Contributed by: Tina Stults
Direct Marketing Manager, Stein Communications

If you have a valid email address, chances are you’ve been spammed. In fact, it’s highly likely that when you sit down at your computer and open your email client, the majority of the messages flooding your inbox originate from email marketers, legitimate or not. You may have even gone to great lengths to protect your email address from spammers by installing a spam blocker service, unsubscribing your address from multiple mailing lists, or changing your email address to restore a moderate (and fleeting) level of anonymity.

But somehow, the spammers always find you.

Of course, there are those companies, institutions, and organizations that are on the up-and-up. Permission-based email marketing is a thriving and rapidly expanding industry, bolstered by its speed, cost efficiency, and ability to reach customers and prospects on a personal level. For most of us, permission-based email marketing is an essential component of our integrated marketing campaigns, supporting other print and interactive media.

Over the past several years, the government and other public and private entities have begun instituting measures with the intent to reign in spammers, whose messages clog our inboxes, and pave the way for legitimate email marketers to communicate more effectively with their target audiences. You’ve heard the words tossed around — CAN-SPAM, spam filters, whitelists — and you’ve likely taken steps to protect your own email address(es) with one or more of these tools. But have you also gotten wind of one of the newest regulatory measures in email marketing — dubbed by some as the “email tax”?

In 2003, a company by the name of Goodmail Systems launched their CertifiedEmail service, “the highest standard in email certification, to provide a safe and reliable class of email for the benefit of consumers, legitimate senders and mailbox providers.” CertifiedEmail essentially requires marketers to provide documentation about their history, credit rating, and commercial email use; companies and organizations that pass the test are charged a fee — approximately $2 per 1,000 messages — to ensure delivery of their email.

AOL and Yahoo! have recently partnered with Goodmail on its CertifiedEmail program, a move that has many email marketers up in arms. Approximately 73.5 million adults — half of the adult population in the U.S. — have registered email addresses with one of the two domains. Under the CertifiedEmail system, approved marketers will pay a premium every time they send a message to a recipient with an AOL or Yahoo! domain name.

So how does the email certification process work in action? Without getting into the weighty details, if you’re trying to send an email and you haven’t been validated by the CertifiedEmail service, your message most likely will be stripped of its images and hyperlinks. Participation in the plan ensures that your recipients will receive the email in its intended form.

Since AOL announced its intent to implement Goodmail’s service, a 50-member coalition — whose roster includes organizations such as MoveOn.org, Civic Action, and Gun Owners of America — has joined forces to fight the initiative, launching a web site at DearAOL.com, where individuals can sign a petition protesting the move, share their opinions through blog posts, and find out how to take further action.

The web site states that “AOL’s ‘email tax’ is the first step down a slippery slope that will harm the Internet itself. The Internet is a revolutionary force for free speech, civic organizing, and economic innovation precisely because it is open and accessible to all Internet users equally.” The site’s open letter to AOL also asserts that the pay-to-send measure won’t prevent spam — “in fact, this plan assumes that spam will continue and that mass mailers will be willing to pay to have their emails bypass spam filters.”

Goodmail, AOL, and Yahoo! stand by their assertion that the certification service is designed to guarantee delivery of emails generated by legitimate organizations while keeping spammers and fraudulent marketers at bay. However, AOL has backpedaled, making the CertifiedEmail service optional and promising to keep the Enhanced Whitelist they’ve used in recent years. They have also stated that “legitimate non-profit and advocacy groups” will not be charged to have emails certified and delivered — good news to many colleges and universities who operate as non-profit institutions.

In the meantime, Yahoo!’s implementation will be limited to “transactional” messages only — bank statements, purchase receipts, etc. The ISP has assured businesses and organizations that they will be able to “send email to Yahoo! email users at no cost in exactly the way they always have.”

There of plenty of people on both side of the fence with opinions about the CertifiedEmail program. Folks on the pro side argue that the Goodmail system will protect legitimate marketers and the integrity of individual email accounts. Opponents cite the tenets of free speech and equal access that are among our most basic rights. Regardless of your position, chances are that for now, your institution is protected by its status as a non-profit. But as our cluttered inboxes have proven, this battle is far from over.

