MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

Georgia Highlands College 2007-2009

Submitted May 30, 2007

Executive Summary
Georgia Highlands College, like many public and private colleges and universities in Georgia, has experienced steady increases in student populations in the last decade. In fact, during the last six years enrollment numbers for GHC have doubled. At the same time, state funding declined (in 2003 and 2004), a fact that presented significant challenges to the college at a time when new facilities and staffing were needed to keep up with the pace of enrollment. Though significant funding has been reinstated, it still falls short of the funding percentages of earlier years. And it fails to keep pace with burgeoning enrollments throughout the state, most particularly in the extended metropolitan area of Atlanta. This predicament isnt as severe, however, as the national trends. Nationally, the percentage of institutional budgets funded by state governments has dropped two percentage points since 1970. That year states funded an average of 7.3 percent of the budget for public colleges and universities; by 2000 that funding had dropped to 5.3 percent. GHC receives about 60 percent of its funding from the state. Here in Georgia, other factors have also influenced funding. The installation of Erroll Davis as chancellor in 2006 brought a free-market philosophy to Georgia higher education. Davis, a former business executive, believes that if institutions are going to maintain predicted growth patterns, they must search for other funding sources and develop independent income streams to supplement the formula. That mindset represents more of a business approach to educational operations and delivery than ever before in the University System of Georgia. While the approach may produce some anxiety among academic administrators, it also offers opportunities for creative thinking and problem-solving applications at each institution. For Georgia Highlands, that opportunity may translate into long-term benefits from cooperative partnerships with other institutions, agreements and specific donor relationships with area businesses and a keener eye for opportunities to make the college an integral and indispensable part of the Northwest Georgia region. The confluence of new systemwide leadership, the first major-gifts campaign in GHC history, everchanging technology and a growing regional flavor to the brand will demand creative energy and new avenues to generate resources that can support the colleges desired growth during the years ahead. Georgia Highlands has long ventured beyond Floyd County and offered programs in Cartersville, Acworth, Carrollton and more recently Marietta. Population projections report a huge population surge in the greater Atlanta area, particularly north and west of the city. Enrollment numbers indicate the accuracy of such projections. For example, in less than two years of operation, the new Cartersville campus shows enrollment increases have outpaced all GHC teaching sites. GHC has planned and implemented activities to

meet this growth, most notably expanding into Cobb County and extending the nursing program to Acworth through generous funding by WellStar Health System. Prompted by the name change in 2005, a new logo, type styles and colors were introduced, as well as ad campaigns featuring successful and accomplished alumni. Based on focus group feedback, the brand effort was focused on creating a cleaner, simpler and more academic look to help dispel the image of GHC in particular and twoyear colleges in general as easy 13th grades. Recent articles in education journals report that colleges and universities around the country are consulting their marketing departments and contracting with consultants to research the popularity and profitability of academic programs and course offerings. In other words, they are becoming more market- and bottom-line focused. The American Association of Community Colleges reported in 2004 that 65 percent of American twoyear colleges had recently reviewed and/or modified their program offerings to respond to market demands. A major challenge in the coming year indeed, the next 10 years will be managing the growth of Georgia Highlands College wisely. No communications strategy in the world can compensate for lack of service, poor student survey responses, unfavorable studentto-teacher ratios, negative word of mouth or inadequate facilities. An integral part of the growth picture will be funding. And while funding will no doubt remain a challenge for some time, the future nevertheless holds much promise for Georgia Highlands as it meets the needs of the burgeoning population in Northwest Georgia. Another huge challenge is the changing face of media. Whereas the 1960s and 70s reflected the medium is the message era of mass communication, todays mantra proclaims the conversation as the message. Gone are the days of passive information gathering. Todays media are interactive. Information has become debate, two-way dialogs. There are pros and cons to this fact, but theres no avoiding it. We must learn how to use new media to our advantage. The following pages will provide ideas that support the continued evolution of the college brand as it strives to fulfill its mission as an accessible, affordable and intellectual resource to its students and the entire community. In addition to strategies and tactics to meet communications objectives, ideas for collegewide activities to strengthen relationships with students, businesses and community members will also be included in this plan.

