Cathy Sams, Clemson University

Integrating digital
and traditional
marketing strategies:
Clemson Case Study
Key takeaway from 2012 conference:
“We are not fully leveraging the most
powerful communications tool ever
invented in the history of the world.”
Source: Hanover Research
2010 survey of more than 100 institutions
Clemson University
Clemson is a land-grant, science- and engineeringoriented research university known for a strong sense of
community,
it faculty/student
f
lt / t d t engagementt and
d relentless
l tl
school spirit.
We’re located in a college town in the foothills of South
Carolina’s Blue Ridge -- halfway between Charlotte and
Atlanta. The campus borders Hartwell Lake and our own
17,000-acre forest – providing roughly 1 acre per student.
Clemson by the numbers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
#25 – US News & World Report public universities
~ 20,000 students
Average freshman SAT of 1246
92% of seniors would choose Clemson again (NSSE)
#34 – Kiplinger’s best values in higher education
#10 – US News & World Report’s “most internships”
#8 – Diverse
Di
Issues’
I
’ top
t producers
d
off minority
i it engineers
i
#7 – SmartMoney’s best ROI for tuition paid
#4 – Huffington Post’s friendliest colleges
#1 – Princeton Review’s town-gown relations
#4 – Princeton Review’s happiest students
#8 – Top500.org’s
p
g top
p academic supercomputing
p
p
g sites
Need for a more strategic approach to
marketing and communications
• Changing student demographics, expectations and
demands (and the “pupil cliff”)
• Increasing competition for students, awareness, dollars
• Declining
D li i state
t t funding,
f di
flat
fl t (at
( t best)
b t) federal
f d l research
h
funding, increasing pressure to hold down tuition
• Changes in how constituents access and consume
information – digital, visual, mobile
Selected examples
Admissions marketing
Clemson World magazine
Hometown NewsMaker
Blending social and mainstream news media
Data from the 2011 Carnegie Connect Study
on the college search process:
• The number one, most utilized source of
information is the college website.
• The most trusted source of information is
the campus tour.
Strategy
• Drive them to the website (and try to
find out who they are)
• Get them on campus
Congratulations
C
t l ti
on your acceptance
t
t Clemson
to
Cl
University! Planning to visit soon? We invite you to stay
right on campus at the University’s own James F. Martin
Inn — at a special “ Future Tiger” rate.
Spend the night where Clemson Universit y’s guests stay
—the James F. Martin Inn.
• Luxurious four-story hotel
• Beautiful
B tif l campus location
l
ti
overlooking
l ki
Hartwell Lake and the Walker Golf Course
• Cookies in the lobby
• Wireless Internet access
• Fitness room and tennis courts
• Deluxe continental breakfast
• Seasons by the Lake restaurant
• Convenient to main campus
• Complimentary
C
li
t
Parents
t Club
Cl b available
il bl
The James F. Martin Inn
Clemson University
240 Madren Center Drive
Clemson, SC 29634-5673
N
Nonprofit
fit
Organization
US Postage
PAID
Clemson, SC
Permit No. 10
Just call us toll-free at 888-654-9020 or go online at
ClemsonUniversityInn.com —and ask for your “Future Tiger” rate!
Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/ ClemsonUniversityInn.
Scan to get a tiger roar
ringtone,
i t
make
k a reservation
ti
or join the Parents Club.
QR code offered accepted students 3
options - download a “Tiger Rag”
ringtone, make a reservation for campus
visit at Martin Inn or join the Parents
Club.
Online Ads – Spring 2013
“Majors”
S
Search
h Sit
Site
Digital ad
Digital Ads – Spring 2013 -- “Majors” ad on key search sites
Ad Retargeting
Retargeting– Spring 2013
“Rankings”
G t
Geo-targeted
t d
Digital ads
Selected examples
Admissions marketing
Clemson World magazine
Hometown NewsMaker
Blending social and mainstream news media
2011 CASE Survey on alumni magazines
• Alumni magazines are the #1 source of information for
alumni about their alma mater
• Magazines
g
are well-read among
g all age
g g
groups
p
• Magazines spur positive reactions (donations, advocacy)
first and a combination
• Readers of all ages prefer print first,
of print and online second.
