WUD Marketing Resources

Box Folder containing committee/club brand materials:

• Flyer templates (as Word docs and InDesign files)
• Social media cover photos and profile pics
• Email header/footer
• Logo files
  • Preferred horizontal files as Illustrator (AI), jpg, pdf, and png files
  • Secondary vertical files as Illustrator (AI), jpg, pdf, and png files
  • Icon files as Illustrator (AI), jpg, and png files
• QR Codes

Pro Tip: If you need a different template, the Wisconsin Union Marketing department is more than happy to help design something for you.

The Wisconsin Union Marketing Department manages the Wisconsin Union website - union.wisc.edu.  WUD committees and Hoofer clubs are responsible for adding events to the Wisconsin Union event calendar.  

Why is the Event Calendar so Important?

• It populates events on your committee page
• Community members and local publications know to visit the Wisconsin Union web event calendar to find out what's going on
• It feeds automatically to the Campus event calendar at today.wisc.edu
• WU Marketing may feature your event on the Wisconsin Union website and in digital signage
• It informs WUD and WU social media of upcoming events for possible publication

Get Trained for the Website

Committee Marketing ADs will receive login information and training on the website.  Please contact your Committee Director &/or Advisor with questions.

CMS Manual & Training Videos

If you need a quick reminder of how to do something, please check out these reminder tutorials.

Adjustments to Committee Pages

WUD Committee pages are designed to remain general/foundational in nature.  Best practice is to avoid dated content or content only relevant to a unique period of time.  If you need to make edits to your Committee page(s) discuss these with your Committee Director and Committee Advisor, and then use the web form to request these changes. Marketing staff will review, and post the edits when approved.  

Committees will use Mail Chimp to send email to their subscribers.  

• Marketing ADs should work with their Committee Advisor to access a current or create a new Mail Chimp Account.
• WUD Advisors may work with WU Marketing to create basic templates and a subscription collector.

Email Templates: Committee/club email templates are saved in your Logos & Templates folders. 

The VP of External Relations is responsible for sending general WUD promotional emails to all students. Contact directorate@union.wisc.edu to add your committee's news and topics to the list of considerations for these emails.  

If you are interested in having your social media featured, please submit a request to the Social Media Request Submission Form. (Must be submitted 2+ weeks before the event date.)

Interested in learning more about best practices? Check out our Social Media Best Practices Guide.

Pro Tip: Flyers need to be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to your event. Please allow for design and printing of flyers

1. Memorial Union & Union South magnetic post-up boards.
2. Permission is not needed. Please use the Wisconsin Union Directorate section of the boards on the first floor of each building.
3. WUD Campus Poster Flyer Route
4. State Street & Langdon Street posts and flyer boards in coffee shops and businesses.
5. Split up campus and the surrounding area and ask committee members to post flyers in areas where they spend a lot of time. Ask business owners before posting on boards.
6. University Housing has specific policies for posting.
7. The Parks Office in the City County building will post 11” x 17” posters in their kiosks along State Street if the interest is broad enough. Submit 12 copies to Parks Office at least 4 weeks before event.
8. Downtown Madison Inc (DMI) Visitor Center at 452 State Street will accept flyers to post as they are able.

WUD Film Slideshow information

1. WUD Film slideshow/Preview Promotions

1. Determine your measurable event goals (ex: attendance)
2. Identify & narrow your target audience (ex: journalism and engineering; not arts or education)
3. Identify your key messages
4. Identify available communication channels, including your own social media accounts and web pages
5. Draft a press release or media alert and share with Maddie Carr for review and input
6. Create and share your media list with your advisor and Maddie so they may share more widely if/as appropriate
7. Send your release or alert
8. Measure and track media mentions

Maddie Carr (madeleine.carr@wisc.edu), WUD communications advisor, can help with:

• Press release composition and/or editing
• Media alert/advisory composition and/or editing
• Press release and/or alert distribution to media outlets
• Custom media distribution lists
• Blog article composition
• Media training
• Crisis communication assistance
• Public relations plan composition

Pro Tip: Start by connecting with your WUD Advisor to ensure you have a multi-pronged marketing/communications approach before you meet with Maddie Carr.

Student photographers/videographers are hired by the Wisconsin Union Marketing Department to capture WUD events for post-event purposes like recap albums on social media, marketing materials, and archive purposes. 

Please use this (free!) resource! 

Request Photography

VMMs are scheduled to cover events on a first-come, first-served basis. Please submit requests as far in advance as possible but at least 5 days before your event. Please note that at times we may not have the capacity to provide a photographer for your event.  You will be notified in advance of your event. 

