Céad míle fáilte: While the Irish greeting for “100,000 Welcomes” hasn’t translated exactly to  that number of new client relationships in 2010, we have had quite the busy first two quarters at Lipman Hearne establishing new partnerships. We are proud of, and excited by, the collaborations that are underway and would like to take a moment to properly welcome the following nonprofit organizations:

Advocate Health Care
Alverno College
American Medical Association
California State University, Northridge
Channel One
Council for a Strong America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
George Washington University
National Defense University
Northwest Area Foundation
Pew Center for Statistics
Rhodes College
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Schoolnet
Seton Hall University
Society of Actuaries
University at Buffalo
University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business
University of Virginia Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Upon reading the first article in a three-part Business Week series examining high-profile searches for new business school deans, it struck me that it is hard to overstate the importance of getting this process right. As with a corporate CEO position, the individual leading each of these institutions — or at any top business school — is brand ambassador number one, and will play a critical role in stewarding these global enterprises amidst the most highly competitive period in business school history.

Being a b-school dean today is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Each of these institutions will do well to select someone who not only has the hard credentials, but understands that these are also complex brands for which their leader must embody the brand promise with diverse and demanding constituents around the globe. Their most valuable asset, their reputation, is on the line.

- Tim Westerbeck, Managing Director & Principal

One aspect of CCA’s mission is its Alliance of States.  These states’ governors and leaders in higher education have pledged to make college completion a legislative priority by setting completion goals, creating a plan to reach those goals, and publicly reporting progress.  The Alliance has 17 member states now, but its ranks continue to grow.

Clips resulting from the launch currently number over 300 in media around the country, in the Alliance states, in national print and broadcast outlets, and in higher education trade publications.

In addition to coordinating the launch, Lipman Hearne designed CCA’s new visual identity, stationery suite, a temporary landing page (to house materials for the media before the launch), and CCA’s new website.  Impressive comments about the site and the CCA’s work are already rolling in.

One early site visitor praised the website for “delivering  a great and powerful new tool that combines the voices of students demanding reform together with powerful state- and campus-level data.”

And from Stan Jones, Complete College America’s President, comes this recommendation:  “I know everyone is busy but take a minute and watch at least the first video on the website.  It is an excellent reminder of why we do this work.”

Soon the exhibit will go on the road and will assist journalists, business leaders, philanthropists, and others learn about this issue. The exhibit includes sections so that participants will be able to:

• Undertand the science and how early experiences shape the brain.
• Experience what high-quality early education looks like.
• See the results by making virtual visits to example programs.
• Get the ROI by delving into what makes this a smart investment with big returns.
• Test knowledge of the ABCs of major funding streams.

Learn more in this news story.

- Adam Shapiro, Vice President Public Affairs

Mrs. Obama is using the bully pulpit to raise awareness of the obesity issue and the epidemic’s impact on all aspects of society. As she pointed out during the launch of her awareness program on February 9, obesity is seen as a national security threat by military leaders and that, “Obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service. Additionally, economic experts tell us that we’re spending outrageous amounts of money treating obesity-related conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. And public health experts tell us that the current generation could actually be on track to have a shorter life span than their parents.”

Mission: Readiness is also sounding the alarm about obesity. You can read more about how the organization is sharing its findings and call to action on the following blogs:

• • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  • Larry King Live
  • The Caucus (New York Times)

Lipman Hearne is proud to serve as a consultant to Mission: Readiness, the nonprofit, bi-partisan organization led by senior retired military leaders ensuring continued American security and prosperity into the 21st century by calling for smart investments in the next generation of American children.  Mission: Readiness is the key group raising awareness of the impact of obesity on young people, the military and our national security.

- Adam Shapiro, Vice President Public Affairs

The technique was created by a group of students at Hochshule Furtwangen University in Germany, who wanted to “show the whole world that studying does not have to be boring.” They shot a video in which students lip sync to a song, while the camera follows them through campus, resulting in a highly-choreographed musical university tour. This spurred the creation of the “University LipDub Project,” which challenges students of other colleges to produce their own videos and show what their campus has to offer (and to see if their creation is worthy of “going viral”).

What started as a European phenomenon gradually moved over to Canada, where the Université du Québec à Montréal’s “LipDub” video made quite an impression – it became so popular that it was featured on CNN and, to date, has received over 4 million hits on YouTube. Now, U.S. universities have begun to catch on, with Texas State University and Suffolk University being some of the first to embrace the trend.

A prime example that this phenomenon has the chance to transition from a grassroots amusement to a legitimate communications department marketing tool is Johns Hopkins University’s end-of-the-year “LipDub” video. Created to thank their donors for their continued support, it shows how the whole university community can collaborate and lend their voice to promote their community and showcase the spirit behind the brand.

The key to not killing this concept before it leaves the ground is to remain inclusive when it comes to who is primarily representing the university. It is ok for the university staff to have a stake in the video, but don’t lose the student-run feel. As with the popular strategy of featuring student blogs on admissions websites, like MIT does, it is the sense that it is providing an unfiltered, first-hand account of campus life that is the spark behind these videos.

Have other examples of social media trends storming your campus? Share them in the comments section.

-Erin Kelly, Marketing Intern

What is your point of view on the topic?

Lipman Hearne has worked with the Brookings Institute and RAND Corporation (both mentioned as resources in this article) on brand, reputation and awareness-building initiatives.

The launch caps a great year for the school. Recent rankings put Miami among the top 10 law schools for Hispanics and among the top 20 law schools in terms of the quality of the lawyers it produces.

Here is an account from an audience member discussing the presentation and why the findings are of interest to higher ed marketers.

Mission: Readiness is led by retired military leaders and Education Secretary Arne Duncan helped launched this initiative. The former military leaders cite research that shows early education can reduce the drop out and crime rates while keeping children on track for healthier lives.

The latest news is available at:

• www.washingtonpost.com
• www.thehill.com
• www.navytimes.com

You can learn more about this program at www.missionreadiness.org.

- Adam Shapiro, Vice President, Public Affairs