Status Report of Rutgers Comprehensive Communications ...

JERSEY ROOTS, 

G LOBA L R E AC H 

A Program to Define 

Rutgers as THE State University 

of New Jersey 

August 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

THE RESEARCH-BASED CASE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE 

COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM AT RUTGERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM AT RUTGERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

HIGHLIGHTS OF FISCAL YEAR 2006–07. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

HIGHLIGHTS OF FISCAL YEAR 2007–08 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 

HIGHLIGHTS OF FISCAL YEAR 2008–09 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

HIGHLIGHTS OF FISCAL YEAR 2009–10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 

IN THE WORKS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010–11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 

AWARDS AND PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Dear Colleagues: 

This report, “Jersey Roots, Global Reach: A Program to Define Rutgers as THE State University 

of New Jersey,” provides a detailed update on the university’s ongoing comprehensive program to differentiate 

Rutgers as a unique resource within New Jersey, build pride in the institution, and better tell 

the Rutgers story. 

This concerted communications effort, initiated by President Richard L. McCormick and the Board 

of Governors and spearheaded by the Department of University Relations, has led to significant 

accomplishments. Highlights include: 

Implementing a single, consistent visual identity system to replace hundreds of competing 

logos and marks. 

Transforming the Rutgers web presence through a total redesign of the core website—Rutgers.edu, 

and conversion of thousands of supporting webpages to reinforce key messages. Rutgers.edu is 

seen by an average of 24,120 visitors daily. 

Developing print, broadcast, and outdoor advertising that generated more than 217.3 million 

impressions over three years. 

Producing bus wraps along three commuter routes that generated 261.5 million impressions 

over two years. 

Launching Rutgers Day, a new annual event held on campuses in New Brunswick and Piscataway 

that attracted 50,000 people in 2009 and 75,000 in 2010. 

Generating more than 40,000 positive media stories about Rutgers over a five-year period. 

Launching Rutgers Today, a web-based daily news center that attracted more than 500,000 

web visitors and nearly 1 million web views in 2009–10. 

Creating pride and a “sense of place” by installing more than 900 Rutgers banners across all 

university campuses. 

Recognition through more than a dozen awards, including a Gold Medal for Institution-wide 

Branding Program from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). A full 

list of awards and citations can be found at the end of the report. 

I submit this report with heartfelt gratitude to the phenomenally talented staff of the Department of 

University Relations at Rutgers and with sincere appreciation of the support provided to this program 

by the Board of Governors, the Board of Trustees, President McCormick, Vice President for Academic 

Affairs Philip Furmanski, the academic and administrative leaders of the Rutgers Administrative 

Council, and all the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of Rutgers. None of these accomplishments 

would have been possible without them. 

Kim Manning 

Vice President for University Relations 

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THE RESEARCH-BASED CASE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE 

COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM AT RUTGERS 

Introduction 

Rutgers’ multiyear Comprehensive Communications Program is aimed at sharpening Rutgers’ 

identity, enhancing its reputation, and building pride and appreciation for Rutgers as 

The State University of New Jersey—an institution that occupies a special “category of one” 

status within New Jersey. 

The project was initiated by the Board of Governors and President Richard L. McCormick 

in response to a number of factors, including declining state investment in Rutgers and 

New Jersey public higher education and the increasingly blurred lines in the eyes of the 

public between the state’s comprehensive public research university and other state colleges 

and universities. 

Kim Manning, Vice President for University Relations, was charged by the President and 

the Board with leading the initiative to research, develop, implement, and assess a comprehensive, 

multiyear communications and branding program. 

Constituency Research 

The project began with baseline research conducted in 2004 to assess the strength of the 

Rutgers brand within New Jersey and to understand how Rutgers is perceived by its many 

stakeholders. The results and analysis of the research, conducted by Schulman, Ronca & 

Bucuvalas, Inc. (SRBI), a highly respected, independent survey research firm, were provided 

in the far-reaching and detailed ”Constituency Research Report,“ which was based on 

quantitative findings. The report focused on 10 key New Jersey audiences, including: 

influential policymakers and business leaders; 

faculty, students, staff, and alumni, in recognition of their importance to the institution’s 

reputation and their influence on prospective students and colleagues; and 

New Jersey residents, whose children are prospective students and who are potential 

supporters of the university. 

The report revealed that Rutgers was well known and highly regarded in New Jersey, 

but that people did not fully understand its distinctive role as the state’s premier public 

research university. 

The report recommended that the university undertake an improved and targeted communications 

program to better differentiate Rutgers from other publicly funded schools. 

It stressed the need to build pride among Rutgers’ internal constituencies, who are the 

university’s primary ambassadors, and to develop common messages about the university 

for key audiences. The report noted that the university was represented by hundreds of 

logos, which contributed to confusion about the institution and diluted the Rutgers brand. 

The full ”Constituency Research Report“ is available at identity.rutgers.edu/ 

constituency_research.pdf. 

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Before 

After 

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Developing a Plan through Broad Consultation 

To provide input and help guide the development of the program, the Vice President for 

University Relations convened several advisory committees comprising students, faculty, staff, 

and alumni who held leadership positions in the public relations and advertising fields. The 

department also consulted broadly with established university bodies including the President’s 

Cabinet; the Administrative Council; the Board of Governors’ Committee on Alumni and 

University Relations; faculty groups in New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden; the University 

Senate; and student leaders. 

The Department of University Relations contracted with Lipman Hearne, a nationally known 

higher education communications and marketing firm selected by the Communications 

Program Vendor Selection Task Force, a universitywide committee chaired by Professor Paul 

Leath. Lipman Hearne reviewed thousands of communications produced by the university, its 

campuses, and individual units. The firm conducted focus groups across the state, including 

sessions on campus with students and faculty members. Through careful testing, Lipman 

Hearne, in close collaboration with University Relations, assessed Rutgers’ visual identity and 

key messages and made recommendations based on the findings. University Relations’ work 

with Lipman Hearne led to the development of a multiyear Comprehensive Communications 

Program to clarify and elevate the Rutgers brand. 

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COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM AT RUTGERS 

From its inception, the Comprehensive Communications Program was envisioned to be a 

multiyear endeavor, with clear overarching goals, essential core elements, and phased, yearby-year 

achievements. The primary focus of the program was defined as in New Jersey, with 

a secondary focus on select out-of-state constituencies. 

Objectives 

The overall, long-term program objectives are: 

to give Rutgers a consistent, distinctive, and positive identity in New Jersey and beyond; 

to convey a clear sense of what “Rutgers” is among its most important stakeholders; 

to build pride in Rutgers among its key stakeholders; and 

to demonstrate why Rutgers warrants greater private and public support. 

Audiences 

The primary target audiences include: 

Rutgers alumni; 

New Jersey residents; 

Rutgers faculty, staff, and current students; 

policymakers; 

business leaders; and 

prospective students, including undergraduate, graduate, professional, and continuing 

education students. 

Secondary audiences include senior leaders at peer academic institutions. See table 1 on 

page 6 for audience-based translations. 

Strategy 

The communications program was designed to be extensive—fully considering all of the 

factors that influence brand development and brand management at a large decentralized 

public university. Budget and resource realities, and the need for periodic assessment, required 

a phased approach to audience outreach and tactical deployment. In addition to the overall 

goals, annual plans with specific program achievements were identified. The underlying 

premise of the program has been that Rutgers people are the keepers and promoters of the 

Rutgers brand. 

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TABLE 1. COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM AUDIENCE–BASED TRANSLATIONS 

TARGET AUDIENCE CORE CONCEPT POSITIONING TRANSLATION BENEFIT TYPE BENEFIT 

Rutgers Alumni Our Rutgers Through its history, its quality, its Emotional/ Pride/ 

diversity, and the accomplishments 

of its people, Rutgers upholds the 

Functional Lifelong 

Engagement 

value of your degree and celebrates 

the significance of your educational 

experience. 

New Jersey Residents Our Rutgers As your state’s historic flagship Emotional Pride 

university, Rutgers represents 

New Jersey in the world and 

strengthens the quality of life 

in New Jersey. 

