Springing into action

Sarah De Guzman, Marketing Manager

The January UCAS deadline date may now be a thing of the past, and Clearing still remains some way off, but life for the Beds Marketer hasn't quiet quietened down yet. Far from it actually! This so-called 'in-between' period, is a critical part of our recruitment cycle - where simply driving applications and pushing 'apply now' messaging isn't enough.

Conversion is key

Between January and June, we're working on a campaign known as Conversion - where the focus is firmly placed on nurturing leads. We do this through sending out a series of tailored, personalised and bespoke communications to our applicants and offer holders at key times over the Spring months to keep them engaged, as we support their decision making and guide them through the next stages of the recruitment funnel. There's a lot of content curating that goes on in the team - so you may see us out and about on campus quite a lot as we showcase the student experience, our fantastic facilities, and provide a lot of functional information that helps inform and influence.

A treat to get out of the office

On top of the day-to-day marketing work, March presents a nice treat for the team, as we get to get out and about even more than usual, as we get involved in graduations.

I'd like to say that a lot of planning goes into this, but we just embrace the mayhem. We've discovered over the years that to get the most from the events (from a marketing perspective anyway), you have to get right into the very heart of it - so no pre-planning and scheduling of interviews. We're there as they come out of the church, are diving out of the way of all the hat throwing, and are capturing those very real, raw and genuine emotions of celebration.

A really nice, warm and fuzzy part
of our jobs :-)

Graduations are a really nice thing to be part of. Yes it can be chaotic on campus, with swarms of excited graduates trying to get their gowns, get their pictures taken and make it in to the Church on time, but for us, it's really rewarding to see the ultimate 'end goal' - our students achieving their dreams, as proud family and friends look on. It's also a time for us to have a touch point with our outgoing students, and to hear their experiences, their stories, and share their words of wisdom; after all they are the people who have lived and breathed the Bedfordshire experience over the last few years, so who better to speak to and hear from?

Award season has sprung

Not only is it a busy time in the recruitment cycle, and a busy and bustling time to be on campus as we see our students graduate and celebrate their success, but it's also the start of award season (did I mention the word busy enough here?). And that means many an hour spent dusting out the evaluations, reflecting on our metrics and performance, and crunching data in our best efforts to cobble together a solid entry or two! Beverley and I have spent a good few hours devising our award entries over the last few weeks - after all, these things take a big commitment to carve out the perfect submission. The Heist awards are notoriously difficult, and there's always a lot of fierce competition amongst the creme-de-la-creme of the HE world all vying for those coveted marketing accolades; and so to stand out from the other university big boys, we have to really know our data, be able to evidence our success, and convey a compelling story about what we've achieved.

Hurrah! That's our 2nd award submission done and dusted, and entered for the @heistawards. Go #TeamBeds #heist2017 #marketingteamoftheyear pic.twitter.com/vpQxoiFHoU

— Sarah De Guzman (@Sarah_Hampton) March 16, 2017

This year we've entered our Clearing 2016 campaign for the Best Undergraduate Student Recruitment Initiative, and we've also had a go at entering Marketing Team of the Year. We've never entered a team award before, but we've implemented some great projects and strategic initiatives over the last 12 months, which in turn have yielded some great results, and so we've decided that this is the year to share the story of the Beds HE Marketer. Wish us luck! We'll keep you posted on the short-list in the coming months, but for those of you who, like us, are well into awards season, take a look at the work you've done and see whether you have what it takes to enter - check out my previous blog post on writing award entries, and assessing whether you've got the evidence base to lead you to success.

What's in an award?

Beverley Hoare, Deputy Director of MARC

Why do we bother to enter awards?  It’s a lot of time and effort for potentially nothing, isn’t it?

Gearing up for awards season

Well the Marcomms team have been busy submitting entries for a range of marketing and communications awards with HEIST, CIPR and IoIC, so I guess they think there’s a point, but here’s a few thoughts from me on why I think they are important.

A win or making a shortlist is a pat on the back - recognition from our peers that we are achieving the highest, most innovative standard of work.

We can learn from others who are showcasing their own best practice – they set the bar and we try to raise it.

