Post-Conference Workshop
Building a Sustainable Brand: How to Identify, Attract and Engage Stakeholders in Your Mission
Wednesday, April 18, 20139:00 am – 4:30 pm
Workshop includes breakfast, lunch and two coffee breaks.
Who cares about sustainability at your higher education institution? How do you know? You are so focused on rolling out your programs that the last thing on your “to-do list” is to talk about them. Ironically, this step is critical in enhancing your work, and when done effectively, can actually play a key role in leveraging sustainability outcomes to meet institutional goals such as reducing operating costs, staff and student recruitment, alumni engagement and more.
This full day workshop is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools they need to successfully engage university stakeholders in sustainable behaviors, as well as, enhance their own success through targeted promotion of their program/department/office’s efforts. This is a very hands-on workshop, where emphasis will be placed on message development; program branding; audience identification and prioritization; and proper selection, implementation and measurement of program marketing strategies and tactics.
Through a combination of facilitated group discussion, group and individual exercises, and a panel presentation, participants will learn:
- How and why to communicate your initiatives and their results to the rest of the university and how that, in itself, positively impacts your success.
- How to develop and successfully execute your “elevator pitch” – why your program is important in 30 seconds.
- How to identify your target audiences – who on campus has the greatest stake in your success and why.
- How to understand different audience segments and their motivations, then write just for them, including how to reach that elusive non-sustainability-minded group.
- How to put the best messages together to elicit the desired responses.
- How to develop and apply a programmatic approach to promoting your department and its programs and the role a program identity – name/logo/tagline has in your success.
- Which strategies and tactics will be most helpful, with limited hours and dollars, in enhancing your success.
The Facilitators
Samantha Villegas, APR
Samantha Villegas is an accredited public relations professional with 20 years of experience developing and executing communications and marketing campaigns to effect positive social behavioral changes in the areas of water conservation, energy efficiency, and recycling. Samantha has led and served on various committees of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in the formation and implementation of regional environmental education and outreach campaigns. She has served on the Public Affairs Council of the American Water Works Association and she is a charter member of the steering committee for the Water Leadership Institute. Samantha maintains her accreditation in public relations by mentoring other professionals in their efforts to earn accreditation as well. She teaches campaign strategy, research tools, budgeting, PR theory and her work has been captured in PRSA’s national study guide for the accreditation exam. Samantha holds a Master’s degree in environmental policy from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Penn State.
Eric Eckl
Eric founded Water Words That Work, LLC and oversees all the company’s client projects. Eric has more than 15 years of experience planning and carrying out issue advocacy, fundraising, and behavior change campaigns. Eric is a sought-after speaker for environmental, marketing, and technology conferences. He has appeared on CNN and been quoted in the New York Times. Eric sits on the editorial committee for the Center for Watershed Protection, and serves on the board of directors for the Green Media Toolshed.