Location: Silver City, Deming, Lordsburg, Truth or Consequences, Gallup New Mexico
Industry: Education
Practice Area: Public Relations and Community Relations
Challenge: Western New Mexico University successfully educates and graduates students each semester. WNMU’s leadership was faced with an identity crisis; it seemed that nobody really knew what the university was about or how it was contributing to the community, despite being the largest employer in Silver City and Grant County. Combined with the identity issues was a looming budget crisis in State government.
Approach: The Garrity Group partnered with WNMU to conduct a public opinion survey among residents in Grant County. The results helped to solidify some pervious assumptions and shed light on new opportunities to connect WNMU with disenfranchised communities. The firm also proposed a cost saving approach to outsource its communication effort. The Garrity Group provides on sight assistance to facilitate all internal and external communications on behalf of the University. By providing training and a professional who is skilled in public relations, our hope was to increase visibility and connection with WNMU and its target audiences.
This manifested itself through the implementation of a multi-phase state-wide strategic communication approach that focused on five target audiences. Tactics included reporter meetings, messaging and branding development, incorporation of key messaging into collateral pieces, website and news releases, creation of a style and identify manual and development of a marketing communications plan.
Results: First year results from this campaign showed measurable outcomes including:
118 news releases issued
475 new media clippings collected (75 percent generated from WNMU news releases)
Five percent increase in-state enrollment
Seven percent increase out-of-state enrollment
Increased online enrollment of 200 students
The Garrity Group earned a 2009 Public Relations Society of America New Mexico Chapter Silver Cumbre award for this campaign.