Marketing and communications work at Memorial lauded internationally
Memorial University has distinguished itself again this year with compelling and creative marketing and communications work. The university was recognized recently with several awards bestowed by an international association of educational institutions.
The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) recently honoured Memorial with three awards in its 2013 CASE District I Awards program. CASE is the Washington, D.C.-based organization that represents communications, alumni, fundraising and marketing professionals working at universities and colleges globally. CASE’s District I includes institutions and professionals in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and the New England states in the U.S.
In the Annual Reports category, Memorial nabbed a silver award for Great Minds Think Differently: President’s Highlights 2011. The annual report, created in house by the Division of Marketing and Communications, took a thematic approach that reflected Memorial's character and the many different developments that took place during the 2010-11 academic year. “Great Minds Think Differently,” like the other twists on well-known axioms found inside the brochure, acknowledges that innovation – exploring the world, its people and their ideas from different perspectives – is a critical part of what Memorial does as an institution of higher learning.
In the Fundraising Materials category, Memorial’s fundraising campaign booklet for Dare To: The Campaign for Memorial University was also recognized with a silver award. In November 2011 the university launched a fundraising campaign as part of an overall redevelopment initiative totalling more than $250 million. Dare To focused on student financial support, academic excellence and physical infrastructure in order to enable the university to build a first-rate, world-class learning and research environment. The Office of Alumni Affairs and Development’s campaign team and the Division of Marketing and Communications partnered to produce the campaign’s marketing and communications materials.
In the Special-Purpose Publications – Multi-Page category, Memorial’s The League of Extraordinary Researchers: Research Strategy Framework rounded out the accolades with a third silver award. A collaboration of the Office of the Vice-President (Research) and the Division of Marketing and Communications, the framework was creatively presented as a graphic novel, complete with a number of Memorial researchers transformed into illustrated characters. The Research Strategy Framework sets the vision, mission and guiding principles for research at Memorial and identifies the goals and objectives necessary to achieve success.
“This recognition from our peers in the pursuit of advancement excellence is most welcome,” said Victoria Collins, executive director, Division of Marketing and Communications at Memorial. “In addition to our materials looking compelling and innovative, the entry process required us to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of the materials in achieving the overall objectives of the projects they support.”
She added: “The dynamic and varied collaborations we at the Division of Marketing and Communications enjoy with our internal clients continue to inspire us to reinvent how we tell Memorial’s story to the university community and to the world beyond.”
“These results from Memorial’s most recent marketing and communications initiatives are not surprising,” said Dr. Gary Kachanoski, president and vice-chancellor of Memorial University. “Considering the high calibre of creativity and skills possessed by staff members of the Division of Marketing and Communications, the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development and the Office of the Vice-President (Research), these awards confirm to the rest of the world what we at this university already know: Memorial is distinguishing itself as an institution of ingenuity and excellence.”