Update on communications for July 2021

RadioEd: DU’s Podcast

RadioEd completed its first season at the end of last year. Over the last several months, the team has been experimenting with adding more evergreen topics into its mix. While these topics still have a strong news hook, they are less tied to a specific news headline and allow the team to plan and work ahead as well as support current DU priorities and initiatives. Some of these more flexible topics have included episodes tied to:

• Mother’s Day focused on COVID-19’s impact on working women
• Earth Day focused on the plastics problem
• Pride Month focused on anti-trans legislation

In addition to this new approach to content, the podcast also continued to engage in conversations based on breaking news headlines such as the spate of cyberattacks we saw in May and June, the Derek Chauvin trial, and Britney Spears’ conservatorship, which is covered in the podcast’s most recent episode. 

With this modification as well as through the changes we’ve seen as the country begins recovering from the pandemic, the podcast has experienced some interesting listener trends. Prior to April 2021, each episode had a robust launch week, with the bulk of listens coming in the first few days of the release of an episode. Lately, and especially with our more evergreen topics, we instead see fewer listens in those initial days of release, but a longer shelf-life, with people continuing to find episodes even a month after the initial release date.

Expanding the strategy to include a bit of breaking news as well as “anytime" content has shifted the analytics. While individual episode listenership is slightly down, podcast listenership overall remains strong. RadioEd is approaching 10,000 downloads since its launch. We are continuing to watch trends in our listenership closely to better understand our audience so that we can maximize listener reach and engagement.

Taste of DU

We’re partnering with DU’s food service provider Sodexo in planning for a Taste of DU event before the start of the fall term. Our goal is to feature the new Community Commons in order to introduce our community to this central gathering place and highlight the meal plans that are available for employees and graduate students to purchase.

Hiring at MarComm

MarComm is hiring! We are anxious to fill these open seats and continue moving forward as a team. Some of the vacancies are new positions. As we bring individuals on board over the next several weeks, I look forward to sharing more about how each of these positions rounds out MarComm’s service offerings and how to work with them. For now, I want to express my deep appreciation for all our campus partners who have generously given their time and talents in serving on our committees in various capacities. Their support and input remain invaluable. It is because of the continued collaborations, conversations, and connections that we’re able to do our best work.