Blogging live from the CASE Annual Conference for Senior Communications and Marketing Professionals, which got under way today.
Opening the conference was Joe Hice, associate vice president of marketing and public relations in the Office of University Relations at the University of Florida. A former marketing exec for Harley-Davidson, Segway and Sea-Doo, Hice spoke about a few lessons PR and marketing folks in higher ed could learn from the corporate world.
What it boils down to — whether at Harley or on our campuses — is passion. “It starts with the passion for the product,” Hice said, “and it starts with you.”
A relative newcomer to higher ed (he’s been with Florida for 14 months now), Hice’s biggest culture shock came when he discovered how tiny the marketing budget was compared to the corporate world. “When I was at Sea-Doo,” he said, “I was accustomed to spending $8-$10 million a weekend. At the University of Florida, I won’t spend that much through my retirement.”
But even financially strapped colleges and universities can incorporate some of the ideas companies like Harley-Davidson use to build their brand and brand loyalty — or, in Hice’s words, “disciples” who will carry the message to broader audiences. Harley has its HOGs, and the University of Florida has its Gator Nation. Hice says the Gator Nation launch will begin this weekend. You heard it here first.
More later.
Andrew Careaga 