What is it like to be an intern at University of Bedfordshire?

As an intern at the Communications department /MARC/ of the University of Bedfordshire I was given the opportunity to work alongside experienced marketing and recruitment professionals, always willing to help.

Besides developing my communication skills, I have learned about the structure of the department, how the different positions are related and the importance of organisational structure for work efficiency.

Furthermore, I have developed a better understanding of the factors that contribute to a student’s decision to choose the University of Bedfordshire over other options and how the University is meeting the students’ expectations by delivering a wide range of courses developed in conjunction with the market demands, world- class facilities, a new state-of-the-art library at Luton campus and unlimited opportunities for development. The academic lecturers across all disciplines have significant industry experience and research history. Soon, a £40m investment by the University will deliver new subject areas in STEM including Automotive Engineering, Pharmacy and Optometry.

I was given extended information about the marketing research at the department. Based on the marketing research data analyses, recommendations are produced to the academic departments, with regards what to deliver for an improved learning experience. The essence of the research work is that the information is used for decision making. I was introduced to the digital and traditional marketing practices adopted by the University.

My particular placement is at the press office of the University. This is the first point for communications with the University. From the first day I have been given real tasks. I was trained to use software for media intelligence and to create a media report. Writing content for short announcements and articles is a daily routine at the press office.

Currently, I am given a challenging task - to plan a marketing campaign for the Go Green Week. To complete the task the first thing to do was to research the sustainability policy of the University. It's really impressive what gets achieved by the University and its employees. The University of Bedfordshire currently holds the 6th position out of all other universities in the UK for delivering sustainability. To achieve this prestigious award and being classified as a first class university for sustainability, Bedfordshire has implemented significant innovations on campuses. These include green sedum roofs to harvest the rainwater and increase the biodiversity of the surrounding areas, extensive use of solar panels and a wild flower meadow project currently running at Putteridge Bury.

The University has made an excellent decision to include the Graduate Development Program into its curriculum. I'm so grateful for my time here, as well as all of the opportunities I have been given. I have developed new skills as well as enhancing my understanding of the industry I want to go. With my improved skill sets, I am excited to move forward to the next chapter of my professional journey! I cannot wait to see what doors this internship will open for me!


Teodora Todorova

Marketing Assistant Intern

To survey, or not to survey.....

Happy new year everyone. 

Hope you got through the turkey, Baileys and mince pies (other festivities/comestibles  available) and are  plugged in to take 2018 by the horns (other animal parts also available).

January often brings hope and expectation. Or a sense of tension and gloomy foreboding. Is such optimism/pessimism well-founded? One way to find out would be to do a survey. 

Meh.

In this blog, I’m going to look at when it's good to use surveys, their limitations and when you may be better off doing something else. Knocking a survey together is dead easy; crafting a questionnaire that delivers is a different prospect. It's like comparing Dairylea with Stilton. And so, ok, sometimes there's time for Dairylea......... if you're a maniac with no taste (see left).


Why survey?
Good question. One you should always ask yourself and/or your survey sponsor. If you don't have a  clear set of aims and objectives, scrap the idea. If the reason for doing the survey is anything like “It would be quite interesting to…..”, turn on your heel and FLEE.

Medieval fleeing

Surveys can confirm hypotheses and quantify suppositions, but rarely provide insight. If you're after insight or new ideas or have no idea of your audience views, you should chatting to them, not surveying. Listening rather than asking questions. Unless you have a good idea of your outcomes or potential outcomes beforehand, you’re on dodgy ground setting questions and expecting meaningful answers.

How do I confirm hypotheses and quantify suppositions?
Surveys. Though bear in mind, surveys are blunt instruments. The ideal market research survey should:

• be accessible (usually online - but do consider anyone without access to computers);
• be as short as possible - only ask questions key to the survey aims and objectives and keep open ended (non-precoded questions) to an absolute minimum;
• be piloted (tested). Get another set of eyes. I get fantastic help from colleagues in the CRM team, who have no problem telling me when questions or layouts don't work. I don't pretend to be Gary Gallup or Micky Mori, but would be happy to cast an eye over any survey you may be proposing - give me a shout;
• like I said, be AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE - if you don't need to know the views of different sexes or age/ethnicity groups, don't ask (it's good practice from a GDPR point of view);
• contain questions which are  clear and unambiguous, and easy to answer (remember, you can't explain things or correct any misinterpretations if you're not face-to-face). Here are some of the more common mistakes when drafting questions;
• be something which can be acted on – don’t ask about a la carte dining experiences if you’re researching locations for a grotty tea bar;



Keep questions as short as possible

• be something people will want to do. Offer incentives (very important for students; staff aren’t allowed a prize draw, although you could think about a charity donation based on the number of responses).