We gain clarity about our achievements and what we had to do to make them happen.  The looking back exercise, pouring over data and evaluating ourselves is critical for future performance; the award submission provides the focus and motivation to make us reflect.

Busy cobbling together this years' @heistawards entry for @uniofbeds. Nothing beats an afternoon of number crunching data 🤓💼📊📝 #heist2017

— Sarah De Guzman (@Sarah_Hampton) February 22, 2017

It helps us to network; awards ceremonies are some of very few opportunities to get out of the University, share experiences with others and cement relationships with peers.

We can dress up and celebrate our achievements together, as a team – being nominated has a contagious effect on our mood.

Our @Beds Newsletter has been short-listed

I can say that all this effort has given us a pretty good run of award winning over the last 5 years, but wins at HEIST have alluded us recently.  So we’ve tried even harder and submitted a more solid entry this time.

I’m delighted that in the latest run of awards we have been shortlisted by the IoIC for our staff newsletter ‘A new lease of life for staff news’.  Jenny and Caroline will be attending the ceremony in York later this month and will hopefully come back with a piece of crystal for the bulging trophy cabinet. Watch this space…

Wrapping up for winter

It's a wrap

This time of year tends to be a time of reflection – we’re looking back, evaluating the cycle with the help of UCAS end of year data, which is due this week, and the National Clearing Survey (NCS), which has just been released. We’ve been listening to commentators and thinking about lessons learned.

The consensus is that the undergraduate market is changing and not just because of the increased competition amongst HEIs. Student behaviours are changing too.

Commentators tell us that 49% of our recruitment will be from direct applicants through Feb- Aug and that more students will enter through clearing in 2017-18 than ever before. The NCS tells us that 67% of clearing students hadn’t visited the HEI they chose before they went there, but that 77% had visited the website and, apparently, attendance at open days is falling across the sector.

What’s our lesson? That we can’t rely on past behaviours or be complacent about the recruitment cycle or confirmation and clearing?! This is evidenced in sector wide undergraduate applications for 2017 entry, which are currently 8.6% down and the likelihood that HEIs will experience the submission of 20% of applications just before the January 15th deadline.

It's a rap

We know that we’re operating in a shrinking market with fewer 16-18 year olds in the UK; a situation that is not predicted to improve until 2020. We also know that there are more alternatives to university on offer, such as apprenticeships. A buyers’ market clearly now exists for UG enabling the prospective student to wait until clearing before applying.

So how do we identify and engage our potential students? It’s challenging - we have to engage early, interact and make loyal, so that at the point of decision, the University of Bedfordshire is front of mind and a positive choice. Students need to have heard of us to consider us in clearing; the NCS states that 85% are aware of the institution they enrol at prior to results day.

Top motivations for students are still subject 1st, career 2nd and institution ranking 3rd, but students also want to see and experience student life. They want to know about the community that they could become part of, so the opportunities we have to engage with them have to create emotion and connection.

So in 2017 watch out for more storytelling from students, virtual open days, web chats with academics, web tools to ease decision making, interactive video to select the content that is relevant to the student (mature, international etc.), digital champions and social media across the University, user generated content, more use of alumni, social media engagement not broadcast, softer calls to action that lead and nurture relationships and communications that connect with segmented audiences; parents, mature students, teachers.

Oh to be like the film industry and have a party at the end of every project, but working in marketing we can never really say ‘It’s a wrap’ because relationships are on-going, they evolve, take new forms and provide us with new communication challenges.

It's a rapper

Clearing. Consigned to the bleedin’ choir invisible…..?

The last few posts on this blog have all been about Clearing. No surprise; MARC, in common with other parts of the Uni and other unis countrywide, was consumed by it. But, I can confirm, it’s finished. No ifs; no buts. It’s over. Stone dead. It’s demised; nailed to the perch: is an ex-campaign and off the twig. Its metabolic processes are now history. Clearing has shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible.

 

Or has it? Just like crusty comedy sketches of yore, Clearing has the rather distasteful knack of repeating. It’s as tiresomely regular as Southern Rail train cancellations and should really come as no surprise to anyone in Higher Education. Our Marketing team is happy, bruised and battered by a tumultuous run and conclusion to 2016’s activity, though we’re carefully looking at what worked and what didn’t.

