Situation
Lamar State College Port Arthur – In September 2019, AMG was awarded the Lamar State College Port Arthur account after a rigorous RFP process. AMG was immediately tasked with developing a new campaign to support Spring 2020 enrollment. One particular challenge that was uncovered in a two-day immersion session with the client was that there are three (3) colleges in the immediate service area that bear the name “Lamar.” In addition, we learned in the immersion session that many people want to attend other colleges in the general area, simply because they want a change from locally based “Port Arthur.” Lastly, and very significant, the college had recently gone through a tuition decrease that was over 25% andt had not yet been communicated to the public at large.
Our Approach
To address the naming confusion, we differentiated Lamar State College Port Arthur by focusing on unique programs that are only available at the Port Arthur college and emphasizing that it is only at “PA” where you can receive the education needed to get a career in those specific programs. With that, AMG the agency layered in potential earnings with each of those unique disciplines to entice the potential student with a great reward once they complete their associate degree at “PA.”
Lamar State College Port Arthur had been using the positioning “Success Is Closer Than You Think” for a number of years. Upon vetting, AMG realized this positioning is common, with many institutions of higher education connecting success to proximity. In an effort to further accentuate the quality education one can receive by staying in Port Arthur and attending Lamar State College Port Arthur, AMG developed a new positioning line for the college that was adopted: LEARN. RIGHT. HERE. Not only did the new positioning convey quality (learning “right”) – it clearly communicated doing it right in Port Arthur.
As to the tuition decrease, this message was woven into the copy and visuals (where applicable) throughout each creative element for the campaign.
Results
The spring 2020 campaign was supported with a multi-layered media plan, including broadcast, digital, outdoor and social support. The college had projected a 2% enrollment growth for spring 2020, yet surpassed that projection by 1.5%.
Social
Outdoor
digital
