USU Recruitment Message
USU’s ongoing communication campaign is improving its recruitment efforts by telling USU’s story through the eyes of the individual student.
“We are looking to reflect the importance of the individual student and research opportunities that USU presents to prospective students,” said John DeVilbiss, USU’s public relations and marketing executive director. “We want to engage students to think USU by applying their individual goals to the opportunities available at USU.”
DeVilbiss said he hopes the theme of individuality is implemented on recruitment brochures and posters hanging in high schools around Utah, which are mailed out to future students.
“It’s on a Post-it note, lined paper or a school binder. We created a look and a feel for students that stands out from other publications and institutions as well,” he said.
This new look for fall semester tells the individual story of outstanding students – including their goals, passions and reasons for choosing USU – by encompassing the students in their own personal element, doing what they love on campus, in classes and for fun in Logan.???did someone actually say this??
“Once people see what USU has to offer, world-class research with a location and setting that is unparallel to other schools,” DeVilbiss said. “It’s a place where students can really be themselves. Realizing our strengths and weaknesses helps us to look at the messages that we want to share with future students, current students, faculty, parents, alumni, donors and legislatures.”
Admissions, DeVilbiss said, is using the theme very well to engage students to apply their goals in life to think USU. He said Admissions is still in the discovery stage, and communication is an ongoing process. But, he said the theme has been well-received and very popular through giving enough needed information to future students such as college costs, campus life and academics in a student format.
“In the process of this new individual look, we have created a similar look and feel which students can recognize the same kind of theme reflected on other admissions material as well,” DeVilbiss said. Now we have created a look that really stands out, which no other university is using. It’s important for us to brand ourselves, so that from a distance future students can easily recognize and really think and feel USU from the eyes of the students who are actually living it.”
The theme is also still evolving, DeVilbiss said. Admissions found and realized USU’s strengths and weaknesses with the “Think … Utah State” theme, he said. It is starting to lean towards a different theme of “Find yourself at Utah State.” USU wants to reflect the individual and also research opportunities at the university, he said.
“In order for us to be successful, we need to be connected to student thinking,” DeVilbiss said.
USU public relations and marketing averages about four student interns a semester to keep the student theme alive and stay in touch with student likes and dislikes.
“USU is a great research institution, one of only two in the state of Utah,” DeVilbiss said. “So it’s a good place not only for discovery but also for self-discovery.”
-m.russell@aggiemail.usu.edu