4015 Tioga Pointe Lane

Lake Wylie, SC 29710

 614-203-1851

Tyson@TysonHigginbotham.com

posted on 4/9/13 
by Susan Scholes, 
VP of Marketing

Congratulations to Michigan and Louisville for an amazing championship game. It has been a thrilling NCAA tournament with many twists and turns…and in the midst of all of the madness, many great opportunities for constituent engagement. 

One example of a well-planned constituent engagement email campaign was from iModules client and my alma mater, the University of Kansas. They started emailing me before the NCAA tournament began with information about watch parties and pep rallies. They also provided unique ways to engage via social media and by following the “Hawks and Hoops Blog." 

They sent a series of digital NCAA Tournament Preview Guides as my beloved Jayhawks advanced in the tournament. The guides included photos, videos, and all of the information I would need on the players and the tournament. 

Some key things that the KU Alumni Association did sooo right:

​​Started emailing me early – I received communications before the tournament began which engaged me in the action with KU, not the NCAA or other media outlets

​Made me feel welcomed back to the university with content such as a special message from Coach Self in the digital preview guides

Kept me posted on events in my area and increased my excitement as KU advanced in the tournament

Celebrated both the men’s and the women’s basketball teams advancement in the tournament

​Asked me to be part of the winning team by joining the KU Alumni Association

Sweetened the deal by offering me four commemorative KU glasses featuring cherished campus landmarks

Congratulated the fans and the players for an outstanding season even when both teams lost late in the tournament – and got me excited for next season

​Continue to keep me engaged with other events such as the upcoming Rock Chalk Ball, KU’s premier event in my area 

The key here was that while I am a proud Jayhawk, I was a somewhat “disconnected” alum and this campaign really reengaged me with the university. 

They approached the excitement of the tournament, and my related Jayhawk pride, with the right tone and a targeted contact strategy. We are still gathering results from our contacts at KU, but early results show more than 250 new alumni memberships purchased already with a deadline for joining in late April. 

I am joining the alumni association and will toast KU with my new glasses. This campaign channeled all of the “madness” into marketing effectiveness and turned your average Jayhawk fan into a brand champion.