Marketing Extension
Executive Summary of the Extension Marketing Plan
Learning for Life. That's what Extension work is all about, isn't it? It applies to both our clientele and ourselves.
- To help Georgians compete, survive and thrive in the world, UGA Cooperative Extension must challenge citizens to expand their knowledge throughout their lives. Georgians can look to UGA's local access point for objective, science-based knowledge in agriculture and the environment, in youth development and in family and consumer sciences.
- To keep our programs relevant to Georgians and to remain a viable and necessary part of the University of Georgia's broader mission as a land-grant institution, Extension must keep Learning for Life.
Expectations
What can agents and administrators expect as a result of a strong marketing strategy? To be honest, some are fearful that a marketing program will only place more demands on an already overworked staff. It is a real possibility. After all, building awareness and appreciation can certainly increase demand. However, it should also result in increased support to respond to that demand. Agents and administrators should give some thought on how to respond to higher demand. A stronger advisory system may help agents respond appropriately.
About 30 county agents, district staff and specialists were chosen for their interest and experience in marketing to respond to a short, on-line survey. Their responses revealed a list of benefits they expect from an Extension marketing program, including:
- Increased visibility
- Awareness
- Appreciation
- Support (philosophically, physically and financially)
- Regionally coordinated branded programs
- Unified message
- Broader public exposure
- Name recognition
- Ability to show worth to decision makers
Can a marketing program deliver all those benefits? Yes, with solid benchmark data and continuing market research, careful planning, implementation, evaluation and funding. But remember the caution: a marketing plan is only as good as the program it is marketing.
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Successful Support
This marketing program can be effective only if it can rely and build on support from five areas:
- Securing the support of two college deans for a singular identity for Extension.
- Securing a commitment for funding to execute the marketing initiative and providing sustainability.
- Assigning leadership to the Office of Communications for implementing and overseeing the marketing initiative.
- Integrating the new web presence for Extension with the goals, messages, and orientation of the marketing effort.
- The associate dean for Extension must serve as the champion for the marketing plan.
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Key Recommendations
This plan proposes a number of recommendations and changes that will require administrative approval and support. Once they are approved and funded, the organization must embrace them as part of a team marketing effort. Key recommendations include:
- A new mission statement, logo and slogan ( Learning for Life)
- Drop "Service" from the name
- Ongoing materials and resources, style guide and for-sale items, including county signs
- A new system to identify and promote banner programs
- Incentives and training needs
- Funding structure to support marketing, including market research and evaluation
- Ideas for featured products, media plans and programming to market Extension
- Administrative and staff review of position titles, materials and program names so they clearly reflect roles and information to clientele
Please note that Web design is not strongly mentioned in this plan because a separate committee is already working on redesigning the Extension home page and setting up a system for unified, attractive county Web pages. However, the Web has obviously become a major force in marketing and communication and must be considered a vital tool in this marketing effort.
Extension programming has developed a reputation as having substance but little flash. A marketing strategy intends to add the flash to the considerable substance that makes up Extension work. In a business environment, you need both the substance and the flash to win acceptance, appreciation and support. With support from administration and from each staff member, the necessity and benefits of a strong, vital marketing strategy will be apparent.