If you’ve driven anywhere in Beaufort County lately, you may have noticed some interesting billboards popping up here and there.
The new boards are just one aspect of TCL’s new strategic marketing campaign incorporating the theme “Unwavering.”
“We are very excited about the new strategy,” said TCL’s Marketing & Public Relations Director Leigh Copeland. “We believe this research-backed campaign will elevate our brand in the community and allow us to reach the audiences that are important to the college.
Launched this spring, the multi-channel campaign will feature billboards, digital and print ads, mailers and other collateral materials. In addition, TCL students will be able to purchase SWAG or receive giveaways featuring the theme as well.
The planning and launch of “Unwavering” was timed to follow TCL’s recent unveiling of its new mascot name the Tides.
“We wanted something that, in addition to reaching our audiences with messages that resonated with them would also reflect the thinking or ideas behind our new name the TCL Tides,” said Copeland.
As Copeland went on to explain, the look and feel of the word ‘Unwavering’ set against a background reminiscent of water or waves, and coupled with specific key messages accomplishes that.
“It’s also a natural extension of the idea that, like the Tides, our students are steadfast, unmoved, a force of nature and we think we got that with ‘Unwavering.’”
A Community Within a Community
While the ‘Unwavering’ concept may seem simple enough – with ads that feature a clean and bold design – Copeland said don’t be fooled.
“A lot of research and data collection went into the planning for the campaign’s approach and several workshop sessions were held with internal and external stakeholders in the fall of 2023,” she said.
Factors such as the changing landscape of education, post-pandemic values and perceptions, challenges our students face – even the local and national economy – were all considered, she added.
“More and more, people are questioning the value of a four-year degree and the benefits higher education offers given the return on their investment, which is why it’s important to offer flexible solutions that meet students where they live,” she said.
Taylor Welborn, Director of Recruitment & Admissions, was one of several TCL staff members who participated in the workshop sessions. Welborn said she and her staff are also hearing that flexibility is important to students, which is why hybrid classes are increasingly popular.
“One of the things that came out of those sessions is that TCL is a community within our community,” she said.
TCL students – especially those already in the workforce but want to change careers – value programs and support initiatives that help them to succeed and balance school with work and home life, Welborn and others in the sessions said.
Programs such as remote, on-campus, and on-demand tutoring services that fit within students’ busy schedules or free, accessible counseling services and tailored resources for first-generation or low-income students or students with a disability, provided by Student Support Services and Trio programs are just a few examples.
“Together, all of these programs work to support and encourage students from their first time walking into our admissions office all the way through walking across the graduation stage,” Welborn said. “We want students to join us, to know that they belong here and see the possibility of their own success. We want them to succeed, and we think this campaign exemplifies that philosophy.”
A look at just a few of the ads from TCL’s new “Unwavering” campaign:
