A Place Where You Belong
During the summer of 2020, both WIU and the local community found themselves grappling with a period of unfavorable media attention, largely centered around accusations of racism. In the aftermath, having meaningful conversations with current and prospective students and their families underscored the pressing need to confront these difficult topics head-on. It was imperative to convey to all our audiences that WIU is an inclusive and welcoming institution for everyone.
In response, I embarked on a comprehensive process that involved a deep dive into our brand guidelines, collaborative interviews with current students, and close coordination with our dedicated marketing and creative team. This collective effort gave birth to the 'A Place Where You Belong' campaign, which aimed to address these critical issues and send a clear message that WIU is an institution where every individual is not just welcomed but celebrated.
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In crafting this campaign, our paramount goal was to establish a meaningful connection with our audience through the art of storytelling, allowing our students to authentically narrate the WIU journey based on their personal experiences.
After conducting insightful interviews with our students, we discerned recurring themes that organically shaped the overarching campaign theme. Throughout the planning process, I placed a strong emphasis on evoking emotion because, while words may fade from memory, emotions linger. It's these emotional connections that serve as the cornerstone of building brand awareness and nurturing trust within our community
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I recognized that the 'A Place Where You Belong' campaign demanded a comprehensive, multi-channel marketing and creative strategy. It was crucial for this campaign to extend beyond digital marketing efforts and be prominently visible in traditional advertising, making a meaningful impact both online and within our community.
To bring this vision to life, I collaborated closely with cross-functional teams, including talented photographers and videographers. Together, we meticulously planned and executed photo and video shoots. My engagement with Admissions and Student Services was pivotal in identifying the right student ambassadors whose stories best resonated with our campaign message.
I then orchestrated the scheduling of these sessions and took an active role in managing the shoots on the day of the production. This included organizing key locations across our campus to ensure that every visual element of the campaign aligned seamlessly with our narrative.
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After the successful completion of our photo and video shoots, my focus shifted towards harnessing the power of authentic student testimonials to shape our campaign's messaging and language. Listening keenly to the narratives shared by our students, I identified recurring themes that served as the foundation for our storytelling. These insights informed the scripting process, ensuring that our words resonated authentically while staying true to our brand's voice and tone.
From this script, we produced a compelling commercial that played a pivotal role in our OTT and broadcast advertising throughout Spring 2021. To maximize the impact of our student testimonials, I oversaw the creation of shorter video clips, strategically integrated into our email communications, social media stories, and web landing pages.
Collaborating closely with our creative team, we embarked on designing an array of billboards, digital advertisements, and captivating graphics tailored for our organic social media presence. While our traditional efforts reached local communities, we also extended our reach to the broader Chicagoland area, ensuring that our campaign message resonated widely and effectively
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Throughout this timeframe, WIU implemented a strategic approach by selectively waiving the application fee during specific windows, strategically designed to entice prospective students within our recruitment pipeline. This initiative aimed to create a welcoming and motivating atmosphere, encouraging students to take the important step of applying for admission.
The 'A Place Where You Belong' campaign was a labor of love for our team, and I couldn't be more delighted with the results it yielded. As I engaged with students during the Spring 2021 semester, it was particularly gratifying to consistently hear that WIU had become a place they regarded as home—a vibrant community where they felt a profound sense of belonging. Witnessing this connection and love for WIU among our student audience was truly rewarding.
Commercial
“A Place Where You Belong” campaign commercial was used in 2020 to early 2021 in locations and stations across the region and nation.
Social Proof in Testimonials
One valuable practice I've embraced in content planning is the strategic creation of versatile content. Whenever possible, I make it a priority to develop a plan for crafting micro-content. Among the various content formats, I have been a staunch advocate for video testimonials due to their potent ability to provide social proof, recommendations, and authentic testimonials.
As exemplified by the two videos below, these testimonials were captured during a photo and video shoot on our campus as part of the 'A Place Where You Belong' campaign. Their brevity and impact made them ideal for deployment across multiple channels. We leveraged these short videos in diverse ways, including YouTube advertising, social media posts, integrated within broader marketing campaigns, prominently featured on campaign landing pages, seamlessly embedded in emails, and even transcribed to facilitate additional marketing efforts. This approach ensured that our content not only served its primary purpose but also maximized its reach and resonance across our audience.
"A Place Where You Belong" Google ad set served to WIU's inquiry list. With the inquiry audience existing within the recruitment funnel, the CTA (call to action) pointed this segmented group to filling out an application. During this time period, we opted to waive the application fee as an incentive to apply.