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Corporate Speak vs. The Language of Higher Ed
February 3, 2012
I first started my career in marketing communications working at a PR/marketing firm. We pitched to potential clients from many industries, networked with peers from other firms, and helped sell a variety of products. To do our work, we constantly used the language of quickly emerging trends: buzz words. When I made the move to… Read more
Higher Ed, Prepare for HD Web
January 31, 2012
These days, marketers are doing a tremendous amount of strategy and work to optimize mobile web experiences. This is especially true in the realm of higher education digital marketing as institutions strive to provide users with content and interfaces that are specifically designed for small devices. After all, as a recent Pew Report shows, well… Read more
Hulu – The Simpsons: The D’Oh-cial Network
January 30, 2012
On the lighter side, this episode of The Simpsons will definitely make anyone in social media and/or digital communications marketing laugh. I thought it was pretty funny. Here’s an embed from Hulu.com in case you have not already seen it.
fear.change.edu
January 13, 2012
As I enjoy this time of professional and personal transition, I have spent much time reflecting on my 15 years of experience with digital communications and marketing. I have grown up with the industry: from taking every HTML class offered at Indiana University during my senior year of college, to developing basic websites for agency… Read more
Thank You, #highered
December 22, 2011
2011 has been a year of major transition for me and my family. As I said goodbye to friends and colleagues at Washington University in St. Louis, I looked forward to taking a new perspective in higher education web and digital communications. My family set out for a new adventure. I thank my contacts at… Read more
Scroll is the new Flash
December 7, 2011
I have noticed a very interesting design trend emerging in higher education as influenced by other industries. I believe it is based on the decline (or demise) of Adobe Flash on websites. A direct result of institutions backing away from Flash and trying to be more “adaptive” or “mobile” or “standardized” has caused a new… Read more
Google+ for Universities
November 28, 2011
With the addition of Google+ Pages for organizations, several hundred colleges and universities are now venturing onto Google+. Not only has Google given access to such large institutions, but it is encouraging them to leverage Google’s robust network to connect and share content. The Google+ 101 guide is a sign of Google’s investment in higher… Read more
Now What? About Social Media at Michigan State University
November 21, 2011
This is in a series of posts in which I comment upon hiring trends and possibilities in higher education and digital marketing. Having worked extensively with public affairs and digital marketing in higher education, I believe that institutional priorities are revealed by the creation of new positions and the evolution of previous ones. I hope… Read more
LinkedIn Groups Stats Dashboards
November 10, 2011
LinkedIn added statistics dashboards for groups — a very valuable new feature. Here is the dashboard for the group that I manage, Digital Communications Marketing in Higher Education.
HighEdWeb 2011 #heweb11 Recommendations
October 21, 2011
For those of you attending the HighEdWeb 2011 conference, here is my list of most noteworthy sessions to attend. These are based on my experiences and observations of the industry. Overall, I recommend these sessions because they best reflect the current key area for success with digital communications in higher education — content strategy. I… Read more
Web Industry Paradigm Shift at the University of Michigan
October 13, 2011
This is the first in a series of posts in which I will comment upon hiring trends and possibilities in higher education and digital marketing. Having worked extensively with public affairs and digital marketing in higher education, I believe that institutional priorities are revealed by the creation of new positions and the evolution of previous… Read more
Digital Marketing Consultant
October 10, 2011
I am pleased to announce that I have decided to officially offer my services as a digital marketing consultant. The past ten years in higher education and digital marketing have been challenging and rewarding. I have been privileged to serve many fine organizations, especially two very prestigious universities. I believe that the depth and range… Read more
wustl.edu 2011 Upgrade rd. 2
July 5, 2011
On July 1, 2011 the Digital Communications Marketing (DCM) team launched a major update to wustl.edu. This is the third (arguably fourth) significant improvement to the Washington University in St. Louis homepage since we formed the DCM office in January, 2009. The site is 100% created and managed by our internal team. Research Since the… Read more
Announcement: New Adventure
June 7, 2011
On July 8, 2011, I will step down as Executive Director of Digital Communications Marketing at Washington University in St. Louis. Due to an exciting opportunity for my spouse, Erin, to begin pursuing a doctoral degree at Northwestern University this fall, I will be required to leave my current position. We will move to Chicago…. Read more
Thinking Out Loud
May 30, 2011
I’m going to try to write an entry where I do not use the keyboard and simply use Dragon Dictation on the iPad as my tool. It’s interesting to see how well you have to speak in order for it to understand your voice. I wonder how long it’ll be until we don’t use keyboards… Read more
Webcams Beta at WUSTL.edu
May 26, 2011
Last week, our digital communications marketing office at Washington University in St. Louis launched a webcams beta. During this summer, we will debut even more webcam locations and expanded video and photo offerings on wustl.edu. Our goal is to “share the vibrancy of campus life with the entire WUSTL community.” Rationale We seek to give… Read more
