Tag Archives: Kara Billington

Crushing It In Chicago: Our 2023 AMA Higher Ed Experience

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The stage was bigger and the pressure a little greater at this year’s American Marketing Association’s Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education. The AMA organizers didn’t hesitate to point out a couple impressive facts. First, it was the largest AMA Higher Ed Symposium in the history of the event. This year’s conference eclipsed 1,500 people! Second, and perhaps even more daunting, was the acceptance rate for speaking proposals: Just a mere 11% of the proposed sessions submitted for the conference were accepted. And with such a slim acceptance rate, you could imagine that the organizers had no problem reiterating that all sessions would be amazing.

A lot to live up to, right?

On Monday, Cara Hoag and I presented “Not Your Parents’ YouTube” to a 300-person packed conference room in the Sheraton Grand Chicago. We came prepared.

Cara and I presented “Not Your Parents’ YouTube” on November 13, 2023, at 3:45 p.m.

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This AMA speaking opportunity was a little different from my previous two. When it came to this year’s conference, I had both experience under my belt and control over our presentation. In 2019 I was an AMA newcomer and when I presented last year I was collaborating with co-presenters from different states. So to be an AMA vet and to have the luxury of serving as the project manager for this go-around was fantastic.

After submitting our proposal in April and receiving news of our acceptance in June, Cara and I dialed ourselves in from August through November to prepare for our presentation. Over the course of that timespan, the two of us strategically spaced out the selection of content, outline of the presentation, construction of slides, rehearsals, and implementation of feedback. Because of our planning and pacing, we were prepared and confident when our plane touched down in Chicago on Sunday afternoon.

But that’s not to say that I still don’t get nervous. 😊

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Because of preparation, a crowd-pleasing intro video, and rich content our presentation went off without a hitch and was enthusiastically received. We had the pleasure of answering questions that reached the double digits during our allotted session time and then were swarmed at the stage afterwards with more questions. It was gratifying to field inquiries from major institutions like the University of Florida, Clemson, and Oklahoma State about how we managed to transform our YouTube channel from a lifeless communications landing spot into a Gen-Z marketing vehicle.

Cara and I all smiles after we answered the final question that put a cap on our AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Ed presentation.

Cara and I both breathed a sigh of relief that our presentation was scheduled for Monday. Not only did it ensure that more marketers could attend our presentation (attendance tends to dwindle on Tuesday and Wednesday) but it also allowed us to relax for the rest of the conference. Presenting on Monday relieves the presentation burden that no one wants to carry deep into the symposium. Also, presenting early allows other people who attended the presentation to approach us with questions they weren’t able to ask while we were on the stage. And, not going to lie, it is kind of nice to feel like a low-key celebrity.

Being a speaker at a big conference can bring a lot of anxiety. It is preferred to present early so the burden is eased.

Our AMA experience wouldn’t be possible if not for others. Thank you to the AMA Higher Ed committee for choosing us out of so many proposals and to AMA manager Christine Lucenta for helping us with logistics both prior to/during the conference.

Big thank you to our boss Holly Sitzmann for helping us with our proposal and for giving us honest feedback when we rehearsed for her. Much appreciation to our creative director Eric Limburg for creating our Powerpoint template. Our presentation would not have been the same without the intro video produced by Andrew Botterbusch of Peak Visuals. And, most important of all, thanks to our #WSU video team for making the topic of our presentation even possible. If it wasn’t for the talent, effort, and buy-in from Jason Refsland, Kara Billington, Rhynne Lee, and Devon Lockard-Dodd (along with WSU video staffers before them), our YouTube re-launch would not have been possible.

Last but not least, I would like to give a special thank you to Cara Hoag. It was such a pleasure to work with her throughout the entire process. We made a strong team and she did such an incredible job while presenting. There is nothing better than having a partner who is the ultimate team player, dependable, and talented.

What an honor it was to present with Cara Hoag. She made me look good.

