How to Obtain Assistance with Mass Communications

Purpose

To establish a uniform protocol for staff and faculty who need assistance sending out and managing mass communications in order to improve reach, target audience, and track response, in accordance with PPM 310-18 Communications and Technology, Mass Electronic Messaging..

Timeline

Completion dates will vary based on each department’s communications schedules, and the department contact’s ability to respond to the request.

Services Defined

Mass Communications are common in a community the size of UC Davis and are delivered in a variety of ways, including by email, poster, video, event and more. While they are critical for distributing important information about our programs, they also have a greater potential for being overlooked and missed by your audience.

The Communications team can help develop, edit and distribute your message. And with our broad understanding of what’s happening across the division, we can identify opportunities to combine communications to optimize audience reach.

The Communications team has made it a high priority to identify strategies to improve the effectiveness of mass communications by engaging in these key strategies:

  • Targeting messages ensures the relevant audience receives the message, and increases the likelihood that an individual will open your messages in the future.
  • Thoughtful messaging and formatting to ensure only essential information is conveyed in an appealing and recognizable way.
  • Bundling and careful sequencing of similar information, regardless of the source.
  • Creative use of graphic design to enhance marketability and brand the organization.

University policy states that any email sent to more than 250 staff must have the written approval of the Vice Chancellor of Finance, Operations and Administration (FOA) and the approval of the Academic Senate Executive Director for correspondence to more than 250 faculty.

Please note that you should consult with Communications before sending any communication to more than 50 people outside of your department, or delivered to a high-profile audience (e.g. assistant deans, ladder-rank faculty, AVCs, etc.) for help with strategizing, content development and distribution. Exceptions may be granted for routine correspondence such as budget updates to campus leadership and emergency notifications.

Emails and Electronic Communications

Electronic emails and communications are the most common way to distribute correspondence and can be sent via Outlook or a third-party email marketing tool.

Types of communications include newsletters, program project updates, event promotions, emergency notifications, and communications from the Office of the President or Human Resources.

Letters

The Communications team can help review and edit letter correspondence to ensure the information is stated in an easy-to-understand way.

Surveys

Surveys sent to more than 250 people must be reviewed by Institutional Analysis before being approved for distribution as described above. The Communications team can help develop the survey and facilitate communications with Institutional Analysis.

Videos

Please work with the Communications team in advance of final production to ensure that marketing standards are followed and language complements organizational messaging.

Procedure

Submit a request for services by emailing FOACommunications@ucdavis.edu. In the request, please provide as many details as possible, including:

  • Intended audience
  • Goals of the communication
  • Point of contact
  • Deadline