Brand Strategy
At Auburn, our brand is the foundation of who we are, so it is critical that the brand be at the heart of the stories we tell to connect with our diverse audiences. Therefore we continue to focus on:
Cohesive and consistent brand application
Unified, integrated communications
Optimal use of resources, data and channels
In 2022, we worked collaboratively across campus and with stakeholders to begin the process of adopting new brand elements, and as we move into 2023, we will continue working together to advance the Auburn brand.
In 2022, we managed the brand through:
Phase 1 brand launch to campus communications teams.
Completion and delivery of all college and unit logo files for campus.
Phase 1 templates completion/posting and support.
Follow up and refinements based on stakeholder implementation needs.
Brand guidelines creation, testing and refinement.
Creation of Templates Catalog adding Phase 2 templates.
Completion of agreement with brand health study vendor.
Brand training planning with HR Learning.
Brand Review and project submission process updates and testing.
Establishment of brand adoption measurement system.
Completion of stationery vendor RFP process and building of ordering portal.
Selection of finalist digital asset management (DAM) system vendors for trials.
In 2023, we will advance the brand through:
Continued completion of broader brand and other related guidelines (photography, social, video, promotional).
Completion of all graphic elements asset files and usage guides for campus designers.
Phase 2 brand rollout communication; follow-up meetings and feedback surveys with colleges/units.
Brand health study launch with RHB and identified stakeholders.
DAM vendor selection and contract completion.
Phased implementation of DAM to begin among pilot groups; asset identification, migration, user permissions, structure set up, templates creation, brand portal creation, testing, training.
Completion of brand training modules with HR Learning.
Use of brand health study results to define brand positioning: identify target personas, articulate brand purpose, personality/voice, value proposition and ultimately Auburn’s brand essence.
Development of brand messaging structure informed by the brand positioning.
Creative development and testing for application to various executions.
Integration
In a fast-paced, digital world, an effective communications strategy requires an integrated approach—one that employs multiple channels of distribution. Audiences consume news in many different places, so our goal is to develop compelling content and meet people where they are.
2022 Fall Academic Recognition Program
Objective
Following a highly selective process, spotlight one successful academic program that represents experiential learning at each Auburn home football game to generate awareness and demonstrate impact.
Alignment of objective to strategic plan:
Transformative Research: Elevate research and scholarly impact to address society’s critical issues and promote economic development in Alabama and beyond.
Impactful Service: Highlight our land-grant and service capabilities to foster greater innovation and engagement that enhances the quality of life.
Exceptional and Engaged Faculty and Staff: Recognize Auburn’s outstanding people and the contributions they make through research and community outreach.
Tactics
Develop a communications strategy centered on a multichannel message delivery approach. Mediums included news media, social media, websites, the game program, live audience and campus newsletters.
Partner with Athletics marketing to secure a prime timeslot for on-field recognition during pregame ceremonies.
Collaborate with campus communicators to develop compelling content for each selected program.
8 Featured Programs
1.5 billion reach
2022 Academic Recognition Program
Collaboration
OCM partners with major constituents across campus to produce compelling materials, provide training support and promote events and stories that engage the Auburn faithful and beyond.
Admissions
The Office of Communications and Marketing collaborated with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to amplify messaging about upcoming application deadlines and to promote in-person and virtual campus tours.
Alumni
The Auburn Connection email newsletter is composed within the Office of Communications and Marketing in collaboration with Alumni Affairs, Athletics and campus communicators. The platform allows us to share news and feature stories about the university with our alumni. The email is distributed monthly to nearly 260,000 Auburn graduates, donors, friends and stakeholders. In partnership with Alumni Affairs, OCM also edits and pitches throughout the year various news releases involving alumni-related events as well as Auburn Magazine stories.
Athletics
The Office of Communications and Marketing collaborates frequently with Athletics, to include oversight of the Academic Recognition Program through which academic groups are recognized on field for each home football game. OCM also participates in football gameday planning meetings with Athletics to keep apprised of procedures, logistics and newsworthy items to serve as a resource, as needed, involving media. Similarly, OCM works closely with Athletics in cases of crisis-related communications matters as well as academic story production for each football home game’s printed program.
Programs/Units
Our office often assists various programs and units with communications and marketing matters, to include that of Auburn’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, Radio Frequency Identification Lab and the university’s Office of Outreach, Office of Research and Economic Development, Office of Special Events, Office of Inclusion and Diversity and Alabama Cooperative Extension System. This collaboration can include everything from media relations to publication and design assistance to event support.
Board of Trustees and President’s office
Our office works closely with top university administrators to provide story coverage and/or media relations assistance involving Board of Trustees meetings, university-wide messaging for faculty, staff and students as well as matters of crisis- or issues-related communications.
