higher education portfolio

marketing communications
higher education portfolio
Smart. Agile. Creative.
We understand higher ed marketing…
“ Zone 5 has a firm understanding of the college admissions process. But what I’ve valued
most over the years, is how they apply that knowledge. They consistently find clever ways
to help my college break through the clutter that most high school students accumulate
throughout the process.”
Dan Lundquist
VP, Marketing and Enrollment
The Sage Colleges
We build consensus…
“ The feedback on our new website has been overwhelmingly positive. I am continually
impressed by Zone 5’s ability to take our input, build consensus on the creative direction,
and keep things on track all at once.”
Tony Hoppa
Associate Vice President for Communications
SUNY College at Geneseo
And we’re a heck of a lot of fun to work with.
“ …and they’re a heck of a lot of fun to work with.”
Ned Jones
VP, Enrollment Management
Siena College
table of contents
Our Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Small University, Big Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Algoma University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Market Research Informs Institutional Strategic Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Citadel Graduate College . . . . . . . . . . 10
Measurable Media for Market-Driven Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clarkson University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Bold Creative Building a Confident Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Newbury College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Creating a Buzz on Campus with Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Sage Colleges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Viewbook, Online and Interactive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Siena College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
An Enhanced Web Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUNY Geneseo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Managing Stealth Applicants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUNY Plattsburgh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Real Battleground is Yield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Union College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
First Impression is a Lasting Impression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of Charleston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Public Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Can we do this for you? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Zone 5 Organizational Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Our Experience
It has gotten tougher for colleges and universities to
succeed in today’s market. Competition for students and
donors is fierce. Applicants are stealthy. Demographics
are shifting. Costs are rising. And the economy has sent
us all into a panic.
We understand the challenges the field of higher
education is facing. But at Zone 5, we also get to know
your specific challenges, allowing us to find your unique
opportunities. Not someone else’s.
From admissions to branding, foundation to academics,
our consensus-building approach has helped clients
raise academic reputations, admission applications
(quality indicators, too) and hit their fundraising goals
with a unique set of communication tools.
CSFS
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF
FORENSIC STUDIES
ALLIANT INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
We find the only way to differentiate yourself is to be
distinguished. No textbook solutions. No cookie-cutter
creative. At Zone 5, we only turn in our work when we
know we have the right answers.
The following is a brief glimpse at some of the clients
we’ve helped in recent years. We hope to include you
among them.
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The Challenge
Small University,
Big Education
Algoma University was looking to update their admissions materials
for 2011-2012 recruitment year. A small university located in Sault
Ste. Marie Canada, Algoma was challenged to draw a bigger applicant
pool from outside their immediate region.
The Solution
Our discovery process led to a clear strategy – own your truth.
With students, faculty and administration all citing the University’s
size as its greatest strength, it made sense to lay claim to Algoma’s
position as the smallest university in Ontario.
The centerpiece of the “Small university. Big education.” campaign
was its viewbook. To help illustrate the contrast in size and education,
the design employs two books with a small booklet bound to the
outside of a larger book. The small book communicates the benefits
of a small school such as: small class size, personal engagement with
fellow students and faculty, etc. The larger book focuses on the
“big” education you will receive at Algoma without getting lost
at a larger university.
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In addition to the main viewbook, a number of additional
components were created, including: a small book for international
markets, a college fair piece that employs a drive-to-web strategy,
and a micro-site that encourages prospects to make the trip
to campus.
The Results
While it is too early to provide quantitative results (other than bus
tour attendance doubling!), the feedback couldn’t be clearer. Kevin
Hemsworth told us, “This is better than anything the University has
ever produced.” And we couldn’t be happier.
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1 VIEWBOOK COVERS
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2 SEPARATE SMALL VIEWBOOK SUPPLEMENT
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3 VIEWBOOK COVERS - SMALL BOOK INTERIOR SPREAD
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4 LARGE BOOK INTERIOR SPREAD
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Market Research Informs
Institutional Strategic Plans
The Challenge
Facing mounting pressure from competition, The Citadel Graduate College
(CGC) needed to better understand its position in the marketplace, the needs
and wants of its prospective students and ensure that the institution is developing the most relevant and compelling academic programs for its prospects.
