Tag Archives: EWU

2025 EWU Holiday Video: Teamwork

Posted on by
Reply

To watch the 2025 #EWU Holiday Video, tap here.

The thing about creating something that is memorable and well-received is the pressure to replicate it. After our 2024 holiday video was released, it didn’t take long before the EWU community was asking, “How do you plan to top that?”

It was a question that packed plenty of stress. How could we surpass a highly-viewed video that was lauded for its creativity, student-involvement, and on-brand messaging?

My answer for rivaling last year’s video was simple: Let my team shine.

Thinking about how we would top the 2024 holiday video had me grabbing my head like the student in the middle (source: 2024 EWU holiday video thumbnail)

An Idea Is Born

In 2024, we had a direction. Our holiday video needed to reflect our newly-launched brand positioning (“The Region’s Polytechnic”). In 2025, the directive was more wide open. Because of this freedom, I decided to hold a pitch session.

The 2025 holiday video odyssey started in September. I summoned a small team to our meeting room. We went around the table and we each pitched two ideas. We listened as each person presented and then asked questions. The meeting went well-beyond its allotted hour but by the time we left the room, we had eight possible directions for the video.

Our 2025 EWU holiday video crew consisted of Amy Bradberry (social media manager), Luke Kenneally (multimedia specialist), Ginny Baxter (digital marketing supervisor), Swoop (mascot…but not a crew member), and me.

The Future Is Bright

Eric Limburg, our associate vice president of University Relations, took our ideas to EWU President Shari McMahan. She chose her two favorites and told our team to develop them more. Our crew returned to the meeting room and fleshed out each idea with a full script. Eric then took the built-out concepts to President McMahan for a final decision.

You can probably imagine that the four of us waited with great anticipation for President McMahan’s choice. When Eric relayed her decision to us, we were excited and ready to get to work. Our president selected a concept titled “The Future is Bright.” Originally pitched by our social media manager, Amy Bradberry, the script detailed a quest by Swoop to create an ornament using inspiration and collaboration from all four EWU academic colleges.

After a pretty intense process to identify a theme for our holiday video, President Shari McMahan chose an idea pitched by Amy Bradberry called “The Future Is Bright.”

Refinement

Reflecting on the evolution of the idea is fascinating. Over the course of different script workshops, we refined the story and made some significant changes. For example, the ornament changed to a tree topper, the opening scene changed locations from the Eagle Store to the Arevalo Student Mall, and the assembly morphed from the foundry to the robotics lab—just to name a few.

We also added enhancements that we originally didn’t specify in the script. Fun extras like a map overlay to show Swoop’s campus movements, the incorporation of CGI, and even some Easter eggs were added in the hope of keeping viewers engaged.

But even with those changes, the overall theme pitched by Amy stayed true to its original intent of Swoop uniting the colleges to create some seriously BRIGHT holiday cheer. With the script bolstered and the theme intact, it was time to throw caution to the wind and actually film this son of a nutcracker…

The filming of the holiday video would have our crew doing a lot of running around. Ginny Baxter and I carry the all-important tree with Amy Bradberry walking behind to pick up any ornaments that might fall off (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

Lights! Camera! Action!

Filming took place over two days in mid-November. After checking the weather each day starting two weeks out, our fears of rain went unfounded. We had calm conditions for both days, a relief for our entire production team—including Josue Schneegans and Tony Thompson from Dryland Media. We brought on Josue and Tony midway through script development for their creative assistance with bringing our idea to life.

As a producer, you can only hope the work you put forth prior to shoot day pays off once the filming begins. Although we had a chaotic moment or two, filming for the most part went very smoothly. However, that isn’t as much to my credit as it is to EWU and the professionalism of Josue—but more on that in just a bit.

We filmed at seven different locations over the course of the two days. The first day wrapped after 8 p.m. but it was well worth it. We needed the darkness to film the final scene when Swoop revealed the illuminated tree topper to President McMahan and the 20+ students who volunteered to make cameos. In exchange for the positive vibes brought by the students, we reciprocated by serving them plenty of hot coco and cookies to maintain their high energy levels.  What a great way to end the day!

