Dennis Kelly is director of marketing and student recruitment at Teesside University in the United Kingdom. In this position, he is responsible for all communications, marketing, alumni and fundraising programmes. Before joining Teesside in February 2009, Kelly served as director of communications and marketing and co-director of the Centre for PR Studies at Leeds Metropolitan University. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and an approved CIPR trainer. Areas of special professional interest include strategy development, integrated marketing and crisis communications.

Teesside University recently won the Times Higher Education Award for University of the Year. What has this recognition done for Teesside?

The impact on the university has been profound and has generated positive consequences for every aspect of university life. In particular, it has created a sense of confidence, which permeates throughout academic and support departments and the student body. This institution has a long tradition of quiet achievement and to receive such an endorsement has resulted in a more assured approach to how we do business. There is also a real climate of celebration, which we will nurture throughout the year. 2010 sees our 80th anniversary and it is difficult to think of a better legacy to carry forward than THE University of the Year.

Describe some of your major projects.

Being THE University of the Year presents a unique opportunity, and one of my primary tasks is to make sure that we leverage this success in all areas of marketing and development.

I am also introducing the institution's first fundraising and development capability. Relatively few UK universities operate without such functions so this really is an exciting project. No doubt we will adopt processes and practices that have proved to be successful elsewhere but we are also determined to take this opportunity to do things differently. I am hoping that we can cause a few surprises with a distinct Teesside approach to fundraising and development.

Like many institutions, we use a raft of social media tools and we receive good response rates and invaluable feedback. Also, we have a reputation for originality. Our graduation dance video became something of a YouTube cult. But we do need an integrated social media strategy. I'm working currently to embed our existing activities into a medium term plan, which I believe will transform the way we communicate. The pace of technical change makes this a considerable challenge but I have no doubt that the rewards will be significant.

At the other end of the communications spectrum, I am looking at the way we interact with students and prospective students at university events, such as open days. I believe that personal interactions are still the most powerful form of communication. At Teesside, we have a particular opportunity. As an institution, we are famously open and friendly. What an asset to be able to enhance!

What has been your most successful communications or marketing project?

Without doubt, the rebranding of Teesside University. I joined the university in February 2009 and had an opportunity to review and redirect the branding strategy. The results have been both dramatic and remarkable. A brand of unique strength and relevance has been created. CASE members will understand the importance of branding to existing and prospective members of a university community. They will also understand the sensitivities involved. Special care was taken with the internal consultations and launch. This resulted in a ringing internal endorsement for the new brand and, of course, a strong platform for new marketing and student recruitment strategies which are springing from the new brand.

What advice would you give to a communications/marketing professional new to advancement?

Stick to the agenda. I have had the benefit of working in many different sectors, both private and public. It is hard to think of a more stimulating working environment than higher education. Herein lies a danger for the newcomer. It is very tempting to get involved in all sorts of fascinating projects. But resources are finite and none more so than your time. So my advice would be to understand the institutional agenda. This will be enshrined in an institutional plan and hopefully in communications and marketing objectives. Advancement programmes which support the achievement of corporate aims will always be recognised and rewarded.

How has CASE membership influenced your career?

I am a member of a number of professional bodies and can say with confidence that CASE has an invaluable distinctiveness. The distinctiveness can best be described as a willingness to share good practice.

As an experienced communications and marketing practitioner but a newcomer to fundraising, I attended the 2009 Spring Institute in Educational Fundraising. To be able to learn from such an exalted panel of experts was a privilege and has been of great practical benefit.

This article is from the January 2010 issue of BriefCASE.
Please share your questions and comments with Pam Russell via e-mail at russell@case.org or by telephone at +1-202-478-5680.