2008 Headlines
Johnson School Promotes e-Recruitment Strategy
Interactive viewbook saves money and provides customizable, rich-media tool for prospective students
October 21, 2008 | Ithaca, NY | At the start of this year's MBA recruiting season, the Johnson School made a bold move, deciding it would no longer print the lengthy, four-color, glossy brochures that all universities produce to showcase their program, students, faculty and alumni called viewbooks. Rather, the Johnson School created the first interactive viewbook, a rich media tour of the Johnson School and its programs that is loaded on a reusable USB jump drive.
Designed to allow prospective students to customize their journey through the information, the presentation's 'host' walks the prospective student through the various categories and gives a one-to-one virtual presentation and tour of the Johnson School. By clicking on embedded videos, prospective students meet Dean Thomas, the admissions director, other staff, and current students. Prospective students are immediately linked into the website to apply, find out more information, schedule a visit, or communicate with current students via email and message boards.
"Communication preferences of the MBA students we're recruiting have changed," comments Randall Sawyer, director of admissions. "Prospective students are relying more on real-time communication technology such as web sites, emails, and blogs. They are looking for more tailored and interactive communication. Our interactive viewbook not only saved tens of thousands of dollars in print, design, and mailing fees, but it's putting information in the hands of prospective students how and when they want it."
Johnson School admissions marketing manager Sandra Paniccia adds, "Our objective was twofold, first to provide enhanced communications and interactive information to help build a deeper relationship with prospective students who could see and hear the Johnson School brand come to life, and second, to reduce our carbon footprint and save money. It's not often that marketing can create solutions that are both better information conduits and cost savers, but that's what we've tried to do here."
The interactive viewbook:
- Saved over tens of thousands in design, printing and mailing costs and is cheaper to update
- Reduced paper use by over 140,000 sheets per year
- Allows prospective students around the globe quick and easy access to customized information
- Gives prospective students a reusable flash drive with the Johnson School logo to keep the School top-of-mind even after the presentation has been viewed
- Provides printable PDFs available on Web for those who prefer printed materials
- Offers an interactive presentation allows for more information but with a tailored, custom feel because of the interactive choices
- Brings the school to live with video interviews of the dean, director of admissions, other staff, and students
- Links to the Johnson School website for more information
- Includes downloadable wallpapers of the Johnson School and Ithaca share the excitement and beauty of the area for people who haven't been able to visit
For more information visit http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/prospectivestudents/.
