Extension Brand Value Implementation: Strategic … · 2014. 2. 10. · Recommendation #2: Ensure that communications developed and distributed across the state (and beyond) message

November 4, 2010

Prepared for:

Extension Brand Value Implementation:Extension Brand Value Implementation:

Strategic Branding/Marketing Plan DevelopmentStrategic Branding/Marketing Plan Development

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Defining the Business Issues

Defining the Business IssuesDefining the Business Issues

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Awareness of ExtensionAwareness of Extension**

Low awareness in the general market limits Extension’s growth potential.

Have Heard of the Term Land-Grant University

Know that there is a Land-GrantUniversity in their State

Correctly Named Land GrantUniversity in their State

General Market Awareness for “Land-Grant”universities is very low.

Have Heard of CooperativeExtension

Have Heard of their State(University) ExtensionProgram

Know that their StateExtension is Part of aNational Network

Awareness of Cooperative Extension and StateUniversity Extension is low and few know thatstate programs are part of a National ExtensionNetwork.

*Based on data from Brand Value Study undertaken in June and July, 2008 among 2000 adult Americans (age 18+).


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FamiliarityFamiliarity**

Lack of familiarity with Extension’s programs and services, even among those aware, have led tovery low use rates.

Even among those who have heard of Extension, familiarity with Extension is very low.

Given the low awareness and familiarity withExtension, very few people have used Extensionservices.

Have Heard of their StateExtension Program

Have Not Heard of theirState Extension Program

Extremely FamiliarVery Familiar

Somewhat Familiar

Slightly Familiar

Not at all Familiar

Most of thosewho have heardof Extensionknow very littleabout it

Awareness Familiarity

Have Ever Used Extension

Have Used Extension in thePast 12 Months

Younger people are much less likely to have heardof or used Extension.

Have Heard of CooperativeExtension

Have Heard of their State(University) ExtensionProgram

Have Ever Used Extension

*Based on data from Brand Value Study undertaken in June and July, 2008 among 2000 adult Americans (age 18+).


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Implications of Awareness and Familiarity IssuesImplications of Awareness and Familiarity Issues

These issues put Extension into a sub-optimal position in terms of generating support andraising funds:

Limited reach within the general population

Limited pool of potential advocates

Unclear social and economic impact on broader community

Lack of clarity to legislators that funding for Extension is the best use of limited resources.

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Building a Stronger Extension Brand

Building a Stronger Extension BrandBuilding a Stronger Extension Brand

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Increasing ExtensionIncreasing Extension’’s Visibility and Uses Visibility and Use

To communicate that Extension is a program that clearly merits support and funding, itsprograms and services must be brought to and recognized by a broader audience.

There are two way to do this:

1. Increase the amount of marketing spend substantially. By substantially we mean the$100 million investment we discussed at the onset of this engagement.

2. Use existing resources more effectively – leverage Extension’s scale through the use of acommon brand framework – without making a more serious investment.


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Increasing Marketing SpendIncreasing Marketing Spend

Increasing marketing spend substantially is not an optimal solution for several reasons:

In the current economic environment, it is difficult to justify additional spending.

Marketing efforts are currently decentralized, leading to inefficiencies as well as varied brandexperiences across markets:

– 100+ universities doing their own thing in operating and marketing Extension

Different levels of marketing support and budget at state and county levels

Advertising and marketing campaigns delivering different messages across statesand counties

Different names and logos used by Extension programs

What “brand” exactly would be advertised?

Different program offerings across states and county offices.

– Different centers of funding (and influence) by program

State university (land-grant university) centered

State or county government centered

Mixed center – balancing state/local, national and university funding.

The result of this fragmented approach to marketing is that it makes it harder for Extension to berecognized across markets, programs, etc.

Spending on a national advertising campaign to boost awareness and familiarity is therefore notrecommended, at least until the Extension brand experience is more consistent within andacross states, counties and local areas.

– The lack of a clear, single brand to advertise makes it difficult for consumers to know exactly“who” or “what” to seek.