SITUATION ANALYSIS
Money runs the American marketplace and indeed the capitalist economy. The concept is a basic premise for financial viability. Yet in the public education sector, market forces that drive business and industry play a secondary role in operations because profit has never been the primary objective of higher education. The demands of contemporary society may be modifying this protocol, however. Consider the last 25 years in higher education. Nationally According to the U.S. Department of Education, in 1980 low-income families spent about six percent of their income on college tuition at public two-year colleges. By 2000, these families had to allocate 12 percent of their incomes for those costs. As a result, the number of students using loans and grants for college costs has risen by nearly 200 percent. Even financial aid and a greater percentage contribution of family income havent kept pace with the rising costs of a college education. So personal debt is rising to attain personal education goals. The DOE reports that compared to 1991 when federal college loans accounted for $22 billion, the 2001-2002 federal debt figure for that purpose totaled $54.3 billion. Private loans also jumped significantly from a negligible amount in the 1980s to $5.6 billion in 2002. While students and their families were scrambling to find resources to help them pay for college, the traditional government funding sources for such institutions were diminishing. In 1970, states across the U.S. appropriated 7.3 percent of institutional funding. By 2000 that number had dropped to 5.3 percent. The major competitors for state funds include Medicare and state prisons. As the Baby Boom generation continues to age, Medicare and Social Security will take more and more of the financial pie. State governments tend to believe that they can cut funds to public colleges and universities during recessions and downturns because they think institutions can cover the shortfall with tuition increases. In Georgia, however, that option has also been restricted during money crunches, most notably in 2004 when formula funding was slashed and tuition hikes forbidden. At the same time, the cost of all goods and services is increasing faster than the inflation rate between 1980 and 2000, for example, the increase was 154 percent. Inflation in the general economy during the same period was 118 percent. To address the diminishing funding/rising cost issue, community colleges are becoming more market-driven, adopting customized business models and looking for new methods of earning income. Fortunately they are already fine-tuned to nuances of the communities they serve because their student bodies overwhelmingly live, work, learn and raise families in these same communities. Those same students tend to stay in their communities. So savvy two-year colleges are forming creative alliances with local businesses to develop training programs funded by the business community. They are launching fundraising campaigns and nurturing planned gift programs. They are wooing local and state politicians to ensure pieces of the educational funding pie. GHC is doing these things as well, but must continually look for new opportunities in the two-year educational marketplace to continue to evolve. The college must also think creatively

and not be timid in offering new and unique offerings or services. For example, to address poor retention among two-year colleges in Massachusetts, some institutions in that state are offering daycare facilities, which in turn, provide experience for their early childhood education students. The service helps fulfill both the academic and personal needs of students. GHCs Expanding Target Market In tandem with the knowledge of the community we serve, GHC must know and understand its student body, which is gradually changing. Since our move into Cobb County, our average student age is getting younger. In the fall of 2004 that average was 25. It has now moved down to 24. The GHC cohorts at Southern Poly and West Georgia skew toward more traditional student demographics. These students are just out of high school and looking for a traditional first-year experience. They are less independent and generally more affluent than students at the other teaching sites. Since the Cartersville campus opened, the student body there has also become more traditional. In planning marketing communications strategies and tactics, this knowledge may impact the means and types of messages delivered to this target demographic. Still, the college does have a base of students who reflect the traits usually identified with community college attendees. A substantial percentage of these students are from lower income households. A substantial number are nontraditional, entering higher education for the first time as adults with fulltime jobs and/or families of their own. For Georgia Highlands College as a whole, GED graduates comprise 13 percent of the total enrollment, with the average student age being 25 a significant cohort that should be addressed specifically. These students tend to be goal-directed. And that goal is most often to improve their job opportunities, salaries and general quality of life for themselves and their families. The nontraditionals are usually responsible for paying their own way and making their time at school count. They are also at high risk for dropping out again due to family and social pressure, financial stresses or time constraints. Cost Factors Because of the financial pressures colleges nationwide are facing, most have embraced marketing strategies employed with success by business and industry. The last decade has seen higher education turn to branding experts who can help them delineate themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Many community colleges are just beginning to develop and establish endowments and therefore have been forced to rely on creative thinking and flexible offerings to stay viable and economically sound. For the first time, two-year colleges are trying to raise money as their four-year and private counterparts do, implementing capital campaigns that are paying off. The prime target for two-years nationally, unlike four-year colleges and universities, is the business community. Business-driven motives for donating to associate-degree granting institutions are based on the need and desire to recruit better educated employees. Again, our service area has proven unique. The largest donors to the Legacy campaign to date have been individuals, not businesses and corporations. The

