NCSDO

Selected Work

Situation

Since 1988, we have had the fun of working with Williams College on its principal marketing communications. Over that period, it has continued to be one of the nation’s most selective colleges, attracting talented and interesting students with almost unlimited college options. Our challenge has been to craft a single appeal to Williams’ two discrete markets: those who know the College well and wonder why it must market itself and those who know little of its storied place in American higher education.

Results

Throughout our history with the College, Williams has attracted an increasingly diverse enrollment, one of the primary goals of our engagement. In 2008, American students of color represented 33 percent of the first-year class—an increase of 200 percent over the past decade—while the College’s admit rate dropped 17 percent, the most selective in memory. Wrote one student in the Williams Record: “I was a tough sell when it came to Williams. The day I received the prospectus, however, everything changed.”