University Relations Launches University MarCom Group to Provide Centralized Campus Marketing and Communication Services

University Relations today announced the creation of the University MarCom Group, designed to meet the comprehensive marketing and communication needs of schools, colleges and administrative units across campus.

Drawn from existing University Relations units, the MarCom Group will be led by Chief Marketing Officer Darryl Jelley and will provide a strategic suite of centralized services that will handle all aspects of marketing and communication such as branding, advertising, design, writing, marketing, web services, analytics and program-oriented social media.

John Kennedy, vice chancellor of University Relations, said, “There is extraordinary competition today for students seeking traditional and non-traditional degrees, and that competition will only intensify in the years ahead. The University MarCom Group will unify the University’s brand and ensure that all messaging and communications strategies are consistent and delivered on time to strengthen recruitment, retention and the many other relationships vital to our continued success. We will provide a single point of contact for all marketing needs and strategic discussions.”

The University Relations reorganization combines the Marketing and New Business Development group with the Communications group, creating a unified and streamlined set of services for campus partners while facilitating consistent messaging and positioning that benefits the entire University.

Jelley said, “This approach will provide our partners a clear understanding of where to go to meet their needs. The University MarCom Group will deploy a central team of account managers, project managers and traffic managers to provide both upfront strategic thinking as well as greater agility to address rush projects while meeting current project deadlines.” Jelley said the new unit will assist partners with media planning and budgets, providing a wholistic approach across multiple media channels and creating resource efficiencies.

To learn more about the University MarCom Group, contact Darryl Jelley at djelley@umass.edu.