And guess what? We’re ALREADY BOOKING SLOTS and planning for next summer when the whole damn thing starts again. And there are already signs, from aggressive uni behaviours this year, that next year’s process will be even more dramatic and, err, fiery.

So, are Marketing and Communications important in Clearing?

Yes. YES! Of course they are. 

At an event in December 2014, UCAS head honcho Mary Curnock-Cook stressed the importance of university marketing in reaching out, differentiating and persuading. Granted, she was trying to sell UCAS products, but the point stands, and if we’ve learnt anything from Clearing over the last few years, it is that while applicants make a decision about which university to choose, we need to be heard.

And to be heard in a noisy, frantic marketplace, we have to shout loud. To be actually noticed and listened to we need to keep shouting, loud and l – o – n – g, to make our point. 

Even before all that, the team’s work on brand and pr builds up and helps applicants, another subset of whom is researching choices early and thereby coming to a more timely decision. If it doesn’t feel like the pressure is already on for 2017, it really is. Or, in modern marketing terms:

It.  Really.  Is.

Go Marketing and Communications! Go MARC! We love you!!
Err, and by the looks of it, looks like you’ve got it covered….

Well, yes we have; and no, we haven’t. This year, we received invaluable help and everyone was great. But as per the opening salvo, Clearing comes round, the Dead Parrot comes round, everything comes round. Except, hopefully, avocado on toast.

We have a story, but it’s one which is developing. Suggestions for case studies and being given advance warning of news stories always help us out. If you have one you’d like to share, then SHARE AWAY. Please.

For profits; the new face of HE?

We had hugely ambitious Clearing targets this year and as a Uni, we pulled it off in the face of hard nosed, intense pressure, from all angles. The number cap removal lead to an immediate response and expansion at some unis last year, with an increasing number girding loins and getting ready to ‘go for it’ next year and in subsequent years. And, thanks to the Government’s enthusiasm for marketising the living daylights out of the system, more and more private providers are entering the market, some of whom may have the odd altruistic aim.

So, where will all this leave us next year?

Bob, MARC Director, in training for 2017 Clearing

We’re confident we’ll continue to have good news (e.g.  our new STEM building) and so promote a successful University of Bedfordshire story. UCAS has changed the tariff system (as if it wasn’t confusing enough already) and has made other noises and rumbles about changing Clearing. Which is just as well, given that applicants have already seen fit to change it themselves.

More confusion, more nasty tactics, more firing MARC directors out of cannons. All in all, it’s going to be an interesting and, doubtless, another fast and frantic ride.

We smashed it (clearing that is, not a pumpkin)

We’ve been recruiting students through clearing for many years, providing an essential service to students looking to be accepted on to an undergraduate course.  It’s an opportunity for students who are just considering university and haven't applied in main cycle, those who have not been accepted on to their chosen course and those wanting to change their decision.  But with the increasing marketisation of HE we have faced growing competition from other universities in clearing; some entering for the first time.  So this has caused us some nervousness in believing we could achieve our objectives.

However, we prepare well, draw on past performance to determine our objectives and targets and, given the changes in the external environment in which we operate, we give a significant focus to competitor response.  This year we deliberately set ourselves some challenging targets and went all out to achieve them.

Recently our bloggers have made comparisons with running and cycling challenges, so now it’s my turn and as I’m an obsessive dancer the comparison is ballroom!  

I recently attended the 64th International Ballroom Championships at the Royal Albert hall.  It's a fantastic spectacle but really hard for a spectator to judge the dancers as the pairs seem to be offering something very similar, in a confined space for a short time span (one tune) – but eventually they are knocked out and whittled down to the final six.  The dancers move around the ballroom with skill, speed and fluidity, but bump they do - politely apologise and dance on. 

Clearing feels like this - meticulously choreographed, staged, rehearsed and performed - highly competitive but in a sector that is respectful and for the most part plays within the rules, for a very finite period of time in a crowded market place. It's a performance where we are trying to outdo each other with our visual spectacle; we compete hard for the best space in front of the judges (students) and capture their attention.  