Internal Campus Building a Rutgers’ important legacy and Emotional/ Pride in 

Family: Current Stronger Rutgers unique impact rest in your hands. Functional Belonging 

Students 

Through your accomplishments 

and ambassadorship, you can increase 

the value of the degree you 

will carry with you through life. 

Internal Campus Building a Rutgers’ important legacy and Emotional/ Pride in 

Family: Faculty Stronger Rutgers unique impact rest in your hands. Functional Ownership 

and Staff 

By partnering to build a stronger 

Rutgers, you help to create a more 

vibrant intellectual community 

and a healthier, more economically 

stable professional environment. 

Public Policy, Providing As the premier public research Functional Knowledge 

Business, and Higher Solutions university in one of America’s most 

Capital 

Education Leaders for Society’s dynamic and diverse states, Rutgers 

(People, Ideas, 

Challenges models solutions for the nation at 

large, and provides the intellectual 

Practical 

Solutions) 

capital and economic opportunities 

your business/organization needs 

to succeed and thrive. 

Prospective Students A Choice Rutgers’ superior educational Functional Undergraduate 

above Others programs, national stature, research 

excellence, and rich mix of new ideas, 

diverse cultures and backgrounds, 

and practical life experience will 

and Graduate 

Degrees, 

Certificates, 

Knowledge 

broaden your mind and prepare 

you to meet your goals. 

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Positioning Platform 

A brand value proposition, grounded in the university’s mission and based on demonstrable 

facts, was articulated as the foundation for all future communications: 

Unique in its history, diversity, quality, and scale, Rutgers serves as 

New Jersey’s premier educational and research asset and generator 

of solutions for the world. 

This proposition, along with supporting messaging, guides communications to specific 

groups. The brand value proposition also provided the basis for the campaign’s tagline: 

Jersey Roots, Global Reach. 

Messaging 

FIVE MESSAGE ANTHEMS 

The program includes “message anthems” that arm Rutgers ambassadors with clear, 

consistent, effective messages. Communications are based on these five key messages. 

Rutgers is one of the nation’s leading research universities with an international 

reputation for excellence. 

Rutgers is a unique resource for New Jersey. It is the only state institution with the 

combined quality, scale, and range of resources to educate the next generation of 

leaders and provide effective solutions to the challenges faced by individuals, government, 

and industries across the state. 

Rutgers is deeply rooted in New Jersey, a densely populated, diverse, and complex 

state that is a microcosm of 21st-century America. As such, it is in a position to be 

at the vanguard of world issues in such areas as health care, alternative energy, 

transportation, telecommunications, and homeland security. 

Rutgers is a major economic engine for New Jersey and the nation, providing the 

well-educated workforce and innovative research on which progress depends. 

Rutgers has a long tradition in New Jersey, beginning with its founding in 1766, 10 

years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Rutgers is the nation’s 

eighth oldest institution of higher learning. The university’s passionate and committed 

faculty and staff build on this rich history to teach, serve, and inspire each new 

generation of students. 

PROVIDING THE MESSAGE TO ADVOCATES 

It was evident that people associated with the university are the best advocates for Rutgers. 

The Comprehensive Communications Program led to the development of a number of new 

endeavors to help people tell the Rutgers story. 

A website, Speaking on Behalf of Rutgers, that provides key institutional messages, 

budget facts and figures, and the university’s position on important current issues. 

The website includes resources for general use, such as a PowerPoint “Introduction 

to Rutgers,” as well as the university’s television spots. 

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The transformation of Rutgers’ web presence to communicate and reinforce the central 

Rutgers messages, starting with the university’s core website (Rutgers.edu) and encompassing 

campus and departmental sites. 

Rutgers Today, a daily online news source that integrates stories written by Rutgers 

staff with multimedia and external coverage of the university. 

Rutgers Day, an annual event that brings tens of thousands of New Jersey residents to 

campus to build awareness of and emotional ties to their state university. 

Rutgers Speakers Bureau, which showcases Rutgers expertise by placing university 

speakers at professional associations, national and statewide conferences, and 

statewide and regional chamber of commerce groups. 

The incorporation of key messages into the script used by students staffing RU-info, 

the university’s central telephone and online information and referral service. 

Visual Identity System 

It was evident from the “Constituency Research Report” and the Lipman Hearne focus groups 

that the chaos of Rutgers’ visual representation undermined the university’s ability to define 

itself as a unique resource for the state and eroded the strength of its brand. As a result: 

the university did not receive consistent positive recognition as the home of 

respected faculty members, academic departments, schools, institutes, and research 

and cultural centers; 

entities of the university did not benefit fully from their association with the strong 

Rutgers brand; and 

the campuses were not always fully linked to the university brand. 

A clear, coherent visual identity system for an exceptionally complex university was developed 

to effectively link our campuses, schools, academic units, and administrative offices 

with the name “Rutgers”—a strong asset that we all proudly share. The system was endorsed 

by President McCormick and the Board of Governors as university policy in December 2006. 

The key elements of the visual identity system include: 

the Rutgers logotype; 

an informal university seal; 

the “Block R” universitywide athletic and spirit mark; 

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16 core marks that use the logotype and the informal seal; 

a detailed system for creating signature marks to be used by schools and units; 

templates for business cards, letterhead, envelopes, and related office stationery; 

templates for the website banner system; and 

detailed usage guidelines defining fonts, colors, and position of marks in the visual 

identity system. 

Policy Review and Development 

University Relations conducted a review of existing university policies that could compromise 

the success of a long-term universitywide branding effort. There were many deficiencies that 

required major revisions of existing policies and the establishment of new policies. Since the 

start of the Comprehensive Communications Program, University Relations has managed the 

development of the following universitywide policies: 

University Visual Identity 

Purchase of External Advertising 

Permission for Outside Vendors to Film, Videotape, and 

Photograph on Campus 

Trademark Licensing (use of the Rutgers name and marks) 

Communication and Relations with the News Media 

Sponsorships, Endorsements, and Accepting Advertising in 

University Materials (currently in development) 

University Relations has taken on the responsibilities of coordination 

and approvals for each of the newly established policies. View the policies online at 

policies.rutgers.edu/contents80.shtml. 

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Training, Resources, and Tools 

When the Board charged the Vice President for University Relations with this significant task, 

it made clear that University Relations is responsible for serving as a central resource for the 

university in managing and advancing the Rutgers brand. In addition to managing extensive 

advertising and visual identity websites, the department supports communicators across the 

university by offering: 

training through the Communicator Certificate Program (see page 13); 

professional development and peer-to-peer discussions through the Communicators 

Network, a University Relations initiative that connects communications professionals 

throughout the university through periodic meetings and online exchanges; 

graphic files of individual unit’s visual identity signature logos and web banners; and 

branded presentation materials, such as the Rutgers Exhibit Kit and the PowerPoint 

“Introduction to Rutgers.” 

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Departmental Infrastructure 

Initially, the Department of University Relations was not structured to fulfill the charge of the 

President and Board adequately. Until this time, the department’s resources were dedicated 

primarily to supporting communications projects for various academic and administrative 

units and the central administration, with no significant responsibilities for overall management 

of the university brand. With the understanding that the department would not be 

given additional staff resources to take on this new and critically important function, Vice 

President Manning launched a major reorganization of the department and a realignment of 

its programmatic priorities. 

Through the redeployment of existing staff, the Office of Strategic Communications was 

created within University Relations to take on the day-to-day management of the university 

brand, including messaging and universitywide coordination of advertising. Other offices 

of the department were instructed to direct their existing resources to the job of defining and 

elevating the Rutgers brand and toward assisting other Rutgers units to do the same. The 

Office of Creative Services took on the management of the Visual Identity System, including 

day-to-day oversight of the new policy. Media Relations began focusing its media outreach on 

placement of stories that best demonstrate the university’s key messages and brand attributes. 

Community Affairs, Executive Communications, Campus Information Services, and the 

Business Office all played critical roles in the creation, support, and implementation of the 

Comprehensive Communications Program. 

