Keeping busy!

Alongside hectically proofing the UG prospectus, lots of the work I’ve been doing over the past week or so has revolved around the Postgraduate Virtual Open Event coming up on Wednesday 5th February. Advertising, emails, flyers and notices have all been arranged and it sounds like sign-ups are going well. I’m looking forward to it as it’ll be my first experience of a virtual open event and it’ll be good to see how it all works from behind the scenes. I think a virtual event would’ve been really helpful when I was applying to my universities myself, so I hope those who have signed up will get a lot out of it.

I've been doing lots of filming and
editing over the last couple of weeks.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve spent quite a bit of time out and about filming students and staff members for various projects. I’ve done lots of this since I started working at the University and it’s something I really enjoy. It’s great to meet the students - after all, they are what all of our hard work is for. It’s really interesting to listen to their opinions and hear about their University experience. Despite my computer struggling at times to cope with the editing process, I really like putting together the clips I’ve filmed – it’s good to see a process through from start to finish.

Nobody says goodbye like the
Von Trapps...

It’s been a whole week since we said goodbye to Rehanna. She made me feel very welcome when I was brand new and finding my feet in the department and I will certainly miss her! What’s more, Friday marked the end of Sophie(our intern)’s time with us. She spent the last three weeks working on various projects with the team, and was a huge help to us. With all the goodbyes have come lots of delicious lunches with the team – every cloud has a silver lining I suppose! I’m really looking forward to welcoming new members of the team over the next weeks and months; it’ll be good to have somebody sitting in the (currently very empty) seat next to me again – it’s lonely over this side of the pod!

All Change on the Marketing Front

Sarah Hampton, Marketing Manager

Interviewing for our
Marketing Officer

Last week saw many changes to the staffing in the central Marketing team. Firstly, I chaired an interview panel, alongside Paul Fryer (Digital Marketing Manager), and David Fryer (Web and Publications Officer in our LRC) on our quest to recruit a new Marketing Officer. It was a great day where we met a lot of promising candidates, each with a lot to offer. Michelle, our Marketing Administrator, provided a vital role on the day in doing the meet and greets, and getting each applicant to sit through a number of practical tests before each interview. The only thing to go wrong was on my part, whereby I actually forgot to allocate some time for us to have a lunch break - oops! Luckily, we managed to squeeze in sometime for a quick sandwich. Note to self for next time: actually provide a lunch break, or else I won't have a happy panel ;-). Towards the end of last week we came to a decision, and now look forward to our new Marketing Officer, Kylie Aldridge, joining us at the beginning of March.

Goodbye and good luck to
Rehanna (centre)

Secondly, Rehanna Khan, our Marketing Assistant left us for new adventures as a Marketing Officer at the University of Northampton. Rehanna had been part of the central marketing team for almost five years, and during this time had helped contribute towards our Undergraduate marketing and recruitment initiatives. The team gave her a send off in true Bedfordshire style, as we took her out for a leaving lunch to none other than Marketing favourite, Pizza Express, where we surprised her with banners, balloons, and many friends from her time at Bedfordshire.

In other news, applications for our Campaign Officer position close today, and so I'm gearing up for another week or short-listing, devising practical tests, preparing interview questions, and working up an interview schedule that actually includes time for a sandwich or two, if my panel are lucky! There are lots of changes within the team at the moment, but we look forward to welcoming each of our new starters, and shaping the next generation of university marketers.

New year, new initiatives

By Sarah Hampton, Marketing Manager

Happy New Year! Well, we're finally back after the Xmas break, and already there is loads to tell you. But before bringing you up to speed I thought I'd share some pre-Xmas updates with you.

The CST staff away day

Just before the Christmas break I was invited by the Department of Computer Science and Technology (CST) to deliver a presentation at their staff away day on how to improve recruitment to their undergraduate courses. So, with only two days to prepare, and having never delivered a presentation to such a large group, I set about harassing all the other Managers in the MARC department to dig deep for the latest market research, application figures, recruitment initiatives, and web developments. Before I knew it the day had arrived and I found myself standing on a stage in front of the entire department. After overcoming a few technical difficulties (and by that I mean there being no laptop!) and we were ready to go. The presentation went really well, and all of the staff were really engaged and interested to see what market intelligence we could share with them. From where their applicants come from and the schools they attend, to what their most popular/viewed course is online and what factors may influence their decision; it was all in there.

