Reintroducing JFKU as a value-focused institute with deep connections to the community
After the extended focus on economic value-driven propositions, the university needed to remind the community that JFKU was a university with a greater mission. In 2015 with the “When did you know?” campaign I began to reestablishing the university's voice with a focus on its core values of service and the student’s journey. In the wake of the assassination of its namesake, the university was explicitly founded with the intent of carrying on his progressive legacy, to make a positive impact on society. At its heart, JFKU was a university for those who wanted to serve and sought an education that enhanced this service. Yet there was a major disconnect between the university’s core values and how it communicated to the market prior to my arrival in 2015.
The ideas of service and personal responsibility to our society remained a core driver in the daily activities of the university. As late as 2019, service-learning course work was required for every graduate, no matter the program. Among the many community-focused endeavors operated by the university were 3 mental health clinics, 2 legal clinics, 2 mental skills-focused summer camps, an entrepreneurial center, a veterans center, and support for nonprofit philanthropy. After the extended focus on economic value-driven propositions, the university needed to remind the community that JFKU was a university with a greater mission.
The university needed marketing with a deeper level of storytelling. The “When Did You Know” (WDYK) campaign focused on connecting with the potential students’ desire to make a positive impact on society. Each persona was introduced across radio, display, OOH, email, and social in addition to our website’s home page. From there, potential students could click through to a story that highlights their personal journey in relation to JFKU through video and text-based exposition, exploring their epiphany for the desire to create positive change. The campaign was designed to release in 3 phases in the order of Student, Teacher, Alumni to allow potential students to identify with those starting their journey, mentors, and achievable goals.
The WDYK campaign had an immediate positive reaction from those within the JFKU community. Also, numerous new students sited it as a factor in their decision to apply to JFKU. The WDYK campaign signaled a return to the expression of the values of personal service and celebrating those in our community who live by these values. Beyond the campaign itself, it signaled a shift in how we communicated about our program and community impact across all media.
Campaign Team Members
- Michael Davidson Strategy, Producer, Creative Director
- Megan Gala, Manager
- Kelly Egan, Writer
- David Valentin - Mr Smith Productions, video production
- Brooke Fasani Auchincloss - Photographer