Student vloggers project helps DMU make shortlist for national marketing award


A student-focused social media strategy at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

The campaign, which connects current and prospective students to give an insight in to life at DMU, has been selected as a finalist in this year’s CIM Marketing Excellence Awards for the best use of social media.

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Paul Hindle, Content and Social Media Manager, said: “I’m hugely proud of the social media team for being shortlisted for this award, and particularly pleased it is the work our students have contributed to which has been recognised.”

Current students volunteered to take part in a vlogger project, creating their own vlogs about life at DMU for the university’s YouTube channel based on their own areas of interest, time of year and audience interests.

Mehul Parekh, a third year Law student and vlogger, said: “Being a student vlogger has been the highlight of my time at DMU. As well as exposing me to new horizons, it has boosted my confidence to unprecedented levels!"

Lydia George, a Media Production student, who is also a vlogger, said: “I’m so proud to have played a part in this, it is such good fun.

“Before I came to university no one knew I had a YouTube vlog. But when I came here I realised that people didn’t care or judge, if anything they think it’s pretty cool.”

Students have also been involved with takeovers on Instagram and Snapchat, providing coverage from events and academic trips on campus, in Leicester and across the globe, including New York, San Francisco, Bali and Berlin.

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There is also a team of student Twitter ambassadors who offer insight to prospective students about DMU and Leicester.

Nikki Moore, Senior Social Media Officer, said: “We’re so proud to see our work being shortlisted for an award, but more so the work of our students.

“DMU students are so keen to get involved and share their side of the story, and that’s what this project is all about. Not only that, but they want to help prospective students to make the right choice and to offer them support at a really important time.”

Chris Daly, chief executive of CIM, said: “I’m delighted to announce the nominees for our Marketing Excellence Awards, we have seen some high-quality entries this year, and the breadth of our nominees is a great demonstration of our profession’s hard work over the past 12 months.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to all who were nominated; they reflect the very best in the UK’s marketing talent.”

CIM’s prestigious Marketing Excellence Awards recognise and reward brilliance in the field of marketing, raising awareness of the creativity and originality delivered by marketers, as well as showcasing the successes of marketing teams and individuals alike.

The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on Thursday 12 April in London.

DMU’s social media operation was also ranked top in the HE sector for the second academic year running by social media benchmarking specialists Edurank, followed closely by the likes of Cambridge and Oxford universities.

Posted on Monday 5 February 2018

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