PP 3 - Higher Education

 Coastal Carolina University's Public Relations Strategies

In an increasingly competitive educational landscape, universities must implement comprehensive public relations strategies to gain attention, awareness, and publicity, and ultimately increase enrollment. Coastal Carolina University (CCU) is no exception, as it has adopted a multifaceted approach to enhancing its visibility and reputation. This essay assesses the effectiveness of CCU's public relations plan, focusing on its website, press releases, online videos, social media platforms, and community outreach activities. 

A university's website is often the first point of contact for prospective students and their families. CCU has made significant strides in improving its online presence. The website is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and provides extensive information about academic programs, campus life, and admissions. The integration of multimedia elements, such as virtual campus tours and interactive maps, is commendable. However, continuous updates and improvements are necessary to ensure the site remains user-friendly and up-to-date. The website's user-friendly design is a standout feature. It presents a clean and intuitive interface that enables easy navigation for both prospective and current students. The website's impact on enrollment is difficult to quantify, but its ability to engage and inform potential students makes it an essential component of CCU's public relations strategy.  The website includes multimedia resources such as videos and podcasts, which provide additional avenues for prospective students to learn about CCU. CCU's website maintains a consistent branding identity, with uniform logos, color schemes, and messaging that aligns with the university's overall brand. This consistency reinforces the university's image and ensures that visitors have a cohesive experience across all online and offline touchpoints.       

CCU's utilization of press releases to communicate key achievements and events is a valuable strategy. Frequent, well-structured press releases generate media attention and enhance the university's reputation. CCU must continue to refine its press release strategy to target a broader range of media outlets, both traditional and online, to increase visibility beyond the local community. Success in this area can indirectly contribute to enrollment growth by drawing attention to CCU's strengths and achievements. 

Online videos offer a dynamic and engaging medium to showcase a university's unique attributes. CCU has effectively harnessed this platform by producing videos that provide insight into campus life, academic programs, and extracurricular activities. These videos have the potential to create a more personal connection between prospective students and the university. However, the university should focus on expanding its video content to address a wider range of topics, including testimonials from current students and faculty, thereby offering a more comprehensive view of the CCU experience. 

Coastal Carolina University (2023) 

Campus Tour 

CCU's presence in various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, is a pivotal component of its public relations strategy. These platforms allow the university to connect with current and prospective students, alumni, and the broader community. The university's active engagement with its audience is noteworthy, as it fosters interaction, disseminates news and updates, and promotes events. To enhance its effectiveness, CCU should consider refining its content strategy to ensure consistency in messaging and aesthetics across all platforms, as this will reinforce the university's brand identity. CCU's Facebook page serves as a hub for sharing news, events, and university updates. The platform's user-friendly interface encourages interactions through likes, comments, and shares. Instagram is ideal for the university's visual storytelling, and CCU leverages this platform to showcase the picturesque campus, student life, and events. 

CCU's social media content strategy includes a mix of informative, promotional, and engaging content. It effectively conveys the university's brand identity and values while keeping the audience informed and entertained. The content strategy should continue evolving to maintain relevance and captivate the target audience. 

Unlike many other institutions, CCU is not using TikTok to promote their school. They have also decided to introduce a TikTok ban on their campus. The University has blocked access to TikTok on CCU's wired and Wi-Fi networks campuswide, in a move designed to "keep the University's network safe and secure and takes into consideration the safety and privacy of CCU's students, faculty, and staff". Personally, I think they should consider using the application as a way of their public relations strategy because TikTok is very popular right now and a great way of expanding your brand for a large audience. TikTok has helped many brands reach the global level because of the marketing and viral tendency that it has. Any picture or video on social media can be made viral across the globe if the content proposed is attractive and has a viral component in it. 

Even though the university is said to have banned TikTok from its campus, the athletic part of the school has an account on TikTok with videos uploaded earlier this year before the ban started. The content on the account is very good and was used in a good way to promote the athletic part of CCU.  

CCU's community outreach activities, including partnerships with local organizations and participation in community events, have had a positive impact on its reputation. These initiatives demonstrate the university's commitment to giving back and engaging with the surrounding community. Such efforts can lead to increased enrollment by fostering goodwill and showing that CCU is a responsible and caring institution. The university is working with approximately 60 local community partners and is continuing to grow. They have community partners that fill every niche, including health and human services, arts and humanities, human rights, environmental causes, agriculture, social justice, animal welfare, community building, public policy, and more. 

Coastal Carolina University's public relations plan encompasses various elements, including its website, press releases, online videos, social media platforms, and community outreach activities. Overall, these strategies demonstrate a proactive approach to gaining attention, awareness, and publicity, ultimately contributing to enrollment growth. However, there is always room for improvement, and CCU should continue to refine and expand its efforts in these areas to remain competitive in the education sector and attract more students to its campus. By consistently engaging with its target audience and showcasing its strengths and achievements, CCU can strengthen its reputation and drive future enrollment success.