Find the right fit
Solving the Prospective Student Puzzle
"It's time to decide who you are and what you will become." Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary explicitly addressed the issues prospective students must contemplate when choosing a graduate program by helping them envision their place at the Kentucky institution. The first component of the seminary's "Are you a ____?" student recruitment piece was designed to start conversations at prospective student events by encouraging people to fill in the blank using one of five persona cards: hope dispenser, truth courier, soul mechanic, leader of the new school, or heart donor. An accompanying brochure provides brief facts about the institution, its location, degree programs, and estimated annual costs.
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary received a 2016 Circle of Excellence Award, Bronze, in the individual publications for student recruitment category.
Improving alumni data
Time for an Update, Mate
Want better alumni data? Make it easy for people to update their contact information. With email addresses for about
102,000 of its 350,000 alumni, the University of Melbourne's advancement staff members created short, informal messages—and paired them with relatable images—that prompted recipients to take action. In addition to targeting international alumni, the campaign segmented alumni audiences by age: 29 and under, 30-59, and 60 and over. Respondents could confirm or update their information with just a few mouse clicks. More than 24,500 alumni followed through. The project has reduced the amount of returned mail and given the institution a better picture of alumni's employment and industry outcomes.
The University of Melbourne scored a 2016 Circle of Excellence Award, Silver, in the innovative alumni programs category.
Snapchat savvy
Wake Up the Weekly Calendar
Awareness of campus events at Miami University has gone from "we didn't know" to "let's go" since the 2015 launch of its Snapchat newsletter, "Oh, Snap! All You Need to Know for the Week." Every Monday morning, the Ohio institution releases a Snapchat story filled with images of event fliers and details for activities happening on campus each day. The stories, which earn 3,600 views on average, are accessible on the platform for only 24 hours, giving students an incentive to take a screenshot, save, and share what interests them. The number of screenshots helps the social media team determine which events to promote elsewhere and whether to cover them in person.
Miami University snapped up a 2016 Circle of Excellence Award, Silver, for best use of social media for student life.