Marketing Communications Today Blog

In an environment heavily focused on the healthcare industry, communications and operations of these organizations are crucial. With in-person events being canceled, how are development and fundraising opportunities, and related messaging, achieving their goals while addressing the hardship consumers experience? Join experts Leandra Clovis, Chuck Harman, Nicole Riggleman Kelly and Kristi Hansen Onkka as they discuss how organizations are adapting during COVID-19.

How has COVID-19 impacted reaching your 2020 fundraising goals so far?

Leandra Clovis: “I think we are really having to adapt and consider the long term. We are looking at a lot of sponsorship. We actually had a really heavy sponsorship push in January and beginning of February that luckily, in our case, kind of set us up and we had raised what we normally raise by June or July by February. So when it comes to walks and peer-to-peer fundraising we are in a bit of a unique situation where we had already taken care of our corporate fundraising tasks. For us, it is really thinking about adapting for the second half of the year and long-term.”

Over the past few months, we have all had to adapt to a new routine, perhaps a changed work situation, new housing arrangements, cancellation or postponing plans. A lot has changed in my life over the past few months, including my outlook on my future plans. As someone who is a big ‘planner,’ meaning I try and schedule my life about a year out, the uncertainty has been a little difficult to accept. However, after a lot of reflection and adapting, I have found a better outlook on this time, become a better student and overall take advantage of a new situation.

I have always been extremely interested in personality types, astrology and anything that can help explain who people really are and may provide reason for why they do the things they do. During my time at home I’ve taken dozens of personality tests. They’ve provided something really fun to share and compare with friends, as well as help me really reflect on who I am and who I want to be.

Some I recommend include:

On March 15 the CDC issued guidance related to large events and mass gatherings which specifically included examples like festivals, parades, concerts, and sporting events. That guidance was basically the beginning of the widespread cancellation or postponement of events around the country due to concerns around the spread of the highly infectious COVID-19 virus. In addition to all of the economic, cultural, and psychological impact that this global pandemic is having across the world, it is no less landmark and potentially devastating for the live event industry and its related businesses. So where does that industry go next? What has been the response and the initial impact and where do we go from here? In this podcast, we will discuss how one 65-year-old nonprofit organization that produces live events and is connected to the largest attended single-day sporting event in the world is navigating this new reality, leading with marketing and communications approaches and finding relevance via a virtual landscape.

Highlights:

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused businesses and organizations across the nation to halt operations, cut down staff and impart hiring freezes. With thousands unemployed and the Class of 2020 entering the job market, it is crucial job seekers understand how to position themselves in the job market. Michele Lanza, Edward Frankel and David Hazelton discuss the current state and future of the marketing communications hiring market and how to succeed in your job search.

In this job environment, what would you suggest doing to increase your odds of landing a job?

Edward Frankel: “The first thing I would do is get organized. What story am I trying to tell, whether I'm about to graduate, I've graduated or maybe I'm still in school, or about to go to school and I'm thinking about internships. Is my resume telling the story that I want to be telling?”

In today’s environment, the importance of “community” is more crucial than ever. With immense strain being put on in-person interactions and gatherings, individuals must seek ways to leverage digital relationships with entertainment, personal well-being and career development. As part of the WVU Marketing Communications network, there are several opportunities for students, staff, alumni and faculty to leverage the extensive community the programs provide.

WVU Marketing Communications offers a number of content streams for community members to contribute to. The WVU Marketing Communications Blog has 100+ subscribers, receives hundreds of views per month and publishes multiple times per week to ensure our network is up to date on the latest industry trends. Blog analytics showcase that articles written by students, alumni, professionals and faculty are the most viewed articles, meaning your contributions will have the opportunity to engage the blog’s highest reach potential.

