New VP of marketing aims to 'tell University's story'

As Gonzaga's new vice president of marketing and communication, Dave Sonntag looks forward to using his corporate and educational job experience to invigorate the message and image of Gonzaga University.

The 1996 Gonzaga alum is excited to return to his alma mater to help improve communication between the university and its constituents, and explore new areas of media to increase the university's exposure.

In his new position, Sonntag is in charge of overseeing all the communication activities on campus.

"My department makes sure all the students, alumni, parents and faculty know what's going on at Gonzaga," he said. "We're in charge of telling the story of the university."

Sonntag also recognizes the business aspect of his position and knows two of his main objectives are to raise money for the University through the generosity of donors and to attract new students.

"We have to produce exciting materials that show what makes Gonzaga special and why people should come," Sonntag said. "The same is true with raising funds with donors. We have to show why Gonzaga is special and deserving of their support."

Sonntag hopes to achieve these objectives by expanding the Marketing and Communication Department and clearly establishing Gonzaga's "brand."

"We would love to help all the individual schools with their marketing but it can be difficult with 10 people in our department," he said.

Nevertheless, Sonntag maintains an open-door policy for any of the individual schools.

"If we want our department to grow, it's going to take time," he said. "We need to build partnerships with the schools first."

The area where Sonntag looks to make the biggest impact is in the defining and solidifying of Gonzaga's brand. The brand is regarded as the total package the University provides. This is a crucial component for a successful university because it creates a distinct identity that is recognized by individuals on campus and those new to the University.

"There is now more competition between colleges and more options of which type of college to attend," Sonntag said. "We have to articulate what makes us special and why people should choose Gonzaga."

Dale Goodwin, director of public relations at Gonzaga, recognizes Sonntag's ability to provide a university with an identity.

"[Sonntag] brings a tremendous background in marketing and helping universities understand their brand," Goodwin said.

Sonntag believes Gonzaga can improve its "Be inspired" campaign by educating the entire campus and utilizing various forms of media.

"We want students to have professors that force them to explore new ideas and challenge them," Sonntag said. "We are also going to continue taking our message to different areas, whether it's our Web site, television, or other forms of social media."

The social media Sonntag is referring to are outlets like Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter, all of which Gonzaga is currently experimenting with.

"We know people are out there interacting and we want to have a presence there," he said

Gonzaga has already developed an elaborate Facebook page complete with wall posts consisting of news and events on campus, photos, and links to other Web pages with information about the university. Sonntag notes this is their first big step into the social media network and they plan to expand in this area cautiously.

"We want to be authentic when we pursue social media because we want to make sure our message is being portrayed correctly," Sonntag said.

He also noted his department is working on a secretive new social media campaign involving the "wall" outside Crosby that will be unveiled on April 28. Sonntag's broad and innovative view of marketing and communication is due largely to his previous corporate and educational job experience. He began working at Gross Hatch Advertising, located in Spokane, where he did regional advertising for a variety of companies. He honed his public relations skills while working for another Spokane-based company, Desautel Hege Communications.

"His previous corporate experience translates well into the education system," Goodwin said. "He understands how the corporate world works."

It was not an easy world for Sonntag to learn at first.

"I started at the bottom and was forced to prove my skills on a regular basis," Sonntag said.

Working in the corporate world provided Sonntag with important knowledge and skills he would soon incorporate into the educational environment during his five years at Eastern Washington University.

"Sometimes we have the tendency not to look past an agency," Sonntag said. "Working in a corporation makes you see the whole picture."

Sonntag recognized the connection between the business and educational aspects of higher education and was successful of establishing a clear brand at EWU. He hopes to bring those skills and experience to Gonzaga where he feels he belongs.

"I love coming back to Gonzaga," Sonntag said. "I've found my niche in higher education and I'm able to give back what's been given to me."

"He knows the Gonzaga experience and understands how to be a part of it," Goodwin adds.

Sonntag is excited about his new role and is happy to rejoin the Gonzaga experience.

"You have to be passionate about what you do, to do it day in and day out," he said. "If you follow your gut, you'll discover where you're meant to be."