Key Message Development

Progress on the university-wide Key Messages is moving ahead.  During the next three or four days I’ll post the most recent work from the Public Relations & Marketing committee…great work, by the way.  Take some time to review the information and start to think about how you can incorporate the ideas into your daily, weekly, monthly, annual communications planning.

The posts will include a great deal of supporting information for each message and I encourage everyone to take that supporting information and build on it.  Create supporting messages that apply directly to your college and/or unit and you’ll have helped accomplish what we set out to do six months ago.

Its important to remember that the Key Messages merely provide the framework for our internal and external communications activities.  They represent a handful of concepts that seek to incorporate everything we do at NC State into a simple phrase.  I know a lot of you thought I was crazy when I asked for three or four sentences that would address everything that happens at NC State.  Well, we did it.

And Key Messages are not intended to be advertising tag lines, brochure copy or press release topics, though they could be.

When you’re reviewing the Key Messages, remember that we still need to develop themes for the supporting facts — themes that show impact [preferably involving multiple colleges] on issues that matter.  The supporting material that follows is grouped around areas that seem to make sense, but we need your input.

You’ve seen these before, but here are the three key messages (No. 4 was primarily for advertising purposes so I’m not going to include it here) with the basic points around each.

KEY MESSAGE I:
Everything you can imagine

NC State, the largest university in North Carolina, provides big-school opportunities in a global innovation hot spot while fostering a tight-knit community in one of the nation’s most desirable places.

Aligns with:

• Producing leaders for the state, nation and world
• Creating educational innovation

KEY MESSAGE II:
Driving the economy every day

NC State provides results that drive the economy – bringing critical thinking skills and discipline-based knowledge to all sectors of society through education, dynamic discoveries, and solutions to real-world problems.

Aligns with:

• Fueling economic development

KEY MESSAGE III:
Solutions for your world

NC State touches lives. With North Carolina roots and a global reach, we deliver solutions that anticipate and meet the needs of society.

Aligns with:

• Improving health and well being
• Driving innovation in energy and the environment

Passion Rules!