– Local programs will be potentially unable to deliver on many elements of a nationalcampaign.

– Web searches on Extension and its programs may lead to frustration:

• Search is not optimized, making it difficult for prospects to find their local Extensionsite or information on specific programs

• People may become confused if linked to state university websites, not knowingExtension is related to the university.


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Increasing Marketing SpendIncreasing Marketing Spend


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Common Brand FrameworkCommon Brand Framework

Extension will be better served by using its existing resources more effectively to leverage itsnational scale.

The best way to do this is to align the leaders of Extension at the state and national levels around a common brand framework:

– A clear brand value proposition

– Common set of brand attributes, benefits and supporting “Reasons to Believe” formessaging

– Common brand identity and guidelines for the creative execution of the brand

– Additional guidelines for presenting and executing Extension’s programs.


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Expanding ExtensionExpanding Extension’’s Footprints Footprint

A common brand framework makes it easier for Extension to deliver a similar “brand experience”across programs and geographies.

This will help build one large brand “footprint” instead of hundreds of smaller “footprints” by state orprogram. For example:

– Consistent benefit messages conveyed in Extension communications

– Creative executions presenting a similar “look and feel” across Extension marketing materials

– Standard structure of programs and services provided by Extension

– Clear identification of Extension as the sponsor of programs and services.

Such actions make it easier for consumers to recognize and connect the many pieces of Extension.

A solid brand structure and more consistent brand delivery will multiply the effects of the marketingefforts in place from individual states, as people recognize Extension outside their local area andacross programs.

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Marketing Strategy Recommendations

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First Priority Recommendations – Brand “Tool Kit”

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Marketing Strategy RecommendationsMarketing Strategy Recommendations

Recommendation #1: Ensure that a consistent description and value proposition are usedto guide operations and communications of Extension

The value proposition does not have to be articulated exactly as shownbelow, but it should be something that all (or most) can agree on.

Extension is an educational resource designed to provide you and others in yourcommunity with skills and knowledge that help you grow and empower you to improveyour quality of life.

You can trust Extension to take the best university-based research and turn it into hands-on programs and practical information you can use to solve today’s problems anddevelop skills to build a better future.

Extension programs and information are delivered to you by a network of committed localexperts, agents and volunteers - in-person, over the phone or online.

Updated Brand Value PropositionUpdated Brand Value Proposition

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Is accessible toall

Objective,

research-based

Committedagents andvolunteers

Relevant tocurrentneeds

PracticalAffordable

Helps youdevelop skills to

build a betterfuture

Developedand

reviewedby experts

Inspirational Benefit

Core Benefits

Key Supporting Attributes and RTBs

Is a trustedsource of

information andadvice

Convenient

Helps yougrow/empowering

you to improvequality of life

Providesinformation to

help solvetoday’s

problems

Messaging PlatformMessaging PlatformChecklist:

Are organizational level messages and broadermarketing campaigns centered around theinspirational benefits of growth and/orempowerment?

• Do supporting messages convey how core benefitslead to growth/empowerment?

Do program level communications clearlyconvey the most appropriate core benefit(s)?

• Skills for the future

• Information/solutions to today’s issues

• Accessibility of information, programs, and advice

• Trusted source of information and advice

Do day-to-day communications and experiencesdeliver on key “Reasons to Believe” that supportthe core and inspirational benefits?

Recommendation #2: Ensure that communications developed and distributed across thestate (and beyond) message on the core benefits, supportingattributes and “Reasons to Believe”

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Recommendation #3: Ensure that creative executions of the brand are consistent across thestate (and beyond) and based on a new creative platform

Identity and PersonalityIdentity and Personality Checklist: Do communications and marketing materials

portray Extension as a source that is friendlyand approachable, as well as knowledgeableabout its subject matter?

Is copy written in language that is easilyunderstandable by someone with a highschool education or less? Is the tone that of afriend or mentor rather than that of a professoror scholar?