Josue Schneegans gives direction to President McMahan during the filming of the final scene that we shot on Wednesday, Nov. 12. It may have been late but this part of the shoot was a lot of fun as the students brought a lot of energy. (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

The Talent

As evidenced by my description of the final scene, we had many people appear in front of the camera. However, the participation just didn’t extend to that one scene but rather the entire video. We were fortunate to have many students volunteer their time by representing their academic college in the scenes where Swoop picked up tree topper items.

President McMahan once again delivered a strong performance. She was a good sport and devoted an entire Wednesday evening to hanging out with our crew. Even with multiple takes and the chilly temperatures she was nothing but supportive and helpful. As always, she was in her complete element surrounded by the students.

But the true MVP of the video was Swoop. It is a big request to ask an intercollegiate mascot to be available for two hours—we asked Swoop to be available for TWO DAYS. That is a lot of time to be in the suit, especially for something as demanding as a video shoot. But no matter what we asked Swoop to do or how many times we asked him to do it, he always gave 100%. Swoop was professional and coachable from the beginning to the end.

I have so much gratitude and respect for the role Swoop played for us (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

Post-Production/Launch

The collaboration continued after the filming ended. With each draft we inched closer and closer to where we needed to be. Nothing was more exciting than when the CGI was added that revealed the tree topper in its full glory. At that point, I simply couldn’t wait until the release date.

That day came yesterday. After more than two months of planning and collaborating, my team executed our distribution strategy and launched the 2025 EWU Holiday Video. As the positive feedback rolled in, I visited Amy, Luke, and Ginny in their offices to congratulate them and thank them for their commitment to the project.

Senior graphic designer Emily Ausere designed the YouTube thumbnail. If that isn’t clickbait I don’t know what is…

Gratitude

Speaking of thanks, any higher ed marketing director will tell you that gratitude is abundant with any successful holiday video. As I mentioned earlier, everyone at EWU was so accommodating. From faculty members providing students/classroom space to Dining Services catering meals to Facilities graciously halting their leaf blowers during outdoor scenes, my team was given every opportunity to succeed. Special thanks to the President’s Office for their support and to our Risk Management team for allowing us to do things I wasn’t sure they would.

Much appreciation also to Dryland Media. We have worked with those guys before and they always keep us sane with their talent and humor. On the first day we found ourselves in a couple tight spots and Josue, who directed the video, was so professional and quick on his feet. They did all they could to help us achieve our vision.

And last, but certainly not least, BIG thanks to our own department—University Relations. This year, I offered shifts during each scene of the video for our marketing and communications staffers to hang out on set and assist. We had nearly full participation as everyone contributed in unique ways. Special thanks to Eric Limburg for his support and guidance throughout the project and to Emily Ausere, our senior graphic designer, who is an honorary member of our crew. Emily created the YouTube/social media thumbnails, designed external pieces that promoted the video, drew the picture that Swoop references on-screen, and assisted during the actual shoot.

Ginny Baxter, Emily Ausere, and student intern Aaron Weer working behind the scenes of the 2025 EWU holiday video. It was a lot of fun to have so many of our University Relations staffers assist on the shoot days. In this photo, Emily is actually drawing the picture that Swoop holds up throughout the video (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

————-

After all those notes of gratitude, I hope to not appall you with one more “thank you” but here it goes: Ginny Baxter, Amy Bradberry, and Luke Kenneally…what a pleasure it was! Thanks for the creativity and positivity you brought to this entire process. As I noted earlier, watching an idea come to fruition that evolved greatly but still maintained its initial integrity was the most rewarding of all.

The future truly is bright…because I don’t have to worry about another holiday video for at least 9.5 more months. Don’t Blink.

One Year An Eag

Posted on by
Reply

When I reported for my first day of work at Eastern Washington University, something was waiting for me inside my office. Upon walking through the door on August 1, 2024, I immediately noticed the half case of Dr. Pepper on my desk. The soda was a “welcome” gift from my boss, Eric Limburg, who knew my preference for the soft drink from our days at WSU.

Just moments before I drove to Cheney for my first day of work at EWU, Sid took this photo of me. You better believe I am wearing the same polo today.

