Fall 2016 Enrollment Campaign
Purpose: To help maximize enrollment for Fall 2016 using coordinated mass media marketing, social
media, targeted print and email efforts. As a part of the effort to determine the most strategic and
effective method to do this we have worked to define the problem, ID the audience(s) and/or segment
same, develop the message and determine the outcome or result.
The current situation is that we’re down or flat on FTES and need to see that number increase between
Summer 2016 and Fall 2016. The problem is one of funding and what a lower threshold will do for SC in
future budgets. This is a campus-wide initiative and to believe that one department alone (enrollment
services, marketing, outreach, student life, etc.) could solve it is naïve. The function of each and every
department should be to retain existing students and recruit new students by encouraging them to
meet with our front-line staff and counselors. Each department is doing this in various ways pursuant to
their charter. For marketing that involves telling a compelling story that has a clear, simple message, is
consistent (stated priority repeated across all channels), and provides a clear channel/direction for
future contact (CTA that has the fewest barriers to entry/engagement).
We have selected a primary audience for this campaign that is highly targeted with the greatest chance
of engagement and lowest barrier to identification. Past students (ones who have attended within the
last 3 years but have not continued to graduation), age 16-30 within our service area (please see below
for breakouts). We can target this cohort from a list our IT group will generate. For this campaign a good
list is the key. We also plan to do a broader outreach (secondary to the first) to all potential students
within that same age group. A mailing list will be obtained to allow us to reach that group (Age 16-30,
household income below $40K, tri-counties area, no college degree). As a portion of that list we’re
looking to obtain ACT and SAT data on students who ID’d Shasta as a potential choice but didn’t end up
applying and people who applied for FASFA within our service area but didn’t end up applying at college.
We are working on developing a compelling, simple message with our consultant that will set the tone
for all of our outreach for this campaign. As examples of this become available we will share them with
the group. We plan on making this message and graphic approach into a formula where we can change
the topic, customized to the audience but the core message is the same. Radio, direct mail, email and
social media in the form of FB will be our main vehicles.
We’ll have some indication on the effectiveness of our campaign from the tracking that we’ll do using
the email program for opt-outs and CTR. For the postcards we’re planning to create a specific landing
page, email address and phone number dedicated only to that vehicle and for radio we’ll do the same.
From the management group we’ve heard that our current FTES is around 7000 and that we are looking
for two benchmarks: 7270 (3.9% increase) or the preferred benchmark of 7425 (6.1% growth). This
campaign is similar to the one ran at Saddleback College where they achieved stellar results—to the
degree that they didn’t have room for the students attracted. In discussions with Simpson University we
know that they have experienced about a 4% growth most years with this last year seeing a large decline
for the first time in over a decade. Tim Johnston was able to provide a list on past years attendance for
local schools and we will continue to work on obtaining numbers on graduating seniors from area High
Schools and relate that to percentage of students we typically attract from each of those schools for
projection and targeting purposes.
Elements and specifics on Enrollment campaign:
1. Postcard and Email campaignsa. Outside consultant for Postcard and Email development
i. After soliciting proposals and cost estimates from 3 companies we have
retained PacificSky to develop graphics and messaging for each audience and
medium. Consultant will also track opens, CTR, opt-outs and provide reporting.
b. List built from internal database for the last 3 years (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15):
i. Students who dropped out during Spring semester and didn’t return for Fall to
pursue degree/cert. (dropouts)
ii. Students eligible (completed Fall semester) but didn’t persist to Spring semester
(persists)
iii. ID specific communities within this data set to customize message and visuals
being used (vets, foster youth, etc.)
c. Summer intersession High School students (ID those who are Seniors this year)
i. Purchase list from Mailing House to ID students
d. Will explore purchasing a targeted list from a mailing house for Redding, Weaverville,
Burney, Tehama (tri-county service area) for ages 16-30, income under $40K-$50K/year.
e. Mail out March 14, 2016 (summer registration open); April 11, 2016 (fall registration
open); May 16, 2016 (summer/fall); June 6, 2016 (fall); July 20, 2016 (fall)
f. Pending: email addresses from James Crandell (arrived )
g. Texting campaign (may opt not to do this unless we have permission from students).
h. Will coordinate these efforts with standard MM outreach that the Marketing
Department is currently engaged in (social, radio, tv, movies, signage, etc.)
i. Unknown costs (until we get lists): Printing, postage, mailing list. Additional costs
dependent on how segmented the data is that we get.