The success of the institution’s aggressive, new marketing program depended
on this research-based knowledge.
The Solution
The CGC retained Zone 5 in 2010 to develop a comprehensive market research
study among the general marketplace, current and prospective students.
Our methodology and approach included:
s
s
s
s
A review of existing research
Focus groups with current and prospective students
Quantitative phone survey among residents
Strategic planning presentations and workshops with campus leadership
A statistically-projectable report on the CGC’s market position, viability of
proposed academic programs and overall brand perceptions were shared with
senior staff to help inform the institution’s strategic marketing plans for growth.
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2
1 - 2 FOCUS GROUP SESSIONS
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•
3 CALL CENTER
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Measurable Media for
Market-Driven Campaign
The Challenge
A nearly effortless call-to-action made this project a huge success.
Conventional wisdom and our own specific research shows that TV is
still one of the most effective media vehicles for reaching teens at the
brand level. But what was missing was a way to accurately measure
its effectiveness and create specific leads. Zone 5 partnered with Time
Warner Cable to make this tactic even more powerful by adding
direct-response technology (at no additional cost) to our client.
The Solution
When the 30-second commercial was aired, the viewer simply pushed
a button on the remote to request more information by mail or to
be redirected to a new station to view a longer 3-minute video of the
University. Subscriber data was captured daily and leads were sent for
fulfillment.
The Results
The results were powerful and, above all, trackable. Specific households
were identified and tracked throughout the campaign. The result for
Clarkson were more than 76 highly-qualified leads per day in three key
feeder markets of Albany, Syracuse and Rochester.
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1 – 2 DIRECT-RESPONSE TV COMMERCIAL
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3 DAILY LEAD GENERATION (EXCEL FILES)
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3 VIDEO ON DEMAND
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4 EXPANDED 3-MINUTE VIDEO
•
5 VIEWBOOK COVER DETAIL
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Bold Creative Building
a Confident Brand
The Challenge
Newbury College is a small, career-focused institution of 1,300
students located in the picturesque neighborhood of Brookline,
Massachusetts, just minutes from downtown Boston. Despite its
excellent location and long-standing reputation for its continuing
education and culinary arts programs, Newbury continues to compete
with the vast number of colleges and universities in and around the
Boston region. As such, building stronger name recognition and
developing communication materials that capture the Newbury
experience are primary goals for the College.
The Solution
In the summer of 2009, Zone 5 was engaged by Newbury to develop
targeted communications to promote its fall open house events and to
help its conversion rate of accepted to enrolled students. To meet these
objectives, we first developed a personalized invitation to prospective
students to attend one of two scheduled open house events. Our
work then continued with the development of a personalized yield
piece sent to students as a follow-up to their formal acceptance to
Newbury. The yield piece consisted of multiple components including: a personalized cover note addressed to each student by name and
signed by the VP for Enrollment; a general brochure/folder encapsulating the Newbury experience; an academic insert targeted to students
interested in one of Newbury’s three schools or undecided in their
academic program of choice; and a mailing envelope with a compelling
call to action. Following the positive momentum Zone 5 achieved with
these first projects, Newbury then asked us to develop institutionalwide T-transit and billboard advertisements.
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The Results
Based on feedback from Newbury to date, response to the new
communications has been quite positive. Their open house RSVP
rate increased 39% and attendance to the November open house
event increased 19% from the previous year – the largest attendance
recorded in the College’s history. Although we are awaiting quantitative
results on the accepted student yield piece, the overall response from
Newbury has been overwhelmingly positive. Response to the transit
and billboard ads has been equally as positive.
