Research and Insights
Research and Insights helps University Communications and Marketing make informed decisions about audiences, messages, channels and communications strategy.
This work supports UCM and University partners by gathering, reviewing and interpreting audience feedback, marketing data, informal signals and communications trends. The goal is to help Montclair better understand what people need, how they experience our communications and where strategy can be improved.
Support is typically focused on projects connected to institutional priorities, major communications initiatives, campaign planning, reputation-building work or audience needs with broad impact.
Types of Research and Insight Work
Audience Research
Audience research helps clarify who a communication and/or marketing campaign is trying to reach, what that audience needs and how they may understand or respond to a message.
This work may include reviewing existing audience data, gathering feedback, identifying knowledge gaps or synthesizing themes from stakeholder input.
Campaign and Message Insights
Campaign and message insights help shape communications and marketing before, during or after a campaign or initiative.
This work may include reviewing how messages are performing, identifying audience questions or concerns, testing assumptions, or helping refine language so it is clearer and more effective.
Gray DI Academic Program Evaluation System Software
Gray DI’s Program Evaluation System (PES) tracks student demand, employer needs, and competitive landscapes. With specialized, in-house expertise in navigating and utilizing the platform, UCM is uniquely positioned to lead comprehensive training initiatives across campus, ensuring key stakeholders can easily navigate these data sets. By doing so, UCM can successfully operationalize these highly technical matrices into marketing strategies and brand narratives.
Stakeholder Feedback Synthesis
UCM may help gather and synthesize feedback from campus partners, web editors, content creators, faculty, staff or other groups when that feedback can inform communications and marketing strategies or improve user experience.
Strategic Recommendations
Research and Insights can help translate findings into practical recommendations, such as messaging adjustments, channel guidance, web content improvements, audience segmentation or next steps for a communications and/or marketing plan.
Workshops and Trainings
Research and Insights provides expert training for the Gray DI program evaluation platform. This includes guiding users through program evaluation modules alongside specialized features such as employment insights, student demand, and competitive analysis. Additionally, consultative assistance with report creation is available as capacity permits to help translate Gray DI data into actionable strategy.
Beyond Gray DI platform training, Research and Insights offers DIY toolkits and best-practice guidance across a broad suite of research consulting and methodology services. For high-impact, institutional initiatives, personalized consultation is available following an initial project and capacity review. This tailored support can include reviewing and guiding the development of effective survey questions, evaluating interview and focus group guides, and providing hands-on assistance with focus group moderation as availability allows.
Requesting Research or Insight Support
For projects that may require research or insight support, contact UCM through the Research and Insights: Project Consultation and Training Request Form. UCM will review the request and determine whether the project requires research consultation, methodological frameworking, data review, strategic guidance or another type of support.