This week, motorists in Washtenaw, Wayne and Livingston
counties may come across billboards sporting the numbers "3-24-07." These
are not partial winning lottery numbers, but rather figures
that will play a key role in the future of many of the
area's high school students.
Eastern Michigan University has launched a new billboard
campaign to promote its March 24 Explore Eastern event.
In addition to the date, the billboards — located
at seven locations — include the words "Explore Eastern," "Eastern
Michigan University" and the University's Web site, "emich.edu"
 |
GETTING THE WORD OUT: Eastern Michigan
University
billboards like this are in five locations
in Washtenaw,
Wayne and Livingston counties. The
billboards advertise
EMu's Explore Eastern admissions
program March 24. |
"We're switching the billboard to promote the admissions
open house and to support our student recruitment efforts," said
Ted Coutilish, EMU's associate vice president of Marketing
and Communications. "The reason we chose this creative
is to promote intrigue and have it (billboard) stand out
in a cluttered marketplace. The whole idea with the billboard
is to drive traffic to the Web site."
Five of the billboard messages, which went up Jan.
26 and Jan. 29, will remain through March 24. Billboards
with the EMU advertisement are located at the following
locations: U.S. 23, approximately one-half mile north of
Spencer Road; 1-96, 750 feet west of Mason Road; U.S. 23,
approximately one-third mile south of north Territorial
Road; and 1-96, about 1.1 miles east of
Pinckney.
Two other billboards will sport the message later
this week. Those billboards are located on I-94 at the
183 Huron exit and the other is westbound at the Detroit
city limit.
In addition to the billboards, the Explore Eastern event
will be promoted through a radio campaign and the University's
home page. E-mails and postcards also will be sent to prospective
students, Coutilish said.
"We're doing a layering of communications so prospective
students have every opportunity to attend the admissions
event," he said.
"The Office of Admissions is very enthusiastic about
the new billboard campaigns, focused on bringing students
and families to our campus for our upcoming Explore Eastern
open house March 24," said Kathy Orscheln, EMU's interim
director of admissions. "With the billboards, the
announcement postcard and the spot on the Web site — all
with the same graphic — we think the message will really
hit home with our targeted populations. We're expecting
these combined strategies to work together to make this
our largest winter term Explore Eastern yet."
In the past, the highest number of prospective students
to attend Explore Eastern during the winter was 586. Orscheln
is hopeful the advertising blitz will bring more than 750
students to campus for the event.
The open house event, sponsored by Admissions, is scheduled
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., students will have the opportunity
to talk with faculty; listen to deans give brief presentations
about programs in their colleges; and take a tour, which
includes an op portunity to see a classroom building, the
Bruce T. Halle Library, the Olds-Robb Recreation and Intramural
Building and a residence hall room.
To register for the Explore Eastern event, go to www.emich.edu/admissions/register/eereg.html.
