Racine Unified School District

Enrollment Growth for RUSD Through Integrated Education Marketing Campaign

Racine Unified School District (RUSD), located in southeastern Wisconsin, is the fifth-largest school district in the state. Aligned with its goals to prepare all students for college and careers after graduation, RUSD has a diverse and robust continuum for Racine families from Pre-K (ages 3-4) through 12th grade. With special programs including International Baccalaureate schools, Montessori schools, S.T.E.M.-focused schools, fine arts magnets, academy models, and career and technical training programs, RUSD has worked to establish choices so that all students can be successful.

RUSD sought to drive enrollment for its schools, raise awareness of its educational offerings, and position itself as the school of choice for Racine families.

To better tell its story, RUSD relied on Chartwell Agency’s design and storytelling talents, marketing expertise, and digital capabilities. The goal was to promote its offerings and reach families at multiple points throughout the decision-making cycle.

Chartwell Approach

Chartwell Agency specializes in education marketing, working with all sorts of schools, from large public districts to private college-preparatory schools, and from regional universities to independent colleges. We understand the student admission funnel, supporting all stages of the process including prospect, inquiry, applicant, deposit, admitted, and enrolled student.

Chartwell Agency created the You Belong Here marketing campaign to highlight the holistic side of RUSD. The tagline gives RUSD the ability to shift the emphasis, changing the meaning or the focus of the campaign:

“YOU Belong Here” – RUSD cares for the whole student, meeting his/her
individual needs.
“You BELONG Here” – Students are supported and encouraged; made to feel a part of a caring community of learners and educators.
“You Belong HERE” – With everything RUSD offers, there’s a perfect fit for each student.

Chartwell also identified a multifaceted and integrated marketing plan to assist the school district in developing a consistent message while working to reach a variety of audiences . The process included:

Strategic Facilitation & Message Development: Chartwell oversaw the strategic
facilitation and message development to give RUSD a strong, shared vision and corresponding message. We brought together key representatives and students to help identify targeted audiences and message points to share.
Integrated Communications Plan (ICP): An ICP was designed to provide an actionable strategy for RUSD with tactics to implement throughout the year to deliver information to the families and neighborhoods targeted for communications. The plan provided guidance on media relations, public relations, marketing strategies, social media strategies, and digital and traditional advertising.

Outcome

hartwell implemented digital advertising for the You Belong Here campaign that resulted in impressive results for the school district. At the initial launch, the You Belong Here email marketing campaign focused on 3K and 4K enrollment and RUSD captured more than 1,000 clicks directly to the website during a two-month period.