Lee College Marketing and Public Affairs garnered national attention recently when it was awarded the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) Gold Medallion for video production and Bronze Medallion for website at the District 4 Conference in Hot Springs, Ark., Oct. 21-23.
“Our website is critical to the mission of our institution and the success of our students,” said Dr. Lynda Villanueva, Lee College president. “For many students, the website serves as their first impression of Lee College. Even before they step foot on our campus or complete an enrollment application, it gives them a powerful visual representation of what we have to offer. Congratulations to our Marketing and Public Affairs team on a job well done!”
The new Lee College website was completed and rolled out to the public in August 2020, shortly after the pandemic hit. Roger Demary, web services manager for Lee College, worked to lead the effort remotely. The goal of the upgrade was to implement a design that would allow the college’s website to grow and change incrementally, rather than being locked into a redesign mentality.
“We wanted a product that was flexible enough to adapt to changing wants and needs without requiring a complete overhaul every time we considered a significant adjustment,” Demary said.
According to Demary, moving to a top-tier product was a big change, but it offered much better tools, including the capability of adding a lot more personalization to the site.
“For example, if you let us know you’re a prospective student when you visit the website, on subsequent visits you may see information geared specifically toward that group,” he said. “If you say you’re a parent or an international student, same thing. This will open several marketing options we haven’t had.”
The Lee College video was awarded the Gold Medallion by NCMPR for its exceptional storytelling, diversity and creativity.
Chris Coats, assistant director of Marketing and Public Affairs at Lee College, originally created the video for use during new student orientation sessions. The goal of the video was to give a broad view of Lee College and its diverse populations, while highlighting fields of study that exist within those student populations.
“It’s a quick way to show people that there are other people like themselves, and they are succeeding in college. Maybe you can do it too,” said Coats. “Of all the things I do, I like making videos the most. I enjoy visually conveying the story of Lee College.”
“It’s rewarding to speak with students who have been positively impacted by the school. It has changed their life – either in determining their career trajectory, or enabling them to be a better provider for their family,” he said.
NCMPR District 4 covers Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming. The Lee College website and video have both been entered in the NCMPR national contest, which will take place later this year.