‘You’re on mute’ - 5 ways marketing & communications teams adapted in 2020

Marketeers of all ages have had to adjust to new ways of working

Marketeers - broadly speaking - are social creatures and tend to thrive in busy work environments. And, of course, the nature of marketing work demands interaction and collaboration. So, as the pandemic forced offices to close, education marketing teams faced huge upheavals to fundamental work practices. We spoke to leading HE and FE marketeers about the challenges they and their teams face and how they’ve adapted to them. 

This article is part of our education marketing content series, we interviewed marketing and communications leaders from across higher and further education. We asked what they’ve learnt in 2020, and what they’re planning for the future. The series is packed with insights, top-tips, and their reflections on an unprecedented time.

1. Individual wellbeing

Psychological wellbeing is high on the agenda for universities. The impact of the pandemic has been life changing for everyone and the everyday level of uncertainty can be a source of chronic worry. As teams have to manage to a new way of working and to manage additional pressures such as looking after children or dependants, stress levels have increased. 

To support team members, there has been a general increase in internal communications among universities.  

Lizzie Burrows, interim director of marketing, student recruitment and admissions at the University of Surrey explained, “as a directorate we have weekly and team huddles, where the whole department can stay up to date with priorities, but also get a chance to share what’s going on in their world. We also increased informal team catch-ups, and introduced a monthly lockdown quiz and a  ‘lockdown legend of the month award’ to ensure everyone felt supported and valued, was taking a break when they needed to and their wellbeing came first.”

Under the circumstances of the pandemic, Emma Leech, director of marketing and communications at Nottingham Trent University shares the  human-centric approach NTU takes, “what we're aiming for is ‘good’ and not ‘perfect’, because we're working through a pandemic. Of course we want to produce and deliver everything we do at a high-quality. But none of us can beat ourselves up if it's not perfect.”

Most teams have created a virtual space for people to take some timeout to chat with colleagues. Rachel Sandison, vice principal, external relations, shares how this virtual space works for the University of Glasgow,  “we set up a chat channel on Teams where we have people sharing things that are happening with them during their day-to-day, or if people are flagging, it’s been great to help give a bit of a rally.”

As well as taking care of psychological wellbeing, universities have factored in the physical. As people began to work from home, many institutions have provided office equipment to ensure that teams are set up to be as physically comfortable as possible. 

Emma explains, “people got the kit they needed to work from home, NTU provided a lot of extra laptops. And when we all realised it was going to be a bit more permanent, people have been sent chairs, dual screens where they've needed it, keyboards, headphones and lots of wellbeing resources have been made available as well.” 

2. No watercooler conversations 

The days of bumping into a colleague in the corridor and having a quick catch-up or a chat about your weekend plans are over - at least for the time being. 

As part and parcel of office life, the value of these moments may have gone unnoticed. Now, these interactions are sorely missed by marketing teams.

Watercooler conversations are especially important for team morale, bonding and to stay in the loop.  

For marketers who have started new positions during the lockdown, it’s made building relationships more of a challenge. Sally Steadman was appointed director of learner recruitment and marketing for the RNN Group UK as lockdown began. She explained the importance of spontaneous conversations: “we've had to find ways to make this work that doesn't just mean you're catching somebody in the corridor. It's the conversations that happen in and outside of meetings, as much as following the agenda. It’s the conversations over coffee, the conversation you hear behind you. You lose that, so you've got to work that bit harder to make sure you're aware of what's going on.” 

Some institutions have found the absence of watercooler conversations has hindered the creative process, Angelina Bingley, director of admissions, recruitment and marketing at the University of East Anglia, shares her thoughts,  “walking down the corridor and having a chat and things spark. It's very difficult to recreate that organically, because you've got to book a time in to talk to somebody so you lose that spontaneous idea and it's gone.”

Although you can’t quite recreate that spontaneity in a virtual environment, teams use their virtual spaces to have time to chat, the University of Sunderland’s director of home student recruitment,  Francesca Carey’s team, have a virtual kitchen on Microsoft Teams, “to foster that sense of kind of community outside of the core business.” 

