Community Connections: How Grassroots Events Can Boost Your College's Impact

Full Transcript

[00:00:00] Allison Turcio: Welcome to the Application, the Go-to How-to podcast for Higher Education marketers. I'm your host, Allison TecIO, assistant Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing at Sienna College. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, this podcast is packed with practical tips and actionable advice to help you elevate your marketing game.

[00:00:29] In each snackable episode, we bring in experts to share their insights and experience on the topics that matter most. To you got a question or idea you'd like us to cover, email team enroll.org or reach out to me on Twitter or LinkedIn. The application is part of the Enroll five podcast. And if you like this show, you'll definitely wanna check out our other Higher Ed focus podcasts on admissions, tech, marketing, and more.

[00:00:56] They're packed with stories, ideas, and tools to help you be the best in your field. [00:01:00] All right, it's time for the show.

[00:01:13] This episode's topic is all about the power of community events, and our guest is Cynthia Martinez from the University of Maryland. Cynthia is the senior director for brand marketing and she leads the development in execution of all university-wide promotional campaigns, and she is also responsible for Maryland Day.

[00:01:35] the university's annual grassroots event that welcomed 86,000 people to campus in 2019. I am so excited to learn more about this. Cynthia, thank you so much for 

[00:01:45] joining 

[00:01:46] Cynthia Martinez: us. Yes, Allison. I, I'm excited to talk about Marilyn Day and, and how others can incorporate something similar as well. 

[00:01:53] Allison Turcio: Great. Let's start with a high level question.

[00:01:56] Why do you feel grassroots community events are [00:02:00] important things for colleges to. 

[00:02:02] Cynthia Martinez: Yeah, grassroots events are, I would say they're, they're essential, right? And, and they're essential for, for different stakeholders. So it depends on if you are targeting a prospective student, if you're targeting, targeting your alumni.

[00:02:12] If you're targeting prospective donors, uh, it really is an opportunity to connect directly. There are a lot of tools and a lot of outlets that universities, uh, and colleges have, but it is essential to showcase, uh, what the university is doing to benefit. , your local surrounding neighbors, the state, and also how the work that the students and faculty are doing to impact the world.

[00:02:38] I feel 

[00:02:38] like 

[00:02:38] Allison Turcio: this is such an underutilized strategy at colleges. Why do you think that is? 

[00:02:44] Cynthia Martinez: Uh, first of all, the work that it entails, right? Uh, I think that is a huge driver for it. In addition, the budget, right? So a lot of times we are scrapping for dollars for our marketing campaigns or for new programs or for new [00:03:00] research and, uh, a grassroots event.

[00:03:02] Uh, especially of this magnitude, of the magnitude that that Maryland Day is, it does require a lot of, , you know, it's not a cheap event. Right. I'll, I'll say it. And you do have to invest, but it's not a revenue generating event either. So it is important to have that understanding that the investment that is going into a grassroots event needs to have, um, that understanding from the senior leadership as well that we're not making money from this.

[00:03:27] in that aspect, but we could potentially be having our return on investment come in other ways. That could be students that we're interested in attending, making that decision to attend. That could be alumni that are coming back with their families that in turn value what the university is, is doing for our local communities and want to donate.

[00:03:45] Right? So I, I think there's other ways to approach it also with our community neighbors, right? A lot of times, uh, with, with institutions, uh, of all size. You're a disruption to the neighborhood, right? So in our, in our perspec [00:04:00] in our end, on our end, you know, we're a big 10, you know, power five school, and we have football games and basketball games, and we have students who.

[00:04:11] when those teams are winning, they like to take their celebrations on the road, right? So a traffic that comes into the area. So sometimes, um, universities can be seen as, uh, more of a disruptor to the average community member that's not affiliated with the university. So by demonstrating what the university is doing to better our lives, to better our communi, To showcase what, um, what the future could be like.