So what can I say - we definitely reached the final.  We know we smashed it (thanks Pete for this inspired phrase) in terms of the targets we set ourselves - web hits, phone calls, offers and accepts.  We know the campaign was successful because we have evidence of a strong positive correlation between campaign channels and web goals, phone calls and live chat.

But the best part of this achievement is that our success is infectious - it enthuses and inspires us to achieve more.  The language we are using is positive and uplifting ‘smashed it’ – it’s no wonder competitors go on to multiple success.  Roll on clearing 2017 – we’ll be ready for you. 

Hitting the ground running - Clearing, campaign and carbs!

Sarah De Guzman, Marketing Manager

Take your marks. Get set...
Advertise!

Planning for, and implementing, the Clearing Campaign is like getting ready for a race (well, to us anyway). And it requires a certain amount of training and groundwork to see you through. See our handy guide to getting set, and getting through Clearing below...

Preparation
Clearing for many becomes a hot topic of conversation in the run up to A level results day. But for us in Marketing HQ, it's never far from our minds. Planning for the campaign starts almost straight after the previous Clearing Campaign has concluded - that's a whole year before results day! From evaluating performance, to working out ROI, and assessing which channels provided the greatest return. We've even been known to secure our top inventory before we break for Christmas. In to the New Year, and it's all about the creative - running photoshoots, filming videos, writing compelling copy and initial design work, as well as working with Andy, our Market Research Manager to crunch some data and provide us with valuable insight to develop our plan and strategy further.

Future-proofing and predicting
our campaign success

Set your goals
After all of the reports and analysis, and after all of the number crunching and data funnelling we're ready to set some targets. We closely monitor application numbers across the cycle, and how they funnel down to firm and insurance choices. It's then a case of looking at our overall recruitment targets, and digging out the evaluations to look at our cost per leads so we can see how heavy weight the campaign will need to be. Creating our dashboards, and getting on top of the figures and data is a crucial part of any campaign plan - it keeps us focused, and gives us clear direction as to what we're aiming to achieve - and provides real-time insight so we can continually adapt and change what we're doing to ensure that we remain on target once we've gone live.

Carb-load
We all know that before a race begins, it's important to have the correct fuel to boost performance. Over in the Atrium we are no stranger to a snack corner. This week to re-fuel for Clearing, we took a trip to Pizza Express with our fellow Digital and Press team members to get our carb fix.  All in the name of preparing for our big endurance event. Ok, so loading up on doughy treats wont help you through Clearing, but it's great to keep the morale going, and no-one likes to work on an empty stomach!

Racing ahead to secure the top
positions

Stepping up to the line
As part of the Clearing campaign, it's important that we're first past the post. It gets more and more competitive every year, and so all of the meticulous planning comes to the fore as we prepare to go live, and front load our campaign for maximum impact, As results day hits, it becomes a minute by minute and hour by hour observation to ensure that campaign activity is optimised, targeting refined, and budget flexed to make sure that we're leading the way and driving those all important phone calls - but the competition is never far behind and all too ready to crank up the budget to race for the top spot (of Google search that is).

One eye firmly on
the competition at
all times!

Eye up the competition
We continue to be amazed by just how fiercely competitive it's been this year. More and more universities are playing the long game, and are deploying some rather questionable tactics, but there's everything still to play for. Whilst it's been a manic few weeks, the buzz has certainly kept us all on our toes - scanning the environment, media monitoring, and generally keeping a firm eye on the competition to see what opportunities lie out there for some quick wins.

In and amongst the busyness of Clearing, we've remained relatively calm and self-assured; after all, we've got a great campaign in place, and our digital first strategy has really yielded some fantastic results. Each year, and from each and every campaign we're learning so much, and this year we have a solid action plan in place to keep the momentum going.

Add caption

Endurance
The most fundamental part to the Clearing campaign by any means, is endurance. A year in the making, it's all hands on deck to ensure the campaign delivers - and it's a great team effort.

