The University of Glasgow has been nominated for four Heist Awards in the categories of: Most Effective Use of Social Media, Best Low Budget Initiative, Best Internal Communications and Best Undergraduate Prospectus.

This year marks the 26th Heist Awards which celebrate extraordinary work in education marketing sector.

University-wide effort

Peter Aitchison, Director of Communications and Public Affairs said: “ These nominations are another terrific endorsement of the University of Glasgow.

"To be nominated as finalists in four categories in the HEIST Awards shows just how much impact our communications, external and internal and our world leading social media is now having. It is very much a team effort, indeed a university-wide effort as we work together to promote the university at home and abroad."

Strength of Glasgow

Rachel Sandison,Director of Marketing, Recruitment and International said: "We are delighted to have been nominated again in the Heist awards after winning a silver award last year for our World Changers Welcome recruitment campaign.

"The awards set an industry standard for higher education marketing and communications and for the University to have been shortlisted for four awards this year highlights the strength of Glasgow's position in this arena and the quality of our people."

Best use of social media: The University of Glasgow made the shortlist for our use of social media during the promotion of the discovery of Gravitational Waves. The social media coverage spanned before, during and after the announcement of the discovery and utilised every UofG social media channel at the same time including new platforms such as Snapchat, Vine and Periscope.

Social media highlights included: A video featuring UofG Gravitational Waves researchers which reached over 2 million people and was watched by nearly 400,000 people and the top UofG Gravitational Waves Facebook post received 11,000 likes.

Best low budget campaign: The campaign to promote the role of UofG researchers in the discovery of gravitational waves gives us a further Heist nomination.

With announcements of the discovery due to be held in Washington and London the Communications Team successfully lobbied for a simultaneous conference to take place at the University. The team also spent weeks creating video, graphics, photography and briefings for the media to ensure UofG remained ‘front and centre’ in the news coverage of the discovery. This content was picked up by hordes of media outlets globally and UofG scientists featured prominently in the media coverage including: BBC News, Sky News, Newsnight, The Times, The Independent, The Guardian and many more.

Best internal communications campaign: We has been shortlisted in this category for the Full Stop campaign which aimed to promote a culture of dignity and respect and raise awareness of the Dignity at Work and Study Policy. More than 25 posters each featuring different micro-fictions, which highlighted a wide range of unacceptable behaviors, were released each week through MyGlasgow, Campus e-News, social media and Campus Screens.  Campaign badges were created and distributed, dedicated webpages were launched and video messages of support from the Principal, the student unions Presidents and members Harassment Volunteers Network were used in the campaign.

A review of the campaign found an increase in awareness of the University’s Dignity at Work and Study Policy of 41%

Best Undergraduate Prospectus: This nomination has been received for the undergraduate prospectus 2016. This was the first prospectus to be produced following the launch of our 'World Changers Welcome' campaign and the publication placed our 'world changing' students as our primary focus. It highlighted the unique heritage of the University as well as demonstrating Glasgow's character as a modern, cultural and cosmopolitan city.

This year the Heist judging panel received 27 prospectuses and whittled it done to just ten, including UofG, for the shortlist.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 7 July at the Palace Hotel, Manchester. 

First published: 23 May 2016

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