Marketing Support and Promotion

Operational Standard/Purpose

This standard describes the criteria and related processes for departments to request and receive marketing assistance for promotions, public relations, major non-routine events, new web design, or significant changes to existing web design.

With limited resources, ICC must be strategic in spending human and financial resources for promotional or “marketing” projects.

Scope/Applicability

This standard covers all areas of the College.

Procedures

1. Academic Requests: Each year, the marketing division works with academic affairs to identify areas/programs for promotion based on: Programs considered for priority promotion will be identified by September 15 in the fiscal year BEFORE promotion will begin. For example, programs receiving priority promotion for the Fall of 2020 will be identified in Fall of 2019 to allow for adequate time for production; programs receiving priority promotion in Spring of 2019 will be identified in Spring of 2018 to allow for adequate production. The areas for priority promotion will be shared with Cabinet members and Strategic Forum by October 1.
   
   Before requesting promotional support for programs, services, or activities not identified in the process above the requester needs to compile information to support the expenditure and allocation of resources for the request and should discuss the need for promotion with their cabinet member. Criteria include:
   • the needs of students
   • the needs of the community
   • the likelihood of programs providing a family-sustaining wage
   • the opportunity for students to acquire jobs or transfer successfully upon completion
   • the willingness of faculty and staff to support the promotional campaign
   • the accessibility of the program to markets (that is, barriers have been removed, sequencing is logical, and the credential can be completed in the promised time).
2. For All Requests That Have Not Been Designated for Priority Promotion: The requesting area needs to identify the strategic or operational initiative associated with the request, or must Page 2 of 3 document what legal or accreditation requirements the request must meet. This is the first level of prioritization for consideration. In addition, the requester should identify the due date for the work to be completed.
3. Specific Types of Requests:
   1. Marketing of CTE programs
      1. The degree to which jobs are available when the program completes the credential. Source for verification: The Executive Director of Institutional Research and Planning's EMSI data, Greater Peoria Economic Development Reports.
      2. The degree to which there are openings in the program.
      3. The degree to which barriers have been identified and removed for the program.
      4. The degree to which the faculty and staff are willing and have the resources to provide support in the marketing efforts.
      5. The extent of the costs to launch the campaign and budget availability.
      6. The degree to which the College has a competitive advantage.
      7. The level of planning and production associated with the approach.
      8. The expected outcomes of the promotion (must be measurable and trackable).
   2. Marketing for Specific Audience Segments
      1. The degree to which the market segment can be identified as underserved. Source for verification: Census Bureau data or data coalesced by the Executive Director of Institutional Research and Planning.
      2. The degree to which offerings are designed for the particular segment.
      3. The degree to which the offerings can and will be delivered as promised to the segment once promoted.
      4. The extent of the costs to launch the campaign; budget availability.
      5. The degree to which the College has (or can gain) a competitive advantage.
      6. The level of planning and production associated with the approach.
      7. The expected outcomes of the promotion (must be measurable and trackable).
   3. General Requests for Video, Scripting, etc.
      1. Priority will be given to requests that align with strategic initiatives or are associated with approved operational plans by cabinet.
      2. Priority will be given to requests that are justified because of legal or accreditation requirements.
      3. The extent of the costs to launch the campaign and budget availability.
      4. Requests that are not part of the overall marketing plan will be considered as resources allow.
      5. Once materials, videos, etc. are produced, the requesting department will be expected to provide data on the use and effectiveness of the item.
      6. The expected outcomes of the promotion (must be measurable and trackable).
4. Public Relations/News Release Requests
   1. The degree to which the item relates to a strategic priority, operational initiative, or highlights a unique achievement, approach, award, etc.
   2. The degree to which appropriate contact people are available for interviews, television/radio shows, etc. to promote the item above.
   3. The degree to which the item is more newsworthy than other items being considered.
   4. The expected outcomes of the promotion (must be measurable and trackable) and a “call to action” must be included.
5. Major Events (Not Routine or Recurring): Events often require special consideration, depending on the event elements. General guidelines for when marketing should be contacted are:
    

   Element	Initiate Marketing Division Assistance No Later Than
   Room only, internal audience	24-48 hours, if possible, before the event
   Room, light refreshments	72 or more hours before the event
   Room, meal, or extensive refreshments	15 business days (at least) before the event
   Room, light refreshments, audio-visual	72 hours before the event
   Room with change in set-up	1 week before the event
   Simple announcement on website	2 weeks before the announcement should appear
   Event that requires a simple website	12 weeks before the event
   Event that requires a complex website	1 year before the event
   Event that requires an invitation, mailing list, or flyer	8-12 weeks before the event
   Event that requires a news release	8-12 weeks before the event
   Events to be published in a community calendar	3 months before the event
   Event with an audience of 100 or more	3 months before the event
   Event with giveaways	3 months before the event
   Event requiring television, newspaper, or other advertising	3 months before the event

   Requests that do not meet these guidelines will be fulfilled based on the availability of resources. Once information has been gathered, the requester should call the Marketing Department Administrative Assistant (ext. 5596) to set up an appointment to discuss the project. The project will be reviewed and, if appropriate, a production schedule will be created. In some cases, the project may be brought to cabinet for additional consideration.

Additional Provisions/Information

1. Routine events, recurring projects (such as the catalog on the website), and corrections to existing materials are generally not covered by this standard. However, if measures or data call into question existing and/or routine materials, campaigns, etc. (campaigns did not meet objectives), then these items may be considered under this standard.