New Texas A&M Campaign Lures Top Students
Published Jan 24, 2008
The Academic Building is one of the symbols of Texas A&M University. Completed in 1914, it occupies the site of the school’s first building.
Texas A&M University is trying to entice new members into its fold of 45,000 students and 2,500 faculty members, but according to a marketing campaign, only those with special characteristics need apply. They must share the school’s core values of leadership, excellence, integrity, loyalty, selfless service and a welcoming atmosphere – apparent in the trademark greetings of “Howdy” commonplace around campus.
“Welcome to Aggieland” is emblazoned on the banners, Web site and promotional materials being distributed to high school counselors and prospective students.
Nowhere does the campaign specifically mention academics, but Steve Moore, chief marketing officer and vice president for communications, says that aspect of A&M’s reputation is already established. Only about 7,500 of the 20,000 applications received annually are approved, he says.
The campaign spotlights “the other education” at the land-, sea- and space-grant university. About 900 students participate in service organizations, which Moore says is among the highest number in the nation.
“At the end of the day, what the parents are going to ask is, ‘What is my kid going to get there?’ ” Moore says. “I think we need to have more of an answer than a great diploma. There is a lot more done in college than just classes, and I think we need to make that part of the discussion.”
The $600,000 branding campaign cost took about a year to develop, with the Austin-based GSD&M advertising agency doing field research and helping create the marketing pieces. Focus groups of former and current students, faculty members, high school guidance counselors and companies that hire A&M graduates were asked for input. Some underrepresented groups on campus were asked if their values were aligned with those being touted.
Moore says the campaign was designed to last for years. “We’ve got enough stories to tell to keep it fresh for a long time,” he says, citing as examples an astronaut, professional athletes and creators of the movie Cars who attended A&M. “We have very unique things happening here, and we’re excited to have this tool that we can use to tell about them.”
The campaign comes at a time of aggressive growth among A&M’s students, faculty and facilities. In the fall 2006 semester, student enrollment was around 45,400; the freshman class was the largest in the school’s 130-year history.
A faculty strengthening effort to hire 447 new tenured or tenure-track faculty members by 2008 is about three-quarters complete, says David B. Prior, executive vice president and provost.
The campus also is well into a $300 million building blitz that includes the $57 million George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, a new space for 600 administrators, a $95 million life sciences building, two emerging-technology buildings, and an arts and humanities building. Some funds have been earmarked for a future agricultural building, and a historic YMCA structure is being refurbished.
“We’ve got a lot of building going on in a lot of areas,” Prior says. “The next step is to improve our methods of supporting faculty research.”
Story by Kelli Levey
Photo by Michael W. Bunch
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