An official University of Kentucky hashtag, #seeblue grew out of a student recruitment campaign tagline launched in 2006.
The campaign, like a first-place blue ribbon, “celebrates our athletic successes and elevates our academic achievements,” says Marketing Specialist Katy Bennett, who manages social media efforts for enrollment management at UK. “Eight years later, ‘see blue’ is stronger and more popular than ever.” The words refer to the school’s distinctive color and the flood of UK sweatshirts on campus.
#seeblue began appearing regularly on Twitter in 2012 and is now included on every piece of marketing collateral. Nearly 12,500 photos have been tagged #seeblue on Instagram.
And when the Wildcats make a deep run in the March Madness tournament, as they did this year, “all of our social media platforms see a nice boost,” Bennett says. #RespecttheRivalry was added for the team’s Sweet 16 game with in-state rival Louisville, and #CelebrateLikeaChampion got play for the Final Four appearance.