Check and share data early – an early check will confirm if an online survey is working. It may also prepare managers for any shock results if you're lucky/unlucky to get them.

Be prepared to be ignored
So. There will be times when minds are already made up. I recently carried out a survey looking at different choices of artwork. It was a good survey and gave a clear "winner". Inexplicaby, the third most popular design - there were four in all - was used. Fine. This isn’t a sob story. It does, however, illustrate how running a survey can be a waste, both in development and time spent by respondents. It’s always worth asking “will these results matter”? If not, why are you surveying?

Who do I survey?
You should be looking to represent the views and taking time to identify and reach a specific audience. This could, for example, be students, applicants or staff. It could be a combination of groups. Think about each audience's expectations – students and applicants may expect an incentive (immediate gratification), staff may be looking for feedback down the line to engender (so encouraging engagement and buy-in).

When should I survey?
Again, think about your audience and plan.

• For most audiences avoid holiday times;
• Check what else is going on, survey-wise. If you want to survey students, you need to contact the Student Experience team;
• If you want views on an initiative, it's best to ask the questions after the initiative;
• If you want to test the initiative, you may think about repeating questions before and after the initiative and check out the difference.

Anyway, this is all basic stuff. Quant 101. But then surveys should be basic.

Thanks for reading. This weekend, I'm going to have a shave and a haircut. i might think about The Ramones. Here's The Ramones with a top tune:

New year, same you. Just better.

Happy New Year everyone, I hope you had a great time celebrating! 

I feel there's a level of expectation about the first blog post of the year, so I hope I won't disappoint! It IS going to have a 'new year's resolution' type of message, but one I hope you won't find cliché.

I've never read a 'self-help' book in all of my life, however I asked for a book for Christmas called 'How to be a BAWSE' by Lilly Singh. What's a Bawse, I hear you ask? Well it's like a boss, but better. It's when you're not just surviving life, you're conquering it. Lilly is a YouTuber I watch (am I showing my age yet?) and her motivation and drive for business, work and life always astounds me, so I thought I'd give her book a go. 

Yada yada yada, long story short...it's amazing. It's essentially all the little arguments and discussions you have with yourself written down. With solutions. I'm a fair way through the 50 chapters, but these are two of my favourite points so far, and I hope they'll be helpful to you too.

1) Schedule time for inspiration.

I'm not entirely sure who reads this blog, but I'll go with a wide assumption that most of you are working. When you have a job - a day in, day out, 9-5, doing similar things over and over kind of job - updating and re-vamping can be the last things on your mind. Well here I am, giving you permission to schedule time for inspiration so that you can change that. 

You're a web designer? Spend 15 minutes searching for your favourite websites. What do you like about them, is there anything you could replicate within your work?  
You're an architect? Watch a TED talk on how architecture can transform urban spaces. It might give you some structural ideas you've never thought of before. Boom. Inspiration. 
Script-writer? Go on Netflix and watch a genre you're not usually interested in. The story-line or characterisation you see might help you create a play that's unique and different to anything you've ever created. And there you have it. Inspiration = motivation to do better. 

We try to do it here in the Marketing team too sometimes. Recently Pete (Digital Marketing Manager) gave a presentation on some of the best digital marketing campaigns out at the minute, and we picked our favourites and thought about how we could use some of the methods in our own marketing. I'm not sure about the others, but I left the room feeling like we could make some legitimate changes to better our work. Don't treat inspiration as an after-thought, schedule time for it. Otherwise creativity dies. 

2) Don't keep doing the same things, and expecting a different outcome.

I have to learn this lesson the hard way pretty regularly, both at work and in my personal life. Most recently, I have been working on a series of emails promoting our February course starts. We (my manager David and I) sent out a first wave in mid November and they performed pretty well. We then needed to send a reminder email out in December. We tweaked the design a little and cut down the text, but the messaging was the same. And guess what? They tanked. I looked at the reports and just thought, why am I surprised? I did the same thing but expected a different outcome. I'm aware there were also external factors at work, like timing and the fact that it was a second email, but even so. I should have known better. 