Recent Work Update
April 13, 2011
The Office of Digital Communications Marketing (@WUSTLdigital) within the Office of Public Affairs at Washington University in St. Louis is approaching the end of the fiscal year, so here are some examples of our recent work. We have already entered into another cycle of upgrades even on work that we originally created in 2009. Most… Read more
WordPress in Higher Education
April 7, 2011
May 31, 2011: A great discussion re: “WordPress in Higher Education is going on in the LinkedIn Group “Digital Communications Marketing in Higher Education” that I manage. View discussion (login required). I have used WordPress for this website for many years. Each upgrade, tweak, and improvement continues to reinforce my affinity for it. WordPress is… Read more
Realignment Too
March 15, 2011
The new iPad reminds me that even though technical improvements may increase user satisfaction, signs of life that the organization cares about, listens to, and wants to build better trust with its users makes a much larger impact. I consider the iPad 2 upgrade to be similar to the recent upgrades we started to make… Read more
wustl.edu 2011 Upgrade rd. 1
March 3, 2011
Last night, we updated the wustl.edu homepage to include a new banner and audience navigation. This was based on user patterns and analysis, and we have now conducted three in-depth studies on the site’s usability. It is making a strong design even stronger, and the feedback has been supportive. For 2011, this is just the… Read more
Blogging from iPhone
January 4, 2011
Just for kicks and testing purposes, I am writing this new post straight from my iPhone. I want to demonstrate how easy it is to type, edit, and publish to a website using WordPress and the iPhone app. Brilliant, easy, and graceful. This is as easy as posting from a traditional browser, and the touch… Read more
Let’s Play Catch Up
September 29, 2010
First, I want to share a personal message. Here we are. The end of September 2010. I cannot begin to fully describe the events and emotions of this year so I won’t try. Those of you who know me personally know that I have experienced and witnessed life-changing events since February; namely, the sudden passing… Read more
Email Excerpt re: Higher Ed Marketing
February 22, 2010
Recently, a former colleague from my agency days contacted me and asked my opinion about working in higher education marketing. I have been in this industry for almost ten years. My response included the following: “Higher education advancement/marketing is more a calling than a career. Trust me, I know how that sounds, but I believe… Read more
Signs of Life
February 8, 2010
It is obvious (especially if you visit the archives) that my personal site has not really been updated in about a year. I’m actually proud of that. Obviously, there have been significant professional (and wonderful personal) changes in my life. 2009 was amazing, challenging, nostalgic, spiritual, and so on. Professionally, I am so pleased with… Read more
About St. Louis (Quote)
October 6, 2009
“Ours is the typical American city…that belongs neither to the East, West, North, or South, but which exemplifies American life as a whole. Here are to be found the culture and refinement of the East, the courage and vigor of the North, the frankness and freedom of the West, and the courtesy and chivalry of… Read more
Brightkite Rides Shotgun
April 20, 2009
I moved to St. Louis, started a new job at Washington University in St. Louis, and got engaged. Beginning November 2008, I traveled back-and-forth from St. Louis and South Bend, Indiana every weekend until now. If you are wondering why, please read the first sentence above again. Sidebar: if you need to know anything (anything)… Read more
Accepted Position at Washington University in St. Louis
November 16, 2008
Update 12/11/2008: Thank you for your support and well wishes. I appreciate the emails, Twitters, and feedback. I will update again soon regarding my progress. Until then, Washington U. is amazing, and I am excited about the future. More soon. Beginning November 24, 2008, I will join Washington University in Saint Louis as its new… Read more
Unboxing: Kashi Free Cookie
October 10, 2008
A few weeks ago, I went to the Kashi website and requested a free cookie. It came in a very cleverly written, simple shipping box that contained my free treat. Kashi is a brand, owned by Kellogg, that is building trust with me. Slowly but surely, I am purchasing and eating more and more of… Read more
New: T-Mobile G1 with Google
September 23, 2008
I watched the press conference this morning for the T-Mobile G1 with Google. In a word, “interesting.” Clearly, this is a competitor to the iPhone, which is now in version two of its evolution. The G1, running on Android, has many attractive features and makes some not-so-subtle challenges to Apple. During this conference, there were… Read more
Buzz: Google’s New Browser, Chrome
September 2, 2008
So, just like most other web geeks, I heard the buzz over the weekend about Google’s new web browser, Chrome. I saw the Twitters, then I got excited. I checked the blogs, searched Google for more information, and I even read the comic book they created for the press. I was (still am) excited about… Read more
CNN: Microsoft’s New Browser
August 29, 2008
Interesting, of all the features in Microsoft’s new browser, this one is getting the most attention. Think Microsoft has lost market share to Mozilla/Firefox/Safari because it did not previously offer this “protection?” It’s like reporting about the hidden channels on your cable or satellite box. It is difficult to separate culture from the true purpose… Read more
YT: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
August 5, 2008
Worth the watch. Stop and think for a moment. Life is short.