Throughout my first year as an Eagle, I used that Dr. Pepper as my creative fuel. If I needed to truly focus on a major priority or assignment, I would crack open a can and get to work. Whether it was the 23 flavors working magic on my brain, a jolt from the caffeine, or simply a placebo effect, that Dr. Pepper ushered me through my initial 365 days as EWU’s marketing director.

I had a warm welcome awaiting me when I strolled into my office on Aug. 1, 2024. The 12-pack of Dr. Pepper helped me make it through the first year.

—————–

Meaningful Work

As I reflect on the past 12 months, the work my team tackled is a source of pride. From the moment I walked on campus, our brand evolution was the focus. Thanks to my rockstar squad, we were already in great position to become the region’s polytechnic. But that didn’t stop my colleagues from collaboratively allowing me to contribute (or “try” to contribute 😂) as we made the sprint to launch day on September 24.

We launched EWU’s evolved brand positioning in September 2024. I am proud of the fact that we are able to differentiate ourselves from other universities and that “the region’s polytechnic” has turned skeptics into believers.

That exhilarating moment was just the beginning. Another major endeavor—the public phase of a comprehensive fundraising campaign—was our next priority. As our brand and fundraising marketing took hold, we embraced the task of producing the EWU holiday video. By this time, our team was knee-deep assisting with enrollment, event, and program-specific marketing efforts. As these technical marketing activations reached key EWU audiences, more public-facing PR strategies were transpiring as our sponsorship committee negotiated and executed 29 different community partnerships.

A celebratory photo of our crew after holiday video filming wrapped on November 6 (L-R: Luke Kenneally, Sean Nelms, Me, Ginny Baxter).

Even though I am a digital-first guy, the magic of implementing traditional advertising wasn’t lost on me. Thanks to my talented team creating eye-catching assets, we strategically represented EWU through billboards, newspaper placements, and television spots. Our team also marketed the return of EWU’s commencement ceremonies to Cheney, totally refreshed our multimedia library, brought student-workers back to the office, and shifted the spotlight on the Eagle community with profile features.

The marketing team I oversee is talented and it has been a joy working with them. This was a photoshoot we did for a front page ad in the Spokesman-Review. Luke Kenneally, our multimedia specialist, worked his magic to get some awesome shots of EWU grad student Isabelle Tague.

In The Flesh

Making the work we accomplished even more rewarding was that we completed it in-person. This was a change from my time at WSU where I worked mostly remote. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciated the privilege of working from home, but my first year at Eastern Washington University made me remember how awesome it is to work on a college campus and engage face-to-face with my team and students.

Working from home was great but I now work in-person. My office is located in the Hargreaves Building on the Eastern Washington University campus.

But the return to in-person wasn’t confined just to campus. I found myself representing EWU beyond Cheney. My role overseeing sponsorships allowed me to march in the Junior Lilac Parade and help prepare our booth at Hoopfest. Our partnership with USL Spokane resulted in an event we co-hosted called Students in the Stadium. On a random Tuesday in April, we welcomed Spokane high school students to ONE Stadium to learn from both USL Spokane professionals and our own EWU staff about careers in athletics.

I walked shoulder-to-shoulder (or wing-to-wing?) with Swoop for most of the Jr. Lilac Parade. Getting out in the community this first year was a lot of fun.

Other highlights included decorating downtown Cheney sidewalks in chalk art, watching an EWU football game from the Endzone Club Suites, conducting a photoshoot at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, attending the Red Tie Gala, and cheering on some accomplished Eagle grads at the EWU Alumni Awards. However, my favorite moment from my first year came during the Eagle Summit at Northern Quest when I had the honor of addressing our Alumni Board, EWU deans/vice presidents, and President McMahan about the progress achieved with our new brand positioning. Thankfully, the speech went off without a hitch and at that moment I had never felt more like an Eag.

A selfie with members of my team and a student after we completed our Turnbull National Refute shoot.

My EWU People

What more could I ask for with rewarding work and vibrant forums to accomplish it in? Well, let me tell you: an awesome team!

For EWU’s New Year party, all of us in University Advancement dressed in 1960s attire. I work with some great people!