So please, write it on a post-it note and put it somewhere you can see it. Because you're not going to get fitter if you always take the escalator and not the stairs. And you're definitely not going to learn anything or find a new hobby if you don't audition for a choir, join a gym, or watch a YouTube tutorial on how to learn HTML code. (Okay that one's specific to me, but you get what I mean). 

I'm hoping that was more of a motivational speech than a boring lecture, and that it also brought you up to speed with some of the things we've been doing in the marketing team as well. 

So remember...new year, same you. Just better. 

Until next time. Over and out. 

If money was no object, what would you do?

This my favourite question to ask people, when I am having a conversation and there is nothing else to talk about, haha.

What about you dear reader? What would you do?

For me, I would be doing the same thing with a couple of added hobbies such as motorbiking.

“A lot of people do work that they don’t like, to buy things they don’t need to impress people they don’t know” this quote is originally from Dave Ramsey a financial writer and I just reworded it slightly.

The question is do you work to live or live to work?

A book that I am currently reading has said that success is no longer just about money and status, it has broadened to include living and working on one’s own terms while making a difference in the world.

I tend to agree on this point if 30 years down the line you have spent the majority of your time accumulating financial wealth and social status. What would that actually mean to you?

For instance, a palliative care nurse Bronnie Ware who has spent several years as a burse has written a book called “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying”

The 1st top regret is “I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” Now think and reflect on your life, how do you see it? Can you relate to this top regret?

Now, this is the interesting part the 2nd top regret is “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard” Interestingly this regret is mostly by men as most people that Bronnie took care of were from the older generation.

Anyhow, away with the depressive and pessimistic stuff and let’s think positively.

How can we change? (Of course, if you wish to)

Simply by living…by action

Do something new this week, experience things that you have not done before, help someone in need, smile more and tell the people that matter to you, that you care and lucky to have them.

But hey! What do I know?

I am just a man J

Thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed this post and remember to live, not exist.

The world awaits…so shine on.

How to get media coverage during ‘silly season’

As it turns out, this is my last blog post of 2017. Where has the year gone?!

As some of my fellow PRs will know very well, this time of year is affectionately known as ‘silly season’ – a time of year when journalists far and wide have run out of stories and content.

Journalists take annual leave and leave their newsrooms short-staffed and their websites lacking in news. Anything that pops up in their inboxes is more likely to get their attention now than at any other time of year, simply because they are desperate for content.

So I thought I would pull together a few tips on how press officers in universities (and other organisations for that matter) can take advantage of this time of year to get some publicity.

Be creative

With so little news around, this could be your chance to flag up ideas that might be overshadowed at busier times. A funny story, an inspiring case study, some quirky research – all these things might grab a journo’s attention.

Piggy-back on stuff

There may not be much news around, but as we all know, that can change in a heartbeat. Has an airline gone bust? Pitch out your tourism academics! Specific health issues making the headlines? Dig out your researchers who can offer some words of wisdom. Even if it’s just a line in an article, it’s better than nothing!

Be a journalist’s best friend

A mentor once told me that we as PRs provide a service to journalists, and as such, we should provide the best service we can. If you can’t help a journalist with their enquiry, direct them to someone who can – even if it’s a competitor. There’s nothing in it for you, but the journo will remember the kind gesture and may come to you again in the future with something you can help with.

Get festive

Don’t underestimate the power of a good Christmassy story. Whether you’re fundraising for charity or encouraging colleagues to wear daft festive jumpers, all these are potential news stories, especially if you’ve got good images to go with them.

Pester your SU

Students’ Unions are a brilliant place to find news stories, especially around Christmas. I have found that quite often SUs are rushed off their feet with other things, so if you can give them a helping hand to get some media coverage for their festive events, they’ll love you forever!  

With that said, there’s nothing left for me to do but wish you all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year, full of excellent PR opportunities and lots of media coverage!

Looking forward to 2019!

Whilst most people are busy making plans and resolutions for the New Year, the Beds Marketing team have been busy working on the 2019 Undergraduate prospectus. Although 2019 may seem like a long way off for most, the 2019 UG prospectus will be appearing at a recruitment event near you from March.

We’ve been co-ordinating the list of courses that we offer, placing bets on how many times I will have to re-do the flat plan this year (my guess is eight – I’ll keep you updated), and liaising with various departments across the University to ensure that all of the information we hold is correct and up-to-date.

