AgComm: Your strategic partner in communications Elizabeth Gregory North Head, Agricultural Communications and Chris Sowers Print Manager DAFVM Professional Development Conference June 12, 2019 Extending knowledge. Changing lives.

AgComm’s mission To extend knowledge and change the lives of Mississippians through inspiring, creative, and motivating communications.

What we do Engage people with ideas and information. Inspire people to improve their lives. Build brands that people value. Agricultural Communications provides strategic communications leadership, support, and services that enable our clients to carry out their missions for Extension, research, and teaching, while being better understood and more highly valued by the audiences they serve.

Who are we and who are our clients? Administratively, we are an Extension unit. Our funding comes from Extension. We provide support to the Vice President’s Office (DAFVM). We provide fee-based services to MAFES, CALS, CFR, CVM, and FWRC.

Our support and services brand management. marketing and communications planning. communications training. web communications and social media. media relations. print, television, radio, and outdoor advertising. writing and editing. graphic design. video and radio production. still photography. high-speed color and black-and-white copying. engraving and etching. mailing, shipping, and distribution services.

Our goals Greater quality and creativity Greater strategic value Greater accountability

What does it mean for you? The best customer service Greater ease, responsiveness, flexibility Integrated response: campaign approach Stronger support for you

Extension Program Planning Work with faculty to identify, analyze, and act on audience research to plan and package the program, methods, and messages. Producing marketing and educational tools and materials to support delivery. Craft materials to communicate the value and impact of the program to elected officials and others.

Our priorities Make workflows and creativity more efficient. Improve the quality of our deliverables. Improve cohesion/interaction between groups in AgComm, break down silos. Plan for supporting Extension programs, developing curricula, program packages (aka, “packaged programs”). Generate content, regardless of use/channel/platform. Gather metrics, research with customers and clients.

Improving workflow: central intake, job initiation process AgComm Customer Service Representative Support Request

AgComm Customer Service Representative Kay Swoope! 662.325.2262 kay.swoope@msstate.edu online intake forms for all AgComm services & support

Improving cohesion and interaction: Workzone AgComm handled 866 projects in 2018!

Improving efficiency and access: Online Printing & Mailing System Web-based online ordering system. Approvals can be built in—for you, your supervisor, AgComm. Printing and preparation for mailing done by AgComm Print Shop. Mailing to your mailing list done by MSU Mail Services.

What’s in it for you? Through web-based templates, proper branding will be handled for you. Through the ordering system, you will have access to high-quality graphics and photos that you can add to your document. The system will generate a pdf or graphic file which you can download for emailing or posting to social media.

What’s in it for you? 2 The system will enable proofing and approval by your supervisor and AgComm editors. Printing will be done on the AgComm Print Shop’s high-speed, high-capacity copier/printers, so you don’t have to worry about having enough paper or toner for your office printer. And you never have to worry about misfeeds in the middle of printing a big job!

What’s in it for you? 3 No more stuffing envelopes for large mailouts! No more clunky Pitney-Bowes machines! No more reporting, recharging, etc.! Your mailing list will be vetted and cleaned up to remove duplicates and bad addresses. Metering and mailing will be handled by MSU Mail Services!