Jan 5, 2023
Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 Understands the Mission: Design to Build Trust Through Recognition
Back To Our Work Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 Understands the Mission: Design to Build Trust Through Recognition Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 (FFC8) is located in Colorado near the Fort Carson military post and serves just over 8,000 military families and students. While the district is honored to reflect the military community in its boundaries, the constant mobility of families and staff challenges building trust, developing relationships, and retaining high-quality staff. FFC8 and CEL worked together to develop lasting strategies, build brand awareness and lay the foundation for relationships across the country. Branding Beyond the Logo Many people in the community have an affinity or affiliation with the U.S. military and are familiar with its branding, vocabulary, and values. Therefore, FFC8 and CEL wanted to build an association and trust by incorporating certain military brand elements within the current brand. The brand enhancement was accomplished by using camouflage patterns and texture in the color palette to appeal to the community. The mountain element of the FFC8 brand was also made more prominent and the focal point of designs for the website, events and marketing campaigns. Complementary graphics helped to have programs and resources throughout the district stand out in a memorable way, from Safe in FFC8 t-shirts to electric bus decals and an education guide sure to inspire interest in the district. "Working with the CEL team feels like you are simply adding capability and bandwidth in-house! They work hard to understand your needs, goals, demographics, and desired outcomes. They are a true partner in every sense of the word. Everyone on the team, from account management to design to copywriting truly gets me and my district and they produce high-quality, award-winning work that showcases that. CEL makes work effortless and fun!" ~CHRISTY MCGEE, APR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Designing Event Awareness One such event is the annual Community 5K charity run with students, families, and staff. The event – which provides an opportunity for the district to engage with families and positively impact the community – was also an opportunity to showcase some of its new brand elements by creating a new Foster the Future Community 5K logo from CEL. The logo featured a hand-drawn font created solely for the event and incorporated the existing mountain element into the design, giving the mountains a more prominent placement. Those features within the outline of a footprint, along with the pops of color, grabbed attention. The Foster the Future Community 5K event brand was used on various materials in conjunction with the FFC8 brand to ensure a vibrant and cohesive identity. Materials included: • Tshirts • Decals • Stickers • Posters • Banners • Digital advertisements • Social media graphics Today’s Mission: Love Your Job Facing nationwide staffing shortages and a highly mobile military community, Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 (FFC8) sought to compete for high-quality employees in a competitive environment. They understood their community and the importance of resonating with the hearts and minds of potential employees, which is why they chose to work with CEL to create the career recruitment campaign, ‘Today’s Mission: Love Your Job’’. The campaign also challenged potential employees only to apply if they were ready to accept the mission — a challenge familiar to many military affiliates. The campaign exceeded expectations by receiving an NSPRA Award of Merit for Publications & Digital Media and helping to fill positions that were otherwise struggling to find qualified, excited candidates who have now accepted the mission of Loving the Job! SEE MORE WORKLET'S GET STARTED
Read moreOct 5, 2022
Launching a Mobile App with Madison Metropolitan School District
Back To Our Work Launching a Mobile App with Madison Metropolitan School District School leaders in Madison Metropolitan School District (WI) wanted families, students, and staff members to have the necessary news and information, all in one place, at their fingertips. After researching and surveying families, they looked to deploy an easy-to-use mobile app and then partnered with CEL to successfully launch it in summer 2022. During a back-to-school season crammed with information, MMSD’s mobile app still stood out. Initial downloads exceeded expectations and continue to grow each month, thanks largely to word of mouth from families who are sharing rave reviews. Built for Success When implemented with automatic feeds from school websites and calendars, mobile apps can be an effective, trusted and convenient communication resource for schools. They serve as a “one-stop shop” for busy families who need to access accurate information quickly. The information in the MMSD app is drawn from the same source as the district’s website. This eliminates duplicate work for communications staff, creating improved efficiency and resulting in a win-win tool. Note: privacy controls restrict sensitive information only to authorized users. The app also includes push-button features to better serve the district’s 25,000 families, including: • Browsing the latest news, updates and announcements • Seeing pictures, videos, and documents • Browsing calendars for information about upcoming events • Filtering calendars to see events most relevant to their interests • Contacting someone in the staff directory