Increasing Visibility of UT Extension | Extension Strategic Plan

GOAL:

Establish UT Extension as the primary knowledge source for Tennessee residents.

Outcome: Develop an Effective Statewide Marketing Plan

Develop an effective statewide marketing plan for UT Extension to address the strategic plan goal to establish UT Extension as the primary knowledge source for Tennessee residents.

The team was charged with equipping Extension to provide excellent education using technology.

Team Chair: Amy Elizer

Committee Members: Michael Barry, Donna Carter, Gabe Clemons, Carol Reese, Kathryn Greenfield, Chris Sneed, Jim Stewart, and Alan Windham

The team developed a statewide marketing plan for UT Extension including a marketing toolkit, storytelling kit, marketing training, and establishing March as Extension Month. These resources are available to UT Extension employees at the Marketing Toolkit internal site.

The Marketing Toolkit contains templates, training videos, logos, guidelines, Extension Month ideas, a searchable photo database, and additional resources for UT Extension employees to utilize in marketing Extension.

The team developed the Storytelling Kit to preserve and capture video stories to help Extension tell its story. The storytelling kit has traveled across the state and captured stories from clientele, retirees, partners, and employees.

Marketing training was developed for counties to learn how to market their programs better, prepare for Extension Month events, and utilize the Marketing Toolkit. Eighty-four counties have been trained over three years (nine trainings).

Established March as Extension Month as an opportunity for counties to celebrate Extension and attract new clientele.

The team authored and published an article in the Journal of Extension.

Strategies and Action Steps

Strategy: Develop an effective marketing plan.

Action Steps:

Brand Extension as “Your Local UT Campus.”
Launch a comprehensive and ongoing media campaign.
Evaluate and refine marketing strategies to ensure effectiveness.
Use marketing and communication strategies to increase visibility.

Strategy: Inspire and empower employees and volunteers to market Extension.

Action Steps:

Provide training and materials to market Extension effectively.
Increase marketing competencies of employees and volunteers.

Strategy: Share Extension’s successes.

Action Steps:

Inform residents and communities of Extension’s impact.
Employ social media and other marketing tools to promote program success.

Strategy: Increase visibility of Extension programs.

Action Steps:

Cross market programs to current clientele.
Promote Extension at major public venues.