When the University of San Francisco (USF) heard about RHB’s innovative, intuitive and cost-effective method of running search, they were excited. When our search campaign—which leveraged the power of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud and utilized RHB’s distinctive higher ed intelligence—helped surpass their enrollment goals, they were thrilled.

USF engaged in a number of effective marketing strategies to help build a class that was 300+ students larger than the previous year’s. One of those strategies was partnering with RHB to conduct search. Our streamlined process utilized a purchased list of names and a technology “stack” including a CRM, automated marketing (MAT) and a CMS, allowing us to cut their traditional search costs by 50% while exceeding their search goals.

Our team created a personalized direct mail postcard and a series of emails that expressed USF’s existing and effective campaign theme, “Change the world from here.” Both the print and digital material featured stories about the change agents at USF and drove students online to a landing page where they were asked to announce, using a social media component, how they planned to change the world. The pledge they were asked to complete began with the phrase, “I will change the world by…”. Here are a few of their responses:

As you can see, this pledge served as more than a data point; it was an interaction point. It helped assure USF they were reaching best-fit students from all across the country, students who are ambitious, compassionate, creative and multifaceted. The landing page also gave students opportunities to learn more about the University through print and by redirecting them to its .edu site.

Subsequent print materials, which drew on quotes and stories gathered during our Circles of Influence engagement, included a search response piece that gave a general overview of USF and a series of several self-mailers that explored the University’s various academic offerings in deeper detail.

The campaign contributed to an incoming class that well-surpassed budget and enrollment projections. USF has partnered with us again this year to run search, this time for all sophomores, juniors and seniors.