Creative Communication Associates

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the assistant VP for general enrollment and marketing at a small liberal arts college just outside of Albany, New York. I oversee all of our marketing partners for the college, and I work closely with the admissions and financial aid office on our enrollment strategies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creative Communication Associates?

We hired them to help us with branding and logo design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The beginning of our relationship focused on defining our brand, including our messaging, voice, look, and feel. We had a logo and they made small modifications to it. They didn’t change our school colors, but they created an entire style guide for the entire campus, which includes how we could best use our design elements. On top of that, they defined how to create secondary logos across campus. They rolled all of their branding work to the internal community on campus. 

After we received a marketing budget for the first time, Creative Communication Associates helped us strategize on how best to use that money to make an impact and get an ROI. They developed the content of our marketing materials, and they created print materials that were mailed out or were given during college fairs. Some print materials were also given personally on campus.

The team currently manages our entire admissions blog and its purpose is to help people with their college search process. On top of that, they help us share admissions and financial aid tips — with the goal of assisting us in being partners with our prospective students and families in their journey. They’re also spearheading our social media marketing efforts and everything related to digital marketing strategies. So far, they’ve done billboards, radio ads, TV commercials, and more.

They're also providing ongoing video production services and they partner with our in-house videographer and editor. The first video they’ve produced is our brand video. It features our brand new messaging which is divided into five chapters. Then, the other videos they’ve created have been posted on Facebook, YouTube, and other social media channels. Creative Communication Associates also continues to provide naming services — they're helping us name our college’s departments and offices.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with Daniel (President) and Lauren (VP of Client Services). Then, their creative and design team has a mix of people that come in depending on the projects we have, so we also collaborate with Melissa (Content Strategist & Copywriter), Darcy (Executive VP), and Karen (Director of Media Planning & Buying).

How did you come to work with Creative Communication Associates?

Creative Communication Associates was 4–5 miles from the campus. As a result, when we put out an RFP, we included them. In the end, we liked their proposal the best and they happened to be a local company that was nearby. They also had customers all over the country. Above all, it worked out great, especially when we met them in person.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing collaboration began in April 2013. We did another RFP process in January 2021, and they won the partnership again. They were able to secure a three-year contract. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our number one metric is enrollment and with their help, we’ve had three record freshman classes in a row. Creative Communication Associates plays a huge part in our quest to achieve our goals. On top of that, their advertising strategies in our local region have increased the number of local students studying in our college. 

Their support has allowed us to increase our brand visibility among those in our area, and they’ve been able to maintain that since the start of our engagement. We always get a strong return for every penny that we spend with them, and we really feel very confident working with Creative Communication Associates. In addition, our external stakeholders have been really excited about our new branding, and we've received a lot of good feedback from them. Overall, the team has really helped us to be loud and proud about our branding.

How did Creative Communication Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve performed amazingly from a project management standpoint. We communicate through email, texts, Zoom, and phone calls. We also have solid brainstorm sessions together. In addition, we feel like they’re part of our internal marketing team. They’re always on top of everything, and they keep us going. Overall, they’re a trustworthy partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Creative Communication Associates’ creative work and strategic minds have been amazing; they create bold work that gets people’s attention. Whenever we have issues, even if it’s not within their purview, they put their heads together to help us come up with solutions. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

If I have to nitpick anything about their work, it will be good if we can see real-time updates regarding their retainer hours. We usually get an estimate of the total hours they’ll spend working, but we don’t have the perfect view of how many hours they have left. However, I have to say that it’s not a barrier to our partnership — we just work around it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust Creative Communication Associates once you choose them. You’re paying them for a reason, so be open to hearing their ideas. They’re very creative, and sometimes their ideas may make you feel uncomfortable because they’re very new. However, take the leap because they will not steer you in the wrong direction.