Produced by the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, the campaign highlighted President Bruce Jarrell’s “Commitment to Maryland.”
The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Office of Communications and Public Affairs (OCPA) won top honors in the PR Daily Nonprofit Communications Awards’ Executive Visibility Campaign category for the University’s Presidential Priorities marketing campaign.
The campaign highlighted the “Commitment to Maryland” made by UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, during his inaugural speech in November 2021. Jarrell pledged to maintain UMB’s standing as Maryland’s premier human services institution by affirming the University’s commitments to excellence in education, statewide collaborations, innovation and discovery, and equity and justice.
(Read about Jarrell’s priorities at this link and check out an example of one of the ads at the link below.)
UMB Presidential Priorities Ad
PR Daily is a website that offers news, advice, and opinions on public relations, marketing, and social media writing. In announcing the award, the organization noted that total impressions (number of times an ad is viewed) for UMB’s Presidential Priorities campaign numbered over 4.6 million.
“I’m extremely proud that the Office of Communications and Public Affairs is being recognized with this national award,” said Laura Kozak, MA, senior associate vice president, who leads OCPA. “The talented staff in our marketing, digital marketing, design, and editorial teams were instrumental in us receiving this recognition, and I appreciate their efforts.
“The honor also is a testament to our impactful partnership with the Office of the President as we strive to fulfill the University’s mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good of Maryland.”
Jennifer B. Litchman, MA, senior vice president for external relations, said, “The work of the team in the Office of Communications and Public Affairs is exemplary. This honor is well deserved and highlights the good work they do day in and day out, and it’s wonderful to have that recognized nationally in such a public manner.”
The campaign produced ads and sponsored content articles for print and online that featured Jarrell’s pledges in more detail. These ads and articles were placed in regional publications including The Baltimore Sun, Annapolis Capital, Baltimore Business Journal, Washington Business Journal, Baltimore Times, Annapolis Times, Baltimore and JMORE magazines, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Overture magazine. The campaign also was featured in three national publications — The Chronicle of Higher Education; Diverse: Issues in Higher Education; and Inside Higher Ed — and on Maryland Public Television.
This is the third marketing award for OCPA in 2022, with the first two recognizing UMB’s “Get the Vaccine Baltimore” campaign, which encouraged people from underserved communities in Baltimore to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. That marketing initiative won an MX Award for Integrated Marketing Campaigns from the Baltimore chapter of the American Marketing Association, and it was among the honorable mention picks in awards from Ragan Communications for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Social Impact in the Cause Advocacy Campaign category.