The key to a successful Reunion is getting alumni to participate. Marketing Reunion to your classmates is a combined effort between your class/group and Cornell Alumni Affairs.
Paper and Electronic Marketing
Your Reunion staff contact will help oversee the marketing initiatives coordinated by Cornell. Using a branded Reunion message that has a consistent look and feel, these messages are designed to reach and appeal to the largest number of Cornellians.
Templates have already been designed for the majority of the communications—but you will be able to supply personalized text to insert within some of the marketing pieces. For certain communications, you will be able to choose the delivery method for the message. Reunion chairs will submit a Reunion Communications Plan detailing communication preferences.
All fees for printing and postage for hard copy messages will be charged directly to your class/group account. Refer to Mailing Costs by Class/Group.
When supplying text for customized messages, please be sure that all deadlines are met in a timely fashion.
Peer-to-Peer Outreach
Peer-to-peer outreach enormously impacts attendance figures. Surveys show that one of the main reasons that alumni attend Reunion is because they were personally invited by a friend or former classmate.
There are many ways you can inspire enthusiasm for Reunion. Select a combination that will appeal to your class or group. Remember that Cornell volunteers and staff already produce a multitude of programs throughout the year. It may be simpler, efficient, and more fun to partner with groups on existing events rather than produce your own.
Some ideas that have worked well for other classes and groups are:
- Make the most out of pre-Reunion engagement to connect with peers. Digital programming and potential in-person events including happy hours, forums, and trivia games are just a few examples of opportunities to engage and connect your classmates.
- Join forces with other classes/groups to make the event more fun and festive and keep expenses to a minimum (if there are associated costs).
- Network with affinity groups, gathering alumni who share things in common such as a fraternity or sorority, sport, or club affiliations. Affinity networking also helps to capture the updated contact information of your classmates. For more information about affinity networking resources, connect with your staff contact.
- Consider phonathons or text campaigns to build Reunion interest late in the spring. Often, a telephone call or text will prompt procrastinators to join the festivities. Lists can be sent to phoners. Focus first on people who have already shown interest in Cornell over the last few years: they’ve attended previous Reunions or alumni events, volunteered, paid class dues, or given a gift. Your Reunion staff contact can share a list of these classmates.
- Use the Class Notes section of Cornellians to reach a wide audience. Don’t let a column go by without a paragraph about Reunion! Reunion chairs must send information to correspondents to be included in the column.
- Use email strategically to reach your peers. Electronic messages need to be clear, concise, and useful—linking to key websites and Reunion volunteer contact information whenever applicable.
- Promote Reunion events and milestones online and through social media. To help implement the Reunion marketing timeline generated by Cornell, you should post updates on your class/group webpage and through social media platforms. Updates can include:
- keeping your peers informed about progress and deadlines
- answering frequently asked questions to a larger audience
- posting photos and memories to invoke nostalgia
- helping peers stay connected with each other and their alma mater
You will want to include a link to Cornell’s Reunion website: www.alumni.cornell.edu/reunion