Need more money for branding? Maybe your recruitment dollars aren't working hard enough.

With cuts in support for higher education and fierce competition for limited university funding, we often hear that education marketers don't have the money for branding. But if your recruitment efforts are based on a clearly defined brand promise, then each and every communication you produce should be working for the same goal--attracting the right student and generating a measurable return on investment. That's Branding for ROI.

The Halo Group is a marketing communications agency that specializes in helping education marketers refocus their branding efforts on driving growth. We have outlined case studies of branding programs that we have created for different education clients that focus on different steps of the marketing process. Each delivered a clearly defined return on investment and contributed to the overall growth and profitability of the University.

CASE STUDIES

BARUCH UNIVERSITY (Brand Architecture)

For Baruch University, part of the CUNY network, we leveraged the success of its School of Business to elevate perceptions of academic competitiveness for the entire university. Halo designed a brand campaign architecture that provided Baruch the flexibility to communicate the unique benefits of each of its schools and key programs, while stressing the academic quality and real-world applicability of a Baruch education.

Results:

* Reversed a negative five-year trend

* University enrollment increased by 1 5%

* School of Business applications grew by 57%

* Doubled applications for School of Public Affairs

ST. GEORGE'S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (Student Recruitment Communications)

Many universities focus their branding efforts on generating leads but then take their eye off the student once he or she is in-house. To increase conversion, Halo refocused this University's sales strategy on specific barriers to student application. We created a series of simple direct mail pieces that broke down all of the most important facts about the University and directly challenged key barriers to action--each reinforcing the brand's voice and promise.

Results:

* Accelerated application conversion, meeting class capacity 2 months in advance of benchmark

* School enrollment grew 25%

ST. GEORGE'S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE (Student Recruitment Posters)

For this veterinary school based in Grenada, West Indies, we tapped into the shared heart and genuine desire to help animals that shape both student and University. Inspired by signs for environmentally protected areas, the "Posted" campaign asks, "Who is saving veterinarians?" It positions St. George's as not just an alternative to US veterinary schools but the protector and nurturer of aspiring vets and animals alike. The campaign uses campus posters, signage, end other media in an extremely tactical approach to recruitment.

Results:

* Campaign leads grew 34%

* Website traffic increased 56%

Effective branding ensures that every aspect of your marketing process, from repositioning your entire University to building a tactical recruitment communication piece, is focused on attracting the right student--one who is both an academic and cultural fit for your school. Focusing on the right student can make your dollars work harder and lower your student acquisition costs, increase student satisfaction and retention rates and ensure alumni remain engaged as life-long supporters of the institution.

From public to private, graduate to undergraduate, The Halo Group brings the same passion to creativity as we do to your University's bottomline. Call us at 1 [phone] and ask for Denise Goodwin Pace, or visit us at www.thehologroup.net. We'll show you how branding can be directly correlated to your University's growth and profitability.