Alison's Annual Report

Western Illinois University-Quad Cities

Quad Cities Marketing and Public Information

Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Report

Fiscal Year 2019 Planning

Submitted by:

Alison McGaughey

Public Information Specialist

February 28, 2018

This annual report is written and submitted by the Public Information Specialist, from the Office of the Vice President for Quad Cities

and Planning. This document describes fiscal year 2018 (FY18) accomplishments and sets goals and priorities for fiscal year 2019

(FY19) related to marketing and public relations initiatives and that reflect the priorities of the University’s strategic plan, the

President’s Executive Institute, and the six goals of the WIU- Quad Cities campus. The accomplishments and goals included in this

report are also found in the Balanced Scorecard, which is attached as the appendix of this document.

The Marketing and Public Relations initiatives support the six goals by striving to ensure the promotion of--and therefore overall

growth of--the WIU-Quad Cities campus. Each goal -- and the actions listed within those goals -- is designed to

● promote; raise brand awareness of;

● highlight and disseminate positive news and accomplishments about;

● bring to top of mind (in the collective regional consciousness), etc. to strengthen the future of WIU-QC via increased and

sustained enrollment.

The public relations initiatives are designed to

● cultivate and strengthen existing community relationships,

● raise the profile / credibility/ expertise of WIU faculty and programs in the public mind,

● drive more campus attendance (both at public events and in paid enrollment),

● and cultivate strong relationships with area media and other constituents and stakeholders to play a role in the public

perception of WIU.

Goal 1: Increase Enrollment of Freshmen,

Transfers and Graduate Students [Quad Cities Campus

Goal 1]

To aid in the recruitment of prospective new students, transfers, graduate students -- of bath traditional

and non-traditional age -- consistently and effective use of social media has created a dramatic increase

in promotion of WIU-QC’s active student life, number and breadth of academic programs, student

organizations, activities and events, alumni and staff success stories, etc. Results:

● Consistently reached and gained new Facebook followers,

● Increased Facebook engagement (via consistent use of tags, shares, etc.,) resulting in:

Examples:

-Highest “organic” (un-paid) post: Wibbitz student-vet feature: 3.4K views

-2nd highest: announcement of Moline Foundation ag gift: 3,860 people

● Inaugurated the use of boosted/sponsored Facebook posts, resulting in increased views by the

thousands:

Examples:

Dispatch feature/Cam Ruiz’s BLAS project: 2,531 people reached

LEJA Boosted ad: 1.5k reached specific targeted audience

● Launched new The QC Current blog as part of new digital content-marketing campaign:

https://wordpress.wiu.edu/qccurrent

Sample post: https://wordpress.wiu.edu/qccurrent/2017/10/10/how-this-wiu-qc-grad-ended-up-on-the-travel-channels-

mysteries-at-the-museum/

● Enhanced Instagram presence and followers by 42 posts over last FY)

-highest engagement level: Undergrad Speaker video: (99) interactions

● Launched first Snapchat geo-tagged filter (Welcome Week Block Party)

● Increased YouTube presence by creating, posting, transcribing 20 accessible videos

● Maintained Twitter presence (983 followers)

● Full-scale marketing campaigns including web, viewbook and other print materials, and paid

advertising, (see Public Relations and Marketing Sections in goal 3 below)

Goal 2: Support Mentoring [Quad Cities Campus Goal 2]

The OVP is tracking goals related to mentoring. The first is our ongoing high impact student work assignments and projects that

relate to their major or career goals. The second goal we are tracking related to mentoring is how many members of our office serve

as official mentors to our freshmen. In FY17 we had one staff member serve as a mentor. In FY18,

I am providing quality, meaningful instruction and guidance to:

● 1 Communications intern receiving training in public relations, media &

marketing work

● 1 OVP student worker/Information Systems major assisting with digital marketing

● 2 Marketing students working on CBT Wibbitz videos

● 2 CBT/ Engineering Management Trainees for social media

● 2 Building Connections mentees

Goal 3: Support Efforts to Increase Community Awareness, Engagement, and Development [Quad

Cities Campus Goal 3; President’s Executive Institute, Goal 3; President’s Executive Institute, Goal 2]

