About the Episode
About The Episode:
Dan’s newsletter, DJG Marketing Insights: https://djg-marketing.kit.com/newsletter
Dan Giroux hits pause to distill key takeaways from the first three episodes and translate them into tangible actions for higher ed MarCom and advancement professionals. Whether you’re just tuning in or have been along for the ride, this episode offers a practical roadmap to help your team move from reactive order-takers to strategic partners in institutional advancement. Focused on real-world applications and actionable frameworks, this pulse-check episode lays the groundwork for sustainable, visible progress.
Key Takeaways
- Stop operating as an "output factory"—MarCom teams need to retire reactive behaviors like taking "pizza orders" for content and start shaping strategic direction.
- Start creating upstream intake processes—Engage early with partners to define purpose, audience, and goals before jumping into tactics.
- Scale what shows movement, not just activity—Shift your reporting toward reputation indicators and relationship-building metrics that actually matter to leadership.
- Design structures for your specific reality—Evaluate and apply one of four effective advancement MarCom team structures depending on your institution's size, culture, and campaign stage.
- Make collaboration visible—Use tools like work-in-flight documents and project calendars to foster transparency, drive prioritization, and reduce burnout.
Episode Summary
What is the IA MarCom Shift and Why Does It Matter?
The IA MarCom shift is all about repositioning marketing and communications teams within advancement from being reactive executors to proactive, strategic leaders. As Dan Giroux frames it, the goal is to move away from measuring outputs—how many emails, press releases, or donor appeals were created—and toward measuring outcomes, such as shifts in donor engagement, trust, and institutional pride. This episode focuses on how to begin making that shift today, even in environments with tight budgets and limited bandwidth.
Giroux starts by addressing the fundamental mindset change that has to happen—MarCom can’t keep functioning as an "output factory" where content requests are taken at face value. Instead, teams must pause, ask smarter questions, and begin working in partnership with stakeholders to identify the most strategic path forward. That begins with a very basic but often neglected step: understanding the why behind the work.
What Should Advancement MarCom Teams Stop, Start, and Scale?
Dan outlines a three-part framework—Stop, Start, Scale—that advancement MarCom teams can adopt over the course of one work week. First, stop operating reactively. That includes ending patterns like only “making things pretty,” responding to high-volume, low-priority requests, and executing tactics without insight into goals or audience. These habits erode strategic credibility and waste precious resources.
Next, start by embedding yourself in the planning process. Create regular planning sessions with key partners—weekly, biweekly, or monthly—where you co-create one-page briefs that cover goals, audiences, proof points, and calls to action. This not only aligns expectations but also ensures MarCom plays a role in shaping the solution. Giroux emphasizes the importance of confidence—carry yourself like you belong in strategic conversations with senior leaders.
Finally, scale reporting efforts that show actual movement toward outcomes. Instead of just tracking how many emails were sent, measure trust indicators, pride of affiliation, and relationship strength. Use a simple, repeatable monthly format that answers: What moved? Why do we think it moved? What’s changing next month?
What Structures Best Support the IA MarCom Shift?
Not all team structures work for all institutions, and Giroux is refreshingly candid about that. Instead of recommending a one-size-fits-all solution, he outlines four structural models that can help your advancement MarCom team thrive—depending on your institution’s size, complexity, and campaign involvement.
- Embedded Hub Hybrid – Best for institutions needing speed with brand consistency. Features school/unit-level communicators connected to advancement and central MarCom.
- Campaign Pod – A temporary, cross-functional team formed for focused campaign work. Great for launches or campaign activations but requires time-boxing to avoid burnout.
- Central-Led with Liaisons – Central MarCom owns production, while advancement provides content, stories, and approvals. Ideal when advancement headcount is light and central has strong capacity.
- Advancement-Led Studio – Advancement runs its own creative/content team with minimal central involvement. High autonomy, but requires strong internal brand discipline to avoid message drift.
Each structure comes with trade-offs, so Giroux encourages teams to pick the model that works best for the next 6 to 12 months—and write it down. Define roles, workflows, and decision paths to make it real, and then share the plan with key stakeholders for feedback.
How Can You Make Collaboration More Visible and Strategic?
Transparency is a cornerstone of the IA MarCom shift. When stakeholders don’t have visibility into your team’s priorities, everything feels urgent and nobody knows what you’re actually working on. Giroux recommends creating a “Work in Flight” document—a simple spreadsheet or dashboard that shows your top priorities, who's leading them, status, key deadlines, and any blockers.
This document becomes the foundation for recurring standups or status reviews with key partners, allowing for more strategic triaging of work and quicker course correction when priorities shift. Giroux also recommends integrating a calendar view that aligns MarCom workflows with institutional moments—think board meetings, campaign milestones, stewardship seasons, etc. This context helps partners understand why some things must wait.
Most importantly, this approach allows your team to say “no” or “not now” without friction. When priorities are clearly visible and decision-making is documented, partners are less likely to push back, and your team avoids the all-too-common trap of burnout.
Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
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