MARKETING
What is Marketing?
Marketing is the process of increasing the awareness of the general
public of your organization and programming. Marketing entails a
variety of methods aimed at the same goal of raising awareness. The
level of awareness raised varies from general awareness to call to
action (i.e. attendance).
Why is Marketing Important?
Marketing is important because, without it, the general public
simply would not know who your organization is or what programs you
do. Marketing not only raises awareness of specific programs but
also general awareness of the organization itself.
What is the Difference Between Marketing & Public
Relations?
Although they may use similar methods, marketing and public
relations are often conflated as the same thing when they are
actually very distinct. A possibility for this is because the words
marketing and publicity are often interchanged due to similar
definitions. One way to discern between marketing and public
relations is to remember that marketing is impression
building while public relations is relationship
building. In other words, marketing is based on building
impressions, or the number of times your organization is noticed by
the general public. On the other hand, public relations involves
relationship and image management.
What is the Difference Between Marketing &
Advertising?
For all intents and purposes of student groups, marketing and
advertising as well as publicity are all the same thing.
Other marketing resources
See "Marketing
& Effective Advertising" on the OSAF SOAR website.
resources for marketing >
modes of marketing || building impressions || professionalism || branding
Modes of Marketing
Word-of-Mouth
Word-of-mouth is free, of course, and needs no material but it
is also seems to be one of the more difficult modes of marketing.
Word-of-mouth can be as easy as constantly repeating a general
sales pitch in a high-traffic area on campus. More effort can be
exerted by talking to individuals and influencing a decision from
them (i.e. to attend a program, to sign a petition, to donate to a
charity, etc). This latter method has greater impact because it is
active marketing rather than passive marketing, which much of the
other modes of marketing are.
Tabling
Reserving a table outside or inside the Bryan Center is an
effective way to use word-of-mouth advertising because it gives you
a space to vocalize your ad as well as offer additional material
(i.e. brochures, flyers, info sheets, etc).
- Tabling reminders:
- No tabling on East Campus; West Campus only
- Tabling is from 9:00am - 4:00pm for registered student groups
- There is a maximum of 10 groups per day that can table
- You cannot schedule tabling for more than a week at a time
- Do not table near the benches on the BC walkway
- Do not obstruct traffic from West Union to the Bryan Center
- If your group has not picked up a table 30 minutes after your reservation has started, you will lose your spot for the entire day
Flyers
Flyers are generally the 8.5" x 11" sheets of paper posted on
bulletin boards, kiosks, etc. Be sure to familiarize yourself with
OSAF's posting policy in the Student Organization Handbook.
Posters
Posters are generally larger than flyers and can range in size.
Posters also tend to be done in color. Be sure to familiarize
yourself with OSAF's posting policy in the Student Organization
Handbook.
Banners
Banners are generally larger than posters and can range in
size. Banners also may be printed or painted on a variety of
materials. Be sure to familiarize yourself with OSAF's posting
policy in the Student Organization Handbook.
Table Tents
Table tents are miniature flyers or signs placed on tables in
dining areas or other high-traffic areas with tables. Contact the
manager of the respective dining areas for more information on
table-tent posting policies.
Billboards/Plywood Boards
Painted billboards hanging along the Bryan Center Walkway is
the newest form of marketing. Your organization is responsible for
purchasing, assembling, and mounting of your billboard (maximum
size is 8' x 39", L x H). Please do not store your boards, paint,
or other material in the OSAF office, including the storage area
for student groups. For
Shuttle Bus Ads
Ads on Duke shuttle buses are permissible as long as they are
22" x 11" (L x H) and thick enough to hold its form in the ad slots
above the seats. Ads may be black-and-white or color. The base cost
(just to post the ad) is $75 per sign per month. The total cost
depends on how you design the ad (i.e. basic black-and-white on
regular card-stock or professionally-designed). All ads must be
approved and submitted at least two weeks prior to the start of the
month you want the ads posted. For more information, contact the Transportation
Office.
Newspaper Ads
Ads in the Chronicle and other publications are an effective
but expensive way to advertise. Be sure to understand who the
readers are of a particular publication you wish to place an ad
in.
Plasma Screens
Student groups may use the plasma screens at the Bryan Center
to display their ads. To use the screens, submit a PowerPoint slide
to the Bryan Center Info Desk.
Listserv Messages
Ads posted in listserv or general email messages are free,
easy, and can reach a significant amount of people with the click
of a mouse. However, just because an email gets sent to 500
students doesn't mean it gets read by all 500. For more information
on how to manage a listserv, click
here.
Forwarded Emails
Requests to other student groups and university departments to
help you forward your email ads is easy to do but the rate of
forwarding may not be as high as expected. That is, not everyone
will forward your message, even if requested.
Website Updates
An updates or calendar section on your website is another
virtual mode of marketing. However, to be most effective, your
website should be regularly updated. In addition, it helps if your
website address is generally advertised so that people know where
to access it.
Community Calendars
Duke has various community calendars that you can post your ads
on:
- Duke Pass: Click here for more information.
- University Calendar: Click here for more information. Or email the Calendar Administrator.
- Dialogue: Email for more information.
Invitations
Invitations are generally sent to a specified list of
recipients (i.e. for a dinner, reception, ceremony, etc). However,
general invitations may also be distributed in the form of
postcards or other similar formats.
Brochures
If your organization has a brochure, listing your annual
programs and general dates is a good way to advertise in
advance.
Newsletters
Advertising in a newsletter is effective because newsletters
tend to be distributedat periodic intervals (i.e. weekly, monthly,
etc). Thus, information is relatively up-to-date.
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Building Impressions
What does Building Impressions Mean?