Do images used to convey Extension showaspects of teamwork, hands-on learning, andskill building?

Do the scenes conveyed show the breadth ofwhat Extension provides at that location andbeyond?

Do images show diversity of age, ethnicity,urban and rural areas, etc.?

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Marketing Strategy RecommendationsMarketing Strategy RecommendationsRecommendation #4: Ensure the Extension name is emphasized on all materials,

communications and collateral

• Include Extension before or after the names of programs such as 4-H and Master Gardener.

• To encourage national brand consistency, focus on Extension portion of name in logos, headers,etc. to combat different program names within and across states.

• Ideally, implement a consistent “naming structure” [UNIVERSITY] Extension.

• Alternatively, develop a secondary logo/tagline to use in all communications – “A Member of theNational Extension Network.”

Emphasize the EXTENSION portion in logos andmarketing materials

Currently, multiple names are used across states– AgriLIFE Extension– Cooperative Extension– University Extension– [ENTER UNIVERSITY] Extension

[STATE] Extension Services:

• Agriculture• Home & Family

– 4-H Youth Development• Community

• Financial/Business

• Yard & Garden

• Energy & Natural Resources

4-H provides youth with opportunities to learn skills, gainknowledge and make contributions to their communities

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Recommendation #5: Develop a set of standard national templates for brochures and othermarketing materials

Provides states/programs with less involved marketing departments easyaccess to a set of superior marketing materials.

Brings the advantage of consistency across all adopters of the templates,while making their life easier.

[STATE] Extension 4-H Youth Development

Description ofprogram

AboutThe [STATE] Extension 4-H Youth Development program is an informaleducation program dedicated to creating self-directing, productive,contributing members of society by providing youth with the opportunitiesto acquire leadership, citizenship and life skills. Members learn how tothink, not what to think, and develop an appreciation for the importance ofself, science, agriculture and the home

Who to ContactFor more information or to join the [STATE] Extension 4-H YouthDevelopment program, contact your country Extension office at phone oremail at _____. Additional information is available by calling phone or byvisiting website.

Extensionin name

MentionotherExtensionprograms.Highlighttheprogramthebrochure isabout.Show sub-programswithin each

Clearly showphone no.,website, email& mailaddresses

Extension’sbenefits andprogramgoals


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Recommendation #6: Communicate to current clients the need for advocacy

Communicate to long-term clients that the continued success of Extension depends on their help in recruiting. Explain to all clients how legislators and other funders need to be kept informed about the impact Extension has on individuals and communities.

Recommendation #7: Develop tools that encourage clients to share their Extensionexperiences

Hold “Meet Extension” or “Bring a Friend” events that showcase Extension’s offerings and encourage clients to become brand ambassadors.

– Such programs will also increase clients’ knowledge of the breadth of Extension’s offerings– Can result in both new clients and greater use among existing clients.

Develop and promote information sharing tools to use online (websites, social media) where clients can share experiences and outcomes of Extension using videos, pictures, blogs, etc.

Develop tools and templates based on the Extension brand framework to help clients convey the benefits of Extension:

– Brochures to distribute– Email templates for inviting friends to classes and events or for voicing support of Extension

to legislators– Elevator speeches on the benefits and impact of Extension.

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Second Priority Recommendations

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Recommendation #8: Develop consistent organization of topics/programs – at minimum bystate – ideally at the national level

Develop a core group of topics that are considered Extension’s “standard”offerings.

Organize websites and other marketing materials according to this grouping– linking to eXtension where local/state information not available.

Cross-train agents on all Extension offerings to allow them to direct clients toother agents or resources for topics outside their area of expertise.

Future:Current:State A Topics State B Topics Common topics across offices and states

but specific offerings may vary by location


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Recommendation #9: Increase local awareness and familiarity building efforts usingadvertising campaigns and marketing activities, but developed usingthe national messaging and creative platforms to ensure consistency.

Place information about Extension in the places where busy people wouldcome in contact with them daily.

