Three Reasons Temple University’s #TempleMade Campaign Works (And Makes Me Proud To Be An Alum)

Self Made, Philly Made, Temple Made
Self Made, Philly Made, Temple Made (Photo: Temple University Facebook)

As I was scrolling through Facebook a few months ago, the photo to the left caught my eye.

“Self Made. Philly Made. Temple Made.”

The status update came from my alma mater, Temple University.

Since then, I’ve seen the “Temple Made” campaign everywhere; billboards along the highways in Philadelphia, commercials on television, YouTube videos and Facebook and Twitter status updates.

Last week, Temple even held a special, first-of-its-kind event, projecting a 90-minute video onto the library and Bell Tower in the center of campus. With more than 2,500 students in attendance, “Temple Made Live” turned into a giant block party, reminding students of WHY they chose Temple University and why they should be proud to be #TempleMade.

And last night, immediately after the first presidential debate, Temple University aired this commercial on all major networks from New York to DC:

After admiring this campaign for the past two months (and seeing the flood of tweets in my Twitter stream from other Temple alumni) I started thinking about WHY this campaign works and why it’s resonating so successfully with the Temple University community.

1. It reflects an entrepreneurial spirit. If there’s one thing Temple students have in common, it’s a creative and entrepreneurial spirit. The Temple University community has always been marked by the determination to improve and become something better. This campaign says it all. We’re #TempleMade. These values are the ones Temple University students walk away with at graduation, and I know personally, the determination I learned from my four years there carries me through every day, as I work to better myself.  This aspect of the campaign especially fills me with pride as I embark on my journey to “Get Gutsy” and reach my own personal and professional goals.

2. It prominently features students AND alumni. As Temple geared up to launch this campaign, they reached out to followers on social media and encouraged students and alumni to Instagram photos of what being Temple Made means to them using the hashtag #TempleMade. The photos they received make up the ads, commercials and content for the live event held on Main Campus last week. This campaign utilizes crowdsourcing at its finest, and encourages the Temple community to keep a close eye on the campaign to see if their submission is used in a campaign initiative. Brilliant. Brand participation AND loyalty.

My little brother applying to Temple University. Please ignore the Penn State shirt and University of Delaware shorts.
My little brother applying to Temple University. Please ignore the Penn State shirt and University of Delaware shorts.

3. It blends traditional media and social media flawlessly. Temple has literally nailed it with the execution of this campaign. The campaign resonates with students and young alumni who regularly use social media sites like Instagram and Twitter. My Twitter feed is constantly flooded with #TempleMade tweets from both students and alumni wishing they were back on campus to experience the excitement (GUILTY!).  It also gives more seasoned alumni a sense of pride with commercials airing on major networks, during University sporting events and print ads on buses and billboards. The campaign honors the past and looks forward to the future; it’s completely inclusive of the entire Temple University community and I think THIS is one of the biggest reasons this campaign has succeeded.

I’ve always been proud to be a Temple Owl, but this campaign seals the deal– and has boosted Temple University to heights I never could have imagined when I was a public relations student there. It’s one of the many reasons I’m thrilled that my little brother Matthew is applying to Temple University, with hopes to play baseball there and study sports management.

I am so incredibly proud to be #TempleMade and give the university serious kudos for a campaign that sincerely works and resonates with their community.

What do you think? Has Temple University hit the nail on the head with their #Temple Made campaign?

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10 thoughts on “Three Reasons Temple University’s #TempleMade Campaign Works (And Makes Me Proud To Be An Alum)”

  1. I definitely agree. I love every element of this campaign and I can’t wait to see what else Temple does with it in the future. The campaign has really created a sense of school spirit as well – something I think was missing for most students on campus.

    1. Absolutely! When we were at Temple, I of course thought that the school was amazing, but it seems like even just in the past few months, they have seriously elevated their brand and “cool” factor.

  2. I’m obsessed with the Temple Made campaign. I continue to be impressed with the way they engage all of their audiences, from current students to alumni. Great post!

  3. My colleague forwarded your email to me and I have to say that I am so happy to have read your blog post. As a member of the Temple University staff and having a small role in the Temple Made campaign, it’s great to hear what you think. Thank you!

    1. Hi Ron,

      Thanks so much for commenting! I’m so excited to hear that the Temple Staff was happy to see my post 🙂 Temple is doing an amazing job with communications/public relations/social media…it’s so exciting that you’re a part of the success!

      Thanks also for commenting on an older post about my writing. Congrats on your book! I used to go along with the stigma of indie publishing, but like you mentioned, there has been such a tremendous change in the publishing industry, that it’s hard to ignore that self publishing seems to be the way to go. AND, the quality of self-published books seems to be improving, as well. I absolutely plan on continuing it write my book 🙂

  4. Pingback: Temple U. Creates a Social Media Campaign and Sees a Surge in School Pride - Head Count - The Chronicle of Higher Education

  5. Pingback: Five Hot PR and Social Media Trends For 2014 - Jessica Lawlor

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I live by the saying “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” and help others do the same to reach their biggest, brightest goals. Read my story here.

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