Challenge
DeVry University enlisted LCI to create, promote and reinforce regional awareness of Northern California DeVry University locations to media outlets, prospective students and opinion leaders – all with an eye towards enhancing DeVry’s brand awareness and reputation throughout the region, as well as increasing student enrollment in Northern California. Recently accredited as a national university, the former DeVry Institute of Technology looked to LCI for assistance in positioning its new accreditation, promoting its successful computer science, bio-technology and engineering programs and leveraging graduates and alumni throughout Northern California.
Tactics
LCI began targeted outreach to key education, technology and business writers in five Northern California markets (San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Fremont and Fresno). In addition, LCI led a “PR 101” and media training session for DeVry University deans and other top-ranking personnel to educate faculty about the needs of print and broadcast media – and to solicit their ideas about newsworthy campus events. By creating an informal news bureau on each campus, LCI encouraged faculty to identify both relevant news stories as well as students whose achievements might be interesting to the press. While mining these news bureaus, LCI uncovered a great story: Technology Day at the Fremont campus, a day in which students were showcasing innovative new technologies – including a never-before-seen bi-pedal robot that exhibited all the great traits of a great news story. LCI also marketed DeVry’s success as the #1 producer of Hispanic computer science graduates in the United States for computer sciences.
Results
LCI was able to raise the visibility of DeVry University with major news outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, Fresno Bee, Hispanic media and others.