right from their device • Logging into student systems, such as Infinite Campus • Accessing most-used resources, such as enrollment, transportation, attendance and school menus Branding and Launch To launch the app and encourage families to download it, MMSD used branded promotional materials and placed the information on its website. In addition, the communications team created a video tutorial to explain how to download and use the app. A launch announcement and an additional reminder post were also shared on social media in July and August 2022. Those tactics were successful among early adopters, and initial downloads exceeded expectations. High Five Reviews MMSD’s objective was to receive 1,000 app downloads by the start of the school year. As of September 2022, there were 1,425 downloads total — 1054 on Apple devices and 371 on Google devices. In addition, the MMSD communications team has received positive reviews so far, including a 5-star rating in the app store. Families and staff have shared how Finalsite’s easy-to-use mobile app helps them find information. Their informal feedback is also helping the team continually improve overall user experience. SEE MORE WORKLET'S GET STARTED
Read moreSep 7, 2022
Salina Public Schools Enrollment Marketing
Back To Our Work Relationships Are Secret to Enrollment Marketing Success When the leaders at Salina Public Schools noticed changes in enrollment numbers and birth rates, they didn’t wait to act. This central Kansas district of more than 6,800 students got to work with CEL as their partner, developing a dynamic “Greatness Grows Here” branding and enrollment marketing campaign. The multi-channel effort prioritized relationships, personal outreach and word-of-mouth influence to support ongoing enrollment marketing efforts, year over year. For Salina, bright visuals featuring key messaging, face-to-face marketing events and community outreach made all the difference. The plan resonated with staff and families. The district exceeded its enrollment goal and now has both a solid plan and a brand to build on for continual success. A Fresh, Lively Campaign Together, the Salina and CEL team agreed that the enrollment marketing campaign would inspire engagement and action using a combination of strategic messaging and a fresh visual campaign brand. This included: A custom tagline, Greatness Grows Here, captures the aspiration, promise and opportunities found in Salina Public Schools. The district uses variations of this tagline to support other areas of district work, such as HR. Key messages to create consistency in print and digital spaces A multi-channel integrated marketing campaign that included digital ads, website, email nurturing, direct mail, word of mouth influence and personal outreach. From May through August, the Google Ad campaign generated more than 3,000 clicks and more than 418,000 impressions (views) of the ads were shown. Facebook digital ads were equally as successful, resulting in more than 250 unique website visits. Website updates for SEO and accessibility, as well as a custom landing page targeted to engage and inform prospective families CEL designers expanded the existing color palette. It was built to include the district’s signature apple red and green, as well as the spirit colors that represent the two high schools. A few other complimentary colors offer the Salina team both flexibility and freshness. Building Relationships to Build Enrollment Like many other districts, Salina leaders were particularly concerned about the students who no longer enrolled after spring 2020 when public health measures and the pandemic changed the school experience. The superintendent and her team agreed that recovering this “lost enrollment” would be the top priority. Knowing that school-based relationships are the strongest bonds with students and families, school principals stepped up to connect with parents of students who were still eligible for K-12 but had not returned. At its heart, this plan used a concierge approach to personal outreach that was designed to start caring conversations and encourage re-enrollment. Campaign-branded postcards that allowed principals to write a personalized note and send to target “lost enrollment” families Personal phone calls and email follow-up to help principals feel comfortable calling parents to rekindle a conversation Email nurturing campaign to the “lost enrollment” list to build on the personal outreach that began in early summer and offer enrollment resources While personal outreach is time-consuming, and some recipients of a call or email asked to be removed from the list, the results of the hard work paid off. Relationships were renewed through each of the tactics used, and many formerly “lost” families were prompted to complete enrollment in a timely manner. The district also leveraged the annual “summer packet” mailed to employees to share classroom signs with the brand and key messages. Three variations with key messages were created in English, and one was sent in Spanish. Photos of the signs with staff and in classrooms were a key component of the district’s back-to-school social media content. "The CEL team of experts provides breadth and depth allowing a small PR/communications office access to an arsenal of strategies, content and expertise. The volume of material produced in a short span of time is game changing. Still working to plug all the marketing pieces in. It’s super exciting and staff throughout the district have been so positive about the branding changes. We developed a first-run brand guidelines for our district that features the color palette, fonts