2. Social Media
a. Contract with GoComm Digital to place paid ads on Facebook based on creative and
messaging developed by Pacific Sky.
b. With each phased release of our postcard/email campaign we’ll do a paid push on
Facebook using the same/similar visuals and messaging to help reinforce and cover
using this medium.
c. We know that paid ads are trending slightly higher in CTR than organic ads lately.
d. Continue to do organic placement of ‘soft-sell’ ads (posts that don’t deal directly with
enrollment as a topic but point back to SC or have to do with higher ed) at a 4:1 ratio (4
organic posts to 1 paid post).
e. Cost: $320/month April-August based on CTR rate. Would like to see this boosted to
$500 or more.
3. Radio
a. Results Radio: limited window of runs. Begins week of 4/18-6/13/2016 (new contract
will continue through summer and into Fall)
i. KEWB (Power 94: number 1/2 rated station for our demo and area)—34
spots/week @ :60sec each, 21 spots/week @ :15sec each, 10 spots/week @
15sec each tagged to weather report (sponsor).
ii. KNCQ (Q97: number 1/2 rated station for our demo and area)—29 spots/week
@ :60sec each, 14 spots/week @ :15sec each, 7 spots/week @ 15sec each
tagged to weather report (sponsor).
iii. KESR (Bob FM 107.1 mix, older demo 25+ and offices. Number 3/6 rated station
for our area)-- 21 spots/week @ :60sec each, 9 spots/week @ :15sec each, 5
spots/week @ 15sec each tagged to weather report (sponsor).
iv. KHRD (RED 103.1 and 93.3 classic rock)-- 21 spots/week @ :60sec each, 21
spots/week @ :15sec each, 7 spots/week @ 15sec each tagged to weather
report (sponsor).
b. Mix 101.1 (contemporary. Number 3/4 rated station for our area): 100 spots/month @
:60sec each throughout year with peaks of 300 spots/month in April-June (new contract
will continue through summer and into fall)
In addition to the main vehicles above we’ll continue using our other outreach methods to promote
SC and our messages. Those include but are not limited to:
1. Digital outreach
a. Google Adwords through GoComm. On a search for Shasta College or various keywords
we will come up on first position (top header, right sidebar, map a business).
b. A News Café- online news and editorial site specific to Redding area. Target is key
influencers and decision makers. Guaranteed placement of PR sheets and highlighted
stories. Banner and masthead ads for key enrollment times.
i. Masthead run: weeks of May 25, June 1, June 8. June 14 & 15.
ii. Banners run: April 18-June 30
2. Environmental
a. Street Banners in Red Bluff, Weaverville and Burney
i. One time cost to make ($928)
ii. Hanging across main surface street for each town for 1, 2 week period tagged to
enrollment periods.
b. Mt. Shasta mall poster. Heavy foot traffic area for teens and adults. Center court
location is right across from coffee kiosk.
i. Feedback from promotion of ACSS shows is/was very positive.
3. Movies/TV
a. Valley 11 and Red Bluff movies. Key enrollment periods correspond nicely to high
attendance rates at theatres (winter break, summer break and high release times for
blockbuster movies).
i. Run dates are only during peak enrollment periods 4/8-6/30. Will negotiate
contract for 7/1-8/18
ii. Use of CTE videos cut down to :20s spots
b. NCM Movies 14 and 8. Run dates are only during peak enrollment periods.
i. Run dates are only during peak enrollment periods 4/1-6/30. Will negotiate
contract for 7/1-8/18.
ii. Use of CTE videos cut down to :15s spots
iii. Total projected impressions during run cycle: 226,976
c. Telemundo is a consideration- no ads yet.
###