What does ‘Knowledge Integration’ mean to you? What would you study if you were in a program with that name? Turns out, it can mean a lot of things depending on the students in the program. This makes recruitment a challenge, but also provided an opportunity. I’ll walk attendees through the video campaign we created to reboot recruitment efforts in an enrolment-troubled program at the University of Waterloo. A case study in a low budget, quick turn around project that made a high impact because of it’s integration into a bigger strategy and a confusing concept boiled down to a simple message. Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JYRra-6TDc&list=PL6BFD0F326E5F92F7&index=1 Link to playlist: http://bit.ly/youtube-ki From #PSEWEB on June 25th in Vancouver BC

1. Answering a complicated
question with the power
of YouTube.
Steve Krysak
Marketing and Recruitment Specialist
University of Waterloo
@stevekrysak

2. The University of Waterloo
• 1957: University of Waterloo opens
with 74 students in Waterloo, ON
• 2012: 30,000 full- and part-time
undergrads, 5,400 full- and part-time
grad students
• 163,000 alumni in 143 countries
• Largest co-op education program
in the world
@stevekrysak

3. De-centralized + Centralized
Recruitment
• Marketing and Undergraduate
Recruitment
o Large on and off campus events
o uWaterloo focused communications
o High School/International visits
• Faculty/School based recruiters
o Support for events
o Faculty/School based communications
@stevekrysak

4. Marketing and Recruitment
Specialists
• Bridge the gap between two offices
• Coordinate communication and
research strategies
• Put out fires
@stevekrysak

5. Knowledge Integration
Knowledge Integration (KI) is a unique Honours plan that
prepares its students to understand and address the kind of real-
world problems that require the collaboration, differing
perspectives and expertise of multiple disciplines. KI students
study in both the humanities and the sciences to develop a
balance of skills in creative, critical and integrative thinking. By
choosing an appropriate focus in their upper years, graduates
can also prepare themselves for professional schools, for public
service and policy-making, or for graduate research in their
chosen discipline.
@stevekrysak

7. Knowledge Integration
• What do you do in it?
o What do you want to do in it?
• What do you do after?
o What do you want to do after?
@stevekrysak

8. Struggling Enrollment
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2008 2009 2010 2011
Active
Target
@stevekrysak

9. Non-confirmed student research
• Other programs more
structured/specialized
• Lack of experiential component
• No understanding of career outcomes
• General lack of understanding of
benefits and goals of program
@stevekrysak

10. ‘Did Not Apply’ Research
• What does „Knowledge Integration‟
mean?
• Focus on unattractive program
components in communication
materials
• No understanding of career
outcomes
@stevekrysak

11. Strategy Plan
• Define what „Knowledge Integration‟
means
• Better communicate benefit of course
plan
• Promote career prospects
@stevekrysak

12. Budget
20%
40%
30%
10%
Sales
Multimedia
Print
Web Development
Research
Total Budget: $0
@stevekrysak

13. Moving forward plan
• Define what „Knowledge Integration‟
means
• Better communicate benefit of course
plan
• Promote career prospects
@stevekrysak

14. What is KI?
@stevekrysak

15. Multiple answers
• Students:
“It let’s me do what I want to do”
• Faculty:
“Creating articulate, literate, numerate and
collaborative students”
• Employers:
“These are our future leaders”
@stevekrysak

16. And maybe that’s okay?
• Not a one-size fits all program
• Everyone has a different way to
explain it
• Everyone experiences the program in
a different way
That‟s our message.
@stevekrysak

17. We know how they want the message
• Online
• Interactive content
• Storytelling
• Easily accessible
• Authentic
How can video help us?
@stevekrysak

18. Four rules for video
• Keep it simple
• Be flexible
• Stick to the plan
• Include your team where appropriate
@stevekrysak

19. Students and Locations
• Students from a variety of
backgrounds and areas of the program
o First-year CS oriented student
o Third-year Biology oriented student
• Showcase their space
@stevekrysak

20. Pre-interviews
• Distribute questions before hand
• Meet to discuss answers and
concept/goals of project
• Explore other paths their story can
take
@stevekrysak

21. Gearing Up
• Canon Rebel T2i
• Tripod
• Wireless Lapel Mics
• Reflectors
@stevekrysak

22. Shoot day
• Blocked off time/space
• Confirmed with students
• No professors, program staff around
• Mindful of audio and light
@stevekrysak

23. Edit it all down
• Final Cut (but iMovie can do a great job)
• Purchased song for background
• „Keep it simple‟
@stevekrysak

24. Four rules for video
• Keep it simple
• Be flexible
• Stick to the plan
• Include your team where appropriate
@stevekrysak

25. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JYRra-6TDc

26. Launch
• Promoted widely
o Print
o Web
o Social Media
o Email
o Events (OUF, On Campus)
• Internal as well
o Current students
@stevekrysak

27. But that’s not all..
• “Vanessa‟s Knowledge Integration”
o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfS86bw
Mkfg
• “KI Students in the Summer”
o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KARbKm
gkkAU
@stevekrysak

28. Results
• Increase in applications
• Better recognition of program amongst
campus recruiting staff
• Widespread sharing online
• “You‟re that girl from the video!”
@stevekrysak

29. Recap/takeaways
• Research based tactics
• Part of a larger strategy with similar
message
• Kept the production simple and stuck
to the message
@stevekrysak

30. Questions?
@stevekrysak @KIwaterloo
bit.ly/youtube-ki
Up Next:
“Strategically Coordinating Digital Content
Across Your Organization”
Jonathan Woodcock & Kirsty Budd.
(also from uWaterloo!)