Get The Scoop: How UW Served Ice Cream To Melt Myths

By Sarah Schutt, Chief Alumni Engagement Officer and Executive Director, Wisconsin Alumni Association

Wisconsin is well-known as the Dairy State, and Wisconsin alumni and citizens alike share a love for Babcock ice cream, which is made on the UW-Madison campus. During the summers of 2018 and 2019, the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) leveraged that collective love for Babcock ice cream to advance university messages while providing a unique engagement opportunity for thousands of alumni and friends around the state. 

Research conducted by UW Marketing had revealed significant misconceptions about the state’s flagship institution around issues of admissions, student debt and time-to-graduation. At the same time, there was a national narrative questioning the value of higher education and lamenting its costs. There were concerns that such misconceptions might negatively impact student recruitment and state legislative support for UW-Madison. With one-third of UW’s graduates residing in Wisconsin, alumni were seen as a key audience to help spread accurate information and rally support for the university. 

WFAA’s marketing team took the lead to design a memorable, interactive and portable experience to deliver the desired messages, garner local media attention and establish a social media presence. The advocacy and enrichment program teams in Alumni Relations and Engagement identified key legislative and economic areas of the state to increase awareness of factual information about the university and meaningfully engage alumni and citizens. Local alumni were enlisted to advise about desirable locations in the community and serve as volunteer ambassadors during the visits. An experiential marketing company helped bring the program to life, and “Get the Scoop” was born. 

The cornerstones of the Get the Scoop program are: a local community event, a myth-busting quiz, Babcock ice cream and an actual ice cream truck, “traveling the state delivering sweet treats and melting myths about UW–Madison.” The truck is a rehabbed 1957 International Harvester metro van, brightly branded with Wisconsin Alumni Association and UW marks. Personified as Randall M. Scoops, he had his own social media accounts to share stories and photos from the road. A brilliant summer intern provided Randall’s voice.

The program was managed by a core team of staff from WFAA’s Alumni Relations and Engagement and Marketing and Communications divisions. They crisscrossed the state, covering more than 2,500 miles and holding around 30 events each summer. Venues varied from the Governor’s Mansion and corporation headquarters to concerts, festivals and chapter events around the state of Wisconsin. 

More than 50 staff and alumni volunteers provided additional assistance along the way, serving up cold hard facts along with nearly 8,000 scoops of ice cream in 2018, and double that amount in 2019. Those facts were delivered by a short, multiple choice quiz, presented to guests while they were waiting in line to get their ice cream. Staff and volunteers engaged guests in conversation as they shared correct answers, and took their contact information to enter in a drawing for prizes (and track responses). 

For the first two years, outcomes were measured simply by participation and reach. The goal in 2020 was to develop a way to measure change in attitude and understanding among Get the Scoop participants. Unfortunately, financial considerations and the coronavirus pandemic sidelined the program for this year. With luck, Randall and the WFAA staff will hit the Wisconsin roads again next summer to build affinity and awareness among alumni and citizens over a scoop of Babcock ice cream.