November 14, 2006

Integrated Marketing Strategy

Over the past several weeks, you may have heard about Butler University adopting an integrated marketing strategy. And when you did, two questions most likely came to mind: What is it, and how does it affect me?

Essentially, integrated marketing means that we will be coordinating the messages we send out via public relations, advertising, print media and the Web.

Our aim is twofold. First, we need to have coherent, consistent and mutally enforcing messages that underscore Butler's mission, vision, values and strategic goals. Second, integrated marketing is a key component in building Butler's reputation as one of the premier comprehensive universities in the nation.

People said to me when I first came here that Butler is the best-kept secret. Some of you may remember my response: I'm going to "out" Butler. Ultimately, we're trying to make the case that Butler is a good educational value.

In a certain sense, we have already done that. During the Sesquicentennial, people saw Butler as a lively institution with a storied past, vital present and bright future. Student applications soared, fundraising increased and coverage of Butler events multiplied. But that kind of profile needs constant reinforcement. That is the reasoning behind integrated marketing.

Marketing staff and budgets will remain in individual university departments, but projects will be coordinated through the University Relations Department. In turn, the department has been reorganized into four sections: public relations, Web marketing/communications, print marketing/communications and conferences and special events.

The consulting firm Publicis was hired to assist the university in this effort. Publicis most recently completed a successful integrated marketing project for St. Vincent Health. Publicis will seek input from various campus stakeholders - faculty, staff, community, parents, students and alumni. From the various discussions, Publicis and University Relations will promulgate an integrated marketing plan.

A first draft of the plan will be reviewed this spring.

Creating an integrated marketing structure doesn't mean that all communications must be uniform. It means that we will find and build upon the themes and messages that we have in common while maintaining the distinctive characteristics that make each area of Butler unique. Think of it as a roadmap from which all our messages will flow.