Page 174 - Jostens Yearbook_Adviser Guide

CASE STUDY STAFF T-SHIRTS MAKING IT PERSONAL

Rebecca Pollard, Adviser at Heritage High School, TX
One of the first things students do when they get their yearbook is to flip to the
If the theme can be a marketing tool in addition to
giving the book a look and feel, I have found the index and find pictures of themselves. It’s human instinct.
student body buys in. The theme shouldn’t be just Building on this can create one of the most successful marketing strategies. And by indexing names and tagging
about telling a story in the yearbook, it should be a photos as they are used in spreads, it can also make this one of the easiest.
piece to connect with your readers. We involve our
students as part of our theme. They know about it from The Jostens “You’re in the Book” flyer cross references the names of students in the coverage report with the
the beginning of the year, they connect with us about it, names of students who haven’t yet purchased a yearbook and creates targeted flyers. These customized flyers
and we interact with them using our theme. It doesn’t include the students’ name and the page numbers that they are featured on. Advisers can even add custom text
drown out the excitement of the surprise at the end with order information specific to their school.
of the year. In fact, we think it helps build it.
TO GENERATE THE FLYERS:
When we started putting our theme branding on
T-shirts and flyers, using it with hokey marketing Log onto Yearbook Avenue, click SELL > PLAN & PROMOTE. Then click “Create a custom flyer.”
strategies to grab attention, I noticed a direct Be sure to enter custom text on your flyer that includes a deadline!
correlation of our sales increasing. You have to After you’ve done this, click “Get Your Flyers.” This will generate a PDF of your flyers. Your next step is to print
constantly remind the community how valuable your and cut them out. The flyers can be placed on lockers, in the hall or distributed in homeroom.
product is. If you pick a theme that your school will love
as much as the yearbook staff loves, this will happen
automatically.
Strategy begins before the theme is picked. As cliché ADVERTISEMENT JOSTENS YOU’RE IN THE BOOK FLYERS
as it sounds, a theme can help unite a school, but
it can also help divide it. Bring students in on the
theme planning, ask them what the school means
to them. It helps when brainstorming. I love that we
will have random students stop by the media room
at the beginning of the year and ask what the theme
is for the next book. That means we are successfully
connecting with our audience and they want to join in
the excitement.

THANK YOU NOTES BRANDED PERSONALIZED NOTES

Mt. Pleasant High School, DE Harrison High School, GA

174 SECTION 8.2 BUILDING YOUR AUDIENCE MARKETING 175