Utilizing branded items to enhance custom mailers

With the continuation of physical distancing and event limitations into the fall, the Office of the President had to reconsider how they welcome and connect with new faculty. Instead of being able to meet at the usual in-person event, the office needed to find a way to still make the connection between the president and first lady and these new faculty members as meaningful as possible.

Mary Jenkins, executive assistant in the Office of the President, said there’s typically an orientation held in August in order to start developing a working relationship between the leadership and new faculty.

“The primary goal is to get the new faculty in front of the president and the first lady so they can all meet,” Jenkins said. “There’s the opportunity for them to get to know each other individually and not just have this illusive presidential figure out there…and the goal is to make them feel that much more welcome at WSU and that much more connected to their administration.”

With the current health and safety precautions, this orientation was moved to an online format, and the president and first lady wanted to make sure the new faculty members still felt welcome at WSU.

“You make it easy for me to be successful.

—Mary Jenkins

That’s when the president’s office decided to put together a special package full of Coug swag for the people attending the online orientation. Jenkins said she tried to pick items that new faculty members may not have, like a branded pen, lip balm, and felt pennant.

“Because of the times we’re in, I’ve expanded even the scope of what I do,” Jenkins said. “It’s new ground to break. It’s fun to imagine our new faculty receiving these boxes in the mail and opening them…The invitations have been really well received.”

When the time came to get this mailing put together, they chose to work with Design and Printing Services. Jenkins said it was awesome to have someone take care of the mailing and branding, as well as work with one point of contact throughout the process.

“It’s just a one stop shop where I can get everything I need accomplished,” Jenkins said. “It looks amazing, it’s professional, it’s WSU branded. The convenience and ease that you made possible for me, I just cannot tell you how much I appreciate that.”

 Assembling the president’s office new faculty mailer, sped up 4x. While the 2 people in this video were working within 6 feet of each other for parts of the video, both parties were wearing facial masks and observing social distancing practices whenever possible.

Jenkins said she also enjoys the sense of camaraderie, collaboration, and teamwork, and that partnering with Design and Printing Services has made for a successful relationship.

“You make it easy for me to be successful,” Jenkins said. “As we move forward into these virtual events happening, hopefully it’s a short-lived process, but I would encourage anybody who wants to continue to engage and make those contacts meaningful to use the resources available to them through [Design and Printing Services] because it’s extraordinary and beautifully done.”