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1 TRANSIT AD HORIZONTAL
3
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2 COLLATERAL MATERIAL DETAIL
•
3 TRANSIT AD VERTICAL DETAIL
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Creating a Buzz on Campus
with Social Media
The Challenge
In working with Zone 5 over the past few years, The Sage Colleges has
been steadily building a strong sense of brand recognition within the
Capital Region. For the fall of 2010, Sage wanted to turn their focus
toward a campaign that would be more acquisition based, while still
maintaining awareness among both potential students and parents.
The Solution
Zone 5 began development of a new social media campaign, which
worked as a unique departure from previous marketing initiatives for
the College. The strategic recommendation was to build on the already
established brand equity from previous campaigns, to evolve their
individual promotions that ranged from affordability to job placement
to quality education and to focus them under the cohesive concept:
“Sage is right for me.”
While past campaign efforts relied primarily on traditional media
venues such as print, radio and outdoor, to appeal to their primary
student base this campaign was driven by regional web banners,
keywords and Facebook ads – each driving students to a campaignspecific landing page. The page itself offered further information on
why Sage is, in fact, “right for them” no matter what their interest.
It also offered a promotional giveaway as an incentive to provide
email addresses for additional information on the College.
The Results
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From its initial launch, The Sage Colleges social media campaign
immediately attracted the attention of a quantifiably vast online
audience. As a part of Zone 5’s media strategy, weekly meetings were
held with the College to review the status of online response rates.
With 143.7 million impressions over a four-week period, the page
boasted a 2.1% click through rate, which is above the national average.
More impressive for the college was the fact that the campaign saw a
steady increase of email address submissions, resulting in a 7%
conversion rate to date – also above industry averages.
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1 CAMPAIGN LANDING PAGE
As an added bonus, the campaign also created a heavy buzz on campus
among trustees, faculty, staff and students. Each remarked on how
proud they were to see The Sage Colleges featured so prominently in
social media efforts, adding to the already existing sense of pride
established by the brand.
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2 WEEKLY ANALYTICS REVIEW
•
3 FACEBOOK PAGE
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The Viewbook,
Online and Interactive
The Challenge
A small, private liberal arts college in Loudonville, NY, Siena College
was “comfortable.” With campus visits holding steady and Admissions
making their classes, the team felt this was a good time to reassess the
communications strategy … and push the envelope.
The Solution
With student focus group participants citing time and time again that
they “don’t read viewbooks” and that they “want to see more photos,”
Zone 5 decided it was time to re-think Siena’s print-heavy outreach
strategy. First, we looked to the success of our previous Admissions
campaign – Project Get Real. An initiative grounded in student
photography and experiences, PGR resonated strongly with
prospective and current students.
To build on the enthusiasm for PGR, Zone 5 developed (then
proposed) an online website that completely eliminated the need
for a printed viewbook. Unlike other online, collegiate micro-sites,
“Life View” (siena.edu/lifeview) provides students with a 360°
pictorial and editorial Siena experience. Life View also offers
significant opportunities to link to siena.edu – encouraging
students to delve deeper into their particular areas of interest.
The Results
The initial results are strong. Life View had over 1,400 unique visitors
in its first month, and these prospects were spending minutes, not
seconds, on the site. Current student participation has surpassed the
levels of the PGR campaign. And the College now has a dynamic tool
that is accessible and engaging.
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1 EMAIL BLAST
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•
2 WEB LANDING SITE
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3 FACEBOOK PAGE
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4 VIRTUAL TOUR
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An Enhanced
Web Experience
The Challenge
SUNY Geneseo, the “rising star in the SUNY system,” was faced
with a challenge: its web identity did not capture the high quality of
its academics, often referred to as “public ivy.” Zone 5 was retained by
SUNY Geneseo to completely overhaul its web site design, navigation
and recommend social marketing strategies to strengthen relationships
with prospects, alumni and other key audiences.
The Solution
Our research-driven approach began with a series of focus groups
and town hall meetings among internal and external audiences.