The Marketing and Public Relations initiatives support the six goals by: striving to ensure the promotion of--and therefore overall

growth of--the WIU-Quad Cities campus, via initiatives that include: cultivate and strengthen existing community relationships, raise

the profile / credibility/ expertise of WIU faculty and programs in the public mind, drive more campus attendance (both at public

events and in paid enrollment), and cultivate strong relationships with area media and other constituents and stakeholders to play a

role in the public perception of WIU.

a) Marketing section

b) Public Relations section

Section a: Marketing Campaigns to Increase Enrollment

Admissions Campaigns Directly Targeted for Increasing Enrollment The OVP’s Public Information Specialist is creating and executing marketing campaigns in strategic timing with Admissions cycle,

with messaging focusing on Transfer, Apply Now, schedule a campus visit/ Discover Western, scholarship deadlines, etc., via:

TV, Radio, Digital, Print and Other Paid Advertising ● July 2017 – Spent $460 on t-shirts for Bix (AIA) ($460)

● July/August 2017 –Facebook and digital ads that pushed people to QC Admissions page (QC Times) ( $2,115)

● July/Aug 2017 – billboard on John Deere Rd (Lamar) ($2,600)

● July 2017 and again in January 2018 -on Bix sponsorship ($5,000 total)

● In July 2017 - advertising during John Deere Classic (Dispatch) $2,260

● August 2017 – radio advertising promoting fall class start date. (iHeartMedia) ($1,000)

● October 2017-shirts for prospective students/Cambridge High School class/ other (AIA) $1,548 on

● October 2017 – Fall College Guide ads (QC Times) $993

● September 2017 – QC Marathon sponsorship ($1,000)

● December 2017 – print and digital ads (QC Times) $2,100

● December 2017 – Spent $1500 on TV Military Greetings (WQAD)

● December 2017 – Spent $1650 on digital advertising (WQAD)

● January 2018 – Spent $1000 on SuperBowl commercials (KWQC)

● January 2018 – Spent $1000 on My Favorite Teacher (WQAD)

● January 2018 – Spent on digital advertising (WQAD)

● Feb/March 2018 – Spent $1800 on 33 commercials (KWQC)

● March to May - Spent $8300 on 3 billboards (Lamar)

● Throughout the year – Wibbitz digital marketing ($13,200)

Examples:

● Spring ‘18 “The Right Choice” commercial in development w/ UR and UTV for -- Hunter Doyle/Engineering

Increasing Visual Representation of WIU-QC ● Advocating for QC visual (and overall) representation in viewbook and other marketing materials; strategizing

for improved outcome by requesting, organizing, and creating photo shoots with VPC, and serving as QC-

campus photographer

● Same as above for website improvement / visual representation

● Attacking lack of WIU-QC visual representation by taking, creating, editing and selecting hundreds (perhaps

now thousands) of photos at student, staff, and faculty events, both on and off campus -- 1,500 photos

● Photos have been run by local media when their own professional staff cannot attend

● Employee and Trustee headshot coordination w/ VPC. 3 sessions employee headshots

Digital Marketing Campaign(s)/ Video Production ● Scripting, crafting, and creating social media WIU-QC success story videos via Wibbitz (20)

● Coordinated, scripted, and collaborated with UTV to create Scholarship video(1)

● Coordinating, scripting, and collaborating video for new TV commercial (1)

Military Task Force ● Strategizing for QC involvement and representation

● Contributing marketing publication design/ copy / web tie-in

● Increasing attempt to reach military audience

●

QC Presidents’ and Chancellors’ Council ● Representing and advocating for WIU-QC at marketing and PR professionals’ committee

● Public Relations campaign to include video, billboards, web and digital, and earned media

● “Make it Here” / tie- to Q2030 ($____campaign to result in billboard(s), video and web campaign

Website Improving to Enhance Front-door Portal to ALL Prospective Students and Audiences Strategizing for improved quality by requesting, organizing, and creating photo shoots with VPC, and serving as unofficial QC-

campus photographer

● Collaborating with UTech-QC, Suzi Pritchard and Jeremy Merritt for improved navigation

● Serving on i-Tac committee for same (and for improved accessibility)

● Purchase of digital keywords/ Google search terms for $2,400 (pending)

WQPT promotion & collaboration ● Social media event promotion

● The Wall that Heals photography, promotion and press coordination

● garnered/ gained positive feature articles through relationship cultivation w/ WIU-QC intern

