The Opportunity
The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) is the leader in college and university accreditation. In June 2020, NECHE was set to change leadership after decades under one president. The organization underwent a national search, eventually finding a new leader who would change the organization’s brand positioning to be outward facing rather than traditionally conservative. This moment created a unique opportunity to implement an owned media strategy that could redefine how NECHE engaged with its audience.
The Strategy
NECHE’s new president was no stranger to leveraging earned media coverage to move agendas and was eager to get in front of the region’s academic leadership in a similar manner. To complement these efforts, BG developed a broader owned media strategy centered on direct audience engagement. To that end, BG developed and launched “NECHE on the Road,” a thought leadership podcast that featured interviews with college and university presidents from around the region.
The Result
“NECHE on the Road” introduced the new president to the region’s academic thought leaders. It also helped position a traditionally conservative nonprofit as more outward facing, with the goal of expanding its national reputation.
The podcast and accompanying website quickly became a point of conversation within higher education. They continue to serve as a critical asset for NECHE’s national expansion strategy.