QEP=MCXC
PR Campaign Update
UK Public Relations and Marketing Team
Jay Blanton
Erin Ziegler, Katy Bennett, Jenny Wells and
Kathy Johnson
An Equal Opportunity University

Objective for PR Campaign
• Educate students, faculty, staff and
community members about UK’s
Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP);
create and maintain awareness about
UK’s QEP for various constituencies on
and off campus
An Equal Opportunity University

QEP Promoters Subcommittee
Representation from across campus including:
• UK Public Relations and Marketing
• UK Athletics
• UK Alumni Association
• Student Involvement
• College of Agriculture
• UK HealthCare
• College of Design
• College of Arts and Sciences – Division of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital
Media
• Partnering with the Town Criers/Linkers Subcommittee
An Equal Opportunity University

What Has Been Done Thus Far
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Promoted contest for QEP Topics through March 2011
– Included video with President Todd, WUKY interview and several
UKNow stories/broadcast emails to campus
Since June 20, 2011:
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Reaching new students through Summer Advising Conference
– Handbills in student packets promoting social media sites; meeting with
student facilitators
Established “UK MCXC” Facebook and Twitter accounts
– Twitter: Twitter.com/UKMCXC
– Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/UKMCXC/121277754623372 (after 25 “likes” page will have shorter URL)
Reached out to UK Core – working on cross promotion opportunities
Connected UK Athletics and UK Alumni Association along with College of
Agriculture and UK HealthCare with committee
Preparation of video and UKNow story to introduce MCXC to campus –
possible repurpose for speaking engagements (pending approval)
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All Vested Constituencies
A more complete communications plan for fall 2011- spring 2013 is
provided in our handouts (pending approval and subject to change).
Highlights include general tactics such as:
• Promotion through campus publications/outlets including (but
not limited to) UKNow, Kentucky Alumni Magazine, Kentucky
Kernel, etc.
• Informational flyers available at Information desks, Visitor
Center, King Alumni House, in bags at UK Bookstore
• Pitch stories relating to QEP to local media including the Herald
Leader, Kentucky Forward, WUKY, Business Lexington, Lane
Report, local television stations, etc. (As plan is developed and
our QEP becomes national model for vertical integration, we can
then pitch to national/higher education outlets.)
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Students
Sample tactics include:
• Summer Advising Conferences
– Information in advising packets
• Creation of Facebook and Twitter accounts
– Reaching students in the way they like to communicate
• Educating student leaders to serve as “ambassadors” to their
respective organizations
• Connecting with student organizations and partnering on events
• Utilizing student-specific media opportunities
– Wildcat Student Television, Kentucky Kernel, Halls in the
Stalls, WRFL, etc.
• Partnering with UK 101/201 to educate new/transfer students
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Faculty
Sample tactics include:
• New Faculty Orientation
– Presentation (Town Criers/Linkers) or materials provided
• College publications/newsletters
Staff
Sample tactics include:
• Staff Appreciation Day
– Information/giveaways
• Information on CareWeb (UK HealthCare intranet) and other UK
HealthCare specific communication modes
An Equal Opportunity University

Challenges
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Finding a simple, concise and resonant way to communicate that QEP
equals equipping students with the tools they need to communicate
effectively in a complex world
Maintaining a baseline awareness level among campus constituencies,
primed for public relations surge closer to SACS campus visit
Developing UK’s QEP strategy concurrent with QEP promotional plan,
which leads to communication gaps, time lag and possible
miscommunication as both develop and are revised
Awaiting confirmation of SACS expectations with regard to campus and
community awareness (i.e. what do we need to teach our audiences so
they are prepared for SACS visit?)
Creating a consistent message for a diverse audience; we have a large
campus using different types of rhetoric and knowledge
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Conclusion
• As we have developed our PR strategy,
we have discovered that we are MCXC
in action – we are utilizing the tools we
hope to teach our students through
UK’s QEP in order to promote the plan
itself. This PR strategy is a prime
example of how we communicate in a
complex world.
•
(link to UKNow video )
An Equal Opportunity University