EXCEPTIONAL STORIES UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS MID-YEAR REPORT JULY–DEC 2020
13 million
540
$16,000
20%
97,700
Overall pageviews increased from 9 million to 13 million – a 30% increase from 2019
Total one-on-one media interactions in 2020
Maverick in the Making Scholarships awarded virtually to high school seniors
Increase in unique web visitors from 2019
Unique pageviews to the Maverick COVID Response website (formerly Fall Forward)
1,313
138,000
225+
1,825
2,200
Applicants for the Nebraska Promise program through digital campaign efforts
Reads of articles published on The Conversation since becoming members in October
Branded templates made available for university communicators and department leads to use through Lucidpress
News articles featured in Maverick Daily and Bullseye newsletters since July
Total social media posts since July 1
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR M A K AYL A MCMOR R IS Executive Director Writer, statistician, and FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver wrote that “Distinguishing the signal from the noise requires both scientific knowledge and self-knowledge: the serenity to accept the things we cannot predict, the courage to predict the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” That selection from “The Signal and the Noise,” Silver’s seminal work about predicting outcomes, summarizes very well how UComm navigated the past six months. We elevated personal stories to make personal connections during online events and retain viewers. We studied how visitors navigated our web pages and made adjustments to increase unique and overall pageviews. We collaborated with faculty experts to bring
clarity to complex topics. We carefully crafted digital marketing campaigns to grab the attention of prospective Mavericks. We leaned on data from surveys and analytics to drive decision making. In short, everything we did aimed to cut through the static to deliver real results in areas of perception, retention, engagement, and recruitment for our institution. UComm’s approach to the last six months of 2020 will be very much the same for 2021 as we continue to find our way through uncharted territory of the COVID-19 pandemic, societal change, political upheaval, and trying economic times. As Silver wrote, there will be some things that we can’t predict. For what we can’t predict, we will create.
INSIDE: Making Headlines, Taking Care of Our Community, Recognition, Team Updates, and messages from UComm’s directors.
MAKING HEADLINES ACCESS THE EXPERTS
HISTORIC ENROLLMENT
In September, University Communications (UComm) partnered with News Channel Nebraska to launch “Access the Experts,” a feature segment that allows viewers to submit questions to leading subject matter experts from UNO to be answered live on air. More than 30 faculty and staff have been featured to date.
Strategic communications and marketing support of enrollment and retention efforts led to record-breaking marks for the university, including the largest student body in nearly 30 years and the highest retention rate in the university’s history.
THE CONVERSATION
NEW ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS
In October, UNO became members of The Conversation, an online news outlet that publishes news analysis and insights from university faculty and allows national media outlets to republish its content.
UComm led communications and public relations efforts promoting new academic partnerships with Union Pacific, Mutual of Omaha, Omaha Public Power District, and Hastings College.
TAKING CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY VIRTUAL COMMENCEMENT
COVID-19 RESPONSE
Led by the Events team, all UComm units produced and promoted virtual Fall Commencement ceremonies, which received more than 3,047 total views.
The Marketing, Editorial, and Digital teams led the strategic communications effort that helped keep the community safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic through promotion of the 1-Check UNO app, targeted messaging, and Maverick COVID Response web updates.
STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS
ADVOCATING FOR UNO
All UComm team members contributed to Chancellor Gold’s virtual – and final – State of the University remarks.
The Government Relations and Editorial teams worked diligently to support the university community through strategic legislative virtual visits and campuswide fundraising efforts, including Wear Black Give Back, which raised nearly $194,000.
RECOGNITION UComm recently received 10 awards collectively from the Education Digital Marketing Awards (EDMA), the PRSA Nebraska Paper Anvil Awards, and the Education Digital Marketing Awards. The EDMA recognized UComm with four awards in competitions alongside institutions including Syracuse University, the University of Missouri, UC Davis, and Texas A&M International University. The PRSA Nebraska Paper Anvil Awards pitted UComm against top public relations specialists and agencies across the area.
Education Digital Marketing Awards (EDMA)
GOLD – New Media Content
Big Opportunities on the Prairie at UNO’s Glacier Creek Preserve
SILVER – Total Digital Marketing Program
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE – Crisis & Issues Management COVID-19 Website AWARD OF MERIT – Video Mavericks United
UNO Undergraduate Recruitment Total Digital Marketing Program
AWARD OF MERIT – Events & Observances Chuck Hagel Forum in Global Leadership
MERIT – Digital Video: Over 2 Minutes
AWARD OF MERIT – Media/Press Kits Biomechanics R01 Grant Media Kit
MERIT – Digital Video: Under 2 Minutes
AWARD OF MERIT – Reputation/Brand Management UNO Experts Guides
Maverick Strong #MavStrong
UNO to Oversee Counterterrorism, Terrorism Prevention Research Center
AWARD OF MERIT – Social Media May 2020 Commencement Countdown
Thank you for the phenomenal UNO Annual State of the University Address that you produced, which was presented to our campus community, and more broadly earlier today. This was the first time that I really saw all the pieces come together, and it was masterful in every possible respect. I appreciate all the graphics, transitions, and most of all, the incredible working environment that facilitated taking simple words and turning them into a powerful and vibrant message. The University of Nebraska at Omaha has much to be proud of, and certainly, our Communications team is one of the jewels in the crown.