UNIVERSITY RELATIONS 

Strategic Communications 

Executive Communications 

Vice President 

Community Affairs 

Creative Services 

Media Relations 

Campus Information Services 

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HIGHLIGHTS OF FISCALYEAR 2006–07 

The New Visual Identity System Focuses the Rutgers Brand 

A major accomplishment for 2006–07 was the development, testing, and implementation of 

a new visual identity system for Rutgers, which replaced a 20-year-old logo and a chaotic 

“non-system” that included hundreds of unrelated logos and marks. 

The new visual identity system was approved by the Board of Governors in 

December 2006 and rolled out through the spring 2007 semester. 

Rutgers’ homepage displayed the new identity the day the Board approved the system. 

Thousands of webpages were updated to incorporate the new visual identity. 

Recognizing the budgetary implications of such a transition, departments were instructed 

to use existing supplies before converting to the new identity. The transition 

of costlier items, such as university signs and buses, was to coincide with scheduled 

and budgeted upgrades. 

Since the transition to the new visual identity began, more than 300 signature packages 

have been created. Each signature package contains an individual mark in all its allowed 

color variations as well as file formats resulting in the creation of more than 2,000 marks 

based on the Rutgers logotype. 

The identity website has received more than 100,000 unique visits to date. Between January 

2008 and July 2010, there were 30,062 downloads of identity files made via the site’s 

download zone. 

The Office of Creative Services has worked with numerous university units and student 

groups over the last several years to advise on correct usage of the identity system and to 

create customized files for use on merchandise. 

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Revising Trademark Licensing Requirements to Strengthen Brand 

University Relations reviewed the design specifications for licensed manufacturers of clothing, 

merchandise, and other collateral materials to make sure they conformed to the new 

guidelines of the visual identity system. Strict color guidelines were put in place, making 

Rutgers’ school color of scarlet the predominant color of Rutgers merchandise, with black, 

white, and grey approved as secondary colors. The use of various type fonts on materials 

was also more closely controlled. University Relations coordinated the transition to the 

new visual identity with the Rutgers Bookstore and other vendors to ensure that products 

bearing the correct colors and marks were available in stores and online. The department 

also worked with Procurement to help vendors understand the new requirements and the 

university’s expectations for their compliance. 

Rutgers’ Communicators Offered Professional Development 

The Communicator Certificate Program, developed by University Relations in collaboration 

with University Human Resources, was launched to provide professional development training 

to full-time Rutgers employees with communications responsibilities. The certificate program 

offers a series of workshops that allows for expertise sharing, peer-to-peer learning, and 

tips and tools for promoting Rutgers. Topics include: 

understanding Rutgers’ identity, including the visual identity system and messaging; 

enhancing communication to students, alumni, and the general public; 

developing ideas for media placements; and 

designing effective websites. 

Participants have 18 months in which to complete the required six foundation courses 

and three electives. Employees may also take individual courses without pursuing a certificate. 

In the first year of the program, 230 employees attended the “Understanding the Rutgers 

Identity” course and many of the other 12 workshops offered; 81 enrolled in the full program 

and 26 completed their certificates. Since 2007, more than 100 workshops have been 

presented, and a total of 84 employees have earned certificates. Today, the program offers 

16 workshops—with more to be added in the fall of 2010—and a total of 226 employees 

are enrolled. 

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New Advertising Policy 

In 2004, when this project was initiated, the university was still guided by a 40-year-old 

policy that prohibited general university advertising in external media. Working with the 

approval and advice of the Board of Governors’ Committee on Alumni and University 

Relations, the Department of University Relations benchmarked policies at peer institutions 

before rewriting the Rutgers policy. 

According to the new policy approved by the Board of Governors in December 2006, 

The university permits the purchase of advertising in external media to 

advance the institution and its individual units and programs so long as 

the advertisement incorporates the established Rutgers graphic identity, 

reflects key institutional messages, and adheres to the established 

guidelines and standards. 

University Relations was charged by the Board with direct responsibility for major institutional 

advertising campaigns and with coordination of all ads placed by Rutgers units to ensure 

that university resources are spent efficiently and wisely and that ads are consistent in 

messaging and visual presentation. University Relations also provided resources to encourage 

compliance, such as centrally negotiated, advantageous pricing, and coordinated media buys. 

Promoting Leadership in Undergraduate Education 

When Professor Barry Qualls was selected to receive the Council for the Advancement and 

Support of Education’s New Jersey Professor of the Year Award, it presented University 

Relations with an opportunity to develop and place an advertisement 

asserting Rutgers’ leadership in undergraduate education— 

an important brand attribute. In addition to Professor Qualls, the 

ad featured past award recipients Professor Clement Price and 

Professor Stephen Greenfield. This was the first ad created since 

the establishment of the new advertising policy and the adoption 

of the new visual identity system. 

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Tools Created for Advocates of Rutgers 

Speaking on Behalf of Rutgers, the website designed to provide advocates with key institutional 

facts and talking points, was launched. The site, which is updated regularly, includes: 

Points of Pride; 

Quick Talking Points; 

University Perspectives on current issues; 

Budget Facts and Figures; and 

PowerPoint presentation and three-minute video that 

provide introductory information about Rutgers. 

Collaborations Extend the Impact of the Faculty Traveling Seminar 

The Faculty Traveling Seminar, initiated in 2004 by President Richard L. McCormick, was 

incorporated into the Comprehensive Communications Program. The annual weeklong bus 

tour across the state of New Jersey, originally designed for newly tenured or tenure-track 

faculty at Rutgers, was expanded to include newly appointed department chairs, deans, and 

senior administrators. This “mobile classroom” afforded participants a unique opportunity 

to experience the people, places, and perspectives that shape the Garden State, while also 

enabling citizens of New Jersey to learn more about Rutgers. 

Throughout the tour, professors met with residents, K–12 students, and corporate 

and community leaders to broaden their understanding of statewide issues and concerns. 

These connections fostered new opportunities for public service, enhanced classroom 

instruction, and strengthened the university’s ties with the state. Over the five years of the 

program (2004–08), the seminar: 

traveled over 3,000 miles in a Rutgers branded bus; 

visited an average of 16 communities and 18 counties per year; 

resulted in approximately 75 media placements in outlets across the state; and 

introduced more than 170 faculty members to citizens across New Jersey. 

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More than 30 collaborations were developed between Rutgers faculty members and the 

many communities visited, including these examples. 

The university “adopted” at-risk and college bound students from Lakewood High 

School who could not afford to visit Rutgers’ campuses; Rutgers provided buses for 

the students to come to campus and discuss higher education with professors. 

Professors from landscape architecture, sociology, and neuroscience who 

might not have met in another context sought grant funding and collaborated 

to create a garden in New Jersey to stimulate Alzheimer’s patients. 

An engineering professor and his first-year students developed a conveyor 

system for a South Jersey farmer to transport plants from the field to trucks. 

Speakers Bureau Takes Rutgers’ Expertise to the Community 

The Rutgers Speakers Bureau was based on research conducted through focus groups, 

surveys, and advisory committee recommendations. The program started with participation 

from approximately 65 faculty members and was marketed aggressively to approximately 

50 target organizations. Currently there are 186 faculty members participating 

and 222 organizations registered to make requests, although any 

member of the public can request a speaker. The primary audiences are: 

professional associations; 

national and statewide conferences; and 

statewide and regional chambers of commerce. 

View the site at ur.rutgers.edu/speakers. 

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Brochure Highlights Rutgers Accomplishments 

The initial Year in Review brochure, titled “For New Jersey and the World,” described the university’s 

contributions to New Jersey and beyond through photos and brief captions. The 

brochure positioned Rutgers as a leading public research university worthy of stakeholder investment. 

It was distributed to public policy leaders, donors, alumni leaders, high school 

guidance counselors, and prospective students and their parents. 

Campus Tours for News Media 

To showcase Rutgers’ international stature, University Relations launched a series of media 

tours highlighting students, faculty, staff, and initiatives in the sciences, humanities, and the 

arts. These tours led directly to positive coverage of faculty and programs in: 

the School of Arts and Sciences; 

the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; 

the School of Engineering; and 

University Libraries. 