and other important elements we had never communicated… So, so, so glad we worked with you and CEL. The experience that keeps on giving." ~JENNIFER CAMIEN, PUBLIC INFORMATION DIRECTOR Relationships All Year Long While it’s traditional to think of spring and summer as enrollment time, the power of relationships is never out of season. When it comes to word of mouth and building trust, enrollment marketing efforts fit on every month of the calendar. In addition to enrollment time efforts, Salina’s plan includes other strategies and tactics that will be most effective in fall, winter and spring. This helps the district communications team pace their work among other projects and priorities throughout the year. Recruiting “family reps” for each school that a prospective parent or guardian could call to learn about the school Creating an ambassador program to share good news and key messages about the district to keep positive stories top of mind Collaborating with area community and business leaders, including chamber of commerce, real estate and property management and HR teams that often help employees relocate to Salina Building a bank of stakeholder testimonials Requesting online reviews from key influencers Campaign-branded items to surprise employees during American Education Week SEE MORE WORKLET'S GET STARTED
Read moreAug 3, 2022
Laura Jeffrey Academy
Back To Our Work Sparks fly with strategic enrollment campaign Laura Jeffrey Academy is changing the world, one classroom at a time — and earning high marks from families and scholars along the way. A STEM-focused, charter school, Laura Jeffrey Academy develops well-rounded scholars with big hearts, bright futures and the ability to think critically. Our enrollment campaign demonstrated that at this middle school, every star has a chance to shine. Like many public charter schools, leaders saw a dip in enrollment during the pandemic. However, they took a proactive approach to raise awareness, share the LJA story and attract prospective families to the school. By partnering with CEL, they seized the opportunity to refine key messaging, refresh branding, build ambassadors, map the enrollment journey, and increase visibility with digital integrated marketing. The enrollment campaign result: Laura Jeffrey Academy met its goal for the 2022-23 school year and is now implementing CEL’s additional recommendations to grow enrollment over the next two school years. Branding refresh produces eye-catching visuals Brand refreshes allow you to reimagine your current materials and update them with visuals that pop. For Laura Jeffrey Academy, our award-winning design team: Developed a bright color palette Matched a set of consistent fonts Refined the school’s “burst” logo to make the details more crisp. Once those components were approved, the designers channeled their inner-tween to create a series of vibrant templates that incorporated science elements and notebook doodles — the perfect mix for a STEM-based school that serves middle schoolers in grades 5-8. The design team also worked with LJA’s leadership team to incorporate the refreshed branding into the school’s documents, including print and online enrollment packets. Digital content increases audience engagement Digital content was a key strategy in LJA’s enrollment campaign. With leadership, we boosted the school’s digital presence by implementing a multi-prong approach that included: Developing SEO-rich website content Improving website layout, design and navigation Creating branded social media templates and digital enrollment materials Sharing consistent social media posts that highlighted scholars, staff and school life Creating a new school hashtag — #LJArocks Creating a new tagline — Your future is loading. Let LJA be your launch pad to success. Marketing “5 Ways to Spark a Conversation with Your Middle Schooler” — gated content for prospective families to download after sharing their email address. Combined, those changes resulted in more eyeballs on LJA’s website and social media platforms, where engagement and reach nearly doubled, and resulted in more school tours and information requests. Plus, most of the school’s selected keywords ranked on page 1 in Google searches. Integrating web-collect forms for tours, general information and a free download — “5 Ways to Spark a Conversation with Your Middle Schooler” — we developed a lead-nurturing email list. Now, the school has a ready-to-go e-mail list to launch a drip campaign enrollment next school year. Integrated marketing efforts boosts enrollment Several tactics work together for an integrated marketing strategy — from branded “now enrolling” outdoor signage to digital Facebook ads and branded stickers. We also: Created “Welcome To LJA” packets with a celebration certificate and swag for newly enrolled students Planned a STEM-centered Make-and-Take event and direct-mail invite to families with 4th and 5th grade students in targeted areas Developed an ambassador program and partnered with current LJA families to share information By incorporating digital marketing, event marketing, word-of-mouth marketing and customer service/experience, LJA’s enrollment campaign increased awareness, engaged new families and exceeded expectations, while also making all stakeholders feel welcome, special and valued. SEE MORE WORKLET'S GET STARTED
Read moreJul 6, 2022
SDCOE Event Marketing
