For the past several years there has been a national conversation about the runaway costs of a college degree. Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire asked for our help in announcing a dramatic change.
Faced with ever-increasing published tuition while simultaneously awarding sizeable financial aid packages that ultimately confused families about the actual cost of attending, Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire was ready to make a change. Following years of strategic planning, the Board of Trustees sought to address these challenges by lowering the College's published tuition price by 62 percent, making the College more accessible and its tuition more transparent. We were asked to help communicate the new price to multiple internal and external audiences and increase brand awareness of the College among potential students.
We began with qualitative research to inform message development, including interviews with key executives and focus groups with key stakeholders and current undergraduate students. We developed messages for six audiences and leaned into Colby-Sawyer’s mission of encouraging students to make a difference and discover their potential to build a better world by positioning the reduction as Colby-Sawyer holding itself to the same standard to build a better, more accessible college.
Simultaneously we developed an earned media strategy and targeted media list focused on the College’s prospective student geographic locations and the higher education industry. Finally, we designed a brand awareness campaign for prospective students and families using a ‘100%’ theme tied to strategic messages.
We created several written materials to aid in the public announcement and secured local, regional, and trade media coverage about the College’s new tuition. Outlets included New Hampshire Union Leader, Concord Monitor, The Valley News, The New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, Higher Ed Dive, Hechinger Report, and University Business. The ‘100%’ campaign reached prospective undergraduates through out-of-home, streaming radio and podcasts, digital display and retargeting, and streaming TV placements across New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts. Our efforts helped contribute to a 15% increase in inquiries, resulting in increases across applicants and enrolled students for the following academic year.
