1. “Branding and Marketing”
Presented to
Director of Communications Search Committee
New Mexico State University
June 20, 2003
By Ellen Mayou

2. GOAL
To position the Southern Methodist University
School of Engineering as the leading engineering
school in the Metroplex.

3. REASONS FOR CAMPAIGN
New dean appointed in August 2000
The school had almost been eliminated in the 1970s and
many people did not even know it still existed.

4. TARGET PUBLICS
Internal
· Students
· Faculty
· Staff
· Alumni
· Parents

5. TARGET PUBLICS
External
· Business leaders
· Community leaders
· Media
· Prospective students
· Potential donors
· Funding agencies

6. OBJECTIVES
· Increase undergraduate enrollment
· Raise $14 million for a new engineering building
· Increase alumni giving
· Increase research funding

7. RESEARCH
· “Day One” branding session by J. Walter
Thompson conducted October 25, 2000 to develop a
comprehensive situation analysis and come up with
an initial branding strategy.
· “Day Two” branding session by J. Walter
Thompson conducted Sept. 21-22, 2001 to develop
specific positioning messages for undergraduate
students, graduate students, donors and media.

8. STRATEGIES
· Create a new brand for the school (“Engineering
and Beyond”)
· Increase internal and external awareness of the
school
· Educate internal and external audiences about
exciting new changes in the school
· Enhance the school’s reputation
· Increase media coverage of the school
· Enhance two-way communication with target
publics

9. TACTICS

10. 1. To create a new brand for the school (“Engineering
and Beyond”):
· School name was simplified to “SMU School of Engineering”
· Web site redesign
· A new logo was created and printed on t-shirts, mugs, and caps
· New letterhead printed
· New newsletter
· “Engineering and Beyond” incorporated into all marketing
materials

11. 2. To increase internal and external awareness of the
school:
· Create new internal and external newsletters – both printed and
electronic
· Increase coverage in the campus newspaper
· E-mail news releases about the school
· Increase media coverage of the school
· Hold monthly infosessions for prospective graduate students
featuring lectures by professors
· Form an internal events committee
· Sponsor a booth on “The Boulevard” prior to SMU home football
games
· Host receptions throughout the Metroplex for alumni
· Create a “Hall of Leaders” for distinguished alumni

12. 3. To educate internal and external audiences about
exciting new changes in the school:
· Create an alumni advisory board
· Create a student advisory board
· Write news releases on new programs
· E-mail news releases about the school

13. 4. To enhance the school’s reputation:
· Hold monthly infosessions for prospective graduate students
featuring lectures by professors

14. 5. To increase media coverage of the school:
· Increase the number of news releases sent out about the school
· Conduct media training for key faculty members
· Take the new dean on a media tour in key Texas cities – Houston,
San Antonio, Austin
· Pitch faculty members as experts on current topics
· Place students and alumni in features
· Develop relationships with reporters who write about technology
· Develop relationships with engineering publications

15. 5. To enhance two-way communication with target
publics:
· Create an alumni advisory board
· Create a student advisory board
· Create new internal and external newsletters

16. MEASUREMENT
AND
EVALUATION

17. The campaign is ongoing, but results to date include
the following:
· Large numbers of faculty, students and alumni are participating in
gatherings on the “Boulevard.”
· Favorable responses to newsletter and e-newsletter
· News releases produced has more than doubled:
· Media coverage of the school has doubled
· Advisory Board is a success
· First Hall of Leaders dinner in Feb. 2003 honored a former governor
and senator and drew a packed crowd
· May 2003: Announcement of gift for new building!

18. Other academic institutions that have implemented
successful branding/marketing campaigns:
UTMB
University of Louisville
Del Mar College (Corpus Christi)