UB holds second communicators conference

Amplifying the UB story was the theme of “Maximizing Our Impact: Communicators in Conversation,” the university’s second annual professional development conference for campus communicators.

The daylong event, organized by UB’s senior communicators council, welcomed more than 140 communicators, marketers and enrollment leaders from more than 50 schools, departments and units across UB to learn about proven methods of intensify messaging, create stunning visuals and leverage the power of analytics.

“Today represents our commitment to professional education,” said Nancy Paton, UB vice president for communications, during her opening remarks at the conference, which was held March 22 on the South Campus.

“Many of us have a lot on our plates in moving through strategy and tactics, but I think it’s important to take a day, step back and start to learn, to stretch our minds, to talk to one another about best practices and what is working, and to think about what we do in different ways.”

The conference was packed with workshops and breakout sessions that addressed critical topics and trends in higher education. Topics included, but were not limited to, targeted messaging, analytical strategy, producing inspiring visuals, engaging audiences on social media and preparing for the unexpected through issues management.

In addition to UB communicators, leaders from Google and the Buffalo law firm of Hodgson Russ LLP spoke at the event.

The keynote address, which explored the power and potential of technology in building innovation and iteration into education policies and practices for Generation Z, was delivered by Jaime Casap, chief education evangelist at Google, adjunct professor at Arizona State University and a high school communications teacher at Phoenix Coding Academy.

“The reflections on Generation Z by Google executive Jaime Casap were incredibly interesting and relevant to the work all of us do related to prospective and current students,” said Regina Ticco, producer for the UB Video Production Group.

Holly Cook, executive assistant to the dean in the School of Architecture and Planning, who brought a framed quote from her office to the conference for Casap to autograph, added, “I work for a dean and with students in a university, but I’m also a parent of a 9 and 13 year old.

“It was inspiring and challenging to think about how the next generation thinks about learning and that we’re building lifelong learners who are focused on what problems they want to solve rather than what they want to be,” Cook said.

The event comes two years after the launch of UB’s new identity and brand strategy, a unified effort to tell the university’s story and distinctiveness worldwide in a more compelling and cohesive way.

“The conference provides an opportunity for communicators from across campus to learn from each other, share ideas and be inspired by the incredible work and projects happening here,” said Gina Cali-Misterkiewicz, director of communications and marketing in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The workshops and breakout sessions included:

• The Write Track: Targeting Your Message — A discussion on adapting messages to readership for better results in the areas of international recruiting, institutional communications, donor communications and media relations.
• DIY Analytic Strategy — A breakdown of the nuts and bolts of analytics, focusing on planning for productive data-gathering, leveraging analytics for purposeful decision-making and developing personalized templates for measuring key performance indicators.
• The Power of a Great Visual — A discussion on harnessing the power of visuals in print, on the web and on social media to capture attention, evoke emotion and inspire action.
• Accessible Communications: Ensuring Inclusion for People With Disabilities — An overview of digital accessibility and why it matters, and training tips to ensure communication outreach is accessible to everyone.
• Capturing the Narrative: Case Studies in Issues Management — A conversation on successful issues-management planning, crisis communications and best practices for preparing for the unexpected.
• Research News: It’s More Fun than You Think — A discussion on the importance of communicating research news and working with the media to place UB faculty in influential publications, radio shows and television programs.
• Telling Our Story and Engaging Our Audience on Social Media — A guide to the best storytelling practices to incorporate into social media strategy to elevate work and increase impact.
• Rising to the Top: Rankings and Reputation — An analysis of the methodology behind university rankings and best practices for increasing institutional rank.
• Making the Message Matter: How to Connect with Prospective Graduate and Professional Students — A breakdown of the interests and motivations of prospective graduate and professional students for crafting compelling messages that attract students to programs.