Ole Miss' top marketing officer encourages nation to 'Experi

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rebeljim
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Last year, on Jim Ebel's second trip to Oxford, Miss. -- the first was a couple of decades ago and really doesn't count, he says, seeing as how it was basically just a speedy drive through the land of Faulkner on his way to New Orleans -- one word sprang to mind: Amazing.

It was spring at the University of Mississippi and the campus was in bloom, the folks were friendly and everywhere he turned it seemed like something remarkable was going on.

There was just one problem.

Not enough people knew about it.

But that was about to change, Ebel said recently during a meeting of the American Advertising Federation Memphis.

Because on that return trip he interviewed for and eventually accepted the position of the university's chief marketing officer. In the year since, he has made it top priority to strengthen the Ole Miss brand.

Concentrating on research, academics and service, Ebel's team created a multimedia "Experience Amazing" campaign to tout the school's focus on excellence.

"The typical branding for universities is generic, esoteric or athletic, and we set out to do something different, something more," Ebel said. "In higher ed there's a resistance to branding, but it's more important than ever in this changing landscape."

The difference today, as opposed to a half-century or even a half-decade ago, is the ramped-up competition from for-profit universities, Ebel said.

The growing popularity of such institutions as DeVry University, Strayer University and the University of Phoenix means that traditional educational outlets must employ nontraditional methods of recruiting.

In an increasingly global society, Ebel said, it doesn't make sense for state universities like Ole Miss to adopt regional marketing plans.

To broaden his university's marketing scope, Ebel first conducted research to determine public perceptions of Ole Miss. While the school was well-known regionally, its reputation nationally was less impressive.

"The depth of awareness was very low," said Ebel, who boasts more than 25 years of marketing experience with clients such as Bridgestone, Huggies and Elmer's. "What people knew of Ole Miss was the Rebels, football and that girls dressed up to go to the Grove."

To broaden those perceptions, the new branding campaign featured a series of television and online spots touting the 100 percent job placement record for graduates of the university's accounting and pharmacy schools. Other ads featured the sense of community at Ole Miss, its safe campus and engaging social scene.

"Say we're ranked as the number three party school in the nation, well, the way to capitalize on that is to show how after graduation that Ole Miss students move very easily in social situations," Ebel said. "In addition to a top academic education, students here develop soft skills that are marketable to employers everywhere."

Overall, the rebranding effort has been positively received, Ebel said, and his "Experience Amazing" campaign is expected to be around for a long time to come.

And that could translate into marketing gold, said Dan Barron, vice president at Entercom Memphis.

"A clearly identifiable, instantly recognizable campaign signifies the power of branding," Barron said. "Ole Miss has created a strong new sense of awareness that enhances its image."

Susan Ewing, marketing strategist for Tactical Magic, agreed.

"Determining a value proposition and translating why people care about something can be difficult in any marketing campaign, but Ole Miss got it," Ewing said. "Experience Amazing is simple, direct and memorable. It works."

For more information, visit online at olemiss.edu.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/20 ... ing-brand/
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