The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) came to my team with a lofty goal: increase enrollment in its nationally recognized PreK for All program. While helping families all over the state at no cost, it was largely unknown by most residents.

I led the communications strategy, overseeing all paid, earned, owned, and digital media. In a year and a half, we held two press conferences (one in person and one virtual), generated dozens of pieces of coverage, wrote and published multiple guest columns in media outlets, produced nine videos and one audio ad, created organic social media content, developed a robust marketing toolkit for schools, designed billboards, and built a digital advertising campaign with display, social media, YouTube, OTT video, preroll video, and streaming audio ads.

In one year, enrollment for Michigan’s PreK for All programs doubled, thanks in large part to this integrated communications strategy.