Lucky for me, I hit the jackpot. Upon day one, I was immediately accepted by those within EWU University Relations. My boss empowered me, the other two directors pledged their support, and those within the marketing unit gave me their all. Despite my past history with the bitter rival University of Montana, my team saw beyond that (well, except for maybe Kelsey 😉) and did everything they could to help me succeed. It didn’t take long for rapport to develop and a year later I just don’t have talented colleagues, I have some great friends.

Our University Relations holiday party was so much fun. I consider several of the people in this photo as friends.

But my acceptance and support wasn’t just siloed within marketing and communications. I quickly realized that I had strong allies in enrollment services, athletics, and the President’s Office—three areas that sometimes clash with central MarCom units at other institutions. Speaking of the President’s Office, EWU has a superb leader in Dr. Shari McMahan. This is my first higher ed stop where the president actually knows me on a first-name basis. I truly appreciate that President McMahan not only champions what I do as a professional but recognizes me as an individual. And I also appreciate all the other units and departments that have made these first 365 days at Eastern so enjoyable.

President McMahan is refreshingly not like your typical university president. I appreciate the kindness she treats me with and her “whatever it takes” attitude. I took this behind-the-scenes photo during our holiday video shoot. President McMahan was nothing but patient and accommodating when we filmed her parts.

Growth

At the end of the day, I am thankful to work at EWU and serve in the role that I do. Moving into a director spot has allowed me to lead more people, develop a positive culture within my unit, make decisions, and embrace more responsibility. Quite simply, it has helped me grow as a professional.

Sid and me at the EWU Alumni Awards at the end of April 2025. Thankful for a supportive wife who has encouraged me to grow professionally.

None of this would be possible without the trust of my boss, Eric Limburg. He provided me an incredible opportunity and has done everything feasible to help me make the most of it. Sometimes people roll their eyes when an administrator hires someone they worked with at a past institution, so I am indebted to Eric for going out on a limb for me. It is an honor to work for him and see the tremendous amount of respect that he has garnered during his short time at EWU (he started just four months before me).

I am grateful to have Eric Limburg and thankful that he took a chance on me. This photo was taken of us with our wives at the 2024 Red Tie Gala.

I feel the best leaders thrive under a little pressure. Now that I have served as marketing director for a year, the time has arrived to shine brighter. We have big goals at EWU and I am “not new” anymore. With the backing of Eric, the talent of my team, and the potential of this university, I am ready for even more growth during Year #2.

Hanging out with Austin Powers….I mean my boss, Eric Limburg, during the EWU New Year party.

—————–

I look forward to cracking open that last Dr. Pepper later this morning. Consider it the “work” equivalent of eating a frozen slice of your wedding cake on that first anniversary. In the same way the cake brings back memories of that blissful day, I bet today’s Dr. Pepper will bring back memories of when I walked into Hargreaves Hall and the entire University Relations team was waiting for me with donuts.

This Dr. Pepper is waiting for me this morning. Cheers!!

No doubt it will also bring back memories of the times I grabbed a can for a creative boost. As I faced work challenges, the carbonated goodness seemed to suggest that I could find solutions. Yep, that last can of Dr. Pepper expired a long time ago but I know it will taste great today. THANKS SO MUCH to my University Relations team and GO EAGS! Don’t Blink.

American Heroes Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
1

We are now in the second half of Thursday Rundowns for 2025. I hope you have enjoyed this year’s posts thus far and if you haven’t—I doubt you will like this one 😉. Alright, let’s get started.

Moving Moment – On Independence Day morning, I took my kids to the Coeur d’Alene American Heroes Parade that is held every Fourth of July. With the parade occurring just five days after the ambush attack on firefighters just outside of town, you figured the community would use the event to honor the two individuals who lost their lives. Did they ever. The parade’s opening was dedicated to John Morrison and Frank Harwood. Two riderless horses representing the lives of Morrison and Harwood led the procession with firetrucks and firefighters following close behind.

Two riderless horses pass from our vantage point at the Coeur d’Alene American Heroes Parade.