Source: CASE Member Magazine Readership Survey
Source: CASE Member Magazine Readership Survey
Clemson World
• Reduced print version from 4 issues to 3/year for budget
reasons; enhanced digital partially to offset reduction and
to appeal to younger alumni
• Print & desktop versions released at same time – desktop
offers Web-only
Web only features
• Designed tablet version to release between issues (twice
a year) – content is a mix of unique and repackaged
Desktop version offers
Web-only content
Links to web
Links to social media
Tablet version
offers video, audio,
animation
Each issue includes
instructions about
how to view
Content selected
for interactivity and
engagement
Tablet version
offers video, audio,
animation
• Cover feature on
alums working in
music industry
includes
performances
Tablet version
offers video, audio,
animation
• Cover feature on
alums working in
music industry
includes
performances
• Feature on
Harvey Gantt
includes excerpt
from speech
Tablet version
offers video, audio,
animation
• Cover feature on
alums working in
music industry
includes
performances
• Feature on
Harvey Gantt
includes excerpt
from speech
• Cover feature on
Deep Orange
shows car
driving onto the
screen
Tablet feature to support
athletics facilities capital
campaign
Sidebars allow readers to
select specific sport, according
to their
h i iinterests
Rich media (including
architectural
hit t l fl
fly-throughs)
th
h )
Click-through to giving site
Tablet feature to support
athletics facilities capital
campaign
Sidebars allow readers to
select specific sport, according
to their
h i iinterests
Rich media (including
architectural
hit t l fl
fly-throughs)
th
h )
Click-through to giving site
Popular feature from print
version translated to take
advantage of interactivity
Readers submit photos taken
with tiger rag at exotic or
i
interesting
i llocales
l
Readers click on paw prints to
see gallery
ll
Swipe to see next photo
Clemson World Readership Survey –
Print Rules!
Hanover Research
Hanover Research, December 2012
Key findings
•
•
•
•
•
•
90% read the print version
27% read online version
8% read
d ttablet
bl t version
i
82% not aware of tablet version
65% do not own a tablet
93% not aware that content is different
Selected examples
Admissions marketing
Clemson World magazine
Hometown NewsMaker
Blending social and mainstream news media
Each student story is created using a template
Templates draw information from spreadsheets
Each student achievement is published online
Students receive email when article is online
Students can add their own achievements
Students encouraged to share their news online
Stories go to students’ hometown media
More than 450 stories appeared in local media
Hometown news activity in 2012
• Posted and distributed hometown news about 43 different student
activities and achievements, including freshmen enrollees, spring
break volunteers, Tiger band members performing at London
Olympics and President’s and Dean’s lists
• Published 4,720 individual student stories online at
http://readabout me/edu/clemson-university
http://readabout.me/edu/clemson-university
• Sent student stories to 3,526 media outlets in 2,747 different zip
codes around the country
• More than 450 stories about our student achievers appeared in
local media around the country, many including multiple students
from the same areas
• Students
S d
posted
d 661 stories
i on their
h i social
i l media
di websites
b i
• Those social media posts received 21,589 page views
Selected examples
Admissions marketing
Clemson World magazine
Hometown NewsMaker
Blending social and mainstream news media
Blending social and mainstream news media
Online newsroom
• Provides resources for news reporters
• Feeds news stories to home page and gateway
pages
• Integrated with tablet publications to provide fresh
content for each viewing
Social Media Listening Center
Public Affairs is a formal partner (MOU just signed)
• Brand monitoring: weekly reports on verbatim posts
posts,
conversation clouds, info-graphics
• Early intervention in crisis communication
• Log-in access, dedicated topic profile & training
• Five social media events/year
• “Roar
“R
R
Room”” – listen
li t and
d (strategically)
( t t i ll ) engage
Projects in development
• Super Bowl chatter – WSPA-TV
• Oscars analysis with Oscar-winning prof
• Acceptance Day tweets
Southern
Living
issues a
challenge
Facebook
Manager
C t l
Crystal
Bennett
accepts
Media Relations
Blogs & tailored emails vs. news releases
Results = Clemson research stories in
• New York Times
• USA Today
• Chronicle of Higher
g
Education
• ESPN
• National AP
• Smithsonian Magazine
Media Relations
Blogs & targeted emails vs. news release
Media Relations
Blogs & targeted emails vs. news release
Media Relations
Blogs & targeted emails vs. news release
Media Relations
Blogs & targeted emails vs. news release
ClemsonTV
Clemson branded, Web-based television network to be
launched Fall semester, 2013
Original and repurposed programming
Content shared with broadcast & cable networks
Integrated with YouTube
Links
http://www clemson edu/majors
http://www.clemson.edu/majors
http://www.clemson.edu/visitors/tour.html
http://cyberinstitute.clemson.edu/projects/42
http://www.clemson.edu/media-relations/
http://readabout.me/edu/clemson-university
p
y
http://blogs.clemson.edu/discovery/
http://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/social-media/