One of my favourite aspects of working on the prospectuses is working with the photographers to capture new images. We work with two freelance photographers (Roy Meta and Scene) who capture a range of images for us, from profile shots, to shots of students in situ.

It’s great to be able to get into some of the sessions and see first-hand what our students are working on, as well as the facilities available. This year we were able to see the new nursing simulation labs at both Luton and Bedford, and had the opportunity to explore the Forest School at our Bedford campus. We also had the opportunity to see some of our media and dance students in action.

This year we have renewed the profiles for most of the subject areas within the prospectus too. This provides us with a great opportunity to meet with some of our students and talk to them about their experiences at Bedfordshire, which we can then use to influence future communications.

We’ve also been getting into the Christmas spirit here in the Marketing department with Christmas jumpers and inflatable Christmas characters galore! As this will be my last blog before the holidays I'd like to wish you all happy holidays and I will see you in the New Year! 

Sara

Marketing Officer

**{~first-name~}[URGENT!] This FR££ EMAIL will change your life!**

Firstly introductions are in order. Hello my name is David Fryer and I am the new Marketing Manager at the University of Bedfordshire. Over the last few months I have been trying to catch up with existing projects, future projects, on-going work and upcoming work.

A huge part of our team’s remit is to email enquirers & applicants from a marketing perspective. We tell them about our courses, locations, fees and different ways to study. You get the idea.

So with that in mind I thought it would be useful to explain some of my thoughts on how to create more engaging emails.

Ready?

Ok so here is a quick question to get things started. Which email would you prefer getting the most, one from a close friend with a nice catch up message or one from a company trying to sell you something?

No brainer right?

So when you are writing an email for a campaign or to provide information to an interested party what do you do? It’s so easy to just copy text sent to you from a colleague about a particular subject or event, add a custom name field to personalise it and send it out. But let’s be honest deep down you know that it’s not going to really engage the majority of people on your contact list.

What we are looking to achieve is that same feeling or similar to that lovely email that you get from a close friend, one you trust and also are eager to hear from.

Ok so here we go…

No more contact lists 

Don’t treat your contacts as a group, think about the individual at an early stage. Who are they, what are they interested in and how do they want to be spoken to?

Don’t waste people’s time 

Only send an email when you really have something useful to say. Don’t write an email that requires something from your readers. Instead be helpful, friendly provide relevant information for that person.

Use your actual name 

Putting your name at the bottom of an email is one thing but if it comes from a generic email address your readers will very quickly notice so put your name and reputation on the line that is the best way to be personal.

Be trustworthy 

Let people know what to expect. Yes, sales messages should be part of your email marketing and that’s fine but just be clear about it when they sign up to your emails.

Don’t be creepy

Personalise emails, but don’t repeat people’s name too often.

Be on their side 

Remind people that they’re not alone. Tell them you understand their struggles. Empathize with them, and offer help and assistance.

A reward for reading 

Make sure people benefit from reading your emails. How? Share a useful tip or piece of information.

Spark their curiosity 

Don’t be afraid to occasionally use unusual words or phrases, get your readers interested and wanting to read on to find out more. “Do you want to know the number one reason students choose to study with us?”

Don’t be clever 

Simple, specific subject lines beat clever alternatives every time, too many symbols pound signs explanation marks will only get blocked.

Experiment

Try new subject lines, change tone of voice between enquirer and applicant. Doing something new and exciting not only keeps it fresh for you but also for your readers.

Write fast 

Because that’s how your enthusiasm and personality come through.

Short and sweet 

Long and rambling emails kill your readers’ interest. Try to cut your text by half when you edit.

Ask questions

Imagine having a face-to-face conversation with your reader. You’d ask questions in that situation, wouldn’t you?

Don’t follow a strict formula

Email templates quickly bore your readers, make sure to mix it up.

The harsh truth about emails
Everyone’s inbox is overflowing with lots of irrelevant unopened messages, no one is looking forward to receiving more of that.

If someone has taken the time to open and read your email and has decided that they don’t want to unsubscribe you should feel grateful. People’s time is precious and needs to be treated with respect, don’t take anyone’s attention for granted.

Ok so there you go, my first blog is complete! Hopefully, you found it a useful read. As a complete side note I would like to thank everyone over in MARC for welcoming me to the team.

 If you have any marketing related queries feel free to contact myself and the team.

(Sorry I could not make your hair longer Ellie ran out of time!)