"The #VolGreats campaign spotlights everyday alumni of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. They are Vols who are lighting the way in their communities and may not be recognized by conventional alumni achievement awards. We select average alumni making a difference in the world and spotlight them on Facebook and LinkedIn. The spotlight features a head shot and very brief descriptor of their profession, volunteer work, or impact they’ve made. Honorees are then listed on our alumni.utk.edu website.
Vol Greats are recognized on Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as added to our website listing past honorees. This campaign has enabled us to feature a much more diverse array of alumni in our digital communications--one that more truly reflects our more than 260,000 alumni base. It’s given us a new pathway to work with alumni chapters, councils, donors, and friends of UT who submit nominations, as well as a new way to tell alumni stories.
#VolGreats garners consistently high engagement on social media and provides evergreen content for our office. The real-life stories of alumni serve to reinforce the Volunteer creed of service and leadership, making impact with much less effort than a full feature story would take."
From the Judges
Great use of alumni groups; the focus on alumni who might otherwise not be covered is a great way to build community. We were impressed by the way they curated their content through volunteers and the board--so important when communications teams can be stretched thin. Very on brand for the Volunteers!
