Back to the office...

I’m back from my Aussie adventure - I had an amazing time, it's such a beautiful place! And Ithink I’m back up to speed with everything. I don’t have too much to update you on this week as I’ve only been back in office for two weeks. But here’s a picture of me feeding a kangaroo in Australia…

So,work is well underway on the undergraduate 2018 prospectus. The team has been writing copy and sending it over to the design agency and we’re expecting the first proof on Monday. The first proof is usually quite raw as there is often still some uncertainties on copy and courses, but it’s good to see the first proof with the new design approach.

Alongside the undergraduate prospectus, we’re also starting work on the undergraduate mini guide, which is a smaller A5 version of the main guide. So we’re reducing copy to fit the space allocation and getting that off to the design agency too.

I’ve also been working on the applicant newsletters, playing catch up with proofing and sourcing outstanding stories and pictures. We’re expecting second proofs of these next week, with final sign off next month.

Planning ahead…  

As Christmas is almost upon us (yes,I said it!) I’m also looking ahead to the new year and working on the Spring season open day plans – planning activity and allocating tasks to the relevant teams.

I also attended a meeting this week to start planning the UCAS convention for June next year, so I’ll be working up production schedules so we can make sure we have a good head start on the project.

I think this is my last blog of 2016 so speak to you all in the New Year!

K

Location, location, location

Last week I spent two days in Bedford with Spectrecom filming a location video to showcase our Bedford campus and some of the highlights of the town. The weather tried to hold us back on Wednesday so we focused on indoor shots, capturing footage from one of our dance classes, a performing arts class, and our very own SU bar, before heading over to the Harpur Centre to get some shots of the shopping centre.

Luckily for us the rain stopped around lunch time so we ventured outside and got some shots of the market, Bedford Corn Exchange and St. Paul's Church. We were then off once again, first to Priory Park and then to the cinema (to film I promise!).

The sun was out on Thursday so the team got some lovely shots along the Embankment, and, quite surprisingly, I was only asked once what we were doing! We also captured shots of the train station, Silver Street, Bedford Park and Bedford International Athletics Stadium; so a jam-packed couple of days!

The team also spent two days at Milton Keynes (thanks again Jenny and Pete!) capturing footage for a MK location video. We're already excited to see how they're going to look and we can't wait to share both videos with you in a couple of months.

With the video shoots last week and the photography shoots the week before, it's been a busy couple of weeks in the Marketing Department! This week I'm back in the office and working on our 2018 undergraduate prospectus (yes, already!), our applicant newsletters and some open day emails.

I'm also trying to arrange to film some industry talks and master classes, and some student interviews so I'm sure you'll see me around campus sometime soon.

A picture is worth a thousand words

By Sarah De Guzman, Marketing Manager

Perfecting the pose - on our
quest for the perfect marketing
pictures

Unsurprisingly, there's quite an emphasis placed on imagery when it comes to Marketing. After all, the more visual, the more it can drive engagement, right? Marketing is all about communicating value to our 'customers', and so presenting good marketing photos, makes for good marketing; as it not only conveys quality but also supports us in showcasing our 'products' and in telling the story of our brand.

We're all now living in the age of visual culture, where the focus is firmly placed on the 'show rather than tell' mentality. Don't get me wrong, there's still very much a place for the written word. Heck, we'd be out of a job if it wasn't for information hungry students; but the need to convey stories and to showcase reality means that there is a real appetite for rich media and dynamic visual content.

Projecting the right kind of content is a hot topic. With the latest technologies and must-haves, there's more or less a camera in everyone's pocket, and so practically anyone and everyone becomes a content generator. However, whilst we can all patrol campus armed with the latest iphone filled with snazzy apps and filters to capture those moments as they happen, in order to have that 'zing' factor, we bring in the professionals...

Campaign photoshoots in action -
Roy Mehta Photography

Over the last week we've worked with two professional photographers on a rather jam-packed schedule to support our Marketing work and increase of bank of photography. Scene Photography supports with our campus based imagery and architectural shots, and Roy Mehta specialises in portrait photography and executes our case studies and corporate campaign visuals.

We've spent a lot of time working on our visual identity, and carving out our creative proposition and point of differentiation. All of this culminated in this year's Clearing campaign visuals. If you haven't seen it yet, where have you been? The latest round of campaign photography was focused on plugging the gaps and expanding the range of campaign images we offer - we've broadened out to capture Sports Therapy, Psychology and Accounting & Finance, on top of the many subjects already being represented.

Prospectus cover shoot - with
Chris from Scene

In addition to the campaign photography, we've also been running the 2018 prospectus photography at the same time, which is no mean feat. You may have seen us running around campus over the last few days, dipping into classes to capture the latest goings on. The most challenging aspect of this photography by far, is the prospectus cover. A lot of emphasis is placed on this one single image. It's the one image that most of our enquirers may see as their first introduction to the University. It's the window in to university experience, and needs to appeal to a wide range of people from a wide range of backgrounds world-wide. No pressure then. Overall the shoots went really well, and the students who took part were great and incredibly giving of their time. Stay tuned over the next few weeks, and we'll keep you posted on our new imagery as the prospectus cover starts to take shape, as we select that one single 'hero' shot that sells the University.