Their input and enthusiasm is guiding our development of new
navigation, functionality, admission and alumni engagement, social
marketing strategies and Web 2.0 amenities that embrace the new
participatory culture.
Building on our research foundation, we then made a series of
recommendations that standardized and unified the structure and
navigation, while adding elements such as video and interactive
features that our research showed were important to prospects.
We made recommendations for upgrades to the College’s CMS
as well.
After navigation and amenities were approved, we worked to give
Geneseo an updated look that would welcome prospective students
and be more usable for everyone. We used colors and images to
complement the college’s print marketing materials and were careful
to include warm and inviting colors.
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The Results
While the website was just launched, we’ve received tons of early
positive feedback from our key contacts and participants who helped
guide our process.
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1 WEBSITE HOMEPAGE
3
•
2 ADMISSIONS PAGE DETAIL
•
3 OLD WEBSITE
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Managing
Stealth Applicants
The Challenge
In recent years SUNY Plattsburgh, like most schools, was facing
the emerging challenge of managing “stealth applicants” (or “secret
shoppers”). And, like most schools, SUNY Plattsburgh relied on
postcards or letters as the first response and held onto their most
significant response piece–the viewbook–until the summer before
the senior year. Such an approach has left students hanging for weeks,
during which time they might cross an institution off their list or begin
their own research.
The Solution
Zone 5 conducted research to identify gaps in the direct marketing
cycle and identify opportunities and post-application strategies.
We moved SUNY Plattsburgh from a singular comprehensive and
expensive viewbook to a “serial” approach that frequently engaged
the emerging prospect. This series allowed Plattsburgh to quickly
build the emotional bonds that they missed by not going through
traditional channels.
We also embraced the stealth applicant head-on and developed a
“social media hub.” For those students who already engaged in
their own web-based research, this was a powerful place to feel the
Plattsburgh brand and connect emotionally through ‘authentic’ video,
interactivity and photography. It also featured a giveaway in exchange
for simple contact information, helping to get some applicants back on
our radar..
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The Results
Since the program is in its early use, quantitative results are still
pending. However, the Plattsburgh admissions team is quite pleased
with the response from prospective students to date.
2
1 VIEWBOOKS
3
•
2 POST-APPLICATION COMMUNICATION TREE
•
3 WEBSITE HOMEPAGE
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The Real
Battleground is Yield
The Challenge
Acceptance letters were mailed and the deadline for admission was
a month away. The application process already tapped prospective
students’ cerebral side, offering them the information needed to
choose the “right” school. But Union recognized the emotional side
of this process and needed a way to tell that side of the story.
The Solution
Zone 5 developed a series of direct mailers aimed at capturing the
essence of Union in a fun, thought-provoking manner.
The Results
The largest class in four years — with average SATs, GPAs and other
metrics better than the College had seen in years.
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2
1 – 4 DIRECT MAILERS
3
4
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First Impression
is a Lasting Impression
The Challenge
The University of Charleston (UC) is one of only a handful of
schools across the country that offers an outcomes-focused curriculum.
Albeit a point of distinction, the concept can be complicated, and for
a number of years it was hidden behind an unclear brand. Zone 5 was
engaged to help UC refine its recruitment communications strategies.
The first key point was to define the curriculum’s concept of Learning
Your Way; once this was accomplished internally, it would be rolled
out to prospective audiences.
The first-impressions piece needed to be an appropriate introduction
to UC. Offering a first glimpse of the University’s campus, programs,
and student life, the piece needed to pique interest, as well as set the
stage for future communications and engagement. And perhaps most
importantly, it needed to attract the “right fit” students for UC’s
unique curriculum.
The Solution
While most other schools offer students a “typical” look at their
programs and environment, we wanted to challenge students’
perceptions. Zone 5 believed the best way for a prospect to
understand UC’s differences was to ask them to change their
perspective on college search. Because at face value, any college
education might be perceived the same … it’s when you look
closer and learn more about UC that you realize this university
is different.
