Ball State is in the midst of an intense competition with other schools in Indiana. With the economy in disarray, people are realizing the importance of a college education when competing for a job. More potential students means the university must work harder on recruitment.
The university has put together a series of commercials profiling students and recent alumni to show prospective students what they can do with a degree and experience from Ball State.
These ads are all about students. Prospects have seen the old commercials, billboards, brochures, the Web site and everything else with the administrators' faces and words. Now they can hear from people who prove what can be done if students take full advantage of the resources here.
Ball State is pushing its immersive learning opportunities and it should. Students have ample opportunity to be involved and get the ever-important real world experience while here. The commercials highlight some of the students and former students who've exemplified the kind of things that can be done given the right effort.
Ad campaigns for colleges and universities are a lot like political campaigns. Elections are held every year when high school graduates decide where to enroll. President Jo Ann Gora has done the hand shaking and the speaking to spread awareness about Ball State. Commercials and newspaper ads are the other part. TV spots let people know Ball State exists and might get potential students to look into coming here.
The commercials will air in Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne and South Bend, three of the biggest TV markets in the state. This is also where large numbers of high school students are concentrated.
Ball State has worked hard to put its name into the same conversation as Indiana, Purdue and the other elite schools in the state. However, it can't stop. As soon as they stop, they'll take a step back. Some or all of the money that went to this ad campaign could've went to something that directly affects students now. But the money came from a Ball State Foundation fund meant for advertising. The university has to sustain and increase its enrollment and awareness to continue to be regarded as one of the top schools in the state, region and country.
It won't directly affect us if Ball State becomes the premier state college in Indiana a decade down the road. But this is something Ball State needs to do for itself. The luxury of spending a few years here then moving on to bigger and better things is exclusive to us.
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