In 2010, William & Mary established the Office of Creative Services within the university’s central communication division. This "in-house agency" blends the capabilities and talents of the former university publications office and the former university web team. Creative Services offers an array of services in support of university-level communication and is committed to a strategic approach for university messaging. This presentation will focus on 1) the assessment required to evaluate needs and build consensus for a creative services organization on your campus, 2) the transitional and organizational development challenges that will be present when bringing a new creative services unit to life, 3) the metrics used to evaluate the success of the first 18 months. Download the podcast: http://2011.highedweb.org/presentations/MMP1.mp3

1. Creative services, anyone?
HighEdWeb 2011
Susan T. Evans | Senior Strategist | mStoner

2. What is it?
an in-house creative team
that blends capabilities
across mediums

3. 1. What problem are you trying to
solve?
2. Imagine a bright future.
3. Watch what you wish for, you might
get it.
4. Take it from someone who knows.

4. Tell me your
troubles.

5. Same story,
different campus.

6. Close your eyes
and dream.

7. If you were
starting from
scratch...

8. Use a place of ideas,
William & Mary is
emotion.
exceptional education, and unlike any other
university in America. In my view, we are
struggling to consistently represent who we
are and what we do to those who know us
and to those who know of us. A creative
services operation could be an engine of
creativity, a place where talented people
who love the College can use multiple
forms of communication to tell the William
& Mary story.

9. Be direct.
Currently, a number of committees are
working hard to coordinate communication
opportunities. I think William & Mary could
do better. A creative services team could
come to work everyday thinking about ways
to explain and promote what happens on
our campus. A creative services team could
produce an integrated splash where
individual creative elements like photos and
language and graphics all come together to
make a lasting impression.

10. So you got what
you wanted.

11. Next up,
organizational
identity crisis.

12. Who we are...
We offer the skills and expertise of an
award-winning (in-house) creative
agency.
We want to bring currently outsourced
creative work in house.
We promote and explain academics.

13. I’ve been there.

14. 2010: the year of
lessons learned.

15. Some people just
want services.
You’re offering creative
services.

16. Answer the phone.
Customer service calls
make you better.

17. Quickly or quality?
Both!
Some of our best work didn’t
take a lot of time or planning.

18. Print is different.
“Publish” really means
something.

19. Set people up to
disappoint you and
they will.
Ping them but don’t start.

20. As soon as possible.
Don’t work back from whenever.

21. Campus evangelist
here.
The third time’s a charm.

22. If you don’t know
where you’re going,
any road will get you
there.
Just ask Alice.

23. Sometimes you have
to say no.
People will thank you for it.

24. But don’t be
afraid to say yes.
It doesn’t always mean more
work.

25. BONUS MATERIAL

26. The results? The work!
Mobile website
Campus-wide events calendar
Mobile app
30-second institutional TV spot
Social media aggregator
Facebook splash page for fundraising
New viewbook and microsite for prospectives
Social media user group
Foursquare presence
W&M Experts web database
Simple web forms tool
15 videos (with no dedicated to video position)

27. Questions?
#yourturn

28. Thanks.
http://clients.mstoner.com/highedweb11/
susan
Susan T. Evans
Senior Strategist
susan.evans@mstoner.
com
@susantevans
office: 757.565.1726
mobile: 757.903.1120