Insights

It’s the Message in the Media
Since the pandemic, there has been a lot of conversation on the CASE Editors List Serv (CUE) about the state of alumni print publications. Some have ceased printing and moved to a digital-only model. In most cases the budget is behind the decision, and rightfully so...

If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, That Means Video is Worth Millions.
Over the last few weeks, students across the country returned to school from Kindergarten through graduate school. And they returned to a much different school day than what was familiar last fall. To prepare for the return, communication teams have been working hard...

5 Reasons Why Killing Print is a Mistake
This is the most challenging time that I have experienced since I founded my firm 22 years ago. It reminds me of the last quarter of 2008 when every client called to say that they were decreasing the frequency of their magazine. But none of them discontinued the...

Finding Your Institution’s Voice
One of the questions I ask when working on magazines is “Why this story for this magazine and this audience?” The New York Times Magazine will tell a story one way, while O will have a completely different approach based on their readerships. An alumni magazine needs...

Creative Solutions for When You Can’t Take a Portrait
In the current state of affairs taking someone’s portrait for a story is out of the question. Yet it is important to maintain a high level of quality for your communications. Creative solutions are needed. And one that we highly recommend is working with an...

Inspiration vs. Plagiarism
I recently read an article in an industry magazine about the process and conceptual development behind the issue’s cover. The design agency and editor shared work from other designers and labeled the work “concepts.” The final cover was virtually a direct replication...

Branding an Alumni Magazine
Target and Nike know the importance of consistent, strategic brand communications in positioning their companies apart from the competition. It is just as important that a school’s communication tells their unique story from enrollment to alumni engagement. An alumni...

Integrated Marketing
This term may be somewhat of a buzzword, like “content marketing,” but the power of an integrated marketing campaign could never be overemphasized. Audiences are interacting with messaging everywhere; browsing social media, surfing the web, reading magazines and...