The University of Colorado Anschutz Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Marketing and Communications team has been named a finalist in this year’s Ragan Zenith Awards, an awards program spotlighting exceptional achievements across internal communications, public relations, and marketing. CU Pharmacy’s Mile High Pharmacy Campaign is one of four finalists nationwide in the Digital Communications category. Finalists emerged after a rigorous review of entries that demonstrated strategic thinking, creativity, execution and measurable impact across a wide range of sectors.
The Goals
The comprehensive Mile High Pharmacy campaign launched in fall 2023 with five distinct goals: increase year over year leads, applications and enrollment for the PharmD program at CU Pharmacy; create a distinct brand persona for the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy that takes advantage of its unique location in the Mile High city; dispel the notion that pharmacy careers are limited; position CU Pharmacy faculty as mentors and examples of what can be done with a PharmD degree; and create opportunities for prospects to engage with CU Pharmacy faculty.
“Elevating the expertise of our faculty and creating meaningful opportunities for prospective students to engage directly with them were foundational elements of this campaign,” explained Lori Westermann, Director of Marketing and Communications for CU Pharmacy.
The Message
The Mile High Pharmacy campaign leveraged the school’s Rocky Mountain identity to emphasize “elevated” education, strong student support, and expansive career paths. Core elements of the campaign included Mile High Careers, Mile High Mentors, and Mile High Meetups, which delivered monthly digital content featuring pharmacy career videos, Instagram Ask-Me-Anythings (AMA) with faculty and students, and interactive webinars.
“The Mile High Pharmacy Campaign showcases the variety of careers a PharmD can offer while strengthening connections between future pharmacists and the faculty mentors who guide their journey,” said Westermann. “Seeing these efforts translate into measurable growth and excitement for the profession underscores the power of strategic storytelling.”
The Results
According to Westermann, the campaign drove substantial year-over-year growth in recruitment outcomes, increasing prospective student leads by 56 percent, applications by 33 percent, and enrollment by 33 percent. It successfully established a distinct brand persona that resonated with audiences, generating more than 29,000 total views of Mile High Campaign content.
The award winner will be announced during Communications Week in Austin, TX, with the Zenith Awards Gala Nov. 12. All finalists will be recognized during the evening, and winners will be unveiled live, celebrating the innovation, strategy and storytelling that set a new standard for excellence.
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