1
With the use of “unexpected phrasing” (not the typical
messaging “sold” in higher ed) and clever type treatment,
we were able to unfold (literally) an introduction to a unique
approach to learning.
The Results
The first-impressions piece was a welcomed addition to the
Admissions toolbox. And while direct feedback from the prospective
group is awaited, initial reports from the UC team indicate it is
indeed a “right fit” for the brand and recruitment process.
2
1 FIRST-IMPRESSIONS PIECE
3
•
2 COVER/INTERIOR PANEL DETAIL
•
3 BACK COVER DETAIL
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Public Relations
There are many colleges and universities that rely on Zone 5’s expertise and relationships in the media.
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1
4
3
5
1 NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND CAMPUS MEDIA • 2 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
5 PARTNERSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT • 6 NATIONAL MEDIA PLACEMENT
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•
3 PRESS CONFERENCES
•
4 NATIONAL OP-ED
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Can we do this for you?
Yes. Whether it’s a simple project or a fully-integrated relationship, we will dive deeper, work
harder and spend smarter than any other marketing communications firm. Let’s get started.
Give us a call.
Ray Witkowski
Vice President
[email protected]
518.339.7931 • cell
518.242.7018 • Albany Office
408.365.4450 • San Jose Office
Ray brings over 20 years of distinguished experience in
higher education branding communications having
worked personally with over 75 colleges and universities
throughout the country. Ray has handled everything from
client development to account management to overall
day-to-day internal agency operations. He has an
unmatched talent for developing long-term client
relationships and is dedicated to ensuring all client
expectations are met from day one. At Zone 5, Ray
spearheads engagements with prospective new higher
education clients while also working in a senior advisory
role in the ongoing work for our existing clients. He takes
a personal, hands-on approach, monitoring every aspect
of a clients’ partnership from the initial strategy through
creative development and execution, while identifying
opportunities for continued client growth and success.
Ray has a bachelor’s degree in communications from St.
John Fisher College. He is a regular attendee at higher
education conferences and events, such as the American
Marketing Association (AMA), the Council for the
Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the
National Association of Collegiate Admission Counseling
(NACAC).
Education Experience
Ray has dedicated his entire career working exclusively
with colleges and universities, including: Algoma
University, Columbia University, SUNY Geneseo,
Howard University, Kent State University, University
of New England, University of Charleston, Siena College,
St. John Fisher College, and Union Graduate College,
among several others.
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Zone 5 Organizational Chart
West Coast
San Jose, CA
Senior
Administration
East Coast
Senior
Administration
Creative and
Interactive Services
Account, PR and
Media Services
President & CEO
Chief Operating Officer
VP of Creative Strategy
Vice President
Todd Mosher
Paul Fahey
Michelle Lansing
Ray Witkowski
Senior Web Strategist
Senior Higher Education
Marketing Consultant
Albany, NY
Account
Services
Administration
Director of Marketing
311 S First St
Suite 204
San Jose CA 95113
408.365.4450
Senior Director,
West Coast
Business Development
Loren Sutherland
25 Monroe St
Suite 300
Albany NY 12210
518.242.7000
Paul Hook
Chief Technology Officer
Dennis Hudson
Accounting Manager
Spencer Raggio
Creative Directors
Dave Homsey
Bob Johnson
Senior Account Executive
Dave Imbarrato
Alyssa Read
Senior Art Director
Project Manager
Dave Mercier
Michelle Quentin
Web & Social Media
Manager
Administrative Assistant
Colleen Luther
Kim Varsanyi
Web Developerss
Jeffrey Cicero
Ethan Georgi
Senior Graphic Designer
Katie Diduch
Michael Stephenson
Production
Services
Production Manager
Graig Mosher
Craftsman
Matt Palmeri
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marketing communications
East Coast Office
25 Monroe St
Suite 300
Albany NY 12210
518.242.7000
zone5.com
West Coast Office
311 S First St
Suite 204
San Jose CA 95113
408.365.4450
zone5.com
Smart. Agile. Creative.