Digital reputation challenge: communicating academic excellence of a university beyond its walls

Initial situation

Established reputation, but limited online visibility

The digital reputation of a school is built upon the reputations of its professors. While HEC Lausanne consistently ranks highly in international rankings, not all professors are equally effective in promoting their academic activities online.

This disparity in digital presence does not do justice to HEC Lausanne's digital reputation and complicates public access to research.

HEC Lausanne Objectives (National and International):

post impressions

over 0

of profile views

+ 0 %

interactions on the content

over 0

In the heat of action

Harmonizing the school's digital reputation

The challenge for HEC's digital reputation is not creating interesting content. Professors already produce a significant amount of academic publications and participate in numerous events. The challenge lies in making these aspects of academic life accessible to everyone, especially on social media platforms.

How did we support HEC Lausanne in consolidating its digital reputation?

Specific training on using LinkedIn, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate

We provided tailored guidance to different stakeholders (professors, administrative staff, and students) to equip them with the necessary tools to showcase their respective activities. Considering the unique context of academia, our advice extended to other platforms commonly used by researchers.

These remote training sessions were recorded and included in the resources accessible to every new employee joining HEC Lausanne.

The advantage? It encourages every member of the university community to support the faculty's communication efforts, positively contributing to its digital reputation, while minimizing the risk of inappropriate digital behavior.

Creating a carefully selected employee ambassador program

The choice of ambassadors was made in collaboration with the HEC Lausanne communication department, considering various criteria such as potential, digital maturity, motivation, availability, and position within the school.

Ultimately, the dean of the faculty, the communication officer, and professors specializing in finance, data analysis, and macroeconomics were appointed as ambassadors.

We started by defining the LinkedIn positioning for each ambassador and their preferred topics. Over a period of six months, we assisted them in popularizing their research through dynamic and accessible publications. Campus life stories were also part of the strategy to foster a closer connection with the target audience.

Impact

International echo of excellence

Within six months, HEC Lausanne's employees enhanced their digital platform knowledge, which they continue to leverage for the institution's digital reputation. Professors now confidently share their academic activities, resulting in increased visibility for the faculty.

From Switzerland to Morocco, the United States, England, and across Europe, HEC Lausanne's excellence resonated internationally.

se communications reached new heights in terms of diffusion and interest!

Profile views (over 90 days)

Notification

Maria, Kenza and Christine have sent you a message...

"I've witnessed the ambassadors making progress, especially Marianne [Dean], who has completely opened up. The results are X times higher than what we could generate with the company page of HEC Lausanne. I believe that on a scale of 1 to 10, this support is at a 10."

"This role provides legitimacy. We realize that we have something to say. On LinkedIn, it has the advantage of increasing our visibility, but it also has an impact on our sense of legitimacy and confidence."

"I recommend everyone to participate in such programs to develop their network and communicate about their interesting activities. It's important for marketing and promoting the university, but it also helps us create visibility as experts in the field."