Sparking Conversations on Choosing a College Closer to Home

 

This spring, COVID-19 prompted many high school seniors to consider attending college closer to home in the fall. As UToledo began feeling the trend’s impact, the University Marketing team imagined a family’s kitchen-table exchange about college plans and how the University could help start a conversation that helps families learn the benefits of choosing UToledo?

Inspired by the cell phone app, “36 Questions,” the team devised a deck of nine oversized cards featuring common questions families consider in choosing a college. On the reverse, a short message described how UToledo could meet their student’s needs. A note explained how to use the deck as a conversation starter, and the final card prompted a commitment to enroll at UToledo.

The card decks were mailed to students who applied to UToledo living within an hour of campus.

An accompanying Hometown Rocket digital advertising campaign leveraged content from the cards to promote enrollment to parents of prospective students living within a 50-mile radius that resulted in 272 unique landing page views, and 987 unique landing page views from prospective students living within a 75-mile radius. In total, the landing page had 2,352 unique visitors.

Between the campaign launch on May 27 and June 30, the recruitment gap within the targeted area was reduced by 9%.