Peter Killian, director of marketing, began working at UB on June 1.

He previously was senior vice president/director of communications for Marine Midland, responsible for all business and corporate marketing efforts.

What is marketing?
All too often people define marketing as the process of advertising and selling a product or service. But that is only a small part of it. In the broad sense, marketing is the cumulative total of all activities that are necessary to keep a group focused on its customers' needs and adapting its products and services to meet those needs now and in the future. Basically, the marketing mix consists of the 4 Ps: product, price, place and promotion, all of which must continually be reviewed and adjusted based on the continual feedback of the customer. To successfully understand your customers, ongoing research is an integral part of any successful marketing program.

Do most colleges and universities have a formal marketing program, or is this a new trend?
While most colleges and universities conduct some aspect of marketing, it is definitely a new trend to approach marketing in an integrated manner. In the past, colleges and universities have looked at marketing from their perspective and offered a product for sale. The customer could choose to buy or not. Today, more and more universities are looking to the customer for the products and services that will be sold. During the past several years, UB has been in the forefront in helping to change how we approach marketing.

Why is marketing important to UB's future?
The answer to that question can be summed up in one short phrase: "customer value." Today we are faced with increased competition, a more informed target market, a continuously changing environment and a very savvy customer with a variety of needs. In order for us to compete and excel in this environment and continue as one of the nation's top universities, it's an absolute necessity that we establish a long-term plan to effectively meet the needs of our customers throughout their lifetime. An integrated marketing approach is a major component of such a plan.

Do you market higher education in the same way you do another product, such as toothpaste or long-distance service?
While marketing higher education presents some very unique challenges, the overall process that one must undertake is essentially the same as with other products and services. We are all in the customer-satisfaction business and in order to be successful, we must insure that our programs have the proper focus and address the various components of the marketing mix. No matter what product or service you offer, you still need to think about customer perceptions, competition, target markets, product attributes, distribution channels, price, value, promotional tools, location, etc.-all focusing on meeting a customer's need.

What is the focus of UB's marketing plan?
The 1999 strategic marketing plan will focus on the evolution of our visual identity and the development of an aggressive image/branding program. These plans evolved from a variety of research projects involving the direct feedback of many different customers and target audiences. In addition to the overall image program, there will be many other projects that will assist individual units in achieving their recruitment and financial goals. Implementation of these plans is scheduled to begin during the spring semester.

What's the biggest challenge to UB's marketing efforts?
A large challenge we will all face as we continue on this integrated-marketing path is to reach a balance between the distinct needs of the individual units and the overall branding effort of the university. A strong marketing program is a combination of image/branding and individual-unit programs. These efforts have to work hand in hand. Individual programs should in one way or another contribute to the overall branding of the university and our central branding effort must help units achieve their individual goals.

What's the most marketable aspect of UB?
Recently, a first-year graduate student described the university as a sleeping giant. I think that was a very accurate description. The university has a multitude of positive attributes that are not assertively communicated to past, present and future customers. Among these is the diversity of our programs, faculty, staff and students. This diversity creates a learning environment, which meets the needs of a wide range of customers and allows these customers to excel in both individual and nationally renowned programs. In addition, this environment is available at one of the best values anywhere in the nation.

I understand you were responsible for the new look for Capen Lobby. Tell me about it.
Actually, the lobby effort was a joint effort with several groups on campus, including the offices of Admissions and Publications and University Facilities. This lobby area was a key impression spot for many of our customers, including prospective students, parents, current students, staff and visitors. The objective of this project was to create a warm, welcoming environment focusing on our diversity through the use of a variety of large photographic panels. In addition, we wanted to create a signature wall that would proudly display our interlocking UB and supporting typography. In the near future, we hope to expand this program to various other key locations throughout campus.

Tell me something about yourself that most people don't know but should?
I have an open-door policy and love to brainstorm ideas with people. In fact, I truly believe there are very few new ideas that are generated, just old ideas given new life by very creative people.

What question do you wish I had asked, and how would you have answered it?
How can we help with the marketing effort? First, by remembering that everything is driven off of the needs of our customers. Our job is to find sensible solutions that advance the university and provide solutions for our customers. Second, we need to continually be aware of the visual identity of the university and help to promote this image in everything we do. Remember that marketing is you!