Planning Marketing Campaigns
Campaign ownership and execution are typically the responsibility of the sponsoring college, department or unit. University Brand and Marketing does not centrally manage every campaign across the university — but together we can determine our level of involvement based on the project, scope, timing and available capacity.
To ensure your campaign or strategic initiative is set up for success, there are many things to determine pre- and postlaunch.
Prelaunch
Goals: Clearly define your objectives (brand awareness, lead generation, application completion, etc.). If your goal requires reaching a defined audience beyond existing owned or organic channels, paid media may be worth exploring as part of the broader strategy.
Target audience: Identify who you intend to reach and engage. Audience definition should shape the message, channel mix, creative approach and desired action.
Budget: Determine your campaign budget and make sure it’s distributed effectively across channel selections, production, media placement and timelines.
Schedule: Plan your message timing by channel to maximize visibility and engagement. Be mindful of holidays, current events and similar context for appropriate timing.
Platforms: Choose platforms or publications that align with target audience preferences and behaviors.
Performance metrics: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) tied to the campaign goal(s). Depending on the campaign, success may be measured through awareness, engagement, traffic, inquiries, applications, registrations, attendance, leads or conversions.
Creative (design and copy): Create assets and touchpoints that align with brand standards and resonate with the target audience. Keep the look and tone consistent throughout the journey (for example, from ad through conversion). Make sure copy is accurate and attribute proof points to credible sources.
Brand safety controls: For paid media, protect the UCF brand by implementing brand safety controls and maintaining exclusion lists to prevent ads from appearing alongside sensitive or inappropriate content.
Digital journey optimization: The destination should deliver on the promise made in the campaign. Make the next step clear and provide a user-friendly experience.
Post-click considerations: For paid media, plan beyond the ad click. Consider lead forms, email opt-ins and data integration with customer relationship management (CRM) systems.
Tracking and analytics: Set up appropriate analytics and tracking before launch. Consider using tools like Google Analytics to monitor traffic, patterns, user behavior and other performance metrics.
Testing: For paid media, develop a plan to A/B test ad variations.
Postlaunch
Monitor performance: Regularly review campaign metrics and identify areas for improvement.
Optimize: Adjust targeting, creative or budget based on performance.
Report: Set a reporting cadence (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.), summarizing insights and outcomes to inform future campaigns.
Keep in Mind
Campaigns should extend the UCF brand, not compete with it. In most cases, campaigns don’t need their own logos, marks or identities. Use the approved UCF visual and verbal brand system to create distinction through message, audience, imagery, layout and channel expression, not through a new standalone brand.
Paid Media and Advertising
This can help extend reach for your marketing goals, but paid media and advertising often work best as a complement to your existing efforts in owned and earned channels.
We recommend connecting with University Brand and Marketing early in your marketing campaign planning. We can offer guidance for paid media strategy, channel and vendor selection, and performance benchmarks. We’re often able to secure competitive pricing through existing supplier partnerships, too.
VENDOR AND AGENCY COORDINATION
University Brand and Marketing has built strong relationships with a variety of local and national platforms across broadcast, traditional media and digital media. Reach out to us to tap into our network.
If you’re thinking about partnering with an external agency, factor in:
- Industry expertise: Agencies with experience in higher education may be better equipped for the challenges and nuances of higher ed marketing.
- Track record: Evaluate their success in prior campaigns, case studies and references to determine effectiveness.
- Technical expertise: Assess their access to and proficiency in digital tools and platforms.
- Performance metrics and reporting: Consider the frequency, quality and depth of the agency’s report.
- Optimization: Gauge their ability to leverage analytics, KPIs and other insights to optimize and adjust campaigns based on performance data.
- Budget alignment: Compare their fees to industry standards to ensure their services are cost-effective.
Keep in Mind
Follow UCF’s procurement guidelines and competitive solicitation requirements. Although advertising is exempt from the competitive solicitation requirement, media placement is not (UCF Regulations 7.130). Visit UCF Procurement Services for details.
