DC
Saturday, July 31, 2010
 
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 posted oct 20, 9:28 am BY MIKE ROBINSON/VP BRANDING & CREATIVE
 This past April, while most people were finalizing plans for a trip to the beach or preparing their kids for summer camp, our friends Dave Walters, Carol Woodward, and Keisha Pittman were busy. Each was focusing attentions on a myriad of tasks, not the least of which included launching new recruitment campaigns for their respective universities. That meant a busy summer for DC. And we were only too excited to lend a hand—leading, collaborating, and working while everyone else was off adding to their seashell collections.
+ Campbellsville University / Campbellsville, KYUndergraduate Recruitment Campaign- Spring/Summer 2009
Dave Walters, Vice President for Admissions and Student Services
Campbellsville University has to be the friendliest place on the planet. You feel it when you walk on campus. You see it in students’ faces. From President Michael Carter, to the incoming freshman class, Campbellsville is a genuinely welcoming community where people are cared for and cared about. What is it about this place that makes it this way? In a word, faith. Not the in-your-face kind, but the humble, authentic kind. The kind that causes professors to pray for their sick students and personally walk homework assignments to them daily. The kind that leads students to start a new ministry to fill a void. The kind where a professor asks for forgiveness from a new student because of a misunderstanding.
Another thing we noticed in our time with CU is that as a university, they’re comfortable in their own skin. Sure, there is a big vision for the future. Sure, there is planning for great things to come. But great things are happening and being celebrated now. “Someday soon” and “wishful thinking” are not predominate topics in daily discussion or in promises to prospective students. CU is busy helping students find their calling, today—in ways both great and small.
So, how do you introduce all of this to a 17 year-old (plus parents) and communicate the full Campbellsville University experience in a way that is anything but predictable? How do you say “welcoming community”? How do you show authentic faith in an academic setting? How do you present students who are growing both in character and as learners?
Through a truly collaborative effort and an intentional process, Dave, Gean, Dennis and the rest of the CU gang provided us with a great amount of insight, passion, and at times push back—all of which brought about a campaign that does just that.
Campaign Details:
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+ University of Mary Hardin-Baylor / Belton, TXCarol Woodward, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Brent Burks, Director of Admissions & Recruiting
Only months after completing an institution-wide rebranding effort, Carol Woodward, Brent Burks and and the Cru at UMHB asked us to pull out the creative stops and help roll-out new undergraduate recruitment materials. The initial rebrand process that led to the creation of a new university-wide tagline, logo implementation, university web site, and several other print and signage pieces had its foundation in a research and discovery phase. That experience was crucial as we launched into adapting the new UMHB brand to a 17-year old audience.
A couple things really jumped out as we began to consider what the prospective student needed to hear about UMHB. For one thing, school spirit is rampant. Students, alumni, and faculty are hardcore when it comes to supporting the Crusaders. Some might call it fanatical, but we think it’s exactly what a high school student wants out of their college experience. That and a great education. Academic excellence comes naturally at UMHB. And most 17-year olds we know want to enjoy the four years they’ll be in school. So when you talk about UMHB, you can’t help but mention the rich and storied past that is alive in the traditions and spirit of the present. The Dubbing Ceremony, Soul to Soul, Reaching Out, Cru Camp, and many other events and traditions combine to make this place truly special.
For the past several years, the admissions staff had been using a "hodge podge" of recruiting materials for prospective students. The pieces had served their purpose but didn’t go far in accruately reflecting the energy and enthusiasm that is true of the UMHB experience. When Carol and Brent asked us to help them come up with something that would both get students’ attention and be true of UMHB, we delivered. The resulting campaign is one that both organizations take great pride in launching this fall.
Campaign Details:  + + + + + +
+ Ouachita Baptist University / Arkadelphia, ARUndergraduate Recruitment campaign- Spring/Summer 2009
Keisha Pittman, Former Director of Admissions Counseling, Current Development Officer
Ouachita is a regional university with growing national recognition and awareness, and a great reputation. Within the last 2 years alone, OBU has been awarded three #1 rankings by US News and World Report. Winning once would be impressive enough, but going back to back is truly amazing. And that’s a great word to describe Ouachita. It is an amazing place.
Ouachitonians see themselves as a family. Maybe that’s because of the like-mindedness seen in the way students approach their roles as global scholars and servants. Maybe it’s because nearly 80% of the student body lives on campus. Maybe it’s because of the over 50% participation in Tiger Serve Day, a community service and outreach event put on by students twice a year. Maybe it’s because they’re a part of the elite group that can actually pronounce their name correctly (it’s Wash-uh-taw for those wondering).
But for all Ouachita has going for it, they’ve done so with a greatly undervalued brand in relation to recruiting new students. For the past few years, the admissions staff has proudly promoted the outstanding qualities of an OBU education without the benefit of a recruitment campaign to match. We fixed that. Working closely with Keisha, Lori, Trennis, and the admissions team, we took an approach that highlighted the Ouachita difference. The results are a campaign that places greater value on the Ouachita brand and matches the excellence for which this school is known.
Campaign Details:  If a new recruiting campaign, development initiative, website, or corporate brand is on your radar, or if you'd just like to begin a conversation about how we can help you communicate more effectively, we’ll gladly forego another summer vacation. October is the best month to be at the beach anyway.
1.888.942.6608 or info@detailsedu.com
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