Rome and Cartersville communities may require targeted communications tactics to increase their awareness of GHC as a critical source of educated employees. Alumni, the main staple of donor pools in residential, four-year institutions, have proved to be elusive for GHC they are hard to track once they leave and may have stronger loyalties to their higher degree-granting institutional association. Surviving and Thriving The survival mode exhibited by many two-year institutions has generally resulted in a value-added proposition to the communities served by them. It has created partnerships with business and industry, health-care organizations and others to produce well-trained workers that feed into local firms. It has added course offerings to a broad cross-section of the communities served, through the addition of continuing education classes that appeal to professional and leisure interests alike. It has expanded the profile of the kinds of students attending a two-year college by offering college-level courses for high school students, professional development courses for those who already have a baccalaureate degree and special-interest courses for adults of all ages who simply want to learn a craft or skill for personal enrichment. In theory, such offerings should help the broader community connect the dots, leading to a better understanding of the colleges value as a crucial intellectual resource to the region. At the national level, some community colleges have added facilities that cater solely to business needs, offering professional seminars and symposiums. These sessions are often catered and are designed as income-producing activities for the school. In some states, the business/industry connection is further strengthened by combining technical and college curricula under the umbrella of a community college. This combination of transfer credits and technical courses is currently being debated in Georgia. As a result of market adaptation, open-access acceptance policies and low costs, enrollment in two-year institutions has continued to climb. Looking ahead, the challenge for GHC will be sustaining adaptability, continually searching for partnership opportunities, developing and fostering a service-learning community culture, and taking more of a leadership role in searching for and implementing creative programs that address core needs in the service area and among students.

S.W.O.T. Analysis
By noting and supporting GHCs strengths, analyzing its weaknesses, exploring market opportunities and studying threats against success, we can move forward with a strong, goal-oriented plan geared toward meeting key institutional objectives. Strengths Dedicated and knowledgeable faculty who are student-centered Campuses with room to expand (in Cartersville and Rome) Successful working relationships with area hospitals and other institutions to maximize funding and curriculum Successful collaborations with other institutions to offer baccalaureate and graduate degrees Plans to exploit coverage gaps by expanding into other counties in Northwest Georgia, especially along the I-75 corridor, thus increasing enrollment and strengthening the colleges future. Cobb and Bartow Counties are experiencing high population growth, while Floyd remains somewhat stable. Expanding into areas of high growth will help safeguard the colleges position as a healthy and dynamic educational institution in the region. Strong, well-respected nursing and dental hygiene programs that continue to draw more applicants than we can accept

Weaknesses The college is still recovering from several years of budget cuts, affecting our ability to provide adequate faculty staffing and facilities to keep pace with growth objectives. While the Cartersville community has shown a willingness to contribute sizable financial support, Rome has been slow to follow suit due to a highly competitive environment for donor dollars. There is a general public perception that state institutions are funded completely by tuition and state support. Communities in the colleges service area are unaware of GHCs educational success stories and intellectual resources. Negative perception at the high school level i.e., GHC as 13th grade continues to dog the college. GHCs culture is very change- and risk-averse, and may be slow to embrace innovation or course corrections. The college community is reluctant to participate in service learning, an activity that would raise visibility and mold perceptions.

Opportunities Counties not currently served in Northwest Georgia by accessible, two-year institutions afford GHC the opportunity to provide services there, increasing enrollment and the range of the service area, especially in growing metropolitan Atlanta. As population increases and Atlanta sprawl continues to spread north and west of the city, businesses have also ventured beyond the Perimeter, offering opportunities for the college to develop joint programs and other partnerships with them in suburban Atlanta counties. A growing alumni population willing to be affiliated and active in promoting GHC is available for tapping. Opportunities to be a leader in community-focused efforts to get more people to pursue higher education abound. By addressing a variety of conditions through grants or volunteerism that prevent students from going to college or from staying in high school, GHC can become much more visible as a forward-thinking, innovative and intellectual resource for the community. Innovative programs that draw the general public to the college will keep the institution top-of-mind. These activities should be both fun and informative to attract all age groups.

Threats Continued tight budgets are challenging the school to provide high quality education to a growing student population with less state funding and greater demands on faculty. By fall 2007, total enrollment is expected to surpass 4,000, so finding new funding sources is a critical need. There is a perception in Rome/Floyd County that GHC has given up in this community, according to members of the alumni board. Negative perceptions, whether based on fact or fiction, are always more difficult to change than neutral ones. The presence of technical college advisors in public schools and the establishment of a charter school in Rome, which funnels students to Coosa Valley Technical College, could erode the potential student base at GHC.

