Tag Archives: Vince Kalt

Full House For WSU Marketers and Communicators

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I now have three WSU System Marketers and Communicators Conferences under my belt! I completed my latest one this week after marketing and communication professionals at Washington State University converged on our flagship Pullman campus.

I have had a good time at all three WSU System Marketers and Communicators Conferences I have attended. Makes me proud that UMC continues to put these on.

As with all previous such meetings, our system University Marketing and Communications (UMC) team organized the conference and Phil Weiler, UMC vice president, served as the master of ceremonies.

This year’s conference was stress-free compared to the previous two. I didn’t carry the burden of presenting like I did at WSU Vancouver in 2022 and I didn’t experience a rental car snafu like I did prior to the 2023 conference at WSU Everett. Instead, I had a relaxing and fruitful time with no speaking engagements or vehicle issues 😎.

As I reflect on this year’s all-communicators gathering, this is what stood out to me…

I enjoyed the themes that were covered at the WSU System Marketers and Communicators Conference.

Great Turnout! – Because the 2024 conference was on the WSU Pullman campus, the turnout was strong. We had more than 130 marketing and communication professionals participate. The attendance was greater than anticipated as the venue changed from the CUB Junior Ballroom to the CUB Senior Ballroom to accommodate everyone.

Attendance at the WSU System Marketers and Communicators Conference was strong. WSU President Kirk Schulz “Zoomed in” to welcome us on Tuesday.

Brand Progress – I take a lot of pride in the brand work that our UMC system marketing and communications team is doing with our partner, BVK. Last year in Everett, BVK Vice President Vince Kalt presented on the early stages of our efforts and the research that had been conducted. What a difference less than 52 weeks makes! Vince returned for this year’s conference to report on our progress, reveal our campaign concept, share assets, and premiere our brand anthem video. It was received very well and I can’t wait until we launch! (stay tuned).

BVK senior vice president Vince Kalt concludes his presentation on the progress of the WSU system brand marketing campaign.

Digital Accessibility – The topic of new federal digital accessibility requirements was discussed at length. The conversation originated from a panel comprised of two members from our UMC web team (Danial Bleile and Lesa McPeak), WSU’s assistant director for civil rights and ADA (Kiara Drake), and an IT business analyst from our WSU Vancouver campus (Scott Fraser). I took note of the numerous tips and best practices provided for complying with accessibility regulations. When it all comes down to it, publishing accessible content is critical for people with disabilities. Furthermore, as Danial Bleile told us bluntly, it is also a legal requirement. But perhaps Phil summarized it best when he said it is just the right thing to do.

AI Explosion – The unofficial theme of this conference was the continued accelerated advancement of artificial intelligence. Lisa Anderson and Seth Bracken from the University of Utah presented on how they are using AI at their institution and some best practices for achieving the best results with it. WSU Vancouver adjunct professor Tina Mulqueen then followed with a superb presentation. She was able to talk honestly about the seemingly dystopian nature of AI while also highlighting the undeniable helping power it possesses for marketers. Mulqueen was able to exquisitely convey these contrasts in the context of the rapidly changing AI world, including the major recent breakthroughs from Google (that I mentioned last week).

WSU Vancouver adjunct professor Tina Mulqueen presents during the WSU System Marketers and Communicators Conference.

Communicating With Students – The final day of the conference was kicked off with a focus group. You might think a focus group with 130+ people would be awkward—or at least completely ineffective—but it wasn’t that bad. Staff from the WSU Social and Economic Services Research Center led the discussion as we conversed about communication mediums, deployment methods, and success stories. Much of the session rested on the usage of CRMs.

UMC Video Manager Jason Refsland provides feedback to the Social and Economic Services Research Center staff member who led the focus group.

Is SEO Going Away? – I was really intrigued with this presentation considering the recent Google AI developments. Josh Krause from our UMC web team gave an informative talk on SEO best practices. When asked about the significance of SEO moving forward in light of a shift to AI-generated top-of-page responses, Josh said it should still be top of chief importance. If AI does completely push website links off SERP, we need to still optimize for SEO so that the snippets retrieved by AI come from our web sources. And even if that isn’t attainable, sound SEO practices should still be paramount because, just like with accessibility, it is the right thing to do.

Jason Krause emphasized that even with the changes to Google search, it is still important to use SEO best practices.

Cougs Help Cougs – The conference ended with a couple of helpful exercises. First, we did a “Teams Chat Live” task where a topic or question was brought up and then collectively answered by those of us in attendance. After that session concluded, we huddled with our table to discuss what/how we could implement what we learned the past couple days post-conference. It was the perfect way to end things as it reinforced that we are all Team WSU and that all of us possess the talents and opportunities to help others succeed.

UMC Creative Director Jackson Price answers a question during the Team Chat Live session.

When it comes to content, this was the best marketers and communicators conference I have attended. Much gratitude to the members of the planning committee and the presenters for making it so worthwhile. Special thanks to Lael Gray for her tireless work as the head coordinator of the event. I definitely left Pullman excited about what I learned and appreciative of the relationships I built. 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.