(Written in April 2008) Basketball fans and many non-fans now have heard of Davidson College. Not only because of its dramatic success in the NCAA basketball tournament or their all-galaxy star, Stephen Curry.
Many people are talking just as fervently about Davidson's board of trustees and the amazing deed they performed for their entire student body.
The trustees offered to host any and all Davidson students who wanted to attend Davidson's game(s) in the NCAA's Sweet 16 tournament during the March 28 weekend in Detroit. The offer included round-trip buses to Detroit, hotel and meal expenses. All paid for by the college.
More than 300 of Davidson's 1,700 students accepted the offer. When the Wildcats stunned Wisconsin in the Friday night game, the school came up with more buses to transport another 250 to Sunday's showdown with Kansas.
How many freshman applications do you think Davidson will receive for the 2008 fall term? And for many terms after that?
The lesson: doing extraordinary things for your primary community--students, residents, patients, shareholders, employees--especially at a time of heightened visibility and with right-minded, sincere values and intentions at the fore--is the essence of reputation building and, subsequently, brand identity.
It is a PR pro's dream. Action before announcements. Innovation and implementation before bloviation. Sincere, transparent goodwill before good headlines.
It isn't cheap: Davidson had to shell out several hundred thousand dollars. But will it pay off in future student recruitment, alumni loyalty, faculty attraction and heightened admiration among academic peers? There's no need to even state the answer.
Many people are talking just as fervently about Davidson's board of trustees and the amazing deed they performed for their entire student body.
The trustees offered to host any and all Davidson students who wanted to attend Davidson's game(s) in the NCAA's Sweet 16 tournament during the March 28 weekend in Detroit. The offer included round-trip buses to Detroit, hotel and meal expenses. All paid for by the college.
More than 300 of Davidson's 1,700 students accepted the offer. When the Wildcats stunned Wisconsin in the Friday night game, the school came up with more buses to transport another 250 to Sunday's showdown with Kansas.
How many freshman applications do you think Davidson will receive for the 2008 fall term? And for many terms after that?
The lesson: doing extraordinary things for your primary community--students, residents, patients, shareholders, employees--especially at a time of heightened visibility and with right-minded, sincere values and intentions at the fore--is the essence of reputation building and, subsequently, brand identity.
It is a PR pro's dream. Action before announcements. Innovation and implementation before bloviation. Sincere, transparent goodwill before good headlines.
It isn't cheap: Davidson had to shell out several hundred thousand dollars. But will it pay off in future student recruitment, alumni loyalty, faculty attraction and heightened admiration among academic peers? There's no need to even state the answer.
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