Marketing learning

communities

Part 4Marketing materials that work

By Jacque Mott

with Jean Henscheid& Barbara Leigh Smith

Promotions to studentsPromotions to students

AT THE INSTITUTION

OUTSIDE THE INSTITUTION

Segment the market by:

Age

Ethnicity

Interest group, major, sport

Resident or commuter status

Gender

Geographic location

Post graduation goals

Nationality

H.S., direct mail, community outreach events

Courses students actually take

Promotions to studentsPromotions to students

For first-year students, focus on promoting connections to others, the institution, the community.

For commuter students, focus on promoting flexible scheduling

For pre-majors, focus on promoting a course package relevant to their major.

Developing promotional materialsDeveloping promotional materials

First, zero in on the age group you intend to reach with each piece. Several different promotional pieces may be necessary to reach more than one audience. Determine each age group’s interest and what attracts them.

Promoting to 18 to 22 year oldsPromoting to 18 to 22 year olds Materials that capture their interest

No hype. The real thing. Making friends and meeting new people Convenient schedule Friendly and approachable faculty and institution

Materials considered attractive “Hip” or flashy color Forward thinking (the future) The concept of a caring program, institution, faculty Headlines that grab and followed by straight talk Visual over copy Material that conveys approachability, non-mysterious

experience

Students relate to airbrush use

Currently popular color scheme

Asymmetry adds dynamic feel

Movement is felt in the youthful logo

Unusual size (5-1/2” x 8”) attracts (may cost more to mail).

Multifunctional. Inside holds individual cards of LC classes which can change each semester

Negative: Missing pictures for students to identify with. May seem cold.

Promoting to 18 to 22 year oldsPromoting to 18 to 22 year olds

Promoting to 18 to 22 year oldsPromoting to 18 to 22 year olds

Reaching for the Stars/ the Future

Bright colors - Complementary colors enhance the brightness of each color

Space indicates futuristic or “out of this world”

Intriguing

3-D draws viewer in

Curvilinear shapes are friendly

Text easy to read, even vertical

Use of black as a sophisticated color attractive to this age group.

Identifies problems and offers solutions

Ties in Circles of Learning

Introduces UTEP as caring and innovative institution

Effective logo introduced

18 to 22 18 to 22 year oldsyear olds

18 to 22 year olds18 to 22 year olds Young people having fun

(inviting) Michigan “M” ties

students to institution’s logo

Good contrasting colors although could be more bold (maybe these are school colors?)

Pictures they can relate to (many different ethnic groups)

Font is friendly - not too stiff.

18 to 22 year olds18 to 22 year olds

Fun, youthful pictures Fun typeface Bulleted, easy to read

Detachable mail-in flap-request for information. Under flap gives general program information.

Cards in pocket detail each learning community class offered each semester

Traditional Age - Traditional Age - Images to Consider UtilizingImages to Consider Utilizing

Gives a sense of whimsy with some intellect

Provides a connection to a pleasant place

Learning can be fun

Provides a photo of youth and attraction

Promoting to 18 to 22 year oldsPromoting to 18 to 22 year olds

Images to Images to considerconsider

18 to 22 year olds18 to 22 year olds

Two great slogans:

“Two Classes That Feel Like One”

“Imagine What You Can Do.”

Picture of a group of students working together

Blue is color of respect

Arch leads us inside the brochure

Youthful pictures (people who look like them)

Unusual size pieces are appealing – postage may be extra

Fun theme Bold colors Text appeals to returning adults

(Educational, invaluable, personalized, enriching are not generally attractive terms to 18 to 22 year olds.)

Promoting to students 23 and olderPromoting to students 23 and older

Of interest to them Quality education and good faculty Efficient, time-effective approach to education Convenient schedule accommodating work Getting the best bang for the buck Ties to the larger society

Materials that attract them Class and style More serious images of their age group More text than materials for younger age group

Normal size

Bright color

Stylish

Maturity – self-realization

Self growth

23 and up23 and up

23 and up23 and up

Growth

Black and white is classy and detailed

Images are stimulating

Image with single word, while text ties them to meaning. Adults will read text.

Classy image

23 and up23 and up

23 and up23 and upConnects student to larger society

Simple and sophisticated Excellent word choices Each word has a written page opposite it

University of Denver

Promoting to students 23 and olderPromoting to students 23 and older

University of Denver

Promoting to students 23 and olderPromoting to students 23 and older

Promoting to diverse studentsPromoting to diverse students

A key difference exists between promoting your LC program to the “typical” American student and students with strong ties to various ethnic groups. American values stress individuality and independence while many other cultures place emphasis on family and collaboration or cooperation (in many cases the “we” vs. the “I”). These differences must be reflected in your promotion materials.