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Leveraging the Success of the Scarlet Knights 

The successful leveraging of national attention for the athletic success of the Rutgers football 

team and the grace with which the women’s basketball team responded to Don Imus led to 

more than 30,000 positive media stories—including coverage of outstanding academic departments 

such as philosophy and history, and schools such as criminal justice, planning and 

public policy, and communication and information. Rutgers won a CASE silver award for issues 

management for its handling of the Imus situation. 

Audit Program Engages Senior Citizens 

The existing Senior Citizen Audit Program was incorporated into the branding effort 

through increased marketing to New Jersey seniors. The program permits New Jersey residents 

older than 62 to attend courses for no charge on a space-available basis. 

Information about the program is sent directly to more than 500 senior 

citizens in all areas of the state. 

Audit packets are mailed, faxed, or emailed to more than 1,300 New Jersey 

libraries, civic groups, senior groups, governmental offices, and faith-based 

organizations throughout the state. 

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Presidential Leadership 

Consistent with Rutgers’ “category of one” status, President McCormick serves as a “thought 

leader” and advocate for quality public higher education in New Jersey. Opinion pieces by 

President McCormick were placed in newspapers around the state, including: 

an op-ed in the Trenton Times on the reorganization of undergraduate education on 

the New Brunswick Campus; 

a Home News Tribune/Trenton Times op-ed on the university’s 240th anniversary, 

entitled “Rutgers’ Mission: Dedication to Excellence”; and 

a Bergen Record op-ed about Rutgers’ academic and athletic successes. 

Speaking engagements and recognition included: 

a speech emphasizing Rutgers’ leadership in biomedical research when President 

McCormick accepted the Motilinsky Foundation’s Distinguished Citizen Award 

in November 2006; and 

receiving the Civic League of Greater New Brunswick’s Community Service Award 

in 2006. 

Reception Increases Rutgers’ Contacts with Municipal Leaders 

Since many New Jersey policy leaders serve or begin their careers in municipal and county 

positions, University Relations began to coordinate a Rutgers reception for municipal, 

county, and state officials at the annual League of Municipalities convention. A new Rutgers 

award was established to recognize individuals dedicated to public service. The reception and 

award fostered stronger relationships with those leaders and conveyed information about 

ways that Rutgers serves municipalities and the state. 

A compact brochure, Resources and Services for Municipalities, was given to all 

attendees and mailed to municipal leaders across New Jersey. 

Approximately 500 people attended the reception as President McCormick awarded the 

Rutgers Award for Public Service to New Jersey to League Executive Director Bill Dressel. 

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New Tagline Touts Rutgers’ Local and Global Impact 

Rutgers’ new marketing tagline, Jersey Roots, Global Reach, was announced as the title of 

President McCormick’s annual address in September. In his remarks, the President stated: 

“Our faculty members across multiple disciplines are seeking solutions to 

some of the most significant challenges of a global society. It is exciting 

work, captured in the simple phrase you will see again and again in Rutgers 

communications: Jersey Roots, Global Reach.” 

New Campus Banners Instill Pride 

The research that served as the foundation for the Comprehensive Communications 

Program emphasized the role of faculty, staff, students, and alumni as Rutgers ambassadors. 

The banner project, intended to create a “sense of place” for visitors and to build pride 

among the Rutgers community, launched the widespread use of the new visual identity and 

the campaign tagline, Jersey Roots, Global Reach. Elements included pole banners on campus 

with the new visual identity and building banners with the tagline. 

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Cover Story in Rutgers Magazine Launches Pride Profiles 

The Winter 2008 issue of the magazine introduced the branding campaign to alumni with 

a cover story that unveiled the new tagline and included profiles of four faculty members 

who would be featured in a Pride Profile campaign (see page 29). 

Introducing the Identity and Tagline across New Jersey 

The new visual identity and tagline were introduced to the New Jersey public through billboards 

on the New Jersey Turnpike and near campus. 

University Relations Engages the Rutgers Community in the Campaign 

University Relations took a series of steps to inform faculty, staff, and students of the branding 

campaign and to encourage their support. Activities included: 

giveaways: lapel pins, bumper stickers, luggage tags; 

exhibit kit: banners, podium signs, tablecloths, and rug that can be used by 

faculty and staff at presentations, conferences, and meetings, with 100 requests 

from 50 university units made to date; 

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campaign website: jerseyroots.rutgers.edu; and 

RU-tv: 

• a student-produced video package promoting Jersey Roots, Global Reach 

ur.rutgers.edu/video/rutv/ir/ir-roots.wmv; and 

• an RU-tv “Inside Rutgers” segment explaining the new identity system 

ur.rutgers.edu/video/rutv/ir/ir-08-03.wmv. 

New Advertising Policy Rolled Out 

All Rutgers faculty and staff received an email explaining the new advertising policy, and 

follow-up meetings were held with selected individuals. To efficiently administer the new 

advertising policy and ensure that university resources are spent wisely, a new ad review 

website adreview.rutgers.edu was created. The website: 

gathers information about advertising being placed by units across the university; 

facilitates the sharing of advertising opportunities; 

provides examples of advertising that promote Rutgers as a unique resource; and 

archives completed ads. 

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A new academic outreach program was launched during the 2007 fall semester that also 

capitalized on the success of the football team. Huddle with the Faculty: Gameday Seminars, 

a lecture series presented before selected home football games, provided fans, alumni, and 

friends with an opportunity to learn about scholarship and research at Rutgers. 

During the 2007 and 2008 seasons, 15 leading Rutgers faculty members offered 

thought-provoking seminars on topics ranging from stem cell research to the musical 

history of football fight songs. 

A total of 23 university units collaborated with University Relations to bring Huddle 

with the Faculty to the public, which earned them the Bridge Award in 2008 as part 

of the President’s Recognition Program. 

Showcasing Stellar Faculty and Students 

The new identity and the message that Rutgers is home to high-achieving faculty and students 

were showcased through a series of ads in the regional media. As part of an effort to 

raise Rutgers’ visibility among higher education leaders nationally, postcard versions of the 

ads were mailed to the president, chief academic officer, director of institutional research, 

and director of admissions at Rutgers’ peer institutions across the country. 

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Telling Rutgers’ Story Nationally 

Rutgers’ unique history, major accomplishments, and notable alumni were showcased in 

the award-winning TV spot “Before.” The 30-second announcement was shown at no 

charge to Rutgers during televised football and basketball games. The spot was also shown 

on cable systems throughout New Jersey during news programming. View the spot at 

jerseyroots.rutgers.edu/2007tvspot.php. 

New Promotions Reach Out to the News Media 

University Relations used the five message anthems to identify and promote faculty and student 

achievement, research, and undergraduate education stories through the state and national 

media. Examples of media outreach include the following: 

A media tour of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) led to 

positive media coverage of SEBS programs and initiatives, including the COOL 

Room, the Nutritional Sciences Preschool, and biofuels research. 

A new web feature was introduced: thematic Research Highlights pages. These pages 

have featured a wide range of research in specific areas, including the Oral History 

Project and the Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates. 

Media campaigns featuring the role of Rutgers faculty on the Intergovernmental 

Panel on Climate Change, the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and 

Rutgers Future Scholars led to more than 400 positive stories. 

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Campus Information Services Expands Promotional Programs 

University Relations launched an initiative to represent Rutgers and promote its key 

messages at events on campus and throughout the state, including: 

Rutgers exhibits at county fairs and chamber of commerce events; 

Rutgers Gardens Open House; 

Old Queens/Voorhees Mall Historical Tours, which were attended by 447 visitors; and 

Points of Pride messages on RU-tv. 

University Relations Increases Distribution of Highlights Brochure 

The title of the Year in Review brochure was changed to “Jersey Roots, Global Reach” to 

reflect the university’s new tagline. 

The print run was expanded to 65,000, including 40,000 sent to the parents of 

admitted students. 

A copy was mailed to the president, chief academic officer, director of institutional 

research, and director of admissions at Rutgers’ peer institutions across the country. 


University Relations secured placements for President McCormick at gatherings of public 

policy and business leaders as well as in key media outlets. These opportunities included: 

an appearance on PBS’s The Open Mind discussing “Universities in the 21st Century”; 

a featured speech at the New Jersey State NAACP Annual Conference; and 

a speech at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s Business Conference and Expo. 

