From Drab to FAB: the art of marketing conversation

From Drab to

FAB: The Art of Marketing

Conversation

David WengerDirector of CommunicationsMcCombs School of Business

The University of Texas at Austin

Why do so many people not listen to

us?

1. Too Self-

Centered

2. Too

Narrowly Focused

3. Too

Boring

1. Too Self-

Centered

“Rather than focus on being interesting, be interested.”

@MarketingSherpa

McCombs Undergraduate Program Office Website 2004

WE – THEY Page from the McCombs Undergraduate Program Offi ce Website 2004

This is our audience, why are we talking about them

in the third person?

Wow! You have a student records department, cool!

YOUPage from the McCombs Undergraduate Program Office Website, 2012

•Consider your audience in their current reality—they aren’t “your audience.”

•Talk to them as people, not third-persons.

•Don’t drone on—ditch the hard sell. You want them to come back and hear more.

2.Too

Narrowly Focused

University communications are often focused in three areas:

Athletics Alumni Pride School Brag

Case Study:

Can we break the pattern of always talking about the same topics—and invite our alumni to turn back to the university to learn and discuss things that interest them today?

A network of professional experts from a variety of fields and disciplines (primarily UT alumni) regularly contribute content to Texas Enterprise on topics of the practical application of business knowledge in the real world. They blog, participate in surveys, give webinars, comment on faculty-research articles, etc.

Articles from alumni bloggers

are promoted alongside our

staff writer contributions.

We seek to be interested, not just

interesting. In return, alumni and

other readers become interested

in the school again.

Contributors receive regular email updates with hints on

topics, blogging techniques and invitations to

participate with us in events.

We want them to feel valued and

special…because they are!

“Rather than inserting our school’s excellence into the center of every conversation, we seek to place our school in the center of

every excellent thing.”David Wenger

3.Too

Boring

“Don’t sell the steak. Sell the

sizzle.”Elmer Wheeler

Adding F-A-B to Your Brand

Translating Features to Advantages to Benefits

FEATURE

ADVANTAGE

BENEFIT

FEATURE

FEATURE

FEATURES

Features don’t answer the “So what?”

FEATURE ADVANTAGE BENEFITA professional academic advising staff

Honors and international programs

Prospective student inquiries

Student organization advising

Student records

Plan special events such as summer orientation, parents weekend and graduation

That can get you on the right track quickly.

Translate…

Graduate on time with a degree that matches your life goals.

Translate

1. Too Self-

Centered

2. Too

Narrowly Focused

3. Too

Boring

1. Outward

Focused and Interested

2. Contextual World View

3. Descriptive Story Tellers

From Drab to

FAB

David WengerDirector of CommunicationsMcCombs School of Business

The University of Texas at Austin

david.wenger@mccombs.utexas.edu512-471-3314

@davidwengerwww.iduniversity.wordpress.com