Back To Our Work Make Your Job Easier with Custom Brand Packages When your to-do list feels longer than a CVS receipt, consider ways to lighten your load. For example, our friends at the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) do amazing work — from supporting school leaders to offering professional development and speaker series. Still, the office’s award-winning communications team members recently needed an extra hand with event marketing materials. While the SDCOE team worked on communications strategy, the CEL designers stepped in to build a dynamic branding package with a set of ready-made templates that made everyone’s job easier! In just a few simple steps, multiple staff members — including those outside of the comms office — can now edit the placeholder content and distribute the branded templates, including: Social media graphics E-mail headers Slide decks Website banners Virtual backgrounds Posters Postcards Table tent cards … and more! Whether you’re batching staff spotlight graphics, preparing for community budget presentations or bolstering your event marketing efforts like SDCOE, our custom branding packages can create a consistent look and feel for your schools. Let’s talk about how a branding package can support your strategic school communications plan. Boost Your Strategic Communication Plan Branding packages are giving strategic communication projects a boost as a growing number of communicators empower staff members by sharing editing rights and content creation duties. Hosting educational events year-round, the Communications Team wanted to outline a way for departments to create marketing materials. That’s where our branding packages come in, with preset colors, font styles, headings, and easy-to-update placeholder content. The pre-made design works to keep company brand guidelines intact (goodbye, distorted logos!) and also helps ensure a smooth, successful implementation. For SDCOE, we incorporated the organization’s blue color palette and added large letters and bold geometric shapes as design elements. “We do the heavy lift up front and prepare all of the designs and templates based on the client’s needs,” says Kelly May, CEL graphic design director. “This allows you to work on strategic projects or to plan ahead while we design professional templates that your staff can use as needed.” Thumbs Up For Ready-Made Templates Branding packages are a low-maintenance, no-fuss resource. They are full of ready-made designs that make it easy for even the least-techy person to use. For example, whether SDCOE needed a social media graphic to announce an upcoming speaker or a website homepage banner to share an event date, staff was able to access the branding package, grab the appropriate template and pop new content into place in minutes. Brand packages allow a communications team to: Build a cohesive design package Free up time for other tasks Plan ahead for promotions and events Expedite timelines and project rollouts Create a sense of staff ownership for marketing materials, while still maintaining brand standards Related Work San Diego County Office of Education WEBSITE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT SEE MORE WORKLET'S GET STARTED
Read moreJun 1, 2022
Kindergarten Enrollment Strategies to Boost Enrollment
Back To Our Work Kindergarten Enrollment Strategies to Boost Enrollment As another school year winds down, we’re reflecting on the unique ways we’ve supported districts throughout one of the most rewarding—albeit stressful—times of the year: kindergarten enrollment. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the timeline in which families make school choice decisions, and we predict this trend is here to stay. The good news is that this gives districts more time to leave a positive impression on those making school choice decisions. Take a look at how CEL has provided an array of districts with strategy, direction and hands-on support for kindergarten enrollment initiatives spanning digital, print and in-person communication tactics. SKIP TO THESE SECTIONS: Branding & Campaigns Immersive Online Experiences A Bus Like No Other Integrated Marketing to Increase Enrollment Put Us to Work Branding & Campaigns that Last Connection is key when communicating with prospective kindergarten families—and with the help of CEL, Princeton Public Schools was able to achieve that goal through a creative “Wild About Kindergarten” campaign. This campaign utilized in-person, direct mail, social media, grab-and-go and virtual information to help the district communicate that it was a great choice for families. These tactics, combined with simplifying the online enrollment process, left Princeton Primary School with a 97% recommendation rating from families. Leveraging the district’s tiger brand, the Wild About Kindergarten campaign provided endless creative opportunities to help Princeton engage families and build brand awareness. A tiger-themed activity book was both beautifully designed and gave some of the district’s youngest learners opportunities to engage in learning that prepared them for the start of school. For suburban Robbinsdale Area Schools, a CEL-led brand refresh provided the backdrop for a vibrant enrollment campaign that perfectly captured the whimsy, joy and happiness of starting kindergarten. A charming new brochure outlined important information for kindergarten families—including early childhood screening, immunization requirements and how to enroll—and was an essential component of an integrated marketing campaign that also incorporated web, social and direct mail channels. Immersive Online Experiences Enhancements to the Robbinsdale Area Schools website also proved critical in the district’s kindergarten enrollment marketing campaign. An “All About Kindergarten” page was added and served as another resource for prospective families and