● Ready to Learn, Imagination Station, and Gala promotional assistance

● Rives/ Brouette Historic Gift

b) Public Relations, Positive Perception and Exposure for WIU-

QC

Advancing PEI & Strategic Plan Promotion and Publicity ● Backgrounder/ marketing pieces (1)

● Web copywriting and coordinating for http://www.wiu.edu/PEI

● Media conference pre-prep and follow up (2)

● Strategic Plan promotion and publicity

● Press releases geared to increase attendance: 7 http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php?release_id=14604

● Social media events or posts for same

● Assisted in promoting 21 events with a total of 86 attendees

Community Awareness and Engagement, For this goal, the OVP participated in, promoted, and collaborated with the following community organizations:

● Dress for Success Quad Cities

● Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities

● Quad Cities Chamber (including InternQC initiative)

● QC Hispanic Chamber

● YWCA (Rock Island)

● VIVA QC

● NAMI

● United Way of the Quad Cities (including Day of Caring participation and promotion)

●

Corporate Donors, Scholarship, and Advancement In an effort to promote and WIU-QC Advancement and Development, including QC-campus promotion, via

● President’s Advisory Council (PAC) planning and promotion

● Donor Recognition print ads, social media, press conferences and releases, mailers & videos

● Donor Stewardship pieces critical to renewed gifts

Examples:

Engineering Visit Day video:https://youtu.be/hU6ojBnqoxw

● Garnering Positive Media Coverage

Cultivating relationships with area journalists, crafting and executing expert story “pitches,” and generating news releases

has resulted in positive news coverage focusing exclusively on WIU-QC.

Handling Urgent / Timely Media Queries The OVP responds to and manages timely national stories or state-level issues, respond to & coordinates with

journalists and connecting them with appropriate on-campus experts results in:

- Providing factually correct information in line with University messaging

- Consistency with official University “voice” and/or

- Eliminating confusion / streamlining response in order to diminish mistaken or miscommunicated information;

- Maintaining and enhancing credibility for WIU

- lining up on-camera interviews with WIU leadership for area TV stations

Media-contact Cultivation ● reaching out & following up with new and established journalists in an ever-changing market ● providing backgrounders and follow-up details for PEI, Ontiveros, and other press events

On-campus Press Conferences

The following are examples of events necessitating and resulting: in press coordination, media invites &

advisories, follow-up details, providing photos, and generating positive press

● Ontiveros Gift

● PEI Unveiled/ Updates

● Ag Dual-Enrollment Announcement

● Rives/ Brouette Historic Gift

Public Perception Monitoring ● Tracking all media coverage, mentions, full articles, press releases used/run, etc.

● Monitoring and responding to social media comments

● Maintaining and monitoring daily Google alerts

Publication and Printing Production ● Designing, laying out, and distributing Summit postcards, etc., via coordination with University Relations and

DPS; Designing, laying out, and distributing via Canva, resulting in

-PEI pamphlet

● Viewbook consultation/ collaboration

● Summit postcards, Canva designs and more

● Western Illinois magazine prominent student feature articles and /or news briefs

Small and Large Scale Event Planning and Promotion ● Ready to Run,

● The Bix WIU-QC sponsorship and many more

● Administration of all social media promotion, strategizing web presence collaboration w/ UTech

SBDC promotion ● ___press releases and social media promos

● Promoting workshops and services, educating public on their presence as part of WIU-QC

Goal 4: Support University Planning [Quad Cities Campus,

Goal 4]

Staff and student workers in the OVP research and complete the data for the vice president’s Annual Performance Report that is

presented to the Board of Trustees each December. Our goal is to accurately complete this report by November 1st of each year

and then update the dashboard. In the recent past, the dashboard update has fallen by the wayside. In future years, our goal is to

meet the deadline and also use the data to update the HVHE Performance Dashboard found here:

http://www.wiu.edu/university_planning/2013/dashboard/index.php We also intend to use the performance gauge created for this

annual report for the updated dashboard.

