WORK :: MARKETING
Cure for the Common Core
ALLENDALE COLUMBIA SCHOOL ADMISSIONS CAMPAIGN
Allendale Columbia is an independent college preparatory school for students in nursery through 12th grade. It is located in the Rochester, N.Y. area, which is also home to a number of nationally ranked public school districts. Competition from these public schools can make filling enrollment pipelines challenging unless a clear, differentiated position can be defined and owned.
That’s where Zimmet Group came in.
The school needed to fuel a significant enrollment increase, which always starts with open house attendance. Our campaign captured significant attention, leapfrogging the school’s initial open house attendance goal by 2x.
The school saw a 40% increase in well-qualified applicants after the campaign began.
MANIFESTO
Our hard-hitting, research-driven manifesto positioned Allendale Columbia as the direct answer to local families’ frustration with the increasing standardization of public schools. This manifesto informed all campaign creative and helped galvanize students, parents, faculty, and staff.
ENGAGEMENT
Print and radio ads engaged target audiences through high-potential media outlets. A bold, direct creative approach helped the campaign stand out in a sea of photo-driven advertising. We deployed direct mail strategically using geodemographic segmentation to give each piece maximum impact.
Social influencers were also recruited to promote the campaign message in authentic, relevant ways across varied social media channels.


The campaign tapped into a hot-button issue, capturing valuable attention.


ACCOLADES
American Marketing Association – Pinnacle Award Winner for Small Budget Campaign