Case Studies
Buffalo Seminary
When "Sem" first hired us, the school was facing a fate not uncommon to businesses and institutions in Western New York - low numbers of customers, in this case, entering freshmen - due to the area's declining population. When we first met, the school's total enrollment was less than 100 students for the first time in decades.
That changed over the course of several years. While many factors contributed to this increase, one key was Flynn & Friends ability to send the right message to the right audience using just the right media.
Here's how we did it.
Reach & Grasp
While Sem's earlier marketing efforts were directed largely towards parents, we sensed that, more and more, girls were the driving force behind the choice of a high school. So we recommended a shift of message to make 7th and 8th grade girls the primary target and their parents the secondary one.
We also recommended a departure from the print advertising Sem has used in the past. We felt direct mail represented the best way to reach the audience for these four reasons:
1. Targetable. Direct mail allows you to focus your marketing on the audience with the highest likelihood of interest. Less waste in your budget. 2. Personal. Because you know who you are talking to, your message can communicate more directly. A more compelling message. 3. Measurable. Responses (phone calls, open house reservations, e-mails) tell you almost immediately the effectiveness of your mailing. 4. Proven. Flynn & Friends has a demonstrated track record using this medium with our registered trademark ChunkMail® direct mail.
While our creative delivered the Sem story in a variety of interesting and appealing ways, no degree of creativity works unless it reaches the right audience. And so, we used our expertise in mailing list acquisition to source, buy, and manage a database of 1,500 qualified prospects (by income, age, and zip) in the two-county area from which the school draws most of its students.
Following is a look at one of our successful ChunkMail® campaigns for Sem.
Pass It On
What 7th or 8th grade girl doesn't want to hear the latest news or gossip? In this example, five Sem students helped create an irresistible image based on that idea in this multi-piece direct mail campaign, which included ChunkMail® cubes, postcards, and letters.
In addition to the mailed pieces, we designed a billboard campaign to reinforce the message. The visual image of the five girls proved so irresistible that the school asked us to incorporate it in their development materials, in-house notepads, and alumni communications.
The Point Of All This
Knowing the best way(s) to reach the right audience with the right message in order to generate business for our clients is why we are in business. And if you've gotten this far in our website, you should have a good gauge of our ability to spread the word.
For the record, Sem's enrollment grew from 108 to 164 while we were their agency of record – a 51% increase.
Want results? Give us a call or send us an email. We'll get them for you.
Shake, rattle, and roll. Part of the allure of ChunkMail® is that it's exciting. Who can resist a mystery gift that comes in the mail?
We even customized the fortune cookie message to give more information about Sem's Open House.
The "Pass It On" campaign tied to a billboard that we placed on the main highway from the suburbs to the city, where the school is located. The contents of the box was a charm bracelet with a metal cast reproduction of the school's signature building.
A third ChunkMail® campaign for the school featured daughters and their parents.