Backdrop Photos Back – With the arrival of summer, Sloan and Beau returned to St. Paschal’s Educare, a daycare center we have enrolled our kids at the past few years. Everything from the hours to the food to the values instilled are great, but what I really enjoy are the monthly photos they take of the kids in front of fun backdrops. The classic Fourth of July backdrop from last year returned this week. I always get a kick out of the faces that Beau makes. Thanks, St. Paschal’s!

I love the monthly photos that the staff at St. Paschal’s EduCare take of my kids.

Frozen S’mores – While we are still on the topic of Independence Day, I wanted to tell you about the dessert Sidney made for my parents’ Fourth of July cookout. She brought frozen s’mores to the party! She got the idea from a friend and then replicated them perfectly for Friday. The dessert is refreshing with an interesting frozen texture. Chocolate pudding, marshmallow crème, cream cheese, and cool whip form the layers of goodness stuffed between the two graham crackers. There is still plenty of time to make these for your next summer BBQ so tap here if you want the recipe.

Sidney holding a plate of her s’mores dessert.

$5 Meal Deal – The latest trend is for Fast food restaurants to offer some type of meal for $5. After years of increasing prices and shrinkflation, I think we all deserve it. But the university I work at has actually offered a similar deal way before fast food restaurants embraced it. Earlier this week, I forgot my lunch at home so I went to EWU’s PUB (the student center) for the $5 meal day that is offered daily. For just 20 quarters, I got a cheeseburger, tater tots, and a 24 oz. drink. What a treat!

This was my lunch on Monday…EWU’s $5 meal deal.

Memorable Photo Shoot – On this date in 2016, I wrote about a photo shoot that ended up being worth every penny. While on our honeymoon, the DreamArt Photography rep stationed in our resort sold us on a private photo session to commemorate our time in Cancun. I went back and forth on whether to bite the bullet, but I thought the shoot would ultimately be a timeless souvenir. I am so glad we did it. The photos turned out great at the time and I love them even more now. In fact, I might love them a little too much—one of the photos is still my profile photo (yeah, I should probably change that).

I loved how our honeymoon photos turned out.

———————

That will do it for now. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Rob Heacock. He died unexpectedly this past weekend. I got to know Rob through my involvement with our St. Mary Knights of Columbus Council and was saddened to hear of his passing. Don’t Blink.

Censored Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Good evening! I love this part of summer. Nothing beats the mix of wedding season, Hoopfest weekend, and the lead up to Fourth of July. Throw in hot temperatures with some cold beer and what a time it is to be alive! And what a time it is to write a Thursday Rundown. I present to you tonight’s five topics…

Michael Jackson – The popular question was always “What were you doing when JFK died?” Although that event was barely before my time (😉), I have other high profile deaths that are etched in my memory. One of those was when Michael Jackson passed away unexpectedly on June 25, 2009. I had just graduated college and was starting off my professional career within the University of Montana athletic department. While all my older colleagues kept up with the news on television, I used a relatively new platform called Twitter to stay ahead of the news. That night I hit the streets of Missoula with friends and was amazed that even in my obscure corner of Montana that Michael Jackson impersonators were out in full force and all the bars were playing the greatest hits from the King of Pop. To learn about other iconic deaths I remember like yesterday, tap here.

My friend Dan and I with a Michael Jackson impersonator in 2012.

Hoopfest Memory – As I mentioned in the intro, Hoopfest weekend is almost here and my social channels are filled with past Hoopfest memories. One particular flashback that came up today was from three years ago. On June 25, 2022, the Reser Puffs made their Hoopfest debut in the family bracket. Despite the best of intentions and a spirited practice, we didn’t win a game. However, playing with my sister, brother, and sister-in-law was a ton of fun. I wrote about that unique experience here.

Although we failed to win a game we sure had fun.

Israel vs. Iran Conflict – Not everyone subscribes to my blog so a way I distribute Don’t Blink content to others is through social media. Earlier this week, I gave my thoughts on America’s involvement in the Israel vs. Iran conflict. It was a totally low key and non-controversial take from the perspective of a father with young kids. However, Meta didn’t like it and removed the posts. If you visit my blog via social media and didn’t see the entry, tap here for my thoughts (and you should probably just subscribe). All I can say right now is that I hope this ceasefire continues to hold.

