The AI-augmented inbox: From data analysis to accessible design

Overview

AI isn't just a trend anymore. It’s a prerequisite for any higher ed team trying to do more with less. This session provides a practical, 'under-the-hood' look at how I actually use AI in my daily workflow to create email marketing. I'll show how AI can handle the heavy lifting of building an email campaign from beginning to end, so you can focus more on efficiency, accessibility, and the strategic impact of connecting with your audiences.

What We Will Cover

We will walk through the entire lifecycle of an email campaign, demonstrating how AI can serve as a specialized assistant in four key areas:

• Benchmarking & Data Interpretation: I will share a case study on how I used AI to synthesize a large amount of competitor data from 12 regional graduate business schools. Attendees will see how AI can transform raw observations on email frequency and design into an organized, actionable benchmarking report.
• Persona Building with Custom AI (Gemini Gems): Learn how to move beyond repetitive prompting. I’ll demonstrate how to build "Gems" or custom GPTs using your school’s brand guidelines and program-specific demographics to ensure every draft is consistently "on persona" or “on brand”.
• Technical Optimization (HTML & Accessibility): I’ll demonstrate how AI acts as a second set of eyes for technical quality assurance. We’ll cover troubleshooting messy code and implementing accessible best practices, like setting up proper heading structures. This isn't just about making emails look good; it’s also about ensuring emails are accessible for screen readers and structured clearly for new AI-driven inbox summaries.

Delivery Style

This session is a technical talk and live-demonstration hybrid. I will use real-world examples from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management to show:

1. The "Before": The manual, time-consuming process of drafting and auditing.
2. The "Process": The specific prompts and AI tools used to bridge the gap.
3. The "After": The final, optimized email and the data-driven results.