Valencia Strategic Communications Plan
October, 2010
Prepared by the Office of Marketing and Strategic Communications
Purpose Statement
Valencia’s primary communications should be meaningful to audiences while increasing
awareness of our work, opening doors, deepening connections, and strengthening
support—all to advance our mission. At its best, Valencia’s storytelling is also personal,
smart, and authentic, staying true to our brand and carving out a singular position in
minds and hearts.
What Qualifies as Strategic Communications?
All communications at Valencia are important to someone. And there is no interaction
more strategic than what occurs between students and professors. But for the purposes of
this plan, “strategic” communications are those activities defined by these terms:
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Accessed by large numbers of key audiences via mass media
Central to advancing brand identity and awareness
Revealed through data as most significant to prospective students and current
students as critical resource material for decision-making and engagement
Conveying information that can impact decision making bodies, voters,
legislators, grant funding agencies, donors and others with power to influence
significant funding and support
Broadly able to unify and foster Valencia’s internal culture and esprit de corps
The Backdrop
Valencia serves more than 60,000 students annually, operating from seven—soon to be
eight different campuses or centers. It is located in the 27th largest metropolitan
community in the U.S. with a population of more than 2 million.
The college serves an ethnically diverse student body with an equally diverse staff of
more than 1,282 full-time and 1,500 part-time employees. It maintains a website of more
than 20,000 pages, provides content for and monitors 16 official Facebook communities
plus multiple forms of social media activity. It produces hundreds of brochures,
magazines, newsletters, legislative updates, arts calendars, advertising messages and a
myriad of other communications that add layers of information going in thousands of
directions daily.
Valencia’s foundation has one of the largest endowments in the nation among community
colleges, fueled by active storytelling and engagement with the community. It maintains a
separate website as does Valencia Enterprises.
Valencia will likely expand its academic offerings to include bachelor’s degrees in 2011
and is contemplating a simultaneous change in name.
Emerging media and rapid advancements in technology, continually open new channels
for communications, raising expectations of immediacy and interactivity, and multiplying
stories as well as the storytellers.
Strategic Communications Design Principles
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While Valencia has many internal stakeholders, audiences see and experience
Valencia as one entity.
Championing the needs of our audiences depends on objective insights into
perceptions, needs and behaviors.
Strong communications support our work and enhance brand identity.
Our communications reflect Valencia’s values specifically by removing barriers,
creating connections, fostering deep stewardship internally, and meeting
community needs.
Effective communications have an audience-centered purpose and an explicit or
implicit “call to action.”
Our Audiences
Prospective Students
Current Students
Alumni
Parents of Students
Faculty and Staff
Retirees
Business and Community Leaders
Donors
Legislative Policy Makers
Public and Private Funding Agencies
Arts Patrons
News Media and Influential Bloggers
Messaging—Refining a Brand Strategy
We propose Valencia undertake a process to refine our brand messaging and strategy
based upon qualitative and quantitative research. We will base our strategy on audiences’
perceptions of higher education in Central Florida and Valencia in particular. Valencia
should base all strategic communications on a grasp of Valencia’s brand attributes as
understood by our key audiences. What are the “truths” that drive behavior to enroll at
Valencia; support the college’s mission; invest in Valencia’s success; report on our
stories; maintain high morale, etc.?
Do campuses have a unique brand identity? How might a name change affect Valencia’s
position in the higher education environment? Is Valencia perceived differently from
other community colleges or four-year colleges, both private and public? Do audiences
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understand that we provide continuing education as well as credit courses?
This three-to-six month process will involve focus groups, surveys, self-study, and other
research. I propose we involve a marketing partner to guide us in this exercise. The
results of this work will inform the development of specific messaging points and visual
style guides for our work in three major areas: Advertising and Promotional
Publications; News and Storytelling; and Interactive Communications.
Brand Management
Once we have articulated our brand "anthem" through this process, our goal is to convey
our key attributes in a consistent manner throughout the many different forms of
communications and help all Valencia stakeholders do the same.
