Southwestern University

Collateral design, Direct-response marketing, Publication design

Challenge
Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas is one of the most renowned liberal arts universities in Texas and one of the top schools in the South. In 2004, a time where universities across the nation are struggling to recruit, Southwestern desired a more balanced mix of men and women, as well as a higher response rate among interested prospects. The director of enrollment wanted to raise the Universitys level of competitiveness by increasing the number of enrollment applications. His intent was to expand its targeting to include high school sophomores as well as the traditional targets, juniors and seniors. He also wanted to increase the school’s reach outside of Texas. With little time available before the needed launch, GX Creative was asked to conceive, design and produce its critical alumni and admissions communications pieces.

Solution
GX Creative identified two messages as paramount. Parents needed to gain the university’s trust as a serious and valuable educational institution. Students needed to be convinced that Southwestern was not only a place to grow, but also a place to have fun with other students they could relate to. Previous mailings had been unable to reach the right balance.

GX Creative wanted the initial contact with potential students to stand out from the traditional college brochure mailings, so they created a lively foldout poster for mailing. The poster included personal stories of actual SU students, where they came from and what they thought their majors might be. The piece conveyed an attractive and diverse student body enjoying their college career. Employing simple and direct copy and subtle visual cues, such as selective varnish applications, the piece was attractive and easy to understand for high school students. For parents, it conveyed a student body that was thoughtful and serious about their education and included key information about the university, such as Southwestern’s selection by the Princeton Review as the seventh "best value" undergraduate institution in the nation. The poster was distributed to approximately 100,000 high school sophomores and juniors with a reply post card. Students replying to the poster were sent a colorful brochure in the style of a postcard picture book highlighting Southwestern’s exciting campus life and incorporating the university’s impressive accolades. GX Creative also overhauled the University’s quarterly alumni magazine, refreshing the layout and completing the Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 issues. All campaign components were completed within a few short months, meeting the university’s launch deadline.

Results
After release of GX Creative’s admission pieces, Southwestern reported a significant increase in response rates from prospective students. The poster mailing alone raised student response from 1% in the previous year to 5.5%.

The alumni magazines received accolades anecdotally from Southwestern’s graduate community, and the spring issue received a Silver Award of Excellence for design from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Seton Healthcare Network

Best Practices Analysis of Communication, Research, Marketing Consulting

Challenge
A non-profit healthcare provider, Seton Healthcare Network positions itself as Central Texas’ compassionate, values-driven institution. But in a crowded healthcare market, it was struggling to communicate its value and build a strong, consistent base of loyal constituents. In 2003, Seton hired a new vice president of planning, marketing and public relations, who quickly began evaluating Seton’s needs and setting goals. In hopes of better communicating its message, he asked GX Creative Communications to assess the network’s marketing efforts and propose solutions.

Solution
GX Creative began by reviewing the entire network’s list of print publications, such as Good Health Magazine, to assess whether or not the network was following Best Practices, such as the sharing and use of knowledge to improve the hospital’s marketing. GX then interviewed people from all different levels of the network. They designed a survey instrument to measure how information was being shared and used and they conducted internal focus groups. They also examined and compared Seton’s existing marketing efforts and the practices of similar networks, including review of competitors’ materials and communications pieces.

Results
GX Creative provided Seton with a comprehensive report detailing their findings and offering recommendations on how to develop a more integrated communications strategy. Based upon GX Creative’s conclusions, Seton decided to refocus its marketing efforts away from its main publication, Good Health Magazine, and establish more targeted messaging and print materials.

ClearOrbit Inc.

Full Service Marketing and Web Development, Print Collateral, Trade Show, Product Strategy

Challenge
Founded in 1994, BPA Systems specialized in add-on software to Oracle. In 2000, facing increased competition in the add-on arena, BPA needed to increase its presence in this niche market. Its new CEO called in GX Creative Communications to help reposition the company and elevate its status through re-branding.

Solution
Working closely with the CEO, GX Creative renamed the company ClearOrbit – a name that communicated the clean, seamless integration of their software solutions with Oracle products. GX Creative developed a new logo and streamlined look for ClearOrbit that was implemented across the board. GX Creative redesigned the company’s Web site, adding features to assist in qualifying prospects and tracking leads and allowing the company to offer webinars. They increased search engine optimization to improve online searchability. They also launched new email-marketing campaigns to increase lead generation. And they redesigned ClearOrbit brochures and trade show exhibits to give the company an international look and feel.

Results
As a result of GX Creative’s efforts, ClearOrbit has become a renowned industry leader in the supply chain execution software industry. Search engine optimization increased the number of hits on the ClearOrbit Web site and increased attendance at their Web seminars. The email-marketing campaigns amplified their visibility in the market and increased attendance at their tradeshow booths. The company has been named several times in the Austin Business Journal’s "Fastest Growing Private Companies List" for companies with revenues above $10 million. And in 2005, ClearOrbit was named to the "Software 500," Software Magazine’s list of the world’s foremost software and services providers.

Since the 2000 re-branding, GX Creative has completed two Web site refreshes, countless tradeshows and booth designs, email marketing campaigns, organic search engine optimization campaigns, print pieces, and lead management consulting.

Enviroquip, Inc.

Web Design and Development, Print Collateral

Challenge
Enviroquip is a designer, manufacturer and supplier of proprietary water and wastewater equipment worldwide. Since its formation in 1966, Enviroquip has led the industry in continuous improvement of its products. However, the company realized that its materials and overall "look" were outdated and did not accurately convey their position as a leader in the wastewater plant industry. Enviroquip also needed to increase its database functionality for employee use. They asked GX Creative improve their image as well as address their database issues.

Solution
GX Creative began by developing a new look for Enviroquip – one that more accurately communicated the company’s brand identity as an innovator in water treatment plants and processes – to increase their competitiveness in the market. GX Creative also refreshed the logo to reflect their new business model – clean and green, professional and innovating.

The Web site was restructured, giving it a cleaner, lighter design that was easier to navigate and more accurately displayed Enviroquip’s brand of water and wastewater equipment. And GX Creative optimized the site’s searchability among online search engines so that potential customers could find them more easily. As with the Web site, GX Creative redesigned Enviroquip’s collateral and the booth exhibit that would unveil Enviroquip’s new image at trade shows. In addition, GX Creative restructured the company’s database to further improve Enviroquip’s online efforts and simplify use for personnel.

Results
Enviroquip’s new tradeshow exhibit and collateral projects a brighter, cleaner image and is generating more traffic of interested customers and more sales leads. Enviroquip’s new Web site debuted in the fall of 2005. Enviroquip has received numerous commendations from its new parent company, GLV, Inc., regarding its wealth of organized information and clean, competitive look.