2008 Woodie Awards
Truman launches marketing plan
Amanda Boyle
Issue date: 11/2/06 Section: News
Students might notice a familiar face looming above them as they drive east on I-70 from Kansas City to Columbia.
A billboard featuring sophomore Ashley Rufus recently appeared along the highway to promote Truman, said John Fraire, associate vice president for enrollment.
He said the billboard is part of a marketing approach, which stems from the Aug. 21 Time magazine article, "Who Needs Harvard?" The article focused on alternatives to Ivy League schools and featured Rufus because she gave up a spot on Harvard's waiting list to attend Truman.
The University has taken this unplanned publicity and incorporated it into the modern integrated marketing campaign it introduced in the spring.
Fraire said the marketing approach has helped coin the phrase, "I chose Truman over Harvard." Although not on the billboard, this phrase has been used in various other facets of the marketing approach.
Some people believe this statement is deceptive because it does not mention Rufus chose Truman over Harvard's waiting list, rather than declining a guaranteed spot.
Shannon Jumper, professor of Russian, said the strategy is deceptive but acknowledged that the Time article clarifies this and is accessible to anyone interested.
Rufus said she originally was placed on Harvard's waiting list. She said Harvard only accepts a certain number of people from each area of the country, and in her area the last two acceptance spots were to go to either her friend or herself. She said she knew her friend was set on attending Harvard, and she was not sure she even wanted to go. In her interview with Harvard admissions representatives, Rufus told them to accept her friend. She said that for this reason, it is accurate to say she chose to attend Truman rather than Harvard.
"It is slightly deceptive seeing as Harvard was up there, but it was just too far from my family for me," she said. "Money and other factors went in to it, too. It sounds really nice on paper in a way. I don't know. It's a little deceptive. I definitely had the opportunity to attend [Harvard] had I wanted to, but it wasn't feasible."
A billboard featuring sophomore Ashley Rufus recently appeared along the highway to promote Truman, said John Fraire, associate vice president for enrollment.
He said the billboard is part of a marketing approach, which stems from the Aug. 21 Time magazine article, "Who Needs Harvard?" The article focused on alternatives to Ivy League schools and featured Rufus because she gave up a spot on Harvard's waiting list to attend Truman.
The University has taken this unplanned publicity and incorporated it into the modern integrated marketing campaign it introduced in the spring.
Fraire said the marketing approach has helped coin the phrase, "I chose Truman over Harvard." Although not on the billboard, this phrase has been used in various other facets of the marketing approach.
Some people believe this statement is deceptive because it does not mention Rufus chose Truman over Harvard's waiting list, rather than declining a guaranteed spot.
Shannon Jumper, professor of Russian, said the strategy is deceptive but acknowledged that the Time article clarifies this and is accessible to anyone interested.
Rufus said she originally was placed on Harvard's waiting list. She said Harvard only accepts a certain number of people from each area of the country, and in her area the last two acceptance spots were to go to either her friend or herself. She said she knew her friend was set on attending Harvard, and she was not sure she even wanted to go. In her interview with Harvard admissions representatives, Rufus told them to accept her friend. She said that for this reason, it is accurate to say she chose to attend Truman rather than Harvard.
"It is slightly deceptive seeing as Harvard was up there, but it was just too far from my family for me," she said. "Money and other factors went in to it, too. It sounds really nice on paper in a way. I don't know. It's a little deceptive. I definitely had the opportunity to attend [Harvard] had I wanted to, but it wasn't feasible."
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