[00:04:38] It allows us to, to show the community, like, Hey, we're in this together and we're doing, look at all the work that's happening to, to improve, uh, our every day. So it 

[00:04:48] Allison Turcio: sounds like indirectly, at least it supports revenue driven strategies and goals at a college. And then definitely It sounds like. Clearly can help with goals [00:05:00] related to community building and to marketing, marketing and brand reputation talk.

[00:05:05] Talk me through those a little bit more. . 

[00:05:07] Cynthia Martinez: Absolutely. And I would say, um, from the brand perspective, right, it's a unique opportunity to really bring your life, your brand to life, right? A lot of times, you know, you're out in the community, you see your, your advertisements on buses, on billboards, on the radio, but what does, how does that really translates A lot of words, you know, show, show verse.

[00:05:29] Exactly, exactly. So in an event like Maryland Day, uh, we invite the university invites the community to come here and to understand, like right now, you know, we are, um, our, our core brand is, is fearlessly forward, right? So the University of Maryland is dedicated to being fearlessly forward. And what does that mean?

[00:05:49] That is the work that's being done to combat the grand challenges of our time. So when a, when a constituent whether, you know, whatever, whatever area you're. Steps onto [00:06:00] campus. On a day like Maryland Day, you're able to see what fearlessly forward really means, how that impacts you as an individual, being a member of our, of our community, whether it be an alum or so on.

[00:06:12] But really being able to see how the university is really bringing that to life. And I think it's a unique opportunity because, uh, it. I, I do feel very fortunate that here at the University of Maryland, we do invest in an event similar to, as such as Maryland Day, because it does allow us to kind of put.

[00:06:33] our money, where our words are. Right? And, and it allows individuals to really see that, you know, we really are impacting and, and our, our faculty and our, our students, they're amazing, right? And, and they're demonstrating that and how they're gonna go out into the world. And really make it a better place.

[00:06:50] And I know that sounds very cliche-ish, , but it is very, very true, Alison, just based off of, I mean, I've, I've been able to learn so much from being able to [00:07:00] see what's happening on Maryland Day, right. And in my role right now. I'm responsible for the leadership of the event, for the operations of the overall event, and also our, our marketing campaign, right?

[00:07:10] So there's a lot that I'm able to touch, and that's also unique a lot of times, uh, on the brand marketing side. You know, you have an events team that's doing this, you have another team that's doing this, but to be able to influence all of that and make it all fit together is, is it's a phenomenal opportunity that, that I'm very grateful to have here at the.

[00:07:30] Yeah. In 

[00:07:31] Allison Turcio: my experience, whenever you can put students out front to share their thing and what they're working on, it's a huge plus. So it sounds like that's one of the ways that you've structured Maryland Day. So tell us a bit about Maryland Day and how it got started, and especially how were leadership convinced to invest in this.

[00:07:51] I mean, to your point, this must take a lot of resources to pull. 

[00:07:56] Cynthia Martinez: Yeah, absolutely. And uh, it's, uh, I think the, the [00:08:00] benefit that we've had, you know, here at at U M D, this event is now going into its 25th year. Right. Which is, wow. It's impressive. Yeah, it's fantastic. And, you know, it's, it's really one of the best days that we have on campus that really everyone feels they're a part of.

[00:08:15] And with this event in particular, I think we were very, for. Because back in 1999, our incoming president at the time was really focused on, hey, , you know, we're the flagship institution of the state of Maryland, right? Um, how are you gonna connect with the community if they don't know who you are? They don't know what you do, and they don't know what is life, what life is like here.

[00:08:40] So it was really, uh, his vision. And I think we were very fortunate. You know, I have not been here for 25 years, but, um, I, I think the campus community was very fortunate to have this visionary leader that really wanted to invest in this type of grassroots community. . 

[00:08:56] Allison Turcio: Yeah. Well, and I think that's something schools of all sizes [00:09:00] and types have in common.

[00:09:02] We all want to have impact and connection with our local community. Mm-hmm. . So this seems like an ideal way to make that happen. 

[00:09:09] Cynthia Martinez: Absolutely. And, and it, and it proved to be, you know, and that first year, um, they had I think like over 3000 volunteers that came together to help bring this event to life.

