More than a pretty picture: How to positively disrupt the university holiday card formula

Each year we face the seemingly banal task of creating institutional holiday cards. There is a simple formula — a pretty picture along with a variation of the standard happy holidays message. Done. But what happens when a marketing communications team puts their heads together to positively disrupt this tradition? How can a holiday card truly become a source of inspiration not just for an internal audience, but for the larger public? And, in the increasingly competitive realm of higher education, how can it be leveraged as a critical tool for brand messaging and recognition? This case study aims to share some answers. By tapping into the full spectrum of University of Southern California’s Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences’ resources, including their in-house video team, augmented-reality (AR) app, social media channels and e-communications, they have crafted a new model for the annual card. They have taken on holiday-related tropes, such as snow and peppermint, to demonstrate how our conventional views of these can be transformed when examined through the multiple lenses offered by the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. This study will guide readers through the overarching goals USC Dornsife set for transforming their holiday card and video, introduce them to the innovative paradigm they have established over the last three years, and provide an overview of the accompanying rollout they have implemented for their targeted audiences as well as the general public. In addition, a series of takeaways are included so readers can adapt what was learned at USC Dornsife and apply it to their own institutions.