DIGITAL PAID MEDIA ADVERTISING GUIDELINES
These guidelines apply to all types of paid digital advertising, including display ads, search ads, paid social media campaigns, video ads, programmatic media, native advertising and other digital marketing platforms.
By following these standards, we can help protect the UCF brand, support responsible use of media dollars and create a cohesive experience for audiences across channels.
All paid advertising should:
- Reflect UCF’s approved visual and verbal brand system.
- Use accurate, substantiated messaging.
- Be measurable and aligned with strategic objectives.
- Comply with applicable procurement, legal and regulatory requirements.
- Abide by all applicable privacy laws, platform terms and conditions, and UCF data security standards.
- Meet accessibility best practices.
- Obtain appropriate approvals before launch.
To support these efforts, University Brand and Marketing serves as the central resource for paid media governance and best practices. We also maintain ownership and oversight of enterprise ad accounts; manage university-wide audience strategies, tracking and measurement frameworks; establish brand safety requirements; and secure enterprise-level advertising partnerships.
Enrollment Marketing
This helps prospective students understand why UCF is the right place to continue their education and what steps to take next. Because the decision journey is often long, personal and nonlinear, enrollment marketing should connect audience insight, clear program information, relevant proof points, brand alignment and measurable goals.
Enrollment marketing should be:
- Targeted to defined audiences with defined objectives. It’s not one size fits all — research is a must. Who are we talking to and what do we want them to do?
- A multi-touch journey from awareness through enrollment with clear destinations and objectives along the way. Where are we taking the audience and what is the next stop?
- Continuously measured and evaluated. How do we know if the message is resonating? Are we reaching our goals? Perfect what’s working and improve what isn’t.
- Scalable in scope and complexity, and not restricted to a single channel. Meet the audience where they are and create content that resonates.
While the teams for undergraduate and graduate admissions, UCF Online, colleges and programs retain ownership of their individual recruitment goals and operations, University Brand and Marketing can provide strategic guidance on:
- Audience research
- Messaging direction and brand alignment
- Digital journeys and content stepping stones
- Paid media considerations
- Marketing systems optimization
- Measurement approaches
- Goal setting
Marketing Strategy Consultations
For colleges, departments or units with high-visibility or strategically important initiatives, University Brand and Marketing can be a resource early in your marketing strategy planning process.
When to loop in University Brand and Marketing:
- Your initiative is high-visibility, high-priority or high-risk
- You’re expanding into a new target audience, market or region
- You’re exploring new outreach channels or tactics
- You need support creating structure for a new campaign
- You need clarity on aligning a campaign with the UCF brand
Keep in Mind
It’s especially important to involve University Brand and Marketing in reputational marketing campaigns, which are intended to influence awareness, perception, peer recognition, national visibility, rankings, partnerships or institutional reputation.
University Brand and Marketing can offer support with:
- Defining objectives, audiences, core messages and tactics at the start of campaigns
- Creating key messaging framework
- Ensuring deliverables are aligned with UCF’s brand positioning
- Exploring channel approach and planning for digital experiences
- Scoping out measurement approach to track goal progress
- Developing reputational marketing initiatives related to peer perception, national visibility and ranking elevation strategies
Request marketing consultations early and include these details:
- Provide an overview of your business problem or opportunity.
- Define what success looks like. What is your goal, key metric, milestone or desired outcome?
- Identify your target audience(s). Who are you trying to reach? What action do you want them to take, what do you want them to think or how do you want them to feel?
- Offer clear timelines, including any critical launch dates or hard deadlines.
- Articulate any constraints that impact the strategy, including budget, information gaps, workload capacity or condensed timelines.
Campaign ownership and execution are typically the responsibility of the sponsoring college, department or unit. University Brand and Marketing does not centrally manage every campaign across the university — but together we can determine our level of involvement based on the project, scope, timing and available capacity.
QUESTIONS ABOUT MARKETING STRATEGY?
Reach out to University Brand and Marketing as early as possible in your marketing strategy planning process.