Posts Tagged ‘Marketing’

All-Access Weekend ALREADY?

Megan Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

It seems like just yesterday that I was walking onto the APU campus for All-Access weekend. I was timid, shy, and confused, to say the least. I remember the feeling exactly. You feel like you look so much younger then everyone else and that you stand out like a sore thumb. It feels like yesterday, but a year seemed to fly by between then and now.

This past weekend I got the chance to host All-Access students as an Ambassador. Being an Ambassador means you get the opportunity to host All-Access students and other prospective students throughout your freshmen year. It is not a paid position or anything, just something to do if you want to get involved with the school from the get-go. It is a good way to get students hyped up for what APU is and what it has to offer.

Incase you haven’t heard of All-Access, heres a brief lo-down on what it is. Basically, All-Access Weekend takes place four times throughout the year, twice in the Fall and twice in the Spring, and lasts from Thursday afternoon to either Friday night or Saturday morning (depending on if you want to spend one or two nights on campus). You get to attend fun events, informative sessions, and stay with a Freshmen student at APU so that you can get a good feel for what a typical weekend is like. It is a good way to see the campus, meet some faculty, and begin to bond with other prospective students that might (…hopefully) will end up at APU with you. You get to go to chapel, attend a class, eat on campus, and get to know your Ambassadors.

My experience last year at All-Access was SO worthwhile and made me 100 times more excited for going to APU. I encourage you to look into All-Access weekend, and if you cannot attend any of those weekends, try and schedule a night or weekend to stay at APU in the dorms and experience it individually. I promise you its worth it.

Here are some questions I thought it would be helpful to cover that I got asked regularly by the All-Access students I hosted:

1. What is an R.A.? Each hall in the dorms, and each general living area in the apartments or Mods has an R.A. (Resident Advisor). An R.A. is an upperclassman- typically a junior or senior, sometimes a sophomore. Basically, their job is to make sure rules are followed, and even more then that make sure your experience is amazing.

2. What is an Alpha Group? The second you move into APU you are going to be placed in an Alpha Group. As a Freshmen, you are required to take a .5 Unit class called Beginnings your first semester that consists of about 300 students. The students in that class are divided into the Alpha Groups (about 8-12 people) and throughout the majority of the first semester you meet with your Alpha Group weekly to bond, talk about the class material, and have fun. This is one of the many ways that APU makes sure you do not feel alone once you step onto the campus.

3. How much homework do you get? It really depends on your major(s), if you procrastinate, and what professors you get. It varies heavily. Usually, I get roughly 2-3 hours of homework a night. Now, keep in mind this does not include procrastination. However, you can balance a social life and school for sure, you just have to be smart about it.

4. How do you like it here? Considering I am writing on the APU Blog and I am an APU Ambassador, you can infer the rest…. YES I LOVE IT HERE AND I INSIST ITS THE BEST COLLEGE ON THE PLANET.

5. Is there anything you would change about APU? Honestly, no. (And I am not just saying that because it’s on this blog.) The thing that I looked most forward to at APU was the people. In being here about two months there is not a day that goes by that I am not thankful for the community here. People genuinely CARE, the love of Christ is so evident here its mind blowing. I love that I am surrounded by these people every single day. The school aspect of it hasn’t let me down either. My classes are amazing, the professors care about students more then I have ever seen or thought was possible, and I am learning so much. I never dread school, I enjoy it. And I haven’t always been like that, thats for sure. I love both campuses and I never find myself bored here. Two months and no boredom? Its true. (No wonder why its on the list for the best first-year experience!)

6. How much financial aid can you get? If you are struggling financially, do NOT rule out APU. I know many people that cannot at all afford this college but they ended up with enough financial aid to be able to go here. APU really helps you out in finding ways to afford school here, and if you put time and effort into getting financial aid, it will prove to be hugely beneficial.

7. What is there to do around Azusa on weekends? There is always something going on on-campus or somewhere to go or someone to hang out with. Donut man is a short drive away, and is one of the most popular hangout spots for APU students. It is delicious. Likewise, Cookie Mill is a hot spot that everyone goes to, you will always find an APU student in there. The most amazing ice cream sandwiches… ever. A lot of students go to the movie theater or out to dinner at Chipotle. Girls on my hall will go running on the track frequently and there’s a lot of just hanging out in a dorm room socializing. There will never be a dull moment, that I assure you.

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On the Job: Design vs. Content (ding, ding!)

Sheree Black Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

As a staff member at APU’s Office of University Relations, I work alongside an energetic and creative group of marketing, Web, design, PR, and editorial staff to promote and brand the university.  Within such a climate, it’s not uncommon for brainstorming sessions to organically crop up at any given time.

Recently, I witnessed a lively discussion between two fellow coworkers—one an editor, the other a designer—about a print piece they’re working on for one of our clients. It was quite the dance of strong opinions, preference clarification, and very direct communication. For some, this might have proved a recipe for disaster, but for these two, there was a groundedness to the conversation, held together by mutual respect and dedication to reaching a great outcome.