Clearing provides many opportunities for many students. It's an opportunity to find a place if they didn't get the grades and were unsuccessful during main cycle. It's also for those students who did far better than they imagined, and presents a great opportunity to upgrade their choice. But most importantly, and interestingly, Clearing (over the last few years), has also become a first entry point for many when deciding if, and where, to go to University. Student's are taking their time, and are investigating their career avenues; resulting in a longer decision making period. And it is down to this reason, that the longevity of our campaign is so crucial. So whilst it may feel as though Clearing has been our hot topic for many months now, we've still got many more weeks to go before we conclude for the 2016 cycle - as we continue to promote the University, our core messaging, and present the many benefits not only of Bedfordshire, but of undertaking a degree qualification.

Looking ahead - for the
multi-tasking marketer

Whilst the campaign is in full flow, we can't help but think ahead to our next campaign. And for the Marketing team, we're already implementing our Annual Campaign - also affectionately referred to as the 'Winter' campaign - which focuses on the key form filling period for our 2017 enquirers. Keep a watch out for future blog posts, as we'll launch into our next race - which is more of a marathon; as we once again play the long game - and plan ahead for September 2017.

Gearing up for Clearing

Clearing - it starts tomorrow (18^th August) though really it started much earlier for us, we’ve been campaigning since June and recruiting students through Clearing from 1^st July!

Now it feels a bit like a wedding or Christmas or getting our own exam results - it’s nerve wracking and exciting in the same measure.  It’s unlikely that I will sleep the night before and as we’ll be at work for 7am I may be testing the sleeping pods in our new library later in the day!

We launched this year’s campaign much earlier, 13^th June – to maximise opportunity with the BTEC market, key influencers and those using clearing as an initial entry point.  

Our advertising has clear aspirational hooks, features our own students engaged in practice and has full digital and social media integration.  Our microsite ensures that clearing enquirers have access to clear and concise information whilst ensuring we are able to effectively track traffic through our digital marketing. The site is fully mobile responsive as we know that over 80% of traffic will be through a mobile device. We’re receiving great coverage in the media for our helpful advice to students and featured graduates and we look forward to ITV Anglia covering our clearing operations tomorrow (18^th August).

It has now become a tradition that we launch Clearing each year with a PR stunt! Two years ago we had the flashmob in Luton Mall and last year projections across famous landmarks in London. This year to celebrate the launch of our fantastic new library we commissioned a piece of 3D street art for members of the community to engage with in the Luton Mall 17^th and 18^th August .

We’ve delivered visually impactful campaign with high visibility and I’m immensely proud of the work the marcomms team has produced.

We know that going to university changes people’s lives and we are incredibly excited about talking to students over the coming weeks, on the phone, via live chat or in person, about the life changing experience they can have at the University of Bedfordshire.

Another week closer to Clearing

With A-level results a week today it's been an interesting week in the office! Clearing is the no. one topic of conversation and everyone is prepping last minute bits and pieces to ensure everything is in place. I hope by now you've all seen some of our new artwork, either online or around campus. We're all really pleased with the finished result and hope you like it!

This week I had a tour of the new library and I must say it looks fantastic! It's a great space and it certainly helped to get my steps up for the day walking down the nine floors (yes I have a fitbit and yes I did take the lift up - I'm not that crazy!). I'm currently arranging some student videos for the PG e-zine, PG Life, so I'm going to see if I can film in the new library and show it off a bit - watch this space!

I've also been working on the more than a degree site and finding out about some more initiatives at the University including the psychology film club and various trips run by the Business School. It's great to still be finding out about various activities that our students can get involved in, and it just shows what a wide variety of co- and extra-curricular activities we have on offer. 

Over the next few days I'm also going to be working on our Postgraduate online profiles - making sure our profiles on external websites are as up-to-date as possible. It'll be great to be able to add the information about the new library to the various websites as well as the latest NSS results.

I'm also looking ahead to next month when the new set of freshers will start their university journey! I'm hoping to be able to do some photography and videography at some of the events which we will be able to use on social media and in our e-zines throughout the year. I love going out and meeting our students - it also helps me build a nice list of contacts to call upon when we're planning our marketing photo-shoots!

On your marks, set, go…

It’s seemed rather quiet around the office for the last two weeks, not on the work front, but in actual bodies around the office. I think everyone had the same idea – take holiday before the beast that is Clearing begins!