– Have representation at local festivals, fairs, events and conferences,particularly those related to Extension topics (e.g., culinary conferences,financial planning events, etc.)

– Maximize use of public service announcements.

– Create promotional materials (e.g., web pages, brochures) that highlight thekey benefits of Extension and help remove concerns or barriers.

– Leverage schools, libraries and land grant universities to distribute flyers,brochures, calendar, etc.

Advertise free and one-time events or classes

– “Meet Extension” events

– Free one-time workshops

– Webinars or demonstration videos

– Interactive training modules, etc.


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Recommendation #10: Develop a strong, interconnected Extension network on the web andimplement Search Engine Optimization

• “Searching the web” is how most people now look for and learn about the information, programsand resources that Extension provides.

• Extension’s current web presence is extremely fragmented

– eXtension at a “national” level

– Individual sites, or worse yet, multiple sites for each university Extension program

Sometimes buried in part of the university website.

• This fragmented structure, coupled with technical errors, make it very difficult for consumers to findExtension and Extension programs using web searches.

• The good news is that you have a massive amount of valuable content to potentially use (a bigadvantage) if people could just find it.

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) relies on three core website objectives:

– Content: the information being sought, and that you have now scattered all over the web

– Credibility: other sites linking to your content

– Crawlability: the “technical” ability for the search engines to find the information.


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Recommendation #10 (continued)

Fix the Extension web “architecture”

– One possibility is to leverage the current eXtension site to create a central hub-interconnecting and organizing the various sites.

– At a minimum, greater interconnectivity and access to the vast content across Extensionprograms is needed, and will significantly aid in SEO (content).

Fix “technical” issues (Meta Data, URL naming, sitemap files, etc.) of the sites

– Meta Data, URL naming, sitemap files, etc., etc., etc.• Obviously more easily done once in a coordinated way than for each individual

university.

Better understand the terms that consumers use to search for content and programs that you provide.

– We need to understand how consumers refer to key programs.

Optimize content and technical components of the site for these terms.

– The goal here is to ensure that Extension comes up in the top 10 search results (on the firstpage) for the most important search terms.


Recommendation #11: Use social media at local and national levels to increase awareness andfamiliarity with the Extension brand

Social media should be activated to:

– Drive people to a new and improved Extension website or individual university Extension sites– Post “news” on a national and local level about Extension services– Provide the latest research-based information to the public on topics of interest– Create two-way conversations between Extension staff/volunteers and clients/prospects.

Blogs offer a way for Extension staff, volunteers or clients to share their work or expertise.

– Staff or volunteers who have their own personal or topic specific blogs could be encouraged to postthe latest Extension research findings or news on a regular basis.

Extension could provide topics or talking points, but would have limited control overcontent.

Such blogs could reach current clients as well as a large number of prospects.

– National and local Extension programs could create their own blogs, providing the opportunity topost content for multiple agents, volunteers or clients.

Extension has more control of content of these blogs which could be tied to a nationaleditorial calendar (discussed later).

Such blogs would have limited reach in terms of those already involved with Extension.

However, Extension could make such blogs available using search engines to reach alarger audience.

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Extension should create Facebook pages to connect with clients and spread the word toprospects:

– Create national pages for programs like eXtension, 4-H or Master Gardener– Create local pages for individual Extension programs– At the local level, staff and volunteers can create specialized Facebook “groups” by topic,

class or program to provide more personalized interaction and content.

Clients or prospects can become “friends” or “fans” of these Facebook pages to access content. Facebook can be used to share current and topical information with “fans” on a regular basis:

– Post the latest news about Extension and its research using status updates– Post information on upcoming events, programs, classes and speakers– Provide links to Extension demonstration and “how-to” videos on YouTube– Share pictures and videos that support the Extension brand– Start discussions about hot topics and provide links to national and local Extension

websites providing the latest research– Organize letter/email writing campaigns to inform legislators about Extension successes.

Facebook provides an easy way to encourage staff, volunteers and clients to invite friends tothe page to learn about Extension.