One of our newsletters:
Art & Design

Now that we're in 2014 our attention has turned to conversion: whereby we encourage our applicants to select us as either their Firm (1st place) or Insurance (second place) choice. So a lot of work is currently underway preparing a range of marketing materials to send out straight after the 15 January 2014 UCAS deadline. For the last few months we've been working on producing a series of departmental newsletters (see left) which provide the latest information, achievements and happenings from the applicants' area of interest. We've also got our bloggers up and running for most subjects (thanks to the Digital Team) which consists of current undergraduate students posting about their experience and what they get up to as a student.

Work is well underway on the 2015 Undergraduate Prospectus. We're now at 2nd proof stage and so the team is busy working away; proofing, sourcing outstanding information, chasing new course copy and selecting relevant new photography to keep us on track for our print deadline. It's all starting to take shape; so check back here in early February and when it's approved for print, and you can get an exclusive first look at the cover.

In other news, award season will soon be upon us, with the deadline for the CIPR Excellence awards only a mere 7 weeks away. So, hopefully we can get some of the above tied up fairly soon, so we can turn our attention to writing some award entries. After all, a good dinner and dress up will be a great way to celebrate all of our hard work after getting the prospectus off to print. Which is no easy task!

Here's hoping we can get some entries in!

Holidays are coming

It’s hard to believe I’ve already been part of the University’s MARC for seven weeks – time really has flown by. Christmas seemed so far off when I started at the beginning of November and now, suddenly, it’s right around the corner and I’m panic shopping. Again..!
 

National Christmas Jumper Day 2013!

The team has certainly embraced Christmas; from my desk I can see a lot of tinsel and tiny trees. We have celebrated National Christmas Jumper Day, handed out Secret Santa gifts and shared a Christmas meal at the casino over the road. It’s not just been fun and games though! We’ve been working really hard to make sure that everything is complete for this year and well prepared for next.

Alexon House

The last few weeks have seen lots of exciting developments at the University: The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education, a lecture by Jack Straw and the opening of a mock crime scene lab in Luton, to name but a few. Something I’ve been particularly excited about is the opening of the new Art and Design building. Having grown up in Luton I’ve come to love lots of the old industrial buildings dotted around the town centre, and the Alexon building is one that holds a lot of history within its walls. It’s been given a whole new lease of life and a brand new purpose; I can’t wait to visit and to get inspired by the all the creativity going on inside.

I’ve been really busy filming, editing, proofing, writing and working my way through a very long to-do list. There hasn’t been a moment to stop and I’m definitely looking forward to a rest! You’ll find me being a big kid for a few days over the Christmas break, with a trip to Disneyland Paris planned between Christmas and New Year. My ultimate goal is to bump into Donald Duck by the end of 2013; I’ll post a picture in my next blog post if I’m successful!

Talking of the end of the year, this will be my final blog post of 2013 so, all that's left to say is I hope everyone has a really fantastic Christmas and loads of fun seeing in the New Year!


Clare

Tis the festive season

By Michelle Ramsumair, Marketing Administrator

It's almost Christmas!!! Time has definitely flown by and it's that festive time of the year again. We decorated our office yesterday so feeling much more in the spirit. If you haven't got a tree up or decorated your office then what are you waiting for?

Last week was a taste of sweet and sour as our Director of 17 years left sadly. She has seen our department through many changes and it has grown into a great department to be a part of. Although it is sad we also wish her every success where she is moving to. We had a nice leaving and Christmas do at G Casino Friday, which did consist of some gambling but more drinking I think! We also got our secret santa, someone knows me well!

So campaigns have been keeping me busy, but I have to say I am enjoying them. They involve a lot of co-ordination and attention from the initial draft plan (even before then) to the evaluation after. We are very fortunate to have a great team who word hard and endlessly on these. It is always fun when the companies you build relationships with treat you just show their appreciation. I was lucky enough to be invited by Heart FM to attend the Luton Best Awards as their guest. It was a great evening in at Warren Weir, Luton Hoo with amazing people. I really enjoy meeting interesting people whether at events or when meeting a company to see what they offer and how they may be able to assist with our campaigns.

At the moment I am also studying a CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing. It's definitely tough getting back into studying, but I have a huge amount of respect for anyone who chooses to study whilst looking after their family and working full time. I certainly can't complain, I have it rather easy!! Had my first exam last week and it was scary to say the least. There is so much to learn, but with fun colleagues and tutors working in marketing in various sectors we are never stuck for discussions, and we are all super supportive of one another. Couldn't have asked for a better group.If you are working in marketing or looking to go into it, I would highly recommend becoming a CIM member and looking into what courses and training they have to offer. For new starters in marketing it is a step onto the ladder, for those already working in this area it helps you progress further. There are also other professional bodies to look at if you want to go into other areas of marketing. Why not take a look and see all the options available to you. New Year's resolution perhaps...?

