Posts Tagged: Strategic Communications

Got a compelling field story and educational content to share? Try the new UC ANR story pipeline

If you're interested in driving people to your content and field stories, and in highlighting the work of UC ANR, now there's a central “pipeline” to do just that. 

Strategic Communications and Strategic Initiatives have established a process for promoting your “stories from the field” on the ucanr.edu home page and on a new UC ANR Knowledge Stream blog that is a destination page for stories and educational content.

Why this blog? The approach is based on successful similar efforts in other states, where a central distribution channel helps people find experts and useful information and grows the organization's web presence. The blog-style stories of interesting activity and achievement link audiences to people and to educational content in an easily consumable way. 

Okay, where do I submit? Submit your short stories here (remember to include a picture or two to make it more appealing). The link is also available on the Strategic Initiatives main page. 

Here are some examples from “early adopters” of the pipeline.

• Headwaters
• Improving crude protein in alfalfa
• Do it yourself (DIY) tensiometer

What happens after I submit? Your survey response and story will be reviewed by Strategic Communications and published on an ANR platform (e.g. Knowledge Stream blog, social media, website, etc.), or we'll work with you to develop it further. You will be notified when your story goes live so you can promote it to your networks. 

What support is out there for developing my writing? Rose Hayden-Smith offers training and consultation in this area. Contact her at Rose.Hayden-Smith@ucop.edu for more information. There are also resources for developing your stories on the Learning and Development site. 

For more info: Contact Strat Comm or the relevant Strategic Initiative leader: Jim Farrar (Pests and Diseases), Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty (Healthy Families and Communities), Deanne Meyer (Sustainable Food Systems), David Lile (Sustainable Natural Ecosystems) or David Lewis (Water).

Linda Forbes
Director of Strategic Communications

 

Two-minute communications survey – plus a prize drawing

We need your input to help us evaluate the various internal communications platforms used at ANR and to develop a strategy aligned with communication best practices. Please take a two-minute survey to share your thoughts: https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=27524.

All survey responses (with names included) will be entered into a drawing for a $25 Starbucks gift card. That's a lot of coffee for two minutes of your time! 

Thank you in advance for helping to shape the efficiency and effectiveness of internal communications at UC ANR.

While we are rethinking how to deliver internal news to employees, we are continuing to email high-priority announcements via ANR Update and putting other stories into the ANR Report blog https://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/anrreport.

Linda Forbes 
Strategic Communications Director

 

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

Forbes joins ANR as Strategic Communications director

I am pleased to announce that Linda Forbes has accepted our position as UC ANR Strategic Communications director, effective Feb. 19.

Forbes brings over 15 years of communications experience as a marketing and branding leader in the private sector and most recently at UC Davis. Since 2012, she served as associate director of marketing at UC Davis, leading initiatives such as the award-winning monthly Aggie Tip Sheet and major advertising campaigns, as well as collaborating with campus colleagues to promote the impact and value of UC Davis on a variety of digital platforms. If you fly out of the Sacramento airport, you may have seen ads from the last campaign she led, like the “You sip, we solve” ad showcasing UC Davis advances in protecting the water supply.

Before coming to UC, she led marketing for a statewide accounting firm and managed an automotive aftermarket brand. But Linda, whose father was a USDA veterinarian, had a desire to contribute her skills to an organization that solves agricultural and environmental issues. 

We look forward to having Linda lead our efforts to transform ANR from the university's “best kept secret” to a well-known, valued service. Please join me in welcoming Linda Forbes to ANR! She is located in the ANR building in room 175.

Wendy Powers
Associate Vice President

 

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

Megaro named interim director of Strategic Communications

Dear Colleagues,

I have asked Anne Megaro to serve as interim director of Strategic Communications in addition to her current role as director of government and community relations. Anne will fill this role until we rehire for the position vacated by Mike Janes, who left June 7 to accept an executive communications position at San Jose State University.

During the transition, Liz Sizensky and Pam Kan-Rice will share project management responsibilities and Cynthia Kintigh will oversee content migration to the new website design. For assistance with publicizing the impact of your work, you are welcome, as always, to contact Jeannette Warnert, Ricardo Vela or Pam directly.  

As always, thank you for the great work you do AND please help us get word of it out to the public by working with our communications team. 

Best wishes,

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

Join our 'We Are UC ANR' awareness campaign in June

Colleagues,

If you've ever struggled to wrap your arms around all that we do or have a difficult time conveying it to stakeholders, an upcoming public awareness campaign (featuring a new We Are UC ANR video and interactive map) will help. The campaign, featuring those two website products and various social media tools, will help tell the UC ANR story in a compelling and visually beautiful way. 

Starting on Thursday, June 1, we're asking for your help to spread the word about our new video and map and to encourage your stakeholders to share their stories through their social networks. To make this easy, we've developed a toolkit that includes sample posts and tweets, images, short video trailers, messaging, and the hashtag #WeAreUCANR.

Please encourage your staffs, networks, and colleagues to post their own inspirational stories about our impact on a client, the work of a dedicated colleague, or just what makes them happy to be part of the UC ANR family.

We're problem-solvers. Catalysts. Collaborators. Educators. Stewards of the land. The people of UC ANR are all this and more—providing the bridge between the people of California and trusted, science-based answers to everyday questions. Please join this month-long awareness effort and help us to bring UC ANR alive to current and future stakeholders!

Thank you.

Mike Janes
Strategic Communications Director

 

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

 

 

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