As a private, rural and relatively small college in Arkansas, The University of Ozarks knew that it needed to appeal to prospective and new students with more than just the standard welcome letter—so a custom welcome box was assembled for students designed to surprise and delight.
The student welcome kit aims to provide a feel for the school by immersing the box's recipient in the school's culture. Some of the branded objects that can be found in the starter kit for students include everything from a canteen-shaped water bottle to buttons highlighting local attractions.
Now that the welcome kit is being shared with students, it has been noted that "the results so far have shown a 29 percent year-over-year increase in student yield which shows that this appeal truly did resonate with the students."
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Custom Welcome Kits
- Creating personalized welcome kits for new students can enhance their sense of connection and engagement with the institution.
- Branded Objects
- Including branded objects in welcome kits can help students develop a sense of pride and affiliation with the school.
- Student Engagement Initiatives
- Implementing creative student engagement initiatives like welcome kits can positively impact student recruitment and enrollment.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Higher Education
- Incorporating custom welcome kits can disrupt the traditional approach to student recruitment and improve enrollment in educational institutions.
- Promotional Products
- The demand for branded objects and customized merchandise within welcome kits creates opportunities for the promotional products industry to cater to the needs of educational institutions.
- Marketing and Advertising
- Developing and implementing creative student engagement initiatives like welcome kits can be a disruptive innovation opportunity for marketing and advertising agencies targeting the higher education sector.
