The client:

Edge Hill University

The commission:

Each year, thousands of prospective university students receive piles of prospectuses from different institutions. Edge Hill University wanted their 2009 prospectus to stand out as an engaging read that spoke directly to prospective students about what it’s really like to study at Edge Hill.

They needed case studies of individuals studying on 90 of their courses, explaining what makes the Edge Hill experience unique and why anyone might want to study there.

The process:

1. Establish content required
We consulted with Samantha Armstrong, Head of Marketing and Creative at Edge Hill, to understand the themes and tone of voice required in the prospectus and drew up a list of questions carefully designed to find out what students really thought about their courses, the university and their future.
2. Identify appropriate candidates
We liaised with staff from across the institution to collate contact details of students they knew from each course. We then contacted and interviewed these students via telephone or email, chasing up wherever necessary to obtain the required number of appropriate case studies.
3. Create test pieces
These set the template for all case studies. We reviewed elements such as space requirements, structure and tone of voice and submitted example copy to Samantha for her approval.
4. Write copy
We wrote each case study as the interviews took place and submitted each in turn to Samantha.
5. Secure permission slips
We drew up a document for students to sign confirming that they agreed for their responses to be used in the institution’s marketing materials. This ensures that the case studies can be reproduced in various forms of marketing literature for the university in the future, with no further time or effort required.

The result:

We reached – and exceeded – the required number of case studies, providing usable testimonies for a wide range of marketing purposes, including the 2009 prospectus.

Samantha has since passed on our details to other marketing staff within the institution, who have also commissioned us to write and edit copy for their own promotional brochures.

The feedback:

“We were more than happy with the resulting profiles and they have made a valuable contribution to the 2009 prospectus.”

Samantha Armstrong, Head of Marketing and Creative