Pro Tip: If a VMM attended your event, photos are uploaded to PhotoShelter within a few days. You should also receive an email message with a link to your photos.

For any graphic design here is the information you will need to get started:

• Type of material(s) to be designed
• Event information—event name, date, times, description & photo choices (if available)
• Design direction (photos, colors, specific design direction, co-sponsor logos, etc.)
• Account number
   
• Additional people to copy when sending proofs for review
• Any other information for the designers to know about your event or what you envision

Pro Tip: Please submit your request for design at least 2-3 weeks before you need to start advertising the event to ensure you have time to review, edit, print and distribute.

Graphic Design options:

1. Committee member designs promotional materials.

2. Student Print - 4-5 weeks before the date of your event

Need a flyer, poster, or other marketing piece designed? Student Print has a team of student designers to help. If you have designers on your committee, please share the brand guidelines and logos with them. 

Please use the WUD Committee Event Form to start the process with Student Print.

3. Wisconsin Union Graphic Designers- 5+ weeks before the date of your event

Set up a time to meet with Ashley Alloway (aalloway@wisc.edu) to get your project started. Hoofer Committees, email Amanda Stezenski (stezenski@wisc.edu).

Promoting your event

Here are the basics and the information you need to start your promotion plan:

Key elements:  Event name, date, place, time, description, images, sponsors, etc

Call to Action (CTA):  what is the one thing you want people to do?  Attend, buy a ticket, reserve a place, etc

Audience:  identify who will be interested in this event and how will you reach them

Timeline:  events should be promoted at least 2 weeks before the event date so the audience can see multiple messages and have time to plan to attend

Tactics: the best plans have a multiple tactic approach.  If possible use a combination of:

• Social media
• Printed materials
• Word-of-mouth strategies
• Website event listing
• Connections to other RSOs
• Departments, faculty, invitations to friends/classmates
• Promoting through other WUD committees - social media, announcement at events, inviting committee members

Reminder: Memorial Union and Union South are heavily used buildings and printed materials on the bulletin boards and digital signage (2 weeks in advance notice)  are great places to get the word out quickly!

There isn’t a universal marketing/promotion plan that works for all events.
But here are some typical marketing tactics to consider.

Additional Marketing Opportunities: Center for Leadership & Involvement / University Communications & Marketing / Banner above Campus Drive or Park Street / Reserving space on campus / Co-sponsorship (WUD approval, adherence to Union’s co-sponsorship policy)
 

Marketing promotional materials are used to get the word out about your committee and events. Promotional items (SWAG) are items used to create a connection with current and potential committee members, sponsors and partners. WUD Committees can work with Student Print or Wisconsin Union Graphics to design and order these materials. Hoofer Clubs can work with Amanda Stezenski.  

Types of Promotional Items/Swag:

1. Recruitment: Use to attract new members to join your committee or club and get your name out. This type of promo item should be inexpensive but not junky. Examples include stickers, magnets, cups, etc.
    
2. Retention: Use committee-branded giveaway/swag to thank members. This is a tangible reminder of their loyalty to the committee and shows others their involvement. Examples include t-shirts, hats, aprons and other slightly more expensive items.
    
3. Showing gratitude (thank yous for co-sponsors or speakers/performers): These items are typically ordered in much smaller quantities. Thank-you materials should typically be of higher quality (could be more valuable/expensive) and should be more useful items that can be used/appreciated for a longer time.

The Wisconsin Union Marketing Department: 

• Creates and supports the Wisconsin Union brands
• Provides marketing services to all the operations at Memorial Union and Union South

Wisconsin Union Marketing works with:

• WUD VP External and Hoofers
• Dining/Retail (menus in all restaurants, markets & cafes; merchandise on the Terrace Store)
• Campus Event Services for events management (room rentals, catering, & conferences) and the Wisconsin Union Hotel
• Signature events like Badger Bash, Winter Carnival, Tudor Dinners and Welcome Week events
• Other Union Departments like Theater, Membership, Outdoor UW, Wheelhouse Studios, and HR
• Design & storytelling elements at Memorial Union and Union South

Wisconsin Union Marketing also manages:

• Wisconsin Union social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
• Wisconsin Union website
• Digital signs in Memorial Union and Union South

StudentPrint

• Joined the Wisconsin Union on July 1, 2021
• Is a student-run business serving student organizations throughout campus with graphic design, printing and other services.
• Works with WUD Committees to design marketing/advertising materials to promote WUD events and support the WUD committees.