Make Your Own Momentum

The new brand theme, “Montco Momentum,” launched in March 2018, and early response has been very favorable. Important internal stakeholders are feeling a strong sense of pride in the institution and how it is presenting itself throughout the county. While it is too early for tangible performance and impact measures among potential new and existing students, we achieved 5.5 million impressions in April, and the college is reporting strong summer and fall registrations for collegewide and workforce open houses. During H1of Fiscal 2020, we saw 107% increase in hard conversions and a 55% decline in cost per lead.

Montgomery County Community College selected AB&C as its media-buying services agency of record in 2016. We were charged with developing strategies and plans, as well as negotiating, buying, placing and optimizing the college’s media campaigns to increase traditional and nontraditional student enrollment for its campuses and workforce development programs. In 2018, MCCC asked AB&C to create and promote a new brand for the college based upon its recently completed market research.

Using third-party brand research aimed at understanding the perceptions and beliefs of key constituencies of the institution, AB&C developed a brand mantra to reflect the college’s four “promises” to students: learning, outcomes, opportunities and impact. AB&C developed new digital and traditional assets to reposition, market and manage the MCCC brand. This included new radio, transit, OOH, and digital advertisements and templates, as well as updating the college’s brand style guide.

AB&C’s media and creative teams, in collaboration with the college’s marketing and communications staff, developed a comprehensive media plan with new designs and messaging to deliver targeted campaigns through a variety of tactics. From our understanding of the higher-education experience, demographics, behaviors and preferred media channels of high school students and their parents, as well as working professionals, we are executing marketing strategies to bring the college’s new brand to life and optimize the media budget.

Our plan includes a combination of digital and traditional tactics designed to enhance awareness and deliver engaged audiences to the website. We are currently working to develop creative concepts to produce television spots for local cable TV and digital media.

The new brand theme, “Montco Momentum,” launched in March 2018, and early response has been very favorable. Important internal stakeholders are feeling a strong sense of pride in the institution and how it is presenting itself throughout the county. While it is too early for tangible performance and impact measures among potential new and existing students, we achieved 5.5 million impressions in April, and the college is reporting strong summer and fall registrations for collegewide and workforce open houses. During H1of Fiscal 2020, we saw 107% increase in hard conversions and a 55% decline in cost per lead.