Develop Communications Plans and Strategies

Think about how to communicate the Call to Serve Recruitment Initiative. Whether or not the campus’s main communications or marketing office involved, there are still many ways to plan ahead and amplify the impact of Call to Serve efforts. There are a variety of ways to communicate the message based on the campus.

Even developing a tag line and using it throughout the campaign can build awareness among students and provide a way to track participation and growth in interest. For example, Louisiana State University, in addition to a Web site, developed a strategic marketing campaign based largely on taglines to develop student interest.  George Washington University centered their communications around their Web site to inform campus about federal opportunities.

Consider a Public “Kick Off Event” or “Launch Week”

Once your campus has committed to making a coordinated effort to promote federal service, consider setting a public launch or kick off event.  This can generate visibility and energy around Call to Serve, whether your school has a calendar of events organized by career services or a cross-campus set of activities involving different academic and administrative units.  Examples include:

• The George Washington University ran ads in the student paper and released their Web site during a launch week.
• Louisiana State University had their campus mascot dress up in Red, White and Blue and give out related materials during their launch week.
• Clark Atlanta University held a big ceremony which included the President and his wife to formally announce their participation in the Call to Serve Recruitment Initiative.
• Stanford University kicked off the initiative with a “red tent” event featuring prizes and relevant materials on a major student walkway.

The event or launch week is also an opportunity to establish expectations around where information can be found (e.g., Web sites, list-serves) and what it will look like (i.e., branding).

Create and Maintain a Public Service Web Site

As important and useful as a Web site is, it may be difficult to find the manpower and time to update and maintain the site. While the basic information remains in place, new resources and updates need to be added to keep the site current and relevant. This may be a factor in deciding whether a stand-alone web site should be developed, or if your campus should focus on utilizing the main Call to Serve web site.

Consistently Brand Your Efforts

Branding – using the same images and/or “tag line” repeatedly – pays off in developing recognition of the initiative, and can convey a message in itself. At Clark Atlanta University, for example, they found a way to tie the Call to Serve tagline into the school's motto, which made it more memorable for students: “Learn, Lead, Change — Public Service Will Get You There!”

 

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