Case Study

Wilberforce College took a leaf from their own book when they used PromoBikes to advertise their Open Evening in November 2005. Most colleges drill home the message to prospective students about opening new horizons, fulfilling potential and achieving goals - but very rarely do they practise what they preach when it comes to their own development.

Wilberforce College did. They entered a new horizon when they enlisted for the first time a two-tiered outdoor offensive of PromoBikes and PromoBanners to encourage students (and parents) in the East Hull area to their Wednesday Open Evening.

To ensure as many 15-16 year olds in their catchment were made aware, Wilberforce and PromoBikes devised a guerrilla strategy to target this niche audience. Firstly, PromoBanners - armed with leaflets - were deployed outside school gates before, at lunchtimes and after lessons with the remit to hand a leaflet to anyone fitting the age description. Meanwhile, a PromoBike sought the parents...just in case the children failed to tell their Mums! Would they?! Here, PromoBikes set their sights on targeting retail parks, city centres and busy approach roads.

In the end, the style of this campaign portrayed the college as a forward-thinking institution, viewed innovatively by students and parents alike. Wilberforce College achieved their attendance goal - smashing a number that had previously stood for 9 years! According to Clare Wilkinson, marketing manager at Wilberforce College: "We are always looking for original and cost-effective ways to promote our open events to young people and their parents...PromoBikes have supplied us with just this and numbers of visitors to the College have noticeably increased - they provided a reliable, flexible and friendly service which we found a pleasure to use!"