| St.
Vincent de Paul, a private K-8 school in North Nashville, had experienced years of mediocre attendance due
to the segregating effects of a nearby interstate. Capital improvements had increased available capacity
and the school sought to double enrollment in four years.
Representing another agency at the time,
thinkMEDIA's president created the school's integrated publicity
plan, rebranding St. Vincent de
Paul as "A New School for a New Community" and building on
that identity as a bona fide community center. The
plan called for mobilizing neighboring residents as recruitment
ambassadors; publicizing the significant
capital improvements; and establishing the support of prominent
Nashville residents and businesses.
Deliverables included
a student enrollment brochure that highlighted the building
renovations; "open
enrollment" advertisements for local newspapers; and a Palm
Sunday community celebration which embraced nearby residents and
initiated school-to-community communication.
Four
years after the initial campaign, school enrollment increased 178%, from 60 to 167 students.
Scholarships, created with an initial $6,000 investment, now exceed $100,000 in student assistance each
year. And neighboring businesses continue to help
student families and nearby residents: SunTrust Bank offers a
comprehensive personal finance program;
nearby hospitals provide health seminars, screenings and related services.
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