One of the appeals of taking a leadership role is envisioning all the positive changes you might make. When I joined the Lory Student Center (LSC) in August of 2022 as a first-time department manager, I had the opportunity to rebuild a department that had been recently restructured and asked to create a new business model. The department was actively hiring for multiple new roles, and the building was wrapping up a major renovation. With these circumstances came the opportunity to redefine marketing success within the organization. In my first two years, significant changes and updates were made as the department moved from a single-project "agency" model, to an internal communications team which consolidated resources for several significant departments within the LSC, including Campus Activities, the CSU Bookstore and LSC Dining.
Step 1: Audit Past Performance
The first step in creating a new marketing team strategy was to conduct a comprehensive audit of legacy project records. Under its previous name, “Colab,” the department had been using Function Point, a project management platform, since 2012. I decided to extract and analyze five years’ worth of data to identify productivity trends before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. My goal was to understand how the department had performed over time, identify inefficiencies, and clarify expectations for productivity moving forward.
Demands on the department were expected to decrease significantly by narrowing our focus to limited key clients: CSU Bookstore, LSC Dining, LSC Event Planning Office, LSC Talent & Development/Executive Director's Office, SLiCE, and Campus Activities. The audit revealed a significant issue - these clients already accounted for over 80 percent of our project load. Instead of triggering improved capacity, the project load after the realignment would remain largely the same. The audit also uncovered that internal marketing department promotion and administrative processes had previously required a disproportionate amount of resources. This informed our capacity strategy and I worked to reduce department-forward projects and make administrative tasks less cumbersome.
Step 2: Recreate Training Materials
Another critical component in repositioning the department was to revamp training materials for student employees. The existing resources had become outdated, and a previous WordPress onboarding site had been improperly moved to a different server, rendering it uneditable. This was problematic as we needed to hire new students and onboard a multimedia coordinator during my first six months - activities I had never done before - and all of the procedures were unclear.
To address this, I worked with my Graphic Design coordinator (hired the same week as me) to completely rewrite and recreate all the training materials with more efficient procedures and clarity around student benefits and expectations. These updated materials were first used in the January 2023 Spring semester onboarding session for new employees. Over 100 slides of content were prepared and presented in a two-day, ballroom training. The Marketing offices were unavailable at that time due to construction. Topics included everything from clocking in and requesting paid leave to vendor contact information and design and branding tips.
The slide presentation materials were then transferred onto a new SharePoint site. This made referencing the training materials more convenient and allowed us to keep content up-to-date with evolving needs, The site was expanded to include partner-facing resources including policies, branding assets, and legacy project files. Department branding, including the "X" shape with icons, was intentionally minimized for the SharePoint user interface design, as the Associated Vice President/Executive Director wanted to move on from the "Colab" influence.
Read more about the SharePoint transition here: https://lcarterdesign.wixsite.com/portfolio/post/sharepoint-for-marketing
By reshaping our student training and interaction, the department was able to better position students for career success after graduation. The hiring and onboarding process was simplified. The ratio of career staff managers to students was adjusted. As my formal role is an indirect student supervisor, I was able to better equip department coordinators with direct supervision responsibilities to lead pre-semester and semester-long student training sessions. Providing students with more clear access to policies and procedures created time during routine weekly meetings to focus on enrichment around accessibility, representation and career skills. The department fostered an internship-style experience, culminating with student portfolio presentations for leadership guests at the end of each semester. Many of our student design and marketing employees have gone on to take full-time roles in marketing and higher education immediately following graduation.
Step 3: Craft a New Marketing Plan
With a solid understanding of past performance and updated training in place, the next step was to develop a new marketing plan.
Unfortunately the legacy Function Point project files did not preserve any previous retainer department data or strategy materials, so I needed to start fresh. To do this, I analyzed the 2022-2023 building-wide annual reflection document and supplemented the information with specific statistics provided by directors. The resulting 2023-2024 Marketing Plan focused on key areas including revenue generation, increased participation and building use, and effective storytelling. This complex plan included strategies to support five complex departments with different business goals, while also aligning with overall building communication priorities.
The visual elements of the plan layout were updated again to reflect the "Find Your Energy" branding guidelines adopted by CSU Marketing and Communications in Fall of 2023.
Read more about the marketing plan development here: https://lcarterdesign.wixsite.com/portfolio/post/how-to-write-a-marketing-plan-from-scratch
Step 4: Upgrade Project Management Tools
One of the most significant changes came in January 2024 when we replaced our old project management platform with Asana. Due to the Grand Reopening Campaign conducted in the fall, capacity for staff to learn and customize this platform was stretched thin. As a result, I hired a consultant to create workflows and templates in Asana and provide platform training for career and student staff.
This upgraded platform allowed us to better manage projects, track progress, and ensure accountability across the board. It also greatly improved administrative processes required for managing campuswide LCD screen reservations and approvals. The transition to Asana marked a new era in how the LSC Marketing team operated, setting us up for greater productivity in the years to come.
Read more about this here: https://lcarterdesign.wixsite.com/portfolio/post/project-management-platform-pivot
Step 5: Enhance Communication and Social Media Strategy
A crucial part of our repositioning involved revising our communication and storytelling strategy, particularly on social media. Over the course of the 2023-2024 academic year, we migrated social media content management into Loomly and increased our Instagram followers by 11.5 percent. The former project manager role was converted to a written content coordinator role. This staff member produced approximately 12 by-lined articles in the SOURCE campus newsletter during 2023-2024. These articles were pulled into our website's content feed, along with other tagged campus content which mentioned the LSC and its services.
This shift improved our online presence and allowed us to better connect with our audience, sharing stories that and highlighted the LSC’s impact on campus.
Read content here:
https://source.colostate.edu/aspen-grille-reopens-with-redesigned-menu-and-dining-space/ https://source.colostate.edu/power-outages-impact-access-to-lsc-services-over-winter-break/
https://source.colostate.edu/from-ground-to-grind-local-coffee-roasters-share-rich-history-with-csu/
Step 6: Document and Measure Success
To ensure that our efforts were not just a one-time improvement but a sustainable strategy, we introduced several new documents. These included:
conducting a client satisfaction survey, with a 60% participation rate
generating accountability reports summarizing projects, social media coverage, LCD screen reservations, and other services provided to each major partner
compiling an annual productivity statistic summary using BI tools
writing a required department reflection chapter for the LSC Annual Report
creating a new client guide for partners clarifying how to effectively use adapted marketing services
By strategically identifying key metrics and regularly reviewing assessment information, we have established a culture of transparency and continuous improvement. The results speak for themselves: Project productivity increased by 83 percent, and our social media output more than doubled. Quantitative responses are also positive.
Partner quotes:
"I think you all are doing AWESOME. The work is seen. The improvement is felt. Thank you."
"The LSC Marketing team is pretty amazing. I applaud Laura and am grateful for all of the strides and work she and her team have done to (re)build trust with the LSC retainer departments and larger community."
Conclusion
Rebuilding the marketing department for the LSC was a challenging but ultimately rewarding process. By conducting a thorough audit, updating training materials, crafting a new marketing plan, upgrading our tools, enhancing communication platforms, and documenting our success, we were able to reposition the department for sustained growth and success.
This case study highlights the importance of strategic planning, adaptability, and the willingness to embrace change. As we move forward, these principles will continue to guide us in our mission to support the Lory Student Center and its partners.
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