Ensure that an Extension staff member is actively managing each Facebook page and providingupdates on a weekly basis.


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Twitter is another social media resource that can be used to share information and engageclients

– Create national accounts for programs like eXtension, 4-H or Master Gardener– Create local accounts for individual Extension programs.

Encourage stakeholders (staff, volunteers and clients) to “Follow Extension” and Extensionshould “Follow” key members of target audiences such at legislators to alert them to itspresence.

Twitter offers functionality similar to status updates on Facebook - some of the items Extensioncould “Tweet” include:

– Reminders for events, classes, etc.– Updates on the latest news about Extension or its programs– Introduction to the latest or most relevant topics, with information on how to learn more.

Staff and volunteers can engage clients in two-way questions via Twitter by responding toquestions or posts.

National or local Extension programs could host online events such as “Chats with Experts” onspecific topics.

Staff or volunteers can create Twitter accounts for individual programs like Master Gardener orHealth and Wellness to share news with smaller groups of participants.

Like Facebook, Twitter must be actively managed on a daily or weekly basis.

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Third Priority Recommendations

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Recommendation #12: Plan and Execute a World-Class Word-of-Mouth Campaign to engageclients and increase prospect recruitment

• A key component of this effort will be to coordinate and manage Extension’s web presence includingwebsites and social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.).

• Extension needs to bring on board a “Czar” to manage its websites and social media programs:

– Fostering the development and growth of an interconnected network on the web (rec. #9)– Focusing on delivering content that supports the brand value proposition– Ensuring similar content focus on Web and social media at key times during the year– Sharing best practices and applications/programs to generate awareness and increase

recruitment.• The “czar” should prepare an editorial calendar of topics to cover across social media outlets

throughout the year, enabling all Extension programs to be in sync oncontent.

– Featured content would be developed by leaders at the national level.– Topics, guidelines, “talking points” and potentially interactive applications could be provided

to local offices to create content on websites, Facebook pages, etc.• The “czar” should also actively recruit staff, volunteers and highly engaged clients throughout the

nation to post blogs, Facebook messages and “Tweets” about the latesteditorial topics.

– These “bloggers/mini-bloggers” should be provided “talking points” on a topic by topic basis.– This will result in 1 million or more “mini-newscasts” going out every week or two, leading to

the dissemination of information about Extension and the recruitment of new users.


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Recommendation #13: Monitor the Performance of Extension Branding Efforts over time

Undertake a brief, inexpensive twice-a-year internet study to measure a funnel of effects for our evolving brand—awareness, familiarity, attitudes, consideration, usage and repeat.

– This should be reported nationally and within 8 key regions.

A monitoring system also needs to be put in place to measure the volume and content of blogs and comments on a regular basis:

– Both nationally and within each state– Negative blogs and comments need to be “flagged” immediately– If appropriate these negative comments should be addressed

Twice a year the results of the two types of studies should be reported and distributed to key Extension execs throughout the nation

– The strengths and weaknesses of the branding campaign should be highlighted and stepstaken to correct weaknesses.


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Recommendations Not To Be Adopted At This Time

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Recommendation #14: Give Extension prominence equal to or greater than that of the stateuniversity in logos

Create ONE standard logo for all Extension materials within a state.

If possible, move to a standard Extension logo format across states thatconveys partnership with the university.

Other logos give equal or more weight toExtension – while still showing a clearassociation with the university

In many logos the Extension name is shownprominently but is still overshadowed by theUniversity

A possible standardtemplate could showthe University at the

left, while giving ALLthe space at the right

to Extension

CopernicusMarketing Consulting

and Research

Boston, MA / (617) 449.4200Norwalk, CT / (203) 831.2370

Kevin Clancy, ChairmanPeter Krieg, President & CEO

Eric Paquette, Sr. Vice PresidentLora Cadin, Vice President

copernicusmarketing.com

Documents

Extension Brand Value Implementation: Strategic … · 2014. 2. 10. · Recommendation #2: Ensure that communications developed and distributed across the state (and beyond) message