Promoting to diverse studentsPromoting to diverse students

Of interest to them Welcoming environment Students like to see themselves collaborating or

working together Convenient schedule accommodating work Getting the best bang for the buck Ties to their heritage - student clubs

Materials that attract Recruiting the entire family Stronger colors (bold) Photos that look like them (include majority students

also)

Promoting to diverse studentsPromoting to diverse students

Gives a sense of place (this Gives a sense of place (this location may seem too old location may seem too old and “white”)and “white”)

Pictures of diverse studentsPictures of diverse students

Students having fun Students having fun togethertogether

Promoting to diverse studentsPromoting to diverse students

Shows diverse students collaborating

“Small College” is a term that markets to parents as well.

Diverse studentsDiverse students

Bold colors Diverse, academically

serious students Brochure specifically

targeted to students

Students doing something together Bold colors

Disabled student image also included Inviting atmosphere

Diverse studentsDiverse students

Consider Consider multi-ethnic multi-ethnic imagesimages

Issues to address in a brochureIssues to address in a brochure

Definition of LC Key contact person, phone number, e-mail Benefits of joining an LC Registration procedures Frequently Asked Questions Student and faculty testimonials Language that targets audience concerns Images of people who look like your target

group

What were we thinking?What were we thinking?

This was Harper College’s first logo when we didn’t have a clue what we were doing. Our audience seems to be Tiny Tots. The logo is unreadable. The design is youthful and fun but for what purpose? It is hard to understand and there appears to be no purpose to the objects used.

Great logo

“Extreme” is a youthful word

Difficult to figure out the mouse and wire connection

Sophisticated look and feel

Lots of movement which attracts 18 to 22 year old student

“California” colors are used. However, using the word “Extreme” may demand the use of more severe colors

Confused target audience?Confused target audience?

Colors which advance toward you Colors which recede from you

Color

Dark colors Light colorsBright colors Dull colorsRed, yellow ,yellow-green, orange Green, blue-green, blue,Red-purple Blue-purpleBlack White

(unless surrounded by dark)

 Note: The above is relative. When two colors are placed side by side they often react to each other. For example: When colors opposite each other on the color wheel (red & green, blue & orange, yellow & purple, red-orange & blue-green, yellow-green & red-purple, yellow-orange & blue-purple) are placed side by side, they increase the intensity of each color. Bright red surrounded by bright orange will look duller than bright red surrounded by dull blue.

 

Using basic design elementsUsing basic design elements

Using basic design elementsUsing basic design elements

Color psychology

The following summary from “The Wagner Color Response Report” by Carlton Wagner, 1985, provides basic information on how people respond to color. Responses to colors vary with:

Geography Regions Climate Income levels Sophistication levels

Using basic design elementsUsing basic design elements

Red

Dark reds (burgundy, maroon) appeal to upper socio-economic groups

Red causes pituitary gland to respond which causes excitement, eating more and more interest in sex

Men are attracted to yellow-based reds (tomato) but women are attracted to blue based red (raspberry).

Has fairly good visibility

Orange Is a declassifier, causing other colors to have an appeal to a

greater number of people Attracts people who want affordability Associations with autumn and Thanksgiving (favorable)

Yellow Is the color you see fastest and first As people age, they have less tolerance for yellow It usually declassifies (brighter) Indicates temporariness (i.e. yellow-green trees in spring)

Draws attention in displays 

Using basic design elementsUsing basic design elements

Blue Stated color preference by majority of Americans Causes the brain to secrete tranquilizing chemicals Pale Blue encourages fantasy Is calming and expansive (ocean, sky) Blue is not generally eaten Dark blue = trust, responsibility

 

Using basic design elementsUsing basic design elements

Using basic design elementsUsing basic design elements

Green Enhances food Associated with money, wealth Not good for soliciting donations Dark greens appeal to upper socio-economic groups Can reflect nausea in people’s skin tones 

Brown Excellent color around food People usually trust brown New York region avoids brown Encourages discussion

Using basic design elementsUsing basic design elements

White Indicates delicacy, refinement and sophistication Can suggest competency when wearing it White is good around food Encourages precision work 

 

Using basic design elementsUsing basic design elements

Black Ultimate Power color Accepted equally by all socio-economic groups Symbol for dignity and sophistication

Gray Spurs creativity Great Classifier – makes things seem more exclusive Has great regional prejudice because of climate

Using basic design elementsUsing basic design elements

Static, routine, expected, status quo designs

SymmetryBased on square, straight linesFat lines

Dynamic, unexpected, innovative feeling designs

AsymmetryTriangles, angled linesDashed lines

Designs