Per a requirement from the UA System, UAB’s Office of Marketing and Communications must approve all marketing and advertising efforts at UAB. This is because UAB MarComm is required to track every single marketing expense we make, then provide that list to the UA System. There’s a process in place called the Marketing Approval Process that UAB employees are required to follow when any type of marketing or advertising is pursued.
The list below lays out the steps all SOPH employees are to follow before agreeing to any type of marketing at UAB. Following these steps ensures three things:
- that you are approved to market on behalf of the School of Public Health
- that you are working with an approved vendor who has a contract in place with UAB
- to be sure you will be able to pay for your services with UAB funds.
Step 1
Start by learning what is considered marketing and advertising at UAB — you may be surprised to see all that’s included!
- Media buys (print, TV, radio, billboard and digital/social, including AdWords)
- Working with a freelance creative (graphic design, video production, still photography, media plans and placements, social and/or digital marketing, email marketing, social media consulting, web development, marketing plans and copywriting)
- Working with an outside agency
- Event sponsorship
- Ordering apparel, merchandise and promotional items
Step 2
Is your project on the list above, or similar? Next, you’ll contact the SOPH Communications team by emailing sophcomm@uab.edu with an overview of your project idea. This is to ensure that your advertisement of the SOPH best fits our team’s strategy and priorities, is branded correctly and does not interrupt another marketing initiative we are currently pursuing.
Step 3
If approved by the SOPH Communications Office to move forward, submit your project to UAB’s Marketing team via the UAB Marketing Approval Form. You’ll now begin working directly with UAB’s Marketing team.
Step 4
Once you have submitted your Marketing Approval Form, you will receive notification from UAB’s Marketing team within one business day. From here and depending on what type of marketing you are pursuing, you’ll be guided on what to do next. Next steps may include a vendor contract, fee for service agreement, service order, etc.