Contributed by: Wade Marbaugh
Publications Coordinator, Georgia Perimeter College

It takes a team to raise a college’s image.

The Georgia Perimeter College Office of Marketing and Public Relations carried that theme to its professional organization’s national conference in March. Director Jennifer Stephens hoped to share GPC’s experience with members of the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations, which met in Austin, Texas.

GPC has seen its MPR office transform from lacking in teamwork and having a low marketing orientation to launching a highly effective branding campaign in 2005. The emerging teamwork necessary to launch the drive involved more than participation by Georgia Perimeter’s personnel. Vendors such as Stein Communications played a big part in the transition, which involved potential competitors working side by side for a common goal.

Promotion of GPC has not always been inadequate. Public Relations director Ann Knight did a great job from the 1970s through the 1990s. However, by the turn of the millennium, Georgia Perimeter was besieged with problems.

The college had grown from a quiet suburban community college — DeKalb College — to a diverse, bustling urban institution. Then suddenly the baby boom ended, dropping enrollment drastically and bringing the need for aggressive marketing strategies.

Knight’s premature death in 2000 left the MPR office in a state of transition and relative disorganization. Budget slashes came with the recession of 2001.

“The evolution of the office from a one-person PR shop to a large, fast-paced MPR office brought about some inherent problems,” Stephens says. “And there was too much internal competitiveness, aggressiveness, and lack of teamwork. Stress levels were high. We needed a marketing plan and a communications plan.”

When Stephens took the helm in 2002, she began building a stronger organizational structure and nurturing a culture of teamwork. The group attended leadership, team-building and creative workshops; internal and external communications improved; new employees strengthened the staff; the office held lunch meetings and had other fun activities at meetings; meetings became more productive.

GPC brought in a marketing consultant, Sandra Golden and Associates. Golden began to steer the office and the college toward a marketing orientation.

Subsequently, Stephens and Jeff Tarnowski, GPC’s vice president of Institutional Advancement, initiated talks with Latham and Associates, a firm specializing in branding issues. That led to extensive focus group studies by Latham at the college’s six locations.

What occurred next may be groundbreaking in business technique — at least it is unique for GPC. In May 2005, the MPR office invited all of its major vendors, even potential competitors, to an Institutional Advancement retreat at which Latham presented its findings and recommendations.

Gene Middleton, Jennifer Bagley, Bonnie McQuagge, and contract writer Scott Suhr represented Stein Communications among the vendors attending the retreat.

That Stein was invited is no surprise. Stein and GPC go way back (from Stein’s days as Phoenix Communications), as Knight contracted with them for many years to design and print college recruiting materials. Through the 2000s, Stein has continued to design and print exceptional promotional pieces for GPC.

Other vendors in attendance included EM2 Design, a Decatur firm that designed two annual reports for GPC that won first and second place in the 2005 NCMPR national competition, and J & R Kern, a Gainesville agency that has produced remarkable print and broadcast ad campaigns for GPC.

“We felt that we should get all the vendors on the same page with the branding campaign,” Stephens explains. “That way we would unify our look and feel in all our promotional efforts.”

At the meeting, Latham proposed a branding campaign that focused on everything from use of the school colors to primary messages. Having the various vendors present produced immediate results.

In fall 2005, Stein produced an award-winning recruiting package — including a colorful viewbook and search piece — that incorporates Latham’s branding recommendations.

“It couldn’t have worked out better,” says Stephens. “The recruiting pieces are in full conformity with the spirit of that branding retreat. Stein even came up with a tagline that we’ve adopted for all other materials — ‘Two years that will change your life.’”

Stephens is quick to point out that “we’re not there yet.” Much remains to be done to perfect the teamwork approach, but her office runs a much more systematic promotion and branding of the college than in previous years. Sharing the branding campaign with vendors at its conception contributed greatly to this success.

For more information on the teamwork approach and branding campaign, contact Jennifer Stephens at jstephen@gpc.edu or 678-891-2684.