An anthropological intro to YouTube
August 4, 2008
Very interesting presentation about YouTube. Do you have a webcam? Maybe you could be the next Numa Numa star.
Be Transparent, Save Trust
June 30, 2008
I am an avid user of Twitter. For some reason, this service has done more to connect me with friends and family than any other Web 2.0 creation. It just “gets me.” The technology does not overly intimidate me because it does what they say it does. The concept is simple and clear to me…. Read more
LinkedIn Group for Web in HighEd
June 3, 2008
Last month, I decided to try something new to reach other higher education communicators — especially those that have the Web as their primary responsibility. I often feel somewhat “unique” at work. That is, there are no other comparable positions to mine at the University. There are a few that come close, but when it… Read more
Things Learned During Guest Lecture
April 28, 2008
Today, I guest lectured with two colleagues at a class for Multimedia Journalism at the University of Notre Dame. I spoke about convergence, the new developments in web culture, and other geekery. This was a group of seniors, juniors, and sophomores. I learned a few things myself about the web culture of this emerging demographic…. Read more
There is No Fold on the Web
March 14, 2008
Sorry, but you might actually have to scroll to read this article. Scrolling has been part of the graphic web since its earliest days. But, if you say the word “scroll” to a professional web designer, you will likely witness that person cringe. Why? The answer is the mythical concept of the fold. A common… Read more
Traditional TV and the Scratching Record
February 18, 2008
Last night, I scrambled home to get to my Tivo. I wanted to record the new The Simpsons episode. I made it to the television in my living room with about five minutes to spare. Then, it dawned on me. Why am I trying so hard to watch TV the old way? Traditional (non-live) television… Read more
A GPS in Every Car
January 2, 2008
I traveled quite a lot the past couple of weeks, and I noticed an obvious trend. It seems to me that almost every car on the highway has a GPS installed. I observed this during a 12 hour drive on a major highway, a trip to Arizona, and as a passenger in a taxi. Being… Read more
Recent ND.edu Press
October 8, 2007
It’s been well over a month since the launch of the new ND.edu website. We’ve gotten plenty of feedback, made some tweaks, added content, and continue to post new carousel spaces on a very frequent basis. Overall, the site is holding up strongly. Recently, we have received some press. For starters, the site was featured… Read more
Invest Your Dollars in Research
September 21, 2007
This week, I met with members of a marketing team from another major employer in the area. They wanted to talk about our methods, how we approach our assignments, and more importantly how we created the new nd.edu. Each and every marketing communication project has its own unique challenges, yet some are always similar. This… Read more
Passionate Users Inspire Greatness
September 4, 2007
One week has passed since we launched the new ND.edu website. It seems to me that the effect we’ve had on the community is polarizing. That is, based on the feedback alone, people either really, really love the new site or they really, really hate it. I’m sure plenty of people are in the middle,… Read more
Countdown to Nd.edu has Begun
August 24, 2007
We have officially started the countdown to the new nd.edu. There is a live countdown ticker currently on the site. The Countdown: nd.edu We are all excited and anxious to present this new website to the Notre Dame community. Are you ready? I just posted a live version of “Here Come the Irish” on our… Read more
One Week to Go
August 20, 2007
Feedback from our first initial round of testing is in, and it seems that people like the new product. We’re about a week from launching (arguably) the largest web project any of us have ever produced – nd.edu. The past two weeks have been filled with intense day-and-night sessions of brainstorming, writing, designing, programming, and… Read more
Get ready for August 2007
July 31, 2007
The team at the Web Group is working very hard towards our most significant milestone. Can’t say much for now, but be sure and check back August 28. As we begin the month of August tomorrow, I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But, a colleague of mine was… Read more
How Do You Define Greatness?
