The UCI Paul Merage School of Business strives to provide ongoing opportunities and direction for a digitally driven world, reinventing the realms of business education along the way. The school continues to innovate by promoting adaptation and disruption essential to empowering future business leaders.
The school needed assistance with its Research in Action series to turn complex research papers into more palatable content pieces for a broad audience of students, faculty, and alumni.
Over four years removed from that initial engagement, we talked with Levi Eastwood, Marketing and Communications Director for UCI School of Business, to look at the impact Red Mallard has had on this project and the evolution of a relationship between a university and a boutique content marketing agency.
About The UCI Paul Merage School of Business
UCI combines the University of California’s core academic strengths and the entrepreneurial nature of the region’s well-established tech scene. The school enrolls around 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students yearly, offering a cutting-edge curriculum with a range of undergraduate, MBA, specialty masters, and Ph.D. programs. These programs boast a highly personalized learning environment, equipping students with everything they need to build and grow the organizations they create or become employed by.
The Research in Action Writing Case
Four years ago, the Merage School came to Red Mallard with a unique problem created by being a research-focused university. The school created a content series called Research in Action. The project aimed to take some of its more go-to-market research that the 80+ faculty members continuously created and turn these hard-to-decipher papers into streamlined articles that were more digestible to the average reader.
The intent of the task seemed simple enough—turn research jargon into simplified reading that engaged an academic audience.
Eastwood explains that “we used to only do these Research in Action series once per year, and with Red Mallard, we are now featuring two per month. And they have the gift of being a translator.” That represents a 20X increase in the series, showing how effective the pieces have been at reaching the intended audience and showcasing the research in captivating yet concise ways.
A steady stream of articles from a trusted source has proved to be “not just insightful but actionable,” according to Eastwood. This demonstrates the impact of the engagement reaching beyond initial intent, a bonus for both sides.
The Merage School Red Mallard Partnership
Starting a relationship between a small marketing agency and a large university presents potential problems. Still, a trusted partnership between Red Mallard and UCI Paul Merage School of Business was evident from the early stages of engagement and continues today.
“I’ve realized that when you have two big entities with red tape on both sides, it’s challenging to work together. And working with an agency like Red Mallard—where team members are human and flexible—is beneficial. Their agility is key because we (the university) often are not,” Eastman notes.
John Welches, President and Founder of Red Mallard, says that the relationship “has helped us enter the academic sector with a strong footing while showcasing one of our core concepts in taking very complex topics and turning them into digestible, relatable content.”
The beauty of this ongoing engagement highlights the benefits of having things veer from a vendor/client interaction to becoming an active partnership. The trust that this fosters ensures that all needed work will hit the mark while allowing for flexibility and flow along the way.
Showcase Your Institution’s Credibility
What can a boutique marketing agency do for your school or university? Red Mallard is proud that the original engagement developed into a long-term partnership. We can help your school or university achieve the same results. Visit our academia services page to learn more, then contact our team to see how we can help your institution.
