University of Washington Q Center Marketing Plan | Dennis Coy Denman

Executive Summary
The University of Washington Q Center should begin a re-branding process to better market and
increase visibility across campus and within academic departments. Following in line with the
new UW brand campaign, Be Boundless, the Q Center should strive to be boundless and have its
marketing and promotions go beyond the four walls of the Q Center. Marketing strategies should
shape how boundless the Q Center can be, with direct marketing to academic department and
program advisors, students in STEM, students in graduate programs, students of color, and
prospective students. The overall goal is to double attendance and participation in programs in
just one year!
Background
The University of Washington Q Center is a fierce, primarily student run, resource center
dedicated to serving anyone with or without a gender or sexuality: UW students, staff, faculty,
alum, and community members. The center hosts and supports student groups, put on regular
programming events weekly, house a lending library, and amplify student voices on through
student blogs and social media. The mission of the Q Center is to facilitate and enhance a
brave, affirming, liberatory, and celebratory environment for students, faculty, staff, and alumni
of all sexual and gender orientation, identities, and expressions (Q Center site). The Q Center
recently celebrated its eleventh year anniversary serving and being a resource to campus and
community constituents. The space opened in 2005 has a response to student activism regarding
the lack of space safes for students who identified as LGBTQ.

Today, the Q Center has gone through several re-branding phases, logos, website changes
to keep up with the needs and demands of the community. The current tag line of Queering A
World Class Education embodies the spirit of a previous UW branding statement between 20102011 that supported The Washington Way campaign. And while the Q Center does great
graphic design work and maintains an up-to-date website, more marketing strategies can help the
Q Center reach more UW constituents, who might not typically frequent the center or be aware
of programs or services. Strategically, this marketing plan will help the Q Center enter into the
new UW brand campaign while tactically, increasing the Q Center promotions and visibility
throughout campus and within academic departments.
Competition
Compared to other peer institutions with LGBTQ resource centers, the University of
Washington has a great campus reputation for being a top LBGTQ friendly campus, according to
the Campus Pride Index (Pires, 2014). Some of these factors include LGBTQ safety, social and
community support; access to counseling and health information, institutional setting and, of
course, a space for Queer and Trans students. These factors, in addition to the general appeal of
any university, make a significant impact on a students decision on where to go to college. Not
all students may take advantage of the Q Center or utilize the space, but just having the space on
the UW campus speaks to the institutional support and concern for LGBTQ issues. Peer
institutions like the UW include UCLA, Michigan State, Ohio State and Texas A&M (Chronicle
of Higher Education). The Q Center also collaborates with local small institutions such as Seattle
University and the Seattle Colleges. Washington State University in Pullman, Washington is
probably the only real competitor for students attracted to a large, four-year, Research I, PAC-12
institution in the State of Washington.

Constituents/Audience
Open to all UW students (both undergraduate and graduate), faculty, staff, alumni, and
local community, the Q Center is intended to serve everyone. With such a large audience of oncampus constituents and off-campus constituents, the marketing strategy should be one that is as
dynamic as the constituents the center serves. Constituents usually receive messages through an
opt-in listserv or during the UW Welcome Week, Dawgdaze, where constituents learn about the
programs and services offered. Frequent visitors and friends of the Q Center help with a lot of
marketing & promotions through word of mouth. Additionally, there are a few affiliated student
groups that are associated with the Q Center that support spreading the word to their constituents
as well. The center should want to target more than the usual attendees. The center should
specifically target groups of individuals who do not visit the center on a consistence basis: gay
male students, transgendered students, students of color, students in STEM and graduate
students. The center sees less of these students taking advantage of the space and wants to do
more to support these students and make everyone feel welcomed in the space.
SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats)
Strengths
Available Financial Resources: The Q Center has funding allocated towards printing and
advertisement of events, programs and services. The cost for fliers and posters that are put up
around the Q Center, the Husky Union Building, and few high traffic areas around campus, are
not expensive.
Skilled Graphic Designer: The Q Center has a phenomenal graphic designer who works
tirelessly on their templates and designs. They have completed the re-branding of the Q Center

Safe Zone Program, educational trainings on creating safe spaces for LGBTQ student and
redesigned Q Center logos for affiliated student groups.
People-Power: The Q center staff is comprised of 8-10 student staff members and volunteers
who all can play a role in the Q Center marketing efforts. Posting of flyers or posters should not
be a program if staff is used effectively.