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New Television Spot Tells National Audiences about 

Accomplished Alumni 

The 30-second Rutgers institutional TV spot, “People,” featured the following Rutgers 

alumni: Mary Baglivo, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Americas; Shaun O’Hara, center for the 

New York Giants; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Díaz; and Randal Pinkett, Rhodes 

Scholar, chair and CEO of BCT Partners, and winner of NBC’s Apprentice. The spot also 

featured Julianne Baird, Distinguished Professor of Music, Rutgers–Camden, and was 

narrated by Rutgers alumnus and acclaimed actor Avery Brooks. The spot won a CASE 

gold award and can be seen at jerseyroots.rutgers.edu/2008tvspot-intro.php. 

First Rutgers Day Invites New Jersey Public 

to Come and See Their State University 

A major focus in 2008–09 was the creation and successful launch of Rutgers Day on the 

New Brunswick Campus. With representation from each Rutgers campus, the event opened 

the university to the state’s citizens. 

Hundreds of programs were presented by faculty, students, and staff, including the 

long-standing popular attractions of Ag Field Day and the New Jersey Folk Festival. 

More than 50,000 visitors, including alumni, families, prospective students and 

parents, senior citizens, local community residents, and elected officials, came to 

Rutgers. Many of them had never before been on campus. 

A program booklet was distributed and posted on a comprehensive Rutgers Day 

website, which drew 168,000 downloads. 

A broad marketing campaign included advertising, billboards, and the distribution 

of bookmarks. Flyers and posters in English and Spanish also encouraged New 

Jerseyans to take the opportunity to explore their state university. 

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A Rutgers Day website Rutgersday.Rutgers.edu and Facebook page were created, and 

student-produced videos ran on RU-tv and the web to help create excitement. 

The university partnered with several sponsors and media partners to help defray 

costs and highlight its relationships with other organizations and media outlets. 

Report Shows Rutgers’ Economic Impact on the State 

An economic impact report, Solutions from Rutgers—New Jersey’s Partner for a Strong 

Economy, was produced to detail the many ways that Rutgers benefits New Jersey residents 

and enhances the state’s economic health. 

The 48-page report, which promotes Rutgers as a key part of New Jersey’s economic 

solution, was produced and distributed as a printed and web report, as a PowerPoint 

for faculty and administrators, and as the basis for advertising. 

Outreach to the media about the contents of the report resulted in more than 

1,000 articles. 

The report was distributed to key public policy and business leaders in the state as 

well as to the leaders at peer universities around the nation. 

The report, which won a CASE gold award, can be viewed online at 

jerseyroots.rutgers.edu/impactreport09. 

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Rutgers Magazine Distribution Expanded to Include All Alumni 

Rutgers Magazine’s distribution, previously limited to a subset of engaged alumni, was 

greatly expanded to include all Rutgers alumni. With the expanded distribution, readership 

of the magazine grew from approximately 70,000 to more than 350,000 alumni and 

friends as well as Rutgers faculty and staff, legislators, local government officials, high 

school counselors, and leaders at peer universities. The design and content of the magazine 

were reworked to better connect alumni with their alma mater. 

News Media Drawn to Faculty and Research 

University Relations leveraged opportunities to give exposure to prominent faculty. 

The U.S. Presidential Campaign provided an opportunity to showcase Rutgers faculty 

as political research and thought leaders. A thematic Research Highlights webpage led 

to more than 2,300 positive media stories on six continents—including cover stories 

in Time and Newsweek. 

The Chronicle of Higher Education ran 39 stories featuring Rutgers, an increase 

of nearly 40 percent over the previous year—and nearly four times the number of 

stories three years earlier. 

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Advertising Focuses on Rutgers’ People Power 

The central advertising message for the year was pride in the people of Rutgers. Materials were 

created and placed to celebrate the accomplishments of alumni, faculty, and students. 

The Pride Profile campaign, a series of billboards and print ads showcasing faculty 

who embody Jersey Roots, Global Reach, was visible throughout the state. 

Notable achievements of our faculty and alumni were showcased in regional and 

national media, such as the New York Times and the Chronicle of Higher Education. 

Bus wraps featuring the visual identity, tagline, and student images were applied 

to commuter and charter buses that are used extensively in New Jersey and into 

New York City. Rutgers pays the costs of producing the ads, but the ad space is free 

as an added-value benefit of the university’s contract with Academy Bus Inc. The 

three commuter buses alone generate a total of 261.5 million impressions over the 

two-year life of the wrap, at a per impression cost of $.0008. 

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Jersey Roots, Global Reach Theme Takes Hold 

One sign of an effective branding effort is when various entities of an institution, outside of 

the communications and marketing division, begin incorporating key branding themes into 

their own programs. For example, the university’s messaging and tagline were included in 

the development and implementation of the completely overhauled new student orientation 

program. In collaboration with University Relations, Student Life in New Brunswick 

launched the “I am a Scarlet Knight” pride campaign, which included a video, Legacy of 

Excellence, as well as a lapel pin attached to a card that features Rutgers’ Points of Pride. 

Other units readily embraced the messaging and tagline in their communications and 

programming. Examples include: 

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center’s (Cousteau Center at Bridgeton) 

Jersey Roots, Global Reach—Rutgers University Science in South Jersey Seminar Series; 

the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences annual report; 

programming sponsored by the dean of the College Avenue Campus; 

the Division of Global Affairs at Rutgers–Newark; 

School of Arts and Sciences capstone projects for undergraduate students; and 

a student Jersey Roots, Global Reach graphic design competition. 

Rutgers Launches Girl Scout Patch and Awards Program 

In the fall of 2008, at the request of and in conjunction with the Girl Scouts of Central & 

Southern New Jersey, Inc., Rutgers launched the Rutgers University in Your Community Girl 

Scout Program Award. After a scout completes the requirements for the program, she receives 

a patch bearing the Rutgers seal to wear on her uniform vest. Girls Scouts who participate 

come away from the program with a general understanding of: 

Rutgers University’s status within the state, as well as nationally and internationally; 

the different kinds of students who attend Rutgers, what courses they can take, and 

some of the career opportunities available to college graduates; 

the kinds of on-campus and off-campus activities available to students and visitors; 

how Rutgers helps local communities and people in New Jersey; 

the contributions Rutgers makes to society through its research; and 

the university’s long history in New Jersey. 

A website ur.rutgers.edu/girlscouts was designed to reach a larger audience of young 

women in New Jersey and across the country. 

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President McCormick continued to advocate for Rutgers and to serve as a higher education 

thought leader through speaking engagements with public policy and business leaders as 

well as in key media outlets, including: 

an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Home News Tribune on the Rutgers Future 

Scholars Program; 

a “Grand Rounds” PowerPoint presentation to physicians and medical staff at St. Peter’s 

Hospital on “Rutgers and Health Care”; 

a Star-Ledger op-ed on the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, entitled “Lincoln’s Leadership 

Undiminished 200 Years Later”; 

an essay on the benefits of campus diversity featured in the March/April 2009 issue of 

DiversityInc magazine; and 

a Bergen Record op-ed on the impact of the 2008 election on science, entitled “New 

Administration, Congress Return Science to the Front Burner.” 

In addition, more than 150 stories featuring President McCormick’s role as a regional and 

national leader in higher education appeared in the media. The most prominent was a 

Chronicle of Higher Education article about the President’s decision to donate his $100,000 

performance bonus back to the university to support student financial aid. 

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The University’s Main Website—Rutgers.edu—Is Transformed 

The next major step in the branding effort was to bring Rutgers’ web presence in line with the 

goals of the communications program. This required a total restructuring and redesign of the 

university’s core website, Rutgers.edu, to provide a marketing-driven web presence that supports 

all aspects of the university’s positioning. 

