SMU is a nationally ranked global research university located in Dallas. The institution is known for its tenacious spirit and academic drive fostered by its alumni, faculty, and students. Beyond academics, SMU Athletics is committed to student-athlete excellence with its athletics program striving to be among the best in the nation.

Building on its storied history in sports and academics, SMU joined the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference (“ACC”) in July 2024. This strategic move positions the SMU Mustangs to compete in one of the most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the country—offering a unique opportunity to expand its reach in the classroom and on the field across a broader national audience.

This panel explores the strategic and executional work that SMU marketing and 160over90 undertook to build the “Mustangs Must” reputation enhancement campaign which launched in market with the ACC entry and has expanded to provide an overarching level of brand awareness, enrollment consideration, sports attendance, and positively impact ongoing fundraising.

Engaging your magazine’s audience in the digital age means considering social media storytelling from Day One. But translating a feature story idea from the page to Reels requires outside-the-box thinking—especially when you’re working with limited staff and budget. This session will cover how planning, collaboration and student involvement can result in dynamic storytelling that will organically expand your magazine’s reach, across platforms. We will outline a scalable approach to content planning that resonates with a diverse community of students, alumni, faculty, staff and donors.

Volunteers are not just casual supporters; they are key collaborators in enhancing alumni engagement and advancing fundraising efforts, especially for reunions. Their active involvement amplifies the voice of your institution and leverages their peer-to-peer influence to inspire classmates, increase reunion attendance, and encourage greater giving. Engaged volunteers help foster stronger connections within alumni communities, contributing to the success of your initiatives. In this session, Christina Woods, Director of Annual Giving, Rice University, and Felicity Meu, Head of Partner Success, GiveCampus, will explore how to activate your most valuable asset—your volunteers. Finally, Christina and Felicity will showcase data that demonstrates how volunteers can significantly improve your alumni engagement and fundraising outcomes and share strategies for maximizing their impact.

Tired of your foundation's communication efforts getting lost in the noise? This dynamic session explores how Community College Foundations and Communication departments can join forces to achieve incredible results.