Weaknesses
Utilizing Campus Partners: The Q Center does not fully utilize campus partner and colleague
networks around the campus. The center can benefit from pushing more promotional and
marketing materials to other offices and colleagues within the Division of Student Life, Office of
Minority Affairs & Diversity and with advisors in Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Little contact with Academic Departments: In the same regard the center does not utilize
campus partners to the best of its ability, it does not have contact with academic program
advisors in the various colleges and departments across campus. It could do a better job of
outreaching to program advisors within the STEM fields, as well as advisor in the College of
Education, Foster School of Business, School of Public Health and more.
Failed Marketing Campaigns: The Q Center has a great graphic designer who designs great
materials, but have no effective marketing plan to get fliers up and out of the Q Center. Often
times, posters and fliers are left lying around the front desk area. More initiatives around
delivering content to constituents (tabling, fliering and bringing new faces to the Q Center)
would bring more awareness to the community and highlight the programs and services the
center provides.

Opportunities
Be Boundless at the UW: The University Washington is said to be inclusive in all aspects of
diversity. The UW is making strides to be supportive of underrepresented student populations. A
great opportunity to Be Boundless for Diversity, with helping to increase Q Center visibility
across campus, in academic buildings, in advisers and faculty members offices. The Q Center has
the opportunity to expand their reach within a new Be Boundless campaign of its own to help
academic departments better support Queer and Trans students in their programs and can be a
resource to all looking for support.
Focus on Education and Solidarity Building: The Q Center offers educational trainings and
workshops around creating safer spaces for LGBTQ students. Participants from all over campus
request presentations from the Q Center and are generally attended by faculty and staff members.
Participants often bring up several concerns about supporting LGBTQ students in the classroom
and wanting to be better allies, which the Q Center calls solidarity building. Enhancing the Q
Center brand around education and solidarity building could work in the institutions favor and
generate more mandatory trainings and workshops for supporting students in the classroom and
advocating oh behalf of LBGTQ students. This would be a perfect platform to help bring the Q
Center to the people instead of the waiting for the people to come to the Q Center.

Threats
Institution operates in a silo: The UW is infamous for its organizational culture of operating in a
silos. Departments and offices all across campus, do not work hand and hand with one another.
No matter how hard the Q Center works to promote its brand and increase its visibility amongst
UW constituents, it is challenging to partner with other offices.

Closed Mindedness: Additionally, even if the center were to establish partners within the silo
campus environment, there is no guarantee that program advisors, for example, will pass on
information to their students. Queer and Trans student concerns might not be a priority for
everyone, as faculty members, for example, might feel that teaching and their research is more
important than trainings on LGBTQ student needs and inclusion. The Q Center must be
prepared for the reality that everyone is not there yet, faculty, staff or even students.

Proposed Process
Strategy 1: Q-Center. Be Boundless
The Q Center staff should sit down and reflect on the new UW brand campaign and raise
LBGTQ student concerns and issues in the Be Boundless campaign. Getting suggestions from
affiliated student groups, UW constituents and off-campus community members will be
necessary efforts. Online surveys, passive activities, and interviews can help gain perspective and
include the community in the re-branding process of the Q Center. Updating the current center
website to match the updated Be Boundless version of the UW website can also improve Q
Center appeal. Strategically, by promoting a Be Boundless campaign, the center has an
opportunity to work beyond the four walls of the Q center and support LGBTQ students in the
classroom, on-campus and in the community. The Q Center can begin to market and operate
from a Be Boundless framework.
Strategy 2: Marketing Towards Academic Departments (particularly in STEM)
The Q Center should target and establish a point of contact amongst advisors in academic
departments and/or diversity program coordinators within UW schools and colleges. By
establishing a point of contact within these departments, the Q Center builds relationships with