[00:09:19] Right. And fast forward 25 years later, uh, Allison, we. , 8,000 volunteers, right. That we work with on Maryland Day. We are in the tens of thousands of people that come to the event, and we have over 300 individual events that happen on Maryland Day. And you know, the campus is divided into five different neighborhoods, so we.

[00:09:42] We have our central area, which is called turp Town Center, which is kind of like the heart of campus. It's on our mall. And um, our mall is actually, uh, one of the largest university malls in the country. Right. So it's, it's kind of very fitting to be there. Uh, but also we have other areas dedicated to engineering, to [00:10:00] arts, to sports, uh, as well as ag, right?

[00:10:03] Agriculture and natural resources, which in addition to the vision that we had of our president at the time, Dr. Mote, uh, the university back in 1856 began as an agricultural college, right? So they did something very much at a smaller scale called Ag Day, right? So that was also something that kind of morphed and kind of was baked into Maryland Day.

[00:10:26] Um, so I definitely wanna give credit to our, uh, college of Agriculture and Natural Resources cuz that event. , I would say just short of a hundred years ago. Right. So, um, they were doing that and Wow. Yeah. So there's a lot of history. Of history. Yeah, absolutely. There's a lot of history and, uh, you know, for, for us as this event continues to evolve, you know, when we, you know, with new presidencies, you never know Alison, kind of what's gonna happen and what's not gonna happen.

[00:10:51] And we are very fortunate that, you know, the, the successor of Dr. Mote, uh, Dr. Lowe believed in the event and carried it on. And our [00:11:00] current president, um, president, uh, Daryl Pines. He also, um, was interested in keeping the event on, cuz I, you know, when they were doing their presidential search, I was like, oh my goodness, if we get someone that's not, you know, is Marilyn Day gonna go away?

[00:11:14] It's something that I've grown to love and also, you know, sweat a lot about it. Right. A lot of love, love and sweat going into there. But it was something that, you know, with, with President Pines, when he came on board as well, when he assumed his leadership. He was totally for it. And you know, he's the first one out there.

[00:11:30] Uh, cuz last year was actually his first in-person Marilyn Day. Marilyn Day event. And President Pines was the first one out there greeting all the volunteers. Getting carrying. That's awesome. Boxes. Yeah, it was wonderful. It was wonderful to see him out there and to. To feel that energy and it just energize our, our team that was out there working as well because it's not just I have to be out here working, like even our president is out here making it happen.

[00:11:53] So it's a beautiful, beautiful day 

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[00:13:02] Head on over to enroll five.org/dda SEO to learn more. Well, he probably had the easiest decision in it because you'd already proved. the worth over the years. So there, there's a proof of concept thing, it sounds like happening too. What are some of people's favorite things to do on Maryland Day? Like, tell us about some of the features that people really look forward to.

[00:13:27] Yeah, 

[00:13:27] Cynthia Martinez: so we have a lot of, I, I would call classify as classic Maryland Day events, right? So, uh, Again, not to hit you with a cliche, Allison, but we do have something for everyone. We really do. 

[00:13:39] Allison Turcio: Right. It does sound like, I mean, clearly you appeal to a lot of different interests. Absolutely. Which might be one of the recipes for an event like this to making it work well.

[00:13:50] Cynthia Martinez: Yeah. Cuz you, you wanna tap into everything the campus offers, right? So there's so many things that happen on a college campus, right? So many student groups, you know, [00:14:00] so many, just a lot of, a lot of different things that are going on. And, uh, you know, some of our, you know, annual favorites, I would say, uh, I, this is one of my personal favorites as well as our Department of entomology.

[00:14:12] Uh, they bring out their creepy critters and everything as such, and you can. Have tarantulas walk on you and twig bugs, and it's, it's not for everyone, but it is one of our most popular events. You know, our Maryland, uh, football team hosts their annual spring game on Maryland Day. So it's a great opportunity for our core kind of football fans to come out and really see, get a preview of what the fall team is going to look like.

