CASE STUDY
American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
THE SITUATION: The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) brought Blue Tiger's principal consultant on in 2010, initially to oversee the launch of a revamped, updated website and production of a major report on academic veterinary medicine. Around that time, the organization faced multiple challenges, including leadership transitions and the lingering effects of the Great Recession. In 2013, the organization also faced negative publicity for academic veterinary medicine, particularly from a withering New York Times article on the burdensome educational debt load carried by many veterinary medical students, along with often less-than-expected salaries. The negative publicity threatened to reduce applications to veterinary medical school.
THE STRATEGY: Blue Tiger worked with the AAVMC's Chief Communications Officer to implement an effective crisis communications plan that included an online response to the New York Times article, FAQs, a letter to the editor, media outreach and data dissemination. The crisis communications response effectively blunted the impact of the negative publicity and counteracted rumors and exaggeration. Blue Tiger also helped to promote the positive aspects of a veterinary medical career through a myth-busting career brochure, online veterinarian profiles, and transparent, online data posting, including posting of veterinary salaries.
Blue Tiger also helped publicize the AAVMC's Fix-the-Debt initiative to address the problem of educational debt and to promote financial literacy.
Veterinary medical school applications are currently on track and even on the upswing, with no evident long-term negative repercussions.
In addition to launching a new and improved website, Blue Tiger initiated several important outreach tools, including social media and an e-newsletter that is distributed monthly to key stakeholders in academic veterinary medicine. The e-newsletter's open rate is about three times the open rate for e-newsletters overall, 30 percent above industry standards.
Other specific Blue Tiger projects include website maintenance and content development, brochure writing, and project management. The AAVMC is now stronger than ever with a robust and thriving suite of communications tools.
PROJECT 1 - Annual Report
After being brought on board during a time of leadership change, Blue Tiger sought to maintain a sense of institutional continuity. As part of that effort, Blue Tiger produced an annual report that spanned the transition and let member schools know that the association's important work could transcend organizational change. The report also looked forward with optimism to a new era under new leadership.
PROJECT 2 - Career Brochure
Student recruitment is an important element of the AAVMC's work. Blue Tiger produced a widely distributed career brochure that provides accurate information about veterinary medicine as a career and how to prepare. It also dispels some pervasive myths that could potentially deter qualified students from applying to veterinary medical school. Blue Tiger also launched an e-newsletter outreach to prospective students that provided information about careers and how to apply to veterinary school.
PROJECT 3 _ Major Academic Report (editing and project management)
One of Blue Tiger's first projects for the AAVMC involved project management, editing and production of a major report on the future of academic veterinary medicine. After the report's release, Blue Tiger also produced and distributed an e-newsletter that summarized the initiative's momentum and results.
PROJECT 4: Promotional Videos
This video promoted general awareness of the AAVMC and the many, sometimes surprising, facets of a veterinary medical career. (Please unmute music.)
This video ad ran during the pandemic and a tumultuous election year, reminding people that the AAVMC is still working for them, advocating for academic veterinary medicine.