This was one of our favorite projects! We created a brand and Website for Acorn Teaching Solutions, an education company dedicated to helping reluctant readers and children with learning disabilities grow into successful adults with bright futures. Snapters is a reading software program unlike any other. Designed by educators for reluctant readers, Snapters combines visual and audio prompts to guide students through each chapter of a book.
Teague Marketing developed the overall brand including the logos and taglines for Acorn Teaching Solutions and Snapters, the identity package, the Website and the strategic brand theme/messaging. The company just launched its newest edition of Snapters: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Congratulations!
With the growing popularity of Facebook and other social networking sites, it’s no surprise that more high schools students are “pointing and clicking their way through the college search.” According to an article in the Boston Globe, future freshmen are seeking out a mix of new social networking pages, as well as traditional college guides.
In fact, the article reports that 40 percent of students are finding college Websites (for the first time) on Google and other search engines. Also, the article names a few of the college matchmaking sites such as http://www.cappex.com/ as a cost-effective way to reach students.
What’s the takeaway here? Assess your 2009 Web budget, and consider embellishing your Website with helpful blogs and video to reach these Web-savvy students (mostly Millennials) who “live on” the Internet. Take some time to research the “matchmaking” sites and consider incorporating them into your online marketing efforts in 2009.
Another interesting point from the article is that even though the way students obtain information is changing, what students are looking for in a college hasn’t changed. Experts say students are still seeking the “feeling that this is where they belong.” From an education branding perspective, some version of this key message should be integrated into both your offline and online presence.
A microsite is a mini Website that contains about five or so pages of content. They are often used to capture the attention of prospective students who have seen/heard an advertisement and visit the site. It offers a great opportunity to continue the conversation, and obtain contact information (as an alternative to sending the prospective students directly to the institutional Website).
Here’s a great example of campaign microsite for an ad campaign running in Orlando for Valencia Community College.
http://educationisin.com/
This edgy campaign is running primarily on radio and TV, all driving to this site. Now, compare the microsite site to the institution’s site. While this is a very well-designed Website with a fresh look, it doesn’t continue the conversation cleverly started by the engaging advertising campaign.
Other benefits of an education campaign microsite include:
- Goes up quickly (usually contracted by outside agency to produce)
- Can be highly measurable through the use of unique URLs
- Can actually be cost effective (depending on how many bells and whistles!)
- Typically has a higher response rate for requesting additional information
- Provides a flexible option to pair a Website with an ad campaign that may change every year or two
And with that, I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving!!
