Ep. 6: From Chairs to Buildings: Visualizing the Impact of Integrated Marketing and Communications

04/22/24 • 43 min

This episode tackles the essential unity of marketing and communications, advocating for a seamless Marcomm strategy that encompasses all channels, both digital and traditional, under a singular, well-defined brand identity. The dialogue underscores that marketing and communications are not separate entities, but rather complementary facets of a holistic approach that ensures consistent and impactful messaging. The episode brings to light the power of storytelling, authenticity, and strategic uniformity and serves as an insightful guide for professionals aiming to synchronize communication tools and promotional strategies to build a robust educational brand.

Guest 1 Name: Lisa Slappy, Chief Communications Officer, Carroll Community College

Guest 1 Social: https://www.carrollcc.edu/

Guest 1 Bio: Lisa Slappy is the Chief Communications Officer at Carroll Community College and began working at Carroll in 2022. In this capacity, she is responsible for building internal and external support, conducting public and community relations activities, and enhancing the visibility, image, and reputation of the College. She is the Public Information Officer and the spokesperson for the college. She serves as a member of the President’s Executive Team and represents the initiatives, needs, and activities of the College to all audiences.
Prior to this position she was the Chief Communications Officer at a federal contracting company. She was responsible for planning, executing, reporting, and managing internal and external communications that increased brand visibility for a federal contracting staffing company. This included branding, industry relations, media relations, community engagement, marketing, social media, public affairs, strategic and corporate communications.
She provided strategic communication counsel and oversight on all business facets and prepared plans for highly successful marketing campaigns and monitored ongoing campaign performance to ensure proper execution while maintaining effective strategic relationships. She prepared the executive team for all communication engagement and was the company’s principal spokesperson and communication adviser.
She holds an MBA and a Master of Science in Management and Public Relations from the University of Maryland Global Campus. She also holds a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science in Communications from UMGC.

Guest 2 Name: Peter Toran / Lead Strategist, idfive

Guest 2 Social: www.idfive.com

Guest 2 Bio: As idfive’s Lead Strategist, Peter applies his extensive experience in education marketing, nonprofit positioning and development, and institutional branding to various client projects.
Before joining idfive, Peter served as the Vice President of Communications and Planning at the University of Baltimore for 13 years. While at the university, Peter supervised the university’s marketing, advertising, web relations, social media, public and media relations, crisis management, and special events. He was also a member of the President’s executive office and helped the university achieve its highest student population in history.
Peter is the former Co-Founder and Principal of TBD+, an agency that specializes in education branding and recruitment, nonprofit positioning, and the development and implementation of strategic plans. While with TBD+, Peter worked with clients such as the Clinical Legal Education Association, the University of Maryland School of Nursing, and Helia Health and Wellness.
Peter is a summa cum laude graduate of Tufts University, has an M.F.A. in Theater from Wayne State University, and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore and guest artist at Northwestern University.

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Connect With Our Host:
Maya Demishkevich
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayademishkevich/

Guest 1 Name: Lisa Slappy, Chief Communications Officer, Carroll Community College

Guest 1 Social: https://www.carrollcc.edu/

Guest 2 Name: Peter Toran / Lead Strategist, idfive

Guest 2 Social: www.idfive.com

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Connect With Our Host:
Maya Demishkevich
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayademishkevich/

Previous Episode

Ep. 5: Business-Savvy Approach to Transforming Marketing and Enrollment Strategies

In this episode, we delve into a County College of Morris journey to transform its marketing and enrollment management strategies. The discussion offers an insider's look at the bold decision to hire from outside the traditional higher ed path, which sparked a significant turnaround in student enrollment and community engagement. The episode highlights the importance of understanding brand perception, targeting the right audience, and the benefits of integrating marketing and enrollment under one leadership. It also explores the positive impact of fostering strong, collaborative teams, adopting a business-like approach to operations, and the pivotal role of responsive, data-driven decision-making in today's competitive educational landscape.

Guest 1 Name: Dr. Anthony J. Iacono / President / County College of Morris

Guest 1 Bio: Dr. Anthony J. Iacono became the third president of County College of Morris in September 2016. He is committed to the mission of community colleges because of their ability to change lives and strengthen communities. Dr. Iacono is convinced that the keys to success are rooted in faith, life-long learning, strong community partnerships, and understanding the responsibility of caring for others.
As a member of the American Association of Community College’s Commission on Economic and Workforce Development, chair of the New Jersey Presidents’ Council – consisting of all higher education institutions in N.J., the vice-chair of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, treasurer for the state’s technology consortium NJEdge, and a board member for NJBIA and the NJ Humanities Council, Dr. Iacono is committed to leading with impact. He has been recognized by NJBiz as one of its Power 50 Educators for the past four years and has been named on NJ-ROI’s Influencers in Higher Education list for the past three years. Iacono was also included in New Jersey’s Power 50 Manufacturing Leaders by NJBIZ, 2019. He has received numerous recognitions from the U.S. House of Representatives, the N.J. Legislature, and from numerous community organizations in Morris County.
Dr. Iacono received his Ph.D. in American History from Mississippi State University, his M.A. and B.A. in American History from the University of Central Florida, and his Associate in Arts degree from Indian River Community College. He is proud to be a Morris County resident and honored to lead N.J.’s best college.

