Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine Posters

[ about ]

Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine—the US’s largest AVMA-accredited veterinary school—underwent a comprehensive rebranding and repositioning in 2015 that included a thorough review of all marketing tactics, channels, messaging, calls to action, cadence, and areas of friction throughout the marketing funnel. An external review of the competitive landscape and an internal review of marketing systems and processes, combined with insights gained through on-campus focus group sessions involving students and faculty, revealed key points of differentiation to lean into with regard to messaging. There was clearly an opportunity to more effectively position the institution as the DVM school of choice. One tactic slated for a strategic refresh was the offline indirect attribution channel of on-campus posters.

APPROACH & OUTCOME

On-campus posters reached primary audiences—prospective students—and secondary influencer audiences, including undergraduate college and career counselors. The 12×18-inch posters, displayed near college counseling and career guidance offices, proved to be surprisingly effective drivers of new student inquiries and enrollment applications when used in conjunction with targeted email and paid search advertising. Two versions were created: core brand awareness posters and partner institution posters.

CORE BRAND AWARENESS POSTERS: Revamped core brand awareness posters bolstered Ross Vet’s brand positioning by incorporating insights-informed key points of differentiation supported by authentic imagery of students and alumni. Messaging leaned into key competitive differentiators, including AVMA accreditation, an accelerated curriculum with flexible start dates, early hands-on experience in an AAHA-accredited veterinary hospital serving local farmers and the surrounding community, and learning and research opportunities with worldwide partner institutions.

PARTNER INSTITUTION POSTERS: Partner institution posters promoted school-specific BS+DVM pathway programs offered through U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities with which Ross Vet had signed articulation agreements. Posters were personalized for individual feeder colleges and universities, incorporating trust points such as institution names and logos. Messaging highlighted competitive points of differentiation and outlined program benefits, including guaranteed admission to the DVM program—alleviating a significant stressor for prospective students.

In concert with all other online and offline tactics in Ross Vet’s integrated marketing communications plan, on-campus posters contributed to a lift in brand tracker awareness and preference metrics, triple the annual prospective student inquiries, and a 43% year-over-year increase in applications for veterinary school enrollment.

MY ROLE

Creative Direction & Messaging Strategy

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & TOOLS

• Strategy: Audience Insights | Brand Messaging | Brand Stewardship | Competitive Analysis | Consumer Behavior Analysis | Customer-Centric Mindset | Data-Driven Decision Making | Higher Education Marketing | Marketing Strategy | Stakeholder Management
• Creative & Production: Budget Management | Creative Development | Creative Services Management | Creative Team Leadership | Photo Shoots | Vendor Management
• Tools: Adobe Acrobat Pro | Adobe InDesign | Microsoft Excel | Microsoft Word

KUDOS

• GOLD: 33rd Annual Educational Advertising Awards (entry category: Poster)
• PLATINUM: 2017 MarCom Awards (entry category: Design > Print > Poster)