From the Nominator

During the creation of the alumni volunteer programme, stakeholders identified a need for increased and enhanced alumni profiles to support student recruitment and conversion, retention, and employability. Once this need had been identified, discussions began to develop a campaign that would collate and share alumni profiles in a more engaging format to a wider audience than ever before. This led to the creation of the From Aberdeen to… campaign to strengthen brand level communications; engage new alumni volunteers; celebrate alumni achievements; and increase awareness of alumni relations across campus by demonstrating the different career paths available. These profiles have a dual purpose and consist of striking alumni images as well as testimonials. The images are used on social media and are printed as posters that are displayed across campus. In addition to the written testimonials a video style was developed to create engaging and uplifting content to inspire alumni and potential students. In partnership with Brand Marketing and an internal graphic designer, layouts for the posters and social media were created ensuring the messaging was simple but impactful. The tag From Aberdeen to… emphasises the journey and opportunity that a degree from the university presents.

From the Judges

The University of Aberdeen's campaign proves that sometimes a return to the basics can yield the best results. The From Aberdeen to… campaign had the added benefits of strengthening alumni relationships and building awareness of the alumni relations team and their work. By creating photographic alumni profiles, Aberdeen was able to repurpose the results for social media, campus promotions, videos, and more. The panel applauded the fact that multiple campus partners pooled resources to use one project to create multiple solutions for retention, recruitment, and employability. The inclusive nature of the alumni profiled was noteworthy. The panel especially appreciated actions taken by the alumni relations staff to deepen relationships with the profiled alumni, many of whom became volunteers. With the pool of potential alumni to profile, Aberdeen has created a marketing strategy they can build upon for years to come. This campaign is a striking way to create marketing material that can serve multiple purposes.