Guest 1 Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-iacono/

Guest 2 Name: Melissa Albright / Vice President of Marketing, PR & Enrollment Management, County College of Morris

Guest 2 Bio: Melissa Albright has over 10 years of successful experience in both sales and marketing in private industry and has 10 years of experience as an educator. As a community college graduate, she knows first-hand the positive impact community colleges can have on students and their families. She is dedicated to ensuring communities are aware of the life-changing benefits of attending a community college such as CCM. Through teaching and serving, she has grown to understand that everyone has their own life story and Melissa makes it her mission to create and cultivate a positive culture that leads to strong and effective team results.
In August of 2020, Melissa joined CCM as the first Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations. In November 2022, Melissa was named the District Rising Star for the National Council of Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) and then was named the National Rising Star in March of 2023. Under her leadership, the marketing team was awarded three district gold awards and a bronze award. They also received a National gold award for DEI Marketing.
In addition to being recognized by NCMPR, in partnership with the grants department, her team was a top ten national finalist in the Lumina Foundation’s Million Dollar Community College Challenge, amongst hundreds of submissions. CCM received $100,000, and since has received an additional $150,000 from Lumina Foundation for environmental branding.
In July of 2022, CCM restructured, naming Melissa as the first Vice President of Marketing, PR & Enrollment Management at CCM, allowing her to bring forward the culture change and results she had achieved in marketing. Since that time, CCM’s enrollment has increased consecutively every semester both in credit and workforce programs. Since the restructuring, she has helped CCM receive an additional $2.4 Million in grant funding.
Melissa received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a degree in marketing, from the University of Central Florida and an Associate of Arts in Business from Indian River Community College. Following college, she earned teaching certificates in both business and special educati...

Next Episode

Ep. 7: Why Every Community College Needs to Care About Their Employer Brand

This eye-opening episode dives into a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of higher education success - employer branding and employee satisfaction within community colleges. Joined by Eddie Francis, the voice behind the 'I Wanna Work There' podcast, Maya and Eddie explore innovative strategies for attracting and retaining top talent, despite the challenges posed by limited budgets and high competition. This conversation sheds light on the significant impact that a positive work culture, strategic benefits, and a robust employer brand can have on the success of community colleges and their broader communities.

Key Takeaways:

The Importance of Employer Branding: Explore the crucial role of employer branding in attracting quality faculty and staff, vital for student satisfaction and institutional success.
Strategies for Talent Attraction: Learn innovative ways community colleges can enhance their appeal to potential employees, including showcasing unique benefits and leveraging the institution's mission.
Employee Satisfaction: Hear the significance of creating a supportive and engaging work environment to ensure employee satisfaction and retention.
Impact of Digital Presence: Explore how a strong digital presence and leadership visibility on social media can influence job applicants' perceptions and decisions.
Practical Tips: Gain actionable insights for community colleges to implement immediately to boost their employer brand.

The IMPACT Framework

Guest Name: Eddie Francis / Brand strategy consultant, speaker, leadership enthusiast, and award-winning broadcaster

Guest Social:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddiefrancis/
https://www.youtube.com/user/augustus06
https://www.instagram.com/eddiefrancis06/
https://www.tiktok.com/@eddiefrancis06

Guest Bio: Eddie Francis is a brand strategy consultant, speaker, leadership enthusiast, and award-winning broadcaster. He hosts “I Wanna Work There!,” one of Hannon Hill’s best higher ed podcasts of 2024 and “For Our Edification,” and he is a frequent contributor to WBOK radio.
He has been quoted and featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Huffington Post, Inside Higher Ed, Careers in Government, Watch the Yard, on “The Higher Ed Marketer,” “Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO,” and more. Among Eddie’s honors are New Orleans Magazine’s “30 People to Watch,” the Press Club of New Orleans’ Best Radio Entertainment Feature, and two nominations for AMA’s Higher Education Marketer of the Year.
Eddie earned his master’s degree in strategic leadership from Tennessee State University and his bachelor’s from Loyola University New Orleans. He is a member of the American Marketing Association, the International Leadership Association, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

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Connect With Our Host:
Maya Demishkevich
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayademishkevich/