Best of CASE District VIII Award
 

Institution: University of Portland

Title of entry: Admissions Campaign 2023

About this entry: Five years have passed since we rebranded our suite of Admissions marketing materials with the assistance of an outside firm. During that time, which included a global pandemic and social upheaval related to racial injustice, the attitudes of students and their parents greatly evolved. We knew we needed to refresh our branding to better serve our target audience.

Research shows that Gen Z students are realists who demand authenticity and relevancy and are attuned to and dismissive of jargon. In addition, parents navigating a shaky economy want to know the ROI of a college education. To address these new consumer attitudes, we completely rebranded our Admissions marketing materials with a “Keep It Real” approach that abandoned our curated and aspirational "Wonder" branding of the past.

Instead of grand, oversized brochures, we designed them in smaller, more accessible and practical formats. We added tactile elements to reinforce a sense of experiential realness, and hand-drawn lettering and illustrations to add a human touch. Candid, unvarnished photos and first-person stories from current students add authenticity, while quantitative, jargon-free details give our audience relevant, real-world information about what our university offers.

Using our own extensive research, staff photography, illustration, and marketing and design expertise, we accomplished the re-brand without hiring any outside support, saving over $200,000. We also received more positive feedback from prospective students than ever before and have seen an increase of 161.65% in deposits as compared to the same time last year.