Q&A with Karen Smalley, Head of Brand & Campaigns at University of Reading

In this Q&A, Karen Smalley, Head of Brand & Campaigns shares her thoughts on University of Reading's 'Limitless' project, nominated in the Reinvention of the Year, Grand Prix category at The Masters 2015. See the full list of nominees here.

What do you think really made this project stand out?

We set out with a commercial mind set and had the ambition to bench mark ourselves against the best youth brands. We are acutely aware that our student markets are media literate, brand savvy, intelligent and informed consumers Also aware that, as a University, we are operating in a crowded marketplace against the backdrop of huge change and shift in funding, policy and complex overseas and UK student application processes. We had to stand-out, be relevant, show our point of difference and be bold in our statement and reason to believe. Compared to the rest of the sector the University of Reading set out to be ground breaking and aspirational. We were bold and ambitious but our proposition was borne from insight and evidence, we kept the project truthful and honest but that did not stop us wanting to disrupt and stand out. This was about reengineering and transformation.

How do you build the perfect team?

Firstly you retain and recognise the talent you have and invest in their professional development, it’s too easy to think building a strong team is about starting from scratch and recruiting from outside your organisation, you lose way too much talent and business knowledge that way. Recognising the skill gaps and filling those gaps with expert, creative and individuals with an entrepreneurial mind-set is always a good way to inject fresh thinking and energy into a team. I used to think the brightest and most academic applicants were the most attractive but you learn that those with all the answers and the most impressive academic achievements on their CVs are not always the most creative, open-minded or team focussed. If someone cannot tell me why they love a brand or what inspires them I tend to switch-off. You do not have to be over-the-top passionate but being an interested consumer is a minimum requirement in a marketing team. I value honesty, talent and energy and if these are the unifying factors of a marketing team you are going to have as near as perfect as you can get.

Which campaigns have you seen recently that are defining the marketing landscape?

I love that it is no longer the big spenders and super brands that are creating the biggest conversations. I would be lying if I said I didn’t eagerly await the John Lewis Christmas ad but if I share something or join a debate it is often stimulated by very clever content, targeted and relevant. I think the most inspirational campaigns for me are running on social and have been shared on my Facebook – This Girl Can campaign from Sport England is inspired. Equally, the Thames Valley Police ‘consent’ film which tackles the issue of sexual consent by comparing sex to a well known British past-time - drinking a cup of tea. These campaigns stand or fall by their likability and sharability, it’s not about the budgets or the products but whether the content can capture your imagination resonate and challenge your viewpoint.

What types of company do you see excelling at marketing at the moment?

The companies that are willing to stand up for a cause or champion an issue I think always win hearts and minds and excel. Notable wave of female empowerment advertising that has been given its own name femvitisng. From the early days of Dove Real Beauty campaign to the current This Girl Can I think these campaigns are excelling as they empower people and look to challenge and change behaviour.

Marketing is becoming more and more data and technology-driven, how can marketers ensure the right balance between creative thinking and scientific marketing?

You need to embrace the technology and make it work hard for you. Understanding what’s available and right for your brand and markets is essential. However, marketing has always been about integration and never about a single channel approach. We have always had to ensure that the right balance is struck between traditional and digital; paid and free media. Data and technology driven advertising is a core component of any marketing strategy, it is all about driving sales and conversion – ensuring we can capture data or initiate responses. Equally we have to respect the role of the creative brand advertising which is all about attracting and raising awareness. The two are mutually reinforcing and the right balance has to be struck. How people perceive and experience your brand will always be important and we have to be inventive and creative as marketeers, but making best use of the technology and data is always going to bring efficiency and effectiveness which in our world means return on investment.

What do you see as being the biggest trends of 2015, and do you see examples of companies capitalising on these as part of their marketing campaigns and programmes?

In the Higher Education sector the biggest trends still remain personalisation and CRM, we are behind the commercial sector, playing catch up in this space. The biggest trend emerging in the commercial sector remains content creation – Instagrammable moments and inspiring experiences. Content marketing, particularly user generated has to be a growing trend that is far from reaching its tipping point. Even the most cautious and protected brands appear to be allowing their customers to shape the debate and talk openly about their product experience. I think Coca Cola coined the phrase ‘flaw-some’ to describe their content strategy – being prepared to be awesome with flaws. At Reading University we set up a sector first partnership between Reading Festival and Kerrang! Magazine to create content, generated by our students and shared via owned, bought and earned youth media channels. We have a bank of content to use throughout the year and we trended in Japan (thanks to the Asian rock sensation Baby Metal!) reaching hundreds of thousands of our prospects and stakeholders via social and digital.

How should companies be defining and measuring marketing excellence?

It is a balancing act with metrics. Companies will always need to show ROI and we have to rely on science and technology to provide the quantitative data and insight. However, we also have to be measured by our ability to engage and create relevant content and the measure of this has to be the likes and shares how else can you measure relevance and cut through?

What are the core elements of inspiration to be found within marketing?

Simple and clever creative sums up inspirational marketing for me – if it stops you in your tracks, creates an emotional connection or challenges your thinking – that’s inspirational I do not search for content it usually finds me and as an old-school practitioner this ability to target me at the right time and place is beyond clever. Those companies that can reach me, at the right time and speak to me on a personal level; engage me in conversation or challenge my thinking are the true masters of inspirational marketing.

What inspired you to enter The Masters this year? What would winning an award mean to you? 

Inspiration came from the challenge we faced as a newly formed marketing function and the commitment we felt towards the University of Reading. The University had set out an ambitious vision and strategy for the next ten years and we felt the foundations for the success of that were rooted in reputation and brand positioning. We had to shift perceptions from those thinking we were a small University in the heart of Berkshire, Reading’s best kept secret to them believing we are a research intensive University in the top 1% of universities worldwide. We knew from our research and insight that the reality of our University was far better than our perception, that’s a gift to any marketing department and you cannot help but be inspired to reinvent within that context.

We achieved so much in a small space of time, in a single academic year we had raised our applications by 21% against a sector backdrop of 2%, we were voted in the Top 10 Universities by Youth 100 awards and brand familiarity and general awareness increased amongst prospective students by 11 percentage points in just over four months. The reinvention has just begun and will continue, any industry recognition of our achievements gives us the motivation and encouragement to be commercial in our approach and bold in our delivery.  

Winning would be an outstanding result for a University who prior to 2013 did not invest in marketing and who considered brands to be vulgar or vanity projects. It would provide recognition of the journey we as a team have been on and how far we have come. For us, being recognised by the commercial sector for reinvention would be the ultimate reward for the team and our LIMITLESS commitment to the brand.