In the initial phase of the two-year project, University Relations collaborated with Digital 

Wave, a website development firm, to analyze the existing website and to hold focus groups 

with prospective and current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the public. This analysis was 

used to develop key recommendations for creating the new Rutgers.edu: 

unify identity through a coordinated “core site” approach; 

vastly improve the ability to find information based on tasks/interest (not dependent 

on internal structures or other prior knowledge); 

focus on campus culture and key attributes through multiple stories, aligned with 

branding/tagline; 

provide easy access to campus sites and search tools throughout the site; 

incorporate an area of custom content destinations for prospective students on the 

homepage; 

ensure simple, well-segmented homepage content; and 

select a content management system to help manage an increasing number of webpages 

and provide for easier updates and maintenance. 

In phase two, a project team was created to manage the overhaul, including the selection 

of a content management system; content, design, and site development; training; testing; 

and implementation. A staff position was reallocated to enable the hiring 

of an editorial content manager for the site. After broad consultation 

with the Rutgers community through a prelaunch preview period, email 

comments, and face-to-face feedback, University Relations launched the 

redesigned, reengineered, and content management driven site at the 

start of the 2009–10 academic year. 

Between its launch in September 2009 and June 30, 2010, 

the new Rutgers website received 7,022,903 unique visits for a total 

of 11,867,283 page views. View the background details on how the 

Rutgers main website was revised at ur.rutgers.edu/redesign. 

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Daily News Center Debuts 

The start of this academic year was also marked by the 

launch of Rutgers Today, a daily, web-based news source 

that addresses several rapidly emerging trends in higher 

education communication, including: 

the blurring of distinction between internal and 

external audiences; 

the declining reach of traditional news media; and 

the capability to use the web to deliver news and 

information—including video, audio, and photo 

slideshows. 

A significant undertaking, Rutgers Today aggregates, prioritizes, 

and displays official university announcements; 

other university news; multimedia features about faculty, 

staff, students, alumni, and initiatives; university events; 

coverage of the university by non-Rutgers media; and polls 

about issues of interest to the university community. Rutgers Today features: 

content created by University Relations and by units across the university community; 

students, faculty, staff, and initiatives from all three Rutgers campuses and all 27 schools 

and colleges; and 

a section dedicated to the latest news about Scarlet Knights athletics. 

In the first nine months that Rutgers Today was in operation, the site generated more 

than 500,000 web visitors and nearly 1,000,000 web views of written and video content 

and led to more than 1,400 positive stories about the university in non-Rutgers media. 

Rutgers Today won the first place award for best newsletter/print or online in the New Jersey 

Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists Excellence In Journalism Awards for 2009. 

Visit the site at rutgers.edu/news-center/rutgers-today. 


University Relations collaborated with the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics to promote 

legendary women’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer’s induction into the Naismith Memorial 

Basketball Hall of Fame. University Relations produced a billboard to publicize this honor. 

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Second Annual Rutgers Day Draws 75,000 to Campus 

The second annual Rutgers Day, held on April 24, 2010, had an additional 25,000 visitors 

(a 50% increase) to the New Brunswick and Piscataway campuses than the prior year. The 

second year of this major event achieved several goals that were established after the inaugural 

Rutgers Day. 

Programs were expanded to include the Livingston Campus. 

Student involvement and the number of new programs were increased significantly. 

The Scarlet and White football game was added, drawing a school-record crowd of 

20,114 fans to Rutgers Stadium. 

Participation from members of the local community increased. 

Sponsorships were increased. 

University Relations developed a better method of surveying visitors about their 

experience. 

The university reduced costs. 

The visitor experience was enhanced due to improved bus service, maps, and information 

services. 

Rutgers Embraces Social Media and Launches Official 

Rutgers Facebook Page 

In an effort to better understand the changing world of social media and the role it can play 

in furthering the marketing and communication goals of Rutgers, University Relations formed 

a universitywide task force on social media. The goals of the Social Media Task Force were to: 

examine current social media trends and tools; 

review peer institutions’ use of and approach to social media for marketing and 

communications purposes; 

evaluate Rutgers’ presence in existing social media; 

explore the costs and benefits of Rutgers becoming more deeply involved in social 

media for marketing and communications purposes; and 

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explore opportunities for partnership among university units. 

The task force recommended guidelines and training to assist university 

divisions interested in utilizing social media as a part of their marketing and 

communications strategies. 

An outcome of both the launch of Rutgers Today and the Social Media 

Task Force was the creation of an official Rutgers University Facebook page 

[facebook.com/pages/New-Brunswick-Newark-and-Camden/Rutgers- 

University/172636137574]. The page has helped disseminate information about 

the university and promote Rutgers Day, which also has its own Facebook page. 

Rutgers Speakers Bureau Expanded 

Rutgers Speakers Bureau focused on making faculty profiles more appealing, 

updating the data on the website, and developing new avenues of outreach to 

the public. The target audience was expanded to include: 

libraries and historical societies; 

middle schools and high schools; 

local community groups and grassroots organizations; 

churches and synagogues; 

senior citizen communities and community centers; 

regional chamber of commerce groups; and 

alumni groups. 

Since May 1, 2007, the website has attracted more than 10,000 visitors from 83 

countries, with an average of 264 visits per month. The source of the visits were: 

67% from search engines (Google, Yahoo, uhr.rutgers.edu); 

18% direct traffic; and 

14% from referring sites (links). 

Negotiating Reduced Advertising Rates Leverages 

University Resources 

University Relations continued to build relationships with media outlets and with university 

units that place advertising. Its success in negotiating significantly reduced contract rates for 

media buys resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings 

to the university, making it affordable for units to collaborate on 

media placements. 

The university scaled back its institutional advertising due to 

budget constrictions, but took advantage of “sale” pricing to 

keep the Rutgers brand visible to the New Jersey public. 

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The Rutgers Day media buy, primarily intended to draw people to the event, was employed 

as an opportunity to keep the Rutgers brand visible throughout the state. 

Opportunities for joint collaborations allowed university units to gain exposure they 

could otherwise not afford: 

• Summer/Winter Session 

• Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick 

• Mason Gross School of the Arts 

• Division of Continuing Studies 

• School of Management and Labor Relations 

• Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy 

University Relations provided design and purchasing assistance to individual units 

whose ads supported the key message anthems. 

ALUMNI AGREE RUTGERS 

MAGAZINE STRENGTHENS 

CONNECTION TO UNIVERSITY 

Strongly Agree 33% 

Agree 56% 

Disagree 4% 

Strongly disagree 2% 

No opinion 5% 

Survey Affirms Impact of Rutgers Magazine; Digital Edition and 

New Website Launched 

According to the results of a survey of alumni conducted in November 2009, the expanded 

distribution of Rutgers Magazine to all Rutgers graduates has been effective in strengthening 

communication between Rutgers and its more than 380,000 living alumni. Nearly 90% of 

the alumni who responded said that reading Rutgers Magazine strengthens their personal 

connection to the university. The magazine also spurs readers to take action; survey respondents 

indicated that they have attended university events, made donations, recommended 

Rutgers to potential students, and shared magazine stories with others. Eighty-six 

percent of alumni who responded read most or every issue they received. The majority of 

readers spend more than 30 minutes reading an issue with more than 25% spending an 

hour or more. 

With the Winter 2010 issue, University Relations launched an expanded website [magazine.rutgers.edu] 

for the magazine that includes a page-turning digital version of each issue. 

The enhanced online magazine presence provides an opportunity to post each issue in its 

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entirety, provide expanded magazine content to readers, and reach constituents who do 

not receive the paper version of the magazine. To drive users to the site and increase site 

traffic, magazine stories are repurposed as homepage banners and sidebar spotlights on 

Rutgers.edu. Additionally, the magazine site and the Alumni Relations site cross-promote 

each other. Future plans include adding comment sections for each story and enhancing 

the magazine’s social media presence. 


University Relations continued to work with President McCormick to identify venues to 

discuss Rutgers and issues affecting higher education. The opportunities this year included: 

an op-ed highlighting Rutgers’ economic impact, published by the Home News 

Tribune and Courier News; 

remarks to high school students, educators, and community leaders at the New Jersey 

Black Issues Convention. Rutgers also hosted an exhibit table at the event; 

a cover story in the Winter 2010 issue of Rutgers Magazine; 

a speech at the DiversityInc Conference entitled “How Leadership Expresses 

Diversity Commitment”; 

a half-hour appearance on New Jersey Network’s On the Record program; 

a half-hour appearance on PBS’s The Open Mind, which aired on Rutgers Day; 

a front page profile in NJ BIZ, the weekly publication for New Jersey 

business leaders; 

participation on a panel of presidents discussing Leadership in the New Decade 

at the Annual CASE Summit for Advancement Leaders in New York; and 

a keynote speech for The Future of Diversity and Opportunity in Higher 

Education: A National Forum in Innovation and Collaboration. 