Challenges our Communications Must Help to Meet:
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If annual enrollment does not meet projections, Valencia’s operating budget is
compromised.
Too many new students don’t allow enough time to process enrollment and
financial aid applications prior to the start of classes, which allows for an
optimum start.
Valencia turned-away app. 4500 students for the fall term and enrollment growth
(7.2%) is below projections (8%).
Valencia’s image as a “last chance college” or “second choice” among
academically strong prospective students persists.
Valencia and other community colleges do not receive the funding support it
received in the past and its impact and contributions are overlooked or
misunderstood by state policy makers.
In the local community, Valencia’s impact, size and contributions are generally
unrecognized or misunderstood, and overshadowed by UCF.
Graduation rates (21%) are lower than we want them to be.
A name change that drops “community” will trigger unfounded concerns among
prospective and current students about increases in tuition and costs, increased
competition for seats, and an abandonment of Valencia’s core principles.
Valencia is a large college with app. 2,500 employees who are not well mobilized
to tell the college’s stories and not well informed about news and stories.
Traditional news media outlets are doing a poor job of providing positive
coverage of the depth and breadth of Valencia’s impact and contributions to the
community.
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KEY TACTICS
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Advertising and Promotional Publications
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Advertising Campaign for 2011-2012
To enhance brand awareness based upon research and data.
To announce a possible name change.
To support Valencia’s enrollment plans including credit programs, continuing
education, and any new bachelor's degree offerings.
To affect behaviors that lead to student success, (ie. earlier enrollment and earlier
applications for financial aid.)
To drive traffic to valenciacc.edu
See Separate Advertising Plan
News and Storytelling
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Internal Strategic Communications Plan Roll-Out
 To share the Strategic Communications Plan with key stakeholders so that it
becomes everyone's plan and is revised through collaborative input.
 To share a brand identity presentation and seek investment in its successful,
ongoing integration.
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News and Features Website (Launched in 2010-Ongoing)
To take ownership of our news and storytelling.
To provide a channel for deeper and broader news and storytelling than what
traditional news media can offer.
To highlights the achievements and people of Valencia.
To provide external audiences and reporters access to newsmakers, experts,
images and sources at Valencia.
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Public Relations Plan for Possible Name Change Announcement
To maximize awareness of Valencia’s name change and the positive reasons for
the name change.
To minimize misinformation or fears associated with a name change that drops
the word “community” from our name.
To emphasize our mission and deepen engagement.
President’s Website (2010-2011-Ongoing)
To provide a forum for audiences interested in Valencia’s president to connect to
the life and ideas of Valencia as well as key initiatives in leadership and education
policy.
To provide a channel for audiences to access the ideas and writings of Valencia’s
principal “Thought Leader.”
Emergency and Crisis Communications Plan (2010-2011)
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To update the college’s plan to inform key audiences in the event of a crisis,
together with stakeholders, partners and Tom Lopez, Chief of Security.
“Vitae” Magazine (Ongoing)
To revise editorial and production processes to maintain the quality of this key
communications publication.
To continue to expand the magazine’s reach.
“Bulletin” Redesign
To evaluate the need for a redesign of the internal newsletter based upon input
and research into the communications needs of faculty and staff for access to
routine/operational information.
To integrate new technology and production processes as needed.
To support our collaborative culture and shared governance.
Video News and Video Storytelling
To create and widely circulate a library of brief videos which illustrate the
college’s most significant achievements and spotlight Valencia “heroes.”
To better utilize the campus video monitors to support collegewide brand
awareness and messaging as appropriate.
Brand Essence Video
To create a 3-5 minute video that conveys the essence of what Valencia means to
individuals and to a community in a compelling, emotionally stirring video for
external and internal audiences.
Social Media Plan
See Separate Social Media Plan (Power Point)
Miscellaneous Tactics
To build a repository of current FAQs, stories, photos, advance blog posts,
sources and data stored on a shared departmental file to access as needed.
