Strategic Communication for Chancellor’s Statewide Outreach Events
Category
Engagement > Targeted Constituency Engagement
Description
Best of CASE District V Award
Institution: University of Wisconsin Madison
Title of entry: Strategic Communication for Chancellor’s Statewide Outreach Events
About this entry: To strengthen relationships with Wisconsin business leaders, elected officials, and community partners, UW–Madison’s Office of Strategic Communication led a coordinated communications effort in support of the chancellor’s fall 2024 statewide outreach tour. In visits to locations across the state, events included small-group discussions, business tours, and listening sessions with UW partners. Our communication goals were to increase visibility, reinforce key institutional messages, and drive engagement in regions critical to the university’s statewide mission.
Our team executed a multi-channel strategy to amplify the impact of each visit. This included targeted media outreach, strategic social media engagement, and extensive partner coordination to ensure messaging alignment. We provided on-site support, developed compelling storytelling assets, and facilitated follow-up engagement to build and sustain relationships in key Wisconsin communities.
Amid rapidly shifting timelines and event logistics, our communications efforts delivered measurable impact:
• Earned media coverage in five regional outlets, reaching 115,000+ readers and listeners.
• 50,000+ social impressions, 3,000+ engagements, and an estimated reach of 570,000 through owned and partner channels.
• Direct engagement with 100+ business leaders, researchers, elected officials, and community partners across 17 stops.
• Stronger on- and off-campus partnerships through pre-event messaging coordination and post-event follow-up, ensuring continued dialogue beyond the visits.
This initiative—recognized as a success by both UW teams and external partners—serves as a replicable model for how institutions can use strategic communications to enhance executive outreach, translating leadership engagement into sustained visibility, credibility, and long-term relationship-building, even in the absence of large, public-facing events.