information seekers. In the first six months of the 2021-2022 school year, this page ranked within the top 25 most-accessed web pages districtwide, showing just how crucial it was to the district’s overall kindergarten enrollment strategy. CEL was also proud to partner with neighboring ISD 279-Osseo Area Schools to launch new district and school websites, a careers site, and a staff portal during the 2020-2021 school year. Shortly after launching its websites, Osseo Area Schools saw a unique opportunity to connect with families and start registering new kindergarten students—even in the midst of the pandemic. Because its annual in-person Kindergarten Information Fair wasn’t possible due to COVID-19 restrictions, the district enlisted CEL to help transform the typically single-day event into an immersive online experience that families could attend at any time. Through an interactive section on the district website, families had on-demand access to a series of short videos introducing them to teachers, explaining the registration process, and encouraging young learners to participate in fun, educational activities. Given the diversity in language and culture throughout the district, the site content was made available in five languages—each individually translated by a district specialist for accuracy and cultural relevance. A Bus Like No Other “Loud and proud” resonates exceptionally well with the students and families of Reading, Pennsylvania. And with CEL leading the way, Reading School District pulled off a one-of-a-kind, interactive day in May 2022 where it formed strong connections with kindergarten families and showcased the opportunities available to all learners. CEL’s thoughtful approach to this kindergarten enrollment campaign—from theme development (“Red Knight Ready!”) to campaign creation to implementation—helped the district establish trust with stakeholders and set the stage for positive interactions in the future. This multi-channel enrollment marketing campaign engaged families in several key ways. Flyers, posters and short videos created numerous touchpoints with parents and caregivers, while bookmarks and an activity book catered to the future students. Outreach to local media and influential voices in the community helped build awareness of the campaign’s most unique element: the Reading Swag Bus. Outfitted with reusable key message banners, the Swag Bus toured six locations throughout the city and helped staff make stronger connections with prospective families. Students were allowed to board and explore the bus at each stop and also received swag bags filled with activity books, Play-Doh, pencils and stickers. Postcards with easy-to-follow enrollment instructions ensured families had the information they needed to register their children for kindergarten. Finally, a jumbo Facebook frame provided fun for families and was a quick win that allowed Reading School District to build rapport (and brand awareness) with stakeholders. Integrated Marketing to Increase Enrollment As a growing number of families sought high-quality, flexible online learning options during the pandemic, CEL partnered with Bloomington Public Schools to rebrand the district’s online program and recruit for open enrollment students. Bloomington Online School became New Code Academy, and CEL then stepped up to the challenge to deliver clear key messaging, fresh designs and digital marketing tools that positioned the academy as Minnesota’s premier district-affiliated, tuition-free online K-12 school. Enrollment marketing efforts encompassed lead-nurturing emails, digital billboards, a new website, print collateral templates, social media guidance and content, blog content, digital flyers and more—and this integrated approach proved successful. By early September 2021, New Code Academy exceeded its target of 20% new enrollment with 25.6% growth. Put Us to Work The CEL team brings a track record of excellence in K-12 public relations, including experience with marketing tactics that have increased enrollment at schools and districts of all sizes. Contact us today to see how we can help you reach your communications, branding, marketing or enrollment goals! Related Work Robbinsdale Area Schools BRANDING & GRAPHIC DESIGN Osseo Area Schools WEBSITES New Code Academy INTEGRATED MARKETING SEE MORE WORKLET'S GET STARTED
Read moreMay 4, 2022
San Diego County Office of Education Website
Back To Our Work San Diego County Office of Education’s Content Consolidation Enhances Website User Experience When the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) started its website project in 2019, the communications team had no idea that a pandemic would derail the plans and launch timeline. They paused their website work and instead turned much of their attention to handling crisis communications and supporting the needs of their communities and schools at the time. As the pandemic continued, they recognized the need to bring on a partner to keep the project moving while they continued to prioritize COVID-related communications. Together, the SDCOE and CEL teams worked in tandem to finish the website redesign and successfully launch the new website in less than four months. This partnership resulted in a 97.96 percent webpage consolidation, making SDCOE’s mobile-friendly site accessible, user-friendly and easier to navigate. "When we hired CEL to work on a website relaunch, I knew we would be getting the technical skills to efficiently build a new and improved site. What I didn’t know was that we would also be getting thoughtful, dedicated partners who made us feel like we were their only