Last August, President Wippman selected Melissa Richards to be the college’s first Vice President for Communications and Marketing. At the time, Richards had been serving as the vice president for communications and enrollment at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. The introduction of this new position, intended to consolidate and expedite the work of the Communications and Marketing Office, complements the efforts to develop and increase the visibility of Hamilton’s core message throughout the world.
The Communications and Marketing Office recently moved into the old Rudd Health Center, which had been renovated to suit the needs of its new occupants. Vice President Richards characterized the “welcoming” space as instrumental to the goals of the Communications and Marketing Office, as it will encourage “creative collaboration” with visitors such as journalists, for example, who the office may pitch to cover relevant college stories.
As college recruitment is becoming increasingly competitive, Richards pointed to the role of effective marketing initiatives in fostering interest from prospective students, something that the improved space should help facilitate.
Staff working in the Communications and Marketing Office are described by Richards as creative professionals, representative of a wide variety of concentrations — “writers, storytellers, communicators, artists, designers, illustrators, marketers, public relations specialists, and multimedia gurus” — that fall under that broader title. Such a diversity affords the office opportunities to compose projects through a number of mediums. At the moment, this means an emphasis on film, which is considered a preferred format for messages directed at current and prospective students. Hamilton magazine, social media channels like
The Scroll
, and the breadth of admissions recruitment materials are managed by the Communications and Marketing Office as well. Richards highlighted the importance of alumni, faculty, and student profiles in contributing a personal feel to much of the office’s work. These can be found in admissions recruitment materials, as well as in Hamilton magazine and on the college’s website.
As a part of the “Because Hamilton” campaign, the office curated an online collection of alumni profiles, showcasing the valuable contributions of Hamilton graduates to their respective fields and communities. Among those featured is Untuckit CEO Aaron Sanandres ’96, Legal Sea Foods Executive Chef Rich Vallante ’86, and Sharjah Museums Authority Director-General Manal Ataya ’01. This collection, aptly titled “Because Hamiltonians,” reflects a key purpose of the Communications and Marketing Office, to promote the ideology behind and benefits of a Hamilton education, stressing its open-ended nature, something many students at Hamilton enjoy.
In order to adequately portray a Hamilton education, the office looks to maintain and establish a close relationship with the student body. Not only do Hamilton students work in the office, but they also participate in surveys and focus groups in order to inform projects that require a student perspective.
Richards described connecting with Hamilton students as her favorite part of working in the Communications and Marketing Office. It results in their best ideas, and ensures the authenticity of their work. “We make a point to get out of the office regularly and attend classes, athletic events, and social activities,” said Richards on engagement with students. “We want to know what students think, what they do, and how they feel, so we can accurately reflect our Hamilton student community.”
