by Linnie S. Carter, Ph.D., APR and Amanda Griesser
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College
Harrisburg, PA
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, is a household name in our region. This means that after we’ve turned off our work brains in the evenings or on the weekends, we regularly run into people who have a connection to the school or are curious to know more. We must always be ready to talk about what HACC has to offer.
The role of HAAC’s Integrated Marketing Communications Department is to prepare content, create innovative designs and promote effectively to the masses (among many other responsibilities). We pride ourselves on being experts in our field, but we can’t possibly be experts on everything! For instance, we might need a hand when talking about tactical emergency casualty care or gas metal arc welding.
Our faculty members, alumni, board members and students possess deep wells of knowledge and strong connections to the college, so we want them to be prepared to share their excitement and experiences, whether they’re chatting with a Lyft driver, a neighbor or their dental hygienist.
We give HACC employees a lesson about the importance of strong branding in this YouTube video
In 2016, we prepared a branding toolkit with all of the resources our biggest cheerleaders need to engage in these important conversations. The toolkit describes what it means to have a strong brand and includes talking points, access to printed materials, information about our president, PowerPoint templates and social media best practices.
Recruitment and retention are collegewide endeavors that require more than the efforts of a small but mighty marketing team. If we place the best training and tools in the hands of our colleagues, students and alumni, we feel confident that they’ll shine – no matter the scenario.
For an institution of higher learning, that’s the way it should be.
Linnie S. Carter, Ph.D., APR, is vice president of college advancement at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, and executive director of the HACC Foundation.
Amanda Griesser is the integrated marketing communications coordinator for project management at HACC.
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