There are many options for marketing the University Theme depending on the Theme Committee’s timeline, budget and willingness to conduct outreach and create content. 

 

Here is an overview of how to market the University Theme to campus. This generic plan can be customized as needed for the particular Theme. 

 

 

Key Message Strategy

 

Knowing your key messages is essential to effective communication. You need to repeat key messages in every piece of content you create in order to get your point across and break through informational clutter. 

 

 

What are the main things you want people to understand about this Theme? 

 

What are the main things you want people to do with this Theme? 

 

Why is this Theme relevant to my life (as a student, as a faculty member, as a staff member)? 

  • Why should I care? 
  • How can I benefit from this?

 

 

Main Publishing Platforms

 

Theme Website

 

At minimum, the Theme website requires the following updates: 

  • Homepage: add the theme logo, update introductory content about theme’s relevance to audience, goals, keys ways to participate etc.
  • Event Calendar: update introductory text--however this page hinges on an Event Calendar feed
  • Get Involved: update the details about how to get involved, practice the theme goals in your life, resources to learn more etc. 

 

If additional webpages need to be created, that can be discussed. 

 

 

 

WSU Event Calendar

 

At minimum, add theme-related events to the WSU Event Calendar using the Promote an Event request via MarComm OneStop. 

 

Be sure to indicate these are Theme events so that they are categorized correctly as “University Theme” and pull through to the feed on the Event page. 

 

 

Theme Facebook Page

 

At minimum, the Theme Facebook page profile picture and cover photo should be updated to the new Theme graphics. 

 

Additionally, create weekly posts (ideally 2-3 times per week) to share events, stories, news related to the Theme and help generate engagement from the WSU community. 

 

Theme-related events can also be created as Facebook events and the main WSU Facebook page can be requested as a co-host for greater visibility. 

 

 

 

Other Campus Outlets for Promotion & Engagement

 

While it’s great to create a home-base for Theme information on the Event Calendar, Theme website and Theme Facebook page, this will only reach a portion of campus. These tactics rely heavily on people choosing to search out Theme content. 

 

To reach more people, you need to promote the Theme to a variety of groups across campus and connect the Theme concepts and events to their current interests and conversations. 

 

There are many ways to work with WSU Marketing & Communications to promote events and initiatives. 

 

However, the MarComm Team is not the only content creators on campus and there are many potential partners who can help share messages about the Theme. 

 

 

Warrior Stories | WSU Blogs

 

Warriors Stories is a collection of blogs that tell the story of WSU from a variety of perspectives such as the current-student-driven Campus Life Blog and mission-focused Improving Our World Blog. 

 

There is also the Academics Blog, which highlights classroom experiences and educational content, and Alumni Blog, which focuses on stories of interest for alumni.  

 

Blog posts are great for exploring Theme concepts and showing how people can apply those concepts in their daily lives. They tend toward a more fun, conversational style and make for great content to be shared on social media. 

 

If you are interested in creating blogs, please submit a Tell a Story request via MarComm OneStop and a MarComm team member will discuss editorial strategy with you. 

 

 

Digital Signs & Posters

 

Digital Signs and posters are a common way to promote events on campus, and you could also use these methods to generally promote Theme concepts (e.g. stats, conversation-starting questions, call-to-action to learn more on the website). 

 

While it’s fairly easy to put up a poster or run a digital sign, this is very passive promotion tactic. It relies on people happening to glance at a bulletin board or see tv screen at the right time. Many other clubs and departments are also publishing posters and digital signs, so it can be difficult for your Theme posters and digital signs to cut through the “clutter”. 

 

You’ll have to refresh your posters or digital signs with new content as events pass and be aware that many high-traffic bulletin boards have defined posting windows after which your poster will be removed automatically. Digital signs also have limited windows in order to prevent slide decks from becoming unwieldy.

 

You can work with the MarComm Graphic Designers to create and publish posters and digital signs. Simply submit a Promote an Event request via MarComm OneStop. 

 

There will be a design fee for this service, and you can learn more about the design process and expectations.  

 

If you have designed your own poster or digital sign, that’s fine too. You can request printing services and digital sign publication through the Promote an Event request via MarComm OneStop. 

 

 

 

 

Student News & Creative Outlets

 

There are several campus media outlets run by students and academic departments. The editors may choose to create content featuring the University Theme. 

 

You will have to understand their target audience and typical content in order to a compelling story that is relevant to their editorial goals. You will likely have to provide more information, contacts for interviews as well as photos and videos. 

 

 

  • KQAL | Radio Station 
    1. https://www.kqal.org/
    2. Format: Radio
    3. Audience: WSU community, Winona area
    4. Content: local news, events, culture etc.

 

  • The Winonan | Student Newspaper 
    1. https://winonan.org/
    2. Format: Digital, Print
    3. Audience: WSU community
    4. Content: campus news, some local news, campus & local events, culture & lifestyle, opinions & editorials

 

  • College of Business Blog
    1. https://academics.winona.edu/business/
    2. Format: Digital
    3. Audience: WSU Community, particularly within the College of Business
    4. Content: stories & events relevant to students & faculty within the COB, stories relevant to business careers and skill-building

 

 

  • POV Winona | Film Studies Student Showcase
    1. https://academics.winona.edu/povwinona/ 
    2. Format: Video, Digital
    3. Audience: WSU community, Winona area
    4. Content: students choose topics of interest, always related to film/video, usually some video component as well

 

 

Related Student Clubs

 

Connecting with student clubs with interests that overlap with Theme concepts is another way to naturally get people engaged with the Theme. 

 

They may want to attend a Theme event as a club or otherwise bring the Theme into their club activities. 

 

Student clubs leaders may be willing to generally promote the Theme to their club members in person and with club social media channels. 

 

See a list of current WSU Student Clubs.

 

 

Related WSU Departments

 

Connecting with departments across campus that have a strong affinity with the Theme concepts is another way to naturally get people engaged with the Theme. 

 

Faculty may be willing to bring Theme concepts into their curriculum, or at least promote the Theme to their students. Many staff also work with students and can encourage them to participate in Theme events. 

 

Additionally, there may be Theme concepts that faculty and staff can benefit from in their own personal and professional lives. 

 

Furthermore, all WSU departments have websites and many have social media accounts where they could help promote the Theme.