Scenario: Small college wants to increase its national visibility and recognition.
Process: Matt Spencer, associate vice president for university advancement, zeros in on alumni with an affinity for the university, identifies their interests and plans visits—using a tool that analyzes social media reactions, comments and event responses of 235,000 digital alumni interactions.
Link to main story: Gift lift: How higher ed can build donor support
Match: An alumnus (an executive with a large outdoor recreation company) had interest in a major new marketing initiative hosted by Weber State’s Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center. A competition called Outdoor Weber invited college students across the country to present ideas for recreation products or services and compete for $30,000.
Outcome: The alumnus and his recreation company sponsored Outdoor Weber, which provided the budget to secure 100 entries from 23 states and generate more than 200,000 views on Weber’s website.
Payback: “The initiative worked like magic to put Weber on the map, and the sponsorship made it possible.”