Goal 5: Support Diversity and Internationalization [Quad Cities Campus, Goal 5]

The OVP promoted diversity-focused programming on campus to the community, and promoted WIU in diverse- or minority-focused

publications, resulting in:

● Dispatch Latino/a Guide ads: 2

● Facebook posts relating to diversity reflection/ initiatives: 27

● Campus diversity events promoted via press release, feature article pitched and event covered:

http://qctimes.com/news/local/education/diversity-expert-daca-students-face-uncertain-future/article_4220e7a7-6256-

5ab3-a02d-9cc34c3c04ee.html

● Muslim and Hispanic students http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php?release_id=15011

● Juneteenth sponsorship

● “WIU supports VIVA” mini campaign/ promotion of VIVA student involvement

http://qctimes.com/news/local/education/minorities-

discuss-increased-stress-anxiety-at-western-illinois-university-forum/article_502eff84-963e-

5dec-9f8b-96314d37381d.html

Goal 6: Support Campus involvement in regional

economic development events [President’s Executive

Institute, Goal 2]

In support of this PEI initiative summit/ roundtable planning and driving attendance at the events:

● Designing, laying out, and distributing Summit postcards via coordination with University Relations and DPS

● Designing, laying out, and distributing via Canva

● PEI members to strategize promotion and attendance

● Photography and Facebook an Moline/on-campus summits

Goal 7: Promote innovations occurring at WIU-QC [ Higher Values in Higher Education, Goal 2]

● In collaboration with Wibbitz, using Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform to create and execute a digital marketing campaign

for the WIU-QC campus, resulting in 20 new animated videos highlighting student life, academic programs, and more.

● Recycling Heroes promotion, news release & Wibbitz video highlighting award-winning sustainability initiative (water-bottle

refill stations)

● Quad Cities Manufacturing Lab projects with Eric Faierson and interns

● New partnership(s) between RPTA students and Trimble Funeral Home (and future/additional businesses)

http://qconline.com/gallery/controlled-burn-at-trimble-pointe-funeral-home/collection_5fcb6f16-d617-11e7-b0dc-

bb7a0053b398.html#6

Promotion of OVP Professionalism/ Expertise Sharing ● WQPT Ready to Learn -- recruited to serve as workshop presenter (1)

● OVP Lunch and Learn -- social media lesson(s) (1)

● Communication Student Society (CSS) lecture/ lesson (1)

● Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities -- Wibbitz presentation (1)

Professional Development Activities ● PR Network of the Quad Cities (member)

-Halfday Workshop attendance this spring; 1

-regular monthly meetings - 2 attended

● American Marketing Association - Iowa Chapter

● -quarterly meetings: 2 attended

● Stamats and Ruffalo Noel Levitz webinars - open/ ongoing: 3 completed

● QC Times 2018 Refresh Seminar: 1

I. Budget Enhancement Outcomes for FY18

No budget enhancements for FY18 for this area occurred.

1. Reductions for FY18

No budget enhancements for FY18 for this area occurred.

Budget Year

Fiscal Year 2019

1. Major Objectives and Productivity Measures for FY19

Goal 1: Increase Enrollment of Freshmen, Transfers and Graduate Students

● Plan and execute large-scale marketing campaigns via billboards, print and digital advertising,

radio and television, etc.

● re-launch The QC Current blog with plan to highlight student, staff, faculty, and alumni

achievements, possibly in line with paid content-marketing campaign via WQAD

● Increase social media presence and engagement for both prospective student and “influencer”

(i.e. parent) audience

Goal 2: Support Mentoring

● Participate in Building Mentor program

● Hire and guide 1-2 student Communications intern(s)

Goal 3: Support Efforts to Increase Community Awareness, Engagement, and Development

● Continue participation in above listed organizations as time and resources allow

● Increase engagement in Public Relations Network of the Quad Cities by attending a minimum of

7 events per year

Goal 4: Support University Planning

● Provide creative and/or copywriting support to Dashboard project

Goal 5: Support Diversity and Internationalization

● Increase participation in minority publications (online and digital) by 5%

Goal 6: Support Campus involvement in regional economic development events

● Attend quarterly PEI meetings to promote streamlining and rountable/summit attendance

Goal 7: Promote the innovations occurring on the Quad Cities Campus

● Solicit information on 3 to 5 projects from faculty, and/or faculty-student partnerships highlighted

during

1. Technology Goals and Objectives

None.

1. Internal Reallocations and Reorganizations: Western Illinois University – Macomb

None.

1. Internal Reallocations and Reorganizations: Western Illinois University – Quad Cities

None.

1. Reductions for FY19

None.

1. New Operating Resources

I am seeking $6,000 to pay for a student worker to work 10 hours per week during fall and spring

semesters and 30 to 37.5 hours per week over the summer. The funds would support a student

photographer and an intern to assist with marketing communications.

1. Facilities Requests

None.