[00:14:39] Right. So, oh, cool. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. So we have that, you know, our, our, our performing arts. , our performing arts center hosts over 35 performances on Maryland Day as well. So that is also a, a huge attendance driver as well. You know, we have our, uh, engineering group that, that place is [00:15:00] always, always, always packed.

[00:15:01] And of course, our, our College of Agriculture and Natural Resources team, I mean, they have, uh, equestrian shows and just a lot of different things, and one of their most popular areas as well is you. Free plants. So people come and they load up on plants and, and they're able to kind of go and, and continue that and create kind of sus a sustainable, um, food source, you know, in their own backyards.

[00:15:24] Right? So, so there's a little bit of everything there. And, um, It is a fantastic day where we, uh, welcome everyone to kind of come in and, and be a part of it. And I will say as well, one of the things that's very important for us, Alison, is that, you know, with our event, you know, going into now it's 25th year, you do have to continue to innovate, right?

[00:15:46] Because you could come to Maryland Day, 10 years ago. And if you come to Maryland Day now, I, I think there's a lot of similarities, but we also work very hard on trying to make it different, trying to attract new [00:16:00] audiences. Uh, you know, more is not always better, right? So we, we try to make sure that the teams that we work with across campus for, for example, like I lead a planning committee of one.

[00:16:12] Stakeholders on campus. Wow. Yeah. 100 stakeholders on campus, and this is, you name it, they're on this committee. Departments, you know, schools and colleges, dining, uh, the, you know, public safety. Everybody's represented on this committee. And, you know, when we work with them very closely, we try to get them to, we tra we challenge them to try to make sure that, you know, , you can, we don't want coloring pages of turtles, right?

[00:16:38] Of of our, of our mascot. Of testudo, the mascot. Right. I mean, that's, that's a great activity, but we need to do a little bit more. So we, we do challenge them to think about that. Uh, and also I, I will add, you know, just as a challenge for ourselves as well, you know, when I started doing Maryland Day, um, you know, I joined the University of of Maryland in 2016, and.

[00:16:58] Thrown right into Maryland [00:17:00] Day. Right. So it happens every fourth Sunday, Saturday actually. Um, every fourth Saturday in April. Cuz Sundays I'm like knocked out sleeping all day. Oh, I bet. bet. And for the whole rest 

[00:17:10] Allison Turcio: of the week, 

[00:17:11] Cynthia Martinez: for the whole, for the whole rest of the week. So that's why I'm like Sunday cuz that's like my, my Maryland Day, right.

[00:17:16] When I'm home. um, that's Cynthia here, For sure. For sure. . But, um, you know, with, with all of that to be said, it's just you have to continue to innovate. And I will say, Alison, when I first got here, what I noticed for 20 seventeen's edition, that there really wasn't a lot of current student participation, and I can only speak from 2017.

[00:17:37] Right on. Because tho those were the events that I ex. Experienced. And in 2017, um, you know, I got, I went through with emotions, you know, I figured it out, you know, and then I was, I made my list. I was like, okay, we gotta do this, we gotta do this, we gotta change this, you know, we gotta make this better. We gotta, you know, incorporate this.

[00:17:52] Let's talk to this group about this. So there was a lot of things that I had on my list, but one of my priorities was engaging [00:18:00] current students. And, you know, how we approach that. We also evolved our, our creative, right? So our creative. Beautiful. Very, um, very, a lot of illustrations, uh, but it really, uh, kind of geared, was kind of geared toward a more.

[00:18:18] kind of family oriented au audience, which our current, our current artwork still has that re reflection of that. But we also tried to make it more appealing, right? We tried to make sure that some of our campus partners were thinking about these current students and how do we get them there. Like we wanted them to come and not just say, oh, it's Saturday.

[00:18:39] And you know, my, my department chair is inviting me to, to volunteer. We wanted them to come on their own. We focused on that quite a. It 

[00:18:49] Allison Turcio: sounds to me like there's a few things that goes into this recipe for a really successful event. You've gotta get buy-in, right? All the way through leadership level and then down through the [00:19:00] people that you're collaborating with, all the stakeholders that help to pull this off, getting students involved.

