Marketing & Strategic Communications Support at the University of Adelaide
The primary role of the Marketing and Strategic Communications Unit (MSC) is representation, communication and promotion of the University of Adelaide.
In line with the Strategic Plan, MSC develop and employ central marketing strategies to ensure our prospective student, business, industry and community markets are familiar with our diverse and quality range of programs and services.
In addition to this, more locally, we provide strategic marketing, communications and consulting services to areas within the university. The MSC team are specialists in marketing strategy and execution, and provide expert advice and solutions across a range of media. They carefully work with researchers to understand the specific business and marketing objectives of that research focus. From here, team can draw upon best practice and the skills and resources available to help achieve researchers' targets in a way that is consistent with a university wide approach.
Internal Consulting
MSC works across the University to build, manage and maintain the brand and reputation of the University of Adelaide. This is achieved through the development of marketing strategy and plans to support the achievement of strategic and business objectives. MSC provides marketing expertise through a range of quality services for the University community. First and foremost, MSC partners with the University's research institutes, student engagement teams, international office, faculties, schools and centres to support marketing planning and strategy.
- Campaigns
- Creative Design
- Events
- Market Research
- Media and Corporate Communications
- Online
- Planning and Strategy
- Promotional merchandise
- Sponsorships
Planning and Strategy
MSC provides advice and guidance on strategic marketing planning and calendar year marketing plans. This may include:
- collaboration on undergraduate, postgraduate, research marketing strategy to ensure the planned effort is integrated and aligned with the broader university strategy
- market research to drive evidence-based decision making and a best practice approach planning for marketing
- guidance on integration of planned campaigns with strategy to support achievement of business objectives
- advice on appropriate mix of marketing, media and communications
Our expertise lies in our ability to assist you in finding solutions to meet your objectives through effective marketing planning. Involving us in your initial planning will enable us to match appropriate marketing solutions, link to University wide campaigns and maximise your return on investment.
The marketing initiative brief has been developed to assist University stakeholders to create marketing plans that are aligned to business objectives.
Campaigns
A marketing campaign combines a selection of channels to help reach your target market and increase the power and effectiveness of your communication. MSC consults across a range of channels that can be combined into an integrated campaign. These include:
- website and online media
- direct marketing and email
- social media
- advertising
- printed material
- event management
Creative Design
MSC provides design services to all areas of the University through a combination of in-house and externally sourced designers. We manage the University's Visual Identity standards and templates, and work to ensure the University's brand story is articulated through high quality and consistently presented graphic design across a wide range of materials, including booklets, brochures, fliers, advertising, posters, banners, presentation folders, signs and invitations. MSC also provides print management services, including the sourcing of cost-effective and environmentally responsible printing and oversight of the delivery of the final product.
Use the creative services brief in cooperation with the marketing initiative brief to request creative design work through MSC.
Events
Refer to the MSC events website for information on event planning and management, including University requirements, protocol guidelines, checklists and other resources.
Market Research
Market research assists in the overall management of the University’s marketing function. We provide market intelligence to the University that enables evidence-based decision making to protect and grow the University brand and help achieve the key objectives contained within the University’s Strategic Plan. Core market research activities include:
- providing insight into key prospective student markets, including market segments and dynamics
- reviewing and assessing marketing campaigns to ensure maximum return is achieved
- undertaking reputation and brand analysis and tracking
- gathering competitor and sector market intelligence
- providing market and marketing research consultancy that:
- enables marketing strategy and activities to be underpinned by evidenced
- assists with appropriate methodologies and processes for collection of market intelligence
Media and Corporate Communications
Story ideas and tips
Do you have story idea that might be of interest to the media? This might include a recently published paper, recruiting members of the community for research projects, major teaching initiatives, community engagement activities, visiting scholars or general public events. Please contact us to discuss your idea.
Media training
The Media Unit provides media training for University of Adelaide senior staff and researchers throughout the year. Please contact Kate Husband for more information on 8313 0814.
Corporate publications
- Adelaidean is our monthly newspaper, providing news about teaching, research and other activities at the University.
- Lumen is our bi-annual alumni magazine highlighting the University's achievements, emphasising its particular research and educational strengths.
Online
The Online Media team is responsible for the overall strategic direction and maintenance of the University of Adelaide websites. Our role within the University community covers:
- Developing and supporting template and content management systems used for authoring and maintaining University websites
- Managing web design, structure and content standards for all University websites
- Developing and maintaining templates for use across all University websites
- Promoting consistency of the University corporate brand in the online environment
- Providing consulting, training and support services to over 1,900 university website maintainers
- Providing a comprehensive range of resources through the Webguide
- Responsibility for the top levels of the University corporate website
- Developing University-wide online applications to support strategic goals the University, including the Program Finder, Staff Directory and University News and Events.
- Social media
- Blogs
- Social networks (e.g. Facebook, Linkedin)
- Microblogs (e.g. Twitter, Plurk)
- Video sharing (e.g. YouTube, Vimeo)
- Location-based services (e.g. Foursquare)
- Podcasts
- Web analytics
- Search (organic & paid)
- Display advertising
- Social media monitoring
Promotional Merchandise
Branded merchandise is an important element in the overall communication of a brand. It creates a strong brand presence and extends the reach of the brand beyond the usual channels. Merchandise should support an overall integrated marketing plan and will be more effective if it is used to drive action.
To assist in selecting and ordering effective merchandise, please use the promotional merchandise guidelines.
Sponsorships
Sponsorships can provide the opportunity to build brand, reputation and awareness about a specific faculty, school or program offering and its associated staff and students within the broader context of the university. By targeting an audience relevant to your message, sponsorship can be a positive way to align the name of a faculty, school or discipline with a particular industry, thought leadership, event or activity and position it in that particular space.
The sponsorship guidelines have been developed to assist university stakeholders when undertaking a sponsorship and to consider and assess the strategic value of entering into such an arrangement