BRAND TRIANGLE

Brand Attributes Part of USG Accessibility Flexibility Great teachers Career tracks Affordable

Brand Personality Warm Caring Involved Helpful Devoted

The leader in teaching and learning success and positive student outcomes among two-year colleges in Georgia

Core Value

Brand attributes reflect what one thinks about Georgia Highlands College; brand personality reflects what one feels about the college. In other words, brand attributes represent the factual, logical part of the brand and the personality represents the emotional piece. The core value reflects the essence of the brand what the college is about in a few words. The brand triangle should be reflected in every communication the college distributes to its core audiences. All literature should reflect these components, even if only in a subtle way. In fact, the components of the brand triangle are arguably the most important elements of any strategic marketing/communications plan because if they are not precisely on target, all supporting strategies and tactics will miss the mark as well. Thats not to say that the brand fully lives up to the core value necessarily, but that value should be an aspiration that the institution has embraced and is working toward.

CORE AUDIENCES
There are 10 audiences that GHC must speak to with differing messages: Traditional students at high schools Non-traditional potential students (median age of 25) Current students Parents of traditional students Alumni Faculty and staff Retirees Business and industry Legislators Board of Regents

Key Messages Traditional high school students. The most challenging audience used to be the highschool student group who considered Georgia Highlands the 13th grade, especially in Floyd County. Focus group feedback from 2004 showed that Rome students were prestige-conscious and often reluctant to admit to peers that they were going to attend GHC. Since the college has expanded to other counties and added the Cartersville campus, perceptions have shifted. Because the college has established sites in areas where we were previously unknown, students see us as an entry point to the USG. The 13th grade perception remains in Rome, but according to anecdotal evidence reported by recruiters, even that attitude is shifting now that the name has changed. There are several message points that can help continue to change the perceptions of this audience over time: Many successful professionals (physicians, veterinarians, corporate executives, etc.) began their college education here. Enrolling in GHC means one-on-one attention with highly skilled, knowledgeable faculty who can help them transition more easily to a four-year institution. Because GHC is part of the University System, students can transfer to other colleges and universities in the USG knowing that credits in the core curriculum will be accepted. Attending GHC for the first two years of college can save a significant amount of money, especially for those students who qualify for the HOPE scholarship.

Non-traditional students. Because non-traditional students are 24 or older, this segment of the student population probably appreciates the opportunity that the college affords. Unfortunately, a greater percentage of this audience is at risk to fail, due to family

pressures, time and job constraints. Overall, however, their perception of GHC is more positive than their younger counterparts. Messages to this audience should focus on the opportunities that higher education offers them: Choosing Georgia Highlands puts your future in your hands and helps you acquire the skills you need to succeed in your job. Pursuing an education at GHC can change your life and open doors to higher paying professional jobs.

Current students. According to focus group and faculty feedback, once students arrive at Georgia Highlands, they feel comfortable and gain confidence, knowing the faculty really cares about them and wants them to succeed. At this stage of the communication process, the college is cultivating future alumni who might contribute to the school in a variety of ways. So core messages to them must be framed within the context of their future status: GHC is preparing you well to take the next step in your education or job. We go the extra mile to provide you with the support you need to succeed here and beyond the college. At GHC, youre more than a student number youre an investment we make in your future success.

A note about the 18 to 24 demographic: this group is part of the Web 2.0 generation. They demand two-way conversations, not passive one-way messages. We should be exploring ways of using new media to carry our messages to this audience. Parents. Parents may be anxious about the college experience if their children are the first generation to attend college. The Baby Boomer generation are known as helicopter parents, becoming extremely involved in the details and management of their childrens adult lives, especially in college. They want to know that their money is being well spent. So messages to them should convey value. Messages: GHC provides a first-rate education at a fraction of the cost of full, four-year colleges. GHC graduates consistently get accepted to the four-year institutions of their choice or land a professional job. Alumni. This group, which innately holds so much promise, has been developed over the last two years with great success. They have provided a key component of the evolving brand position success after college which has been conveyed to external audiences through a multimedia advertising campaign. The alumni bases active involvement with the college will help ensure its continued growth and survival.

