From the Nominator

An ongoing goal for the University Communications and Marketing team at Michigan State University is to strengthen awareness of and appreciation for the university’s academic excellence and research impact to drive reputation among external audiences, including informed Michigan public and policymakers. Outside of educating students, though, external audiences may not be aware of all the ways in which MSU positively impacts the state. In addition to fueling a talent pipeline through our academic programs, we also have extensive research that impacts the state, as well as outreach and extension efforts in every county in Michigan. To create more awareness around our significant statewide impact, we built a month-long campaign targeting both internal and external audiences in Michigan. The campaign included paid, earned, owned, and shared efforts, with a 30-second commercial that set the tone for the campaign from both a messaging and visual perspective. The commercial, Spartan Impact Across Michigan, delivers on the campaign’s key message that MSU makes extraordinary contributions to the state. Using bold graphics and diverse imagery—without voiceover—the video makes it clear that we have a long-standing presence across the entire state and that we are partnering with communities, affecting change, and making discoveries, all while continuing to educate the next generation of students. During the campaign, the video achieved more than 3.8 million impressions across paid, owned, and shared placement, further driving awareness of MSU’s enduring impact throughout the state.

From the Judges

We like the way MSU didn't rely on audio to drive home the points here. The quick pace captures the audience's attention throughout. We enjoyed the combo of footage with graphics and thought it showcased Michigan (and MSU) well. The completion rate was high, clicks to the landing page were exemplary, and the results speak for themselves.