Communications& Marketing

at London’s Global University

Communications & Marketing Mission

To maintain & develop the reputation & profile of London’s Global University as a world-leading organisation and as an aspirational choice as a study destination

Objectives:– to communicate UCL’s corporate vision and strategic direction to

key internal and external audiences– to increase UCL’s positive public profile as a world-leading

university– to increase the number and quality of applicants to UCL degree

programmes

Why reputation matters

• Influences our ability to attract and retain the best staff

• Directly contributes to our ability to recruit the best students – particularly internationally

• Reputation affects funding decisions – to support research, teaching and institutional development

• It influences our ability to engage with the best collaborations, partnerships, knowledge transfer activity, and public engagement

AUDIENCES

Identify and understand key audiences

MESSAGE

Target messages to specific audiences

CHANNELS

Use appropriate vehicles to maximise influencing opportunities

CORPORATESTRATEGY

Plan communications & marketing activities to support institutional objectives

Embedding A Strategic Approach

Corporate Strategy

• Communications & Marketing supports institutional priorities:– White Paper– Research strategy– Teaching and Learning strategy– International strategy– Enterprise strategy– Partnerships (including Crick Institute, UCL Partners)– Estates strategy, Fundraising, Public engagement

CORPORATESTRATEGY

AUDIENCES MESSAGE CHANNELS

Corporate Strategy

• Communications & Marketing supports academic faculties and departments:– developing a co-ordinated approach across the

institution, with Faculty Comms Managers and through the UCL Communications Network

– developing tailored international recruitment plans– development of effective student recruitment marketing

materials – developing effective communications strategies

CORPORATESTRATEGY

AUDIENCES MESSAGE CHANNELS

Audiences

• Understanding our audiences and their needs– Market research– Mapping across UCL

• Key priority groups– STUDENTS: prospective (+ influencers), current,

alumni– STAFF: current & prospective– OPINION FORMERS / FUNDERS: HE sector;

Government; Business, International, London

CORPORATESTRATEGY

AUDIENCES MESSAGE CHANNELS

Messages

• Scale / diversity is a challenge and an opportunity• Consistent top level messaging for key audiences• Themes

– Excellence – breakthroughs, citations, league tables – Global initiatives– London / Community– Innovation in teaching– Graduate employability / Global Citizens– Interdisciplinarity / Grand challenges– Enterprise

CORPORATESTRATEGY

AUDIENCES MESSAGE CHANNELS

Channels

• Face to face– recruitment

– Events – public & networking

• Online / multimedia– audience focused, innovation – audio visual, social media

• Publications– targeted, branded

• Media – – reputation management /reactive

– planning, prioritising, expert comment

CORPORATESTRATEGY

AUDIENCES MESSAGE CHANNELS

Planning & Delivery

• UCL Communications network

• Communications grid – planning, sequencing

• Key message framework

• Corporate Identity guidelines & styleguide• Evaluation/ monitoring – communications scorecard

• Success measures

– Key metrics across range of channels

– Stakeholder perception research

Media

• Reputation management as well as proactive communications

• Planning & prioritisation

• Relationship building – internally & externally

• Targeting key media - & understanding social media

• Supporting fundraising:

– focus on the story

– people & outcomes, not just money

• Evaluation/ monitoring

Branding

your brand = your reputation

your brand = what people say about you

your corporate identity = a visual shorthand for everything you do

•Maintaining A STRONG CONSISTENT brand reinforces institutional strengths•Be RECOGNISED AND DIFFERENTIATED in a competitive market•Harnessing the strengths of ONE INSITUTION for our wide range of audiences

Branding – delivery

• Institutional buy-in to strategic approach

• Clarity on boundaries, sub-brands & partnerships

• Corporate identity guidelines: – COLOUR, TYPEFACE, IMAGERY– GRAPHIC ELEMENTS, TONE OF VOICE– LOGO / banner device

• Using networks for implementation

– Web

– Design/ print

– Legal / business

• Review and refresh

Getting started

• Agree clear, achievable targets with the institution's leadership aligned with strategic goals

• Identify key audiences, understand their communications needs• Develop high level key messages• Assess the most effective channels • Identify priority media targets and nurture those relationships• Establish a planning structure for identifying stories• Develop effective evaluation of activity

• Build teams incrementally on the basis of evidence of positive outcomes

CORPORATESTRATEGY

AUDIENCES MESSAGE CHANNELS