Messages: GHC continues to provide a vital service to the community via accessible education, flexibility, the embracing of diversity and a concern for students current and past. Becoming involved in mentoring programs, fund-raising efforts, internship programs and more give the same opportunity you had to someone else who can fulfill his/her potential. GHC is worth supporting with donations because it fills an important niche in its service area. Faculty and staff. Messages to this group should offer support and recognition for a job well done. Perceptions within the system itself and in our communities can impact the self-image at two-year colleges. There is a certain stepchild mentality in two-year colleges, despite facts that prove access institutions will grow exponentially and play a larger, more important role than four-year institutions in the next decade. Employees can represent one of the most valuable assets of any organization if they are happy and enthusiastic, so this self-image needs to be addressed and reversed. Recognition from the community and a sense of inclusion and ownership in the college will make this group wonderful ambassadors for the institution. Messages: The career you have chosen is a worthy one and you are contributing invaluably to your students and community. You offer strong intellectual resources to your community that should be recognized (as comparable to four-year colleges and universities). You are a vital part of the college family and the heart of our mission. You are the face of the college and your customer service skills are vital to our success. Business and industry. Georgia Highlands College can thrive only if major stakeholders support it through financial donations, board memberships, job opportunities for Georgia Highlands students and graduates. Business men and women want to know that their investments will reap returns, however, so communicating with them should demonstrate real and measurable results in the communities served. Messages: GHC students live, work and stay in the community, so investing in the college is an investment in the future of your business and the community itself. By contributing to the college, you will get in return skilled, qualified workers and productive members of society who have a strong work ethic and who keep the community strong. By helping the institution grow, businesses that have wanted a public four-year institution are furthering that aim, either through cooperative programs with four-

year institutions on our campuses and teaching sites, or the eventual development of limited four-year degrees at GHC. Legislators. Politicians naturally have many special interests lobbying for their attention and support. GHC must also do so through a variety of means, but the underlying message should be clear. Messages: Because the college serves the needs of many who might not otherwise be able to avail themselves of higher education, it is worthy of support and funding. Ensuring GHCs survival as a thriving educational institution keeps your district strong economically. Representing a district with positive education numbers (graduation and retention rates) reflects well on you among both legislative colleagues and voters. Board of Regents. The board oversees all institutions in the University System, so keeping GHC top-of-mind there is crucial. The board should hear regularly about the institutions growth and student successes to ensure its support and continued adequate funding. The current chancellor seems to be very supportive of associate degree-granting institutions, recognizing their importance as access points to higher education for students who might otherwise find college to be out of reach. Messages: Two-year colleges (and GHC in particular) fill the gaps left by four-year institutions and deserve as much attention as their four-year counterparts. Funding for programs and facilities that continue to make education accessible and affordable for those who would not be able to attend otherwise is absolutely essential to the mission. Changing Media The era of Web 2.0 has indeed brought marketing professionals into a Brave New World. The proliferation of downloaded music, movies, television programs and the dramatic rise in the use of camera phones, podcasting, instant and text messaging and viral marketing has changed marketing communications across all industries and organizations. Mass media is undergoing painful evolutionary changes, scrambling to meet the growing demand for immediate, two-way communication. Gone are the days of passive information consumption. Because technology is changing so rapidly and new methods of sending and receiving news and information are being introduced continually, keeping abreast of new media and learning how to use them to advantage can be daunting. Nevertheless, as a college, we must learn how to embrace and work with these new media to our advantage not just in the classroom where we can control the message, but in our marketing and promotional efforts where we can engage in a twoway dialogue with our audiences. Some participants in this dialogue may make negative comments, but our response to them can shape our future positively if we see them as opportunities.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

All marketing/communications planning objectives support goal 10 on a list developed by Georgia Highlands College for the 2007-2010 fiscal year. The goal will be supported by sound strategies and implementation tactics. Some goals developed by the college cannot be aided by marketing communications efforts, but those that can are listed below. Institutional goal: Maintain efficient and effective administrative services to support the instructional and community outreach programs of the college. Institutional objective III: Sustain and leverage GHCs reputation as a leader in preparing students for further education and professional careers. Strengthen the institutions identity and its role in our communities. Institutional objective IV: Develop, establish, manage and sustain a unique institutional image, outreach relationships and activities that systematically increase GHCs competitive position and enhance its opportunities, collaborations and partnerships to attract public and private financial support for student growth and success. College relations objective Project and sustain a brand position and image consistent with the brand triangle to all audiences throughout the GHC service area. Strategy Develop and implement an advertising media schedule in print, out-of-home, television and Internet media that presents the institution as an excellent first step in the University System of Georgias public education system.

