Project: University of Richmond Draws Students With Multi-Touch Marketing Campaign
Vertical Market: Education & Government
Business Application: Direct Marketing & Lead Generation
The Robbins School of Business Management Institute, part of the University of Richmond, wanted to fill the Mini MBA® program student roster. A multi-touch marketing campaign combining email, short-run color printing, and display advertising pulled in enough students to fill several sessions.
Program Objectives
- Fill a session of the Management Institute Mini MBA® program
- Create a targeted multi-touch marketing campaign
Significant Results Reported by User
- Programs filled to capacity
- One-third of capacity registered for following term program
Description
Low registration in the Mini MBA® program in 2004 led the Management Institute, part of the University of Richmond, VA, to consult with one of our associated companies. The school knew it was time to try something new. We applied a model they had developed for a previous client called Operation Turnout, a process that focuses on delivering relevant communication to various audiences. The approach integrates variable printing, targeted email, and online electronic program registration. The key element was getting good prospect data.
“The University was sending direct mail regarding the program to their in-house list, but it wasn’t segmented, nor did they develop a profile of the people on the list. Everyone got the same message, even if they already had an MBA,” explains Kate Dunn, President of our associated company. The University also listed the Mini MBA® program in their general catalog, but many people read the catalog and not many are in the target group for the program. The University was also mailing information and following up with phone calls, but this was an expensive process with a low yield. Dunn said that the school had not captured enough information about the prospects on the list to know that they were in the target audience.
Solution
We started the data gathering process with a survey to build a profile of the kind of person who would most likely want to take a Mini MBA® program. They asked questions about past education, executive training, current position responsibilities, managerial responsibilities, length of time in the current position, and course interests.
Using the responses, our associated company and the University were able to build a profile of most-likely prospects and select names that matched it. They also spent considerable time cleaning the in-house database, looking for matches to the profile, and weeding out inaccurate listings. They created the copy of the brochure and the emails so that it presented the most appealing aspects of the programs as indicated by the survey results. We segmented the list, sent personalized emails, and followed up with a static brochure mailing. Further emails followed up responses or lack of a response. All the messages stressed the same points and directed readers to the registration website. The University also placed an ad for the program in the weekly business section of the local daily.
Results
Out of a starting list of approximately 1,400 people, 23 people registered in the spring 2005 session, which is the maximum the course can accommodate. A repeat of the process for the fall of 2005 led to 27 registrations (the school added capacity) as well as eight pre-registrations for the next session.
