Inaugural Vice President for Advertising and marketing and Communications
Justin M. Bell, a seasoned resourceful strategist who aided to elevate the position of The Ohio State University and a number of nicely-recognized manufacturers, has been appointed the inaugural vice president for advertising and communications at Fordham, powerful Aug. 25. He is the first human being to maintain this placement in College Internet marketing and Communications, which grew to become a stand-on your own division before this 12 months.
“Justin is the suitable man or woman to guide the newly shaped College Promoting and Communications division. He has a tested observe history in building thorough marketing and advertising procedures and integrating details-pushed insights into his work, and is devoted to fostering meaningful connections within and outside the house the University,” stated Fordham’s president, Tania Tetlow, who welcomed Bell and his husband to the Fordham neighborhood in an electronic mail announcement on July 20.
Bell arrives to Fordham from The Ohio State University—an institution whose college student populace is four instances as major as Fordham’s—where he serves as affiliate vice president for brand name advertising. More than the previous four many years, he improved Ohio State’s model in methods that grew enrollment and designed a track record for reducing-edge investigation. In advance of signing up for better training, he labored for marketing organizations in Los Angeles and Miami, and went on to located his own company centered on digital technique, social media, and website enhancement. Within two many years, his startup was acquired by Lion Agency, exactly where he served as CEO.
In his new purpose at Fordham, Bell will control a crew of industry experts who operate in advertising and marketing, news and media relations, pictures and online video, social media, and web page administration. As chief of the division, Bell will play a pivotal job in boosting Fordham’s profile and escalating enrollment.
When Bell commences at Fordham in August, he’ll be adhering to 6 months of leadership from UMC’s interim vice president, Donna Lehmann, who will return to her job as associate vice president for promoting. His appointment is the fruits of a national look for led by Lerzan Aksoy, dean of the Gabelli School of Enterprise, which made 10 semi-finalists and four finalists.
In a Q&A with Fordham Information, Bell mirrored on his career path and shared his vision for Fordham.
You’ve worked on brand name growth for Ohio State as well as businesses like Amazon and Visa. What job does branding participate in in marketing and advertising and communications technique, and what have you acquired from this work that you’ll provide to Fordham?
In branding, we concentration on tangible and emotional touchpoints that condition our notion of a brand in excess of time. This necessitates entrepreneurs and communicators to be intentional about curating experiences we want our audiences to have by way of storytelling, promoting, and throughout all touchpoints. I have successfully served manufacturers use information-knowledgeable approaches to create encounters that resonate with audiences. Larger ed is no unique. We have to create associations with college students, faculty, team, directors, alumni, and donors by tailoring the model practical experience to satisfy their wants, which will establish belief that will then construct affinity and ultimately reinforce manufacturer perception.
You’ve led many important marketing and communications initiatives at The Ohio Point out University. Which ones are you most proud of?
Through the pandemic, it was important to protect and strengthen Ohio State’s feeling of neighborhood. My team created With each other As Buckeyes, a campaign that became a rallying cry for the university community and Ohioans throughout the point out, although also supporting the vital function of Ohio State’s tutorial health care heart in preventing COVID-19. As we emerged from the pandemic, my workforce embarked on an viewers study examine to comprehend how COVID-19 impacted perceptions of Ohio Condition. Our qualitative and quantitative analysis informed a new brand name platform that was current market-tested and is now delivering the university’s model a lot more persistently, verbally and visually. Audience exploration also informed a total reimagination of Ohio State’s electronic ecosystem, which include the introduction of a new UX style system and a reimagined osu.edu. My group also set up a storytelling topic calendar, employed inside of our central group and by marketers and communicators across the institution, to support elevate essential themes and tales in the course of the year that tied again to our institutional priorities and model strengths. This permitted us to push a much far more reliable working experience for our readers—and our audiences that are partaking with content—across our channels.
Below your management, Ohio State’s social media presence rose from lower rankings to the prime 10 among faculties and universities nationwide. How did you support to make this transpire?
The vital was getting viewers-centric. Yr following year, we see modifications in social platform habits and works by using across our audiences, so we recognized approaches to realize how to fulfill specific audiences on just about every platform. This allowed us to be far more intentional about our material, the tone of our posts, and finally how we engaged with our audiences. An additional advantageous strategy has been receiving learners them selves to make written content. They know what’s on pattern and what’s going to resonate with their peers, and that was a significant achievements for us, specially on Instagram and TikTok.
What drew you to Fordham?
The persons. I’m inspired by how the Fordham group embraces cura personalis—care for the mind, overall body, and spirit—with a solid determination to go beyond what is envisioned in services to other people, although even now offering affect that positive aspects our international society. It is Fordham’s determination to its Jesuit values that really can make it a special position. I felt it considering the fact that the day I started off partaking with Fordham.
New York Metropolis is a furthermore. I was born and elevated in Ohio. My dad, my sister, myself—we all went to Ohio State. Soon after graduating from higher education, I lived in Minneapolis, western New York, and Miami. I search forward to relocating to New York and getting entry to all the wonderful meals choices. I’m a huge foodie, so the capability to wake up and try out something new each individual day is thrilling.
What are Fordham’s present strengths in advertising and marketing and communications? What areas do you hope to build on?
Fordham’s performed a great career of creating a powerful regional manufacturer consciousness. I want to develop on that by increasing visibility and advancing our reputation—both nationally and internationally—in help of President Tetlow’s eyesight and our need as an institution to contend on the world phase. In addition, Fordham has a potent storytelling existence. I want to use it to elevate the great effect Fordham has on our communities and the environment.
What are your top rated priorities for this tumble semester?
My precedence is getting to know Fordham: the people, traditions, and all round expertise, as properly as checking out Fordham via the eyes of our pupils, college, personnel, alumni, and donors. That will all be instrumental in me knowledge what audiences anticipate and finally will need from Fordham. Knowing our audiences will also be knowledgeable by means of viewers research, which we’ll use to advise and evolve our marketing and advertising and communications methods. I also plan on constructing potent associations with entrepreneurs, communicators, leaders, and colleagues across the University, and I seem ahead to discovering much more about the terrific operate already underway, although developing connections and collaboration to elevate Fordham by means of each individual touchpoint.
This job interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
