Why marketing and communications must play a more central role

The rapidly changing landscape of English higher education policy and funding has created many significant challenges for universities. Academics are increasingly required to engage with the public and demonstrate the impact of their research. Recruiting students is becoming more challenging and students' expectations are rising, while university staff are under intense pressure to respond quickly to shifting priorities and expectations.

One implication of these changes is that (often much maligned) university communications and marketing professionals have been thrust centre stage and are being relied upon, tested and scrutinised like never before. For a university to thrive, its reputation must be carefully managed, its research effectively promoted to the public, its academic prowess successfully explained to prospective students and a wide variety of messages regularly and clearly communicated to its students, staff and funders. All of these tasks necessitate an effective communications and marketing team.

With this greater responsibility comes increased pressure but also a heightened profile and the opportunity for talented communications and marketing professionals to play a central role in shaping and delivering universities' strategic plans. Communications professionals must seize this opportunity to demonstrate how vital they are to universities in this changing climate.

There are a number of key areas in which communications professionals can provide skills and deliver activities which will make a significant difference to universities. The Higher Education Funding Council for England's Research Excellence Framework, which will be the priority for many institutions in the next few years, is an ideal opportunity for communications professionals to showcase their skills. The framework now includes a research impact score, and communications professionals will have an important role in evidencing and explaining impact, using their skills in presenting research in an accessible way and developing lucid narratives for framework impact case studies. Communications teams can use their relationship-building and event-management skills to organise policy debates and parliamentary briefings to facilitate discussion with government, influencers and policy makers to increase the impact of university research.

A further opportunity comes with the increased demand from research councils and other significant funders for public engagement with research to be included in bids for funding. Communications teams can and should be at the forefront of enhancing their university's public engagement activities by proactively supporting academics to become regular commentators in the national and international media, providing print and broadcast media training and developing compelling narratives to promote often complex research in an accessible way to the public. Communications professionals should champion universities' use of digital communications to engage diverse communities in research through interactive online forums, blogs, vodcasts and mobile technologies and showcase research in film and through social media.

The current climate demands that universities develop their international reputation in order to build international partnerships with governments, business, academics, universities and research funders. Communications professionals should be at the vanguard of international engagement, opening up channels of communication with new audiences by building relationships with international media and producing effective literature to engage with international audiences.

Finally, one result of the dawning of the era of £9,000 tuition fees is that it is absolutely vital that universities improve how they explain the value of a university education to prospective students. If universities fail to communicate their specific offer effectively, they will struggle to recruit in an increasingly competitive market both at home and overseas. This provides an ideal opportunity for communications professionals to demonstrate their skills in delivering concise and accessible information on what distinct opportunities universities can offer and what financial support is available. They should also be central to widening participation by developing compelling stories that inspire young people to apply to university.

Once students begin their studies they will quite rightly expect clear and timely communication from their university about their lectures and seminars, student events, academic facilities and the extra-curricular opportunities available to them. This is an essential part of providing an excellent student experience – a key priority for universities. Communications professionals can shape these messages and build effective communications channels to engage with students.

The time has come for communications and marketing teams to play a more central role in shaping and delivering universities' strategic priorities. Now is the time to seize this opportunity to demonstrate the value and skills of communications and marketing professionals.

Alistair Jarvis is director of communications and marketing at University of Birmingham. @AlistairJarvis.

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