Güd Marketing

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Campaign:
Perspectives
Enrollment Campaign for Higher Education Savings, Michigan
Client:
Michigan Education Trust
Project Goals:
Recruitment
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Full-Service Campaign

Saving money for college isn’t easy.

Michigan Education Trust, or MET, offers parents, grandparents, businesses and others the opportunity to purchase up to 10 semesters of undergraduate tuition for future use at any Michigan public college or university for children who are Michigan residents.
Since 2016, Güd Marketing has helped elevate brand awareness of MET to new and prospective contract holders with messaging that demonstrates the benefits of “locking in” at current tuition prices for an expense that will be higher down the road – even employing seasonal strategies with messaging focused on the times people are thinking about gift giving and long-term financial planning: December holidays, tax time and back to school. In 2019, new insights into the mindset of parents and grandparents provided a new approach to positioning for MET.
RESULTS
Services Performed
Research
Planning
Messaging
Creative
Social Media
Media Buying
Digital
Web
Public Relations
Content Marketing

When money is tight, saving for college tends to drop off most people’s “to-do” list.

Research revealed that when parents thought about saving for college, they often felt uncertain about the future, overwhelmed by immediate financial pressures and fearful of the specter of college debt – for themselves or their children. Fears that should have prompted a decision to save money instead did the opposite.

An impossible-to-ignore campaign.

To address consumer uncertainty, a strategy was developed to acknowledge the emotions, position MET as the answer and empower parents as change leaders. A startling visual campaign was created to display the “before-and-after” effects of signing up with MET.
To grab people’s attention online, the split-face visual construct was used extensively in digital radio and display ads.
Web ad for MET; two photos of a woman side-by-side with a line down the center. On the left, she looks upset and the text reads, "100% concerned." On the right, she looks happy and the text reads, "100% confident."
Web ad for MET; two photos of a woman side-by-side with a line down the center. On the left, she looks upset and the text reads, "A child with debt." On the right, she looks happy and the text reads, "A child without."
Web ad for MET; two photos of a grandmother and grand daughter side-by-side with a line down the center. On the left, they look disappointed and the text reads, "Giving lame toys." On the right, they look happy and the text reads, "Giving college credits."
Web ad for MET; two photos of a father and son side-by-side with a line down the center. On the left, they look upset and the text reads, "Giving them a toy." On the right, they looks happy and the text reads, "Giving them a future."
Web ad for MET; two photos of a woman side-by-side with a line down the center. On the left, she looks upset and the text reads, "Indecision." On the right, she looks happy and the text reads, "Did the right thing."
Web ad for MET; two photos of a woman side-by-side with a line down the center. On the left, she looks upset and the text reads, "Overwhelmed." On the right, she looks happy and the text reads, "Over the moon."
Web ad for MET; the text reads, "MET with change how you feel about saving for your child's education."
Rich media ads featured interactive slider bars.
Messaging and visuals were developed for both grandparents and parents/caregivers.
Looping social media story animation for MET, showing a grandmother and granddaughter looking disappointed with the headline, "Without MET." above their heads. Their faces transition to smiles with the headline, "with MET."
Looping social media story animation for MET, showing a mother looking distraught with the headline, "Without MET." above her heads. Her face transition to a smile with the headline, "with MET."
Looping social media story animation for MET, showing a mother and son looking angry with the headline, "Without MET." above their heads. Their faces transition to smiles with the headline, "with MET."
Large-format print ads were ideally suited for use with the captivating visual construct.
Broadcast and online radio presented the same before-and-after fail reactions in audio form.
Listen to spot 1
Listen to spot 2

Results.

Estimated $700,000 in total value-added

placements over three years.

1,192 new contracts

resulting in $21 million+ total contributions.

“We’ve long considered Güd Marketing a trusted partner. But it’s much more than innovative campaigns. The folks at Güd truly believe in MET – and in helping families save on college tuition. That heartfelt caring shines through in everything they do.”

–Diane Brewer, Michigan Education Trust executive director

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