Building a Strategic Communication Roadmap Through PR Tool Evaluation for a Public University

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Public Relations

Building a Strategic Communication Roadmap Through PR Tool Evaluation for a Public University

Industry

Education / Higher Education

Client’s Challenge

As the number of 18-year-olds continues to decline and competition among universities intensifies, the client – a public university identified a need for to modernize its marketing and communications strategy.

However, their various public relations tools—including the official website, social media, and PR magazines—had been largely managed based on past practices, without strategic review. Consequently, the client was uncertain of their effectiveness.

While the university maintained several PR channels—including an official website, social media, and print magazines—their management had largely followed established routines. Without a dedicated PR specialist on staff, it was becoming increasingly difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of these tools or keep pace with evolving digital trends.

The Management team sought an objective, expert assessment of their current digital presence. The goal was to identify strategic priorities and actionable insights before committing to a large-scale website renewal or major investment.

Scope of Work

ISB Marketing evaluated the university’s PR tools from multiple stakeholder perspectives —particularly those of prospective students, the most important audience—and proposed targeted improvement measures.

Heuristic Evaluation: Experts evaluated the usability of the university’s website and social media channels, focusing on information architecture, appearance, and content. This identified areas where users had difficulty finding information or where the university’s strengths were not being effectively communicated.

Benchmark Survey: A comparative review of peer universities’ websites was conducted to assess content structure, messaging, and approaches to engaging prospective students, clarifying priorities and directions for improvement.

Interviews: Interviews and workshops were held with dozens of PR committee members and administrative staff from across departments to gain a clear understanding of current PR activities and on-site challenges, strengthening the accuracy of the analysis.

Executive Reporting: Findings and recommendations were presented directly to university leadership.

Website Proposal: Based on the evaluation, we proposed a new design and wireframes (blueprints defining the elements and layout of the screen).

Results

Strategic Clarity: Identified critical structural gaps in the website and underutilized social media features, transforming “hidden issues” into a clear roadmap for improvement.

Evidence-Based Prioritization: Provided a comprehensive evaluation of each PR tool’s strengths and weaknesses, enabling the university to allocate resources more effectively.

Internal Alignment: Facilitated a unified understanding of PR challenges across various departments, establishing a collaborative foundation for future decision-making and the formation of a dedicated PR strategy unit.

Testimonials

“It is vital to promote our university’s features and strengths to disseminate information widely, and for that, faculty and staff must work together. Previously, we were operating by trial and error without anyone possessing specialized knowledge. This time, experts provided a comprehensive analysis of our PR tools from an objective perspective. In particular, the results of the interviews with internal staff were beneficial as they highlighted perspectives and internal concerns we could not have noticed on our own. This will serve as a reference when establishing our PR strategy department in the future.”– Public university Executive

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