Ad campaign attracts students

Hoping to reach out to a larger and more diverse base of potential students, the Dallas County Community College District and North Lake College have set out on a extensive and multi-faceted campaign to increase college awareness.

The advertising campaign, though not entirely a new idea for the district, has been approached with new enthusiasm, according to Janis Browning, the director of marketing and public information at North Lake.

“I stepped up advertising this year,” said Browning, who is attempting to mix tried and true advertising methods with newer, innovative ideas.

One of the new ideas includes distributing lawn signs to Irving residents who are connected with the college or are enthusiastic about its mission. This grassroots style of campaigning has caught on and is helping to increase the college's visibility in the community. One instructor was seen picking up additional signs after distributing his first batch.

M o v ie - g o - ers will notice the campaign on their local silver screens. The college is advertising on five area movie screens from June 3-Aug. 7. This year, the technology has allowed for a more exciting approach, according to Browning.

“I do this every year, but this year added sound,” said Browning about the pre-movie presentation.

An extensive ad campaign was done in local newspapers, beginning in mid- July, according to Browning.

“We did a nice ad campaign for local newspapers using North Lake students as models,” said Browning. “That's about twice the advertising that I normally do.”

Additionally, former North Lake students who had enrolled but not completed a semester, received a letter from Browning. “I did a special mailing to 4000 students who were here for fall semester last year but didn't return,” said Browning. These students were offered a $200 discount on their textbooks if they enrolled.

College enrollments fluctuate with the times. The number of students who enroll in college classes is directly linked to population and economic trends, among other indicators. North Lake College is subject to the same enrollment challenges faced by all colleges, but it has still managed to triple its enrollment figures in 30 years.

Flash forward to the 2006-2007 academic year and you'll find North Lake College on a larger campus with more students, additional resources and multiple areas of study. NLC's administrators still work hard to make the college relevant and attractive to young students. Marketing campaigns are geared to reach a wide range of potential students and include a variety of methods are used to spread the good news.

The Dallas County Community College District runs an annual advertising campaign. Local strategies, designed at NLC, add to the marketing mix.

DCCCD's advertising agency, Dallas-based Verve Communications heads the effort to inform potential students. The firm, owned by an Eastfield College graduate, saturates the local market during key enrollment periods.

This summer Dallas County residents have been exposed to the DCCCD message on television, radio and billboards.

The Spanish language market is included in the District's marketing efforts, and tailor-made messages are geared towards spanish speaking audiences.

The goal is to promote course offerings and an emphasis seems to be put on workforce training, certification programs and growing career fields such as nursing, construction and technology.

Enrollment numbers are tracked daily and distributed district-wide during enrollment periods for fall, spring and summer courses. The enrollment figures for some academic years are more crucial than other years.

Government funding takes into account the number of enrolled students. Funding is determined based on hard numbers submitted by the college and District. Class rosters are certified on the twelfth class day of each semester. With dwindling state and federal funding, enrollment efforts and early retention take on added importance.

Browning says that North Lake College spends about $50,000 dollars annually to attract students to the college. The college district pays for the over-arching campaign that features print, TV and radio.

At press time, enrollment figures for the District were slightly down from the same period last August, with 3.4 percent fewer enrollments. North Lake enrollments are down 3.7 percent for the same period.