Uncommon Insights: AI, Creativity and Brand

About the Episode: 

There are some marketers you just don’t want to have to compete with. Grant Heston at Virginia Commonwealth University is one of them. In this wide-ranging episode, Jaime sits down with Grant to talk about AI, collaboration, creativity, brand building, and more. Takeaways from this episode include:

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• How to build consensus around the use of AI in marketing and communications
• Ideas around ways to enhance collaboration on your team
• Tips for building team culture with a distributed workforce
• Advice on building a brand that is truly distinctive in the marketing place – and how to leverage AI to help
• How to build an internal brand that leads to greater support and resources for your team

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Episode Summary:

What are the AI principles VCU developed?

Grant Heston and his team at VCU spent considerable time formulating ethical guidelines for AI usage. These principles ensure that AI aligns with the university’s core values and mission. They emphasize transparency by disclosing when AI-generated content is used, fact-checking all AI outputs, and ensuring AI does not replace human creativity. Additionally, the guidelines clearly define what AI should not be used for—such as misleading people, creating bias, or violating intellectual property.

This collaborative process involved voices from different parts of the university, including individuals who were hesitant about AI. This allowed for a balanced approach that incorporates both enthusiasm and caution toward the technology.

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How did the collaboration process shape these AI principles?

Heston emphasized the importance of fostering collaboration throughout the development of these principles. Rather than working in silos, the team involved IT, legal, and communication professionals, and welcomed both AI supporters and skeptics. The group’s discussions centered on ensuring ethical transparency, especially in creative areas like imagery and content generation, where misleading representations could occur.

The collaborative environment encouraged thoughtful debate, leading to the creation of "guardrails" rather than strict mandates. This flexibility allows for the thoughtful use of AI, while ensuring ethical practices are upheld.

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How does VCU integrate AI into its marketing and branding efforts?

VCU uses AI to streamline creative processes, such as generating imagery for marketing campaigns. For example, VCU's marketing team used AI to create visuals for a new campaign promoting their vanity license plates, saving both time and resources. However, VCU always discloses when AI is used in such materials to maintain transparency.

Heston also shared that VCU has embraced the use of AI in brand development by focusing on distinctiveness. For the university, branding means being authentic, aspirational, and distinctive in the crowded higher ed landscape. AI helps VCU create unique visuals and ideas, but the core messages remain driven by human creativity and strategic planning.

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How does AI impact the collaborative nature of the team?

Heston views AI as a tool that can enhance team collaboration by taking over repetitive tasks, freeing up the team to focus on more strategic work. For example, AI can help generate content for enrollment campaigns or conduct competitive analysis, allowing the team to focus on big-picture strategies. However, he stresses that AI should augment human intelligence, not replace it. AI is used primarily for brainstorming or automation, while human creativity remains central to decision-making.

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How has VCU’s brand evolved, and how do they integrate it across both the academic and health divisions?

VCU's unified brand strategy for both the university and VCU Health is centered on distinctiveness. For the university, the brand emphasizes how VCU is "uncommon" in the higher ed landscape. For VCU Health, the brand uses similar language but adapts it to the healthcare context, focusing on compassion, care, and expertise. Heston stressed the importance of making sure each department or division aligns with the overall VCU brand while maintaining their own unique characteristics.

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What advice does Heston have for building credibility across campus?

Heston advises higher ed marketers to build credibility by demonstrating how their work impacts institutional business outcomes. He emphasizes the importance of aligning marketing strategies with measurable goals such as enrollment growth, brand awareness, and national reputation. His team regularly reports key metrics to VCU’s leadership, helping them understand how marketing efforts contribute to broader institutional success.

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To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO in your favorite podcast player.

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Connect With Our Host:
Jaime Hunt
https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC

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About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include Talking Tactics and Higher Ed Pulse. 

Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

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Element451 is hosting the AI Engage Summit on Oct 29 and 30. Register now for this free, virtual event.The future of higher ed is being redefined by the transformative power of AI. The AI Engage Summit brings together higher ed leaders,  innovators, and many of your favorite Enrollify creators to explore AI’s impact on student engagement, enrollment marketing, and institutional success.

Experience firsthand how AI is improving content personalization at scale, impacting strategic decision-making, and intuitively automating the mundane tasks that consume our time. The schedule is packed with real examples and case studies, so you leave knowing how to harness AI to drive meaningful change at your institution.

Whether you’re looking to enhance student outcomes, optimize enrollment marketing, or simply stay ahead of the curve, the AI Engage Summit is your gateway to the next level of higher education innovation. Registration is free, save your spot today.