University Messaging Effort Focused On "What We Do and Why It Matters"

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –The University of Arkansas is moving from planning its future strategy to implementing it, providing an increased sense of purpose to the continuing process of creating a unified messaging theme for the U of A’s future communications and marketing efforts.

“If the strategic plan is the roadmap for our future – a set of unified goals for all of us to work toward together – then the unifying theme helps us clearly convey those goals to the state and nation by explaining who we are, what we do, and where we’re going,” said Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. “A unifying theme helps communicate our identity – it scratches at the heart of who we are. It is how we explain our goals, what we do and why it matters.”

There are many ways the campus community can get involved in developing the university’s unifying messaging theme including participation in an upcoming online survey that will also go out to all U of A alumni and others in Arkansas and across the nation. The survey will provide quantitative data to compare with qualitative feedback garnered this summer in a series of 87 in-depth interviews representing 16 different stakeholder groups. The interviews provided useful information about perceived university strengths and weaknesses, familiarity with the university’s mission as a public land grant and flagship institution, what is valued most about the university and perceptions about its impact to the state and nation.

“One of the interesting takeaways from the feedback we received through the interviews is that there appear to be some strong disconnects between the university’s internal identity and its external image, especially among specific groups,” said Mark Rushing, assistant vice chancellor for university relations. “This is important because the university’s actual identity, mission and direction must be aligned with its external image – what people think we do or provide – in order for the university to effectively and efficiently reach its goals and maximize its mission impact. It’s misalignment like this that we can work to address with an authentic, consistent and unified messaging strategy that shows what we do and why it matters.”

“We make a difference, we solve problems, we build futures, we transform lives, but no one will know that if we don’t communicate our strengths in a consistent and unified way,” Steinmetz said.

The development of a unifying theme began earlier this year with the formation of four campus working groups – also known as ‘theme teams’ – made up of faculty, staff and students, who are helping guide the process from start to finish. The working groups met for the first time in late March, working with University Relations to refine initial steps designed to garner feedback about the university’s mission, identity and image.

“We set out to make this a collaborative project with multiple opportunities for involvement and feedback from our campus community as well as alumni, other stakeholders and even those without any connections to the university,” Rushing said. “We even recruited some of the working group participants to take a more active role in the process, including a three-person team of faculty members who are lending their expertise to the development and analysis of a survey we will be launching soon for campus and beyond.”

In addition to the upcoming survey, the campus community will have other opportunities for involvement and feedback during the development process, including more working group sessions and a town hall style meeting.

Several small focus groups will also be assembled in the coming months to help review and refine final messaging options. University Relations plans to launch the unifying messaging theme in fall 2018.