Our marketing challenge centered around needing to communicate the concept of "professional development" primarily and the actual career center (physically), secondarily.  (See our opening section under "How-To Build a Career Center")   To re-iterate the last portion of this section:

...The purpose of the career center for professional development is to offer a place, (concept of "guidance" more than an actual physical place), to 'go to' or 'think of' when needing to enter, connect, engage, ignite, or master ones nursing career.  It is a place for exploration of self and profession.  It is a place for planning and for gap analysis in which to identify the need for further education, mentoring or other gap remedies.  It is a place to use tools in order to clarify: purpose, direction, interest and steps for self-actualization.  Professional development is a life-long process.  Nursing is more than a job, it's more than a career; it is a profession that is bound by professionals seeking "sense of purpose". 

The center is to be a point of connection or re-connection to that "sense of purpose" within the profession.

We set out to develop appropriate marketing materials and initiatives based on our need to announce the career center opening as well s to incorporate the more esoteric need of communicating the concept of professional development  as it related to career health and longevity within the profession. It was also recognized that there would be a need to communicate to all levels and stages within the nursing profession given the life-time involvement of professional development and career engagement cycling.

A detailed document was developed covering all aspects that needed to be covered in our marketing initiatives.  (Click here to view.) The outcome was the "It" campaign which was reflected in most of our marketing materials.  The basis being, "It's all in nursing" and "It's all about your career"and to illustrate the concept of the life-cycle of professional development, "Plan it", "Create it","Develop it", "Master it", "Recharge it", "Teach it", "Connect it" and "Live it"

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Following are the outcomes of all other marketing initiatives:

Brochure

Original web site

(30 page .pdf - screen shots of original web site)

Marketing services to nursing community - 3 minute flash presentation

Research White paper (useful at presentations and career fairs)

Press Releases:

• May 24, 2007 -- Nursing Talent Retention Initiative
• June 27, 2007 -- U-M Tackles Need for Nurses
• November 6, 2007 -- Center Marks First Year Milestone!