Visual content is critical to marketing
and story telling strategies - source: Blog Hub Spot

The power of the image is reinforced by LifeLearn who state that when people hear information, they are likely to remember approximately 10%. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65% of the information three days later.

Good marketing photos which showcase our campuses, the latest facilities, and the student experience go a long way in engaging an audience as opposed to text alone. And I always find it fascinating that many companies, and indeed many universities, don't always invest in commissioning custom photography, and instead turn to stock. For us at Bedfordshire, that's not an option. We pride ourselves on showcasing the real student environment and working with real students across our prospectus and campaign photography to tell our story and to convey our brand narrative. We ensure that our visual identity is unique to us, and ultimately stands out in the mind's of our prospective students.

Top tips to get the most out of your visual content:

1. Mood board ideas - and build up a bank of images or ideas that inspire you; from poses to props, it's great to have visual inspiration to help shape your shoots
2. Consider the type of image you need - is it to showcase a course or event, or are you trying to present statistics in a visual way (ie through infographics which is fast becoming a powerhouse for any content strategy)
3. Use real students - as much as possible. What better advocates for a brand than to work with the people experiencing the University themselves
4. Refer to style guides - and brand guidelines as a helpful reference for an over-arching look and feel of the brand - whether it be for profiles and case studies, action shots to exterior architecture, that way the images work towards increasing a bank of good quality content that reinforces the brand and creative proposition
5. Be aware of your environment - from the people in the shots to cultural sensitivities. And also do a reckie around campus to scout out possible locations before the day - watching out for those pesky bins in the background!
6. Get creative - an don't be afraid to try shots and set ups that are slightly 'outside of the box' - there's only one way to see if it works - and that's to snap it!

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. 

Developing my skills

With any career it’s important to develop and learn new things. So over the last few months I’ve been looking at projects I can get involved in to help my own development.

The first project I’ve been working on is managing the print tender for the 2018 prospectuses. Don’t worry – you haven’t nodded off and missed Christmas! As you’ll know by now, we’re always working way ahead in marketing. I sourced potential suppliers (it was also open to any other suppliers who wanted to put themselves forward for the job), updated the tender documents, worked on a questionnaire for the suppliers, and evaluated the pricing and questionnaire in order to select the company who will print our 2018 publications. I’ve now selected the company we’ll be working with and they even suggested an alternative paper stock which will make us a little cost saving! The next step is to meet with the company to discuss ways of working, new paper stock, timings etc.

I’m also looking to appoint people as part of the University’s graduate development scheme and student internship scheme. These schemes allow us to take on a recent graduate or intern to work in the team for a short period of time (usually 4-6 weeks) to gain valuable work experience. So I’ll be helping to choose the applicants for the department and managing them once they are here. I’m keen to lead on this project and gain more experience in managing people. So far I’m collating a list of appropriate projects they could work on and drafting up job specs.

Some current jobs...

The team have recently started work on the undergraduate 2018 prospectus – working with the design agency on the design concepts and progressing the look and feel from the current prospectus, agreeing production schedules and sourcing photography opportunities for photoshoots next month. I’m now looking to agree the definitive course list – our course offering – for the 2018 cycle and updating course copy from the current prospectus in line with any course modifications.

And as we’re well into the winter Open Day season now, as well as working on implementing the campaign plans, I’ve started my rolling evaluation report, in the hope that if I keep on top of this after each event, when it comes to the end of the season I can wrap it up quite quickly ready for the Spring season starting in the new year.

And less work related…

I’m off to Australia on 19th October for three weeks, to visit family. I’m really looking forward to some winter sun and seeing my sister, brother-in-law and niece and nephew for the first time in almost three years!! And obviously having almost four weeks away from the office isn’t bad either. So I’ve been planning ahead over the last week or so and trying to get a head start on my projects so the team just need to send things out on my behalf while I’m not around.

Be gentle with Sarah and Sara while I’m away…enjoying the sun…and the beach…and the coral reef.

Speak soon,
K

You can never know too much

Last month I was invited to attend the "Award-winning postgraduate marketing" seminar, hosted by Find a University. The event was held in Liverpool, so I traveled up the night before and was particularly impressed with the wallpaper in my hotel room!

The next morning I had one too many pastries at the buffet breakfast and set of for the day. The seminar featured talks from marketing professionals from both home and international universities, as well as speakers from marketing agencies.

Events like this are invaluable as they provide an opportunity to network, and to learn more about what is happening in the higher education sector, both nationally and internationally. The talks identified some of the challenges the industry is facing, and the different tactics various institutions are using to combat said challenges and reach out to audiences in new ways.

The event ended with a panel discussion on Brexit and how this will impact PG recruitment. It's a very interesting topic, with most people holding very strong opinions on the subject, so it will be interesting to see how this pans out for the sector over the next few years.

Next week I'll also be attending the Higher Education Show in London. The day is filled with various talks from key speakers in the industry focusing on different areas within the sector including the student experience, marketing and admissions, facilities and technology, and research and collaboration. This will be my first time attending this particular event so I'm excited to see exactly what the day holds.

In other news, last week I was out and about around the University, photographing some of the freshers events (one of the many perks of working for the University is picking up some freebies at the freshers fayre and indulging in the £1 domino's pizza!). There were some great events happening, and it was great to be able to speak to some of our new students as they start to settle in and find their way around the campus and town. My favourite event was, of course, the puppy room. If you missed it, where were you?!