York University’s Communications & Public Affairs team has been recognized by the Council for Advancement for Support of Education (CASE) with six global Circle of Excellence Awards for advancing the University’s strategic goals through inspiring, innovative and creative marketing and communications strategies.
The award program is the world’s premier recognition for advancing education, honouring institutions whose talented staff make a difference by reaching audiences key to their success through resourcefulness and ingenuity.
“Achieving this global recognition is a reflection of the University’s effective communication strategies and is well deserved,” says Rhonda Lenton, York University’s president and vice-chancellor. “Our University Academic Plan is about coming together to make positive change for our students, our campuses, and our local and global communities – every day York’s central team of communications and marketing professionals channel their expertise and creativity to share stories about the many ways we are doing just that.”
Applicants are judged on quality, innovation, use of resources and the impact of their initiative on the institution and its external and internal communities – including alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff.
This year, CASE received more than 4,500 entries from 636 institutions across nearly 30 countries. The Communications and Public Affairs team has been recognized with six peer-adjudicated awards – two gold, two silver and two bronze.
“I am consistently struck by the commitment to excellence demonstrated by our Communications and Public Affairs team, and I am proud that the strategic contributions of our work have once again been recognized by CASE,” says Susan Webb, York’s chief communications and marketing officer. “Every member of our team has contributed to these awards by ensuring that York’s brand values successfully reach our diverse audiences.”
From highlighting the societal issues that the University is tackling to building unprecedented awareness of the new Markham Campus and celebrating the student experience,here’s a snapshot of the award-winning work recognized in 2022:
Gold: Right the Future advertising campaign, a bold and inspiring creative platform that evolved from the "Positive Change" institutional brand launched during the pandemic. Judges commended the campaign for its visuals, wide range of creative content and intriguing videos.
Gold: Right the Future broadcast ad, featuring a jellyfish moving in the ocean and the slogan, "at York University, we believe doing what moves you can move the world." Judges commended the ad for aligning the University’s brand values with prospective student values, its production value, and high-quality visuals.
Silver: Bringing the Future of Learning to York Region, an integrated advertising campaign to increase awareness of the University’s future Markham Campus, including ads in multiple languages. Judges commended the campaign for its creative and thorough approach to reaching multiple audiences.
Silver: End of exams video, congratulating students from the perspective of their laptops. Judges commended the video for its creativity and originality, its alignment with the University’s brand and its lighthearted reflection of the global experience of online learning during the pandemic.
Bronze: #MeetYU digital campaign, using Instagram and TikTok channels among others to showcase students talking about their student experience. Judges commended the campaign for its authentic approach to sharing the York U experience with prospective students and its fresh, relatable, and on-trend content.
Bronze: End-of-year holiday video, depicting the strengths of York U’s diverse community – across Faculties and campuses – working together to create positive change. Judges commended the video for its engagement with various aspects of the institution and its impressive engagement metrics.