Tomorrow I fly off to Israel for a week, so I am trying to tie up everything to hand over. Definitely excited as it is somewhere different and many people have said how much I will love it out there. Will have photos to show when I return. I better get on with some work so have a great week shopping and decorating everyone!

Picture perfect

Sarah Hampton - Marketing Manager

The very first Prospects
Postgraduate Awards

The month of November has indeed been a busy one, and not just on the work front. The Marketing team has been busy jet-setting around the UK as we attend many an award ceremony. In earlier posts you'll see we went to nearby St Albans for the CIPR PRide awards where we were incredibly excited to scoop two Gold Awards.

This time we headed off to Manchester, along with the Digital Marketing Team to attend the very first Prospects Postgraduate Awards. As our last event of the year, we were out to have a fabulous time!

Feeling festive and enjoying
the xmas market

On arrival we couldn't help but pay a quick visit to the Christmas Market which was a stone's throw from the Awards Venue, the Radisson Blu Hotel. We spent a good half an hour sampling different cheeses and working out whether it was ok to have pesto and coconut in a cheese - obviously not in the same cheese! After taking in and savouring the sights, sounds and smells of the market, we made our way to the venue ready to take us our seats. Being an avid awards goer this year, we like to think we can tell whether we're in for a lucky night. We were all sat on the judges table, so surely a good sign, right?

Our digital team celebrating
on stage - well done!

We were over the moon as the Digital team picked up first place for Best Website. A truly fantastic achievement, and very well deserved after all of their hard work! Unfortunately, we didn't manage to win this time round in the category of Best Postgraduate Prospectus. It was the biggy of the evening, with more than 11 universities all going for the coveted prize and so the competition was definitely steep. But we were very pleased to have made the short-list, and even managed to get a certificate for being a finalist.

Back in the office it's been an incredibly busy period as we get cracking with the 2015 Undergraduate Prospectus. We've been busy writing and refreshing all text, auditing all courses, and arranging new photography to best showcase our new facilities. It was Clare's first big photoshoot with us here at Bedfordshire, and so the team accompanied her to show her around the campuses and facilities and demonstrate the kind of shots we look for when putting a prospectus together. We were able to see the brand-new sports halls over at our Bedford campus, and although I've been with Bedfordshire for more than six years now, it was my first visit to the Alexander Sports Centre - oh the joys of following a sat nav and ending in sheer panic as it says "you have reached your destination" and you're in the middle of a residential area.

Brand-new Art & Design teaching space

I did enjoy going over to see the new Alexon building in the centre of Luton town, which is the new home for our Art and Design students. It was great to see such a professional looking creative space, and made for some excellent pictures which will feature in the new prospectus. We were able to showcase our Fashion students at work, as well as Interior Design students happily working away and commenting on different furniture designs, as part of their projects.

Aside from the prospectus, we're quite excited to be launching our new CRM system: Belong at Beds. We've been busy generating and uploading content, after many a training session, and are almost ready to go live. So keep checking back here to see how the live launch goes.

Week One Whirlwind!

Hello there. I am Clare, Marketing Assistant and newest member of the University of Bedfordshire MARC department.

I’m Lutonian through and through and have lived in the town all my life (excluding a three year adventure courtesy of the University of Warwick). I have previously worked in arts marketing for Luton Culture, the charity that runs the town's libraries, museums and theatres.

This blog post marks the middle of my second week at the University of Bedfordshire and I can’t quite believe how quickly the days have gone by! Among introductory meetings, cups of hot chocolate and even a pizza lunch thrown in for good measure, I’ve found a bit of time to settle in to my new surroundings and got to know campus a little better.

Highly recommended: every new starter
should have a Sarah Hampton induction
schedule.

I arrived to a lovely warm welcome and a meticulously planned – and really appreciated! – induction schedule which has allowed me to get to know teams and their roles via a series of mini meetings. Meeting people one-to-one has been absolutely priceless for somebody who is, admittedly, pretty useless at matching faces to names and names to job titles! A week and a half later and I finally feel like I’ve got a grasp of who’s who and what’s what, although I’m sure there'll be tons of questions to ask now I’ve started to do some real work!

It seems like I've joined the team at a really interesting time; last week I sat in on the meeting with Z3, the people who will be putting together the 2015 prospectus, heard about various campaign plans, and had some training for the new CRM system and Matrix – plenty of excitement for a first week and a half!

I'll be at the Luton Campus open day this weekend and I'm really looking forward to experiencing the university with all the buzz and excitement of an open day. Being as new as I am, I reckon it'll be a massive help for me as well as all the prospective students hoping to get an idea of what the University of Bedfordshire is all about.

Time has really flown by and I've had a great time so far. It'll be Christmas before we know it!