Creating a Communication Template in Banner Communication Management (How-To)

Banner Communication Management (BCM) uses templates to define the body of the email or letter. Templates use data fields to dynamically insert data from Banner into each communication sent out. Templates can (and should) be reused. If a template for your communication already exists, you can skip this step. Be sure to follow the Drake Editorial Guidelines laid out by University Communications and Marketing.


1. Create a Template

1. Create a New Template

  1. Log into BCM
  2. Click on Templates, Datafields and Parameters
  3. Click Add

Click Templates, Datafields and Parameters

Click Add

 

2. Add Template Details

  1. Add a unique name for your template in Template Name.
  2. You can choose whether or not to create a Description.
  3. Select the appropriate Folder.
  4. Choose a Communication Code to associate with this template.
  5. Choose a Communication Method. NOTE: SMS and Mobile Notification are not supported at this time
  6. Optionally, update the Valid From and Valid To dates.
  7. Choose to share the template with other users who have access to the folder selected in step 3 above.
  8. Click Save.
Create Template Details

3. Create Template Body

 
  1. After saving the template details above, click Email Content.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Click Insert Data Fields to expose the data field selection section.
  4. Add email address(es) in the To field. NOTE: Use the Insert Data Fields function to dynamically select email addresses from Banner
  5. Add a Subject for the message.
  6. Create your message body using the editor, utilizing the Insert Data Fields function to dynamically select data from Banner. NOTE: Data fields prefixed with CM are default Communication Management data fields while those prefixed with DU were created by ITS. When possible, use the DU data fields.
  7. Click Save.
  8. Once your template is complete, click Publish.

Edit Template

Create Template Body

Publish Template

4. Add Drake Logo Header (Optional)

  1. Click Source to display the html code for your template
  2. Enter the following code just below the <body> tag:
    1. <div style="background-color :#004477;padding-left:20px;padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;"><img alt="Drake University" class="logo" height="50" src="https://static.drake.edu/images/drake_logo_white.png" width="100" /></div>

How to get to code to change body styling