Wednesday, December 2, 2009 Take a cue from Bucky
My 16-year-old son is looking at potential college options so we recently traveled to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a campus tour. We learned a lot about the University, and I was reminded of an important lesson on key messages that could benefit every company or organization.
When we arrived on campus, we were led, along with about 150 other students and parents, into a lecture hall to listen to an articulate admissions counselor provide a brief history of the 161-year-old University and the current school stats, including the student population, which is similar to a mid-size city.
More than forty-two thousand students attend UW-Madison.
Say that again, out loud — 42,000 students.
Over the years, the massive student population at UW-Madison has made many a student and parent pause as they consider the size a negative factor.
“My daughter will get lost there,” I have heard parents say. “It’s just too big.”
“I don’t want to feel like a number,” potential students have said.
Making it a small world
But, after sharing this staggering figure, the admissions counselor quickly zeroed in on and lingered for a while on small group learning opportunities within the dorms, departments and classes to help students personally connect within the large university.
Next, a group of energetic UW-Madison students dressed in red bounded into the lecture hall to serve as our tour guides.
They broke us up into small groups of 10-12 for the tour. As we walked the campus, our animated guide took time to talk to each student, asking questions, sharing information about the different majors, campus life and traditions. She repeatedly emphasized the opportunities for students to be part of structured small group learning communities.
We visited the School of Business to learn more about the prestigious program and entry requirements. As the department head explained the program, he emphasized that there are small group learning communities for students within the business school.
As we ended our visit, my son and I talked about the highlights of the day and he shared his interest in the school.
He said, “Mom, I know it’s a huge campus but I think there are a lot of ways to feel connected, with all those small learning groups they talked about.”
Wow. Bravo Bucky.
Delivering the right message
Not only was that one of my key takeaways from the day, but if my 16-year-old son can pick up on that message after being on the receiving end of a six-hour information blitz on a 933-acre campus with more than 42,000 students, I’d say UW-Madison is doing a great job of letting everybody on the team know the university’s message to potential students.
Take a cue from Bucky: To build a successful brand and customer loyalty, organizations must make sure everyone at all levels is educated on the company’s key messages and how best to deliver those messages at all touch points.
Does your organization have key messages guiding your business goals? Is everyone in the company in the loop and do they know the important role they play in delivering those messages to your customers, suppliers, and industry partners?
Wisconsin, brand, key messages, public relations in Brand 
Reader Comments (5)
Good stuff Janice. As a Badger alum, I can tell you that your son is in good hands and will find his niche, especially once he is accepted into his major. In thinking of large B2B audiences, it’s no different. Locate, differentiate, target and deliver the message.
As a recent UW Grad, this article gave me goosebumps. I remember taking the tour and being so nervous about the large campus. They ARE telling the truth when they talk about small groups. If you join one student org and feel like its not for you, there are hundreds of others waiting for you. When you find somewhere you fit, you can meet your closest 5, 10, 20 or 100 best friends. :)
At my current position in Marketing, I am all about making a large organization feel like a smaller community. If you truly care about what all aspects of the company are involved in, you and the company will be successful and engaged.
I agree Katie. I went to IU and distinctly remember my tour guide telling us that it is easy to make a large university seem small, but impossible to make a small university seem big. That sold me on the idea of attending a Big 10 school immediately. It also made my parents a little more comfortable with it. If our tour guide hadn’t said that, I’m not sure I would have chosen IU. I think this speaks both to the importance of getting the messages right, and also to making sure the sales force (in this case, tour guides) is clearly articulating those messages to key audiences.
Thanks for your comments. You know, it had been almost 30 years since I walked that campus and I do not recall any effort back then to make the big university seem small. The reason we all wanted to go there was because it was so big. As with most big schools back then the messages, if that's what they were, were quite simple: hurry up and register for classes or you won't get in, see your professor if you get stuck, if you go out alone at night night carry your keys pointed out and here are places you can purchase used textbooks - now swim! Today, things seem much more competitive between schools and for desired applicants. But everyone, from the tour guides to the department head, was working from the same playbook and it was impressive. Next stop: Univ of Minn - Twin Cities, 50,800 students!
Go Badgers!