By Ericka Simpson
Staff Writer
Bryan College recently hired Details Communication, a marketing advertising agency from Alabama, to conduct focus groups and take photographs on April 21 and 22. The admissions department will use the material to communicate with prospective students.
Details Communications photographer taking pictures of students at Laurel Snow Pocket Wilderness Trail in Dayton, Tenn. Photo courtesy of Ericka Simpson.
Director of Admissions Michael Nichols said that Bryan needs new communication material. As the college changes, the information given to prospective students must change as well.
“Details Communications will help us continue to focus our communications around the distinctive culture and story of Bryan College to facilitate strategic connection points for students and their families,” Nichols said.
Creative Director at Details Communications Graham Yelton said that the group works with a lot of faith-based organizations and that they came to “capture the everydayness at Bryan.”
“Bryan has a good thing going but needs new material,” she said. “The brochures and other information looks dated.”
Faith Ammen, assistant to the vice president of advancement, who acted as the liaison between Details Communications and the faculty, staff and students, said that Bryan has not updated its promotional material in about five years.
According to Nichols, the photos were last updated two years ago, and Bryan consulted a marketing firm three years ago
“People are turned off by dated material,” Ammen said
Yelton hired Jason Wallis, a photographer from Birmingham, Ala. to take pictures of students, faculty and staff in the culture at Bryan. Wallis took pictures of students studying, speaking with professors, playing video games and even eating.
Ammen picked a wide variety of students and faculty to take pictures of and the location of the shots. She said that about 60 students were involved.
Consultant Sales Person Lee Insko and Vice President of Creative Design Mike Robinson conducted focus groups with students, faculty and staff. Multiple students were selected to participate.
“Focus groups are exciting because we get to see if the words we attached to Bryan, like ‘community’ and ‘worldview,’ are accurate,” Ammen said.
According to Yelton, Details Communications will compile the information they receive from the focus groups and gear the photos to reflect that in the promotional material.
She said that they have found that Bryan places a huge emphasis on “excellence in learning,” and the photography will focus on the academic and faith side of Bryan.
Nichols said that this new promotional material will help Bryan achieve its goal of increasing enrollment to 1,200 traditional students over the next 10 years.
“We are excited about this critical step toward achieving Vision 2020,” he said.
Tags: Details Communication, Faith Ammen, focus groups, Graham Yelton, Jason Wallis, Lee Insko, Michael Nichols, Mike Robinson, promotion
Loading ...
