About the Episode
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About the Episode:
In this episode of Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager, host Jenny Li Fowler sits down with Samuel Harriman and Olivia Finch from Oxford University to unpack the inner workings of their incredibly unique roles as a two-person university-wide campaigns team. Titled “How Oxford University Built a Campaigns Team to Reshape Their Global Brand,” this conversation dives deep into the hows and whys of Oxford’s centralized campaign strategy—one that touches all 57 departments and positions the institution as a forward-thinking, globally connected research powerhouse. If you're curious about higher education content marketing, centralized campaign models, or the strategic integration of social media in research comms, this one’s for you.
Key Takeaways
- Oxford’s campaigns team is a two-person powerhouse that builds content and strategy across all 57 departments at the university.
- The campaign model started in 2017 to combat institutional misconceptions and showcase the diversity of Oxford’s research and people.
- Sam and Olivia function as investigative journalists, curators, content creators, and project managers—all without a direct budget.
- Campaigns span six to nine months, with content ranging from long-form articles to podcasts, social media, and live events.
- Collaborating with Oxford’s social media team helped create viral moments—like their AI campaign featuring Sophia the Robot, which earned over 6 million views.
- Leadership buy-in and strategic alignment are key. Oxford's senior leadership sees campaigns as a core comms function—not just “nice-to-have” storytelling.
- Their newest campaign on climate and the environment will be the largest yet and is set to align with the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit and COP30.
- This model shows how higher education institutions can use centralized campaigns to build brand awareness, support faculty, and drive global impact.
How do you centralize storytelling across one of the world’s oldest universities?
Oxford’s campaign model is a powerful case study in higher education content marketing—and in this episode, we learn how it all works from the inside out. Sam Harriman (Campaign Project Manager) and Olivia Finch (Campaign Producer) share what it’s like to lead campaigns that weave together the work of 57 departments, 4 divisions, and thousands of researchers into cohesive, targeted narratives.
What does the campaigns team actually do?
Sam and Olivia are Oxford’s central curators of big-picture stories. Working under the university’s central communications team, they research topics like AI, brain and mental health, and now climate change, crafting multi-platform campaigns that integrate social media, articles, videos, podcasts, and live events. They not only write content themselves, but also collaborate with departments and academics to shape narratives and amplify underrepresented voices.
Why was the campaigns team created?
The role emerged around 2017 to break down stereotypes about institutions like Oxford—namely, that they’re old, exclusive, and focused on traditional disciplines. The aim? To communicate that Oxford is a dynamic, global leader in modern research spanning everything from AI ethics to environmental restoration. The team was also built to ensure research comms didn’t live in silos, but instead told cohesive, public-facing stories across the institution.
How do they build a campaign from scratch?
Sam describes the process as investigative journalism: they start by auditing the research landscape, building relationships across departments, and narrowing down subthemes and formats that best serve different audiences (policymakers, prospective students, the general public, etc.). From there, they create long-form articles, social content, and more. Each campaign is an exercise in project management, stakeholder buy-in, and content creation.
What challenges do they face—and how do they solve them?
One major challenge: they don’t have a campaign-specific budget. Instead, they “borrow” resources from Oxford’s central digital comms team—social, web, and video—plus lean heavily on relationship-building to generate content and buy-in. By showcasing the impact of campaigns, they’ve cultivated trust with departments and senior leadership, making it easier to get internal support.
How do they integrate with Oxford’s social media team?
Very intentionally. Sam and Olivia meet regularly with the social team to map out content calendars, align with awareness days, and brainstorm high-impact opportunities. A standout win? Their video interview with Sophia the Robot, which became the most-watched Oxford video on TikTok and Instagram. Their secret: being prepared and agile enough to pounce on reactive content opportunities.
What’s the ROI of this kind of work?
The impact is multilayered: campaigns increase Oxford’s share of voice in the media, support fundraising goals, and give faculty—especially early-career researchers—a platform to shine. Content from these campaigns has been cited in UK parliamentary briefings, used in funding proposals, and helped Oxford stand out during global moments like the UK AI Safety Summit.
What’s coming next?
Oxford’s 2025 campaign on climate and the environment will be the biggest yet, culminating in content aligned with global events like COP30 and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit. Beyond that, they’re building an “always-on” campaign model to keep content flowing outside of the traditional six-month windows—ensuring continuous storytelling across platforms.
About the Show: Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager covers the do's, don'ts, and dynamics of the complex and challenging social media ecosystem. We analyze the successes and failures of those in the higher education social space — what went right, what went wrong, and what are the lessons learned. We’ll share actionable steps so you can push past the pitfalls others have faced. No matter if you're on a team of 20 or a team of one, we've got you covered. Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is hosted by Jenny Li Fowler and is a proud member of the Enrollify Podcast Network.
Connect With Our Host:
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows, too!
Some of our favorites include Higher Ed Pulse and Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO.
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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