Student Affairs
OCM partners with the Office of Student Affairs, delivering key messages to students by way of the weekly This Week@Auburn email newsletter as well as Auburn’s student-centric Instagram account. Approximately 30,000 students receive the This Week@Auburn digest, and Auburn’s Instagram account has 169,500 followers.
Faculty
Faculty news and expertise is frequently pitched to the media and distributed through Auburn News, the email newsletter that OCM compiles and distributes twice weekly to approximately 11,000 faculty and staff. Our office collaborates with faculty to connect their work with the national news of the day via Auburn’s Expert Answers series. This past year, our staff posted and pitched to media 32 Expert Answers on a variety of newsworthy topics. Our staff also offers training sessions for faculty in the way of media relations.
Donors
In alignment with Auburn Advancement, our office has worked closely with key fundraising communicators to strategically connect news stories with giving opportunities for use in Advancement appeals to key donors. Our office was integral in communicating several stories this past year with a fundraising component, to include that of Tiger Giving Day.
Campus communicators
Within OCM, we have staff assigned to serve as liaisons to specific colleges, schools and units to ensure support of their media relations, marketing and branding needs. Our office has provided Cision media pitching software training sessions and has created a Brand Council to gather key campus communicator input on brand strategy and execution.
Special Events
OCM collaborated frequently in the past year with the Office of Special Events involving several building naming and groundbreaking ceremonies. Those efforts involved OCM garnering news coverage of the events, providing photographic and video coverage as well as script writing for speakers.
Office of Inclusion and Diversity
OCM works with the Office of Inclusion and Diversity in communicating the university’s overall diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, including the maintenance of Auburn’s diversity-focused landing site: auburn.edu/inclusion. OCM also provided crisis communications guidance to OID in several cases involving national civil unrest.
Media
The News Team in OCM receives dozens of media inquiries each month and serves as a conduit between the media and Auburn faculty, staff and students. We aggressively pitch an average of 25 news stories each month and consistently exceed our monthly goals of in-state and national news hits.
Global Reach
The Office of Communications and Marketing employs a strategy of earned, owned and paid media to maximize exposure of the Auburn brand. We accomplish this through our efforts in media relations, storytelling and brand positioning in alignment with Auburn’s strategic plan and via the main Auburn communications platforms of web, social media and email digests as well as marketing collateral and digital ad campaigns. Each year, we share the Auburn brand narrative with billions globally.
Earned Media
Third-party validation—others telling their audiences about Auburn’s great work—is the most effective way to raise the university’s profile and reputation. Our staff works closely with college communicators to develop strategies for pitching stories, and we employ Cision software to identify and cultivate relationships with reporters on all levels to maximize coverage. In 2022, coverage was secured in major outlets such as CBS Evening News, The Associated Press, Yahoo News, U.S. News & World Report, Markets Insider, Forbes, CNN, MSN News, The New York Times, NPR, USA Today, People, The New York Post, ESPN, NBC News, Fox News Channel and The Washington Post.
Top stories of 2022
$25,000 in publicity value
$27,795 in publicity value
$17,273 in publicity value
Creative Services
Creative Services is responsible for creation and management of the Auburn brand and working with campus partners to ensure application to creative. Our professional designers create award-winning materials that are sure to be on-brand, and our project management team provides marketing direction, strategy and leads as the point of contact between Creative Services and our partners.
Website, Newsroom and Digests
The homepage of our website serves as the front door to thousands of visitors each year. From prospective students, to alumni, to industry professionals, staying connected to Auburn is done through our sharing of news articles about our accomplished faculty, students and alumni.
Our email digests echo those same accolades and reach key audiences every single week, hitting inboxes with news regarding information pertinent to their needs, and also highlighting why indeed it is great to be an Auburn Tiger.
Photo & Video
Photos and videos are often as important as words when telling our stories. These visuals embody our identity as a university—through our students, faculty, staff, research and outreach. Our diverse portfolio will continue to tell a special kind of story—one that speaks for itself, often without a single word needed.
Social Channels
In today’s world social media is essential to promote our message, build our brand and gain an audience reach we wouldn’t have access to otherwise.
Our innovative tactics allow us to amplify Auburn’s voice by posting relevant, newsworthy content that echoes loud and clear with each specific audience. This year, we continued to strengthen our engagement and further implement the university’s strategic goals on our social media platforms by connecting with our audience on a new platform: TikTok. We also officially launched our #AuburnAmbassdor program, which is composed of 25-30 students who represent and support Auburn’s mission and voice across various social media platforms.
Social Media Followers