May 7, 2007
I am completely enthralled by the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. At this point in my professional career, this book really makes a personal impact. It is not that I simply take what Collins writes as undisputable fact, but more a philosophy of greatness in managerial behavior with proven examples. As I study… Read more
Hot Coffee Coming Through
March 29, 2007
Howard Schultz, the chairman of Starbucks, visited the campus of the University of Notre Dame today to accept the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Award for Ethics in Business at the Mendoza College of Business. He is well respected for making Starbucks a world-renown global brand. I’ve seen him interviewed on 60 Minutes and most… Read more
Score One for IPTV
March 5, 2007
Yesterday, I purchased a full-length feature film from iTunes. This was a limited release movie that I missed when it came out during the past summer. It cost $14 and took about an hour to download. I had no idea that this impulse buy would cause me to rethink the fundamental way that I consume… Read more
Re: Fw: Re: Fw: Fw: Re: Email
February 9, 2007
I think email is great. I really do. But, sometimes I see what we, in the work place, are doing to this fine mode of communication. Emails are not for discussions or round table talks. They are meant to exchange data, move files, or send details that are more logically delivered in text. I feel… Read more
Get Social, Tivo and iTunes
December 27, 2006
I get all of my television from Tivo and all of my music from iTunes. When I say all, I mean all. Both of these companies have me, the majority of my family, and some, if not all of my friends in their command. The content they serve is fiercely social, extremely viral, dynamic, and… Read more
I’m a Mac
October 2, 2006
I’ve been waiting for a few weeks to write those words. It has taken a period of reflection for me to fully accept the fact that I made this historic change in my digital life. It is not that I am having problems letting go – it is just the unbelievable realization that I am… Read more
Motorola Q Road Story
August 23, 2006
Imagine live television streaming out to the Internet from your actual home living room, beamed to a mobile device, while speeding down a stretch of rural highway. Sounds like something from the future, right?
Thank Q, Motorola
June 29, 2006
The new Motorola Q is simply impressive. I recently joined the smartphone movement, and I must say that it is quite an amazing piece of technology. It certainly has the wow factor, and I am not easily impressed. If you are interested in word-of-mouth research or are seeking out the true buzz about this device,… Read more
Television is Isolated
June 28, 2006
Content is still the king, but methods of delivering content are brand new. If you have marketable goods, services, or content, you better find new and innovative ways to seed social networks. During an 18 hour return road trip from Canada, I had an interesting conversation with my uncle. He is the father of four,… Read more
Web Video: the New Standard?
June 1, 2006
Video on the Web is on fire. Major websites are not only experimenting with video, but they are making it front page material. This trend will only continue to grow. Two more examples this week: First, Yahoo launched a video portal. This portal not only aggregates web video from multiple channels, but will definitely work… Read more
HD Commercial Bull’s-eye
May 23, 2006
I time-shift television. This week I was fast-forwarding the commercials during one of my “season pass” shows. I have had Tivo for several years, so I am an ace at commercial skipping. But, this time while skipping I noticed the screen went 16:9 (High Definition). I immediately paused and went back to actually watch the… Read more
Database Destiny
May 21, 2006
How can your organization successfully embrace emerging Web technologies and methods of content delivery on the Internet? It seems like every month there is a new hot technology in the industry or a technique that has the Web in a flurry. Every time a colleague or client reads an industry magazine, website, newspaper, or attends… Read more
“No” is an Acceptable Answer
May 14, 2006
Projects are like cars, and decisions are like intersections. Do we go straight, or do we turn? In busy traffic, drivers depend on assistance from passengers. But, a certain type of passenger represents the highest risk to making the right choice. A high risk person cannot or will not say the word, “no.” We love… Read more
Your End User is a Real Person
May 10, 2006
The school year is winding down. Spring exams are this week, and the stress and anxiety is palpable on campus. I had lunch today at the student center and saw many stressed-out faces and others busily reading. To us, staffers, it is an annual harbinger of summer break. Next week is commencement. Afterwards, the place… Read more
Community Generated Content
May 9, 2006
The hottest marketing trend on the Web currently is the concept of consumer (or, community) generated content. That is, material created by end users that is submitted or uploaded to a website voluntarily. These websites simply serve to collect and share this content with others in a public or private group. Examples are Flickr, Ma.gnolia,… Read more
Google Calendar – Initial Reaction
April 19, 2006
It was the worst kept secret for about a year. Finally, we get to see Google Calendar. Released last week, it clearly is a major competitor in the “rule your desktop” competition going on in the Web 2.0 renaissance. As a (now former) user of hotmail, I got hooked on their calendar service. Hotmail does… Read more
Carne Asada Meets XHTML
March 23, 2006
Today is Thursday. That means the whole crew goes to La Esperanza on Ironwood in South Bend, Indiana. This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the region, and it has become something of legend with the Notre Dame Web Group. If it is a Thursday at noon, we’re at La Esperanza—ask anyone that knows us…. Read more
