The UAMCD Awards recognise excellence in the fields of marketing, communications and fundraising at Australia’s universities. This year’s winners were announced in an online ceremony as part of the 2021 UAMCD Conference.
While announcing the winners, Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson acknowledged the extraordinary effort of university marketing, communications and development teams off the back of another difficult year.
“I want to recognise all the marketing and communications efforts from the teams across our universities. More than ever, the essential role you play is firmly recognised across the sector. From all of your colleagues, thank you.”
“This year’s UAMCD award winners have created some particularly fun, innovative and meaningful work. I congratulate them all for their tenacity and thank them for sharing it with us,” Ms Jackson said.
2021 UAMCD Award winners – judges’ comments
Best fundraising campaign – small team
University of the Sunshine Coast – G-Day
G-Day by University of the Sunshine Coast really stood out for its clever use of limited resources. We loved how they used data to learn from previous years and clearly define their problem, their messages and their audiences. They completely smashed their targets – a great result and a job well done!
Best proactive communications
The University of Queensland – Learning through COVID-19
A very well planned, thoughtful and multi-layered communications campaign that was cleverly executed to achieve more than its stated aims. It gained significant national media coverage by engaging in a partnership with The Smith Family to find multiple relatable case studies to bring the academic research to life and amplify the voices of affected children. The multistage approach ensured coverage over a seven-month period, rather than a one-off story. Clever animation and a smart landing page further support communicating the research, which has attracted the attention of policy makers.
Best real-time response communications
Doherty Institute at The University of Melbourne – Real-time COVID-19 communications
The Doherty Institute has become one of the most trusted voices in Australia during the pandemic, largely thanks to its communication efforts. From responding to the huge appetite for expertise in traditional earned media to disseminating digestible, factual evidence via owned media channels, it was able to reach and educate the Australian public during this time of great uncertainty in a creative and effective way.
Best marketing campaign
Curtin University – Change is here
Change Is Here is university marketing done really well. Universities, at their heart, are about aspiration and the hope of change within individuals. This campaign is a beautiful articulation of just that.
Best marketing campaign – small scale
Southern Cross University – The Electric Kombi Conversion
The Electric Kombi Conversion is an absolute, innovative standout in its category. We love how it smashes together old and new – the vintage Kombi and a future of electrification – to create a really PR-able item that proves SCU’s innovation credentials.
