Share these talks and lectures with your colleagues
Invite colleaguesCase study
Where in the world are our #ProudlyUNB alumni? How the University of New Brunswick developed a creative caricature to help locate and engage alumni around the world
Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing,
3
(4),
374-381
(2019)
Abstract
Maintaining connections with alumni once they leave campus can be an incredible challenge, particularly in the early years following graduation when contact information is always changing. Through an innovative digital marketing campaign, UNB’s Alumni Office developed a fun caricature named Freddy John who became the face of the alumni office and set out on a worldwide adventure to locate and engage with UNB’s ‘missing’ alumni. He ‘travelled’ the world over an 11-month period connecting with UNB alumni through a series of digital communication pieces, collecting updated contact information from 6,500+ alumni in over 90 countries and providing new opportunities for engagement and solicitation. Using UNB’s campaign as the primary focus, this paper will review the process of planning a contact information campaign, and developing the communications tactics that best fit the institution. It will also look at UNB’s campaign results as well as ideas for ongoing measurement.
Keywords: alumni relations; alumni engagement; metrics; digital marketing; e-mail marketing; social media engagement; young alumni
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Natasha Rego is Young Alumni Coordinator with the University of New Brunswick’s Alumni Office and coordinates innovative programmes that keep young alumni engaged with UNB. She designed the U35 Young Alumni Network, which has helped build networks of active and involved young alumni in major centres across the country and online U35 networks around the globe through social and professional development events, a quarterly e-newsletter and U35 communications. Working closely with the Alumni Advancement Officer for Strategic Engagement, she also assists with the coordination of various marketing projects including print collateral and digital campaigns.
Jenna Kennedy is the Alumni Advancement Officer — Strategic Engagement and plays a lead role in the development and implementation of the marketing and communications strategies for UNB’s Alumni Office. She plans and executes initiative-specific, innovative campaigns and activities designed to engage alumni with their alma mater. Connecting with alumni through social media, targeted e-mail campaigns and print and digital collateral, Jenna’s role is to develop and execute activities in support of their five-year alumni engagement strategic plan. Jenna has also implemented and manages analytic measurement of the office’s activities to improve strategies moving forward.
