Orange & Blue Review (OBR) is Auburn University's external email newsletter distributed every Thursday morning. OBR is the "one-stop digest for all things Auburn," from advances in research and flourishing partnerships to successes in the classroom, in the fields of play and beyond.
Audience
The OBR audience subscribes to receive content that interests them and includes government stakeholders, industry partners, everyday citizens, alumni and friends, peer institutions, media, and Auburn faculty and staff.
Format and Distribution
Content Mix: OBR primarily features our Auburn Stories content highlighting powerful stories of innovation, impact and experiences.
Customized Content: Powered by Mailchimp and FlipRSS, OBR delivers content based on a subscriber’s preferences from the five categories of Auburn Stories:
• Academic Excellence (Hands-on Learning, Teaching Excellence and Unique Opportunities
• Auburn Family (Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Student Spotlights
• Campus Experience (Campus Life, Athletics and Traditions)
• Outreach and Impact (Outreach and Extension Programs and Service)
• Research and Innovation (Discoveries, Partnerships)
Update Preferences: There is no limit to the number of categories a subscriber can select, and they can adjust what they want to receive at any time.
Distribution:
• Delivered via email every Thursday morning.
• Users subscribe to receive content.
• A category's content appears in the newsletter only if there is content published for that week.
Content Standards
The Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM) is committed to serving subscribers with the best Auburn Stories based on their preferences. That content will reflect:
• Category relevance
• High-quality editorial and content design
• "Click-worthy" headlines and teasers (AKA: excerpts)
To meet these standards, OCM reviews and curates each category's feed weekly.
Content Submission Guidelines
OCM reviews AU Wire stories and news each week for Orange & Blue Review. Use this guide to submit content for consideration in the newsletter.
Use the AU Wire
Content for Orange & Blue Review first must be published in the AU Wire. When uploading to the Wire, complete the following fields:
• Category – Select one appropriate category. Choosing more than one does not guarantee inclusion.
• Newsletter Headline – Add a short (less than 10 words), attention-grabbing headline to this field. Make subscribers stop and take notice of your story!
• Newsletter Teaser – Craft a concise excerpt (~20-30 words, roughly 1-2 lines). Entice readers to click!
• Preview Image – Do not upload graphics with text as the preview image.
• Correct link (if applicable)
• Images - Please check and remove spaces in image URLs. The RSS will reject images with spaces.
- Incorrect: 200806 external image.jpg
- Correct: 200806-external-image.jpg or 200806_external_image.jpg
OCM may make editorial changes to headlines and teasers for the newsletter. These edits will not affect the original content.
Content Deadline
All content that meets the submission criteria for each week's newsletter must be in the AU Wire by noon on Tuesday. There are limited exceptions to this deadline, and those exceptions must be approved by the OCM Digital Strategist.
Featured Story
Each week's newsletter may include a featured story above the email feed. OCM determines the content for this placement, and it must appeal to a broad audience.
Subscribe and Help Us Grow
Here is a short link to subscribe to Orange & Blue Review and share with your audiences: https://bit.ly/4ah6ORp
Have questions about Orange & Blue Review or the AU Wire? Please contact Sarah Farmer.
