Main Content:
The RCTC College Relations Office partnered with Vendi Advertising from LaCrosse, Wisconsin to refresh and refocus the "brand" of RCTC. The "Expect the Unexpected" campaign was introduced in the Fall of 2008. Sub-themes under the board message include: Expect Community, Expect Champions, Expect Opportunity, Expect Excellence and Expect Affordability.
Goals of the new creative look were to:
- Increase awareness of RCTC
- Educate audience about RCTC
- Improve connection with primary audience of 18–24 year olds (70% of current enrollment)
- Leverage positive image and equity
- Competitively position the institution
The creative message goals were to:
- Convey how RCTC can fit into the viewer’s life
- Display the vitality of the campus as a social, recreational, cultural and educational hub
- Convey that/how RCTC impacts the community
- Leverage community’s and partners’ ideals
- Innovation: Mayo and IBM
Requirements for the advertising were:
- National ad quality and production value
- Concept must be fresh, new, breakthrough
- Concept must support ongoing marketing and advertising efforts
- Represent vitality and diversity of student body
- Complement “Get there” tagline
"Get there." tagline rationale:
A tagline should...
- Represent the spirit of your brand
- Apply specifically to you, and not to anyone else
- Involve risk: an unexpected rhyme, word choice or attitude
- Speak to your target audience, and aim to prompt an action
- Have personality
- Be central to every campaign
Taglines that work...
- Are memorable—they stick in the mind
- “Get There” has a 58% aided recall rate (73% in 18-34)
- Stand out from a barrage of messages
- Are long-lasting
“Companies change taglines every year or two and sometimes within a given year. Nothing could be more harmful to your brand...”
~ Steve Cone, “Powerlines”
Qualities our advertising convey:
- Optimism
- Swagger
- Edge
- Fresh
- Social
- Emotion
- Pride
- Fun
- Unique
- Musical
You've probably heard a lot of things about what to expect from college - maybe even what to expect from a community and technical college. At RCTC...Expect More. Expect Community. Champions. Opportunity. Excellence. Affordability. Expect the Unexpected! RCTC...Get there.