Selling Seattle U

They may not be much, but marketing professor Rex Toh looks at the new banners flying high on campus as a step in the right direction.

A faculty member at Seattle University since 1980, Toh remembers when people would drive right by campus without a clue as to what it was.

"When I went to church and said I worked at Seattle U," Toh said, "people didn't know where it was. No one even knew it existed."

In fact, those few who were familiar with the university referred to it as "Seattle's best-kept secret."

And while elements of that nickname still remain, Seattle U is gaining recognition--as well as becoming a landmark in the city. More money and support from area philanthropists who value the university results in a better education for students, and more respect from employers for a Seattle U degree yields better jobs.

But its likely few students know the faces of the official marketing force of the university. Strategic communications professor Soon Beng Yeap began work as assistant vice president of Marketing and University Communications in July 2007. Before his appointment, the position had been vacant for nine months, and the office went through "a strategic change" and became an independent department.

Former Seattle Times journalist and communications director for Mayor Greg Nickels, Casey Corr, was hired in January under the new title of director of Strategic Communications.

They join 12-year marketing fixture Dave Balzer, who now serves as creative director, in shaping the university's image and handling its official communications.

The trio has been busy of late, especially with the launch of "For the Difference We Make," the university's public fundraising campaign. The official launch garnered considerable attention, including an editorial in The Seattle Times preaching support for Seattle U.

Other marketing initiatives have been implemented through subtler, smaller changes. Among them were the banners lining campus turnarounds. The main page of the Web site has also recently seen an overhaul, and a new promotional video was produced to replace an outdated version. The university has "put more resources" into marketing itself, said Corr.

Despite the progress, some say the university hasn't yet left its olden day status as "Seattle's best kept secret."

Even Corr says the university's public recognition hasn't changed much since the days when he was an education reporter for the Times.

"There was a sense then of Seattle U's presence," he said, "but its profile didn't match with its presence. That's still true."

"I don't think we've done a good enough job sharing our successes," Corr added.

Senior marketing major Lauren Farricker couldn't agree more, at least in respect to advertising the quality of undergraduate programs. Farricker, president of Seattle U's Marketing Club, thinks the Masters in Business Administration program is admired in the area--a result, she said, of a lot of marketing initiatives. But her frustration is evident when she talks about the value of the degree she'll have come June.

"You have to learn to market yourself," said Farricker, who has gotten herself into eight internships. "You can't expect that your Seattle U career will get you where you want."

Albers School of Business and Economics lone marketing official, Barbara Hauke, just began working at the university four months ago, but she argues an undergraduate degree from Albers carries a significant amount of respect in the area, especially from smaller businesses. Hauke said 91 percent of Albers graduates in 2006 had a job offer within three months of receiving their degree, a sign the school's reputation--or the quality of its graduates--is admirable.

But Hauke said it has been difficult to market Albers because of a limited budget. The school's goal is to become a brand name, known as the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle U, and not the other way around.

Branding, though, is an expensive venture. As a part of that effort, Albers is currently working on redesigning its Web site, and it continues to be one of the more prominent advertisers of the university in local publications, with a mulititude of print and radio ads.

Albers might be closer to that brand name recognition than Hauke thinks, given that she recalled always hearing Seattle U had a "good business and law school." But when it comes to the university as a whole, Hauke said it was a different story.

"I've got to be honest with you," Hauke said. "I didn't even know where the school was, and I grew up in the Puget Sound area."

The lack of presence can't be helping the numerous events, conferences and lectures the university hosts in attracting attendees, either. Spectator staffers consistently report low attendance at events they cover, and pictures from events often feature a largely empty room with a smattering of people.

But Marketing and Communications also has to look at new ways to advertise on campus, according to Corr. Currently the campus calendar isn't a comprehensive listing, and the amount of e-mails being sent is overwhelming.

"Students get a lot of e-mail," Corr said, "and it must be packaged so it's not spam. What's appropriate?"

Like many in marketing and mass communications fields, Corr looks to cell phones as a possibility for future announcements.

That's just part of an increased focus on students, said Balzer. In fact, one of the department's proposed marketing strategies requires strengthening pride among students, an area, Farricker said, that is currently weak.

"We have to have a lot more spirit among the students," said Farricker, noting this goes especially for athletics. She believes most students--if they bother themselves with varsity athletics at all--mostly root for soccer. Attendance numbers reflect that as well.