The University of Wisconsin-Madison plans to resolve its public image problems while also regaining dwindling state funding. That means launching a new advertising campaign.
In a request for proposals soliciting proposals from marketing partners, the university says it will combat negative public opinion and convince lawmakers that the university is a nonpartisan institution worthy of both national investment and public trust. We set two goals.
“When it comes to higher education, there is a common national narrative that characterizes universities as elitist, too difficult to get into, too expensive, and too radical/left-wing,” the university said on February 27. This is stated in the RFP published on the 1st. National sentiment toward the University of Wisconsin-Madison is shared by many Wisconsinites. ”
According to the RFP, the university's main goal is to secure “positive state funding” in the next cycle. The second goal is to “change some of the metrics we track in market research,” such as the politicization of higher education institutions and growing doubts about the value of college degrees. The RFP makes it clear that registration is not an indicator of campaign success.
The cost of the initiative will not be finalized until the university approves a contract with an advertising agency, but the RFP says the campaign could cost up to $1 million, double the university's regular media budget. That's all.
Kelly Tyrrell, director of media relations at UW-Madison, wrote in the following email: Inside higher education “It's too early to say what the marketing strategy will be” before securing a partner, he said. She also said the university's approach is not new. Like previous marketing campaigns, this campaign is focused on polling and market research.
But public opinion polls on the purpose of higher education are increasingly bleak. Survey after survey shows Americans are more skeptical than ever about the value of a college degree, with many viewing higher education as a free speech issue, elitism, and reinforced by many lawmakers and the media. It has been shown to connect and connect. outlet.
Higher education is also facing increased scrutiny from state and national politicians, which could have a corrosive effect on public funding, especially in Republican-majority states. Wisconsin's state funding has been stagnant for years, but the last budget cycle saw millions of dollars in cuts to the University of Wisconsin System, including a $7 million cut to UW-Madison.
Tom Harnisch, vice president of government relations for the State Association of Higher Education Executive Officers, said UW-Madison's new marketing mission is best understood in that context.
“Lawmakers are responsive to public perception, so building public trust is critical to continued support in Congress,” said Harnisch, a UW-Madison alumnus. “[Marketing] It's not the only tool in your toolbox, but it's an essential one. ”
easing political tensions
According to an old joke at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, if you stand atop Bascom Hill on campus and look toward the state capitol a mile away, a heart-wrenching visual metaphor emerges. In other words, the two are off-center, discordant, and philosophically the same. Physically as well.
This lack of coordination became especially evident last year, as the entire University of Wisconsin system became embroiled in a battle with the state Legislature over diversity, equity, and inclusion spending.
Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos fired the first shot last June, pledging to hold system-wide funding hostage unless the Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers approved $32 million in cuts to DEI spending. I did it. The stalemate lasted until December, when system leaders struck a backroom deal to approve DEI cuts at the board level to secure funding, which the system board initially rejected, then I accepted it after receiving some backlash.
Madison, the system's flagship, was feeling the effects of that long battle. In addition to $7 million in budget cuts, the campus nearly lost its long-awaited $374 million engineering building until a deal was negotiated back in December.
It remains a sore point for government relations in the system. Just last week, the state Legislature removed two California legislators who voted to reject the deal. Harnisch believes there is still room for positive cooperation, but acknowledged that the bitterness left over from the dispute may be too much for a marketing campaign to resolve.
Still, the risk for Wisconsin to claw back more state funds is higher than ever. Last week, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee announced it would close its branch campus in Waukesha, marking the fifth campus closure in the past two years.
Although UW-Madison is not in financial jeopardy and weathered the $7 million shortfall without program cuts or layoffs, the university faces broader public image issues as a standard-bearer for the larger system. is likely to be affected, Harnisch said.
“Flagship campuses attract more attention and are subject to more scrutiny, so any problems that arise definitely hurt their standing both in Congress and in the public eye,” he said.
Solving the image problem of higher education institutions
Advocating for more state aid is usually a private negotiation pursued by lobbyists over coffee or dinner with lawmakers.
Teresa Valerio Parrott, founder and principal of TVP Communications, a higher education consulting firm, said she sees wisdom in Madison's direct-to-consumer strategy, especially as attacks on higher education become more entrenched in Republican lawmakers' strategies. He said there is.
“This strategy makes public what has traditionally been considered private lobbying,” she said. “[UW-Madison] recognizes that elected officials strive to reflect the views and priorities of their constituents, and therefore wants to appeal directly to the public. I think that's much smarter. ”
As higher education becomes increasingly politicized, Valerio Parrott expects more prominent institutions, both public and private, to take on the role in the coming years.
“Higher education experts are wondering which institutions will be the first to come forward and address the industry's larger reputational issues across the country,” she said. Ta. “I want to commend the University of Wisconsin-Madison for saying, 'We're going to start doing this little by little in our own backyard'…That could have far-reaching positive impacts across the industry.”
Harnisch said Madison's marketing strategy has become more general as the university seeks to combat not just political messaging but also skepticism about the value of a college degree, two public image issues that are closely linked. I predicted it would happen.
“Wisconsin is just a microcosm of the national trend,” Harnisch said. “Higher education institutions need to start pushing back. Frankly, I don't think they have any other choice.”
