Education
A Multimedia, Multi-touch Campaign: Alief Independent School District's Enrollment
Introduction: Alief Independent School District (ISD), one of Houston’s largest school districts, faced a daunting challenge as the 2021 school year approached. The district, serving a diverse community with over 90 languages spoken, needed to bolster student enrollments to prevent a loss of state funding resulting from the pandemic-induced decline in enrollments. We initiated a strategic multimedia campaign to exceed their enrollment goals and secure vital funding.
The Challenge: With the threat of reduced state funding looming, Alief ISD aimed to enroll 3,200 additional students for the 2021-22 school year. The district’s diversity posed unique communication challenges, necessitating a tailored approach to reach families from varied ethnic backgrounds and economic statuses.
Strategies Employed:
- Targeted Messaging: Through stakeholder interviews and a thorough situation analysis, target households with unenrolled children, particularly in Pre-K/EC/Kinder age groups, were identified.
- Geographic Targeting: Data showed that after 55% moved out of the district, the largest segments in the district were HH w/ kids 0-5 and HH w/ kids 11-17. We targeted Households in Alief ISD service area +5 Miles w/kids under the age of 18
- Flexible Enrollment Solutions: Alief ISD expanded enrollment eligibility areas and created flexible class and after-school care options to address childcare challenges brought on by the pandemic.
- Multimedia and Multi-Contact Tactics: The campaign utilized a wide array of tactics, including an online landing page, collateral development, versioned email campaigns, online ads, direct mail, door hangers, and door-to-door canvassing all tactics executed in English and Spanish language.
Campaign Execution:
- Canvassing Excellence: A meticulously trained canvassing team conducted door-to-door outreach, ensuring that the message reached the right families directly.
- Comprehensive Digital Presence: An online landing page and targeted online ads amplified the campaign’s reach, engaging parents through digital platforms.
- Coordinated Direct Mail: Postcard campaign, targeted to PreK/K, Elem, & High School audiences, sent to households within the geographic area.
- Culturally Sensitive Messaging: Spanish translations and culturally sensitive communication strategies were employed to resonate with diverse families.
Results Achieved:
- Massive Outreach: 118,596 households were reached by one or more campaign tactics.
- Exceptional Conversion Rate: The campaign garnered 9,562 registrations, resulting in 8,772 new student enrollments—an impressive 8% conversion rate, well above the average.
- Financial Impact: The campaign’s total cost was $316,150, translating to a cost of $33.06 per registration received. Considering the per-student value of $6,500, the campaign not only recovered its cost but also secured $57,018,000 in state funding for Alief ISD.
Conclusion: Alief Independent School District’s strategic partnership with Steel and EdVantage Strategy Group exemplified the power of targeted, multichannel marketing. By understanding the unique needs of their diverse community and employing culturally sensitive communication, the campaign achieved outstanding results, exceeding enrollment goals and securing essential state funding. This case study stands as a testament to the efficacy of multimedia and multi-contact marketing tactics in addressing complex challenges and driving remarkable outcomes for educational institutions.
