TXST wins AMA “Higher Education Marketing Team of the Year” honors

Texas State University Marketing team members Elias Martinez, Kelly King-Green, Elissa Fontenot, and Callie Lewis accepting the "Higher Education Marketing Team of the Year" award in Washington, D.C. on Monday, November 7.

Texas State University’s Office of University Marketing has been named “Higher Education Marketing Team of the Year” by the American Marketing Association (AMA) at its 2022 Symposium for Higher Education. 

The successful 2021 launch of the TXST NEXT brand campaign, the university’s first brand refresh in 20 years, was the highlight of the team’s body of work stretching back to the start of the pandemic. 

The AMA names both team and individual awards to honor leadership and achievement in the field of higher education marketing. Texas State was selected by conference attendees from a group of three finalists for top team honors. 

“Congratulations to our University Marketing team on this well-deserved recognition,” said Texas State President Kelly Damphousse. “TXST NEXT encompasses more than what we are as a university. It reflects the opportunity our students have here to achieve what’s NEXT for them. The brand conveys that Texas State is a place where you can be yourself while growing into your full potential.” 

In 2018 a comprehensive image and awareness survey revealed that Texas State, a growing national research university with more than half of its 221,000 alumni under the age of 40, had cultivated a strong brand position with Texas’ next generation of leaders and innovators.  

But the survey also revealed that many Texans knew little about the university.  

The TXST NEXT campaign was conceived to help raise awareness of the university brand, focusing especially along the Texas IH-35 corridor from Austin to the Rio Grande Valley. This is one of America’s fastest-growing regions and home to the most significant portion of the Texas State alumni base and prospective students.  

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized as the AMA’s Higher Ed Marketing Team of the Year because the award is decided by marketing and communication professionals at institutions across the country. I’ve always known that we have an amazingly talented, hardworking team at Texas State and now the rest of the industry does too,” said Texas State’s Assistant Vice President for University Marketing Elias Martinez. 

Through an integrated mix of print, broadcast, digital, social media, and activation events, the campaign highlighted how Texas State shapes the future of Texas and beyond.  

A more recent regional image and awareness survey found: 

• 74% of respondents said TXST NEXT made them more likely to recommend the university. 

• 79% of prospective parents said TXST NEXT made them more likely to recommend/consider Texas State. 

• 64% of those who previously viewed the university unfavorably said TXST NEXT made them more likely to recommend it.

Since the launch of TXST NEXT, freshman enrollment has continued to grow and in fall 2022 the university welcomed its largest first-year class in Texas State history. The new brand was also used in the public launch of the $250 million NEXT IS NOW capital campaign, helping the university reach new levels of engagement and support.