Case study: Alvernia University

In early 2007, observers who knew Alvernia College perceived it as a local Catholic institution with a good athletic program. By then, however, administrators at the small eastern Pennsylvania college had already embarked on a strategic plan that promised to dramatically change the college’s image. In the short term, Alvernia sought to increase enrollment, but it ultimately aspired to grow into a distinctive Franciscan university with a regional reputation. A year later, after a new brand roll-out and initial efforts to integrate the brand into touchpoints across the college, Alvernia has not only reported significant increases in campus visits and applications, but the college has also made good progress toward achieving its overarching vision.

It all began, says President Tom Flynn, with the college’s desire for a distinct brand that would incorporate Alvernia’s mission and vision and its strengths as an institution that serves traditional-age undergraduates, graduate students and continuing education students. Administrators then began looking for a marketing firm that could help them develop that brand and communicate it in relevant and compelling ways to its three audiences, among others”

“We interviewed several firms, but The Lawlor Group had an edge,” recalls Flynn. Because Alvernia needed to grow its incoming classes, he was impressed by Lawlor’s skill with enrollment management. “This gives them an enormous competitive edge because they understand the priorities of enrollment people.”

Alvernia urgently needed new recruitment publications, so Lawlor acted immediately, conducting nearly a hundred campus interviews and thousands of surveys with various constituencies, including traditional-age, graduate and continuing education students. After analyzing the data, they produced an executive summary. “I liked the blend of the qualitative and quantitative investigation they did,” says President Flynn. “We got an excellent handle on people’s perceptions.” As soon as the Lawlor team’s analysis revealed the attributes of Alvernia’s new aspirational brand, explains Jeff Dittman, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Lawlor infused these attributes into the design and editorial content of an undergraduate summer program invitation, visit and travel pieces, and a viewbook.

Of those publications, which recently garnered top honors from the 23rd Annual Admissions Advertising Awards, Dittman says, “Our work with TLG on brand identity and integrating that identity into our publications has enabled us to be more intentional about the messages in our publications. We’re now setting the stage for the experience we want students to have.” In the summer of 2007, Dittman’s staff recorded a 75 percent increase in attendance at the college’s informational sessions for prospective undergraduates. “Lawlor’s help with our search efforts is a major part of that increase.”

Since beginning work with TLG, Alvernia has reported other equally impressive enrollment-related numbers. “We have an 18 percent increase in inquiries over last year,” reports John McCloskey, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management. “We’ve done some things operationally, but Lawlor’s help with search is the major reason we’re ahead. Undergraduate applications are 27 percent ahead. It’s been exciting.” The guest program, says McCloskey, has also spiked in the last two years, with a 32 percent jump in the number of campus visitors. McCloskey says that number will likely top out in the 50 to 60 percent range. “Again, I attribute a major piece of that to our work with TLG.”

Alvernia’s key administrators knew that integrating the brand attributes into the publications was just the beginning though. To achieve the comprehensive integrated marketing strategy they desired for the college’s success, they needed campus wide buy-in, and they again asked for Lawlor’s assistance.

By conducting “ideation sessions” strategically designed by Lawlor, Alvernia’s marketing staff is educating Alvernia’s internal community about the brand and laying the groundwork for a successful integrated marketing plan. “During the sessions we ask people what they are already doing that reflects the brand and rewarding them for that,” says Gale Martin, Director of Marketing. “Lawlor wisely realized it would do no good to tell people who’ve devoted most of their working lives to Alvernia that they are not on brand. The process is going well because of Lawlor’s model.”

In addition to ongoing assistance with integrated marketing, Lawlor has completed a Web audit for Alvernia and is just finishing up publications for the graduate and continuing education programs. Says Joan Lewis, Dean of Graduate and Continuing Studies, “TLG knows what publications for the non-traditional student need to look and sound like.”

One of the advantages of working with TLG, says President Flynn, is its personnel. “They play extremely well with others and that’s an enormous strength. And they work well with people across the institution.” McCloskey agrees, calling the Lawlor team’s people skills “second to none.”

“Working with Lawlor is like working with an extension of our admissions or marketing offices,” Dittman testifies. “They have a great sense of humor, but at the same time there is work to be done. It’s been a great experience. It’s exceeded the expectations I had for this kind of working relationship.”

Published in 2008.

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