Marquette is using strategies that fall into the industry standards of higher education marketing, according to Heidi Zoerb, academic planner in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and former director of marketing for continuing education.,”With a new Web site, commercials and promotional videos, the university is in the process of making itself over to the outside world.

The reconstruction of the university's Web site was the first step of the marketing campaign. Tom Pionek, senior Web marketing strategist in the Office of Marketing and Communication, said in an e-mail that the site was updated in late September so the university could take advantage of technologies and trends that have emerged in the past couple of years.

Pionek said the interface was updated to better integrate interactive content such as slide shows and to make content more accessible to search engines and to improve search performance. He said one goal was to update the look and build a foundation from which the site can utilize interactive features and cross-promote content throughout the site.

"We consider the site a foundation onto which we will build new content that will offer interesting, creative and compelling ways to engage our users," Pionek said.

The university is also trying to expand its image through promotional videos.

Last week, filming was done on campus that will be used to promote the Alumni Association, according to Kate Schroeder, director of special programs of University Advancement. She said the video would be used at events both on campus and throughout the country as part of regional programs.

Filming was also done to shoot a commercial for MarquetteCard. Rob Mullens, Union Station manager in the Alumni Memorial Union, said he got the idea for a commercial after attending a conference presentation about marketing during last spring semester.

"I felt that this would be an informative and fun way to promote all of the uses for MarquetteCard," Mullens said. He said the commercial is still in production and it will be available on the MarquetteCard Web site when it is finished. He said it would also be shown during major events such as PREVIEW and orientations.

However, Mullens said the commercial was actually done independently of the university's marketing campaign.

Marquette's Web and video strategies fall into the industry standards of higher education marketing, according to Heidi Zoerb, academic planner in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and former director of marketing for continuing education.

Zoerb said universities all have their own styles, but that use of multimedia content online is standard. She said some universities are also utilizing instant messaging and text messaging to increase marketing.

As for television exposure, Zoerb said most four-year universities do not do much marketing because the institutions already have a big enough name for themselves. She said smaller colleges and universities such as Cardinal Stritch University tend to advertise more often on television.

Brigid O'Brien Miller, director of university communication, said in an e-mail that Marquette's marketing updates reflect the most current information and technology to ensure that all audiences are being reached in the most effective way possible. Different audiences include both current and prospective students, faculty and staff, alumni, parents and the general public.

Zoerb said it is common for universities to conduct a new marketing campaign about every two or three years.

Miller said Marquette's Office of Marketing and Communication annually assesses the need to update marketing and communication materials including print, television and online advertising, e-newsletters, the university's Web site, brochures, reference materials and the "Big Book" for prospective students.

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