Print is far from obsolete. Take a look at some examples of the copy I’ve created for direct mail, magazine ads, outdoor advertising, and other print materials.
Outdoor Advertising
Outdoor Boards: “The best college you’ve never heard of”
The key to great outdoor advertising is to get your point across as quickly as possible, but still with the maximum amount of impact.
In my copy for billboards and other outdoor signage, I put myself in the audience’s shoes. When you’re driving or walking outside, busy billboards with multiple messages can be confusing and even distracting.
Here, you can see an example of how I worked with Earlham College to use humor to create a message that would stick in the audience’s mind. Website impressions from regions where these billboards were located increased significantly for the college.
Direct Mail
Fundraising Mailer: “Invest for good”
Fundraising is a critical function of many nonprofits. For this fundraising campaign mailer, the target audience included high-level donors and potential donors to the college. Our aim was to inform them about the benefits of belonging to the College’s highest tier of donors, and to encourage continued donations at that level.
Event Postcard: “Forward.”
Postcards are a cost-effective way to use print to remind your audience about upcoming events or create a call-to-action. This postcard was one piece of a larger marketing campaign for a college’s Day of Giving. The overall theme for the day, “Forward,” was something I proposed as a way to incorporate the College’s 175th anniversary. Read the concept proposal below to get a sense of how I incorporated this language into various aspects of the day’s marketing.
“Forward” Concept Proposal
Below is the campaign concept I developed to present to our campus partners, and much of this language was used in the campaign itself.
This April 28, we look forward.
For 175 years, Earlham has been changing the lives of its students. And for 175 years, those students have gone on to change the world for good.
With that tradition to propel us forward, it’s easy for Earlhamites to look to the future with hope and inspiration.
Pay it forward.
The opportunities our students have—through donor-funded scholarships, research experiences, internships, off-campus study and more—are what make Earlham a community like none other.
And on Earlham Day, our worldwide community comes together to pay it forward.
Celebrate the journey forward.
At the EPIC Expo, we celebrate students’ journeys—and the experiences that move them forward—through presentations of student learning.
Many of these experiences could not be possible without the support of Earlham alumni and donors. Your generosity makes these kinds of journeys accessible to each new generation of Earlhamites.
Sales letter: “The best decision you’ll make this year.”
This front-and-back one-sheeter was included in students’ financial aid packages. It’s essentially a sales letter, meant to “close the deal” and encourage admitted students to choose Earlham. Click to view the full document.
Magazine Ads
Music Program Ad: “4 years. 2 degrees. Countless lives changed.”
This ad appeared in a program for a state marching band competition, so the target audiences included Indiana high school musicians and their parents.
Because the program would already be full of ads from other Indiana higher ed music programs, I focused the ad’s copy on the most compelling benefits Earlham’s music program can offer: the option to complete two degrees in four years, and the scholarships available to these specific students.
Jen Gose Story Strategy 