Barton College

Barton College Case Study

1. The project
 
Barton College is a private liberal arts college located in Wilson, North Carolina, about 45 minutes east of Raleigh. Barton College provides students with a solid academic foundation, a student-centered campus, a variety of campus activities and organizations, and plenty of personal attention. In 2007, the Barton Bulldogs clinched the NCAA Division II championship—and the school realized a enhanced awareness and a surge in its inquiries and applicants.
 
2. The challenge
 
No longer the current NCAA Division II champions, Barton College sought new publications…with fresh messages…that would command the attention of prospective students. At the same time, however, we needed to maintain continuity with messages developed by a private research consulting firm—“Inspiring Futures” as a tagline and “Turning Beliefs into Accomplishments” as a supporting statement. Because this language was included on advertisements, banners, and billboards within just a few weeks of when our work began with Barton College, we needed to uphold the integrity of those messages. In addition, Barton College hoped to pursue a three-part viewbook series in place of a traditional viewbook.
 
3. The solution
 
As a solution, we developed a three-part mini-viewbook series building off key words from existing messages—INSPIRES, BELIEVES, and ACHIEVES. Each mini-viewbook in the series featured specific aspects of the Barton experience. INSPIRES covered academic life, experiential learning, faculty, and the learning environment. BELIEVES highlighted all aspects of student life: organizations, athletics, the arts, residential life, and location. Finally, ACHIEVES addressed outcomes information and the value of a Barton education. We also created fun (and functional) packaging to enhance the uniqueness of the mini-viewbook series.