I am leaving Chicago happy and fulfilled. It is always good to step outside your comfort zone and show what you know. I think it is safe to say that Cara and I made the most out of our opportunity. Don’t Blink.

Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich?

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I recently worked on a pretty fun project. Our #WSU social media team tries hard to showcase our faculty members demonstrating their expertise by addressing fun, lighthearted, and/or relevant topics. For example, we have recruited WSU professors to explain how to construct a perfect paper airplane, what makes an impactful Super Bowl commercial, and why pi is such a mysterious mathematical concept. But our latest video decided to tackle a much more controversial (but still very fun) and very timely question…

Is a hot dog a sandwich? 🌭

Since July is National Hot Dog Month and tomorrow is the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, could there be a better time to settle this debate once and for all? Thankfully, we had the most credible person you could think of to answer this question.

We made a video that asked one of our #WSU professors if a hot dog is a sandwich.

Blake Foraker, Ph.D., is a WSU meat scientist within our Department of Animal Sciences. I reached out to him and asked if he would weigh in with his opinion. Dr. Foraker didn’t hesitate to help out and before you knew it, we were in a kitchen inside the Food Sciences Building interviewing our expert.

Thanks to our talented videographer Kara Billington, the shoot and her editing yielded an awesome video that represented everything Dr. Foraker discussed with us. It captured the historic hot dog context he provided, the technical definition of a hot dog, and finally, the answer we had all been anticipating…

NO. A hot dog is not a sandwich—at least from a scientific standpoint. It has a very strict standard of identity that doesn’t lend itself to a sandwich, Dr. Foraker explained. He did leave the door open to interpretation though by remarking that a sandwich is a food product smashed between two pieces of bread and we have to decide for ourselves if that disqualifies a hot dog as a sandwich or not.

I agree with Dr. Foraker that a hot dog is not a sandwich but my reasoning is much more remedial. In fact, there isn’t much reasoning at all. A notorious story within my wife’s family is that one day Sidney asked my father-in-law What is the Alamo? He responded by saying, Well, it is the Alamo. This infuriated my wife who tried to re-phrase the question a couple different ways while still getting the same answer: the Alamo is the Alamo.

I love hot dogs and I DON’T think they qualify as a sandwich.

To put it simply, a hot dog is a hot dog (and NOT a sandwich). Happy Fourth of July, friends! Don’t Blink.

Engaging in Everett

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After the successful and educational WSU System Communicators Conference last October in Vancouver, it didn’t take long for us to do it again. Today we wrapped up our 2023 conference in Everett. Once again, marketers and communicators from across the WSU system came together to discuss our work, learn from each other, and look ahead to the future. This time we got to do it on the WSU Everett campus!

Our latest WSU System Communicators Conference took place on the WSU Everett campus (image courtesy of WSU Photo Services).

I wanted to share some highlights and themes from our time in the Puget Sound…

Travel Partner – I traveled with my colleague and friend Cara Hoag. We were supposed to take a motor pool car but a scheduling mistake meant that we had to take my personal vehicle at the last minute. Cara, our enrollment management marketing director, took it all in stride as we had smooth travel, lively conversation, and plenty of caffeine to/from Everett.

Cara and I spent a lot of time in the car together. She made the travel time go by quick!

Special Visitor – How do you make a WSU conference stand out? You have the top university leader make an appearance! Kirk Schulz, our WSU president, made the trip to Everett to talk to our group. He thanked us for our work, expressed his goals for our marketing efforts, and even fielded questions. It was really cool to have him in-person in such an intimate setting.

It was a privilege to listen to WSU President Kirk Schulz speak to our group.

Brains Behind the Agency – The leadership team I am part of within University Marketing and Communications is working with a newly hired and highly touted marketing agency called BVK. This agency is going to help us do BIG things. We were fortunate that Vince Kalt, BVK’s senior vice president, underscored this enthusiasm by presenting to all the marketers and communicators at the conference. In a series of three different talks, Vince gave an introduction to BVK’s services/philosophies and shared some research that his agency has already completed regarding WSU. The sky is the limit for us!