To proactively prepare for and anticipate news and story opportunities.
To respond to any reporter’s needs within the same business day.
To provide assistance and coaching to any Valencia staff or faculty member
needing support dealing with news media or sharing news.
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III.
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Interactive Marketing and Communications
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Valencia Website Redesign
To provide a virtual experience that is as accessible, supportive and intuitive as
the actual experience of “way finding” and support found on any physical
campus.
To redesign the information architecture of a site created in 2003 based on current
audience/user focus groups, surveys, and analytics with insight into page views,
unique and returning visits, bounce rate, S.E.O, and other key metrics.
To reflect the evolution of the medium in just a decade into the number one
marketing resource for prospective students--the most important user.
To establish a comprehensive content management system.
To better integrate new initiatives such as blogging, video and social media into
the web environment.
Web Calendar Redesign
To help audiences more easily locate interesting events in student activities; arts
and entertainment; speakers and visitors; conferences; foundation events; and
alumni activities; etc.
New Media Initiatives/ Creation of Mobile Applications
To explore and implement the best use of new multi-channel strategies that
support marketing, brand awareness and makes communications more accessible
to key audiences.
To maintain unity of messaging and branding in emerging media tactics.
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IV. Resources
Staffing and Organizational Restructuring (See attached Organizational Chart)
The Marketing and Strategic Communications Department is adding key staff to help
implement this plan, including a Director of Interactive Marketing and a News Writer.
We are also shifting roles and responsibilities within the department.
In addition, contractual agreements will assist in refining brand messaging and identity,
developing advertising materials and video production. We may also consider the
assistance of a public relations consultant in the name change launch.
Marketing and Strategic Communications Advisory Group
A collegewide Marketing and Strategic Communications Advisory group made up of key
stakeholders and partners is being established.
The Charge:
This group will provide input into strategic direction for major marketing, public
relations, branding and communications initiatives as well as review research and offer
feedback on tactics. Members are the formal instrumental in the development of
Valencia's communications "champions," able to offer concrete ways that faculty, staff
and students can participate in and build support for Valencia's mission through relevant
and impactful communications.
This group replaces the former Marketing Advisory Committee and has a broader charge.
It will meet several times each semester with a virtual forum (to be designed) to
encourage continual engagement and input. Members will be appointed by the Senior
Staff and represent the following area:
Proposed Members of the Strategic Communications Advisory Committee:
Student Affairs:
Recruitment & Fin. Aid
Admissions:
Sonya Joseph
Linda Downing
Renee Simpson
Deans:
Wendy Givoglu
Penny Conners
Career Program Advisors Rep:
Liz Jusino or Julia Ribley
Workforce:
Falecia Williams
Alumni/Retirees:
Barbara Shell
HR/ Organizational Dev.
Amy Bosley
Campus Rep./Assistant Provosts:
Kathy Hauser
Michelle Foster
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Marie Brady
Michele McArdle
Michael Bosley
OIT
Bill White
Faculty:
Lisa Macon
Carl Creasman
Career Staff Rep:
Nicolle Trapp
Professional Staff Rep:
Liz Jusino or Other
Marketing Staff Reps:
Lucy Boudet, Chair
Darla Sharpe
Carol Traynor
Craig Blazejewski
(New Continuing Education Marketing Manager)
SGA Leader West
SGA Leader East
SGA Leader Osceola
Student Reps:
Social Media Quick Response Team
A small core group of Valencia staff experts has agreed to assist with answering key
questions that may arise in Facebook pages that need accurate, quick responses. They are:
Sonya Joseph, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs
Heidi Shugg, Atlas Access Lab Coordinator
Danielle Boileau, Counselor, East Campus
Tullio Bushrui, Counselor, West Campus
Joe Sarrubbo, Administrative Manager, Student Services, Answer Center, West Campus
Nelson Sepulveda, Coordinator of Transitions Services, Enrollment Services Center,
Osceola Campus
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