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Visual Identity Educational Session Educates Vendors 

In June 2010, University Relations conducted an educational session for more than 30 

university-licensed vendors on how to properly include Rutgers’ visual identity on printing, 

clothing, and other merchandise. This was the first of several vendor educational seminars 

to ensure their adherence to the university’s identity standards, with future sessions organized 

by commodity produced. 

Branding Rutgers’ New Brunswick Campus 

Undergraduate education has undergone a major transformation at Rutgers’ New Brunswick 

Campus in the past few years. Aimed at making dramatic improvements in the student experience 

by reshaping academics and student life, this initiative included the creation of the 

School of Arts and Sciences, the renaming of Cook College as the School of Environmental 

and Biological Sciences, and the establishment of Douglass Residential College. The initiative 

also established a core curriculum, a more cohesive honors program, an extensive firstyear 

seminar program, and vibrant living-learning communities across the campus. The 

offices of University Relations, University Undergraduate Admissions, and Undergraduate 

Education are collaborating to develop a multiyear communications program to migrate the 

brand equity in the former colleges to the newly established schools, to clarify the unique 

attributes of the New Brunswick Campus experience, and to establish the campus as a top 

choice for high-achieving students from New Jersey and beyond. 

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This year there were several advertising collaborations. University Relations negotiated 

media buys and participated in cost-sharing with University Undergraduate Admissions to 

highlight Rutgers in specific target areas: 

billboards in Long Island featuring the Jersey Roots, Global Reach tagline; and 

print ads in Newsweek, Princeton Review, and Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. 

University Relations also contributed materials and promotional support for the new 

Visitor Center, which was launched by University Undergraduate Admissions this year. 

RU-tv provided videos for the interactive displays. 

Creative Services provided design support and photos for the display panels. 

Media Relations promoted the new center externally. 

Rutgers Magazine included stories about the new facility and alumni who helped 

fund the project. 

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IN THE WORKS FOR FISCALYEAR 2010–11 

Assessing the Effectiveness of the Communications Program 

When the university conducted the benchmark constituency research in 2004, the decision 

was made to retest in about five years into the implementation of the communications 

program. While the initial research was very broad in scope and surveyed more than 

8,000 people, the follow-up survey will be more limited in reach and will focus on a smaller 

set of questions that relate specifically to Rutgers’ institutional brand. The results of the new 

research will help gauge the effectiveness of efforts launched since the inception of this 

program, guide modifications to the work plan, and suggest new or refined priorities for the 

future. Audiences to be tested are: New Jersey citizens, current faculty and staff, and alumni. 

The testing will be conducted by SRBI in the fall of 2010. 

Improving Internal Communication through Faculty/Staff Bulletin 

University Relations has collaborated with University Human Resources to create a new 

weekly enewsletter for Rutgers faculty and staff. The Faculty & Staff Bulletin will consolidate 

into one communication information that is currently distributed through multiple 

channels. The goal is to provide official information to faculty and staff in an efficient and 

cost-effective manner. The new enewsletter will begin in September 2010. 

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Additional Materials to Help Brand Rutgers’ 

New Brunswick Campus 

Each of the three regional campuses—New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden—shares the 

strength of the Rutgers brand, while still retaining its own distinct campus attributes and 

identities. With universitywide coordination among staff, communications and recruitment 

efforts originate from the respective regional campus offices. In New Brunswick, the program 

to brand that campus continues as part of a multiyear communications effort between University 

Relations, University Undergraduate Admissions, and Undergraduate Education. 

HIGH SCHOOL POSTER FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS 

Two new recruitment posters will be distributed in 2010–11. The first is aimed at high school 

students in New Jersey and the nation and the second at international undergraduate and 

graduate prospects. Admissions data and feedback from high school guidance counselors 

and prospective students informed the design. The first poster will 

be mailed to high schools in New Jersey and selected high schools 

around the country in August. 

NEW RECRUITMENT VIDEO FOR VISITOR CENTER 

A high-quality video that will be shown at the Rutgers Visitor 

Center during admissions open houses and tours, as well as during 

general visiting hours, will be produced by June 2011. The new 

video, which will replace the older video now in use, will convey 

a strong sense of place and add to the “wow” experience of visits 

to campus. The video will include strong visual and musical elements 

to excite high school-age students and appeal to viewers’ 

emotions. The primary audience for this video is prospective undergraduate 

students and their parents (both in-state and out-ofstate). 

The secondary audience is members of the general public 

who attend events at the Rutgers Visitor Center. 

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DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE NEW BRUNSWICK CAMPUS WEBSITE 

After the launch of the revised Rutgers.edu, University Relations began work to overhaul the 

New Brunswick Campus website, aligning it with the core site and reengineering it in the 

Drupal content management system. The initial phase included: 

analyzing the current site, which consisted of pages of lists of links and lacked 

marketing-driven content; 

reviewing and assessing site traffic reports; and 

consulting with various stakeholders across the campus to identify academic and 

administrative services and priorities. 

The analysis and broad consultation was used to develop recommendations for the site, 

including emphasizing the New Brunswick Campus’s role as an academic powerhouse; 

defining and explaining the student experience in New Brunswick; and providing students 

with a sense of place for the entire campus as well as the smaller residential campuses. 

The site launched at the start of the 2010–11 academic year. Visit the site at nb.rutgers.edu. 

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Redesigning School and Administrative Unit Websites 

University Relations’ ongoing website redesign project continues with phase three, which 

includes redesigns, both visually and architecturally, and a transition into the content 

management system for the websites of the Graduate School of Education, the School of 

Management and Labor Relations, Mason Gross School of the Arts, and University Relations. 

This pilot work will include the creation of site features and functionality that other schools 

and administrative units may be able to adapt for their own use should they choose to 

implement their sites in the content management system. 

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Developing a New Policy on Sponsorships, Endorsements, 

and Accepting Advertising in University Materials 

The university originally issued a policy on “Endorsements, Solicitations, and Advertising” 

in 1962 and revised it in 1982. The policy was extremely restrictive, prohibiting most forms 

of endorsements, solicitations, and image advertising. The original policy was separated 

into four policies addressing discrete issues: 

charitable contributions; 

solicitations; 

the purchase of paid advertising in external media; and 

sponsorships, endorsements, and acceptance of paid advertising in university media 

and materials. 

The first three policies have already been reviewed and revised. The policy on sponsorships, 

endorsements, and acceptance of paid advertising in university media and materials 

deals with important issues that have become increasingly complex with the growth of online 

communications. Given the increasing funding pressures the university is confronting, 

Rutgers is faced with the challenging task of balancing the demand for university units to 

maximize all available resources with the need to preserve Rutgers’ reputation and integrity. 

The Vice President for University Relations will convene a universitywide committee to: 

consider recent requests related to the policy; 

interview faculty and staff with direct experience with these requests and practices; 

hear from university administrators with expertise in relevant legal, tax, and 

information technology issues; 

benchmark policies and procedures at peer institutions to determine best practices; and 

develop a new policy to take forward to university leadership. 

Improving Connections with New Brunswick 

University Relations is developing a plan to strengthen Rutgers’ relations and collaborations 

in the city of New Brunswick. The plan includes a new website and publication highlighting 

Rutgers outreach projects, public service, and economic impact in its host communities. A 

task force will be formed to develop best practices for research collaborations. The plan also 

includes a series of discussion forums with Rutgers representatives and New Brunswick municipal, 

civic, and community leaders. The goals are to harness our collective skills, resources, 

and service commitments around issues of mutual interest. 