For students who are more visual content creators, those interested in graphic design, photography and video editing, tag WVU Marketing Communications social media handles in your posts. We want to see and share your content! Creating content, in any form, is a great way to build a portfolio to show off your skills in job interviews and promote your personal brand. Our program is excited to offer platforms like the WVU Marketing Communications Today blog and social media to extend the reach of your skills and accomplishments to peers, professionals and even the key player to landing your next exciting career opportunity.

After 20+ year career in communications that included positions in public relations, advertising, media, and marketing, Lisa Sands stepped into the role of publisher for Edible Cleveland magazine, a local independently-owned publication that is part of a network of roughly 80 other “edibles” across the U.S. and Canada. After one year, Lisa’s has had to analyze all aspects of the magazine’s operations and face many realities about the role media plays in our lives, how we’re using it, where we get our information, and what we are willing to pay for as media consumers and as marketers. We’ll discuss the holistic media landscape from the viewpoint of journalists and also marketers including:

Is the traditional media landscape all doom and gloom?
Is there still a place for print media in the marketing mix?
Do we want to live in a world where everything we consume is online? If the answer is no, then where do we go from here?

In a marketplace saturated with products, promotions and messaging, brands may find it extremely difficult to reach and win over consumers. Highly targeted messaging and data-driven campaigns must be developed in order to effectively utilize resources and tight budgets. Special guests Maria Amoruso, Michael Lynch and Josh Wilson share expert insight on how to make your brand stand out.

Michael Lynch: What do you think makes the financial services industry particularly difficult for marketing professionals, especially in regards to community banks and credit unions like NexTier and Whitefish?

Maria Amoruso: The financial services industry as a whole is extremely competitive. As you mentioned, one of the things that makes it so is that the products themselves are commodities. Every bank has the same product offering, for the most part. When it comes right down to it the product really isn't what differentiates the organization and you really have to think about the different ways that you can stand out against the competition. One of the other issues is compliance. We're highly regulated, so from a marketing perspective you do have some limitations on the different things that you can actually do. Customers start working with a bank by using the bank that their parents used and they stay there until they become unhappy. So one of the things you need to do is figure out how to capitalize on the fact that somebody's unhappy and ready to make a switch.

Brand Relationships in 2020 are more complex than ever before. There are more choices, more promotions, more channels, and more information — and — MORE brands! However, brands often focus on trial and getting your attention with a promotional offer or flashy commercial to entice trial. Perhaps you try — Perhaps you don't. If you did try, did you repeat? Did you switch brands and become loyal to a new brand?

Marketers today need to focus on 3 Cs that shouldn't be ignored: 

Connect, Communicate, and Care. 

We often get the first two right, but forget about the third. We spend more time chasing the new client instead of caring for our current clients.

I'm reminded of a recent social media post I saw in regards to a large cable company who tirelessly offers overwhelming promotions through multiple channels to entice trial and switching from your current provider. This is true with many cellular and WIFI providers as well. The social post poked fun at the company by saying something to the effect of ... if you try our services, we'll reward you by giving you our lowest pricing, enhanced customer service, and additional perks. However, if you've been a loyal customer with us for years and stayed with us through good and bad times, we'll reward you by increasing your pricing to an all-time monthly high and removing your eligibility for all current promotional offers. Our promotional offers are for new customers - not our current, loyal customers.

Graduating seniors in communications and marketing are facing the daunting prospect of trying to enter the job market during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will not be an easy task. Nearly 4 million students in the US are set to graduate this year in spring 2020. With the world in crisis and uncertainty ahead, the environment continues to be dynamic and fluid. While we can’t predict what the future holds for students and graduates in the short-term, we can help prepare and equip students with information and tips for their upcoming employment journey.

Karen Freberg:  Could you explain the AEIOU method to our audiences?

In response to current events and in order to prioritize health and safety, the traditional in-person graduation for WVU Marketing Communications students has been postponed. However, the tremendous accomplishments of the Spring 2020 graduates are still being celebrated. Today, we feature four of our soon-to-be graduates as they reflect on their experience during graduate school and look ahead at what the future holds.

Name: Scott Tennant

Degree Program: Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications