Mount St. Joseph University received the Higher Education Marketing Team of the Year award from The American Marketing Association (AMA) Foundation.

Marketing employee providing speech for received award.

CINCINNATI – An initiative recognizing students, a recruitment campaign that boosted enrollment, and a memorable April Fool's prank involving a cicada helped the Mount St. Joseph University Marketing & Communications team earn the Higher Education Marketing Team of the Year award from The American Marketing Association (AMA) Foundation.

The award was recently announced at the 2021 Symposium for Marketing in Higher Education in Denver. The only other award given out at the conference, the individual Marketer of the Year, went to Tim Bohling from Notre Dame. A year ago, Purdue University preceded Mount St. Joseph University as the marketing team winner.

“This is an outstanding accomplishment for Mount St. Joseph University and the marketing team," said Kathryn McMullen, Mount St. Joseph University Board Chairperson. "It also represents a milestone of the progress on our journey to continue to spread the news about our wonderful educational institution around the world," she adds.

According to the AMA Foundation, the Mount's marketing team "created, launched, and delivered a vision to become a High-Performance Marketing Organization. The team identified and leveraged a consumer products Brand Building Model in early 2020 to assess the competitive landscape, perform a university SWOT, identify and personify customer targets, develop a brand equity pyramid, and identified and executed key strategies with excellence," the Foundation said.

"With this in mind, the team earned this award by fielding research with key customers to uncover insights, designed and deployed a new brand-building model, launched several new creative and innovative initiatives with excellence, and delivered breakthrough results with 13 percent enrollment growth," added the Foundation.

In addition to the growth in new students – is a 31 percent boost in new diverse student enrollment - the Mount's marketing team also helped fuel a 16 percent increase in brand awareness.

“Earning this award from the American Marketing Association is such an honor for all here at Mount St. Joseph University," said Jeff Wampler, Vice President of Marketing & Communications. "Our students, alumni, faculty, and staff all represent the brand in communities around the world. This recognition serves as a tribute to the University and the team, many of whom are MSJ Alumni, for their hard work and creativity."

The new “Climb Higher at the Mount” recruitment campaign; the creative “Heart of a Lion” initiative recognizing Mount students, faculty, and staff that go above and beyond; the multiple branding initiatives creating excitement around campus; and the clever mascot change from a Lion to “Cicada Buzz” as an April Fool’s day prank were highlighted as key innovative initiatives for the brand.

The Mount created a 90-second video as part of its finalist submission that highlights some of the team's marketing efforts.

“I have witnessed how our marketing team has delivered a number of creative ideas that have been a step-change in how we show up on campus and in the marketplace," said University President H. James Williams. "The team has brought exceptional, innovative thinking that has generated more excitement, interest, and energy around our wonderful University,” 

As the philanthropic arm of the AMA, the American Marketing Association Foundation (AMAF) seeks to elevate marketing visionaries, empower future generations, inspire a more diverse industry, and ensure marketing research impacts public good.

About the Mount

As a Catholic institution rooted in the values of the Sisters of Charity, Mount St. Joseph University excels at serving the common good. Undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students at the Mount are inspired to think beyond the classroom and redraw the bounds of what’s possible for their futures. This is accomplished through individualized educational experiences, a safe, secure campus environment, and an all-in commitment from faculty and staff to inspire students to reach their highest potential. The Mount fosters life-long learners who serve, care, and contribute to the world beyond their front doors. To find out more, visit: www.msj.edu.

###