Bastrop ISD recently launched two new innovative early college academies in health sciences and advanced manufacturing through the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH) initiative. Through the partnership with the Austin Community College and industry partners, Bastrop ISD P-TECH students gain work experience through job training and mentorship programs while earning their high school diploma and industry certifications in preparation for high-wage and in-demand jobs. Bastrop ISD partnered with Rhodes Branding to increase community awareness of its P-TECH programs and collegiate academy.
Bastrop ISD
Strategic marketing services build community awareness and engagement with Bastrop ISD’s Early College Programs
Storyline
Recognizing the need to amplify community awareness of its dynamic early college programs, Bastrop ISD sought a partner capable of crafting a multifaceted campaign. The partnership with Rhodes Branding started in October 2023 with strategy and planning sessions, ensuring alignment with Bastrop ISD’s goals and the overall campaign messaging and creatives.
Our resulting campaign concept, “Your Future, Our Focus: Meet Bastrop ISD,” aimed to showcase the students, teachers, administrators, and industry partners that make each program a success.
Our team quickly got to work, developing engaging print materials, including one-pagers and posters, a 6-month social content calendar with associated creative assets, and pre-production planning. The campaign launched in February on Bastrop ISD’s main social channels with images profiling students and the benefits of enrolling.
Campaign creative development continued in January 2024, with our team spending 6 days in Bastrop for video production at the high schools, Austin Community College, and two industry partner sites. Our team then developed three flagship videos to showcase the distinct advantages of Bastrop ISD’s early college programs, accompanied by nine 30-second video cutdowns for use on various digital platforms.
The campaign was already a success by April, with Bastrop ISD reporting a surge in enrollment–reaching capacity by the end of the spring registration period.
“Rhodes Branding’s on-site professionalism in Bastrop was outstanding. They embraced feedback and delivered a final product that wowed not only me but also our district. Their comprehensive approach, from branding to marketing strategy, has improved our online presence and outreach approach. We launched Rhodes’ creative products in our recruiting efforts this year and have landed our largest recruitment classes of the past three years.”
–Steven Henn, EdD
Coordinator of PTECH and Work-Based Learning for Bastrop Independent School District
Bottomline
Our partnership with Bastrop ISD contributed to the largest recruitment class in three years with nearly 110 students enrolled in the PTECH early college programs.
0
.33%
enrollment increase