Tactics Media schedule. See attachment A. TV spot. Create a 30-second spot using B-roll and voice-over to convey the message that many highly successful professionals got their start at GHC. The TV spot will support the print and Web campaigns. The spot will only run on GHTV during 2007-08 due to cost considerations. However, depending on the success of the spot (production value and quality), we might consider running some flights in 08-09. Print. Continue the print campaign featuring interesting and successful alumni. Out-of-home. Support the print campaign as in 2006, with the I started here boards. Explore mall posters and other venues.

Braves starting line-up. Continue to sponsor the Rome Braves starting line-up. At each game, GHC is announced as the sponsor, with an appropriate tag line. The logo is also displayed on a digital board in the field.

Strategy Continue to strengthen relationships with media throughout the service area to develop strong stories about the college. Ensure that news about GHC is relevant for the audience.

Tactics Aim for 75 to 100 new releases per year, plus several story pitches to targeted media for longer feature stories. Continue to hold news conferences to announce news of great import to the college. Invite media to cover special events such as speakers, exhibits, films, etc. When appropriate, visit key media to alert them to the colleges strategic plans for the coming year. These visits will only take place when there are important new initiatives to discuss, not when business as usual is the norm.

Strategy Explore direct methods of communication to core audiences that use the latest technology, including interactive dialogue (the concept of Web 2.0), to cement the colleges value as an intellectual resource in the community.

Tactics Initiate a community book club online and promote with viral marketing tactics (low-cost, high-impact activities such as posters, tent cards, mailbox stuffers, etc.). Work with English department to choose books (one a month, developing a year-long list). Anyone who is part of the college community (faculty, staff or students) can begin the discussion. Community members must log in and create a password to participate. One of the blog rules would be that participants are not allowed to go off-topic. If they do, their comments will be deleted. Work with the IT department to enable streaming video to carry important college events such as news conferences in real time. Work with Jeff Brown to produce a three-minute video to post on the Web site. Post Web ads in select media with links to the video. Begin initial stages of college Web site review and redesign. This large project will include the entire college. In 2007-08, a series of meetings will be held with all departments, students, administrators and the IT department to learn what they

want from the site and how to make it easier to navigate and more user-friendly. Currently, nearly everyone agrees that information is difficult to find on the site and that the look is fairly static. One of the goals of the project will be to make the site more interactive and intuitively simple. During 2008-09, work closely with IT department and Web consultant (if appropriate and necessary) to redesign and implement upgrades. Explore a grant to develop educational games targeted to middle-schoolers and house on the GHC Web site. Market through the public school system as teaching aids. Some of the games can be created to support Smithsonian or other exhibits scheduled for GHC campuses. The games would be changed and maintained by the developer of the software through the grant money. The goal would be targeting middle-school students and increasing their exposure to the world of higher education through interesting and fun activities.

College Relations Objective Convince community members that GHC is necessary to the well being and future of the community. Strategies Use a variety of high-profile activities that position the institution as a valuable intellectual resource to the community. Work with faculty and administration to develop a culture of institutional volunteerism in the community. Sponsor events such as exhibits, speakers, authors, films and workshops that engage and attract the general community on campus.

Tactics Build a Habitat for Humanity house, clean up a historic cemetery, work at a Special Olympics event, serve on telephone banks at a GPB fund-raiser. All of these activities raise the profile and shape the identity of the college. One activity should be undertaken each semester. While many faculty and staff individually volunteer for a variety of causes in the service areas of the college, we have never undertaken an institutional effort. If the college chose one cause and set aside one day a semester to volunteer en masse, the media would cover the effort. These are the kinds of events that help change and mold perceptions. An ancillary benefit might be institutional team-building. Continue membership and attendance at Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimist and other civic functions to maintain visibility Find funding sources to bring writers, visual and performing artists, creative and scientific exhibits to campus to draw current and potential students, faculty, staff and community members of all ages.

Continue to provide educational exhibits that public and private schools can integrate into their curricula. Additionally, continue to bring targeted school groups to the campus for such exhibits. Provide a College for Kids day each spring to introduce age-appropriate children to the college environment. Enlist various clubs, student leaders and early childhood education majors to help develop and participate in activities designed to interest the age group. Such activities should be geared to active children, should be fun and educational. Children should have an opportunity to interact with college students and faculty. The event should include an outdoor picnic.

