Before the basketball team won the 1977 NCAA men’s basketball championship, before Chris Farley wore his Marquette rugby jacket in the film “Tommy Boy,” before Marquette became the Golden Eagles — Marquette was making its mark.
But Marquette was without a slogan, a way to identify its mission. Admissions representatives tried to attract prospective students with the pitch, “Education for a Lifetime.” But the tagline was limited to undergraduate admissions and did little to promote the Marquette image.
Due to the lackluster results of the campaign, in 2003 administrators got together to think of something else. Thus “Be the Difference” was born.
Since the inception of “Be the Difference,” Marquette has received a dramatic increase in the number of applications from prospective students. The university has received more than 19,000 freshman applications for fall 2010, a record for the university. According to Geraghty, applications totaled 17,800 for fall 2009 and 15,181 for fall 2008.
In 2008, Marquette fundraising hit a peak when the university received record gifts and pledges exceeding $130 million, according to the President’s Report. More than $50 million went toward scholarships.
The difference begins with the donors
Marquette tries to reach potential donors with its advertisements because without the help of donors, private institutions like Marquette wouldn’t have the resources to financially help as many students.
Kristin Rehder serves as CEO of Kristin V. Rehder & Associates, a company contracted by Marquette to coordinate fundraising initiative communications.
“Fundraising campaigns keep costs down and the doors open to everyone who needs an education,” Rehder said.
Rehder spent the last decade working with Marquette to create Jesuit messages that brand its mission. Rehder’s company uses fundraising communications to open opportunities for university advancement.
“I help them sharpen the messages so that donors have the best grasp possible of what’s going on at Marquette, why they are raising money and what difference that will make in the world today,” Rehder said.
Marquette’s Office of Marketing and Communication works closely with companies like Rehder’s to achieve a universal understanding of the Marquette image. Both Tricia Geraghty, vice president of OMC, and Rehder, said it is important that the university creates personalized messages.
“‘Be the Difference’ is a powerful slogan,” Rehder said. “To me, it means finding what your talents are, getting a great education and then using your ability to problem solve to serve the community and the world.”
Spending Habits
Marquette spent $2,423,157 on advertising its brand in fiscal year 2007, the most recent data available, according to its 990 tax form.
That number is in line with peer Catholic institutions. DePaul University spent $3,722,445 on ads in fiscal year 2007, while Saint Louis University totaled $2,686,240. Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo., spent $385,773.
Despite the economic downturn, Geraghty said the money the university has spent on advertising has stayed fairly stable over the last few years. She said that is a result of the general shift from traditional to online and social media.
Marquette uses traditional forms of advertising like billboards at General Mitchell International Airport and the Milwaukee Intermodal Station. These locations get moderate amounts of traffic from prospective students and alumni, Geraghty said.
Marquette also produced two commercials this year — a Christmas greeting from University President the Rev. Robert A. Wild and one focusing on the search for a new president. Both ran on local television networks and were produced in-house, cutting down production costs. Most marketing targets the extended Milwaukee region and the Chicago area, Geraghty said.
Marquette Magazine brands the university’s image nationally. It consists of university news, essays from alumni and stories personalizing the Marquette experience. The magazine has a distribution of approximately 125,000 alumni and prospective students.
Opening opportunities online
Online media have begun to play a much bigger role in Marquette’s attempt to reach out to mass audiences. According to Geraghty, online and social media marketing inexpensively produces a large response.
“We want to make sure we spend our dollars on strategies that provide the highest return,” Geraghty said.
She said social media produced by students illustrates what it means to be a Marquette student.
During finals week last semester, a horde of students assembled in Raynor Library to redefine the traditional study break with a 15-minute dance party. What became known as the “Raynor Rave” went viral on YouTube within an hour.
One student video of the event, posted by chopstick2000, achieved 54,690 views as of press time.
Student participation in social media doesn’t stop there.
Spanish Odonnells, a musical group formed by sophomores Kevin Bubolz, David Fornetti and Kyle Willkom, have become famous on campus for their lyrical talents.
Their newest music video, “Financial Aid,” is a tribute to all the donors and faculty who have donated to the scholarship fund.
“The reason I’m here, the alumni were gracious, got a scholarship named after St. Ignatius,” Willkom raps in the video.
The video aired on YouTube March 21 after a university communication specialist asked the group to create the video. As of press time, it had received 6,337 views.
The lyrics of the songs express our personal views,” Willkom said. “We weren’t paid. …We were excited to even be considered.”
The video airs on the televisions in the Alumni Memorial Union and can also be found on givemarquette.com.
“It’s so authentic and real that we (the university) really applaud it,” Geraghty said. “We are so grateful we have such great students to carry the message.”
While Willkom said he thinks Marquette is on the right track in terms of broadcasting via social media, he thinks there is great potential for the future.
“I think, in terms of social media, there is still a ton that Marquette can do,” Willkom said.
A commitment to character
To convey the “Be the Difference” message, OMC creates advertisements focused on students, faculty and key alumni who have represented faith-based commitment to service throughout their education and careers.
A lot of advertising has used Wild’s legacy to create ads that exemplify what it means to be part of the Marquette community.
“You know you can lean on him to demonstrate the type of leadership and character that comes from Marquette,” Geraghty said.
Marquette ran an ad in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last month that displayed Wild inside the new law building, Eckstein Hall, with the Milwaukee skyline in the background. The ad expresses gratitude for the relationships the president has developed between Marquette and the Milwaukee community, Geraghty said.