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Raising awareness through Reaching Others
The first television commercial of the Reaching Others initiative will air during the Oct. 28 UB Bulls-Ohio Bobcats football game broadcast nationally by ESPNU. | Watch videos
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“UB is an outstanding university, but research suggests that many audiences aren’t fully aware of our academic excellence.”
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View television commercials for Reaching Others
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Next week, UB will launch a new communications initiative to increase public awareness about the university and showcase the excellence of its people and programs.
The first steps in the new effort include a Web site that tells six stories about how the work of faculty, staff and students is making a difference locally and globally. These stories also will be told in television and radio commercials; the TV commercials will air at 7 p.m. next Tuesday when the UB Bulls take on the Ohio Bobcats in a football game broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
“UB is an outstanding university, but research suggests that many audiences aren’t fully aware of our academic excellence,” said Joseph A. Brennan, Ph.D. ’96, M.A. 88, UB’s new associate vice president for university communications. “We need to tell the world about all of the good things going on here in Buffalo.”
Brennan said that the new program, called Reaching Others, is one of several efforts designed to improve communications and strengthen relationships so that UB can achieve its strategic goals during difficult times. “A stronger public image can help us recruit students and faculty, enhance alumni pride and generate support from the community, government officials and donors. We also hope it will build pride and morale of those who work and study here.”
The new Web site and commercials were developed by staff in the Office of University Communications in conjunction with Partners + Napier, a Rochester-based communications agency. “We think these are very powerful stories that convey the essence of UB,” said Sharon Napier, president of Partners + Napier. “They express UB’s distinctive essence as a model public research university that is positively changing the world.”
The initiative grew out of a process that began two years ago when the Division of External Affairs commissioned a comprehensive study of how the university is perceived by internal and external audiences.
The study gathered the opinions of more than 4,000 faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, community members and external influencers. “The findings suggest that while these stakeholders are generally positive about UB and its direction, there is a need to more effectively communicate our academic excellence,” said Peter S. Killian, assistant vice president for marketing. “Many people we have talked to feel that UB lacks a clear, consistent identity, and they’ve encouraged us to develop a program like this one.”
Brennan points out that Reaching Others is not an advertising campaign. “It’s really a framework of messages designed to convey the essence of UB and get people interested in learning more. We’re presenting UB as a place where research and creativity are paramount, a place where people strive to make a difference in the lives of others. We want to show viewers that while UB is large, diverse and global, it’s also a place with a strong sense of community. And we want to convey the optimistic, resilient spirit and innovative, can-do approach that’s been a hallmark of this institution and this region.”
These messages will help to inform future communications, including new materials focused on recruiting students and building community and alumni support. “Having a consistent framework of messages improves communications efficiency,” Killian added.
The TV commercials will appear, at no charge to the university, on UB athletic contests that are broadcast nationally and locally, including next Tuesday on the ESPNU network when the football team takes on Ohio at 7 p.m., on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 when the Bulls host Miami (Ohio), and on ESPNU on Nov. 13 when UB plays at Akron.
Six radio commercials are under development. Together, the radio and TV commercials spotlight one example each from the College of Arts and Sciences and UB’s 11 professional schools.
With pre-budgeted funding, the TV and radio commercials will air in Buffalo during November. “We regard this as a pilot effort. If it’s successful and funds are available, we may extend the program to other markets,” Killian said.
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