[00:19:05] You mentioned a marketing campaign. What, what other advice would you give to colleges and universities that are considering organizing an event like 

[00:19:14] Cynthia Martinez: this? Yeah, I, I will say my first approach would. , what are you looking to accomplish? Yeah. Right. Because it needs to be more than getting people to come to campus, right?

[00:19:24] Yeah. You know, to what, to what end. Absolutely. You know, and, and I think, um, you know, when sometimes people think about those gatherings and they compare to, for instance, universities that have homecoming celebrations, right? Like people are already coming to campus, you know, they're enjoying this. They're, they're, we're connecting alumni and students.

[00:19:42] That's great, but it's a. Atmosphere, right? Homecoming has a different, there's a different connotation associated with homecoming, but like with, with Maryland Day, uh, for example, it's just really what are you looking to accomplish? And I think that is the first question, and you know it once you decide what you're looking to accomplish, you know, as you [00:20:00] mentioned Alison, I think the key is that buy-in, right?

[00:20:02] Yeah. So getting people to, to get on board, because, you know, I sit in the central marketing and communications, uh, unit on campus, and you. , we all are a part of Maryland Day, right. So I, I have the fortune of leading the effort, but there's no one in our office that doesn't contribute to the event in some form or fashion.

[00:20:20] Right. So understanding that is that of the mm-hmm. , is 

[00:20:23] Allison Turcio: that one of the important things? Do you think, do you think one of the reasons you've been able to sustain this success is that the marketing department is so involved in the leadership of this? 

[00:20:35] Cynthia Martinez: I think that that's a huge driver. I think it's a huge driver.

[00:20:38] I think it also helps to know that, uh, our president is a huge supporter of the event. Uh, that is also, um, very helpful there. But I think with a lot of central marketing and communications units across institutions, you are looked at. As the experts on campus, right? So you have a lot of the schools and colleges that will come and they'll consult you [00:21:00] on things and you guide them.

[00:21:01] And I think when we, there's just a, a caliber of work. And, you know, I, I will say Alison, and in all, as in all sincerity, I, I'm so impressed every day. by the work of the team here in the office of marketing com and communications at, at the University of Maryland. Because just the level and how we, we kind of crank things out and what we do Yeah.

[00:21:23] And how thoughts come together. Yeah. So I am so swagger. Absolutely. Yeah. I love it. Absolutely. Absolutely. And you know, I, I'm very grateful to be a part of this team, and of course this wouldn't be able. Done without them. But you have to have that buy-in and you really have to have the reasons why. You know, and I've had the opportunity to talk to other institutions across the country that were considering something similar.

[00:21:44] Right. And we, we go through the motions. We talk, once I started explaining to them like, , everything that goes into it. They're like, well, maybe we won't be able to do it this year. And I was like, listen, come to the event. You know, I, I'm happy to welcome you, you know, um, and check it out, [00:22:00] see what it's all about.

[00:22:00] And however I can help you, you know? Definitely. And, you know, one, one other piece of advice, if I may, Alison, is for, you know, I, I know there's individuals that currently do something similar or some type of grassroots events, uh, on, on their campus, but I do think for that group, kind of what we talked about a little bit earlier, You have to figure out how you can continue to evolve so your event doesn't get stale.

[00:22:24] And, uh, you have renovated kind of in re, re, re renewed interest, actually, I should say, in the event. And, um, you know, that could be many different ways, right? One of the, one of the things that we did locally here, , you know where we sit? We're right. Um, we're right outside of Washington, DC right? We're four and a half miles outside of Washington, DC So that is where we kind of are considered in the DC Metro, but we're not a DC school.

[00:22:49] Right? If that makes sense. Right? So we're here, but we're like right outside in Maryland. Um, so we wanted to penetrate that audience. So we've worked hard on that as well. Obviously, our, our, our community, our [00:23:00] local c. , the City of College Park, prince George's County, that is also, uh, a priority audience for us that we wanted to make sure we were, we were getting involved in.