JEFFR E Y P. GOL D, M.D.,
Chancellor, University of Nebraska at Omaha
This year, we had 300+ new students admitted to the Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies (BMS) program. What’s remarkable is that nearly 50% of the students applied directly. So, yes, like the rest of UNO we saw an increase overall, but the percentage difference in who applied directly to BMS was quite striking to us. We do not have enough lifecycle data to prove our “hunch” is true, however, we believe this percentage increase is a result of the marketing efforts. So just a THANK YOU for helping us cut through the general higher education marketing noise to get our program noticed... so much so, that we’ve seen a shift.
CHR IS T INE BIL L INGS
Director, Division of Continuing Studies
TEAM UPDATES
K A SIE W IL C O X
A NGIE DIS A LV O
S A R A H C A SE Y
Kasie is a UNO graduate who gained her first social media experience with UNMC’s Strategic Communications team before joining their team full-time. After UNMC, she gained experience in the agency space with OBI Creative in Omaha where she managed social media accounts for their clients.
Angie joins UComm following three years working in B2B marketing for two software companies and a private security franchise. Her past experience in the digital space also includes stops at Nebraska Methodist College and Heartland Family Service. Before embarking on her digital marketing career path, she spent nearly a decade in newsrooms.
With nearly a decade of experience building UNO’s social media from the ground up, Sarah will take that experience to identify new and exciting opportunities for UComm to support the university’s priority of growing student retention. In addition to revamping the look of our student and faculty/staff newsletters, news center, and events pages; developing new multimedia integrated news and event content creation and strategy; and overseeing campuswide best practices for editorial content, she will also be taking on new responsibilities by leading on-campus digital signage strategy, allowing us to leverage a currently underused asset for campuswide engagement.
Social Media Specialist
Digital Technology Specialist
Content Manager
FROM UCOMM’S DIRECTORS JENNIFER WAL CU T T Events When we first transitioned to a remote setting and events switched from in-person to virtual, the looming question was, “How do we make it happen?” In our second semester, the question was, “How do we make it memorable?” Whether it was Commencement, the State of the University Address, a forum, or a meeting, we focused on telling personal stories,
producing compelling visuals, innovative presentation, and calls to action for our audiences. I don’t know how much longer virtual events will be the standard, but I do know we’ll find new and creative ways to make them special and accessible to all.
ELI Z A BE T H BILLING T ON Digital Communications When everyone has the technical knowledge they need to succeed, it elevates an entire institution. This need became even more important when students, faculty, and staff moved to remote learning and working. To bridge the gap, we created the monthly Digital Newsletter that provides helpful information and resources to more than 300 recipients, ramped up training opportunities, launched a Cascade
user resource guide, and more. At the same time, we were engaging with UNO staff while also supporting every area of UComm by launching new pages and rolling out subtle changes that enhanced the overall user experience. Look for the Digital Communications team to double down on these efforts in 2021.
V IC T OR I A KOHOU T State & Community Relations Even in a year as hectic as 2020, the university’s priorities remained front and center. Whether through virtual events or socially-distanced, in-person engagements, we found a way to make personal connections with legislators, legislative staff, and community partners and successfully advocated
for our institution. Our efforts contributed to a $1 million increase in the Nebraska Opportunity Grant program as well as no reduction in the university’s previously approved state appropriation for 2020-2021.
S A SH A T HUR IN Marketing When your target audience can’t come to you, you have to meet them where they are. The year 2020 taught us to be nimble and the importance of constantly evolving by reinventing, improving, and refining how we engage with our prospective students. This fall, our digital marketing efforts led to 1,300 applications to the Nebraska Promise remission and more than 1,000 requests for information from prospective graduate and undergraduate students. In addition, since launching in September, our new “Access the Experts” series has featured more than 60 UNO faculty and
staff members to a statewide television audience. As the marketing landscape evolves, our efforts will evolve along with it. We will continue to bring solutions to our campus partners, such as the recent launch of the online marketing design templates. Empowering our campus partners is important to us as it allows them flexibility while maintaining the UNO brand. As much as things changed in 2020, our commitment to platinum service, collaboration, and sharing the UNO Maverick story only grew stronger.
S AM P E SHEK Editorial & Media Relations Our call to action in 2020 revolved around anticipating the needs of our audience. When they needed help understanding the world around them, we connected them with experts through The Conversation. Before students, faculty, and staff went their separate ways for university holidays, we connected them with COVID-19 information and resources. We created deeply personal multimedia stories to keep students connected with their peers through long bouts
of isolation. We crafted targeted messaging that guided students through the steps of how to remove the barriers that stood between them and continuing their education so the information was available when they needed it most. We engaged with local, state, and national media more than 500 times in order to protect and enhance the university’s reputation. Whatever 2021 has in store, we’ll be ready.
CAMPUS PARTNER IN PERCEPTION. RETENTION. RECRUITMENT. ENROLLMENT. START A PROJECT WITH UCOMM
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