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The Rutgers football team achieved the nation’s number one ranking in the 

Academic Progress Rate (APR) according to the multiyear APR figures released 

by the NCAA in June. The historic accomplishment continues a trend 

for the Rutgers football program of success both in the classroom and on 

the playing field. Furthermore, 11 Rutgers teams earned perfect scores. To 

showcase this significant accomplishment, a targeted media campaign has 

been developed for the beginning of the 2010 football season. All materials 

include text that reads “Academics. Athletics. At The Top.” Elements include: 

billboards on the New Jersey Turnpike and Somerset Street 

in New Brunswick; 

a full-page ad in the New York Times (This will be the final ad to take 

advantage of a deeply discounted rate negotiated two years ago.); 

a full-page ad in Rutgers Magazine; and 

an oversized postcard that will be mailed to leaders at peer 

universities around the country and policy leaders in Trenton and 

Washington, D.C. 

Maximizing Scarce University Resources through 

Collaborative Media Buys 

University Relations will continue to use the university’s purchasing power to negotiate advantageous 

pricing for advertising. An example is a five-week media buy that is a collaboration 

of five units—University Relations, Mason Gross School of the Arts, the School of 

Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers School of Business–Newark and New Brunswick, 

and the Division of Continuing Studies. The media buy will have a rotating video presence 

on all 13 New York-bound PATH train station platforms for five weeks, beginning October 4, 

2010. This introductory offer will provide Rutgers with a total of 8.1 million impressions at a 

discounted rate of $.0025 per impression. 

Celebrating Rutgers Pride 

University Commencement 2011 will be a completely revised ceremony that will be held in 

Rutgers Stadium for the first time in decades. University Relations is partnering with the Office 

of the Secretary to produce a video meant to instill a sense of pride and community and 

convey that Rutgers is a first-class university. The primary audience for this video is the family 

members and friends of graduates from our undergraduate and graduate programs across the 

university who attend University Commencement. The video will be shown on the Jumbotron 

at the stadium prior to the ceremony. 

4 5

New Rutgers site on NJ.COM 

NJ.com, the largest local news and information source in New Jersey with 6.5 million unique 

users and 50 million page views, has just launched a new web portal devoted exclusively to 

news and information about Rutgers. It is the first such alliance NJ.com has established 

with a university. The Rutgers page on NJ.com is the result of a relationship that started in 

September 2009, when University Relations launched Rutgers Today. NJ.com began to feature 

Rutgers Today content while Rutgers Today, in addition to displaying NJ.com news 

stories, hosted a link to NJ.com on its site. This early content exchange prompted discussions 

about expanding the collaboration to create a permanent Rutgers section on the 

NJ.com site. The result is an NJ.com/Rutgers-University website that aggregates content 

from NJ.com’s 12 affiliated newspapers, including the Star-Ledger, and from several content 

streams at Rutgers. These include Rutgers Today; Rutgers Magazine; The Daily Targum; and 

ScarletKnights.com. The NJ.com/Rutgers-University website also features local news, discussions, 

videos, classifieds, entertainment listings, and more from Rutgers’ host communities 

in New Brunswick and Piscataway, Newark, and Camden, as well as a section for bloggers. 

Visitors to the site can also upload their own Rutgers photos. 

4 6

AWARDS AND PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION 

University Relations has been recognized for the merits of the overall communication 

program, as well as for several program components. Below is a sampling of national and 

regional awards. 

OVERALL BRANDING PROGRAM 

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awarded 

the Gold Medal for Institution-Wide Branding Program to Rutgers for its 

Comprehensive Communications Program. (2008) 

The Rutgers branding program has been selected by Elizabeth Scarborough, CEO of 

SimpsonScarborough, to be highlighted in her upcoming book about 

marketing success stories in higher education. (2010) 

VISUAL IDENTITY 

CASE awarded a Silver Medal for the Visual Identity System. (2008) 

TELEVISION SPOTS 

The first of a series of institutional television spots that take advantage of free 

airtime during football and basketball games, “The Tour” won a Gold Award from 

Admissions Marketing Report in the category of TV Advertising Single. (2006) 

CASE awarded a Silver Medal for the TV spot, “Before”. (2008) 

CASE awarded a Gold Medal for the TV spot, “People”. (2009) 

“People” and its supporting website were cited as a gold standard example 

at the American Marketing Association’s annual Symposium on Higher 

Education Marketing. (2009) 

Tom Hayes, an Xavier University professor and an expert in higher education 

marketing, selected “Before” to demonstrate “what works” in higher education 

marketing at the American Marketing Association Symposium. (2009) 

MESSAGING 

CASE awarded a Silver Medal for Issues and Crisis Management for Rutgers’ handling 

of the Don Imus situation. (2008) 

CASE awarded a Gold Medal for Individual Institutional Relations Publications for 

Solutions from Rutgers—New Jersey’s Partner for a Strong Economy, the 

university’s economic impact report. (2010) 

Rutgers Today won the First Place Award For Best Newsletter/Print Or Online in the 

New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Excellence 

In Journalism Awards. (2010) 

Rutgers Today won First Place for Online Layout Design by Garden State 

Journalists. (2010) 

CASE District II awarded an Honorable Mention to “Economic Impact: 

Highlighting Rutgers Impact on New Jersey’s Economy” ad. (2010) 

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PROGRAMMING 

CASE awarded a Gold Medal for Individual Public Relations and Community 

Relations Projects to the New Faculty Traveling Seminar. (2006) 

CASE District II awarded a Gold Medal in Advertising for the Multimedia 

Package for Rutgers Day. (2010) 

RU-tv was named the Best Student-Run Campus Television Network at the 

Association of Higher Education Cable Television Administrator’s Student 

Production Awards, sponsored by mtv. (2006) 

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY 

The Art Directors Club of New Jersey awarded a Certificate of Excellence to the 

University Undergraduate Admissions Viewbook. (2007) 

CASE District II awarded a Gold Medal to Rutgers Magazine’s illustration for 

“Obama’s New Deal” (2010) 

The University Photographers’ Association of America awarded a Third Place 

in the Annual Multimedia Competition for the photo slideshow “Got Cranberries” 

that ran as a homepage banner and spotlight on Rutgers.edu. (2009) 

The University Photographers’ Association of America awarded a First Place 

in its Annual Print Competition for the portrait of Professor Jay Tischfield in 

a cryogenic vat taken for Rutgers Today and featured on the NIH’s National 

Center for Research Resources (NCRR) Recovery Act Information website. (2010) 

4 8

DEPARTMENT OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS 

Marcie Aboff 

Jeffery Arban 

Arlana Arrington 

Maria Balac-Martinez 

Risa Barisch 

Linda Bassett 

Gail Bellas 

Pamela Blake 

Carl Blesch 

Joseph Blumberg 

Ken Branson 

Frank Bridges 

Eve Burris 

Carla Cantor 

Elyse Carlson 

John Chadwick 

Margaret Christ 

Michelle Cody 

Jessica Crotty 

Beth DeMauro 

Debra Diller 

Joanne Dus-Zastrow 

Mary Lou Earl 

Lisa Elwood 

Rae Frisch 

Geraldine Garrett 

Bill Glovin 

Phyllis Gottlieb 

Maria Hall 

Jane Hart 

Dione Henry 

Paula Henry 

Allan Hoffman 

Karen Imperiale 

Faith Jackson 

Daren Jacobs 

Eric Jacobson 

Jeremee Johnson 

Adam Kertis 

Deborah Kim 

Sandy Lanman 

Rosemary Lyons 

David Major 

Steve Manas 

Kim Manning 

Terre Martin 

Michael Meagher 

Gerald Meccia 

Ernest Miranda 

Lori Nanton 

Johnny Nunez 

Cindy Paul 

Nicole Pride 

Asanka Rajapakse 

Amy Reilly 

Nick Romanenko 

Kay Schechter 

Marybeth Schmutz 

Monique Schnee 

Melissa Selesky 

Brenton Smith 

Karen Smith 

James Stapleton 

Tasha Tharrington 

Tracey Themne 

Jennifer Toone 

Gregory Trevor 

John Van Cleaf 

Jeanne Weber 

Danielle Weber-Soares 

Matthew Weismantel 

Kathryn Zielenkievicz 

Staff as of August 1, 2010.

Status Report of Rutgers Comprehensive Communications ...

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