Strategy Develop and implement a lobbying effort at appropriate times throughout the yea.

Tactics During the state legislative session, meet with legislators regularly to discuss college and system activities, needs and funding issues. Correspond with the legislative delegation when appropriate both during and outside the session. Continue to travel annually with local Chambers of Commerce to visit legislative delegation in Washington, DC. Invite them to tour campuses and see the programs available to their constituencies. Invite all legislators to participate in graduation and special events.

College Relations Objective Continue to evolve the brand into one that reflects a smart, high quality unit of the University System of Georgia. Strategy Use market research to make course-corrections in ad and public relations campaigns.

Tactics Conduct benchmark survey in June 2007 to assess the impact of the 2006 ad campaign. Repeat surveys each year to determine changes in public perception. Working with the director of institutional effectiveness, conduct appropriate studies of community outreach activities to determine which are most effective and whether they are influencing consumer perceptions of the brand.

Strategy

Create consistency throughout all promotional materials, including print, electronic, Web, etc.

Tactics Write and distribute a style manual that addresses the proper uses of logo, colors, design elements and writing styles. Work with all departments to create mar/com materials to meet their needs effectively and within style guidelines. Projects can include brochures, Power Point presentations, posters, flyers, etc.

College Relations Objective Ensure that the college can respond to media and other audiences during and after a crisis. Strategy Serve as the emergency liaison for the college, coordinating efforts of campus security, administration and USG policy-makers.

Tactics Write and distribute detailed plans for emergency and crisis communication. Coordinate drills and tabletop exercises to strengthen the colleges response to crises. Serve on USG emergency operations planning committee and communicate information and guidelines to GHCs administration.

College Relations Objective Work with the advancement office to support fund-raising efforts most effectively.

Strategy Implement a print advertising campaign to solicit contributions when the campaign goes public.

Tactics Implement a schedule in Chamber publications featuring general institutional/branding ads (using leadership series photos and general design feel).

Reproduce ads on Web site. If feasible, set up credit card capabilities for Internet donations. Create 10-second TV spots featuring donors who say why they contributed to GHC.

Strategy Develop direct response mechanisms to track donations and build a database of donors from small donors during the public phase of the campaign.

Tactics Code donor cards and other response mechanisms (if and when used) to track the origins of the donation (which kind of solicitation effort, date of solicitation and other identity markers) to build a database for further donor communication. Work with the development office to determine what information should be captured and included in the database.

Strategy Employ public relations tactics to support direct mail, personal appeals, internal campaign and other fund-raising activities.

Tactics Issue news releases to print and electronic media when significant contributions are made. This news should also appear in Six Mile Post and other college publications, as well as on the Web site. If the gift is significant enough, as determined by the president and his council, hold a press conference or photo op session for the media at which a check presentation will be made. Solicit media coverage (features) at significant milestones in the campaign. Add a Web page to the GHC site for donors. The page could offer lists of donors and their contributions by category. It would also offer news about the colleges most recent successes or partnerships with area businesses. The page should highlight the community leadership of a donor a month. It should also carry short stories that demonstrate why GHC should receive private funding. In short, this page should make contributing to Georgia Highlands desirable and should demonstrate the colleges appreciation of donors.

College Relations Objective

Develop integrated marketing and communications processes and plans.

Strategy: Execute a planning process bi-annually to keep the institution on target strategically, competitive geographically and visible within the core communities it serves.

Tactic Write a full plan mid-summer every other year that analyzes the marketplace in Northwest Georgia, looks at trends in higher education most particularly at the two-year college level explores the national marketplace and the Georgia university system. It will include specific strategies and tactics for the following two years, the results of any measurements taken that evaluated tactics from the previous years, a review of the brand triangle and any subtle adjustments to it, a review of audiences and key messages and an advertising rational with accompanying media schedule. Finally, the plan should contain a timeline for implementation throughout the year though the timeline should be flexible enough to accommodate the fluid nature of the college and its activities.

Strategy Set up measurement protocols whenever possible to assess results of advertising, public relations and marketing efforts.

Tactics Track all publicity in print and electronic media through clip collections/reports and video/audio reports. Measure and analyze direct responses to gifts campaign.