It’s been a little hectic for those of us who haven’t had any holiday (I’m not bitter, I promise. But if it wasn’t for a three week holiday in Australia in October, I may be – 11 weeks and counting!!)

Gearing up for Clearing like...

I often find that around Clearing the vibe in the office is a little different, not in a bad way, just different. As the Clearing start date approaches you can almost feel everyone gearing up like at the start line of a race; ‘brace yourself’, ‘stay focused’, ‘keep calm’, ‘you’ve planned and prepared well for this’…*BANG*…and we’re off…Taking calls, offering guidance and advice, checking off qualifications and making offers. And whilst our dedicated Admissions team and other trained volunteers are doing that, the marketing team are monitoring and amending campaign activity daily, to ensure we have the most impact. It’s a busy ole time!

And by the time we’re done with Clearing, we’re all usually ready for another holiday…oh…Australia in October you say…

In other news, I think I’ve completed the quickest evaluation report ever (43 pages of lovely stats and useful insight), which is a personal achievement in itself. And I’ve made a good start on the Winter season (September-December) Open Day plans. I’m just finishing the budget allocation and then I will be looking at the Open Day collateral. We’re going to be working on bringing it together a little more, as we’ve added things into the plans over the last year or so, it’s meant that some of the collateral doesn’t quite flow, so I’m going to work on ensuring it has a more consistent and well thought-out approach as we approach the 2017 cycle; which let’s face it, is marketing 101!


All of the welcome packs that I was working on last time are now ready too, with the last of the deliveries coming in today. Another thing ticked off the list.Although I have just taken on some new jobs, so I best get off!
Speak soon,
K

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. If only.

Oh, if only. The University may appear quiet, but trust me, there’s plenty going on. All over the University, colleagues are mopping up from the last academic year and putting plans in place for the near, not so near and the extremely distant future. Academics research; Partnerships run all sorts of events and are setting up - err - partnerships, Facilities teams repair and Estates open new buildings. Thankfully, most people find time to take a deep breath here and there, although you grab it while you can - in reality, there really is no ‘off switch’.

In Marketing, as you may have gathered from previous posts, we’re ClearingClearingClearing, and looking at getting our 2018 prospectuses ready. That’s right, 2018 already.

You can't tell me nuffin' about nuffin'

Sometimes us hacks in Marketing, Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing (MARC) – for the benefit of any colleagues reading this, I’m referring to myself here – think we know it all. Some of us have been doing our jobs long enough to have earned accolades, awards and the occasional and occasionally begrudging respect of colleagues across the Uni. Which, funnily enough, makes it even more important (for me) to escape the head-down-full-on activity and re-engage with one of our most important audiences; our prospective students.

And so I took a high powered sound archive recording device and a load of prospectuses to our Summer Schools, in Luton and Bedford. Speaking to Year 12s was a pleasure but, more importantly from the Uni’s point of view, it was also extremely illuminating. It’s surprising how views develop and diverge between different groups of people as well as different individuals. A year can make a huge difference. The only downside for attendees was being stuck in a room at the end of a long day with a befuddled market researcher, but this pain was eased with a ‘thank you’ voucher. Besides, there is such a thing as ‘too much fun’ – and after a day of taster sessions (for example, in Psychology, Computing or Business), there were still the evening’s entertainments in our bang up-to-date accommodation.

I’ve also recently worked with Adam and Donald, two Year 10 students who came to us on work experience. We were delighted to have them; both bought a professionalism and set about their tasks enthusiastically. This was the first time I’ve looked  after work experience students. The process has been informative and rewarding, hopefully for all concerned, with Adam and Donald getting involved in the Summer School as well as helping in our prospectus work and mucking in with general tasks around the office.

And those Summer Schools? Keep up to date through our Partnership Team's Twitter feed or check and see what course you can start in SEPTEMBER.

And, we're live!

Sarah De Guzman, Marketing Manager

Clearing Campaign 2016 - microsite is live!

It's been months in the making, but we've finally gone live with this year's Clearing Campaign. Hurrah!