I was just a passer-by when I got pulled into their conversation. “What do you think of this?” they asked. Never one to shy away from opinion-giving whether from my area of expertise in Web or otherwise, I threw in my two-cents worth and then some. Then I realized as the discussion went on, my input wasn’t really necessary, so I sat back and more quietly observed their dynamic.

“What if we put the checklist on the front instead of the back and move this block of copy?” said the designer.  “It would give the page more of a cover-like feel and make it not feel so heavy.”  Vigorously shaking her head “no,” the editor pointed out, “Then the reader won’t have sufficient context, and we may risk wrongly communicating that it’s a TOC [table of contents].”  Another idea struck down.  They each shot out a few more variations on that theme, but they soon found themselves at a bit of a stand still as those new ideas led to the same stalemate. Out of curiousity, I stuck around to see what would happen next.

Rather than showing fists of fury or a dogmatic need to prove one’s point simply to win, I noticed this discussion was clearly energized by sound expertise and a solid conviction that there was an answer that wouldn’t just end in half-hearted compromise. In a fashion true to our office culture at University Relations, these colleague-friends were committed to problem-solving by putting their raw ideas on the table, listening and respecting one another’s viewpoint, risking by being direct in their feedback, and finding a solution to the challenge they wanted to surmount together.

As I continued to watch this creative process unfold, I clearly saw that this designer and editor team weren’t so stuck on their own opinions that they weren’t willing to listen to one another. Instead, these colleagues held their ground per their expertise while trying to find a new path that addressed both of their concerns. They were insistent, “There’s got to be a better solution we haven’t thought of yet that will make this piece better!”

Shortly after that passionate declaration, a fourth teammate came back into the office. “Hey!” they exclaimed motioning to the colorful marketing piece on the screen. “What do you think of this?”  Ah… familiar words. =)

So I left my colleagues to it but not before asking them to update me on the solution they’d reach. I was confident that as they kept looking for solutions, fully committed to the process, the outcome, and each other, they would surely find the answer they desired… together.

An Update:
Later that evening, my designer-colleague popped into my office to tell me that while they hadn’t reached a conclusion yet, they agreed to shelve the conversation and revisit it in the morning.  “It’s good though,” she reassured me as she smiled wide, “because we’re going to make it [this piece] even better!” And with that, she turned with a flourish and continued down the hall.

I smiled to myself as I reflected on the exchange. They’ll make it better… indeed.

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Posted in Behind the Scenes | 2 Comments »

Social Media: Push vs. Pull

Dustin Reynolds Thursday, September 10th, 2009

It seems everyone you talk to has a different perspective or view of social media. They may love or hate it, consider it a waste of time, or maybe even think it’s the only part of the marketing strategy that matters. Regardless, I’m a believer in social media. The more I engage in the different mediums, the more I find that a high majority of interaction comes from a very specific approach or strategy. There are two different ways you can communicate: a push strategy or a pull strategy. Push and pull strategies are not new to the world of marketing, but the introduction of social media at such a high level has definitely added a new dimension to the ways we go about our advertising.

Push
Some marketing is right there in your face. You may get direct mail postcards, email blasts, phone calls, etc. for information you never signed up for in the first place. It is not uncommon for companies to buy lists of names that fit a specific audience they think will want their product in an effort to gain more market share. That is more of a push strategy in that they push the information to you, whether you are looking for it or not. These strategies are typically used for quick sales and awareness, or to promote a new product or service the consumer may never hear about otherwise. A good example of this would be a direct mail postcard advertising a special interest rate for a Labor day weekend sale, or a new perfume that has yet to hit the market.

Pull
Some marketing relies exclusively on valuable content, promotions, and convenience. Often you find this type of marketing on social sites where people monitor their own content feeds. In social media, you typically have the ability to choose who you want (and don’t want) to receive content from. You choose to follow someone on Twitter, or maybe become a fan of a company, organization, or educational institution on Facebook. You might see a status update, tweet, or something similar saying, “Sign up for our newsletter and get a free shirt” or, “5 sideline passes for tonight’s game to the first 5 people who show up to the athletics office.” Many of the big corporations you receive push marketing from often have a presence on these sites as well, offering a completely different type information as these consumers (and rightly so) tend to be more fickle.

If the consumer has decided to receive your content, they have already decided two things: First, you offer something valuable, and second that you’re trustworthy. So long as you continue to do these two things, they’ll be loyal. This can best be described as a pull strategy, where you pull people to you through reliable content distribution.

The Balancing Act
The challenge continues to be finding the balance between push and pull strategies. Because of the privacy/invasion of space issues, I believe it’s important to work the pull angle in social media. If they choose to follow you on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or reply to your blog, they’re essentially giving you permission to keep providing them with valuable information. It will always be about having the right content in the right places, where people can find you and get the answers they need.

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Posted in Behind the Scenes | 1 Comment »