The Israel vs. Iran conflict and America’s involvement has made me nervous.

Riverfront Park SkyRide – This past Sunday, Riverfront Park held its Kids Day event. Children could ride the Loof Carousel and rent roller skates for free. Another major perk was free admission on the Numerica SkyRide. How could I pass that up for Sloan and Beau? Although we did have to wait in line for a bit, we did eventually get the chance to float over the Spokane Falls in a gondola car. I last rode the attraction nearly 10 years ago during the winter with Sidney so it was cool to see the magnificent Falls during a different season. There were some nerves at first but everyone settled down and enjoyed the ride.

Beau and Sloan relax on the Numerica SkyRide in Riverfront Park.

Oh Deer – Yesterday afternoon, EWU’s executive assistant to the president walked into my office and directed me to open my blinds. Not knowing exactly what I would see, I was relieved that it was just a cute deer eating a late lunch right outside my window. Although I did say “cute,” upon close inspection you could tell that the animal probably wasn’t the healthiest. Despite the fact that it looked a little rough, getting an up close glimpse at EWU wildlife was a nice way to highlight the day.

This deer visited me at the window of my Eastern Washington University office yesterday.

———————-

That’s all I have. Please pray for continued peace in the Middle East and have a wonderful weekend. Don’t Blink.

2024 Birthday Gifts

Posted on by
1

I always like to share the birthday, Christmas, and Father’s Day gifts I receive from my wife and kids. They never fail to give useful and sentimental presents that fit my tastes to a T. Here is what I received for my birthday last week…

Sloan – My all-time favorite candy is Twizzler Bites and/or Nibs. For me, they are really enjoyable to snack on whether I am at a game or watching Netflix. But not only did she give me licorice but she also gave me a candy bar that I didn’t even know Reese’s was still making. I loved Fast Breaks when they hit the market in 2001 but haven’t had too many opportunities to indulge the last many years. Making both these candy gifts even sweeter was that I was on a “cleanse” for six weeks that didn’t allow sweets. She also added a box of tissues as I fill my pockets with them every day. Last but not least, Sloan sentimentally gave me a mini Jenga set. When we were in Leavenworth this summer, we played many rounds of giant Jenga. We made so many great memories that she wanted to remind me of them by gifting me the mini version.

These are the gifts that Sloan gave me.

Beau – Well, Beau took Sloan’s lead…or did Sloan take Beau’s lead? Whatever the case might be, Sidney told me our children went back and forth on who was going to give me the candy/tissues. So, in the end, they both decided to get me the same goods (which was totally fine by me!). But they did branch out with the games they gifted me. While Sloan opted for Jenga, Beau gave me a version of “Would You Rather…?”.

These are the gifts that Beau got me for my birthday.

Sidney – My wife simply nailed it. I have started to build my EWU wardrobe but it consists mostly of polos. Sid helped me diversify my closet by giving me a couple selections that are more casual. On my birthday, she gave me my first EWU pullover, something that is very timely as it is now autumn in the northwest. She also hit it out of the park with another EWU “first” for me—a ball cap! Not only is it a style I like, but it actually fits on my head in a manner that doesn’t make me look like a doofus. Don’t know what it is, but many hats just don’t look good on me. Can’t wait to wear it on Saturdays!

These are the birthday gifts that Sid got me for my birthday.

——————-

Much thanks to Sid, Sloan, and Beau. Not only do these three humans “get me,” but they are also generous and thoughtful. Love you! Don’t Blink.

Back In The Office (literally)

Posted on by
1

I have now worked at Eastern Washington University for two months. Over the past 60 days, many differences have become apparent between my new gig at EWU and previous higher ed jobs I have held. Duties, structure, and procedures are all examples of this contrast. But perhaps there is one glaring difference between working at EWU and my last stop at WSU…

I am now working entirely in the office vs. mostly remote. Returning to five days on-site has definitely been an adjustment, but not in an overall negative sense. But you want to know one thing that has not changed? My attire. Throughout four years of working primarily at home, I always dressed as if I was working at the office. My wife told me I was crazy but it helped me to take my job more seriously.

