Case Study

Iowa State University Extension & Outreach – Dubuque County

3-Year Strategic Marketing Plan

The Challenge

Dubuque County ISU Extension & Outreach serves a wide range of audiences, from youth and families to farmers, gardeners, and local businesses. While the organization offered strong, research-based programming, its marketing efforts lacked a unified strategy to consistently build awareness, engage participants, and retain long-term involvement across programs.

Leadership needed a clear, sustainable marketing framework that aligned with statewide brand standards while addressing local goals, capacity, and community needs.

The Approach

I partnered with ISU Extension’s County Director and key stakeholders to develop a comprehensive, long-term marketing strategy grounded in research, audience insight, and measurable outcomes.

The work included:

  • Facilitating the creation of a cross-functional marketing committee made up of staff, volunteers, board members, and community leaders

  • Conducting a full audit of existing brand assets, media channels, and outreach efforts

  • Defining target audiences using a structured audience development framework

  • Mapping customer journeys to support program awareness, participation, and retention

  • Identifying opportunities to strengthen storytelling while working within statewide brand guidelines

  • Building a practical, actionable roadmap the organization could realistically sustain

The result was a 3-year marketing plan designed to guide decision-making, prioritize efforts, and create consistency across all Extension programs.

My Role

I served as the lead strategist and creative partner, working closely with the County Director, stakeholders, and the marketing committee to translate organizational goals into a clear, actionable marketing plan.

My role included strategic planning, facilitation, audience development, customer journey mapping, brand and media analysis, and ongoing consultation to support implementation and measurement.

Deliverables

  • 3-Year Strategic Marketing Plan with short- and long-term goals

  • Target audience profiles and journey maps

  • Media and brand asset audit

  • SWOT analysis and implementation roadmap

  • Measurement framework to track progress and impact

  • Optional stock photography to support program storytelling

Impact

The final plan provided ISU Extension with a clear, unified marketing direction that aligned staff, volunteers, and leadership around shared goals. It created a foundation for more consistent messaging, improved audience engagement, and better long-term retention across programs.

This project reinforced Extension’s ability to connect research-based education with the people and communities it serves.