Long before it became fashionable—or “woke”—for corporations and educational institutions to
embrace and promote diversity, North Carolina’s Barton College was already setting a noteworthy example at its Wilson campus with a faculty and student body that includes representatives from 32 states and 25 different countries.
Last year, Barton decided to further broaden its outreach to the Tarheel State’s frequently overlooked and underserved Hispanic community and sought the assistance of the Bloodhound Group for our Hispanic marketing expertise.
Following meetings with Barton’s Vice President for Enrollment Management, Dennis Matthews, to understand the college’s culture and fit with the Hispanic community, BHG founder Jim Cobb and Vice President of Hispanic Marketing Jim Stevens-Arce proposed a campaign that would not only speak to Hispanics in their native tongue but would also translate the Barton College brand proposition into creative concepts culturally relevant to the Hispanic community.
Once Barton responded by assigning BHG their account, the campaign launched with an initial revamping of the college’s website and collateral materials to make them more accessible and relevant to the Hispanic demographic.
Upcoming components of the Spanish-language campaign include: producing and airing video on social media; radio commercials targeting Hispanic families in Eastern North Carolina; sponsoring and participating in important Hispanic cultural and educational events, and calling on the college’s Hispanic undergrads and alumni to help spread awareness of and interest in Barton among Hispanic students throughout the state.
In marked contrast to other small colleges that have suffered declining enrollment in recent years, Barton College has enjoyed steady increases, due in large measure to its dedication to diversity and inclusion. The Bloodhound Group’s new Hispanic marketing campaign is expected to continue fueling and enhancing this trend.