Golden Gate University: Raising the bar for higher education.

Building consensus.

Mortar360 to the rescue. Today, the faculty are frequent sources for major news stories, and GGU receives record levels of inquiries from new students. Together, we've improved the likelihood that students, once enrolled, will stay enrolled.

"I was convinced that Mortar's 360 process was the right program for GGU, but even I was surprised by how widely support has spread within GGU," said Tasia Neeve, GGU's director of marketing and communications.

And the once-wary faculty now regards Mortar… well, they're still wary, but they've stopped calling security on us, and that's a start.

Hey, what's that bright light? Oh, it's you.

A lot has changed in the 100+ years since Golden Gate University was founded. But a lot hasn't. GGU still represents the same sense of possibility that drew early settlers west. The promise of a new start and a better life.

"Shine" is an acknowledgment of that. It's a nod to the history of the Golden State. And a message to working adults that it's never too late to improve your career–or yourself. "Shine" is also proof that tight integration between online and offline initiatives, branding and PR can amplify a relatively small budget. And make people stop and take notice.

Public relations strategy

The objective: To turn the media spotlight on GGU's faculty by positioning them as industry leaders and opinion setters. We mined the expertise of professors and deans on current topics like the economy, taxation issues, education and retail trends–then rolled out an aggressive media outreach program.

GGU faculty are now frequent sources for major news stories in leading national and local media outlets, including USA Today, The Associated Press, US News & World Report, San Francisco Chronicle, KGO-TV (ABC), and KGO-AM Radio (ABC). This strategy has been so successful that GGU sources are now regularly approached by media outlets like KGO-AM's Michael Finney Show and KGO-TV's evening news. To date, we've secured more than 1096 placements (more than 183 million impressions).

"…Not sure if you heard the interview today, but Michael Finney gave GGU a GREAT plug. No ad budget can compete with that kind of enthusiastic endorsement," noted Dr. Kit Yarrow, professor of business at GGU.