The Advertising Plan of McHenry County College

Unidentified as to source, the following is the ten-week Northwest Herald’s advertising plan for the

McHenry County College Advertising Campaign Brief

“Know MCC. Know Me.”
April 18, 2013

Background
McHenry County College (MCC) recently launched a new brand, with a goal of improving the College’s identity and
dispelling myths and fallacies about the institution. With the recent focus in the community around the College’s role,
importance and decision making, this is an opportune time to reinforce the new brand, as well as position its people and
programs as human and important.

The first $1,300 MCC ad.

The first $1,300 MCC ad.

Target Audience

  • Community members.
  • New potential students.

Marketing Objectives

  • Reinforce brand
  • Heighten awareness of positives the College brings to the community
  • Humanize organizational leadership and those who impact our students and community members on a daily basis
  • Encourage participation in community forums
  • Highlight the different type of students who attend MCC

Tone

  • Caring
  • Truthful
  • Candid

Key Message

  • I am just like you.
  • Know MCC. Know me.
The second MCC ad.

The second MCC ad.

Approach
A two-month campaign featuring weekly ad spots in print and online, rotating between MCC employees, trustees, students and alumni. The online presence will consist of a small display ad with a teaser linking back to a new webpage on the website: www.mchenry.edu/knowmcc. This webpage will contain stories/profiles of each of the people featured in print- possibly more, which we could include as a footer on each ad: “Read more stories at…”

Schedule

  • Week of April 22 – Dr. Vicky Smith
  • Week of April 29 – Student (Joe Bilodeau?)
  • Week of May 6 – Board Chair/Trustee
  • Week of May 13 – Dr. Tony Miksa
  • Week of May 20 – Student Trustee
  • Week of May 27 – Leader in Student Affairs (Marianne Devenny, etc.)
  • Week of June 3 – Student
  • Week of June 10 – Member of Faculty
  • Week of June 17 – Alumnus
  • Week of June 24 -Leader in Student Services (Special Needs, Sage or Student Life)

Comments

The Advertising Plan of McHenry County College — 6 Comments

  1. MCC is trying to market itself out of bad board policy and administration decision making?

    What people want from a community college is a quality education at an affordable price at minimum cost to the taxpayer.

    What people don’t want is the community college increasing property taxes without a referendum, which is exactly what MCC has discussed in their conversations of issuing bonds without a referendum.

    Especially when property values are down and taxes are up.

    How about a board policy stating MCC won’t issue building bonds without a voter referendum.

    Good board policy and administration decision making is far more productive and cost effective than bad board policy and administration decision making followed by marketing ads.

  2. This could have been done on their website for little to no cost.

    This “Plan” just shows how little they care about tax dollars and quality affordable education.

    Guess what…most prospective students DO NOT read the newspaper!!

    These people are “book smart stupid”!

  3. To me to major selling points of community colleges compared to state 4 year colleges is smaller class sizes and the part time or adjunct professors who work during the day and teach night classes.

    Then you receive current real world experience from the instructor with more personalized instruction.

    That’s what I would be emphasizing.

    Hopefully the new board members can help right the ship, it veered off course.

    Community colleges, just as the pre-k – 12 public schools, are governmental monopolistic political bureaucratic machines.

    There are people in the machine who really care about minimizing cost and quality affordable education
    The machine requires strong leadership and oversight so such people are the stars and not the afterthought.

    Marketing and advertisements can’t change that.

  4. And WHY do we need to know these people?

    I would think they should be highlighting success stories of those in the real world that can claim their MCC education put them in a real world job!

    “I’m just like you” is a ridiculous slogan it screams “consensus” which is the opposite of what education is to provide.

    Who wants to be just like everyone else?

  5. I can’t wait to see the ad for Tony… it should prove to be amusing.

    Hilarious even.

    “I don’t live in the county.

    I don’t belong to any organization in the county.

    I don’t know any member of influence in the county.

    Thanks for the Huge pay increase when I left Elgin. Rock on!”

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