Point People:  Bennie Osburn, Jessie Ann Owens, Beverly “Babs” Sandeen

Narrative Summary of Fourth Year Implementation Efforts:

Key objectives in 2006-07 included the strengthening of the campus’ strategic communications and marketing capacity to reach key constituencies including students, their families, alumni, campus friends and donors, and community and governmental leaders.  Strategic enhancements were made to existing communication pieces that are sent to alumni, parents and friends of the campus. 

Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent with Strategy:

Communications and Marketing

• Moved the campus marketing and branding initiative forward. This summer UC Davis began phase one of its first-ever comprehensive market research and reputation-building initiative.  Through the process, UC Davis will develop strategies to raise visibility, achieve deeper levels of engagement with and outreach to key constituents, and provide a communications foundation for future fundraising efforts, all in measurable ways.  We have engaged with the firm Peterson, Skolnick & Dodge to execute the market research and assist with strategic communications planning.  Our research, which is slated to be complete this summer, includes conversation groups with constituents – including alumni, students, donors, faculty and staff; telephone interviews with external constituents and opinion leaders, such as corporate employment and philanthropy contacts, legislative staff, chancellors of other universities, donors and foundations; and online surveys with alumni and students to provide baseline data against which we can measure our effectiveness.

• Launched the UC Davis Web Content Management initiative, in partnership with Information and Educational Technology, with the goal of implementing a solution that will support the creation, management, delivery and sharing of Web content across the campus, while promoting compliance with organizational standards for branding, accessibility and communications.

• Provided leadership to campus emergency communication efforts, including developing a UC Davis pandemic communication plan, upgrading emergency Web pages and emergency Web capabilities, hosting state emergency communications training for more than 70 campus and local government public information officers, and partnering with the Office of Administration on a host of emergency communication issues in the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy.
  
  
• Realigned News Service beat structures to provide more comprehensive communications and media relations support to campuswide initiatives. More than 200 news releases and 30 news tips were issued, resulting in more than 3,500 news placements in regional, national and international news media. The News Service staff handled more than 3,000 separate media requests and contacts, making it one of the busiest university media relations operations in the nation.

• Doubled membership results of the CAAA Grad Pak program using creative marketing strategies. 

• Produced a record number of longer-length broadcast videos to showcase major campus initiatives before audiences such as the UC Regents, legislators, arts patrons, donors, the general public and other major constituents.  Video projects included the West Village neighborhood, telemedicine, the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, the John Muir Institute, the Mondavi Center season launch and the teaching prize.

• Created the 30-minute interview program, Frontiers, this showcases campus expertise on critical public issues, and is widely broadcast on the Web UCTV and cable.  In addition, produced 60 NewsWatch segments shown on KVIE Channel 6, UCTV and Webcast.

• Distributed four issues of UC Extension course catalogs to 95,000 adult professionals in the region and beyond.

• Distributed 130 different promotional publications comprising one million pieces of mail highlighting professional and continuing education opportunities to adult professionals in the region and beyond.  

Partnerships and Events

• Spearheaded a campus/community partnership to organize the first "Neighbors Night Out" to provide an opportunity for student and non-student residents to meet and get to know one another at the beginning of the school year.  Gatherings were held in over 60 neighborhoods, attended by over 500 participants.  The Northern California Association of Park and Recreation Districts awarded this program a first place award for community outreach.

• Partnered with the Davis Chamber of Commerce, Community Relations to develop a signage campaign to enable local businesses to display signs welcoming students and demonstrating business support for UC Davis students, faculty and staff.

• Sponsored a first ever conference for local governments and their neighboring universities to discuss town/gown issues and identify best practices. 

• Organized the building dedication for the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, which was attended by several hundred people, including donors, media, and local, state and federal elected and other government officials.

• Showcased the Biogas Energy Project to news media and distinguished visitors such as Congressmen Sam Farr and Dan Lungren, and the President of Tahiti.

• Worked with development officers and key faculty to host the first site visit to UC Davis by the prestigious Keck Foundation, which rarely visits institutions to review projects.  The visit combined a phase 2 review of an important pending proposal and a stewardship visit with faculty to review the ongoing work of a previously funded project.

• Converted the Convocation luncheon that served a limited VIP group to a reception that was all-inclusive for the entire campus community.

• Increased revenues for the CAAA Affinity Partnership Program by more than 157%.

• Forged or dramatically strengthened alliances with campus units to promote alumni benefits and recruit new graduates to join the alumni association.

• Grew the Student Alumni Association membership to more than 1,300 members, making it the largest such organization in California and CASE District VII, as well as one of the largest of its kind nationwide.

• Collaborated with much success on alumni engagement efforts with: University Outreach and International Programs; UC Davis Bookstore, Intercollegiate Athletics; UC Davis Extension; Welcome Week Program; Decision Day 2007; UC Davis Campus Union.

• Teamed with popular Sacramento restaurant to raise $24,000 in in-kind donations to the CAAA Annual Awards program.  Drawing a record breaking crowd of more than 250 guests.

• Initiated planning efforts for the centennial celebration.

• Hosted producer Huell Howser of Road Trip with Huell Howser on a tour of UC Davis; resulting in a full hour show dedicated to UC Davis.  The show was received the highest rated PTV program in the country and was viewed by about 40,000 homes and 70,000 viewers.

• Enhanced donor relationships through more tailored donor recognition events, and the creation of the new donor recognition society The Chancellor's Laureates for donors with cumulative lifetime giving of $1 million+, and the creation of a new position for a Director of Donor Relations.

Short Statement of Plans for 2007-08

• Develop and test consistent campus messaging and branding and with the assistance of the Brand Council comprised of communication professionals representing the views and input of the various schools and colleges.

• Strengthen internal and external news-gathering relationships to improve the quality of our news and writing and to generate more enterprising stories that otherwise would not be told. 

• Continue to lead the campus in creating a unified presence through consistency on the Web by developing content standards for its 10,000 web sites, acquiring a content management system and providing training. 

• Sustain and increase political, community and financial support for UC Davis by showcasing academic programs with elected officials and community opinion leaders.

• Increase participation by alumni in programs and in regional, special interest and prospective chapters and clubs. 

• Increase UC Davis visibility nationally among peers by achieving recognition for excellence and use of best practices throughout University Relations programs.

• Strengthen the awareness, understanding and support for the university that results in tangible volunteer, donor and advocacy efforts on behalf of the academic enterprise.

• Enhance University Communications’ service to campus through effective leadership, revised policies, collaboration with the Communications Council, campus-wide staff development and technical support.

• Increase engagement with campus friends and community through special events, stewarding volunteers, staff development and training and improved campus-wide coordination in event planning and execution.

• Increase outreach to Solano County through continuation of existing relationships with local elected leaders and economic development officials and through creation of a Solano County engagement plan.

• Create a forum for bringing local elected officials and staff to campus for direct interaction with campus leaders and staff to promote relationship-building.

• Enhance working relationships with Downtown Davis Business Association and the Yolo County Visitors Bureau through participation in event planning and staff presence of boards.

• Convene meeting of local economic development officials to educate them on the campus and its operations to assist them in serving their communities and clients..