Mercy College of Health Sciences prepares students for a career in the healthcare industry by providing a unique education experience — unlike anything found at larger, more traditional four-year institutions — focusing on smaller class sizes, industry-experienced faculty, flexible scheduling, the latest techniques and technologies, and affiliations with hospitals and clinics. Located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, Mercy College has built an entire legacy around its specialized healthcare education programs.

 

THE SITUATION

 

The Mercy College team came to Lessing-Flynn (LF) ready to make a big impact with their marketing efforts. While their experienced faculty work tirelessly to provide the latest in healthcare curriculum — Mercy College felt their previous viewbooks were not communicating the right message or resonating with prospective students.

 

If you’re not familiar with college viewbooks, think of it as brochure that lays out all the reasons why someone should attend. It’s considered part of the gold-standard in college marketing — it’s used for various recruitment efforts like college fairs, high school visits, direct mail and more. So, because a college viewbook is such big piece used within the prospective student’s search process, it was important to ensure the 2018-2019 piece made the right statement.

 

THE SOLUTION

 

The traditional viewbook — you know the old 30+ page book including anything and everything about a college — well, it’s gone. That’s right, it’s completely dead. Prospective students used to get copious amounts of these hefty (and costly) print pieces, but since the dawn of the internet the needs of the prospective student audience have changed. Most potential students spend more time skimming and searching college websites for their questions rather than reading a lengthy glossy publication.

 

Today’s version of the viewbook has become a tool to grab attention, answer the quick questions and convey an attitude. It doesn’t give every single detail and historical reference, instead, it contains strong calls to action to the website where they can get all the extra details they want and begin the admissions process.

 

After reviewing past Mercy College viewbooks, LF decided to reduce and streamline the copy using a strategic content outline and design layout while incorporating a more relatable (and fun!) tone. Plus, with Mercy College’s recent brand update we made sure to use their new logo, designated colors, fonts and overall style. We also reduced the college’s “about” section and turned the focus to questions that a prospective student might have and addressed them right away. Questions such as: What majors and programs are offered at Mercy College? How do I get financial aid? What is the transfer process? How do I apply?…and many more!

 

THE RESULTS

 

The completed project provides a cohesive and concise literature piece using the updated Mercy College brand style. Both teams were able to work together to communicate the college’s story and values to any prospective student.

 

Recently, Mercy College of Health Sciences celebrated a record number of students who applied for admittance for the fall 2018 semester. Applications totaled 1,054 — an 8.5 percent increase over 2017. Of those applicants, 252 enrolled at Mercy College resulting in the second largest new student enrollment for any term in the college’s history.