“Word of mouth” is the new buzz word in the world of corporate and higher ed marketing.
If you can create a message so compelling that prospective students want to pass it along to their friends, you’re definitely aheadf in the college recruiting game.
And, sometimes creativity hits right on target as it does in this fantastic — I guess you can see I really like the concept ;-) — viral marketing campaign launched by the Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA: a video cartoon portraying Ben Franklin and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall in their search for a college and their beginnings at F&M.
I watched the 3 episodes, and I can only say one thing (well, maybe two): what a brilliant way to convey a message and generate some word of mouth!
So, go watch this little gem at the dedicated website set up for this initiative: www.benjohn.org
As you will see on the website, visitors are invited to get more info about the college, but also to tell their friends about this nifty smart Flash movie.
Well, I’m not a frequent viewer of admissions videos in general, so I don’t really know what to make of it. It seems more like something that would be produced by a student club than an admissions office. But I suppose what matters is: (1) how much did it cost, and (2) does it actually attract students, and not just *any* students, but the kind of students that the institution wants.
Very nice – Franklin & Marshall is out in front. Now they just need to package it for mobile phones, to reach more audiences. Thank you for the heads-up on this.