Tonya Wells, director of University Marketing, made a presentation to the Board of Regents May 10 outlining key marketing initiatives under way with the primary emphasis on supporting recruitment and enrollment at Southeast.
Dr. Debbie Below, vice president for enrollment management and student success, highlighted the significant role marketing plays as part of the University’s strategic enrollment planning, and the impact University Marketing can have to strengthen the University’s enrollment goals.
Wells discussed how University Marketing works to deliver the University’s brand promise of personal support and excellent academic programs to potential students. She also highlighted how University Marketing’s recent staff reorganization into two creative teams allows University Marketing to have an integrated marketing approach for each of the University’s programs and departments, providing better customer service to faculty and staff across the campus to create personalized messaging and products that better fit their needs and align with the University’s brand promises.
She also underscored the importance of the University investing in its website, saying the site was created in-house many years ago, but has not been significantly invested in until now. She told the Regents about a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Technical web audit recently conducted by an outside firm to assess technical specifications, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, user experience and content.
Wells also reviewed the University’s advertising plan, including current outdoor, traditional and digital strategies.
As part of the discussions, Board members noted the importance of highlighting student success stories, using students’ personal testimonials to communicate powerful messages that might attract prospective students. The Regents also underscored the importance of leveraging key academic programs — cybersecurity and theatre and dance — as well as Southeast’s student-athletes and athletic teams to boost University pride and brand awareness.