After four years of progressively smaller incoming classes and declining enrollment, Sweet Briar needed a change. In the summer of 2003, the College embarked upon a long-term strategic planning process designed to evaluate and enact appropriate changes to the College’s programs (academic and co-curricular) that would result in growing enrollment from the then-current 550 to 750 students on campus. At the same time, but separate from the planning process, Sweet Briar also decided to scrap its existing recruitment publications (which had been in use for the previous 10 years) and invited proposals for new print publications from five firms.

Without much deliberation (i.e. the decision was quite easy), RHB/The Agency was selected to create and design a new family of print publications. After completing an audit of our existing college publications, Rick Bailey and an RHB account manager came to visit campus. I knew we had made the right choice when, on a gray, dreary day in October, the first words out of Rick’s mouth were, “Your current print pieces don’t tell this story. Your campus is beautiful.” They completed the on-campus Circles of Influence and two days of photography, and then “disappeared” for a couple of months to be creative.

Somewhere along the way, Rick asked if there were any limits or things they needed to avoid as they were creating possible directions for our recruitment campaign. As it was my first year at Sweet Briar (and I therefore didn’t know any better) and because I wanted to allow them to be as creative as possible, I told him that nothing was off limits. Looking back, I now know what he had in mind when he asked, and I’m very glad I allowed them that creative flexibility.

When they came to campus in February to test what they’d created, the feedback from our current students assured them (and me!) that they were on track and had captured the “essence” of Sweet Briar. And when they tested the concept with high school girls, the positive feedback was overwhelming – high school girls identified with the message and we began to have confidence that our campaign was going to reach our target audience. The creative process continued as RHB wrote text and inserted pictures, and our whole campaign began to “come alive.”

THINK is for Girls.

RHB created for us a family of publications that has captured Sweet Briar’s personality in print. It is truly remarkable how the bright pink travel piece attracts prospective students to our college fair table. And we get plenty of positive comments from prospective students and parents about how well our recruitment pieces do invite them “Inside Sweet Briar.” Without question, the “College Search Journal” (which is the initial piece mailed to an inquiring student) and the “Insider’s Guide to Sweet Briar” are the favorites among our prospective students (and many parents!). But what everyone remembers is our poster. “THINK is for Girls.” coupled with the perfect student’s face absolutely draws people in and communicates what can’t be communicated with words.

Throughout our process, RHB was a genuine partner; they listened, read between the lines, pushed us a little bit, and helped us communicate what we all knew to be special about Sweet Briar but couldn’t quite articulate. For the four years prior to our partnership with RHB, Sweet Briar averaged 417 applications from first-year students and an enrolling class of 151. Since we began using the print materials, we have averaged 602 applications from first-year students (a 44.4% increase!) and an enrolling class of 185 (a 22.5% increase!).

Ken Huus
Dean of Admissions
Sweet Briar College