Web Video Continues to Flourish
March 5, 2006
The second half of 2005 on the Web marked a surge in on-line commercial video distribution. Several historic products and services were released, and mainstream media outlets began offering their video content catalogs available for download. Basically, as the majority of Internet users upgraded to high-speed last year (thanks to the broadband wars of 2005),… Read more
Satellite Radio
February 28, 2006
There is one clear cut winner as my most satisfying personal technology addition of the past year — satellite radio. This technology came preinstalled in my new car. I was skeptical at first because of concerns about paying for a service that has historically been free. But, if you are like me and are willing… Read more
February 17, 2009
January 4, 2006
Fantastic article about the countdown to digital television in the U.S.: http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/04/technology/pluggedin_digitaltv/index.htm Interesting quotes from this article: “The sale of this valuable, scarce real estate is expected to bring in about $10 billion, maybe more. That will help reduce the federal budget deficit.” “The nightmare scenario is that people who depend on free, over-the-air TV… Read more
Google Analytics
November 23, 2005
If you are like me, you are a web stats junkie. As a professional in the web industry, this is the most basic of metrics to not only gauge success of a website, but to also make enhancements and fine tune the site based on actual usage. It is a fundamental measurement of a site’s… Read more
Macromedia Site of the Day
September 22, 2005
Today, the Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters has been named the Macromedia Site of the Day. The Notre Dame Web Group planned, designed, and developed this site. This is recognition from the most influential web development software company in the world. The showcase is considered to be the “best of the best” for… Read more
Web Professional Tools
May 2, 2005
Builders have hammers and nails. Singers have microphones. Baseballers have bats. So, what tools are for web professionals? I use specific tools every day as a web professional. I cannot work without these resources – some tangible, some virtual. First, let’s just cover the obvious professional web tools: Computer (laptop) – duh Broadband connectivity –… Read more
Transferable Web
April 23, 2005
I’ve been working professionally in the web business for just under a decade, and I have witnessed some marvelous changes in our industry. I started out working with very narrowband, low-quality, minimal websites. We labored to get file sizes down to 40KB or less because most of our users had dial-up modems at very low… Read more
Are you trusted at work?
March 9, 2005
Notre Dame Business, Magazine of the Mendoza College recently published an article in the Winter 2005 issue about the importance of trust in a company or organization. I typically read this magazine from cover to cover, but this particular article really had an impact on me. Professionally, trust is the most important characteristic of a… Read more
CASE story – Chicago
December 13, 2004
I’m in Chicago for the CASE District Five conference. This is my first experience rubbing elbows with other higher-ed marketing and advancement professionals. The conference is geared mainly at the communications components of marketing, especially when dealing with brand, development, alumni, and audience segmentation research. However, they offer an interesting Web track that promotes some… Read more
Gruss Gott
November 8, 2004
I spent the entire summer of 1996 in Germany. As you would imagine, it was a total cultural immersion. Even though most of my host family spoke English, they encouraged me to always speak German, live their lifestyle, and completely embrace the learning experience of being a visitor in a foreign country. I did not… Read more
Say what?
July 20, 2004
Everyone is talking “web standards” these days. It is not a new topic – anymore. I first heard about web standards about two and a half years ago when I attended Web Design World in Seattle. Zeldman was the keynote speaker. Yes, that Zeldman. Long story short, his presentation on the topic of web standards,… Read more
Banner ads not just for the web
July 13, 2004
Seems like most web users are used to, or have seen the proliferation of banner ads on sites. Granted, when used improperly, they can be pretty intrusive. Entire companies and units within corporations, such as Yahoo!!, have dedicated staff to manage advertising on these sites. They just don’t stick banners on sites and call it… Read more
You don’t have to be “Zen” to be a gardener.
April 8, 2004
I tweak my site all the time. Seems like I am always changing colors, banners, backgrounds and such. This ‘lil blog is run through the awesome tool “Blogger” so that the archiving, dating and general file management of this blog is automatic. For this, my good friend Blogger, I am grateful. Awesome tool! However, the… Read more
Work with the client – not just on the “project.”
February 15, 2004
We are project people in the web business. This is a fact. We survive on projects. As we finish a project, we start a new one. Sometimes these projects overlap. Naturally, we start to view our clients as projects. That is, a client is a project – something to finish, complete and move on. Not… Read more
Perception is reality. Not always on the web.
February 2, 2004
Most every Marketing 101 student learns that “perception is reality.” That is, that which your client believes to be true, is true – regardless of the truth. If your product is perceived to be garbage, then it is so in the mind of that consumer. We all are victims of this theory. We all have… Read more
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