Attracting a well-rounded, intelligent, talented and diverse student body is essential in maintaining the viability of any university and something to which UW-Madison is strongly committed.
Marketing UW is an effort that incorporates numerous facets. Mailings, a newly redesigned admissions website, television commercials, visits from campus representatives and campus tours all contribute to UW's advertising campaign.
The Office of Admissions, in conjunction with University Communications, puts together a number of publications that are sent to prospective students in order to communicate key information about the university. Filled with colorful images of campus, classrooms, sporting events and performances, the Viewbook covers a variety of topics.
Similarly, the University Residence Halls brochure, also developed by University Communications, lures prospective students with front-cover images of lakeshore sunsets, downtown cityscapes and sailboats.
Developing a signature logo is another important aspect in running a successful advertising campaign. University Communications art director Earl Madden created the \Crest W"" logo that appears on all printed or electronic publications, including the Viewbook and residence hall brochure.
""It's based off of an architectural detail from the Field House, which dates back to 1929,"" said Tricia Dickinson, University Communications marketing director. The logo, which shows a red shield with a large white ""W"" in the center, is ""on all mailings from the admissions' office at the end of commercials,"" Dickinson explained.
The commercials, which air during televised Badger sporting events, reach out to ""prospective undergraduates,"" Dickinson said, ""but also to the citizens of Wisconsin because we have a strong obligation to serve them.""
One clip shows a male student walking through campus as a voice states, ""Leading the future before anyone else knows it's arrived, a place where everyone is thinking ahead, UW-Madison. Forward. Thinking."" This, along with other commercials produced by University Communications in conjunction with John Roach Projects, Inc., convey ""the idea of forward thinking and the fact that UW-Madison is in the forefront of teaching, research, and service to the state,"" Dickinson said.
The ads ""are basically free airtime because they're part of the Big Ten licensing contract, so they don't use state or tuition dollars,"" Dickinson added. Depending on which network is running the particular game, the commercials are televised statewide, regionally or even nationally.
Through highlighting the university's attributes to potential students, tour guides also play an integral role in showing off the benefits of choosing Madison.
""We're not trying to sell the school. We just showcase what it has to offer,"" said UW-Madison senior and tour guide Linnea Baumgart.
Besides pointing out buildings and talking about academics, ""We like to talk about student life and add anecdotes in the tour,"" said tour guide Arielle Seiden, UW-Madison junior.
Tour Guide Coordinator Jeremy Traska added: ""One main thing we like to do is incorporate history and student life. We have a historical campus, but it's also important to know what's going on now.""
Although the tour appeals to all prospective students, challenges arise when attempting to package something as large as Madison into something marketable to the wide variety of students the university attracts.
Tom Reason, associate director in the Office of Admissions, agrees that assigning a single image to Madison is nearly impossible. ""We attract students with different expectations, with different experiences and backgrounds,"" he said.
Similarly, the size of UW-Madison often intimidates potential students. However ""it has a way of working itself out,"" Reason said. ""We don't just have lots of students, we have lots of groups of students, and through getting involved, they'll develop relationships and carve out neighborhoods here.""
Perhaps the strongest part of UW-Madison's marketing strategy is something that has been cultivated for decades, and unrelated to the media.
""We're lucky to have a strong brand,"" Dickinson said. ""We have a strong reputation both in Wisconsin and on the coasts.""
According to applicant figures from the fall of 2004, marketing efforts seem to be paying off. The Office of Admissions' webpage shows that 20,285 students applied for undergraduate admission last year and 5,630 ended up enrolling at the university.