client. When we needed help, the CEL team was only a call or email away; they often got back to me faster than my internal colleagues! The CEL team helped us think through all the things that come up with a website project, but also encouraged us to think beyond our initial launch so that we could achieve our strategic communications goals." ~MUSIC WATSON, CHIEF OF STAFF Mapping Out a New Direction Following CEL’s Lifecycle of a Website process, we dug into the SDCOE’s Google Analytics to help in fact finding. We determined the top 100 pages to help in prioritizing content and call-out sections. This allowed our team to restructure the site map, streamline navigation and enhance SEO and searchability for a more positive user experience. The most frequently visited pages are now featured prominently on the homepage to help visitors find information quickly, and we redirected over 5,000 URLs to ensure a seamless site launch. Creating Consistency Utilizing the organization’s vibrant accent color palette, we incorporated consistent, branded web components, including sections, accordion drop-down menus, page pops and “more to explore” call-out sections. These features helped to consolidate the website from 68,759 pages to 1,412 pages while making the mobile-friendly site accessible and easier to navigate. While we focused on consistency, we also recognized SDCOE includes more than a dozen departments that each have their own personalities. To support those teams and their varying needs, we also developed flexible spaces that are easy for site managers to update and maintain but do not interfere with overall site consistency. Providing Added Value with a Customized Launch Plan and Trainings Improving accessibility was a priority for SDCOE. Before launching, we managed a 39.3 percent supplemental consolidation that included reducing the number of PDFs, which are not ADA compliant. In addition, we focused on enhanced SEO and searchability to provide a more robust and positive user experience. Plus, the team developed specialized pages as a part of their website strategy. One example is the popular resources that were originally shared as PDF links but now are recreated in an accessible format as a landing page on the site. This has boosted both internal engagement with SDCOE staff members and external engagement with employees from schools supported by SDCOE. Training was a necessary component of this project. First, we established permission sets for SDCOE, which allows managers to update web content and then ping an administrator who can approve the changes and then grant publishing access. Second, we used a train-the-trainer model for the Communications Office and the 50-plus departmental web content managers and content editors. These trainings included the creation of an internal instruction site with customized recordings, screencasts and written tutorials for ongoing professional development with content authors and editors. SEE MORE WORKLET'S GET STARTED
Read moreApr 6, 2022
ArtFest Fort Myers
Back To Our Work ARTFEST FORT MYERS By Design: Simple, Strategic Changes Make a Big Splash ArtFest Fort Myers is one of the premiere juried art shows in Florida. With the event returning to an in-person format in 2022, it was an optimal time to liven up the organization’s website design and content, as well as partner with local media outlets to highlight the three-day event. With less than 3 weeks until the event, CEL worked with organizers to increase the visibility of ArtFest Fort Myers, promote the event, provide more exposure for the juried artists and reach new audiences. We accomplished this by designing multi-use graphics that incorporated actual artist work, adding splashes of color to the website homepage and key supporting landing pages, launching a digital marketing campaign and coordinating on-site media relations. Website Design Enhancements and Analytics To better reflect the dynamic event. CEL developed a colorful, block-style website homepage that included call-to-action buttons and distinct sections for key messaging and event information. And refreshed storytelling reminded visitors their “picture-perfect day is just a brushstroke away.” The CEL design team strategically incorporated elements from ArtFest Fort Myers’ 2022 Commemorative Print — a Florida-inspired painting by featured artist Leon F. Ruiz — into the updated website homepage and social media graphics. The website and related graphics produced significant gains within this short time period. Overall website visitors increased 4.7%, website sessions increased 14.3% increase, and the average session duration increased 9.4 %. In addition, the website bounce rate decreased by nearly 14%. Digital Marketing CEL developed a Facebook Ad Campaign that resulted in 10,000+ post engagement, 32,000+ reach and 1,740 link clicks during the two weeks leading up to the event. Plus, Facebook was the largest website referral source – accounting for 92% of all social traffic. Digital ads created during that time frame increased general website traffic, boosting organic search to 57 percent and producing 1,400+ link clicks. A simultaneous video campaign and event page boost produced an additional 29,000 impressions, 10,000+ reach and 250+ link clicks combined. Event Media Relations ArtFest Fort Myers was a fast-moving and successful media relations venture on a short timeline. With less than 3 weeks until the event, CEL prioritized earned media opportunities, gathered viable stories and interviews for the media, wrote media pitches and followed up to the target media. As a result, ArtFest Fort Myers was featured in 54 media stories, reaching a general audience of 694,893 and a Nielsen Audience of 617,037. Based on the audience reach, the calculated publicity value was in excess of $57,650. 56 Media Stories 694,893 People Reached $57,650+ Publicity Value Related Work Saint Louis Art Fair EVENT MEDIA RELATIONS Wayzata Art Experience EVENT MANAGEMENT & MEDIA RELATIONS Uptown Art Fair EVENT MEDIA RELATIONS SEE MORE WORKLET'S GET STARTED
