Campaigns Update

Krystle Hall, Campaign Officer

On Wednesday I attended the New Staff Induction Day at Putteridge Bury.  It was a beautiful location.  This was a great chance to meet other new starters and share our experiences.  A range of topics were discussed including the Student Experience, Student Union, Higher Education market and the Vision, Mission and Values of Beds.  I learned a bit more about the Universities internal departments and external organisations.  It was an informative and enjoyable day.

So what is happening in the world of Campaigns…

Pre-Clearing

We are currently in the midst of Pre-Clearing; a multichannel campaign has been running since January to recruit late applicants and maintain the University’s brand presence.  We have added additional outdoor billboards in Bedford and Luton to amplify our message.  Open Days will be running on Saturday 7^th June at Luton campus and Saturday 14^th June at Bedford campus where applicants can find out more about enrolling for September 2014 or 2015.

Clearing

The Clearing Campaign plan has been devised and approved.  We’ve got a very robust plan spanning across a range of channels; digital, social media, print, outdoor, radio, cinema; you name it, we’ll be advertising on it!  I have been looking into alternative advertising options and am in the process of media buying.

A level results day can be a scary and uncertain time, especially for those who are uncertain of what they want to do.  We want to inform candidates on what Clearing is and provide them with as much advice and guidance on surviving the process as possible. 

I have been liaising with faculties and students to find inspirational students to appear in the Campaign.  We will be using Beds students who have been through Clearing themselves; you will be able to read their stories online, see their advice on the best places to research and handy hints on the day, as well as, hearing about the courses that they chose and their career aspirations.  There’s nothing better than hearing from someone who’s been there and knows what you are going through.    

I have also been working with our in-house team and design agency on new artwork concepts.  Student views are very important to us so our Market Research team have set up an online survey and focus group to get students thoughts and opinions on the draft concepts.   The group will be held in Vicarage Street, Luton, from 3pm to 4pm on Tuesday 27 May.  I will let you know the outcomes.

Type to you soon,

Krystle