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Acquisition
Educational Acquisition Campaign "Stands Out."
The Client
Higher education establishment
The Challenge
A business graduate school conducted an independent review of its recruitment viewbook, a 64-page, four-color printed piece, and concluded that the piece was in need of an update to make it more useful to prospective students and to give it a contemporary look. The review indicated that the book was too long, contained too much information, was text heavy, unfocused, and in need of better photography.
The Breakthrough
SIGMA Marketing Group began with focus groups and surveys to current students as well as alumni to learn how they felt about the school and what they would say to prospective students about their experiences. Using this research as the foundation for the new viewbook, SIGMA wrote copy that is concise and action-oriented, encouraging prospective students to “Be the CEO of Your Future,” “Step Up,” “Make an Impact,” “Excel,” and “Take the First Step.” The copy also includes subheads, sidebars, charts and bullet points that allow the reader to focus quickly on pertinent details and to easily understand the information. Facts are reinforced through student and alumni quotes and profiles, bringing the information to life and enabling prospects to picture themselves as successful business executives. The photography was also updated for the viewbook, mixing shots of students, alumni and professors in action with portrait-style photos as well as shots of the beautiful city campus. Vibrant colors that jump out at the reader were used throughout the piece. Lastly, the viewbook was changed to a landscape orientation with spiral binding and tabbed pages, making it easier for prospective students to flip through one section at a time.
The Win
At 36 pages, the new viewbook provides a succinct yet vibrant view of the stunning campus, the international student population and the specialized attention given to each individual, making the school “Stand Out” to prospective students. An independent consultant for the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP) reviewed the school’s viewbook across several criteria and pronounced it “excellent.”