Giving Back

My alma mater, Sy ra c use U niversity (SU) is actively cultivating and growing its “brand” among many different audience segments both offline and online. I’ve seen this as a member of the Central New Jersey SU Alumni Club and as a follower on SUs social media channels. The ability to attract qualified students, top professors, ongoing alumni support and interested firms to hire their graduates is vital for colleges and universities today and for the future. Using SU as an example, below are five ways to help your brand or organization be a standout in its “class.”

1. DESIGNATE EXPERTS TO SPEAK WITH THE MEDIA

Weighing-in on trends, news, research or current events in the media helps build awareness and credibility for your brand or organization in the minds of consumers.

SU’s professors are often quoted and interviewed in the news media. Robert Thompson, Director of the Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication, is the most well-known and has been interviewed by hundreds of media outlets, however, many others also comment on newsworthy topics. Rick Burton, a professor of sports management, was recently quoted in NBC News online about Michael Sam the college football star’s recent announcement that he was gay and David Van Slyke, a professor of business and government policy at the Maxwell School was interviewed for a piece by the radio program Marketplace about a bill that has President Obama’s support to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2016.

2. GIVE BACK

Giving back to the local community or partnering with a nonprofit on a worthy initiative demonstrates that your brand cares about others, fosters an emotional connection and camaraderie.

There are many ways SU and its students give back in the Central New York area where the school is located including Can It! an interfaith initiative for the area food bank , the Give 5 Campaign and the SALT Near West Side Initiative.

Cities across the country celebrate SU’s founding with National Orange Day when alumni clubs organize community service projects to help those in need, the infirm and the environment.

3. CREATE SPECIAL EVENTS, BOOK SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Planning and implementing original events or securing speaking opportunities at scheduled ones attract attention to your brand, involve customers, foster goodwill and showcase expertise.

SU organizes events and presentations such as these in major U.S. cities:

Live game-watching events at local restaurants for alumni, SU parents and fans to cheer on The Orange while enjoying refreshments. Shakers, decals and other SU promotional items are available to take home.
Business networking events
Presentations – experts from various specialties share information and tips to help alumni perfect skills, learn about industry trends and offer career advice at organized events
Trips to see Broadway shows and local attractions – this provides ways for alumni to mingle and enjoy themselves during group outings

4. CULTIVATE A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

Decide which social-networking platforms make sense then engage frequently with your communities and followers by asking and answering questions, sharing news, posting light-hearted photos and famous quotes or by hosting helpful Twitter and Facebook chats.

SU is active on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn. They have several Twitter handles for specific followers such as @SyracuseU, @Cuse for athletics and @WorkingOrange where alumni offer careers tips and answer questions.

Use photos and hashtags to spread awareness and encourage sharing. SU does this with its #OrangeNation hashtag. It had fun with #BeatDuke before the basketball game on Feb 1 and with #OrangeLove on Valentines Day. Vice President Joe Biden (an SU law grad) tweeted a picture of himself wearing a Beat Duke t-shirt which was re-tweeted and shared many times online.

5. KEEP BRAND LOYALTY ALIVE & WELL

It’s important to maintain customer loyalty and relevance over time as SU does by helping alumni get involved and keep abreast of news and events on many levels.

Online via ‘ Cuse Community
In-person by inviting alumni to athletic events at the Carrier Dome, alumni weekends and at reunions on campus
Locally by joining alumni chapters around the country and participating in events.

When I got home from a February 1 alumni game-watching event I flipped open my college yearbook and there was a picture of legendary basketball coach Jim Boeheim smiling from the sidelines at a game just as he does today.

GO ORANGE!

{Image courtesy of “Creative Commons Syracuse University Oranges Mascot” by Pics to Pin.}

If you’d like to find out how we can help your brand stand out among its audiences with cost-effective tactics like those above, please contact us.

We love spring don’t you? The weather warms up, the sunshine-filled days are longer and we get inspired to revitalize our work and personal lives. To celebrate the arrival of spring, here are six ways to engage consumers and put some spring in your brand’s step.

S = Store Experience

Physical stores are here to stay for a long time but they are no longer the center of the shopping experience. Consumers now use technology such as the Web and mobile apps along with the in-store visit to compare prices, learn about an item’s features and search for what they want. Even so, the popularity of the store visit hasn’t waned so it needs to be a great experience for everyone who enters.

For a look at the future of retail from Deloitte and STORES Media click here.

P = Personal Involvement

Consumers are human so they take things personally. Whether it’s the foods they eat, the cars they drive, the homes they live in or the clothes they wear, our purchases reflect who we are. Brand marketers must understand what makes their customers tick and demonstrate a personal connection with them so they become loyal customers.

R = Relationship Building

Just like people, every local community has its own personality. Marketers can build strong relationships with consumers by demonstrating an interest in improving the fabric of the local community. Our Fuse4Community program helps marketers achieve this goal by working with and leveraging the resources of nonprofit organizations for mutual benefit.

I = Involve Consumers

We are in the Age of the Consumer. Influence has shifted from manufacturers to consumers. Take a few minutes to watch this video where a Dean from The School of Business and Technology at FIT explains this important change.

N = News Coverage

Getting a brand featured in traditional news media is still a valuable communications goal for any marketer. However, today there are dozens of niche blogs, online outlets and many social media platforms which allow brands and companies opportunities to tell their story and engage with target consumers. It’s now much easier to connect with your target audiences and industry influencers in two-way conversations due to the proliferation of new media opportunities.

G = Give Back

It’s good for a company to give back. Consumers will notice and will support those companies that do. Donna Karan explained her belief in and practice of conscious consumerism when she spoke in January at the National Retail Federation’s BIG Show. She urges retailers to do their part to make a difference.

Evidently this idea also applies to individuals who work for companies and is discussed in length in a recent story penned by Susan Dominus in The New York Times Magazine. Adam Grant is the youngest-tenured and highest-rated professor at Wharton who has written a new book based on his research called, “Give and Take.” His work in the field of organizational psychology suggests that the more individuals give back of their time and energy to help others, the more they and the companies they work for will reap the benefits. You can read the story here.

Happy Spring!

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