However, while my wardrobe didn’t change (except from replacing crimson with red), lots of other things did. Here are five adjustments I have made since returning to the office full time…

I am back in the office!

Packing A Lunch – When I worked from home, I would take a break around noon and stroll into the kitchen. I would pull out some leftovers from the previous evening or heat up some chicken nuggets and sit down to watch Netflix. Ha! Not anymore. I am back to making peanut butter sandwiches the night before. However, it all works out because I also prepare sack lunches for my kids, so I am able to knock out midday meals for the three of us all at once.

Meeting Time – Of course a major dynamic shift is that most of my meetings are now in-person. Speaking with people face-to-face is definitely more enriching than over Zoom but the biggest adjustment I have had to make is just taking care to be punctual. I became so used to Zoom calls and the convenience of hopping on the meeting right when it started (i.e. if a meeting was at 9 a.m. I would log on right at 9 a.m) that at first I didn’t provide myself extra time to walk to the meeting site once I started at EWU. I know it sounds weird but it is true. And even though most of my meetings take place in a conference room inside the building I work in, it still takes a couple minutes to leave my office and walk up the stairs.*Sigh* Remote work to in-person problems.

Commute – Perhaps the biggest adjustment of all has been driving to/from work each day. While employed at WSU, I worked from home four days per week and the only driving I did on those days was taking my kids to/from school. Over the past two months, I have driven to Cheney (and back) each day, about a 36-minute commute in average traffic. Having that daily time in my vehicle to just chill/think is nice but so was walking out of my at-home office into our living room at 5 p.m.

Co-Worker Interaction – When I worked remotely, I never felt a disconnect with my colleagues. Even through Zoom, we developed genuine relationships—both personal and professional. But now that I am back in the actual office, that same relationship development and the opportunity for social interaction is so much more enhanced. I don’t have to wait for a Zoom meeting to chat with someone…people are literally just a few feet outside my door. You greet people when filling up your water bottle, mingle with co-workers at lunch, and join the occasional gatherings that take place in the lobby area of our offices. Work is truly social again.

What My Job Is All About – When it all comes down to it, working in the office is so great because it has brought me back to campus full time. What’s so great about campus? Well, besides the beauty, squirrels, and dining options there is one other big thing…STUDENTS. Most of us who work in higher education do it for the students and when I was working primarily from home, I didn’t get to be around them much. Now, on a daily basis, I get to be inspired again by the enthusiasm, youth, and intelligence of the population that makes it possible for me to even have a job.

———————-

I know it is a good thing that I have returned to the office. I always said that the WFH arrangement I had at WSU probably wouldn’t last forever. Making the switch on my own via a job change was better than having it one day taken away from me. However, soon enough, I will have the chance to work one day from home per week. I am looking forward to having that brief taste of working remotely. But you better believe I will still be dressing up in my EWU polo and khakis once those days start 😂. Don’t Blink.

Feeling On-Brand At EWU

Posted on by
Reply

Fitting In

I definitely feel like an Eagle now. A major project championed by our University Relations Department flew into market last week. Its reveal proved a perfect way to mark my two-month anniversary at Eastern Washington University.

Last Tuesday, we officially launched EWU’s evolved brand positioning as the region’s polytechnic. Our university is owning our time-honored commitment to applied learning while continuing to invest in additional opportunities for all students across all disciplines to engage in hands-on experiences. By allowing students to do their craft while at EWU, we equip them for more opportunities once they enter the workforce. After all, there is a reason why 75% of our graduates find jobs related to their major.

We launched EWU’s evolved brand positioning last week. We are now the region’s polytechnic.

Hey, I Know About This

I had a really interesting perspective with the development of the evolved brand when I started at EWU. While still at WSU—where we were coincidentally working on debuting a major branding campaign ourselves—it was made public that EWU would embrace the positioning of the region’s polytechnic. Although it was months away from launch, the future of brand marketing at Eastern Washington University was now revealed. From this outside-looking-in vantage point, I paid close attention as the institution provided updates on the work, faculty offered feedback, and the media covered the developments/debate closely.

