Hate Has No Home Campaign Earns CASE Communications Award

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Hate Has No Home

The Hate Has No Home at UMass campaign launched last fall has garnered a bronze award for best practices in communications and marketing from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District I.

The award recognizes University Relations staff, under the direction of Vice Chancellor John Kennedy, who were involved in developing and implementing the campaign. They are Crystal Maldonado, diversity communications manager; Matt Jasiorkowski, director of design; Elizabeth K. Bishop, assistant art director; Hal Marshall, web development manager; Claudia Donald, senior director of online communications and client services; Nancy Buffone, associate vice chancellor for University Relations; Edward Blaguszewski, executive director of strategic communications and special assistant to the vice chancellor for university relations; Donna Blackney, video manager/producer; Elizabeth Wilda, producer/director, Nina Sossen, associate news editor, digital communications, and Anne Marie Morse, marketing coordinator.

The Hate Has No Home at UMass campaign was announced Aug. 15 by Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy just days after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The initiative was designed to reaffirm the university’s commitment to ensuring a safe and welcoming living-learning environment for every member of its community. The campaign, rolled out at the end of August, provided simple, bold messaging and graphics across traditional and digital communication channels. In under two weeks, a full multimedia campaign was created in time for the start of the academic year and the return of the students to campus.

The CASE awards recognize exemplary programs, projects and initiatives in communications and marketing that serve as models for other institutions, provide a successful solution to overcoming challenges, reflect strategic use of resources, achieve significant results and use innovative practices. CASE District I includes institutions in the six New England states, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.

Across campus, the campaign’s message was visible through banners, posters, buttons, stickers and signs. The implementation took a cross-platform approach using various print and web components, including social media, a web page and large format banners. Multiple media channels were used to generate traffic to a website. Web content on the site served to educate internal and external audiences on university values and progress, provide updates from the chancellor and access to a digital and social media tool kit as well as news and events. 

The Hate Has No Home at UMass campaign web page was included as part of the campus’s Diversity Matters website and shared via social media, the university homepage and digital displays across campus. Posters and table tents were distributed and placed throughout campus, with a focus on the residence halls and dining commons. The message was emphasized to students throughout move-in weekend and Welcome Week.

Hate Has No Home generated media coverage in the region and received positive response from students, faculty, staff and alumni. The launch of the campaign created a spike in online activity to the campus homepage and the Diversity Matters site and the chancellor’s video was viewed nearly 10,000 times. On social media, the campaign was a success, with Twitter posts collectively gaining more than 350 retweets and nearly 1,000 likes; Facebook posts collectively receiving more than 1,000 reactions and nearly 300 shares; and Instagram receiving more than 1,500 likes.