Described by the judges as a “well-designed and executed integrated marketing campaign to engage alumni,” California State University, Dominguez Hills’ (CSUDH) “I’m a Toro” banner campaign took bronze during the virtual Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s (CASE) 2021 District VII Awards of Excellence ceremony on Feb. 5.
Entered in the “Alumni Relations: Targeted Constituency Engagement” category, the “I’m a Toro” campaign decorated the campus walkways with striking banners showcasing many of the university’s most successful alumni. Installed in 2016, the original banners featured large-scale photos of alumni combined with such bold statements as “I see beyond our world,” and “I facilitate change” to speak to their accomplishments and what it means to be a Toro.
In 2018, a second phase of the campaign paired CSUDH alumni with current students on similar career paths—one on each side of the banner—declaring how they impact, or in the students’ case will impact their chosen field, while proudly proclaiming “I’m a Toro.” As a result, several of the pairings began to connect in real life.
“Everyone who worked on this multi-year campaign did so with a great sense of Toro pride, which truly showed in the final product,” said Amy Bentley-Smith, director of University Communications and Public Affairs. “A big congratulations to them on creating a project that brought great pride to the entire community and now greater recognition to CSUDH.”
Going for Platinum! CSUDH’s “I’m a Toro” banner campaign has been named a CASE District VII Platinum Award Finalist. The campaign will be evaluated by a global judging panel alongside finalists from the other CASE districts and regions to determine the one Platinum Award winner in each category. The winners will be announced in June 2021.
The campaign was developed by the Division of University Advancement, led by the offices of University Communications and Public Affairs and Alumni Relations, with four specific goals in mind: to support the California State University systemwide Graduation Initiative 2025 to increase graduation rates; inspire and motivate students; increase alumni engagement and opportunities for alumni to support student achievement; and to strengthen campus pride.
“The response from the Toro community and campus visitors to the banners has been reward enough over the years, but to be recognized by CASE truly highlights our success in attaining our goals of alumni cultivation, engagement, and involvement,” said David Gamboa, associate vice president of External Relations.
CASE is the global non-profit association dedicated to educational advancement of alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and advancement services. Its North American districts offer awards programs that recognize and honor everything from annual reports to websites, distinguished service to new professionals.