Yes, there was some controversy about the branding direction EWU was headed. However, it didn’t faze me.

You see, I was well aware of the shift to the region’s polytechnic long before I even applied to EWU. To be honest, I saw promise with the positioning. I firmly believe that the key to successful branding is differentiation. Often, I bring up the example of attending a higher ed marketing conference where a slide was shown with brand tag lines on one side and university logos on the other. The presenter asked if we could draw lines from each marketing tag line to the respective college it belonged to. It was just about impossible. All the tag lines were so generic (i.e. “Driven to Discover,”Here is How,” Creating Bold Futures,” etc.) that you couldn’t differentiate which mantra belonged to which university.

EWU wasn’t going to have an identity issue at all with the region’s polytechnic. At the same time, it wasn’t going to be easy. In addition to the massive amount of work required for any brand evolution, the push back element was  very real.

And here is the actual slide I referenced in the previous paragraph. I couldn’t help but take a photo of it during the 2023 AMA Symposium for Higher Ed.

Joining the Effort

And that’s where I came in. Launching any type of brand is a marathon and I entered the race toward the home stretch. It takes a lot of time to successfully introduce any type of branding campaign—usually at least a year. Research, discovery, platform development, expression, and launch are just some of the major components. With my hire date roughly two months before launch, I entered the picture as we were finalizing our brand platform and building assets.

Basically, I jumped on the band wagon once all the hard work was already completed 😂.

To be fair, the home stretch was grueling and there were still plenty of challenges to navigate. However, the major effort put forth by those on the University Relations team and others across the university prior to me setting foot on campus was significant. I was impressed with what everyone had done.

I was also very humbled by how gracious my team treated me. My UR colleagues truly knew how to make me feel part of the brand squad, even if it could have seemed like the new guy was swooping in at the last minute to snatch glory for himself. My boss and co-workers provided me with in-depth context, valued my opinion, and tolerated my many questions.

Assisting Where I Could

They also allowed me to contribute. Providing input at strategy meetings, participating in calls with our marketing consultants (shout out to idfive!), approving brand assets/resources, and LISTENING were all ways I got my feet wet with the brand evolution.

As the days passed and crunch time drew near, I became very invested in our brand evolution and felt genuine camaraderie with my EWU team. I had the opportunity to build our paid media plan for the brand’s roll out, write brand-related content for the web, develop the SEM strategy, and deal with launch logistics. Again, small contributions compared to what my team had already done—and continued to do—but exciting nonetheless.

Our evolved brand positioning officially launched on Sept. 24, 2024.

Let’s Launch!

The official launch came on Sept. 24 during Convocation, a start-of-the-academic-year event where the EWU president addresses faculty and staff. Toward the end of the program, President McMahan talked about Eastern’s new positioning and then premiered the two-minute brand anthem video. The centerpiece of the brand evolution roll out, our team exerted a lot of effort to perfect it. The video was met with resounding applause and at that moment we went live with our paid and organic plans. We were finally in market.

Although executing the launch took a big weight off our shoulders, the crucial work is now just beginning. Incorporating, explaining, supporting, and feeding EWU’s new positioning is something that our University Relations team and the rest of the institution will focus on each day moving forward.

A successful branding initiative requires differentiation and I think we nailed it. I am proud of my team for their tireless work and grateful that they allowed me to be part of the effort

Set For Success

I believe in the unique way that we are now presenting Eastern Washington University. Positioning ourselves as the region’s polytechnic will deliver us more attention from prospective students and their parents who are looking for colleges that offer hands-on learning and real-life experiences. Even though we aren’t changing who we are, just boldly stating who we are, I think our fresh approach is going to make EWU standout in a very crowded and competitive market.

Once again, much gratitude to my team members who worked so hard on this brand positioning and welcomed me with open arms. Working with Eric Limburg, Ginny Baxter, Amy Bradberry, Melodie Little, and so many others down the stretch was a rewarding experience. But in the end, a change of brand positioning goes way beyond just marketing. I recognize everyone else at EWU who helped us become the region’s polytechnic through their vision, research, planning, support, and time. Cheers to forward-thinking. Don’t Blink.