_____
Wade Marbaugh serves as publications coordinator in the Office of Marketing and Public Relations at Georgia Perimeter College.

Contributed by: Meg Gwaltney
Web Content Manager, Stein Communications

In case you were wondering, podcasts and vodcasts are audio or video files distributed over the Internet using either RSS or Atom syndication for listening on mobile devices and personal computers. Unlike streaming audio and video, podcast and vodcast files are downloaded to the user’s equipment, which allows the files to be played at any time, even when users are not connected to the Internet.

May and June 2005 was a big time for podcasting and vodcasting, largely because of added features in Apple’s iTunes software: the support of video playback, podcasting and vodcasting subscriptions, and the sale of music videos, short films, and television shows from the iTunes Music Store. As if podcasting weren’t gaining popularity fast enough, iTunes helped boost podcasting and vodcasting even further into the mainstream. The release of software programs such as GarageBand and Audacity has continued to allow users to easily create, edit, and publish these types of digitally rich media and make them readily available to the public.

Education is no exception to this media boom. Podcasting and vodcasting, for some schools and classrooms, have become conventional methods of teaching and learning. We have reviewed many podcasts and vodcasts and are pleased to present some of the ways these technologies are being used in the field of education:

• Teachers use podcasts to review homework and chapter notes. Vodcasting often comes in handy with science experiments and other visually dependent curricula.
• Students create their own podcasts to deliver special presentations and share information they learn in class. Students’ reading skills can also be featured on a podcast.
  • Dearborn Public Schools Student Video Projects
  • Radio WillowWeb
  • Room 208
  • KinderPods
• School boards utilize podcasts and vodcasts to share board meetings with their communities.
  • Board of Education, Dearborn Public Schools
• Colleges give prospective students a real look at higher education through podcasts and vodcasts created by current students.
  • College of Santa Fe
• Education professionals share knowledge and skills with one another through audio and video presentations.
  • PBS Learning Matters: John Merrow Podcast
  • Teachers Improving Learning with Technology (TILT)
• Podcasts and vodcasts are also available that prepare students for standardized tests, allow individuals to learn a foreign language and increase their vocabulary skills, and more…

Visit any of the web sites above for more information on the featured podcasts and vodcasts. You can also search the iTunes Music Store to subscribe for free.

If you haven’t delved into the world of podcasting yet, here are a few things you should know before taking the plunge:

• Whether you are listening to podcasts and vodcasts or creating them yourself, use up-to-date technology. Podcasts and vodcasts require adequate memory and processing power to operate without skipping parts of the audio and video. If you have the option of buying a new computer, you may want to upgrade the memory and processor speed from the standard options, especially if you’ll be creating your own podcasts or vodcasts.
• For those wishing to host their own podcasts or vodcasts online, check your hosting package first to be sure it comes with enough disk space and bandwidth. While your hosting package may not be expensive, incurring overage charges for these types of items is usually quite costly.

With that said, open up iTunes, get out your iPod, and enjoy some podcasts and vodcasts!

Contributed by: Christina M. Couret
Director of Communications, St. Martin’s Episcopal School

By nature, many independent schools must function on a tight budget. In many cases, school employees are obligated to stretch every dollar to ensure that the maximum funds serve their constituents. Tapping into others’ charitable nature can help to acquire favors or discounts that can go a long way in supporting a marketing plan and allow you to do more with less. Below are some suggestions to help you conserve funds for your school, while at the same time getting maximum impact for your budget.

Don’t be afraid to ask for discounts. Many companies, such as magazines and newspapers, offer discounts to nonprofit organizations. Plead your case as a nonprofit and ask your contact if they have a nonprofit or educational rate. They may offer a three-time rate on a one-time advertisement (or more!) or even a 50 percent discount.

Barter. You may be able to exchange goods or services for promotions. For example, a sign-maker offered my school’s summer camp signage in exchange for free camp tuition for his son.