campus colleagues who can disseminate information to students within their academic programs
and majors. The center can do this by identifying advisors in each of the academic departments
or colleges and creating a spreadsheet of contact information. Outreaching to individuals, gaging
their familiarity with the Q Center and offering to send marketing materials to them is a great
first step. This initial outreach can lead to other conversations about the departments support
Queer and Trans students and offer Q-Center trainings and workshops as necessary. Additionally,
the relationship building and marketing within the STEM programs is necessary because future
scientists and engineers need to be trained and made aware issues pertaining to LBGTQ
individuals before they enter the workforce. Being exposed to Q Center resources and marketing
ensures that queer and trans students in STEM have the support they need, as well as an
opportunity for STEM students to gain a new perspective for working in diverse workplaces in
the future.
Strategy 3: Enhance Q Center Image With Graduate Students
As far as graduate students are concerned, the Q Center programs and services are geared toward
undergraduate students and this is not the case. The Q Center must take additional marketing
strategies to engage graduate students. While contacting graduate program advisors is helpful,
establishing a graduate student advisory committee for the Q center would be particularly helpful
to hear from graduate students and how the Q Center can increase student engagement with
them. Currently, there is only one graduate student group for queer and trans graduate students.
The Q center can also work to create stronger ties with this student organization by marketing
and cross-promoting events.
Strategy 4: Direct Marketing to Multicultural Groups

To increase engagement and marketing with students of color, the Q Center should in engage in
focus groups and conduct surveys with the following multicultural student organizations: The
Black Student Union, MEChA (Chicano/Chicana based student group), Filipino American
Student Association, Polynesian Student Alliance, First Nations (Native American based student
group) and Asian Coalition for Equality. These groups represent the majority of minority student
populations at the UW. The purpose behind marketing to these groups is to see how these
particular student groups address LGBTQ concerns and issues in their respective communities
and find out how can the Q Center be a resource? Marketing to these groups can result in more
students of color visiting and participating in Q center events and programs, which is the ultimate
goal.
Strategy 5: Direct Marketing to Prospective Students
Currently, the Q Center has no direct involvement in the University of Washingtons spring
preview days, which are events for prospective students who spend the day the visiting the
campus. Students typically decide on which college to attend based on their experiences at
preview day. The Q Center should engage more in prospective student days, with a presence at
resource fairs, student panels, open houses, student tour groups and/or provide preview materials
about LGBTQ student life at the UW.
Key Goals, Objectives & Metrics
Amongst the several marketing strategies mentioned above, the overall goal is to increase
Q Center visibility through marketing and promotions. Through the proposed processes above,
the Q Center should see an increase number of visitations at the Q Center, increase traffic on the
Q center website and social media sites, more participants involved in programs such as the
Mentoring Program, Queer 101 Class, Safe Zone Trainings and other events. The Q Center

should yield an increase in attendance at programs and consultations/referrals from campus

partners as significant measures of success with this marketing plan. It is the hope that
attendance and event participation doubles in the just one year.
Positioning Statement
For the University of Washington campus community, the Q Center is a resource center
dedicated to helping individuals think beyond gender and sexuality, who provides programming,
education and support for all because safe spaces go beyond the bounds of the Q Center.
Safe Spaces. Be Boundless

References
Pires, Claire (2014) The 25 Best Colleges And Universities For LBGT Students. Buzzfeed LGBT.
Retrieved from http://www.buzzfeed.com/clairepires/the-25-best-colleges-and-universities-forlgbt-students#.ogx0dymgW
Yoh, D. L. (2014) Great Brands Don't Chase Customers, from, pages 99-124 What great brands
do. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Who Does Your College Think Its Peers Are? Chronicle of Higher Education Interactive Map.
Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Peers-Interactive-Data/134262/
How Will You Change the World? University of Washington Be Boundless Campaign.
Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/boundless/be-boundless/
Q Center Website: http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter/wordpress/