5° + East Tennessee State University
Enrollment Marketing Materials • Undergrad Admissions Website
Smart Steps, Big Results—ETSU’s Admissions Success Story
Boosting your enrollment numbers typically doesn’t require an entire makeover of your recruiting strategy or branding efforts. Often, a small shift makes a big difference. Time after time, we see schools build their brand—and unlock their brand power—by executing a series of thoughtfully developed, consistent steps.
After working with 5° on a new enrollment campaign, and in their first post-pandemic class, ETSU celebrated a 12 percent increase in first-time freshman enrollment. What was the secret to their success? Foundationally, it was about effective teamwork.
A New Approach
Here are a few of the smart steps included in the new recruiting plan:
Reimagined Print Pieces. A suite of 10+ print pieces supported recruitment operations for college fairs, on-campus events, and mail campaigns. Consistent messaging and coordinated design tied the pieces together, creating continuity in communications efforts.
Diversity and International Recruitment. An intentional recruiting emphasis highlighted the difference that diversity makes on campus. ETSU created a stand-out print piece to showcase special events, activities, and programs on campus that celebrate and encourage diversity.
Transfer Recruitment. ETSU recognized the importance of the transfer market segment, which now makes up approximately 40 percent of today’s college students*. Together with 5°, they developed a transfer viewbook to show the ease of transitioning to ETSU and the benefits of doing so. This year at ETSU, the increase in the number of transfer students incrementally impacted overall admissions numbers.
Admissions Site Redesign
Website Redesign. Prioritizing the importance of an engaging online experience for prospective students, ETSU launched a new admissions site October of 2021. What made this project successful was steady collaboration, with the ETSU IT team carefully executing the design from 5°.
“We know the first impression we make on many students is going to be our website, and 5° helped translate our unique energy and atmosphere into the digital space. Our site is now intuitive and streamlined. It’s clear and easy to find answers, to apply for admission, to sign up for a campus tour. That’s good for the user experience, and good for recruitment.”
–Heather Levesque, Ph.D., Assistant VP & Executive Dir. Of Undergraduate Admissions
“At a time that demanded innovation and fresh focus on integrated recruitment marketing, consistent messaging, and strategic timing, 5 Degrees delivered. They brought new life into our print and digital visual identity. Their engaging, impactful designs formed a cohesive experience across the various touchpoints of our recruitment outreach.”
–Heather Levesque, Ph.D., Assistant VP & Executive Dir. Of Undergraduate Admissions