Valdosta State University recently launched its IGNITE! marketing campaign across Georgia and North Florida.

“The IGNITE! Marketing campaign will elevate the visibility of Valdosta State University across campus and throughout the region,” said VSU President William J. McKinney. “IGNITE! brings an element of excitement to prospective new students which will benefit our recruitment and enrollment efforts as well. It is a wonderful next step in the branding of the university.”

The IGNITE! campaign is based on extensive market research conducted across all university constituencies. During fall 2013 through summer 2014, focus groups and online and telephone surveys were conducted with prospective students and parents, high school counselors, current students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

“The research gave us actionable insight into what our constituents feel are our core strengths and why they feel so connected to VSU,” said Mary Gooding, VSU’s director of marketing. “All we had to do was capture that emotion and turn it into a campaign…and we did that with the IGNITE! campaign.”

The IGNITE! campaign was officially revealed in the October issue of Georgia Trend magazine and is the central focus of the university’s 2014 admissions brochure.

In addition, the IGNITE! campaign is part of a television commercial currently being shown during Gulf South Conference football games. Extensive digital advertising, such as animated VSU recruiting ads on the Internet, are viewable to web users who are high school juniors and seniors in Georgia and North Florida.

According to Gooding, in some cases the digital advertisements are shown to students who are identified as actively searching for colleges and college programs.

For those prospective students and their families traveling throughout Georgia and North Florida, a series of outdoor billboards featuring the IGNITE! campaign can be seen on major interstates.

“Creatively speaking, most university advertising includes pictures of pretty buildings and pretty people,” said Gooding “Certainly VSU has both; however, the IGNITE! campaign stands out in the crowd by utilizing atypical visuals including flames and fire which are also a natural tie to VSU’s mascot, the Blazers.”

Gooding said the campaign implementation is expected to evolve and expand during the next three to five years, with the ultimategoal of raising VSU’s visibility and awareness to increase enrollment and overall image of the university.

“The early days of the campaign are generating excitement while projecting a consistent look and messaging for all VSU promotional materials,” said Gooding. “There is an establishment of a brand image and personality, as well as a value statement of what one finds at VSU.”

For more information, contact Mary Gooding at 229-333-7400 or [email protected]