CASE’s Annual Conference on Marketing and Branding, which wrapped up last week in Marina del Ray, California, explored the key ingredients of creating and communicating a successful brand. Dig deeper with these essential CASE resources—including samples, articles and podcasts—on the conference’s hot topics.

Building Your Brand

Review: Samples and tools in our branding resource collection.

Read:

• “Getting to Know U.”  Terry Flannery, vice president for communication at American University, tells the story behind the institution’s brand campaign in CURRENTS magazine.
• “It’s Academic.”  Ideas to bring faculty into institutional branding efforts in CURRENTS magazine
• “Identity Crisis.” Jason Simon, vice president at SimpsonScarborough, explains in CURRENTS how the University of California system built a brand identity but lost a logo along the way.
• “Relative Harmony.” CURRENTS magazine offers ideas to foster balance in your institution’s brand family.
• “Engage Internal Audiences in Branding Efforts.” This Advancement Weekly story examines how advancement leaders can involve students, faculty and staff in branding campaigns.
• “Expert Reveals Guiding Principles for a Successful Rebranding Effort.” A CASE member outlines five key rebranding tactics in BriefCASE.
• “Keeping ‘Community’ in the College Name.” Simplicity and consistency matter in community colleges’ branding, according to this Community College Advancement News piece.
• “Playing the Name Game.” Name changes at community colleges can be tricky, says a CASE member in this Community College Advancement News article.

Listen: “Creating Internal Buy-in for a Marketing Plan.” Listen to Tristan Davies, director of communications at the Commonwealth School, talk marketing in this Advancement Talk podcast.

Marketing and Recruitment

Review: Samples and tools in our student recruitment resource collection.

Read:

• “Does your marketing deliver?” Rob Moore, managing partner at Lipman Hearne, offers six tactics to market to prospective students, in CURRENTS.
• “Cyber-go-seek.” Stefanie Whitby, senior director for alumni relations at Wilmington University, explores four myths about online students in CURRENTS.
• “Acting their age.” This CURRENTS piece examines how adult learners fit into traditional education.
• “Higher Education Admissions: Facing Challenges and Demonstrating Value.” In survey results, admissions leaders weigh in tuition costs, student life and more on the CASE blog.
• “Growing Your Social Media Garden.” Advice on how to plant the seeds for digital engagement success, on the CASE blog.
• Intergenerational Students and Social Media: Twitter Chat Recap. Idris Clay, social media specialist at Prince George’s Community College, co-moderated this #casesmc chat.

Doing More with Less

Review: Samples organizational charts in our resource collection.

Read:

• “Ready to Roll.” Susan Evans of mStoner explores how to structure a successful team in CURRENTS.
• “Managing Content, Managing Change.” In CURRENTS, ideas to craft a content strategy that gets results.
• “Inside Moves.” This CURRENTS article provides strategies to realign communications and marketing offices.
• Managing Time on Social Media: Twitter Chat Recap. Mike Petroff, digital content strategist at Harvard University, co-moderated this chat on time management.

ROI and Measurement

Read:

• “Proving Your Success.” CURRENTS editor Theresa Walker examines the ins and outs of return on investment.
• “Show Your Worth.” This CURRENTS piece investigates how institutions are crunching numbers to demonstrate their value.
• Metrics and Social Media: Twitter Chat Recap. This #casesmc chat, co-moderated by Liz Gross at Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, looks at how to measure efforts on social media.

Social Media

Read:

• “Planning for Diversity.” Kesha Williams, director of digital marketing at Clemson University, offers tips to create an inclusive social media editorial calendar in CURRENTS.
• “All in the Hamily.” Jessica Krywosa, director of interactive content strategy at Hamilton College, shares ideas to craft humorous, authentic social media posts in CURRENTS.
• “Content Marketing in Focus.” These are David Baker, director of interactive communications at Oregon State University, provides best practices for using video in content marketing in CURRENTS.
• “Managing Content, Managing Change.” Here’s how to craft a content strategy that gets results, in CURRENTS.
• “Using a Bengal Booth to Create Authentic Content.” Idaho State’s Adrienne King shares on the CASE blog how a photobooth can capture video snippets in a fun way.
• “Is an Instagram Takeover Right for Your Institution?” Meg Bernier of St. Lawrence University and Mike O’Neill of Ithaca College blog about the challenges and rewards of letting students helm your Instagram feed.
• “The Countdown is On! Graduation Video Series Made with User-Generated Content.” How Idaho State University solicited and leveraged student-created videos, on the CASE blog.
• Content Planning and Social Media: Twitter Chat Recap. Susan Gumula, digital marketing coordinator at Anne Arundel Community College, co-moderated this chat on content planning.

Listen: “How to Integrate Digital Strategy into a Comprehensive Marketing Plan.” Hear Rachel Reuben’s tips in this Advancement Talk podcast.

Creativity and Marketing

Review: Student recruitment samples and branding resources from CASE Circle of Excellence Award winners.

Read:

• “Laughter Is the Best Marketing.” Tracy Playle of PickleJar Communications offers ideas to boost your institution’s brand with humor in CURRENTS.
• “Round of Applause.” Find inspiration in these Circle of Excellence Grand Gold winners’ projects in CURRENTS.
• Inspiring Creativity in Social Media: Twitter Chat Recap. Joy Hepp, social media manager at Occidental College, co-moderated this chat on creativity.