After all of the research, planning and photoshoots, it's all now starting to take shape, with the first set of ads going live this week pushing our 'Beat the Clearing rush' and 'Received your BTEC results? Apply now' messaging as part of our early targeting strategy.

Graeme, the Digital Marketing Officer meanwhile, has also worked his web magic on a brand new, shiny microsite (see above left) which you can check out via: www.beds.ac.uk/makeithappen. We hope you'll agree that it looks great; clean layouts, mobile responsive, clear conversion goals and call to actions, and dynamic visuals to sustain engagement. It's got a professional feel to it - strongly aligning it with our core marketing messaging.

It's still early days, so keep checking back over the next few weeks, as we add more rich media and dynamic content to the Clearing microsite.

For many our fellow Bedfordshire peers, I'm sure you've already caught a glimpse of this year's artwork in the latest edition of the staff newsletter @Beds. But for those who missed it, check out the images below to see how the whole campaign looks together as a full set. This year's campaign is led by 6 creatives: Media, Life Science, Performing Arts, Business and Computer Science (both of which double up as our generic visuals), and last but not least Sport Science & Physical Activity.

This year we've kept with the employability and student experience themes, and have continued to build on our creative proposition of 'Graduate as a Professional'. Importantly for us as Marketers, we've spent months developing this concept and the artwork, and every aspect of the visual has been carefully considered and composed. Think bold aspirational hooks, clear and uncluttered artwork, dynamic imagery of real students engrossed in real practical student experiences, central call to actions, and digital and social media integration. We feel this year's campaign is stronger than ever, and really feel it presents the University in a strong and confident manner. It's still early days, but we're really excited to see the campaign in full flow, in a few week's time.

And whilst our focus is now firmly rooted in the 2016 Clearing Campaign, we've spent some time reflecting back on last year's campaign activity, and have even managed to get another award submission in for the CIPR Pride Awards 2016, for our work on the 2015 Clearing Campaign, in the category of Best Integrated Campaign (we're hoping to retain our title, as a Gold Winner last year).

And so our first submission has now been entered for this year's @CIPR_Awards for Best Integrated Campaign. One more to write! #PRideAwards

— Sarah De Guzman (@Sarah_Hampton) June 3, 2016

This follows on from Kylie's earlier submission to CIPR for best Low Budget Campaign. We should find out the result in July, so keep everything crossed for us! And who knows, maybe next year we could be entering the 2016 campaign for a top award. Here's hoping!

Out and about on campus

It's been a busy couple of weeks in the Marketing Department to say the least! I've been helping out on our Clearing and Winter campaign photo-shoots, which involves sourcing students to take part, meeting the students on the day, helping with the creative direction of the shoot and interviewing students about their UoB experience. We've got some really great shots, with students from various departments, and I'm excited to see the finished result of our Clearing campaign! A massive thanks to all of the students that took part in the campaign, and to all the staff that helped us source props, or recommended students to us.

I really enjoy getting out and about on the photo-shoots. I find it really interesting working with the photographers as they have such a different way of seeing things. I also really enjoy speaking to students and hearing their thoughts on UoB; it helps to see and understand things from another perspective which can never be a bad thing - especially for someone in Marketing!

On Friday the Marketing Team also got to spend the day over in the Bedford campus, meeting various media suppliers with our Media agency. This is the first time that I've been involved in a day like this since I started at UoB so it was a really great experience for me. Each supplier presented their media offerings to us and explained the different options available and how their offerings have evolved over the last year. For me, it was also a chance to put faces to names that I've been emailing the past year!

I've also been working on our PG campaign over the last few weeks. I've been sending emails to our current students about the benefits of progressing onto postgraduate study and recommending some courses that might appeal to them (and compliment their current studies). I'm also currently working on some materials for the Jubilee Scholarship, which offers UK/EU students the chance to study a Master's for free this September if they receive a first class Honours from us, so keep an eye out for these around the university!

On the subject of PG study, I also filmed Barbara Guinn from the Research Graduate School to find out more about the excellent support they offer students. Keep an eye out for the video on our YouTube channel, it'll be up by the end of the week!

In other news it's officially been over a year since I started at UoB! I can't quite believe how quickly the time has flown by but they do say time flies when you're having fun!