Leadership Communication
Cindy Connor – Manager, Content Marketing
Timing
April 1 2023 – September 30 2023
Summary
This period, our goals were to increase brand visibility, enhance audience engagement, and drive traffic to “Beyond,” our content site. We saw an 8% rise in site visits and a 4% increase in social engagement, alongside strong ROI from ads. We highlighted UBC’s values in stories focusing on relevant themes like truth and reconciliation, and anti-racism, especially in the BC and GTA markets. Our AI-themed stories gained 1,150,007 impressions and 30,087 engagements. A standout piece on the Chinese Exclusion Act, informed by audience research and targeting equity-deserving groups, supported our inclusive marketing strategy.
The Strategy
The UBC Content and Digital Marketing team is committed to elevating UBC’s profile and reputation as a thought leader in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Our mission is to disseminate timely, pertinent, and data-driven content to engage audiences in the British Columbia (BC) and Greater Toronto Area (GTA) markets. We employ multiple digital marketing tactics, from content marketing, remarketing, search engine optimization, paid digital media campaigns, social media engagement, video marketing, and targeted media pitches to highlight UBC’s value proposition. This report, issued on behalf of the Brand and Marketing team, outlines the team’s accomplishments and plans from April 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023.
The Results
Key Insights
• Sum of impressions — 3,837,632 (on track)
• Sum of engagements — 90,106 (on track)
• Page views on Beyond: 90,106
• Average time on web page was 3:06 mins (slight decrease from last year)
• Video views: 77,830
• Audience satisfaction rating was 74% (industry average is 64%)
• Positive overall sentiment
• Successful story pitching collaboration with Media Relations resulted in five media stories, including a top-performing story from Glacier Media
• The digital team completed the crucial system migration from Gatsby to Netlify for the Beyond website.
Performance Results
Audience: Engaged General Population – Influencers, decision makers
Markets: B.C. and GTA
Timeline: Sept 30 to March 2023 (Biannual)
Lead Stories
Story: Why is it so hard to make friends in Vancouver? Here’s how to build more social cohesion
Description: Information about how community could help newcomers find a sense of belonging
Themes: Community, Immigration, Wellbeing
UBC Experts: Dr. Suzanne Huot, an occupational scientist at UBC’s Centre for Migration Studies
Story: How to compete with AI and win
Description: How to make yourself more valuable in the age of AI
Themes: Technology, Economy, Business
UBC Experts: Dr. Sima Sajjadiani, assistant professor at UBC Sauder School of Business, and Dr. Vered Shwartz, assistant professor in the UBC Department of Computer Science
Story: Could AI help to bring about the four-day workweek
Description: Rapid technological advances have many people wondering how AI will affect their work
Themes: Technology, Economy, Business
UBC Experts: Dr. Sima Sajjadiani, assistant professor at UBC Sauder School of Business, and Dr. Vered Shwartz, assistant professor in the UBC Department of Computer Science
Story: What was the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada? 3 things you might not know
Description: Learning about the Chinese Exclusion Act and anti-Chinese racism in Canada
Themes: Community, Anti-racism, Equity
UBC Experts: Dr. Henry Yu, associate professor with the UBC Department of History and the Co-Lead of the Centre for Asian Canadian Research
Story: 3 things you might not know about Orange Shirt Day
Description: Information about the history of and damage caused by residential schools
Themes: Community, Indigenous
UBC Experts: Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