Read moreApr 6, 2022
New Code Academy
Back To Our Work LAUNCH YOUR FUTURE HERE Enrollment Marketing for New Code Academy As a growing number of parents sought more robust, flexible online learning options during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomington Public Schools had an opportunity to boost awareness about its online offering. School leaders partnered with CEL Marketing PR Design to rebrand and market the district’s Bloomington Online Schools (BOS) program and actively recruit for open enrollment students. First, school leaders rebranded BOS as New Code Academy—a memorable name that stands out in a crowded and competitive online space. Second, we developed an energetic tagline – Launch Your Future Here. And, third, we leveraged key messaging, fresh designs and digital marketing tools to position New Code Academy as Minnesota’s premier district-affiliated, tuition-free online K-12 school. The marketing campaign proved successful. By the start of the 2021-2022 school year, New Code Academy had 409 students enrolled. The school also surpassed the open enrollment goal of 20%, leveling off at 29% open enrollment. Design, Messaging and Brand Guidelines The New Code Academy brand creates a cohesive look and helps to consistently establish a distinct identity in the increasingly crowded virtual school landscape. The brand identity included a logo, color palette, graphic patterns and fonts. A New Code Academy Brand Guide with these new assets was also developed. This equips a variety of team members to put the visual brand elements into action with a focus on consistency and accessibility. Even in the virtual school world, it’s hard to beat the marketing power of snail mail. Printed postcards create a lasting impression focusing on the visuals of students enjoying learning and a vibrant color palette. In addition, letterhead, business cards and branded stickers were developed to differentiate New Code Academy in a highly competitive market. The modern, cohesive use of the brand further extends its impact. Integrated Marketing Campaign Enrollment marketing efforts included lead-nurturing emails with branded mastheads and digital billboards with key messages. By early September, New Code Academy exceeded the target of 20% new enrollment with 25.6% growth. The New Code Academy Facebook page is a powerful extension of the brand for engagement. A mix of boosted Facebook events and ad campaigns informed and engaged keeping New Code Academy top of mind for families in target geographic areas, all year long. In addition, the social media campaigns and Google Display Ads led to a designated landing page on the school website, allowing the messaging to shift as the school year progresses and pandemic changes occurred. For follow-up, we also developed a content calendar, social media guide, topic-driven blog content, e-newsletter template, digital fliers and a variety of social media frames, templates and content. New Website New Code Academy’s mobile-first website showcases the best of both visual brand elements and key messages. The homepage is designed to quickly engage and meet the needs of prospective families and current families alike. The new website also includes an updated site map, as well as a blog optimized for SEO. SEE MORE WORKLET'S GET STARTED
Read moreMar 2, 2022
Cotter Schools Website
Back To Our Work Experience the Cotter Schools Website Reimagined For more than 110 years, Cotter Schools has served students from Winona, Minnesota and around the globe, as an independent Catholic school. The 2021-2022 year marked a new chapter, as the school grew from Grades 7 through 12 to serve younger students, with dynamic teaching and learning for children as young as 16 months old. CEL partnered with Cotter to design an integrated communications and engagement campaign that targeted students, families, staff and alumni, as well as prospective students. As the refreshed Cotter Schools brand identity was applied to the original school website, plans were already underway to develop a new digital strategy and site to launch later in the fall of 2021. The most important need — shifting a site designed for a typical boarding school student to one that engages families with students in a wide age range — required CEL’s team to completely reimagine the sitemap and content strategy. Turning the traditional enrollment marketing approach on its side, the new Cotter School website engages all visitors — current students and families, as well as both local and international prospects. And it does this through rich storytelling about the Cotter Schools experience, rooted in Learning, Serving and Community. Based on user statistics, the new site was developed mobile-first and designed for multi-device use. The homepage and primary content is now geared toward current Cotter families, with subtle enrollment marketing hooks throughout the site. A new admissions hub microsite can also be found on the homepage, taking prospective students to information tailored and segmented for both local and international visitors. Related Work Cotter Schools BRANDING & GRAPHIC DESIGN SEE MORE WORKLET'S GET STARTED
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