[00:23:08] And also we introduced Spanish language, a advertising as well. Right. So that was also something that we wanted to make sure, because surrounding our campus, you know, there are heavy, heavy pockets of, uh, members of, of the Latin community here. So we wanted to make sure that we were able to. communicate with them as well, right?

[00:23:28] They also are part of our community and we also wanted them to, to come to the event as well. So you always have to consider, um, what can we do to consider continue evolving, which I think is key to success. 

[00:23:40] Allison Turcio: I don't know if everyone else caught that, but I think we all just got invited to Maryland Day this weekend.

[00:23:45] you didn't know you were coming outta the broadcast and getting an invite. I think we're all invited now. Cynthia said, so come check it out for ourselves. . It sounds like fun. That'd be awesome. I have one more question for you, Cynthia. [00:24:00] Sure. What is the very first step our listeners should take after listening and hearing all this great stuff that you're doing with Maryland Day?

[00:24:09] Maybe can you give one step for those who are just considering taking on some kind of event like this, and then maybe one for people who have been doing this for a while. . 

[00:24:20] Cynthia Martinez: Yeah, I, I would say if, if you're considering doing the event, um, all I would say, you know, obviously in addition to understanding what your goals are and what you're trying to achieve, I think one thing that's very important is to consider your market and what else is happening there, right?

[00:24:39] Making sure that if this, some, this is something that, that you're gonna do, how can it, what else is happening in the community, but how can. Elevate your brand. Like what can you do to bring your brand to life? Right? And I think being able to kind of have that tie in is gonna help for, um, you know, getting that buy-in as well.

[00:24:57] Right. Because as, as we talked [00:25:00] about a little bit earlier, it's more than just. your, the words that you're putting out in the community, right? This is an opportunity to welcome these priority groups that, that are part of your community and having them interact and connect and really reach out and touch your brand, I think is key ultimately.

[00:25:18] And how, um, what they, what they, what the individuals will walk away from. So I think being able to have that brand tie-in, in addition to the buy-in, I think is, is gonna be key. For sure. For sure. And um, for those of you that are doing events, You know, making sure. I would also consider if this is something that you know, you've been doing for some time, um, understand that you're not gonna get to 86,000 people overnight, right?

[00:25:45] So if you are looking to welcome people to campus, and I mean, my goal, Alison, is I wanna hit that a hundred K, right? That is where, where I'm moving for . I believe you can do it. Yes. I, I, I'm, I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful, right. But, um, it [00:26:00] is understanding that it takes time to build, it's an evolution, right? It is an evolution.

[00:26:04] And nothing starts, you know, at this level, especially in our industry, nothing is gonna start at this level welcoming tens of thousands of, of individuals. Yeah. It takes time. I imagine, 

[00:26:15] Allison Turcio: I mean, you, you're doing marketing campaigns and advertising, but I imagine that. This has really B built, been built organically over time, and word of mouth about the event has helped fuel that organic growth.

[00:26:28] Cynthia Martinez: Absolutely that, that's a key driver for us is that word of mouth and just people that have a wonderful experience that are able to share it with their neighbors. I can't tell you how many times I go in the, in the ne drive around the area and I see people wearing their Maryland Day shirts and it just makes me smile, right?

[00:26:43] Because it is people, people do, uh, they do appreciate that. You know, we always give out these. Branded tote bags at, at the beginning of the event, at our information booth. And you know, I see them at the grocery stores, I see them all over town and I'm like, Hey, they're ok. That's me. That's me . [00:27:00] Yeah. And I'm always like, are you coming to Maryland Day?

[00:27:02] It's April 29th, you know? Yeah. And, and they're always like, oh, they think I'm a little weird cuz I'm just jumping on them for a bag. But, um, but it is, uh, it is, it's a pride point. It's definitely a pride point. And 

[00:27:13] Allison Turcio: would the advice for people who are doing. Something like this, maybe on a smaller scale than what you're seeing at Maryland, but it's a Trish tradition that they've been running over years.

