A Celebration of the Duke Storytellers
The second annual Insights Summit brought together communicators across campus
In introducing the event, Duke Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs Frank Tramble described the day as a celebration of the people at the university who are tasked with telling its story.
“One of the things that we know is that there is not one of us who is going to make Duke better in this space,” said Tramble. “It’s all of us. It’s all of us together. It’s how we learn from each other.”
Reaching Audiences
President Vincent Price in welcome remarks said it is “critically important” to tell the university story in “the most compelling ways possible.
“We need storytellers and writers, we need graphic designers, multimedia producers, social media specialists, media relations experts … who can interpret our mission to people who, from the outside, may not appreciate or understand what we do,” he said. “We need everyone in this room to promote Duke in ways that resonate with people.”
Tramble then moderated a mid-morning fireside chat with Dr. David Zaas, chief executive officer of Duke University Health System, and Dr. Mary E. Klotman, dean of the Duke School of Medicine, executive vice president for health affairs, and chief academic officer with Duke Health.
They discussed the story and key message they’d like to share with people in the community is longevity.
“I think the message has been in the past is, ‘If you’re really sick, go to Duke,” Klotman said. “And I would say we have a broader message, which is, ‘If you really want a healthy lifestyle [and] a long life, you come to Duke.’”
Practical Strategies
The “Blueprint Series” part of the event featured experts who shared practical strategies, ideas and examples that communicators can use in their work.
Dan Carlton, founder and chief executive officer of Durham-based marketing agency The Paragraph Project, stressed the importance of getting to the root of the problem to solve before acting.
“It’s a lot easier to solve the company problem if you’re solving the human problem first,” he said. He offered ways to brainstorm and frame the problem first before coming up with solutions.
Fuqua Professor Scott Rockhart focused on how to create value, not only for the university, but for targeted audiences, whether it’s in patient care, research or community.
It was fitting that after a discussion of AI tools and training available, Fletcher in his keynote reminded the audience that while AI is a tool that can go through big lists and data sets, but it cannot connect to people.
He said, “Your brain can connect with people.”
Celebrating People
The event also presented an awards ceremony that recognized the outstanding work by Duke communicators. See photos below of the award winners, all pictured with Tramble and Associate Vice President of Communications, Marketing & Public Affairs Pamela Gibbs-Smith, who organized the summit.
For more information, go to Duke Insights Summit.
