College Goal Sunday

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College Goal Sunday

• Its Not What You Say, Its What They Hear!

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Presenters

• Marcia Weston
• Director of College Goal Sunday Operations,
  NASFAA
• Darolyn Porter
• College Goal Sunday Statewide Coordinator for
  Tennessee

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College Access Marketing

• What is it?
• Why is it needed?
• How is it achieved?
• How is it applied to College Access programs?
• How does it work with College Goal Sunday?

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College Access Marketing

• College access marketing is social marketing that
  persuades people to engage in college-going
  behaviors.
• Social marketing is the application of marketing
  concepts and tools to causes that advance the
  social good such as anti-smoking campaigns, get
  out the vote, etc.

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Why Is It Needed?

• We dont know what families do or dont know
  about financial aid.
• We dont know what families know or think about
  college.
• We dont know who the influencers are.
• We dont know where the information needs to be
  provided.

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Limitations of Existing Outreach Efforts

• Lack of clear, compelling messages to action.
• Use of build it and they will come theories.
• Insufficient understanding of the audience.
• Purpose of PR and marketing is to sell something
  to those that have money.

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Core Principles of College Access Marketing

• Know your audience and look at everything from
  their point of view.
• Build on your audiences existing beliefs,
  attitudes, values, and motivations.
• Be very clear about what you are encouraging
  people to do.

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How is it Achieved?

• Identify the populations you are trying to reach.
• Use research on each population.
• Understand the barriers to higher education with
  this population.
• Identify key influencers with this population.
• Know where delivery of messages should be.

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How is College Access Marketing Applied?

• College Access Marketing Toolkit and Toolbox.
• Toolkit
• Research on populations
• Messaging and delivery
• Teens and the adult learner
• Examples of urban and rural marketing
• Special populations such as youth in foster care

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College Access Marketing Toolkit

• Majority of teens
• are optimistic about their future
• care about education
• expect to go to college
• do not trust the government
• become frustrated when advertising does not
  answer their basic questions
• are turned off by adults trying to be cool
• are excited about anything free

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College Access Marketing Toolkit

• Best ways to reach teens
• youth advisory groups ask them
• personalized mail
• person to person contact
• events they attend
• text messaging
• knowing what radio stations they listen to
• influencers

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College Access Marketing Toolkit

• Urban marketing
• Be real. Avoid gimmicks
• Rural marketing
• Respect for the community
• Hispanic teens
• Close ties with family
• Youth in foster care
• Messages should not be specific to foster care
  youth

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College Access Marketing Toolbox

• Pathways to College Network Create a Campaign
• Using the template
• What problem are you trying to solve?
• What is the target audience and primary
  influencers?
• What do you want the audience to do?
• What are the barriers to higher education for the
  population?

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College Access Marketing Toolbox

• Template
• How will we reach the audience?
• What organizations work with the audience, i.e.
  TRiO, GEAR UP, Adult Ed, etc.
• Tracking results and making adjustments
• Evaluating results and sharing efforts

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How is it Applied to College Goal Sunday

• PR and outreach strategies working group
• Within the target population
• Form a youth advisory group
• Direct contact with parents
• Employers, churches, social gatherings
• Contact with influencers
• Clergy, Boys/Girls Clubs, coaches

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Dos and Donts

• DOs
• Publicize through the high schools as soon as a
  date is chosen.
• Support each site regardless of the expectation
  of attendance.
• Target advertising to each site area.
• Use partners and collaborating organizations to
  assist with getting the word out.

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Putting it into Practice

• Tennesses College Goal Sunday Program
• Target population in Tennessee
• Applying for the grant
• Forming a Task Force
• Collaborations
• College Access Marketing Campaign
• Deciding where to have sites
• Recruiting volunteers

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Our First Year

• What worked?
• What needs changing?
• Looking down the road
• Fundraising

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QuestionsAnswers