An impression is either a general notion or specific instance of
awareness of your organization.
- A general notion of awareness: When you make someone think, "Hey, this email/flyer is from this student group." Basically, an impression raises a general awareness of your organization (i.e. that your organization exists).
- A specific instance of awareness: When you make someone think, "Hey, this email/flyer is for this specific program from this student group." Basically, an impression raises specific awareness of your organization and/or programs.
As a unit of measure, an impression is simply a mention or image
of your organization in any form or through any media. Thus,
building impressions is the effort to increase not only the number
of impressions but also the impact of the cumulative impact of
these impressions over time. As impressions increase, the more that
people know about your organization and the programs you do.
Why is Building Impressions Important?
Building impressions is important because it develops a
greater sense of awareness of your organization amongst the general
public. This awareness can range from very general (i.e. "I've
heard of this student group before") to very specific (i.e. "I know
what this student group does and what it stands for").
Cumulatively, impressions contribute to the perception of your
organization by other people as well as to the reputation that your
organization may have on campus. Thus, in order to generate
positive perceptions and reputation, building impressions should be
taken seriously and deliberately planned.
How Do We Build Impressions?
Building impressions is the basic premise that marketing is
based. When you market or advertise, you are building impressions
for your organization. Anytime that your organization's name,
programs, or any other related aspect of your organization is
mentioned in any mode of marketing, you are building impressions.
So it is relatively easy to build impressions. Marketing is
building impressions.
- Unique impressions:
A unique impression is built when someone new notices your marketing. Although most marketing by student organizations is composed of reinforced impressions (see below), unique impressions are key because you raise the awareness of new people.
- Reinforced impressions:
A reinforced impression is built when someone who already knows of your organization notices your marketing. These impressions are reinforced because the perceptions and reputation of your organization are conjured up and remind people what they think about your organization.
Keys to Strong Impression Building
In order to maximize your impression-building potential,
consider the following:
- Constancy: Impressions should be constantly built. There should rarely be a significant period of time where your organization isn't building impressions. Even when your organization doesn't have any programs to market at the moment, you should still build impressions.
- Balance: Impressions should be designed for different segments of the general public who you wish to reach. Resources to build these respective impressions should be balanced so that certain segments aren't neglected.
- Variation: Impressions should be varied, especially if you have different segments of the general public who you wish to reach. An email isn't effective for everyone. Neither is a flyer. Utilize as many different modes of marketing to build impressions.
- Creativity: Impressions can get stale or boring after a
while if you keep using the same marketing ideas. Be creative so
you can grab people's attention.
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Professionalism in Marketing
What is Professionalism?
Professionalism is a social expectation of how to behave and
present oneself in public or to others. This expectation tends to
place high regard on characteristics such as intelligence,
organization, maturity, and composure. In an organizational
setting, whether in the workplace or on a college campus,
professionalism is a critical element of leadership as well as
organizational image and reputation.
Why is Professionalism Important?
Professionalism is important because it reflects positively on
a leader or organization. As a result, it signals to others that
your organization is serious about doing what it can to succeed in
a fair and ethical manner. Professionalism also confers onto others
the level of respect they deserve.
Keys to Professionalism in Marketing
An organization should exhibit professionalism in all aspects
of itself. Marketing is one aspect. Keys to professionalism in
marketing include:
- Organization: All marketing campaigns and material should be organized in a logical fashion. Branding is one way to promote organization (for more information, click here).
- Accurary: All marketing material should contain accurate information. Inaccurate information, especially a significant and/or constant amount of it, reflects carelessness and lack of seriousness, which in turn contributes to a negative image of your organization.
- Aesthetics: All marketing material should be fairly aesthetically pleasing. They do not need to be professional-looking but they should at least look clean and organized in appearance. For example, a flyer that looks sloppily put together reflects carelessness and lack of seriousness.
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Branding in Marketing
What is Branding?
Branding is generally the development of a product, line of
products, program, or campaign that is based around a central
theme, concept, image, tagline, etc. A brand can include anything
from a logo to a phrase to an attitude.
- Branding examples:
- McDonald's Golden Arches and the "I'm Lovin' It" campaign
- Nike's Swoosh and the "Just Do It" campaign
Why is Branding Important?
Branding is important because each organization needs to not
only create an identity for itself but also set itself apart from
the competition. Creating an identity is critical because it allows
the general public to immediately recognize your organization with
very little prompts in the media. In addition, an identity for your
organization allows the general public to immediately realize the
difference between you and other similar organizations.
How Do We Brand Our Marketing?
Although there is no cut-and-dry method to developing a
marketing brand, these simple steps should be able to get you
started:
- Brainstorm: Come up with as many ideas as possible that convey the image or reputation you want the general public to have of your organization.
- Build consensus: Carefully decide which idea(s) would be the best at what you want to convey.
- Create: Develop the brand you decided on. Sometimes it's
good to develop variations of the brand so that it can be
customized to different media formats.
- Key questions to ask:
- How do we want the general public to know us?
- What do we want the general public to know about us?
- How can the general public benefit from us?
- How are we different from other similar organizations?
Keys to Branding in Marketing
Branding is a powerful technique in both marketing and public
relations. Keys to branding in marketing include:
- Clarity: Your brand should be as clear as possible so that the general public isn't confused with what your brand is conveying. Your brand should also be as dissimilar to other competing brands as possible. Remember you want to create an identity for your organization.
- Consistency: Your brand should be used in virtually all marketing campaigns and material. For example, any time you see any marketing campaign produced by Nike, you'll always see the Swoosh.
- Repetition:Your brand should be exhibited in the media as often as possible to increase awareness of your organization and solidify your organizational identity.
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