Embracing Change
CURRENTS Article This article discusses how changes in the way universities are organized in Finland led to the creation of University of Helsinki's first fundraising campaign, which, in turn, informed its university branding efforts. The university brought its brand to the city of Helsinki in several ways, including creative newspaper ads, public events, and a store in the city center that was inspired by Apple stores and designed to showcase its research in ways that would interest the public.

Building Buzz
CURRENTS Article Walsh College's vice president and chief marketing and enrollment management officer, John Lichtenberg, discusses livening up the business schools branding efforts with a campaign that employs a simple yet accessible and attention-grabbing style in its TV, print, web, and other advertising as well as guerilla marketing tactics such as the Walsh College Yellow Suits, a band of actors who attend events and create a buzz factor around this Detroit-area business college.

Advertising and Media-Buying Workshop
Conference Advertising and Media-Buying Workshop

Advertising Campaigns: The Bishop Strachan School - Gold Award
Best Practice Highlights of Bishop Strachan School's 2007-2008 advertising campaign included establishing a relationship with a Canadian advertising team to develop a brand style guide and ad campaign; hiring a media buying agency to develop a media plan with the objective of penetrating target markets for day and international students; new ad campaign launched in fall 2007 with "Send Your Daughter to BSS–The World Needs Her" theme; and teacher-driven activities within the school to engage student thinking around the theme.

Individual Ads: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities - Silver Medal
Best Practice The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system developed and implemented the "Sky High" ads to address the notion and concern that tuition was too high.

Individual Ads: University of Maryland, College Park - Gold Medal
Best Practice University of Maryland, College Park's "Fear the Turtle" ad was part of a highly successful ad campaign that originated in 2003 to raise visibility of the institution locally and expand its national audience.

Individual Ads: University of Alaska-Statewide - Silver Medal
Best Practice "Tara" was one of several ads featuring students and their experiences at the University of Alaska that ultimately directed interested parties to the university Web site.

Advertising Campaigns: Bowling Green State University - Bronze Medal
Best Practice Bowling Green State University’s successful "Changing the World by Degrees: Explore. Inspire. Achieve" campaign resulted out of a desire to leverage the university’s existing brand equity while more closely focusing on its brand promise.

Advertising Campaigns: Alverno College - Gold Medal
Best Practice Launched in summer 2006, the primary objective of Alverno College's "The Alverno Art Campaign" was to generate interest, inquiries and ultimately applications.

PSAs and Commercial Spots: University of Alaska-Statewide - Silver Medal
Best Practice The University of Alaska’s fall 2006 advertising campaign included a series of seven short videos of students and their experiences at UA. Three spots, in rotation in Alaska as TV ads, pointed viewers to a site with four more videos and bios of featured students. The campaign also included print, radio, social networking site advertising and cinema slides. It was focused on a target audience of primarily 16-24 year-old prospective students in Alaska.

PSAs and Commercial Spots: University of Alberta - Gold Medal
Best Practice University of Alberta’s new president, Dr. Indira Samarasekera asked for a national television advertising campaign that highlighted the university as embodying the Olympic ideal in its new “Dare to Discover” ethos (i.e., striving for personal best and serving peace, friendship, and understanding in the world). It was important that the ad make a connection between institutional pride and Canadian patriotism.

PSAs and Commercial Spots: University of Memphis - Gold Medal
Best Practice The objective of this campaign was to create an entertaining and effective series of spots to sell season tickets to University of Memphis football. This season, the University of Memphis was in a unique situation in that the team would be playing seven home games - up from the traditional six home games in years past.

AdvanceWork: Help from Hoaxes
CURRENTS Article Advertisers and marketers can learn a lot from urban legends, writes Chip Heath in the Winter 2003 "Stanford Social Innovation Review." He identifies six elements that make tall tales memorable and describes advertising campaigns that successfully used these characteristics to promote their messages.

Top Product Picks
CURRENTS Article To improve alumni merchandising programs, today’s alumni officers are redistributing marketing, order-processing, and fulfillment duties among their staffs, campus bookstores, and—to an increasing degree—third-party vendors. But one thing remains true: Distinctive products with a compelling campus tie are the top sellers and one small way to cement connections with graduates.