The Challenge
The communication department’s challenge to Beehive was to devise an insight programme that would answer some key questions:
1) How to effectively engage, inform and involve Alumni so that they became inspired advocates, supporters and ambassadors for the university. The university were publishing and distributing >300,000 printed and online copies of their magazine and supporting multiple websites, and social media channels. Print costs were high, and there was a hypothesis that the websites were confusing, and communication was not optimised.
2) And, among alumni they wanted to manage and develop reputation, improve positive onward communication, support retention and recruitment, increasing re-registration/continuous study, inspire ambassadors, and increase fundraising awareness and philanthropic support.
The Solution
Beehive developed research programme using an online methodology. The questionnaire was extensive as we needed to understand the broad range of communications that alumni received, saw and read.
The programme involved:
UK and international students and alumni
2 research phases, 2 years apart
print, digital, email and social channels evaluated
an initial assessment with recommendation for an optimised and cost-effective communications plan (print & online) to enable a change programme. Two years later, a re-evaluation programme of the newly implemented strategy and communication content.
The Outcome
Multiple recommendations and outcomes were delivered:
confirmation to rebrand the magazine
to rationalise the number of web sites/ information sources
understanding of what alumni needed, enabling a more targeted and effective communications and messaging strategy
And, the university was able to reduce print runs, consolidate websites, and redirect budget toward higher-impact digital channels with confidence that alumni engagement wouldn't suffer.
