Ithaca College

Services:

Integrated planning

Challenge:

Ithaca College needed an integrated marketing plan to create a strong image within the College’s key markets and reflect the College’s rising prestige and its admissions and fundraising goals.

Approach:

Focus group research helped us to craft crisp messages. We worked collaboratively with faculty and administrators to identify marketing strategies and develop a plan, complete with recommendations on communications with key audiences, extensive redesign of the Web site, and an alternative staffing structure. We also included recommended actions for departments that had a major impact on the student experience, such as residential life and alumni affairs.

Results:

Ithaca created an executive director of marketing position, placed a renewed emphasis on media relations, and restructured the marketing communications office from a siloed group of highly talented specialists to an integrated, customer-focused team. Admissions have been increasing, and sharpened positioning has helped Ithaca successfully best its $145 million capital campaign goal by $30 million.