gd cntent within enewsletters. New Yrk City/Lng Island Metr Regin Recmmended NYC Initiatives frm Cllege Relatins and cmmittee members include Unique NYC-based PwerPint and vide vignette presentatins fr prspective student events, web, and scial media channels Utilize Buffal State students frm NYC thrugh vide, web, and publicatin testimnials Start a Bengals in the Burrughs series cmplete with phts and vides f Buff State students in campus gear at key NYC landmarks Enhanced email and enewsletter targeted cmmunicatin t the metr NYC area prspects Cntinue with Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Facebk targeted paid advertising within key zip cdes and cmmunity cllege enrlled students Supprt Admissins n-the-grund recruitment at NYC cmmunity clleges with student newspaper ad placements prmting Buffal State Establish a Buffal State and Buffal presence in the NYC Admissins Office and meeting space. Campus and Buffal signage, images and vide that reflect the vibrancy f the campus Narrw dwn the NYC target market t utilize funds and resurces (i.e. Nassau, Sufflk, Westchester cunties) Digital Vide Marketing Cntent Pririties: Vide cmmunicatin is critical in telling the stry f Buffal State thrugh its peple, prgramming, and activities. The past few years have seen a significant increase in requests and needs related t vide student and faculty testimnials, campus and department highlights, special events, web and scial media cntent, and paid televisin spts. Examples f n-ging vide recmmendatins, needs and pprtunities include: Recruitment Vide (best f Buffal State in 2 minutes) fr Web, scial media, and ecmmunicatin Student Stries (mini student testimnials acrss departments) Faculty Features (in the sptlight) Televisin - :30 secnd ad spts and YuTube advertising Annual Fall Frum Academic Year Highlights Transfrming Lives Campaign Celebratin Vide Annual President s ehliday Vide Cllege Relatins is cnsidering the hire f a TFA student assistant
Recmmendatin fr campus t hire a full-time staff member as a Digital Vide Crdinatr t exclusively wrk n these imprtant marketing cntent needs Buffal State s Brand Identity Cmmunicatin Standards and Plicies The cmmittee was presented an verview f the campus Visual Identity Prgram that includes the fficial Cmmunicatin Standards and Plicies. Cllege Relatins presented multiple Bengal Pause Buffal State Open Marketing Sessins t prvide strategies and receive feedback frm students, faculty, and staff. Will cntinue in Fall 2015. Discussin was als held in relatin t the fficial SUNY shrt-frm name utilized in marketing and campus cmmunicatin. Buffal State, Buffal State Cllege, and SUNY Buffal State are all apprved names fr campus t use. President Cnway-Turner indicated that the 2015-16 Cllege Planning Cuncil will hld discussins n this during the strategic planning prcess with additinal insight frm thrughut campus. It has als been recmmended t seek an updated Buffal State Awareness and Perceptin Study within an agreed upn timeframe after the new Strategic Plan fr campus has been established. Key Accmplishments: Established marketing plan executin, campus cmmunicatin, and recruitment initiatives have prduced the secnd year f recrd applicatins fr First Time Freshmen Greater awareness f Buffal State s annual marketing plan, budget resurces/distributin, strategies, and actins executed thrugh the Cllege Relatins Office via advisry cmmittee engagement, VPIA/Deans meetings, and multiple pen Bengal Pause Marketing Presentatins t campus Cntinued, enhanced cmmunicatin n a cnsistent basis t nearly 4,000 New Yrk State High Schl Cunselrs (Admissins messaging and Buffal State highlights) Detailed presentatin and discussin n the Admissins Office Recruitment Cmmunicatin Stream laying ut multiple tuch pints fr recruiters t engage with prspective students thrugh cllege fairs, pen huses, electrnic cmmunicatin, direct mail, campus visits, and the web Significant increase in n-the-grund and grass rts marketing recruitment and awareness planning and activities within The Graduate Schl Challenges and Opprtunities: Seek t establish a mre unified campus marketing plan integrating the plans and strategies f Cllege Relatins, Admissins, Instructinal Resurces, and additinal entities that represent Buffal State Limited dedicated marketing funds fr The Graduate Schl and Transfer student ppulatins need t be cnsidered when seeking increased applicatins and enrlled students Overall cntractual funds available t market and prmte Buffal State t prspective students alng with brand/identity campaigns are nt maintaining budget levels that cmpete with cmpetitive clleges and universities Declining cmmunity and 2-year cllege graduatin rates have a deep affect related t ptential transfer enrllment at Buffal State Althugh Buffal State s residence ppulatin and interest frm students wanting t live n campus have increased, hw des ur institutin balance the psitive, increasing interest frm a vast pl f students in Metr NYC with the shrtage f husing? Respectfully submitted: Fr presentatin at the September 11, 2015 Cllege Senate Meeting, Timthy Walsh, Chair