Watercooler conversations also provide opportunities for “in-person nudges” as Emma describes them, for reminders best suited to an informal in-person exchange. 

3. Collaboration 

A remote way of working might suggest teams become more siloed and disconnected, but in most cases, it has actually increased collaboration across teams and universities. 

Priti Patel, assistant director marketing and communications: UKSR and widening participation at Queen Mary University of London says that, “working digitally and remotely really does facilitate better collaboration.” 

The move to virtual platforms for meetings has removed some practical obstacles. There’s no need to book a room, which in some universities is a challenge at the best of times. With no physical space to get to, there’s no need to factor in a walk either way to a building 30 minutes away. 

This also enables meetings to be held more frequently, as Rachel says “now we have meetings digitally means that I have much more regular interaction across the whole team. I’m more visible, they're more visible to me and I actually feel more connected with an awful lot of the work that they're delivering.” 

Additionally, people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend meetings are able to do so, Angelina says that now at UEA, “a breadth of people from across the organisation can be brought together very quickly.” 

Many have found meetings shorter and more efficient. Meetings start on time, as Mark Garratt, interim director of marketing, recruitment and international at Swansea University, points out that people feel “embarrassed to turn up late to a zoom call”. 

As well as a concerted effort by chairs to make meetings more efficient,  Francesca suggests fatigue could play a role, “there was a Team’s fatigue early on in lockdown. Everyone was just exhausted by using screens in this way - back-to-back and all day, every day. I think there is still an element of that.”

Technology has played a critical role to facilitate collaboration with Microsoft Teams as the platform of choice for many institutions.

4. Team spirit

A quick drink in the pub after work or a shared lunch break is not an option for team socials at the moment. University marketing teams have to work harder to keep spirits high in a virtual environment. 

Teams have adapted, held strong and found strategies to stay buoyant. Zoom quizzes have been a mainstay for many (and elicit weary sighs from others). WhatsApp, social media platforms and online socials have all helped teams stay connected. Informal chats in virtual kitchens help maintain momentum during the work day. 

Team confidence has been boosted by successes under the challenging circumstances of the pandemic. Sally  shares the experience of the RNN Group team, “I think we've recognised that we're much more capable than we ever thought we could be when we’re not all sat in an office together.”  

5. Shift in boundaries

Since the lockdown began, we’ve all become familiar with our colleagues’ living rooms, children popping up in calls and cats wandering on screen. The pandemic has forced boundaries to shift for both staff and team leaders. 

Generally, there is now much more flexibility for people to work where and when they can. Sally sums up the shift in sentiment among leadership across FE and HE sectors about working from home: “a year ago, there would have been some suspicion about why a team member would have asked to work from home. But, now, I think attitudes have changed.”

Many institutions have relaxed rigid work policies, in part, to support those who need to factor in homeschooling into their day. Swansea University is among those who have developed an agile working policy during the lockdown to enable teams to work flexibly now, and in the future. 

Many people have needed to adjust their regular working hours. However, some have chosen to work a more usual 9am-5pm when prior to lockdown they would start and finish much earlier. This is, in some cases, for practical reasons, Richard Shepard, marketing manager at Staffordshire University, says that pre-lockdown, “people would get into the office for 7am to get a parking space and leave at 4pm.” As there’s no need to beat the rush in the car park, some can now choose to work more standard hours.    

Rachel sums up the University of Glasgow’s approach, “the most important thing we can do is empower our people. It’s about finding the working pattern that makes sense for you and your own personal circumstances.  I actually think it's been hugely beneficial to give people back that power. What's most important is that the work is getting delivered, how you get there is up to you.”

Challenges and opportunities 

Despite the difficult circumstances caused by the pandemic, marketing teams have adapted quickly. In some cases, the circumstances have provided opportunities for teams to demonstrate how capable they are. The people-centric, compassionate and caring approach from HE marketing leaders has empowered individuals and teams to work effectively remotely.

Whether it is by Zoom, Teams or Meet talk to us about how we can help your teams produce content that works.