[00:27:22] Is your advice to them to stay fresh, keep innovating? Yeah. 

[00:27:26] Cynthia Martinez: Yeah, that's exactly right. Al Allison, because um, you don't wanna get stale, right? Yeah. And it's very. Easy. I mean, and, and we can a actually think about that too in, in our marketing campaigns, right? Yeah. If we're always using the same media mix, if we're always using the same tactics of, you know, our editorial team and our comms team are always talking about the same things, like that is not gonna, you have to continue like, Highlighting that information and, and making sure that it's all in sync and, and you're constantly, constantly, um, you know, reinventing the event without changing the essence, which is the key, right?

[00:27:59] Yeah. So you, [00:28:00] you, you have to maintain that balance because Yep. Because people have come to expect a certain level of whatever you're producing, right? And you wanna make sure you can deliver on that, but also incorporate some other areas. So, you know, one of the things really quickly that we've been doing as well is, you know, there's a lot of.

[00:28:17] Partnership in the area as well, that, that's happening just surrounding, you know, in our, in our college park area here. And, you know, we are introducing that to, to Maryland Day as well, so people can understand that, hey, you know, we have this great area, this, you know, research park called Discovery District.

[00:28:33] Sure. It's disrupting your, you know, you're hearing the drilling, you're hearing the construction, you're seeing the cranes, you have all these, you know, traffic issues that are happening. But in the long run it's gonna benefit. In so many ways, right? So being able to explain certain things on, um, on this day, um, is very beneficial to us.

[00:28:50] And of course, you know, everyone comes for different reasons. You might wanna go to the football game, you might wanna go to the performing arts center. You might, might come on the main stage and enjoy the student performances. You know, so there's a lot of [00:29:00] things that you can do, but just understanding that this is your, your brand, a huge brand touchpoint, and uh, definitely understand how you can bring that to life, I think is gonna be.

[00:29:12] Allison Turcio: There you have it. Some great advice from Cynthia. If you are just getting started or if you've been doing this for years and years, I'm really excited about this episode and all the information. Maryland Day sounds like an amazing experience. So we should all head down to Maryland Day on the last Saturday in April.

[00:29:32] Did I get that right? Last Saturday in April, last Saturday. April, Allison. Yeah. And then, and then Wish Cynthia. Well on the last Sunday in April, for her. For her much deserved renewal and rest after running such a crazy event. Thank you so much, Cynthia. It really was fun to hear about all these things that Marilyn's doing.

[00:29:54] I 

[00:29:54] Cynthia Martinez: appreciate it. It's to Allison and the offer stands to you and all of your, your listeners. Let's do it. April [00:30:00] 29th, last Saturday in April. We're there. 

[00:30:02] Allison Turcio: Awesome. Thank you all for listening into this episode. If you found the information valuable, please subscribe to the podcast and then share this episode with a friend or a colleague who might also find it useful.

[00:30:14] I'm also happy to share, I'll be serving as the recruitment marketing track expert at this year's EDU Web Summit, July 18th through the 20th in dc. Not far from. University of Maryland. It's too bad it's not aligning with Maryland Day, but I'd love to see you there and More Info is available@eduwebsummit.com.

[00:30:36] Thanks everybody.

[00:30:43] Cynthia Martinez: Hey all. Zach here from Enrollify. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like other enrollify shows too. Our podcast network is growing by the month and we've got a plethora of marketing Admissions and higher ed technology shows that are jam-packed with stories, ideas, and frameworks that are all designed to empower [00:31:00] you to become a better higher ed professional.

[00:31:02] Our shows feature a selection of the industry's best as your host. Learn from Mickey Danes, Jeremy Tiers, Jaime Hunt, Jamie Gleason, and many, many more. You can learn more about the Enrollify Podcast network at podcasts.enrollify.org. Our shows help higher ed marketers and admissions professionals find their next big idea.

[00:31:20] Find yours at podcast.enrollify.org.