Vince Kalt flew to Everett to share how BVK will greatly benefit WSU.

Updates From Phil – Our University Marketing and Communications vice president, Phil Weiler, was the glue throughout the conference. Not only did he serve as the emcee and keep the itinerary on track but he presented as well. Phil gave updates on the work our department is doing, discussed a specific communication model, and even hosted an icebreaker event on the first night.

Thanks to Phil for keeping the conference on track and for presenting!

Campus Tour – After lunch on Tuesday, we were treated to an in-depth tour of the WSU Everett campus. WSU program coordinator Brandon Buckingham took us around the main campus building as he showed us the innovative labs, impressive classrooms, creative art, and student-focused features that define the campus. After seeing so many photos and videos of WSU Everett over the past three years, it was nice to actually view it all in-person.

Brandon Buckingham was a superb tour guide. It was nice to finally visit the WSU Everett campus.

Work Project – Tuesday also allowed us to complete the filming of a video project. My social team and our video team are working on a “Best-Kept Summer Secrets” video that includes all WSU campuses. WSU Everett was the last campus we needed to film so my colleague Kara Billington (videographer) and I worked with a couple students to highlight their student center. It was enjoyable to take a break from the presentation grind and engage with a couple of enthusiastic and high-energy WSU Everett students.

Kara Billington and I were able to film with WSU Everett students for a system video project we are working on.

Communication and Mental Health – We were so fortunate that Erin Carroll, the marketing and communications director of Student Affairs, presented on a topic that many of us feel nervous and unworthy to champion within our jobs. You see, the tendency is easy to either neglect communicating about mental health entirely OR to address it in a stigmatizing, out of touch way. Erin’s expertise was much needed and appreciated as she encouraged us to normalize the topic. My favorite part of her presentation was her challenge to be more thoughtful about the images we use within stories and social media posts that relate to mental health. Erin sure was impressive!

Erin Carroll provided us with invaluable knowledge and knocked it out of the park during her presentation about communication and mental health.

The Fun Breakout 😉 – During the afternoon on Tuesday, three breakout sessions were offered. I naturally attended the one about social media. Matt Haugen, our social media manager within University Marketing and Communications, presented on content development and the hierarchy/ecosystem of social media at WSU. I was proud that Matt represented our team and I enjoyed listening to others in the session talk about their triumphs/successes with social.

Thanks to Matt Haugen for representing our University Marketing and Communications social media team!

Debrief – This morning we had the opportunity to bring it all together. We broke into small groups and chatted about what we had learned at the conference and how we can apply it moving forward. We also shared the tools we are using to make us more efficient at our jobs. The honest discussion made me feel so proud to be part of our central strategic communications team as the progress we have made under the leadership of Holly Sitzmann was highlighted.

Chantell Cosner provided a recommendation of Asana, a work management platform, to our group.

Community – At a conference like this, you can learn a lot and grow professionally. However, I prioritize the opportunities to build and solidify relationships. You can’t put a value on going out to dinner with a fun group, connecting with a new employee, or sitting down in-person with a colleague you have only interacted with via Zoom. I feel lucky to have had these experiences during my three days in Everett.

When you are visiting a beautiful city like Everett, it makes connecting with colleagues even more fulfilling. I took this photo of an Everett sunset on Tuesday night.

Big thanks to our University Marketing and Communications staff, especially Amanda Beardslee and Maria Anguiano, who organized many of the logistics for this conference. Much gratitude to Corrie Wilder, the WSU Everett marketing and communications director, for hosting us. Finally, kudos to the planning committee and presenters who made sure we had a content-rich conference. I look forward to our next all-system in-person meeting in May when we will all converge in Pullman. Don’t Blink.