Remember to get a nonprofit postage permit. You can mail newsletters or other bulk items at a discounted rate simply by completing paperwork with the post office. If you qualify for a nonprofit permit, you can even print the postal insignia on your mailings, saving more time with the actual mailing process. Mailing with a bulk permit will require more time for the post office to process the pieces, but if you plan ahead you can build that time into your schedule.

Maintain relationships. Plan a media campaign well in advance and communicate that plan to your advertising sales contacts. Focus on the long-term goals and specific elements of the campaign. If you are advertising an event that occurs annually, discuss several years’ worth of advertising. More than likely, you will be able to secure a high frequency discount by making a long-term commitment to the publication. If it isn’t offered, make a point of asking for it. Because I had a long-term campaign planned with a particular publication and a good relationship with my sales rep, I lucked into a free ad when my ad rep suddenly lost an advertiser in a publication days away from printing. He called and asked if he could place my ad in that spot, at no charge, just to fill the space.

Use word of mouth. Regardless of all the money spent on advertising by marketers everywhere, the grapevine is still the most effective form of communication in a small market. Keep your current patrons happy and they will promote your business for you. If the message is positive, word of mouth is worth its weight in gold. My school’s current parents are responsible for bringing in hundreds of new applicants who are friends, neighbors, and relatives.

Use the success of one event to promote other events. If your annual golf tournament brings the highest attendance of all your events each year, take a moment to share information about your upcoming gala or silent auction with that already enthusiastic audience. Announce information about other events, or include the details in a program or take-home bag.

Keep sponsors happy. Schools, like all nonprofits, could not function without the help of corporate or individual sponsors. Give them anything you can reasonably afford to give, especially at the actual event they are sponsoring: free tickets, special parking, special seating (the best tables), gift bags with usable items they will appreciate. Also remember to return the favor by offering them as much promotion as you can afford in programs, or on signage, banners, table cards, gift bags, T-shirts, caps and even name tags. Make sure you double- and triple-check proper name spellings and corporate logos. Be sure to greet sponsors at events and thank them personally for their support, and be sure to send a thank- you letter immediately after the event, including any pertinent information for tax deductions. Unhappy sponsors translate to lost dollars. It is much easier to have repeat sponsors for a recurring event each year than to recruit new sponsors.

Express appreciation. In addition to thanking sponsors for their financial support, thank anyone who helped you with anything. Send a thank-you note to a reporter or broadcaster who included your news. They probably won’t respond, but they appreciate being thanked. If a current customer referred someone to you, call or send a thank-you note. That person will be more likely to continue to make referrals if she knows she is appreciated.

Independent schools must focus on the people they serve, and their employees need to be good stewards of their trust and their financial contributions by managing budgets effectively and by maximizing funds. Returning favors when possible and expressing gratitude also will help you to continue the good work of your nonprofit organization and economize in a positive fashion.

_____
Christina Couret is enjoying her fifth year as director of communications at St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Atlanta. She previously worked for a magazine publishing company as a senior editor. She is a “lifer” in independent school education and attended three independent schools from kindergarten through college.

By now you may have received a letter from us introducing CommunityYou and now want to know more about how it might help yield your class this summer. Learn about this innovative solution and its benefits to your institution from the comfort of your office with Stein’s hosted webinars each Thursday at 11:00 EST starting April 20, 2006. Sign up today by emailing Tia Lane at tlane@steincommunications.com.

PersonalizationPlus is a streamlined web solution designed to help your admissions team more easily achieve your institution’s recruitment objectives. We’ve bundled a number of exciting web features all into one solution, including: web-based contact management, broadcast email, community building for admitted students, online journaling, and web site personalization. Learn about this comprehensive admission solution during Stein’s hosted webinars on Thursdays at 2:00 EST starting April 20, 2006. Sign up today by emailing Tia Lane at tlane@steincommunications.com.

Announcing new clients
Berry College (GA)
Bryan College (TN)
Kingsborough Community College (NY)
St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School (TN)
Westminster Choir College (NJ)

GPC ad wins award
Georgia Perimeter College recently won the gold award at the NCMPR National Conference for the ad “Biology in Your Bunnies,” which was created by Stein in 2005.